As the sun rose and even the hardiest party animals were starting to head home, one man was left on the dance floor of the Orange Peel club. His athleticism and skill impressed the other patrons of the discotheque and his endurance meant that no one could keep up with him. He danced on his own and with every attractive woman there, seeming to everyone that saw him that he didn't have a care and he kept his cool by periodically heading to the bar to order cocktails. No one who didn't know him could guess that he was a tough, hard bitten cop in his daily life for John Action kept his professional and social lives distinctly separate and he liked it that way.
The job had been getting him down lately. It stuck in his craw that the big case he was working on kept hitting problems from suspects being easily bailed by the courts, interference from the Landgraab family and indifference from his bosses. Only last week his #1 suspect in the Goth break-in case was bailed for next for nothing by a lazy judge...well, lazy was a generous interpretation: Corrupt was a harsher one.
So Action had put it behind him for one night and partied on. One night turned in to two...then three. Now, with two hours to go before his next shift, he was living on what was left of his reserves and adrenaline. Just before he headed off to 13th Precinct headquarters he went downstairs to the bathroom and popped a couple of "uppers" to help him on his way.
It only took a few minutes before the effects of the amphetamines kicked in and he said his goodbyes to the barman before heading off to the precinct house at a brisk pace.
As he turned the corner of the street where the Orange Peel stood and into the main boulevard that connected Newcrest to East Willow Creek he came across Geoffrey Landgraab, who was catching his breath after going for his daily run. Action smiled wryly: All that exercise the guy does and he never loses weight. Geoffrey was directly in Action's path and there was no way for either man to avoid each other...even though there was definitely no love lost between them.
"Detective Action..." said Geoffrey, giving Action a disdainful look. "Undercover at the city's hot spots, eh?"
"None of your business, Landgraab" Action replied.
"And yet you are constantly prying into mine...double standards, Detective?"
"I'm only interested in your business when it comes to the law and there's more than enough to investigate about you and especially your wife and son. So many of my ongoing investigations seem to involve the Landgraab family in one regard or another."
"You've got nothing"
"...Yet. The net is closing in, Geoffrey. People tell me you're an OK guy but you're shielding Nancy and Malcolm. One day you're going to have to choose: Come clean and save yourself or go down to prison with them."
"The net", as Action put it, didn't just consist of himself investigating the supposed crimes and dark secrets of the Landgraabs. It also consisted of others working from different angles in order to discover the truth about them. Unbeknownst to Geoffrey, one of his employees was allied to Action and trying to dig out what dirt there was. Geoffrey and Nancy thought their man, Jeremy Saint, was brainwashed into being their loyal servant and an enemy of Action but they were not aware that he had broken his conditioning and was once again friends with the detective. Not only that, he was now only too willing to get revenge on those who tried to mess with his mind.
Last night his friend, Suzy, came to him with a request. She had found out something about the Landgraab's home...or what lay beneath it...and she wanted Jeremy to use his insider access to company files to discover what that was. The starting point of his investigation was Gregory Landgraab taking possession of the land that was now called Affluista Mansion back in the 1890s. He had found something on the property that propelled him from an impoverished teacher to a millionaire almost overnight.
The records office had nothing on the subject in the open access department so he used his security clearance to check out the files in the "restricted documents" room but, again, there was very little about Affluista and surrounds although there were a few references to documents that did exist, but were in an even more restricted access file.
There was only a short window of opportunity for Jeremy to be away from his desk in order to look for the information he...and Suzy...needed and in between shuttling between his office and different company archive rooms he had to appear to look busy with his assigned work but there was this feeling burning within him that he had to find that information...that it existed and was here. He couldn't concentrate on his work with that idea growing inside his head until it swamped every thought. There was still one avenue of investigation he hadn't pursued yet...
Back at Precinct 13 headquarters Action was in search of answers as well. The whereabouts of his chief suspect, Maddy Henson, for one. She had easily made bail and had gone to ground. If he could get to and question her he could find the missing Goth diaries. In there he would find answers to bigger questions...
