CHAPTER 215: EXPOSE (DOWNFALL PART 3)

"Our top story this morning...Police have seized documents at the Landgraab Corporation building in the ongoing investigation into fraud and murder allegations connected to that company.  There have been no arrests so far but police say that given the strength of the evidence they have so far it won't be long before some, or more, people in the company will be arrested.  Police also refuse to confirm or deny rumours that members of the Landgraab family themselves will be taken into custody..."

"Suzy, darling...come and see this!  It's all happening with the Landgraabs!" said Neil

She walked over to the sofa where he was sitting, watching the TV.

"Jeremy..." she said, softly.

"What's that?" asked Neil.

"Jeremy.  He must have found something really incriminating.  This is huge...when they say 'murder' that must relate to the attempts on Madelyn Buchanan's life and that murder case Action is working on.  That's going to drag Malcolm Landgraab into the investigation.  Wow.  This is it, Neil, the unravelling of all that family has been doing."

"And your article is going to hit the newsstands any day now..." he said, looking knowingly at her.

"The significance isn't lost on me..." she replied.  "I might get called in to be a witness"

At that moment the telephone rang.  "That might be the D.A. now..." said Neil, half joking.  Suzy went to pick it up; she had a knot in her stomach through nerves.

"Hello...Suzy Humphries speaking" she said.

"Hey, Suzy...it's Alan Cuffe here..." said the voice at the other end of the line.  Suzy let out a sigh of relief that it was Alan and not the authorities.

"Alan, nice to hear from you, it's been ages since we last spoke."

"It has, Suzy; far too long.  Say, have you got some free time today to drop round the mansion?  I want to talk with you about...recent developments.  I don't want to say more over the phone, you never know who's listening."

"Erm...I'm due in the office today but I can swing by your place this morning.  Sure."

"Great.  See you then." and he rung off.  Suzy turned to Neil and shrugged her shoulders.

"That was Alan Cuffe of all people" she said.  "Wants to see me about 'recent developments'"

"How did he sound?" asked Neil.

"Quite positive, almost happy." she replied.

"Could be a good sign...another who's happy that the Landgraabs are getting their just desserts." he said, turning back to watch the news.

Suzy grabbed her handbag and house keys and kissed Neil just before we left.  "I'll see you later, darling.  I'll head straight to Alan's and then to work." she said.

She rang the doorbell but instead of a butler appearing at the door it was Alan Cuffe himself.  He was smiling and seemed genuinely pleased to see Suzy.  

"Suzy, wonderful to see you, just wonderful.  Come inside...actually, let's go out the back to the garden because it's a beautiful day" he said, welcoming her enthusiastically.

"I see you're in fine spirits, Alan" she noted.

"I am feeling very well thank you.  As you may have heard I had to go into a private hospital to undergo some treatment brought about by overwork, stress and some fever the name of which I can't pronounce.  Ha-ha.  And Madelyn and the Kittens have been taking very good care of me in the interim."

"I bet they have..." said Suzy, knowingly.  There's nothing Alan loved  more than to have all his Lothario Kittens, in their skimpy cat outfits, fawning all over him.

Suzy was impressed by the garden.  "It's mainly a project of Madelyn's" he said.  "I'm not much of a horticulturalist but she is"

"So I've heard..." said Suzy.  During her research into Malcolm Landgraab, Madelyn's name was often mentioned in relation to drug cultivation and sales.  It made sense that she 'grew her own'.  "It's lovely out here, Alan, and I can see a painting in progress on that easel.  Do you paint?"

"I do.  Something I've taken up recently in order to help my state of mind.  I know your husband is a very talented artist who has found some success."

"Neil is so gifted as a painter...and, yes, his work is now selling enough that he was able to quit his day job.  He paints mainly landscapes...that view over the lake and the mountains here must provide plenty of inspiration for painting." 

"I paint mainly nudes" he said.  Suzy was not at all surprised.

"Did you want to see me about something specific, Alan?" Suzy asked.

"Yes.  As you know I own a significant stake in your magazine, Hey Wow.  When your article about the Landgraabs was read by the editorial board there were....shall we say 'mixed' feelings about whether to publish it or not.  The key issue in the sceptics minds were what the legal ramifications for the magazine would be if the Landgraabs sued."

