CHAPTER 208: Follow The Trail

In the police life the saying 'the early bird catches the worm' holds a lot of truth.  Most arrests were done between the dawn and the time most people finish breakfast in order to catch the suspect.  Action found himself at Cacti Casa in Oasis Springs at 7:45am ready to catch a Mr Jameson Huntingdon III of that address before he had got his pants on.

Outside the house was a young woman checking the mailbox.  Action didn't recognise her or know who she was but guessed she must be a resident, possibly Huntingdon's girlfriend, because she was collecting the mail.  Action approached her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am" he said.  "Do you know if Jameson Huntingdon is in?"

"J?  Are you from the police?"  she replied.

"Yeah, I'm Detective Action, Sim City PD.  Is he in?"

"Yeah, he's in...say, have you any leads on the guy who was murdered here?" she said, wide eyed with concern.

"Only one....and that's J. himself.  Did he tell you he ran away from the scene when that guy died at your front door?"

"No!  I mean, why?" said Zoe, shocked.

"That's what I'm going to find out..." said Action, heading to the front door of the house.

Action went straight in and saw three young men sitting on a couch and watching TV.

"Captain Kangaroo?  Seriously?" said Action when he saw what they were watching.  "The name's Action, Sim City PD.  I want to have a word with you, Huntington" 

J looked shocked whilst his friends exchanged looks between themselves and Action.

"Whoa, J, what kinda mess are you in?" asked a big, Hawaiian guy.

"I...I...couldn't possibly comment, Officer" said a nervous looking young black man seated in the middle."

"OK, Huntington...nice place you guys have here...do you want to talk about the day before yesterday here or will I have to haul you downtown?" said Action, sitting down on one of the plush couches and eyeballing the nervous young man.

"OK...I'll talk" blurted J.  "Not here...and not down at the station either, Action.  Look, we've met at a Kitten Club meeting..."

"We have?" said Action, cynically.

"Well...not properly.  But we've seen each other at meetings and Alan...Cuffe, that is...he can vouch that I'm not a flight risk"

"Except for that one time when you ran away from the scene of a crime." replied Action, his eyes narrowing in as he had J. squirming in discomfort.

"OK...I admit, that was bad.  It was a one off...I wasn't....erm....how can I put this?  I wasn't feeling myself that day."

"I'm not surprised after you dropped a tab of acid" said Action, suddenly getting up to his feet.

"Whoa?  You dropped acid?" said the Hawaiian guy.  The lady, Zoe, slapped her forehead in frustration.  J just shrugged in resignation before standing up.

"Let's go somewhere more private and less embarrassing for you to have our little talk, Huntington" said Action, leading J out of the room and house.

Not far away was a bar Action knew fairly well:  The Rattlesnake Juice Bar.  Its clientele was mixed with a combination of locals and some shady characters who liked the intimate, out of the way booths and tables where dodgy deals would go down.  Action once had a knock down fist fight in the bar with the mobster, Packer, when he was a rookie cop and that boosted his reputation on the force.  Today those secluded tables would be ideal to get information out of J. Huntington III.

They sat down and Action ordered a couple of Bourbons for them.  J kept looking around him to see if they were being watched.

"You look nervous, Huntington" said Action.

"Wouldn't you be in my situation?" came the reply.

"I wouldn't know.  OK, I'm going to start by telling you what I know:  Tasha and Don Lothario..." Action said that name with a mocking tone "...have already told me quite a bit.  The three of you got together at your place to drop acid and have a threesome.  You took the first tab and started tripping out.  That's when our John Doe started hammering at the door.  Don got up to answer it and as soon as he had, the victim collapsed into your hall and died on the spot.  Then you freaked out and ran down the street.  How does that sound?"

J took a big sip of Bourbon and placed the glass on the table firmly before drawing a deep breath.  "Yeah, that sounds about right." was his response to Action.

"So that leaves two questions:  Why did you run and did you recognise the guy?" asked Action.

"I can answer those two questions in one, Detective:  I did recognise him and that was one of the reasons I panicked...well, other than the drugs that were in me.  Look, I think I should get a lawyer at this point."

"We can do that...but I'm less interested in the drugs and the leaving the scene of a crime I can make go away but I have to know who this guy was and what is his connection to you.  If you give me a heads up right now I can reduce the drugs charge to a misdemeanour."

J nodded.  "Well...it's like this.  His name is, or was, Tom Green.  He supplies drugs for fashionable parties.  I've met him a few times..."

"Where?"

"Various hi-status events.  Anyway, he supplied the acid for that day."

"When was that?"

"Oh....let me think.  Three days ago.  Yeah, that was it."

"And how did you go about dealing with him?"

"I'd see him at one of these parties I mentioned and he'd always have some acid, speed or hash on him that he would pass discretely whilst the buyer would hand an envelope in the other direction."

