"So she just WALKED, Tony?"
"We couldn't do anything about it, Action...her lawyer instructed her to say nothing and we had only circumstantial evidence against her...so she made bail easily."
"But the handling stolen silverware charge, surely that..."
"Her lawyer got her to make a prepared statement which he read out saying that she bought that silverware as a job lot at a flea market and had no idea of its origins."
"Yeah, and what about her previous convictions?"
"The lawyer spun a story that as it's hard for a former con to find work our suspect was forced to become self-employed as an antiques dealer and is still learning the ins and outs of the trade so mistakes like the handling of the Goth silverware are common. I'm telling you, Action, her lawyer was top of the range, smart, knew all the loopholes."
"And a legal team like that don't come cheap, Tony. Maddy Henson's got someone backing her financially."
"I'm sorry we couldn't get the charges to stick this time, Action"
Action stood up from the table he and Detective Tony Gunn were sitting at and paced the room. "Not your fault, Tony...we didn't consider all the factors, like Henson getting a top lawyer just like that. She was a top cat burglar; she knows all the tricks of the trade when it comes to being arrested...we should have thought about that. I blame myself for not alerting the team to that."
Tony leant back in his chair and tried to find something of hope to say to Action. "I guess the one good thing left is that she is out on bail and it gives us a bit more time to find evidence to get her before it goes to court." he said.
"Yeah, but we've got to work a lot harder..." said Action and with that he left the recreation area of the station and headed downstairs. Maybe forensics had something new, he thought. Luckily for him his favourite forensic expert was working a shift at the station today: Bibi Stahler, the best criminologist in town.
"What is it that you're looking for, Action?" said Bibi
"Anything, Bibi, just a bit more than a few stray red hairs to nail this thief!" said Action in a frustrated tone. "We know she did this but I need a fingerprint...even just half of one...or anything else left at the crime scene."
"I wish I could give you the evidence that you need but the thieves were professionals, they left almost nothing of themselves at the scene except those hairs. However..." she said as a thought occurred to her.
"However?" Action replied.
"However...hmm...this is a bit of a stretch but already the Chief is looking at another suspect."
Action's attention had been grabbed and he focussed intensely on Bibi. "Another suspect? Who?"
"A petty thief by the name of Erin O'Malley. She has red hair too which is why the Chief is hoping she's the one we're looking for instead. I need some hair samples plus her fingerprints as I have a theory developing..."
"Sounds interesting, what theory?"
Bibi shut her eyes and waved her hand in front of her face a few times. "No, no. I will not share it until I am certain. I do not want to give the detectives, whoever they are, false hope. Just get me the hair and fingerprints then, after careful examination, I will tell you what I find. Now, go." she said, giving Action a dismissive gesture with her hand, wafting him away.
Action cracked a wry smile at Bibi's typical Teutonic bluntness and headed off to lock-up to process this Erin O'Malley.
Action found a red headed lady in the lock up room. She was in her mid-30s and had a dough like quality to her face as it was jowly and very pale and was crowned by shoulder length bobbed hair with a straight fringe. It was difficult to tell if she was slim or overweight in those garish orange overalls suspects wore in the lock-up.
"OK, Miss O'Malley, I'm gonna take you to get fingerprinted" said Action, blandly; as if he had become bored with the same old routine with a suspect.
"Sure...go ahead. I did nothing! I certainly didn't do that Goth Mansion job." she replied, defiantly.
"So you know about the burglary there?" said Action.
"Sure. It's in all the newspapers. So I take an interest in local crime stories; that's not illegal."
"So long as it's just an academic interest and not a practical hobby" Action replied.
He took her along a short walk to the fingerprint station where he carried out the routine with the printed sheet and ink pad just as he had done a hundred times before. O'Malley had very pale and soft hands that only had a few wrinkles on them.
"I've read your rap sheet, Erin, and you've got form for stealing" said Action.
"Yeah, both for petty pilfering from shops. First time I was let off with a caution and the second time I did six months in prison. The Goth Mansion is way above my pay grade. I wouldn't know how to burgle it...they probably have vampire bats for guards."
"Well, sometimes criminals get too ambitious: We know the thief was a woman with red hair..."
"IT WASN'T ME!" Said Erin, sternly.
"You'll probably make bail and if I were you and were sure of your innocence...I'd try to snoop around to clear my name." said Action, languidly.