"I can assure you, and the editorial board, that everything I wrote in that article has a credible source."  said Suzy.

"I'm sure it does, Suzy.  That's why I'm confident the magazine would win if it went to court.  I think the Landgraabs have overstepped the mark in trying to silence me and my close associates and the city would be better off if they had their wings clipped.  That is why I'm going to personally foot the bill for the legal defence of the magazine...and you."

Suzy was taken aback and didn't respond immediately.  Eventually she managed to say "that's very generous of you, Alan."

At that moment Madelyn Buchanan appeared and she too seemed happy to see Suzy.

"I'm so glad you were able to come" she said.  "As you can see, Alan and myself are entirely at ease with...recent developments." she said, trying to sound cryptic but Suzy knew she was referring to the troubles the Landgraabs were currently going through.

"Have you spoken with Detective Action, Madelyn, about his recent investigations?" asked Suzy.

"That there have been two attempts on my life, specifically?  Yes he has.  Sadly, we can't rest easy until this McGregor woman is behind bars but at least her paymaster might soon be." replied Madelyn.

"The article Suzy wrote is damning evidence against Malcolm, that's for sure" said Alan.

Madelyn looked at Alan and nodded approvingly.  There was something in her expression and body language that outwardly seemed calm but betrayed an underlying anxiousness as well.  You're still concealing something, Madelyn... Suzy thought.  

She also suspected that Alan was unaware of Madelyn's secret that she was holding back.  She may be his right hand woman, a confidant and much of the reason why the Lothario company was a success but whereas she knew all of his life, he had still much to discover about hers...

Suzy didn't want to dig deeper at this stage.  Alan's offer of legal protection if the Landgraabs threatened to sue was very generous and his influence in getting her article to be published couldn't be understated.  To now dig up dirt about the goings on of his personal assistant would be ungenerous of her after Alan had been so helpful.  Unprofessional conduct for a journalist?  Maybe.  But Suzy felt that Madelyn's secrets didn't have the same amount of maliciousness and destructiveness of the Landgraabs'.

"Well, I must be getting to the office now.  Alan, Madelyn, thank you so much for your hospitality and generosity.  Goodbye."

Within the hour Suzy had arrived at the offices of Hey, Wow! and found a flurry of activity there.  Photographers, advertising reps, printers, staff writers and about a half a dozen gophers were all scurrying around the place.  One of the sub-editors called Suzy into his office the moment she arrived.

"Suzy, sit down, I have to brief you on what's going on today" he said, motioning towards the sofa opposite his desk.

"What's up?" she replied as she sat down.

"You.  You're what's up"

"What's going on?  It seems like everyone is on panic stations" she said.

"They are.  It seems your article is causing a stir and the issue's only just hit the news stands.  We've got press from all the major newspapers and TV networks pestering us for a comment and...an interview with you."

"Wow." she said, shocked.

"Yeah, 'wow' just about describes it.  Now the editor has said that you're not to do any interviews until we've checked things through with our legal department first.  You're to lie low here, in the office, until it's time to go home.  You don't answer the phone, you're not available and we'll bring lunch to you so you're not ambushed by reporters if you go out."

"So what am I supposed to do in the office all day?" she asked.

"You were hired as a fashion journalist...do some fashion journalism for a change!" he said and with a wave of his hand he dismissed her from his office.

As she went back to her desk she saw Gillian, a teenage aspiring model, parading around the photo studio.  A few months ago Suzy had provided her with contacts in the fashion industry in exchange for information about Malcolm Landgraab.  It seemed Gillian had put those contacts to good use because she was here modelling clothes for the in-house stylist.

"OK...give me more, sweetheart!  Give me your left!  Now your right!  Turn and look over the shoulder!  Look up!  Look down!  Great!  I'm loving it!  Now I'm spent...OK, Gillian, take 5.  Sharon, I want my coffee now!  SHARON!"  Today's photographer had a voice that bellowed throughout the office and Suzy wondered if he would end up shattering a window.  Gillian stepped away from the backdrop and lights and came over to greet Suzy.

"Suzy!  Hi there!" she said with a big smile all over her face.

"Gillian, you're looking great.  How's this gig going?" Suzy replied, looking all around the photo studio.