"Sounds high trust:  Didn't the both of you check the contents of each envelope before making the exchange?"

"He only dealt to people he knew and trusted.  That could mean a friend of a friend.  This is the party set here, Action.  We all know each other well enough."

"Well enough that he knew where you live?" asked Action, pointedly.

"Yes.  He'd been to the house a couple of times before.  Now before you go off charging he only ever visited when I was there on my own.  Zoe, Gavin and Mitchell know nothing about this." J replied, defensively.

"So the question remains; why did he come to your front door?"

"I don't know!  The money I gave him was legit and the correct amount.  I'm only a casual, recreational drug user...that's only the second time I've even dropped acid.  I barely know the guy; I don't know why he was coming to me!"

"Where did you make that last deal with him?"

"It was at the Kitten Club."

Action thought about all this and had a working idea but it was based on a mere supposition.  Eventually he said "alright, Huntington.  Get yourself a lawyer and we'll take an official statement downtown tomorrow."

"Don't forget about the deal we made!" said Huntington, again with that air of desperation and defensiveness he had maintained throughout their conversation.

"Yeah, yeah.  But you put down in your statement everything you just said because if you don't, it's jail time!"

J got up and walked away looking upset and angry.

Action went inside the bar to use the payphone to call the precinct house.  The person he wanted to speak to the most was the duty forensic officer:  Bibi Stahler.

"Bibi?  It's Action.  I've got that one remaining witness statement....have we got the autopsy report yet?  We have?  OK, I'm on my way back to the station....meet for lunch?  OK, we can do that instead.  That's good, I have other places to go today so shall we meet down at the Hare & Hedgehog, OK?"

Action got in his car and drove back over the river to Windenburg in order to meet with Bibi.  The Hare and Hedgehog at the Lykke Centre was just a short trip from Precinct 13 and he knew that Bibi preferred the food and drink there to the dull fayre on offer at the station.  She swore that H&H did the best strudel in the city; almost as good as back home in Germany.

"Hey, Bibi" said Action upon seeing her.  "Out of your uniform I see"

"Of course" she said in her clipped voice.  "I would not wear my labcoat to go and have lunch in; that would be weird."

"It would.  Anyway, let's grab a seat and talk more." He said, ushering her towards an outside cafe table.

"What have you found out, Action?" she asked.

"Got a name:  Tom Green.  He's a drug dealer for the glitterati..."

"Please.  I do not understand the word 'glitterati'." she interrupted in her clipped German accent.

"It means high status, wealthy, fashionable."

"Ah, yes.  Continue"

"This Green character supplied drugs at trendy parties; most recently to J Huntingdon III.  That's where the LSD tabs we found came from.  So that's the angle I'm going with...a drug deal gone bad or maybe he overdosed on his own goods..."

"He did not" Bibi interrupted again.

"Oh?" asked Action, surprised.  "What did the autopsy say?"

"He died of internal bleeding from a burn wound.  Not catching fire; more like a cutting torch going through the flesh and in to the body.  But that's not the strange part...."

"It isn't?"

"I am hungry and I came here for lunch" she suddenly declared in a determined tone of voice.  "First we order food, then I tell you the strange part" she said, standing up.  Action had little choice but to follow her in to the cafe.

Bibi was in no rush to provide Action with the autopsy findings.  Instead she talked about her lunch.  "This is one of the few places in America where they do decent brown rye bread."

"Fascinating" said Action, with a mixture of sarcasm and impatience.

"But I am full now so I will tell you what the pathologist found" she replied.

"What did he die of?" asked Action.

"A single wound to the chest.  Not a knife, or a gun but more like he was burned...scorched."

"What caused that?"

"The fatal wound was caused by something that produced intense heat and burning but in a very precise way as the diameter of it was smaller than the entry wound of a mid-calibre sized bullet.  So maybe something like a welding torch or..."

"A laser" interrupted Action, as an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

"Yes.  Just like the laser hole we found in the Fashion District when an attempt was made on Lily Feng's life."

"That's where you're wrong:  The attempt was on Madelyn Buchanan.  I'm convinced about that.  It all fits...Buchanan was also present when our colleague, Marina, was injured in that fire bomb at Cuffe and Buchanan's mansion.  Also, Tom Green was known to deal drugs at swanky parties and was dealing at the Kitten Club where Buchanan is the assistant manager.  It all fits.  Someone wants her dead and I know who..."

"Your mysterious, vanishing shapeshifting assassin; Leanne McGregor" said Bibi.

"I fancy a walk down by the bay...there's too many people here" said Action, motioning his head towards the waterside promenade nearby.

It was, as Action had figured, deserted except for the two of them.  He once again mulled over what Bibi had told him but then she broke his train of thought.

