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I thought he was being paranoid until he turned up dead.
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| ― Jeanine, about Bernard Slaybeck [1] | ||
Jeanine, in her flower girl promotions model outfit.
Jeanine is a bulimic flower girl/promotions model who helped promote the Dandy Lion SX for Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries. She fell in love with Bernard Slaybeck, one of the automobile safety analysts testing the car. When he is mysteriously killed, she becomes suspicious of the company, and helps Ned, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and Emerson Cod in their investigation, which ultimately leads to the discovery that company president Mark Chase was covering up a fatal defect in the new car.
Biography[]
Promotions job at Dandy Lion[]
Jeanine working the display room at the Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries headquarters.
Jeanine worked in the promotions department of Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries, where she served as one of the flower girl models promoting the Dandy Lion SX, an eco-friendly and futuristic car that runs on fuel derived from dandelion weed. Jeanine, who suffered from bulimia, was put under additional pressure during her training from Mark Chase, who seemingly only hire thin, attractive women for the jobs. Although she seemed to have a hearty appetite, she could often be seen running to the bathroom immediately after eating. [1]
She spent most of her time in the display room of the Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries headquarters, where she passed out fact sheets and souvenir dandelion bouquets to potential customers and investors, and recited company-endorsed slogans like "It'll blow you away," as well as some she made up herself like "the 'spores car' of tomorrow." [1]
Meeting Bernard Slaybeck[]
One day, during a sales training seminar taught by Mark Chase, Jeanine met Bernard Slaybeck, an automobile safety analyst who was watching the seminar whilst taking a long lunch. The two fell in love with each other at first sight; she was particularly attracted to his kindness, feeling dizzy and giggling when he learned that he enjoyed catching butterflies but always let them go. The two began dating and, on at least one occasion, made love in the display car at the Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries headquarters, but they kept their relationship a secret from their fellow employees. [1]
The Dandy Lion SX.
However, as the the launch of the Dandy Lion SX grew closer, Bernard started working later and later hours. Jeanine began to suspect that Bernard was cheating on her, and one night she followed him as he took a mysterious trip into the woods. She confronted him about what h was doing, but he refused to tell her anything. Eventually, however, she discovered that he was dumping crash test dummies into a ditch, but she did not understand why he was doing this, and even believed they might have been actual dead bodies. [1]
Bernard's death and helping Ned[]
A few days later, Jeanine was horrified to learn that Bernard had been killed, apparently in a hit-and-run accident. Aware of his growing paranoia in the days before his death, however, she became suspicious that the Dandy Lion Worldwide Industries company was involved in the murder. She continued to work and used her model training to fake a lack of such concerns, even when Ned and Chuck visited her at work and started to question her about Bernard. She claimed not to even know the man. [1]
Ned and Chuck, about to speak to Jeanine.
One night, Jeanine hid at work so that nobody would follow her home, and ran into Ned, Chuck and private investigator Emerson Cod, who had broken into the headquarters and were searching for leads for their investigation into Bernard's death. The trio took Jeanine to the Pie Hole, where she told them the truth about her relationship with Bernard and his behavior in recent weeks, including his night trips. [1]
Near-death experience[]
She agreed to take them to the ditch where the dummies had been buried, but on the way there, her Dandy Lion SX suddenly exploded. Although Emerson Cod suspected arson, none of them realized it was the result of a defect in the car, in which if it exceeds 70 MPH with the headlights on and the seat warmer set to low. Bernard had discovered this defect and as a result, Mark Chase killed him and made his death appear to be an accident. [1]
Miraculously, however, Jeanine survived the explosion; she was taken to the hospital and her entire body was wrapped in gauze and casts. She was visited be Ned, Emerson and Chuck, who drew an eyebrows and lips on her face gauze and tried to reassure her that the casts did not make her look fat. Although she was now unable to go with them, Jeanine told them where the ditch was located. [1]
This information eventually led the trio to discover the truth about his murder and the Dandy Lion SX, and would result in closing of the company, the discontinuation of the car and a life in prison sentence for Mark Chase. Soon, the casts and gauze were taken off of Jeanine and, with a new a sense of hope, she started making efforts to overcome her eating disorder, with the help and constant supervision of a nutritional professional. [1]
Personality and traits[]
Jeanine and other flower girls being trained by Mark Chase.
Jeanine is a perky and likable woman, with radiant red hair and a striking smile, two features that in particular caught the eye of Bernard Slaybeck. She was also described by the Narrator as shrewd, as she demonstrated by her ability to come up with her own catchphrases, and the ease at which she extorts pie from Emerson Cod in exchange for information about Bernard's activities shortly before his death. [1]
Although seeks help shortly after Bernard's death, Jeanine suffers from bulimia. She eats often with a seemingly hearty appetite and seems particular fond of Ned's pies, but she immediately goes to the bathroom upon eating to purge the food, a fact completely missed by most people except for Chuck. Not surprisingly, the eating disorder has left her extremely thin, but also in a dangerous state of health. Jeanine was good at hiding her disorder, and at lying in general, thanks to her training as a flower girl model. When last seen, she is being monitored to ensure she cannot regurgitate her food, and appears to be on the road to recovery.[1]