"Oh this is the best!  I'm going to feature in next month's issue!  Suzy, thank you so, so much for giving me a start in my dream job!"

"That's alright.  You've taken to it well"

"Gillian, love, we need you in the next outfit:  Number 6" called out the photographer.

"Oops, that's me!  Gotta go!" said Gillian to Suzy.

"Well, I'm meant to help out here so I'll be hanging around.  See you after you've changed.

"OK, give us more attitude, Gillian...challenge the camera...defy it!" said Suzy, trying to coax a particular look out of her.  "That's it!  That's what we're looking for!"

"OK, Suz, I've finished the roll" said the photographer. 

"Perfect, Gillian, you're a natural." said Suzy.

When the work day ended, Suzy went to leave the office building by the main front door but she could see that there were reporters out the front, presumably there to try and doorstop her with questions about her article.  She was worried and hesitated about going out through that door as other work colleagues were pestered by the reporters as they left.

There was a noise behind her.  "Psst!"  Suzy looked around and saw Neil standing at the other end of the reception lobby.  "Suzy...this way, we'll get you out via the loading bay!" he said in a loud whisper.  She didn't hesitate to take him up on the offer of escape.

"Neil, what are you doing here?" she asked as he maintained a 5 foot lead on her, checking left and right to see the coast was clear.

"The TV news has been running a LOT of stories about the Landgraabs and you made the midday news.  I knew the press would be down here like a pack of wolves trying to catch a wounded deer so I thought I'd act as your bodyguard."

"It's greatly appreciated, love!" she said, admiringly.

"I say we don't head straight home; the press are probably camped out there as well.  We need to lie low for a few hours, go somewhere where they'd never think of finding us..." said Neil.

"Do you have anywhere specific in mind?" asked Suzy.

"The Romance Festival!" he declared.

"This is a great idea...no press and only a handful of middle aged couples; as it always is.  Absolutely the worst place for a single person under the age of 40 to meet another single person." said Suzy, giving Neil a kiss out of appreciation for his concern for her and quick thinking.

"Hey, we met at the Romance Festival" He protested.

"Oh yeah...so we did.  But how random was that?"

"Not random...providence!"

They got some exotic food from a vending stall and sat down to eat and discuss things.

"The article gets published tomorrow..." said Suzy.

"Great publicity for Hey, Wow...and you of course.  Are you ready?" asked Neil.

"I've been ready for months now.  The more I've learned since the beginning of the year, the more I've been horrified by what that family has done...not just recently, but for the last 150 years.  But I feel I've barely scratched the surface in this investigation." 

"More about the Landgraabs?  We still don't know what's underneath that mansion nor what Gregory Landgraab's role in it all was."

"Not just that...the book alludes to dark secrets of the Feng family.  Once the fallout from the Landgraab article settles you can be sure two smart cooklies like Lily and Victor Feng will have their guards up."

"That's for another day to think about..." said Neil, raising his glass in cheers.  "Hey, there's the Goths over there and...do my eyes deceive me?  They're smiling and having a good time!"

"They are smiling!  I've never seen Mortimer smile before and I've seen him twice and the Humour and Hijinks festival where he did not even crack a grin.  I wonder what they're so happy about?"

"A rival gone?  Or at least going?" suggested Neil.

Mortimer noticed Suzy and Neil and he looked at them both.  He just stared for two seconds and then smiled, nodding at the pair.  Suzy nodded back in acknowledgement.

"I think you maybe right, Neil" she said.

CHAPTER 200: Landgraab

 

"Do I need to spruce up my look?" thought Suzy as she inspected herself in the mirror.  "Paisleys are in...maybe it's time to retire the Mod look?"  She let out a sigh.  Fashion could be so complicated sometimes.

"No way!" she said out loud at last.  "I love this outfit!" was her defiant response to her own question.

She went from the bedroom to the study to resume work on her in depth expose of Malcolm Landgraab and his criminal activities but the article was proving more difficult to write for Suzy as she kept being distracted by thoughts of the mysterious book she and Neil had found.

She already had more than enough material on Malcolm to finish the article but that book...that people went to extraordinary extents to possess and hide...kept calling to her.  She knew it contained enough in it to drive a man insane and it was fear that had kept her from reading it from cover to cover; merely contenting herself to read snippets lest the same fate befall her.  But she also knew it contained a lot of information about the Landgraab family and a little more research would help:  Help her understand why Nancy, Geoffrey and Malcolm were the way they were and why their estranged son, Johnny, was driven out of the family.

