LORE24 ENTRY #55 – Supers Month #24 – Grace Tempest-Redhall

 

From the personal journal of Delia Emmerson, Star Reporter of Channel 9 News…

 

Grace Tempest-Redhall, daughter of Julia Tempest-Redhall.  Why the additional name attached to this pair, though?  Well, that’s subject’s a bit murky, but it seems that Julia once married into another influential family from somewhere in Europe, though I can’t find information as to whether Grace was born from that family or simply adopted into it after the marriage.  I’ve reached out to some people who know how to trace these family lines better than I do, but they’ve not gotten back to me yet.  I’m not sure how long ago any of this took place, either; Julia is supposed to be the family elder from all accounts, the one in charge, but she barely looks forty, and Grace still looks like she’s in her twenties.  How blessed can one family be in the looks department, anyway?  Personal opinion here:  not fair, at all.

Anyway, as to Grace’s activities in Sentinel City, she’s only recently come to make a name for herself, joining in on the majority of the family’s attempts to enrichen and improve the city, and she’s taken a different (but somewhat parallel?) course as Maria has in her efforts.  She runs a special reform school for misguided, troublesome boys called the Littlewood Academy that just opened last year.  You’d think there would be more of an uproar over the facility being exclusive to only half of the population, but she’s promised that, when her methods prove successful, there will be a matching school for girls.  Still, I have my doubts that this is a legitimate business; there’s way too much public funding going into it (and who knows how much private funding; I intend to find out!), and the ‘boys’ that are shipped into the place are actually adults; all the records I’ve uncovered show the youngest allowed in are eighteen, with most trending older.

Thus far I’ve not managed to get a look at the facility itself, as it’s again under a strict no-fly zone for drones, and has high walls.  From what I have seen from outside, though, it’s just as fancy looking as Maria’s academy on the inside, and by every testimonial I’ve read, the first round of graduates have come out positively sparkling, their violent tendencies and lackluster personalities completely reversed, with many going on to take positions with well-respected, wealthy citizens as personal assistants and understudies in their businesses.  The re-education program here does tout a strong focus on giving the students real-life job skills.  Given the state of Sentinel City, and the world at large for that matter, I daresay that mind control of some kind is involved.  I’d expect this kind of thing from Jennifer at Edgewater, if I’m being honest.

Also, a curious note:  I did manage to get my hands on some of the expense reports from inside Littlewood.  On the surface, they looked completely normal, food purchases, staff payroll, promotional material, that kind of thing, but there was an oddly high amount spent on cosmetics and student uniforms.  I’m no mathematician, but compared to the size of the facilities, Grace has spent more on this particular area than what Maria has at her much larger school.  I smell a money laundering scheme!

Given Julia’s tendency to ingratiate herself amongst the elite of Sentinel City, there’s got to be a link to Grace’s activities at this school that I’ve yet to uncover; some of the names where these reformed young men have started new careers are amongst the ones Julia frequently visits, after all, and in my profession, there are no coincidences.

I’m still working the angles on this one, but have managed to secure an interview with Grace, and may even manage a proper tour of the facility if I play my cards right.  I’ll get to the bottom of this, whatever it takes, and I’ll see to it that the Tempests’ criminal plans are busted wide open, or my name’s not Delia Emmerson!