He was summoned to the Chief's office for what reason, he didn't know. He had a strained relationship with his boss and didn't know quite where he stood with him. A telling off, a suspension or a citation with a good conduct medal; it could be any of those things with the Chief. Action went to his office and knocked on the door, awaiting the usual curt "enter!" from his boss.
Once that was said he went into the office where he found the Chief sitting still at his desk, motioning to Action to take a seat opposite him, which he duly did.
"You wanted to see me, Chief?"
"Action; I have some news on Maddy Henson" the Chief replied, not giving anything away with his tone of voice.
"Oh yes, anything positive?"
"That depends on your view. She skipped a meeting with her lawyer and hasn't checked in with us for a few days...which goes against the terms of her bail. That means..."
"We can go after her and bring her in?" asked an expectant Action, who didn't want to be cooped up at his desk filling out arrest reports.
"Precisely...and I thought you'd jump at the chance to be the one to track her down and haul her in for questioning."
"Thank you sir...I'd better get to it then. Any last known location she's been seen at?"
"One of my informants...and, yes, Detective, I have my informants as well as you...tells me she's been spotted at Windenburg, trying to get a false passport and driver's I.D. The name of my contact is Aime Berry....here's her phone number." said the Chief, sliding a piece of paper across the table to Action.
Action picked up the paper and took a look at it. "No time to waste, Chief..." he said, waving it before putting it in his pocket. The Chief just nodded...even if he didn't always approve of Action's methods he knew that, when assigned a task, nothing would stop him.
When he went back to his desk, Action looked at the name and phone number on the paper. The name said "Aime Berry" and the name rang a little bell in his mind although he couldn't place where he had heard it before. Picking up the phone receiver, he dialled the number and waited for an answer.
"Hi...is that Aime? The name's Action, John Action. I'm a detective with the SCPD...yeah, I hear you have some info on a suspect in a case I'm investigating. Her name is Maddy Henson....oh you have seen her recently? Miss Berry...I'd like to meet you...."
Meanwhile Jeremy had found the one person who could help him gain access to the most secret of files: His work colleague, and co-conspirator in investigating Landgraab; Darrin Lew.
"Darrin..." said Jeremy, accosting him in one of the office corridors. "...I've got a favour to ask of you."
"Is this a normal request or something that our employers would not approve of?" replied Darrin with a look of suspicion on his face.
"Definitely the latter." said Jeremy. "A colleague of mine thinks they've uncovered some information about the Landgraab's own mansion up in Oasis Springs. I need to get hold of the land records for that place but there's nothing in the regular files and I suspect what I'm looking for is stored in the company computer. I need access to it and you're the one person I know who has that level of access."
Darrin drew a deep breath before replying. "You're asking a lot, Jeremy." he said. "We've only just gone through that corporate security check and that cute blonde number who's been tasked to shadow my department is still hanging around."
"I know this is a big ask but there maybe information in those files that will reveal a big secret about the Landgraab family they don't want the world to know about. If we find out what that is we could use it to bring them down! Isn't that what you say you want?"
"I know...I know...but....dammit, Jeremy. I don't know..." Darring said, looking around to see if they weren't being observed. "OK, how about this: You tell me what you're looking for and I'll go and see if it's in the computer files?"
Jeremy shook his head. "No, that won't work. I don't know much myself except there's something underneath the property in some cave system. I don't have much to go on but I'll know if if I find it. Just give me the computer access code and I'll do the rest."
"It's highly irregular" said Darrin.
"I've used the computer once before so it won't seem unusual to be seen using it now. I'll be discrete and low key...after all, my official job is to look after Landgraab's property assets. I'll use that as cover."
Darrin again looked at Jeremy with doubt and trepidation on his face but eventually he relented. "OK, here's the passcode...just do me a favour: Don't get caught."