Suzy stopped typing and walked over to the bookcase to dig out "The Hidden History of Sim City" before settling on the study couch to read it.  The preface alone sounded daunting.

In your hands you hold a book that a great many people would wish would never see the light of day.

Suzy took a sharp intake of breath.  It was now or never; read on or bury the book once again.

Within you will learn the secrets of the great families of Sim City and the origins of the place.  You will also learn about who they all pay tribute to and that, dear readers, is the most shocking revelation of them all.  You may discount what I have to say as the ramblings of a madman and my very life is at risk for even sharing this information...but I feel it is my duty as a scholar to pass on to you what I have learned these last few years.  Maybe this will drive the forces that operate in the shadows in to the light or maybe you will dismiss everything as mere whimsy.  I leave that to you, dear reader...

PATRICK CORNELIUS

"In for a penny, in for a pound...as my grandmother used to say" said Suzy to herself.  She continued reading.

CHAPTER ONE:  LANDGRAAB

In the year of our Lord, Eighteen Hundred and Ten, the European continent was ablaze.  Napoleon had control of a land empire that stretched from Madrid to Warsaw, Copenhagen to Syracuse.  Those countries who had not been directly absorbed into France had become vassal states, bending their knee to him.  However, a few held out and continued to defy him:  The British and their Portuguese allies were taking the fight to him in the Iberian Peninsular so, in retaliation, his plan was to cut the British off from the thing they prized the most:  Trade with the world.  And this is where our story begins...

In 1810 Napoleon annexed the Kingdom of Holland, disbanded its army and incorporated it into Metropolitan France.  A valuable source of trade would be completely shut to the perfidious Albion. 

Of course many Dutch men and women thought they stood no chance in defying Bonaparte and the French and so acquiesced to their rule.  Many but not all...one enterprising young man had other ideas.  His name was Dirk Landgraab.

Dirk was a sea captain of some renown and considerable experience.  He had been at sea since he was a boy; learning the ways of sailing, ship-handling and trade from St Maarten in the West Indies, the Cape Colony, Java and even to the forbidden lands of Japan and their only trading port in Nagasaki.  Dirk had made several fortunes but had also lost most of them.  He had contacts in every port but, alas, many creditors as well and if the French were to take over Dutch maritime interests then Dirk's financial malfeasance would come to light under the harsh French bureaucracy and their desire to squeeze every ounce of tax revenue as they could to fund their wars.  Nor did Dirk desire to serve in the French navy...or the Royal Navy for that matter for amongst those who desired repayment of his many loans was the firm of Lloyds of London.  Defecting to the British would not solve his problems.

Dirk, as mentioned before, was enterprising and he conceived a daring plan to escape the French and all his problems.  Moored in the port of Amsterdam was a ship, the S.S. Kansen and contained within its cargo hold was 3 month's salaries for the Dutch garrison in Java, East Indies.  Dirk figured that as the Dutch army technically no longer existed and that the garrison was now officially French, then the gold stored in the Kansen was anybody's for the taking.  So took it he did.  One night, he bribed the watch to let him on board, promised shares of the booty to the crew and with their co-operation...often at gun or sword's point...he slipped the cables in the middle of the night and set sail across the Atlantic where neither the British nor the French would bother to find him:  America.

"So the Landgraabs have always been thieves" Suzy chuckled to herself.  She was engrossed in the story so she ploughed on.

When Dirk arrived in the city of New York he found that a little gold could buy you a great many things, including silence and not having to bother with awkward questions and difficult customs officials.  Even after paying off the crew, renting a townhouse to establish himself and bribing various officials Dirk Landgraab was now wealthier than he had ever been in his life.  The vast sum of gold granted him credit with all the banks in New York and on top of all that, he had a 2 deck privateer ship as well to start his new business as a trader and speculator.  A few more gold coins were exchanged and the Kansen became the S.S. Main Chance, built in Boston, Massachusetts, of course.