"Why you...you want me to do your job for you!" she snarled.
"It would help both of us if you did" Action replied. After fingerprinting he led her back to the lock up. "Think about it" he said as a parting gesture.
Action went back to forensics carrying the fingerprint sheet but he knew trying to pin the Goth mansion job on Erin O'Malley was a fool's errand. Bibi was still there, along with Cole Michaels and they seemed deep in conversation when Action entered the room.
"I got O'Malley's fingerprints, for all the good it will do this case" he said, flinging the sheet on to Bibi's desk.
Bibi picked it up and looked at the prints, intensely. Then she went back over to the database where Cole was sitting. "Please to be finding any matches between these and what were recovered at the crime scene" she said to Cole, in that German way where the pleases and thank yous came at the beginning of a sentence instead of the end.
Cole went through the microfiche records of prints whilst Action gave a small evidence bag to Bibi that contained a few of Erin's hairs. Bibi wasted no time in taking it to her lab bench to perform some tests on it. And with that, Action had nothing left to do other than wait for results.
It was Cole who made the initial breakthrough, and even then it was hardly revelatory. "Action! I've cross referenced O'Malley's prints with the crime scene and nothing. Her prints were not to be found there." he said.
"I could have told you that" Action replied. "O'Malley is a dead end, always was."
"What shall we do next?" asked Cole. Action gave it some thought. "Put a tail on Henson. Watch where she goes and who she meets. If she meets with the fence again, I want to know who that is."
"There is one thing, Action..." Cole continued. "We have a list of Henson's last 5 known addresses and get this: When she got out of prison the last time, in '63, she was briefly living at Sage Estates in Willow Creek."
Action let out a long whistle and shook his head. "Sage Estates, expensive place. Someone must have been bankrolling her lifestyle. Let's find out who."
"Where are you going?" asked Bibi.
"I think I'm gonna take a stroll around Sage Estates for a while" Action replied, with a wry smile.
The drive from Precinct 13, which was down by the river, up to the low hills of Willow Creek saw a gradual increase in the wealth and opulence of the residences. Sage Estates was the most expensive area in the suburb; where the fine architecture of the antebellum period mixed in with the ultra-modern, minimalist style.
He parked his car near a small municipal park and started looking around the place, making a note of the place Maddy Henson had allegedly stayed in on her last release from prison. She had a been a successful thief in her day...still is...Action thought, but she couldn't afford Sage Estates...who's your patron, Maddy? He thought again as he scanned the area.
His thoughts suddenly came crashing to a halt when he saw a very attractive red headed young woman, wearing a purple and pink outfit, hanging around one of the mansions. It wasn't lust that made his gaze linger on her but more the fact he knew who she was and his heart sank; this girl was trouble...not in a criminal way but in an interfering and counter-productive way. He hoped she was here just passing time and not here for work...He approached her, hoping to find out which.
"Miss Blake, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Detective Action...thank goodness you're here!" she replied.
"What's the problem?" he asked.
"Well, nothing yet...but we're on a case and we might need your help at any moment!" she said, with a keen look of excitement and wonder in her face.
"So what's this case you've got on?"
"We've stumbled upon an old legend of the Marshman..." she began "...and he's been sighted all along here, terrorising the residents and forcing some of them to leave their homes!"
"A marshman...OK, I'm outta here..." said Action, turning to walk away but Daphne grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"I mean, it might not actually be a Marshman but something else that's why Fred and Velma are checking the houses along the clifftop whilst Shaggy and Scooby..."
"You have members of your team called Shaggy and Scooby?" asked an incredulous Action.
"Yes...Scooby Doo, our dog...remember?"
"Remember? That mutt bit one of my officers: They had to go to the hospital to get shots and stiches!"
"They frightened Scooby and he'd not had anything to eat..." protested Daphne.
"If I see that dog of yours anywhere near it I'll call the Dog Pound and have him hauled away!" Exclaimed Action. "Meanwhile I'm going to investigate a real crime and not some local myth concocted by drunks!"
And with that he turned heel and left Daphne and her stupid friends to their nonsensical ideas. His troubles not over yet, he saw two women having an all out fight nearby.
"Take THAT you bitch!"
"Why you lying, cheating WHORE!"
"OK, ladies...calm it right down! I'm Action, Sim City PD so break it up you two!"
