John Action finished getting the mail from his mailbox when he heard footsteps behind him. Resisting his inclination to reach for his .38 service revolver, he turned around to see Mortimer Goth walking by.
"Mr Goth" said Action, nodding.
"Ah....Detective.....Action, isn't it? Meddling in anyone else's affairs lately?" replied a terse Mortimer Goth.
"I patrol my side of the street, Goth, you patrol yours"
"I'm very protective of my family, Action, and will do anything to keep them safe....ANYTHING!"
"Message received" said Action, noticing the redness in Mortimer's cheeks and the intensity of his stare. The angry Mortimer stormed off, giving Action a cursory glance back at him but there was no time to waste....it was almost time for Action's shift to begin.
"What have you got for me today, Sarge?" said Action to desk Sergeant Kitchen.
"That suspect you brought in a few days ago, Aurora Ahmed...she's still holding out on us" said Sergeant Kitchen.
"Leave it to me, Sarge, I'll sweat the information out of her" he said, grabbing her case file from the filing cabinet. Action walked down to the lock up cells. Aurora sat up on her bunk and looked him in the eye.
"You again...you don't let up, do you?" she said.
"Not until I get what I want" replied Action.
"Which is?"
"Who's your fence, Aurora? Your contacts in the underworld. I want you sing like a canary"
"I don't sing...why not try a birdhouse?"
"I'll try the blockhouse if you don't mind"
"What if I do?"
"Then say goodbye to the free life, Aurora". Action opened up the cell and led her to the booking station. Putting her up against the wall, he searched her.
"Hey! I went through all this when you brought me in!" she complained.
"But I know your fancy lawyer's been here since and I want to make sure he didn't give you anything he shouldn't have....like this little bag of white powder here"
"You planted that, Action!" she complained vociferously.
"Did I? OK let's talk some more about what other evil I might have got up to" he said, nonchalantly.
He sat Aurora down and turned on the harsh, bright desk lamp and turned it to her face.
"I want my lawyer!" she complained.
"All they'll do is get you down from a 10 year stretch to a 5 year one...I can do better than that if you talk" replied Action. He put some documents on the table in front of her. "We know you hit the expensive places, and leave a chess clue as your calling card"
"We've already been through this" she said with a sigh.
"Yes, but what I want to know is who's your network? You've got pretty big partners in crime, Aurora. You only get a cut of the haul."
"Prove it!" she said, definantly.
"I've got it all here, sister...your fingerprints at half a dozen properties, witnesses who'll testify that they saw you with two accomplices...who are they?"
"I...I...can't! They'll kill me if I talk!"
"They won't know" said Action, pressing harder. "Talk now and we'll get you a 3 year stretch"
"Alright....I do jobs for an organisation called The Triangle. My contact is Mal; I speak with him only on the phone and we arrange drop off exchanges for the merchandise and cash. I've only seen him once...tall, skinny, but he was wearing a ski mask."
Action nodded, picked up the case files and said "OK, we'll call your lawyer. Thanks, Aurora"
He returned her to the lock up and went to speak with The Chief but standing in the lobby of the precinct house was Candy Behr...the last time Action saw her she had stood him up on a dinner date.
"Hey Action" she said, sheepishly
"Candy...what brings you here?" he replied
"Just some neighbourhood toughs giving my sister and me a hard time...listen, Action, about that dinner date..." she began, apologetically.
"SAVE IT, SISTER! Action doesn't take being stood up sitting down!" he yelled, putting up his hand and then storming off.
He went straight to the bathroom to calm himself down. "Not cool, Action, not cool...don't let a chick bring you down!" he said, taking some deep breaths.
He got through the rest of his shift, it was mostly paperwork but he wanted to stay clear of Candy in case he blew his cool again. Changing back in to his 100 Simoleon suit and getting into his 500 Simoleon car he drove home, cursing the name of Candy Behr all the way. Once home he cooked himself up some mac n' cheese and was preparing to settle down to eat it when there was a ring on the doorbell.
"What kind of crazy cat wants to bother me now?" he said, checking his .38 service revolver was loaded...he'd made some enemies over the years. However, when he opened the door he saw that it was his neighbour, Liberty Lee.
"Well hello there......sweet Liberty!" he said, smiling.
"Hi Action, I hope I'm not disturbing you?" she replied, nervously.
"You could never do that, why don't you come in?" he said. "I made enough macaroni for two"
"Thanks, but I've eaten...wow, I like how you've decorated this place" she said, looking around.
"I've gone for an African vibe" he replied.
"What kind of crazy cat wants to bother me now?" he said, checking his .38 service revolver was loaded...he'd made some enemies over the years. However, when he opened the door he saw that it was his neighbour, Liberty Lee.
"Well hello there......sweet Liberty!" he said, smiling.
"Hi Action, I hope I'm not disturbing you?" she replied, nervously.
"You could never do that, why don't you come in?" he said. "I made enough macaroni for two"
"Thanks, but I've eaten...wow, I like how you've decorated this place" she said, looking around.
"I've gone for an African vibe" he replied.
"I like it....the reason I'm here, Action, is that I didn't get to properly speak with you when you moved in. I've been busy lately"
"So your friends tell me"
"Yes. Well, I thought...well....you might like some company."
"I never refuse the company of a pretty lady" he said.
"You lead an interesting life: Ex-marine now a cop. You helped Travis' friend find his stolen statue. I'd like to know John Action a little better"
"And I'd like to get to know Liberty Lee more" he said, pouring her a drink and handing it to her. "Here's to getting to know each other" and they clinked glasses.
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