xp_logs | Lorna and Sofia

Lorna comes to see Sofia at her office, dropping off the first file and being polite all around. There is coffee and idle chatter. Best friends forever? You decide!

"Thanks for agreeing to talk to me, Sofia. David said you'd probably be able to help out." Lorna followed the taller woman through the Snow Valley offices, only hampered a bit by the briefcase she had in one hand. "It's not exactly a life or death matter."

"Do not worry. I have enough excitement in my life without needing all my cases to involve seconds ticking down," Sofia answered, her shoes clattering against the hardwood floor as she briskly moved towards her door; it was possible that she made the noise only to warn Remy away, much like a cat bell. It was pushed open ahead of them, and the smell of rich, dark coffee wafted out of the room. "Please, have a seat."

Haller was right about one thing, Sofia did make good coffee by the aroma of it. Lorna perched on the edge of one of the chairs, nudging the door closed a bit as she didn't really feel like sharing this particular situation with an office full of professional nosy people. "Did David explain what it was that I needed or should I go through the whole tale?"

A short gust closed the door the rest of the way as Sofia poured coffee into two, small glasses, picking each one up by her fingertips to place them in a metal zarf. "He gave me very little. That you need a profile to help you find someone you thought to be your sister and not much more. I believe he is using me for my coffee making skills," she replied, turning around to place a cup in front of the other woman, as well as a small creamer.

Lorna declined the creamer with a shake of her head and took a sip of the coffee before reaching into her brief case for a slender file. "Her name is, or was, Zala Michelle Dane. She's biologically my cousin, adoptively my sister." Her smile was a little wry, "I have a complicated family. She'd be about 35 and she left 20 years ago. My parents haven't heard from her in at least 15 years. The investigators I hired ran down several candidates then, yesterday, they called and said they were considering it a closed case. No explanation, no apologies. Just...that it was a waste of their time and my money."

Listening quietly but for the high clink of her metal spoon against the glass sides of her cup as she stirred in a generous portion of milk, Sofia finally sat herself opposite Lorna. "That would qualify as odd. Do you have any idea why? A starting place or even a... bunch? A feeling."

Lorna sighed, "Nothing. It can't be easy, finding one woman in the whole world that no one has even heard from in 15 years." She set the file on Sofia's desk and flipped it open. "They'd had a couple of leads, thought they were close. But it never panned out. I don't know if this isn't going to be just as much a waste of your time as it was of theirs."

"Some people play soduku. I write profiles. It's no waste, even if I don't solve it." Sofia pulled the top paper to her, scanning it briefly. "And I admit, something other than the latest criminal of the week would be a breath of fresh air," she continued, obviously unaware of the pun.

"These are the preliminary notes. Just some basic information," Lorna shifted on the chair and leaned forward. "I have more if you'd like it, I may have, um, demanded their files except for the proprietary stuff." She reached out and laid her hand on top of the paper Sofia was looking at until the other woman looked up at her, "You won't tell anyone about this, right?"

Sofia was nodding vaguely -- more information would make it easier in the long run, although, she'd double check it -- when the perfect French manicure switched the tracks on her train of thought. "I understand the need for privacy. This would surface some interesting questions, especially with you as a teacher?"

Lorna looked sheepish, "It's not that, actually. I meant...I don't want Remy to know. Or anyone else here. I'd like to keep my personal life to myself on this one and be the one controlling who knows and who doesn't." She pulled her hand back and folded it with the other in her lap, "At the moment, there are less than five people who know about my sister. I'd like to keep it that way."

"I think that would involve my having a conversation with Remy beyond rude gestures and car bombs," Sofia answered, her eyes flicking only once to the revealed papers before settling firmly on Lorna. It was difficult to tell if she was joking or not, but there was a definite feeling that she was actively trying to pry herself away and be social. "You have nothing to worry about, at least, not from me."

"Thank you." Lorna smiled wryly and tilted her head to the side, "I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought that you'd go blabbing to everyone or anything. I just...thought I should be upfront, you know? So that there weren't any miscommunications."

"I've been told I occasionally miss social cues," Sofia stated neutrally, leaning back in her chair, away from the tempting file. "It was a good call. And I always prefer upfront."

Lorna collected her coffee again, sipping at it to cover the fact that she had nothing to say. It was a simple enough trick, just giving herself time enough to come up with anything that wasn't the weather but it felt odd using it. It was so very much like...high school. Like the dream. "David told me that you made good coffee. He was right. I don't quite recognize the bean though?"

There was a pause before Sofia gradually gave in to a smile, just curving the right side of her mouth ever so little and softening her eyes. "It's a dark roast that I get from down the street from the apartments. There were some complaints about choosing a rougher neighborhood when we first got here, but there are several old shops and a market. I like it." She paused to allow herself a sip, reassuring herself. "I also add a little bit of cardamom."

"Oh, that's a good trick, gives it that little extra something," Lorna smiled at Sofia, suddenly seeing the reticent demeanor for what it was. "I'll have to smuggle you some of my kona beans. They're utterly fantastic." She finished her cup of coffee and set it down again. "I hate to do this but I really have to run. I'll bring by the rest of the files the agency gave me soon. Maybe we can meet someplace else?"

"I'd like that," Sofia answered with a nod, and was surprised to find she was telling the truth.