Down in Windenburg Action was looking for the informant, Aime, at the place they arranged to meet. Outside of a local bar called The Old Quarter Inn. Windenburg wasn't Action's favourite part of town...he thought it was trying too hard to be someone's idea of chocolate box European town or maybe it was a project dreamed up by Walt Disney. He didn't like the stuffy, twee atmosphere of the place and although...statistically...it had the lowest crime rate in the city he had spotted more than one notorious criminal hanging around here. This was the kind of place some of them would live in once they'd done a few successful capers and were looking to settle down...and they'd never rob their own neighbourhoods.
There was a red headed lady who looked about 30 standing on a street corner and her face rang a bell with Action. He'd seen her around Foundry Cove a few times...often coming in and out of Travis, Liberty's and Summer's place. That's it, he suddenly thought, she's their cleaner but she's also looking at her watch, looking around and waiting for someone. That might be his contact.
He walked over to the lady and said "You Aime Berry?
"You Detective Action?" she replied.
"I am...my chief sends his regards. I've seen you around Foundry Cove a few times"
"Yeah, I'm with a cleaning agency and I work at a couple of properties there. Are you the guy with the flagpole and exercise equipment outside?"
"That's me. Look, I haven't got much time for small talk so what have you got for me?"
"You're looking for Maddy Henson, right?" said Aime.
"Yeah, do you know where she is?"
"She's in that bar over there...catching up with some friends."
"How legit are these friends?" asked Action as he looked at the bar to see if he could see Maddy inside.
"I don't recognise them. They may be legit. But Maddy's been talking about some kind of 'big score' she did recently and is expecting a pay off soon" said Aime.
"How do you fit in to all this?" asked Action as he turned to look at Aime.
"I spent time in the joint with Maddy back in '62. She had the reputation of being a top cat burglar even then. I was in for fraud so I was waaaaaaaaay out of her league. I've been straight since I got out. She and I know each other enough to say hello to and I overhear some of what she says about what her next job's going to be."
"Have you met or seen her fence? She's got some hot items that a lot of people really want to get their hands on...including me." said Action.
Aime shook her head. "I'm not that deep into what she's got going on, Action. That, you're going to have to find out for yourself. You wanted to know where she is right now and I'm telling you just that. Now your chief and me have an arrangement about information and money...."
"If you want money for information then that's between you and my Chief. Drop by the station tomorrow and I'll tell him you've been very helpful and he'll sort you out." said Action as he touched two fingers to his forehead and walked off towards the bar.
Jeremy had committed the password for the computer to memory and destroyed the piece of paper it had been written on as a precaution. He chose a quiet moment to enter the computer room...when the regular operator was on a break...and set about his task, knowing that he wouldn't have much time to act.
He sat at the desk and powered up the machine, which took a few minutes. Then he searched through the reels of computer tape to see if he could find if any of them had titles that suggested there could be information about Landgraab property on them. Once the computer had achieved powered status he filled in a punch key card with the password on it and fed it into the card reader slot. The machine beeped in acceptance of the code and he wound the tape onto the spool before sitting at the desk once more.
Jeremy sifted through the files, narrowing his research until he found the land records for Affluista Mansions including it's history. Going back to the 1890s he at last found something of interest...
"What? That's...impossible!" he said out loud when he saw the surveyor's report. He got out a notebook and scribbled some notes. "So THAT'S the source of the family fortune!"
Action entered the bar and went up to the barman to order a drink. He wanted to appear as just another customer but as he stood at the bar counter he casually observed his quarry: Maddy Henson. She was sat at a table talking to another young woman. Action caught snippets of their conversation and it appeared Henson was trying to convince the other woman to join in on some investment deal that would, Henson promised, would pay hefty returns. The woman seemed reticent to commit but after Action had heard Henson essentially make the same pitch for the third time he finished his drink and walked over to the table where the two women were sitting.
"Maddy Henson...I'd need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions" he said to her.
"Detective...Action, isn't it? I'm conducting a business meeting right now so if you don't mind leaving us alone."
"Meeting's over...this lady's not buying..." he replied, cutting her off.
