From: msk1024@yahoo.com   
      
   Title:   Out of the Everywhere   
   Author: Kel and Michelle Kiefer   
   Email: ckelll@hotmail.com   
          msk1024@yahoo.com   
   Category:  Casefile   
   Spoilers: Conduit, En Ami   
   Rating: R   
   Archive:  Just ask.   
   Disclaimer:  Not ours.  Sigh.   
   Summary:  A missing child and a family   
   with something to hide.  In the aftermath   
   of "En Ami," Mulder and Scully investigate   
   a "classic alien abduction."   
   Comments: Writers know what they wanted to   
   say, and that makes it hard for them to see   
   when they haven't succeeded in saying it.   
   That's where betas come in.  "Out of the   
   Everywhere" is stronger and clearer because   
   of the efforts of our betas.  Thank you to   
   Marasmus, Syntax6, MaybeAmanda, Sdani and Linda.   
      
   Out of the Everywhere - part 9   
      
   "I'll call the sheriff.  Tessa's too dumb to cover her   
   tracks," Mulder said.   
      
   "They'll nail her," Scully said.  She couldn't bear to   
   look Mulder in the eye.   
      
   "I botched it," Mulder said.  "Let's get out of here   
   before we fuck things up for forensics."   
      
   Destiny was probably dead long before Kevin's call   
   brought them into the case.  Scully took comfort in   
   that, feeling disgusted with herself for doing so.   
      
   A noise from the front of the house snapped her from   
   her musings.   
      
   "Wayne, is that you?  And where's my favorite little   
   girl?"   
      
   Tessa's voice, excited and happy.   
      
   "Don't pounce," Scully whispered.  Tessa would be in   
   the room in seconds.  Scully's warning was a reminder   
   to herself as well as Mulder.  No accusations.  Be   
   friendly.  Let her talk.   
      
   "Oh, damn.  I shoulda known Wayne wouldn't be caught   
   dead driving a Taurus," Tessa greeted them.   Smoke   
   drifted upward from the lit cigarette in her hand.   
      
   "Hi, Tessa.  Nice house," Mulder said.   
      
   "Yeah, and I didn't invite you," she said.   
      
   "We were hoping you could help us.  You seemed to know   
   a lot about Ruby and her boyfriend," Scully said.   
      
   Tessa brightened.   
      
   "You weren't exactly nice yesterday," she said, taking   
   a drag of her cigarette.  "I don't even know why I should   
   tell you anything."   
      
   "So we can catch Ruby, and make her pay for what she   
   did," said Mulder.   
      
   Scully couldn't have pulled off that line, but   
   Mulder's monotone made it work.   
      
   "If I help you, maybe you could help me," Tessa said.   
   "I could probably tell you a lot about that boyfriend.   
   I have a friend who's good at that stuff."   
      
   "How about you tell us where they hid the body," Mulder   
   said.   
      
   "How do I know where crazy Ruby woulda hid the body?"   
   Tessa asked.   
      
   "You gotta help us if you want us to help you," Mulder   
   said.  "I bet we could get them to turn on the water   
   here.  Electricity, too."   
      
   "I got friends who can do that stuff," Tessa said.   
      
   "What kind of help do you need?" Scully asked.   
      
   Tessa tilted her head to one side, then the other,   
   pursing her lips as she thought.   With exaggerated   
   care, she flicked ashes into the tin on the coffee   
   table.   
      
   "There's this guy who said he'd do a favor for me."   
      
   "And why would you need our help when you've got   
   such useful friends?" Scully asked.   
      
   "Maybe you can scare him a little, make him do what   
   he promised."   
      
   "I don't know, Tessa.  So far you haven't given us   
   much," said Mulder.   
      
   "I gave you the boyfriend.  Ask him where they put   
   the body."  Tessa sounded impatient, even indignant.   
      
   Mulder looked at Scully, but the pantomime was for   
   Tessa's benefit.  His face said that he wasn't   
   interested, that Tessa would have to give them more.   
      
   "The guy who owes you this favor.  What's his name?"   
   Scully asked.   
      