"Action...I didn't tell you this back in the cafe because it seems incredible even to me but....that's not all we found on Mr Green's body." she said with a note of hesitancy in her voice.

Action turned to face her.  "What else?" he said.

"We found marks all over his torso and the back of his neck.  They were shaped like....the marks an octopus or squid would leave on a body." she said, trying to not sound crazy at the bizarre findings.

"So he wrestled with a squid before being shot with a laser?" said an incredulous Action.

"That's one theory..." she replied.  "And one other thing:  His internal organs were in a considerable state of decomposition:  Unexpected in a man of his relative youth and yet there were no traces of drugs in his system.  We're at a loss as to what caused that."

"You're not the only one" replied Action, rolling his eyes.  Before continuing to speak to Bibi he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, well, well...talk about appearing right on cue" he muttered.  Off in the distance was none other than Madelyn Buchanan.

"Are you going to question her?" asked Bibi.

"No.  Instead I'm going to tail her.  See what she's up to." he replied.

"Shall I come too?"

"Are you trained in tailing techniques?"

"No."

"Then you stay here or else return to the precinct house.  Catch you later..."

Action followed Madelyn through the Lykke Centre at a discrete distance all the way to a cab rank where a shiny black limo; possibly belonging to Alan Cuffe, was waiting.  Action closed the distance between himself and Madelyn as she paused to talk to the limo driver.

"I trust your meeting went successfully, Madam?" asked the limo driver.

"Satisfactory, thank you" Madelyn replied.

"Home, Madam?"

"No...take me to the club.  Is Mr Cuffe still at home?"

"He is, Madam.  He says he is not well enough to travel to the club this evening"

Madelyn smiled and said "good" before getting in to the limo.  Action was able to overhear all this and he formulated yet another idea...

He headed straight back to the cafe but there was a surprise waiting for him...and a pleasant one at that.  His girlfriend, Katherine, was already there.

"Hey, darlin'...you sure are a sight for sore eyes" he said to her, caressing her cheek.

"You've forgotten, haven't you?" Katherine said with a wry smile on her face.  Action was caught unawares but he tried to bluff his way out.

"No!  Never!  I'm here, aren't I?" he said, trying to act cool.

"I know I'm early but we did agree on going out this evening."

"Yes..." he said, the penny finally dropping.  "Yes we did...I've just gotta tie up some loose ends with work first."

"How long is that going to take?" replied Katherine.

"Oh, not long at all...as a matter of fact I wanna ask you:  Are you up for a bit of dancing..."

"Why of course..."

"A bit of wining and dining..."

"Definitely..."

"And maybe a bit of clandestine mystery thrown in?"

"Wait, what?"

"Have you ever been to The Kitten Club?" he asked.

"No...but I'd like to" Katherine replied.

"Then tonight's your lucky night!  I'm a member; I can get us in"

"Hang on...I suspect there's a catch" she said, giving him a suspicious look.

"Just a small one:  I need to get some information there and I can't get a search warrant in time"

"Will it be dangerous?"

"Probably not"

"That's a shame.  OK, but will there still be wining, dining, dancing and some romance involved as well?"

"Well yeah, honey, it'll be like one of those Cary Grant mystery-romance..."

"...comedy" she interjected.

"...movies.  I can tell you're up for it!" he said, with a wink.

Katherine took a deep breath and let out a sigh.  "I did say I wanted to be more involved in your life...and I guess that means your work as well."

"That's my girl!" 

At that moment Bibi found the two of them sitting on the bench and approached them.

"So, did you manage to tail Madelyn?" Bibi asked.

"Who's Madelyn?  And who's she?" asked Katherine, pointing to Bibi.

"Yes...she got into a limo and is headed to the Kitten Club" said Action to Bibi.

"Oh we're going to the Kitten Club to find a woman called Madelyn, are we?" asked Katherine, who was now brimming with questions about Action and these random women.

"No.  I want to know who she's going to meet and find out if she has someone called Tom Green working for her...well, had working for her" said Action, trying to field multiple questions from these two women next to him.

"Who's Tom Green?" asked Katherine, visibly confused and annoyed.

"The murder victim I was telling you about."

"And Madelyn might have killed him?" continued Katherine.

"No.  Probably not.  We're looking for an assassin called Leanne" interjected Bibi.

"Leanne!"  Another random woman's name.  "And Action...who is SHE?" Katherine repeated the question whilst jabbing her finger in Bibi's direction.

"Oh, this is Bibi.  Bibi this is Katherine" said Action.

"Ahhh, so you're Katherine!" said Bibi, her eyes widening with interest.  "Action has told me a bit about you"

"Oh he has, has he?" replied Katherine, folding her arms and glaring at Action.