Dirk found the Americans to be more...malleable...than their European counterparts when it came to making a profit.  He put the Main Chance to good use; with it's fast speed and being well armed it could make the run to the West Indies and back faster than any other ship of its displacement if handled by an expert crew and Dirk found some of the best seamen to be aboard Royal Navy vessels.  If he touched port where the British were moored as well, a little of the famed Landgraab gold would find its way into the pockets of some Jack Tars who could be persuaded to jump ship and join his company.  Thus, in his way, Dirk Landgraab contributed to the cause of the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States of America.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" mused Suzy.

Dirk's company began as a shady little trading operation with one ship to a shady big trading company with many fine built vessels.  By the time the wars between Britain, the United States, France and all of Europe were at an end and the tyrant Bonaparte defeated and exiled for the last time, Dirk Landgraab was firmly settled in America and had no desire to return to the land of his birth...even if it had regained its independence and King back.

Now in his mid-30s Dirk had the wealth but he had neither status in New York polite society nor a wife.  There were many who started to ask questions about the origins of his wealth and his business practices so he needed to quash these rumours by acquiring a high status wife...and already he knew just who that should be.

Margaret McClochness was the only daughter of a Mr John Ross McClochness, a man of repute in New York society who could trace his lineage in the American colonies to 1715; his ancestor fleeing after the aborted Old Pretender's uprising in that year.  The current Mr McClochness was admired for his manners, his honesty and generosity but, alas, he had made some poor decisions of late which had cost his family dearly in financial terms.  He was a great friend of the former US Vice President, Aaron Burr, and after the Hamilton duel fiasco and Burr's aborted coup d'etat, John Ross found that although his fellow socialites forgave his errors in judgement they did not forgive his debts.

So a marriage was arranged between young Margaret and Dirk, which suited all parties very well.  The McClochnesses could pay their debts and keep their good standing, Dirk gained that veneer of respectability he craved and he had a young and attractive wife on his arm to boot.  And Margaret was happy that her father was content with having his burden lifted and having a handsome and dashing husband was a boon to her life...despite her having to deliberately turn a blind eye to his more dishonest practices.  As long as he didn't get caught she was content.

The Landgraab Trading Company went from strength to strength and children were born to Dirk and Margaret:  The ones who survived infancy were Malcolm in 1817, Gordon in 1819 and Beatrix in 1823.  Dirk passed away in 1846 at the age of 66 and control of the company passed to the eldest son, Malcolm with Gordon highly placed in the company to ensure Landgraabs controlled every aspect of it.

It was Malcolm who expanded the company into other parts of America and diversified their activities.  Trade had been disrupted during the war with Mexico in the 1840s and the Royal Navy's anti-slave trading patrols ended a part of Landgraab Trading's activities.  The 1850s proved to be an interesting time for the family's fortunes.

The Landgraab brothers were even more calculating and ambitious than their father.  Malcolm, the elder of the two, was placed in charge of the company with Gordon, who resembled his mother more than his father, as his right hand man.  Malcolm felt he had outgrown New York city, if such a thing were possible.  He was yet another wealthy man in an already crowded environment and property prices were soaring so what he desired was to set up home and business in a new and inviting place where he and his family would be the undisputed masters.

He met with a man named Hugh Sim; a prospector, cartographer, geologist and explorer and also an ambitious man.

Sim had tried to impress New York and Washington D.C. high society with tales of some land he had been exploring within the continental United States.  It was a place that seemingly defied known geography:  Where cool temperate zones, swampland, coastal harbours and arid areas all converged in a relatively small area.  He had taken mineral and botanical samples to show what potential resources lay in the area in the hope that he could attract wealthy settlers to move to a place he had just founded:  Sim's City, or Sim City as it later became known as.  With the instability of the country at that time few wanted to take the gamble of settling in an area that could be unstable so many baulked at Sim's offer...many, but not all:  Malcolm Landgraab saw his chance.

It was Sim's plan but Landgraab's money that made Sim City.  Landgraab set up their first office there in 1851 and by 1857 the move had been so successful and the resources Sim had promised more than lived up to his claim that the entire company was able to move their headquarters there.  Landgraab had bought up so much of the land that they ran all hotels, bars, general stores, stables, a small ironworks, a mining concession, the local newspaper and the entire port facilities.  There was little that wasn't owned by them.