   "Wayne Tenner.  He's kind of a geek, but he knows   
   about computers and stuff."   
      
   "Where's the body?" Mulder quietly brought the   
   subject back to Destiny.   
      
   "That's all you care about, isn't it?"  Tessa was   
   offended.   
      
   "You want help with Wayne, you have to help us   
   too," Mulder said.   
      
   "Oh--at the lake!" Tessa blurted.  "That's where they   
   dumped the body."   
      
   She's lying, thought Scully.   
      
   "Lake Okoboji?" Mulder asked.   
      
   "Well where else?" Tessa asked.   
      
   "She's buried there?" Mulder asked.   
      
   "Yeah.  Now, I don't know where you're gonna find   
   Wayne, but there's people at the Pub who can tell   
   you."   
      
   "Or did they dump her in the water?" Mulder asked.   
      
   "Yeah, could be they just dumped her in the water,"   
   Tessa agreed.  "This guy Wayne, he knows where my   
   daughter is.  Found out they live in Council Bluffs.   
   He's gonna pick her up from her school."   
      
   "Which is it, Tessa?  They buried her or they threw   
   her in the lake?"  Mulder's anger was rising.  Scully   
   wondered if he'd really been listening.   
      
   "Tessa, where is your daughter?" Scully asked.   
      
   "They gave her to a married couple and they named   
   her Elizabeth, but that's all they'd tell me.   
   Wayne found out their last name was Carpenter and   
   where she was, and he's supposed to get her back."   
      
   "You fixed up this room for her," Scully said.  "For   
   Elizabeth."   
      
   Tessa nodded.  "I  think I'm gonna keep that name,   
   too.  It's pretty."   
      
   Mulder scrubbed his fist against his forehead.   
      
   "This is all about... *Elizabeth.*  Not Ruby's child,"   
   he said.   
      
   Tessa wrinkled her nose.   
      
   "I've seen Ruby's kid--she's a creepy little freak.   
   Elizabeth has long blond hair.  I think maybe she'll   
   be a singer."   
      
   Mulder picked up the Raggedy Ann doll from the bed,   
   fingering the red yarn hair.  "We'll talk to Wayne   
   for you, Tessa.  I'm sure Elizabeth will be very   
   happy here."   
      
   He handed Tessa the doll and with a hand on Scully's   
   arm, guided her from the room.   
      
   "Don't forget," Tessa called after them.  "Ask at   
   the Pub."   
      
   Mulder kept his hand at her back all the way to the   
   car.  Scully could practically feel electrical current   
   through her clothes.   
      
   "Drive around the block," Mulder instructed after   
   they'd gotten in the car.  He had his cellphone out   
   and was already dialing the sheriff's number.   
      
   "Tessa's been a busy girl," Mulder said as he waited   
   to be put through to the sheriff.  "Here she is working   
   to tear one little kid away from her family and she   
   still takes the time to implicate Ruby and Dan in the   
   death of another."   
      
   Scully slowed the car as she swung back onto Tessa's   
   street.   
      
   "Keep back a few houses," Mulder said.  "We want to be   
   able to see if Tessa leaves but not have her spot us."   
      
   Scully listened as he finally got through to the   
   sheriff and began to outline what they'd discovered:   
   the room prepared for Elizabeth, the credit cards in   
   Tessa's possession.   
      
   "That's Wayne Tenner, T-E-N-N-E-R.  Tessa described him   
   as a computer whiz.  I don't know if he's armed, but   
   I'd consider him dangerous.  The kid's name is Elizabeth   
   Carpenter.  According to Tessa, Tenner is supposed to be   
   snatching the girl from her school in Council Bluffs."   
      
   Mulder listened for a moment, fidgeting in his seat.   
   "Yeah.  We'll keep the residence under surveillance   
   until your men get here."   
      
   He turned to her as he disconnected.  "The sheriff   
   is sending a detail to pick Tessa up.  He's calling   
   the Council Bluffs PD."   
      
   Tessa was obviously home to stay, at least for a   
   while.  They watched the house, but she never   
   emerged.  The sun was setting, the sky painted   
   pink and purple behind the ugly gray of the house.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)