He grabbed one woman and dragged her away from the other then stood in between them, arms outstretched to keep them apart.
"Well...isn't it obvious?" said the red headed one of the two.
"Don't tell me, you've been invited to the same social event and you're wearing the same outfits. Oh dear. How sad. Never mind." he said, sarcastically.
"If only it were that simple!" said the one with black hair. "MY boyfriend bought me this dress!"
"Tsch, as if he's your boyfriend! I've been seeing him for weeks" said the other.
"WELL I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS AND HE IS MY BOYFRIEND!"
"He isn't or else he wouldn't be seeing me and buying me this dress!"
"Why you lying little bitch..." and with that the black haired woman lunged at the red head. Action pulled her back in the nick of time before she had hit the other one.
"None of that, ladies, unless you want to both end up in jail. OK, who's this boyfriend you've both been seeing?"
"His name is Michael. Michael Hemmingstamp" said the red head. Action put his hands on his hips and shook his head in despair.
"What is it, Detective?" asked the raven haired woman.
"Michael Hemmingstamp, I might have known!" he answered.
"Do you know him?"
"I've met him once and believe me, ladies, you're both better off without him. So is he back in the US?"
"Yeah, got back 3 days ago where me met up and renewed our romance" said the red head, smugly.
"OK, ladies, I'm not gonna bust you this time but if you see Hemmingstamp you tell him Detective Action of the 13th Precinct wants to talk with him...he knows where he can find me."
Action's focus of his patrol was the address he was given and he saw it up ahead. As he got closer to it he could see the old fashioned balconies with their intricately carved wooden balustrades and the many shuttered windows that lined the entire house. It looked immaculately kept but there was no sign of activity or life in the property.
Action wanted to know more about what went on in there so he decided to bend the law a little bit. He found a spot along the front wall where he could haul himself over it and, checking to see no one was looking, he clambered over it and landed in the front courtyard.
The grounds looked immaculate. Someone tends to this place or pays someone to do it, thought Action. He crept closer to the house, staying low to avoid being spotted until he reached one of the shuttered windows on the lower floor level. He pressed his body tight up against one of the walls, took a peek around into the window and noticed that the windows were spotless and that inside there were dust covers all over the furniture but the floor and carpets were dust free.
Someone comes around to keep this place tidy but no one lives here. This would make a good safe house, he pondered.
Action didn't want to chance his arm too much so he climbed back over the wall and ran back to his car. Back at 13th Precinct he went straight to Bibi to tell her what he had found.
"Bibi...that address Cole found, I reckon it's used as a safe house. Immaculately kept but no one lives there and everything's under dust covers." he said.
"Hmm, possibly" she replied in her usual cautious way. "I suppose the reason you're telling me this is that you want to find out who owns it, how often it's used and is there anything my criminologist eye can spot that you cannot?"
"You've read my mind, Bibi" said Action with a smile.
"No, I know you all too well" she replied.
It was now the end of the shift and Action headed home but before he set off he went to a nearby phone booth to make a call to someone who could help him...in an unofficial capacity.
When he got home his unofficial contact was waiting for him outside his house. It was Aurora Ahmed: A former criminal turned informant for Action. Aurora still looked every inch the tomboy and when he arrived she looked impatient as she had her arms folded and was tapping her foot on the ground.
"What's up, Action. Be warned, I can't hang around here for long so make it snappy" she said.
"I want some information about a couple of things. One, a property in Sage Estates called Oakenstead. Who owns it? Who uses it? The other; I want the complete low down on Maddy Henson...where she lives and who she's hanging around with these days."
"Maddy Henson...now there's a name I haven't heard for some time" said Aurora. "OK, leave it with me. Same rates?"
"Same rates...and I want receipts this time!" Action replied.
"OK...I'll be in touch when I find something out. Gotta go...stay lucky, Action" she said and with that she abruptly headed off. Action smiled and went into his house; Aurora was the best informant he had and he knew she'd dig something up that he would find useful.
When he got inside he saw his answerphone flashing a light that meant he had a message. He rewound the cassette tape and pushed Play.
"Hi...It's Katherine. Fancy hanging out down Windenberg way? I'm at the pool and the water's delicious. Bring your swim shorts..."
