At the station things were very quiet. There were fewer police on duty today and even the Chief was away until Monday. The duty roster called for someone to patrol downtown San Myshuno in the Spice District and without any black and whites to dispatch to the area, Action volunteered to head down there on his own to patrol. Before he left he had a word with the duty forensics officer.
"Hey, Doc, did you find anything in that letter I gave you to analyse? Anything to go on?" he asked.
"Looked it over, scanned it, sent it to the boys over at cryptography but we couldn't find a darned thing to tie it to anyone" came the reply. "Whoever made the letter was a pro and knew how to leave no trace. You're looking at a master forger here, Action"
"...or someone who has access to a master forger." Action said, thinking of a crime syndicate being responsible. "Thanks, Doc" he said before heading out on to the streets.
The Streets of San Myshuno had changed little since he grew up there; true the old sailor's dive was now a swinging jazz club and the central area had been smartened up. Even the locals had changed since those days in the 40s and 50s; there were now more professional, middle class people around here but it was still a potential hot spot for crime, particularly street crime.
Up ahead, at the old basketball court shooting some hoops, was a face he recognised. Action went over to greet him. "Well if it isn't Bob Pancakes...I thought you'd moved out of here a long time ago" he said.
Bob looked up a little puzzled before a flash of recognition appeared on his face. "Oh yes, Action. I haven't seen you since High School" he said.
"That's probably the last time we saw each other" said Action.
"Well, I'm still here...well, I've moved to Willow Creek now"
"Same here, I'm over at Foundry Cove. Say, what are you doing these days?"
"Oh this and that, I spent 2 years in the Navy, got my discharge and settled down" said Bob.
"You? Married?"
Bob let out a heavy sigh. "Yep...." and his voice trailed off. Action knew not to press Bob on this subject. Changing subject, Bob asked Action what he did now.
"I'm a cop" he said.
"Really? You? You were always getting busted by the principal at school!" laughed Bob.
"I got my act in order, Bob" said Action. "But being back here...these old streets...you still missing slam dunks...it's all coming back" but as he spoke those words he saw a young girl spraying paint on the ground outside the Waterside Warble. "No rest for the wicked...I'll have to deal with this" he said to Bob and with that he headed over to the girl, who looked vaguely familiar.
"Excuse me, Miss, do you have a permit to be doing that?" he said to the girl, who looked about 17 or 18 years old.
"Oh....yeah...somewhere on me" she said, patting the sides of her dress, vainly trying to find a pocket. Then she went over to her shoulder bag on the ground next to her, fumbled around and produced a crumpled piece of paper which had an official looking letter head on it. Action checked it over and nodded before handing it back to her.
"No problem, Miss" he said and began to walk off when suddenly he remembered where he'd seen her before. "Oh one other thing, Miss....aren't you Malcolm Landgraab's girlfriend?"
"I know Malcolm, but I don't discuss our private life with just anyone" she replied.
Action nodded. "Well I hope he's keeping his nose clean for his sake" he added. Then, from the other side of the plaza, he could hear a heated argument so ran off to deal with that.
"You're a pervert, that's what you are!" said a very attractive young woman who was wearing a brown exercise leotard and....little else. She was yelling at a young man who was dressed in trendy mod gear and had a Beatle haircut.
"Keep your voice down, lady, I can explain..." said the young man.
Action approached them both "hey, hey, hey, let's keep things cool guys....Detective John Action, Sim City PD" he said, showing his badge. The two calmed right down.
The woman started to talk "This cre ep has been ogling me for the last 10 minutes!"
"Is this true?" said Action to the young man.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'ogle'...." he replied. "I was watching this lady doing her yoga exercises in the plaza and was admiring her technique..."
"You were eyeing me up!" she responded, hotly.
"Well it's hard not to notice when you're bending and stretching looking like you do!" he said.
"Ma'am" said Action "why are you doing yoga in the plaza at this time?"
"Well it's the San Myshuno Yoga Club meeting today at 1pm and I arrived a little early...or maybe the others are a little late..."
"Yoga Club meets here on Fridays...this is Saturday" said Action.
"Oh" said the woman, looking embarrassed.
"Now whether it meets on what day is irrelevant" continued Action. "You don't just eye up women for your pleasure Mr?"
"Doctor, actually, Doctor Paul Collie" said the young man. "In my defence I was just plucking up the nerve to go and ask the lady if she wanted to go for a coffee with me"
"I think that's right off the cards now, man" said Action. "In future, don't act like a wimp but just flat out ask her without staring...or else back right off and walk on. Alright, get lost buddy" he said and Dr Paul Collie skulked off.
"And I'm going to need your name and address for the record, Miss"
"It's Freya Carlson and...if I may be discrete...I'm actually working a case here"
"A case? You on the force?" he said.
"Kind of...I work for S.I.M.S." she replied. Action sighed, not a government spook! That's all he needed.
"I'm going to need to see some identification" he said.
"Well...that's kind of difficult right now" she said, looking at her skin tight exercise clothes.
"So you're here on some kind of stake out and decided to dress in a way that sticks out like a sore thumb?" he said, shaking his head.
"Erm....I honestly thought Yoga Club was today and would make the perfect cover. You won't report this, will you?"
Action shook his head and walked off. His shift ended and after getting changed he invited his girlfriend, Katherine, to the Blue Velvet bar. They met outside and embraced warmly...it was good to feel her soft touch, especially after a day of having to deal with oddballs.
"Hmmm, so good to see you girl!" he said.
"Likewise" she replied smiling in a playful manner.
"Shall we go inside and get a drink?" he asked. She nodded and as he led the way she couldn't help herself in her playful mood and snuck up behind him to poke him in the ribs in jest. However Action, at that moment, had a Vietnam flashback to a time when he had been ambushed from the rear by a VC soldier and barely escaped with his life.
"DON'T YOU EVER, EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" he said, spinning around and yelling in her face.
"I...I was just having fun!" stammered Katherine.
"Well it ain't no fun when you live each day fearing that some punk's going to sneak up and get you!"
"Sorry" said Katherine, terrified by Action's manner. She led the way into the club and offered to buy drinks to calm him down. She could see that he was still seething and wondered why he was so touchy about something that she thought was innocuous.
They sat down at a table and Action looked at his drink without saying a word for about five minutes. The tension was there between the two of them but eventually Action spoke. "Listen, Katherine, I know you didn't mean any harm but I've spent most of my life looking over my shoulder: Growing up in the hood, the 'Nam and now on the streets of the city. I'm still coming to terms with a lot that's gone down over the years. I shouldn't have taken it out on you"
"Dang straight I keep it bottled!" he said. "I have to maintain self-control"
"And did you do that earlier, outside? Maintain self-control?"
He shook his head "No. I'm the one who should be sorry, not you"
Katherine reached out and touched his hand. "I think you need help....maybe I can do that, maybe you might need to see someone else"
