CHAPTER 57: The Clue's In The Shoes

On occasion John Action got up early at the crack of dawn and travelled down to The Rattlesnake Juice Bar in Oasis Springs as they did a pretty good breakfast for those who didn't fancy cooking themselves. He could also avail himself of unlimited refills of coffee while he was there.

But today was a full working day and he was keen to get to the bottom of the graffiti vandal mystery before those pesky kids and their stupid dog could crack the case. Just after his 3rd cup of coffee, Action headed to 13th Precinct HQ. Almost as soon as he arrived, he had been summoned to see the Chief.

"Ah Action, glad you could join us. Now I've called you and Detective Schuster in to give me the latest on that vandalism case. Schuster, what have you got?"

"Well, sir, I believe this was the work of neighbourhood kids who took the opportunity to get in the house when no one was there and just wreak havoc with their spray paints. We're currently working with the Juvenile Crime Unit to see if the witnesses recognise any repeat offenders." said Schuster, who was precise with his report.

"And you Action?" asked the Chief.

"I disagree with Detective Schuster, sir" Action began. "For starters sir, the front door was expertly picked, not forced open indicating someone who's precise. It's the same with the graffiti; the handiwork is not random or chaotic...there's form to it. I think we're dealing with maybe a solo or a small team of pros here."

"And what are you doing about this, Action?" asked the Chief.

"Well sir, I intend to go through the files to see if any similar crimes have been committed and by whom" replied Action.

"OK you two....keep following your leads and report back to me when there's been a breakthrough. Dismissed."

Action knew he was facing hours of painstaking research down in the records department and he was on his way there when Desk Sergeant Kitchen called him over.

"Action...this gentleman wants to speak with you" said Sergeant Kitchen, indicating a largely built black man.

"I'm busy on a case right now" said Action, trying to get away.

"You'll be interested in this one....it's another vandalism case"

"OK, show the gentlemen to the interview area, Sarge" said a suddenly interested Action.

"My name is Eric Lewis and I live over at Cypress Terrace, Sage Estates. Well, last night I and my family went out to the movies and when we returned we'd discovered our house had been broken into, the electrics all messed up and spray graffiti was all over the place."

"I see" said Action, taking notes. "Was this graffiti made by someone proficient or was it all just random squiggles?"

"It looked pretty professional...for graffiti art" said Mr Lewis.

"And nothing was taken?"

"Well, my wife noticed one thing missing....a pair of her shoes. They're expensive imported ones, black leather...but they didn't touch anything else except for mucking around with the electrical fuse box."

"That is interesting..." mused Action. "Well, Mr Lewis, we've had a similar break in occur in two days so this might be a serial offender. We'll be over with a team to investigate in more detail shortly"

Graffiti...sabotaged fuse box...stolen shoes. What did this all add up to? Action gathered up a couple of his fellow beat cops and headed over to the most expensive bit of real estate in Willow Creek: Sage Estates.

The Spencer-Kim-Lewis Estate, 11:05am

"Impressive place you've got here, Mr Lewis" said Action, on arriving at the house.

"Yes...my wife and I designed it utilising the latest in ultra-modern and minimalist decor" replied Lewis.

Action got on with photographing the vandalised parts of the house and noticing that the central electrical control device for the whole house had been expertly tampered with. To what end, Action couldn't be sure other than it was meant to disrupt any security devices on the premises. One of Action's colleagues approached him. "We've got a couple of witnesses for you" they said.

The first witness was someone Action was already familiar with. "Well, well, well...if it isn't Fatima Steele. The last time I saw you was down in Oasis Springs where you were having a bad acid trip. Don't tell me you're mixed up in this as well?"

"I'm clean, Action!" said Fatima. "I went on that recovery programme the judge sent me to and I haven't had a tab since"

"So what did you see here?" said Action.

"Well...nothing much. I was walking past the place and it was pretty quiet, except for this one guy who was pacing up and down outside the house."

"Did you recognise him?"

"No. I remember he had tight, curly hair, was overweight and was wearing shorts but that's all"

"Did you speak to him?"

"I asked him for the time and he said he didn't know and why was I bothering him with such trivialities...his words"

"Hmmm, thanks Fatima....stay cool" said Action. The second witness was a more prim and respectable looking young lady.

"Well, officer, I didn't notice any man standing around the house or inside it for that matter" the witness said. "I saw a woman leave the house though."

"What did she look like? Like Mrs Kim-Lewis?"

"No, not at all...she was a plump lady in a shapeless maroon dress, wearing a matching floppy hat but I did notice she had these really expensive black leather shoes on...they didn't go with the outfit."

"Hmmm, very interesting" said Action.

On the ride home to 13th Precinct HQ Action mulled over the information...yes, this was definitely the same person who turned over Travis' house but now some little details became apparent to Action. The way they got in and out was the key...people saw one person hanging around but then they vanished and another person would be seen leaving. Was this Mystery Inc's "ghost" or a more mundane explanation? He had a hunch.