"I must have mentioned Bibi to you before, darling.  Yeah, Bibi from work.  Our forensics expert"

"You told me she was a white haired old lady in her late 50s" said Katherine, still glaring.

"That's our other forensic officer, Katherine" said Bibi.  "Has he not mentioned me before?  We work quite closely"

Katherine's eyebrow just raised in a questioning manner.

"Well, I'm glad you chicks got a chance to finally meet" said Action, clapping his hands and rubbing them.  "Bibi, I will see you back at the station.  Katherine, let's get our party gear on and groove on down to the Club."

"This had better be the night of my life, Action..." said Katherine, switching her glaring look between Action and Bibi.

"...and that's all we know about this guy, Green.  I think that explains it" said Action as they stepped out of the cab and walked towards the Kitten Club.

"More than enough.  So what's the plan?  Do we wine and dine first or go snooping around?" asked Katherine.

"Let's get inside first, establish ourselves and take it from there..." replied Action.

The two of them headed straight to the dance floor with Action checking out the place as well for anything or anyone that looked suspicious.  But mainly he was good to his word with Katherine by not letting work distract from their date.

"Phew, I could do with a drink now" said Katherine when one song had stopped.

"Good idea, the bar's this way" said Action, escorting her from the dance floor.  They grabbed a couple of stools, ordered the drinks and checked out the scene at the club.

"This place has a cool vibe" said Katherine.  "So have you seen anything suspicious yet?"

"Madelyn's over there, berating a customer for touching one of the Kittens.  That's a rule here:  Look but don't touch."

"A rule that would get broken the more the men drink" Katherine replied, wryly.

"But...it means she's been called away from her office and look at that...she left the door open." said Action, nodding towards the manager's door.

"Providence...let's not waste any time" said Katherine.

"Now you're thinking like I think!" replied Action.

They discretely walked over to the office and Katherine kept guard whilst Action searched the room.

He was an old hand at this kind of thing; knowing where someone would hide a file that they didn't want noticed by others who had access to this office but at the same time needed to be kept here because the person who hid it needed to update it regularly.

"How's it looking out there, Kat?" he asked as he rifled through a filing cabinet.

"The guy's really drunk and he's kicking up a fuss.  Madelyn's calling for security now." she replied.

"Good, that will take up all her attention"

"What about your search?  Have you found anything yet?"

"There's an old trick to hiding an incriminating file or ledger...tape it to the inside top of a filing cabinet and...yep, there it is!"

He pulled out a black ledger book, carefully peeling back the Scotch tape so he could stick it back once he had looked at it.  

He thumbed through the ledger, from back to front, looking for any mention of Tom Green.  

"I'd be quick if I were you...security is manhandling the drunk out of the club right now" said Katherine.

Action flicked through pages until he found something.

"For services rendered:  T.H. Green.  $2,000...wow, that's a lot of dough" said Action.  "OK, that establishes a link between our Madelyn and the deceased.  OK, let's put this little black book back where we found it and....OK, let's get outta here...but smoothly"  

They went back to the bar and ordered another round of drinks.  Eventually, a stressed looking Madelyn walked right past them without acknowledging their presence and headed straight for the office.  Action and Katherine watched with interest as the door was shut firmly behind her but no other sounds could be heard over the music and chatter in the club and neither did she emerge from it whilst they were sitting at the bar.

"OK, Action...I admit, that was fun.  Now we've wined, we've dined, we've danced and rifled through someone's office without a search warrant.  I was wondering what else you have planned for this evening?  A car chase?" said Katherine, looking at him sultrily.

"Something vastly more interesting than that...how about we have a nightcap at my place?"

"That sounds potentially more dangerous..." she said with a wry smile.

"I see what you're doing there..." said Katherine, as Action tried the old making a move trick.  They were back at his house, listening to his blues albums and enjoying one last drink before bedtime.  

"You have the right to remain sexy..." he said, smiling.  "Anything you wear will be taken off"

"Will there be handcuffs?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't figure you to be that kind of gal" he replied.

"Alright, officer, I'll come quietly...well, mostly quietly" she said, standing up and leading him by the hand towards the bedroom.

FOOTNOTE:  It is with sadness that we mark the death of the actor, Richard Roundtree, who has died this week at the age of 81.  Roundtree became famous for playing the private dick who's hot with all the chicks:  Shaft.  The Shaft movies were big hits in the early 1970s and ushered in the era of Blaxploitation movies.  Roundtree was a handsome, stylish and charismatic leading man and was perfect casting for John Shaft.  His style defined an era and although today it might look dated, it never looked bad or cheesy on him.  Of course, Roundtree as Shaft provided the main inspiration for my own character, John Action.  I have tried to infuse in Action the qualities that made Shaft one of the greatest detectives in cinema history.  Thank you, Richard, for breathing life in to that role.  RIP.