"I think I should go now..." said the other young woman Henson had been talking to. Action said nothing as he watched her grab her handbag and leave the bar.
"You just cost me $20,000, detective" said Henson.
"And you could get a 10-15 year stretch if you don't co-operate with me. My car's outside with one of the City's finest waiting in it just in case you get any funny ideas about running like you did the last time we met."
He led her out of the bar and towards a black and white patrol car where the uniformed officer was waiting for them. They then drove back to 13th Precinct station where Henson was led to an interrogation room.
"I want a lawyer" she said as she sat down.
"In time..." he replied. "I thought we'd have a little conversation first and then maybe the two of us can present something to your lawyer and the D.A. that would suit us both."
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, cagily.
"I know it was you who burgled the Goth mansion. And I've got plenty of evidence to put you away for all the silverware you took." he said, calmly.
"If you have all that then why are we having a 'conversation' before my lawyer gets here?" she asked.
"Because what I really want to talk about are those journals you stole as well....the real reason you broke into that house." he said, upping the ante with her.
"The...journals?" she replied, nervously.
"Those handwritten books Mortimer Goth values so much. The journals you were paid to steal. The silverware was just a rouse...and you were promised a cut of the sale of that but the up front payment was for the journals, wasn't it?"
"I thought they looked interesting..." she tried to reply, calmly but there was hesitation in her voice.
"And what was it about them that looked so interesting, Maddy? Were they fun, exciting, informative? Or did they contain secrets that someone would pay dearly for?"
"No comment"
"Maddy, I know you're the hired help in all this...not the mastermind. If you tell me who hired you I can put in a good word with the D.A. That's something you might like to mention to your lawyer when they get here..."
"A reduced sentence? Time spent in an open prison?" she asked.
"All things that are possible...but only if you give me a name. Who hired you?"
"This girl..."
"WHAT girl? I need a name."
"McGregor. Leanne McGregor"
Action paused for a moment when he heard the name and the revelation hit him like a slap in the face. He reached into one of the manilla folders he had with him that various pieces of evidence in this and other cases and pulled out the artist's impression of Leanne McGregor.
"Is this her?" he asked, shoving the picture towards Henson but, to his surprise, she shook her head.
"That's not her. Nothing like her." came Henson's reply.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I've never seen that woman before in my life...either that or you've got a lousy police sketch artist working for you."
"OK, then describe the Leanne McGregor you hired you"
"Early 20s, waif-like with short red hair, hazel eyes and a real pale, pasty complexion. Pretty in a cutesy way, like a pixie."
That sounded nothing like the Leanne McGregor he had dealings with; who was anything but pixie-like.
"But this waif wanted you to rob the Goth residence?" he asked.
"Yeah...even though she looked like a perky student type there was this intelligence there about her, like she was sassy and smart beyond her years and she had this chilling way of looking at me as well. Like she was looking straight into my soul. Kind of creepy."
Now that sounded more like her, thought Action. He nodded as Henson told him about her and made some notes at the same time.
"OK, I'm going to get our sketch artist...a good one...to talk with you and you're going to describe her in detail if I'm going to cut a deal with the D.A." said Action, forcefully tapping his finger on the table. "So where are the journals now?" he added.
"With her. I dropped them off at a rendezvous point last week. In exchange she left the money for the job in an envelope in a trashcan at Magnolia Blossom Park."
Action processed the information in his head before saying. "OK, you can call your attorney now." He led Henson back to her cell and went back to his desk to wonder if Henson's Leanne McGregor was the same one he had various run ins with and how had she radically changed her appearance as well?
Those questions turned over and over in his mind as his shift ended. He didn't want to go home so he made his way over to the Arts Quarter. His girlfriend, Katherine, had invited him to join her at the Humour and Hijinks Festival because her charity was supporting it and she couldn't bear the forced and puerile attempts at comedy and practical jokes alone.
"Looking fabulous as always, darling" said Action when he saw her standing outside of the Casbah Gallery.