"OK, I want an APB put out on a young, overweight man...or woman...curly hair. Short tempered person as well. They're either wearing a sweater top and shorts or a baggy maroon dress and hat....but with expensive women's shoes." he said to the squad. Pretty soon, a report came in that someone matching that description was seen at the Willow Creek archive.

Willow Creek Archive, 4:50pm

When Action entered the library, he found his suspect right away.

It was a young, plump man with curly hair and wearing a blue sweater and white shorts...but what gave him away were the shoes he was wearing.

"You couldn't bear to take them off, eh?" said Action, sitting opposite him.

"I don't know what you mean, officer" said the man.

"Such lovely shoes...you just had to have them. You broke your pattern, chum. You like to break in places and spray your 'art' but not take anything but this time you had to have those shoes...the ones you're wearing now. Now if you were fully dragged up as your other persona, you might have got away with it but a man wearing a pair of expensive women's slingbacks is a bit of a giveaway"

"How did you know I dragged up?" said the man, inquisitively.

"It makes sense...people see you, the man, hanging around the property you vandalise but they never see you leave...they see a woman instead. I ruled out an accomplice because the descriptions of you and the woman overlap too much. But what I haven't figured out is why you do this?"

"It's simple, officer" said the man with some glee at being able to reveal all "I am an artist. I see other peoples' houses as canvasses. I take drab, ugly modernist houses and make them more flamboyant...I enter as Myron, destructo-artist and leave as Myra, the artiste!"

"Well, you'll find prison shoes a lot less exciting as those ones your wearing. You're under arrest...you do not have to say anything but anything you say...."
 

CHAPTER 56: Warming Up Neil

 

Today Suzy Kent's heart beat a little faster. Only a couple of days previously, she'd received a phone call from her love interest, Neil, asking her out on a date. Being Neil he'd spent 10 minutes in general conversation first before getting around to actually asking Suzy out. But she was excited to meet up with him and to see if there was anything more in this fledgling relationship.

He'd picked a pretty nice spot for their date: The Stargazer Lounge in Oasis Springs. It was one of the newest hot spots in the city and although only been open for a few months it'd recently been the scene for an audacious art robbery. Nevertheless, the place had re-opened for business and it was to be the venue for the date.

Neil was punctual, as usual, and he and Suzy made their way up the stairs to the main lounge area. It wasn't particularly busy that day...mostly senior citizens propping up the bar, but there was an entertainer present...singing songs and telling jokes...by the name of Elle Stephenson. Her act veered from the soulful to the risqué, shifting in tone but her set was not long and after it there was time for Suzy and Neil to talk and enjoy each other's company.

Neil was good company; he asked the right questions, listened well and was enthusiastic enough about his art and about culture in general...but something was holding him back from truly relaxing in Suzy's company, and she knew it.

"Do I make you nervous, Neil?" she coyly asked him.

"Me, nervous?" he said. "Well...I want everything to be just right for our....for our...."

"Date?" she said. She quarter turned on the sofa they shared and crossed her legs, smoothing out a wrinkle in her dress. Neil shifted nervously on his half of the sofa.

"I see what you're doing" said Neil, gulping.

"And what would that be?" said Suzy, her voice more sultry.

"I think you're a....very beautiful woman" said Neil.

"Nice of you to say so....I like you a lot as well. I think you're a good looking guy...have you considered growing your hair a bit?" she said, remembering her recent conversation with Barbara about how similar Neil and Jeremy Saint looked.

"Do you think that would look good?" he said.

"It'd be interesting" she said. "Neil...you don't have to be tense around me"

"I'm not...well, maybe a little but that's because I want everything to be just right today...let's get a drink" he said, standing up and ushering Suzy towards the bar.

They knocked back a couple of glasses of good quality red wine and talked some more. Suzy rubbed the rim of her wineglass with her index finger. "Neil...where do you see us going?" she asked.

"Going....as in...."

"as in you and me?"

"I really like you, Suzy. You're beautiful, smart, you have a great eye for art and style and I find myself thinking about you more and more each day"

She smiled. "I'm glad....I was worried you didn't like me. I think a lot about you as well...I want to get to the heart of Neil Humphries."

"Oh no, I've liked you since the first time I met you" said Neil.

"So what's holding you back?" she said, looking into his eyes.

"Not you, that's for sure" he replied. "I think if I lose control....well...."

"Anything could happen?" she said, guessing that's how he felt.

"Yes....anything could happen. And that makes me stop in my tracks from time to time"

"Well, whatever happens am I going to be part of it in your mind?"

"I'd like you to be"

"Then let go, Neil...go with it"

Neil smiled, and finished the last drop of his wine. "Look at that, the bottle's empty, so's my glass and it's a lovely sunset out there across the water"

"My glass is empty as well" said Suzy.

"Shall we take a walk down by the water? Far from the madding crowd?"

Neil took Suzy by her hand and together they walked to the embankment for an early evening stroll.

"Suzy...there's nowhere I'd rather be right now than here with you" he said. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before he said "OK...letting go of control now...."