The machine beeped and Action switched it off. A swim with Katherine? Yeah, he could do with that after this day's shift. He grabbed a set of swim shorts, spare civilian clothes, a bottle of men's cologne called 'Mondo' and put them all in a bag. He was imagining Katherine in a bikini with wet hair and floating on her back in the pool. That very image made him waste no time in getting what he needed and getting down to the pool at Windenburg in double quick time.
He parked up, grabbed his bag and walked on over to the pool, which was situated right on the quayside of the Lykke Centre. Who should be waiting out the front but Katherine and she was wearing a white bikini as well. She didn't have wet hair but in all other ways she lived up to Action's imagination.
"Aren't you cold?" he said, leaning towards her to give her a kiss.
"It's a lovely warm evening...I've just had a paddle but the water's inviting." she replied.
"So are you...lead on."
She grabbed his hand and led him in, past the queue of people waiting to gain admittance. Clearly Katherine had used her influence to be able to wander in with a guest without the staff batting an eyelid, Action thought. Still so much about her, her background and what she got up to during the day was still unknown to him. Despite her occasional protestations that she wanted to be at the centre of everything he did and to be kept informed she had an enigmatic quality about her that kept a lot hidden from him.
He went to the men's changing rooms and got into his speedo trunks before heading out to find Katherine already in the water, encouraging him to jump right in. From her perspective he heart skipped a beat when she saw him in those tight briefs. His body was so chiselled, almost like a statue of a Greek god, and the trunks left little to the imagination.
"Just jump right in, lover" she said, entincingly.
"I'm going to...but from up there" he said, pointing to the diving board.
"Show off" Katherine replied.
Action climbed the ladder and walked to the end of the board. His toes overhung it as he lined up to perform his dive. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath and held his arms out to his sides. Then, with a short bounce, he launched himself into the air, the arms swung around to point right in front of him and then...splash...he was in the water, plunging downwards. He felt the cool water all over his entire body and as his fingertips touched the bottom of the pool he swung himself to point upwards and, breathing out, he surged to the surface. Those few seconds cleansed his thoughts of all cares, hassles and strife. Now on the surface, he looked around the pool to see where Katherine was and one by one those cares started to creep back in.
If only he could get hold of those diaries it would answer everything. He deliberately didn't tell Aurora that the theft of the diaries could be linked to the people that had scared her the last time he asked her for information. The diaries, Maddy Henson, Leanne McGregor, the Landgraabs...all linked somehow and then there were the journals Suzy and Neil had found...
"Nice?" asked Katherine as she swam towards him.
"Beautiful...like you" he said, smiling at her as he trod water. He then put his arms around her waist and they bobbed together in the water. "Will we get thrown out if we did this?" he asked as he smiled invitingly at her.
"This is OK...I don't think it counts as heavy petting thought. They will throw us out if we did that."
"So noted. Well a little swim, a little of this and maybe a little of lounging by the pool suits me just fine" he said, looking at her lithe, supple body just about clad in a very tiny bikini. Everything about this girl was classy, he thought.
They had done a few laps and Action did a whole length swimming underwater. He made it with just one lungful of air but was gasping when he surfaced. He grabbed the side of the pool and took in a few deep breaths of air as he recovered.
"Pushing yourself again, Action?" asked Katherine as she swam next to him.
"Always the way, baby" he replied.
"I hope nothing's worrying you about work" she followed up. She could tell he was holding something back from her and that was probably work related.
Action turned his head sideways to glare at her. Not because he was angry with Katherine but, dang it, how was she able to read his mind and mood all the time? He'd often thought this.
"I feel that all the bits of rumour, information and all those strange incidents are coming together, Katherine. Just a bit more and I'll have the case solved!"
"Which case, though?" she asked.
"All of them!" he replied with excitement in his voice. "The fire at Cuffe's, the assassination attempt, Goth's diaries stolen, the glade, the Landgraabs...all of it, almost within my grasp!"
"I about understood half of what you said there. But do you really think it's all connected?" she asked.
"Pretty sure. My hunches usually turn out to be right"
"Hunches are just experience plus a bit of psychology thrown in there...minus the jargon, of course" said Katherine. "So if you think there's a connection there probably is."
Action didn't immediately respond or even look her in the eye. Instead he just floated there at the edge of the pool, looking out over the bay. Eventually he nodded and turned towards Katherine. "I'm hungry, are you?"
"A little" she replied.
"Let's get a bite to eat" he said, hauling himself up and out of the pool. Katherine knew when his mind was made up to do something so she swam over to the ladder and got out as well.