"Thank you...you're not so bad looking yourself" she replied. "Now...let's get a drink before I get a headache from hearing bad jokes..."
Action laughed and together they walked over to the Tiki Bar that was a feature of the festival. Grabbing a couple of exotic cocktails they sat down at a nearby table and tried to blot out the worst excesses of the event.
"I've got to put in an appearance at these events" said Katherine. "I wouldn't mind the festival so much if I hadn't heard most of the jokes at least a dozen times! But...and this is important...it does raise a lot of money for good causes."
"We all have to endure a bit of pain for long term gain" said Action, thoughtfully. "Do you want to hear something real crazy?"
"Sure"
"Leanne McGregor is back....only this time she's different. I mean, totally different."
"Now that sounds intriguing" she said, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"OK...I've got this suspect for the Goth break-in. She's cool, methodical and a career criminal but she's also the hired help, not the mastermind on this case. She swears Leanne McGregor hired her to do the job but when I show her a picture of McGregor she says that's not the woman and instead describes her as some red headed pixie like girl."
"Are you going to be adding 'Master of Disguise' to her list of abilities?" said Katherine.
"Looks like I'm going to have to....say, there's Jeremy over there. Do you mind if I call him over?"
"Sure...but not for too long: I want you to myself later"
"Yo! Jezza! Over here, it's Action!" he said, calling out to Jeremy and clicking his fingers. Jeremy saw him and wandered over to the table he and Katherine was sitting at.
"Hey, Action. What's up? Is this?...." he said, looking at Katherine.
"...yep, this is Katherine"
"Very pleased to meet you. I hear lots about you but Action's been hiding you from his friends."
"Yeah, I noticed that as well. And you're Action's next door neighbour...very pleased to meet you. I'm off to get something to eat, would you two gentlemen like anything?" she asked.
"I'm good, babe" replied Action. Jeremy shook his head and said "no thank you"
When Katherine left to go to a Mexican food vendor Jeremy looked at her and said to Action "Wow. Just wow. You said she was beautiful but that is an understatement."
"Thank you my man, and you speak as someone with impeccable taste in women" replied Action with a sly smile before his face turned serious. "I called you over, Jeremy, because I hear you're working on an angle with this Landgraab case. You got anything to share?"
"Oh wow, do I ever! I need to tell Suzy what I've found...she got me to look into the Landgraab's property and the records show that the property is twice the size as it's official listing. It also mentions "another level" and that some ancestor of theirs found a heap of rare metals on that site back in the 1890s which made them fabulously rich but there's no evidence of a mine existing there. It's a whole bunch of conflicting information!"
"Tell me about it! My end of the case is full of contradictions as well." replied Action.
Jeremy looked to his left and saw something that attracted his interest. "Speaking of the Landgraabs, there's Geoffrey right over there!" he said.
Action looked in that direction as well and saw Geoffrey talking with a man with red hair, which made him think again of this 'new' Leanne McGregor.
"Do you recognise the guy he's talking to?" asked Action.
"No idea, I've not seen him before. I know most of the senior management at the company and he's not one of them." replied Jeremy.
Jeremy frowned "I shouldn't be seen being friendly to you...Geoffrey still thinks I'm under his control and am programmed to hate you. I'll just sneak away now...he hasn't noticed me here, he's too engrossed in his conversation. We'll meet again soon, Action. Good luck."
Jeremy silently slid his chair out and crept away from the festival without Geoffrey turning to notice him. Katherine returned and noticed that Jeremy had gone and that Landgraab was just over on the next table.
"Jeremy had to go...he can't be seen with me." said Action.
"That's a shame, I liked meeting him. I'd like to meet more of your friends but you never introduce me to them."
"I know, I know...hey, I get busy, you know..."
"Excuses, excuses...anyone would think you are embarrassed to be seen with me" she said, coyly.
"Now that's not true!" he exclaimed.
"Well..." she said, looking him in the eye in a sultry manner. "...you can fix all that tomorrow. Tonight, you are ALL mine!"