Once dried and dressed they headed over the road to the Hare & Hedgehog cafe. It held fond memories for them...it was where they decided to go steady all those months ago.
It was busy in there with the lights turned down lower than normal and a smooth bit of funk jazz was playing on the cafe's speaker: Action looked around for a place to sit. It was counter service so he said to Katherine "what do you want? I'll order and you find us a table"
"A slice of New York cheesecake and an espresso" she replied. "Hey, that's Mortimer Goth over there" she added, nodding subtly in Goth's direction.
"So it is...but it's food and drink first and Goth later" Action replied. Action went over to the barista and placed the order and leant on the counter top, watching Goth's every move. The man was on his own and seemed completely uninterested in what was going on around him. He drank his coffee whilst peering at his diary with his eyes never venturing upwards from his book.
The barista put Action's order on a tray and the cop walked over to where Katherine was sitting, at a communal bench area as the other tables were either occupied or else had signs that people had gone to the bathroom or somewhere else and left their unfinished food and drink...and jackets in some cases...on the table.
"I hope this is OK, seating wise. What we lose in face to face contact..." began Katherine
"I can make it up with fondling your knee." Action replied.
"You're fresh!...but if you want to play cops first then we're right next to Mortimer Goth and he hasn't noticed us."
"He hasn't taken his eyes off of that book he's reading either."
"Must be interesting"
"Riveting. So much so people want to steal his books"
"Is that what this is about? OOH! You weren't joking about fondling my knee either!"
"Hmmm, silky smooth"
"Stake outs with you are certainly lively"
"Yeah, but Cole doesn't like his knee being fondled" said Action with a wry smile.
"What do you think he's reading?" Katherine said, not rising to the joke and instead concentrating on watching Goth.
"The latest instalment of his epic mystery story" said Action, dryly.
"A novel?"
"Anything but"
They finished their meals and drinks and whilst they chatted they observed Goth continuing to read. At one point a barista approached him with a pot of coffee and asked if he wanted a top up. Goth just nodded without even looking at them. The barista duly topped up his cup and walked over to another table to serve the customers there.
"Will you speak to him now?" asked Katherine.
"Yep...at some point I'm going to interrupt his reading."
"I need the bathroom so now's your chance" she said, getting up. Action nodded and put his coffee cup down.
He slowly made his way over to where Goth was sitting and stood there, looming over him.
"Mr Goth" Action said, sombrely. Goth didn't lift his eyes from his book at first but he wasn't ignoring Action either.
After a few awkward seconds Goth still didn't look up at Action but merely said, in a soft voice, "Detective" as a way of returning a greeting.
"Do you mind if I sit down here?" said Action, pointing to a chair next to Goth.
"Can I stop you?" replied Goth.
"Not really...I want to talk with you about the burglary of your house"
Goth said nothing but indicated for Action to sit down. Action took his place next to him.
"I must thank you for the swift return of my silverware, Detective. You and your team have my personal gratitude." said Goth, who for the first time since arriving at the cafe had put his diary down.
Now it was Action's turn to pause before speaking. He fixed Goth with a cool, intense stare before saying "how important are those missing journals to you?"
Goth gulped and looked nervous. "Well...I...they contain ideas, thoughts, plot outlines for a future novel..." he said, almost stammering.
"...notes on your wife's disappearance?" Action interrupted Goth's speech.
"As I've told you and that reporter, Suzy Kent, before that is none of your business!"
"It wasn't until those books were stolen. Do you have any idea who could have taken them?"
"I wish to deal with the return of those journals myself, Detective. I will approach certain individuals and offer a deal..." Goth continued to remain dignified even though his voice was trembling with nervousness.
"Who, Goth...who are you going to contact?" said Action, with a glimmer of intensity in his gaze.
"It need not concern you..."
"WHO, GOTH?"
"This is a private matter, Detective, I want you to respect my wishes..."
"Bullshit, Goth! A top thief was hired to steal those books, a woman was set on fire by the same people, someone was shot at and your wife was abducted...either by the same people or by someone affiliated with them. That's a whole lot of crimes you're covering up for, Goth!"
"I...I...it's...complicated, Detective..." Goth stammered; he was clearly rattled now.
"I'll be the judge of that, Goth....now spill the beans or I'll throw you in the slammer!"