The third sibling, Beatrix, had initially stayed in New York where she married Lysander Goth; a man from one of the oldest established families in America and who was in publishing.  Eventually, in order to have all his family exactly where he wanted them, Malcolm persuaded Beatrix to move to Sim City with her husband and children.

Suzy sat up in startlement.  "Wait, the Landgraabs and the Goths are related?"  She paused her reading and thought about this.  Surely Mortimer, the keen historian, would know this yet there's a definite frostiness between the two families now.  She must enquire about this connection more when she next saw him.  She continued to read...

The Civil War came but Sim City was soon to become in reach of both side's armies.  War was good for business, but bad if you chose the wrong side so between them Malcolm and Gordon conceived a plan:  Malcolm would control all of the Landgraab Company's assets in the North and Gordon would do likewise in the South.  That way, whoever won, the victorious brother would immediately forgive his errant sibling and both sides would reunite before governments could intervene.

The only stumbling block to this plan was Hugo Sim.  The man of ideas had now found he was being sidelined from his own visionary project and started to complain...and drink...eventually Malcolm had to arrange an "accident" and blame Confederate raiders for Sim's untimely death.

There was tragedy in the family when Malcolm's eldest son and heir apparent, Malcolm II, was killed in combat in 1865.  The spotlight now fell on his second son, William.  However, William was not an industrialist or a money maker and as a second son was mostly ignored by his father, who adored the elder brother.  William became an artist, and a struggling one at that, and eventually became estranged from the family...

"Just like Johnny Zest is now..." mused Suzy.

So Malcolm I and Gordon continued to run the Landgraab Company until awkward questions started to be raised in Congress about the brothers' activities in the Civil War and their more than generous payments to various figures in the Grant administration in return for favours.  Landgraab was investigated and it looked like Malcolm could go to prison for corruption and bribery but the glare of the spotlight and the pressure of a Federal investigation brought on a stroke and his passing in 1876.  Gordon now ran the company but with only daughters as his issue it would seem that the company's future was in jeopardy.

William Landgraab was only ever a moderately successful painter and he died, penniless and pickled in 1889 at the age of 42.  In his short, tempestuous life he had one short, tempestuous marriage and that produced one child:  Gregory, born in 1868.  He was raised by his mother with virtually no input from William and father and son only ever met each other once...when Gregory was 4 years old.  As such he wasn't aware of his heritage, that he was the only other direct male heir to the family business after Gordon.  It was only after his father's death that his mother told him the truth about his heritage.

Gregory had become a school teacher upon entering adulthood.  He was a studious, intelligent young man who was well liked in his little community, admired by the parents of the children he taught and generally respected by his pupils and he would have lived out his life as a small town schoolmaster had fate not intervened...

It was the Spring of 1890 when Gregory went out to explore a deserted part of Oasis Springs, high up the Acquisition Butte which in those days was uninhabited.  He went up there an impoverished school teacher and came back...wealthy beyond his dreams.  He had discovered something; exactly what folk couldn't say.  Rumour has it that he stumbled upon a rich seam of gold or even diamonds but no mines were ever constructed up at the Butte.  Others said he'd found an old treasure hoard left behind by the Spanish or French some centuries ago.  Gregory himself never disclosed the source of his newly found wealth.  

They say that he changed from that time on.  He was no longer the charming but meek schoolteacher but a man of wealth and influence who found new confidence in himself...confidence bordering arrogance that was the hallmark of the Landgraab family.  He eventually came to meet Gordon Landgraab who was now presiding over an ailing company:  It had never quite got over the scandals of the 1870s and Gordon was managing a Landgraab Company that was a shell of its former self.  Gregory presented himself as the saviour with his new found riches and it became apparent that here was the inheritor that Gordon had longed hope to see.

A suitable wife had to be found and so Gordon arranged for Gregory to be wed to the socialite, Bertha Vanderbilt; a cousin of the famous Cornelius Vanderbilt.  By all accounts this was a very suitable arrangement for both parties.

Gregory rapidly rose in importance and prominence and, naturally, people became inquisitive about how he had found his fortune...even his uncle, Gordon.  But Gregory never disclosed the nature of his good fortune to anyone.  Not his wife, nor his uncle and cousins, nor any other confessor.

Then came perhaps the strangest moment in Gregory Landgraab's life and a mystery that had experts from that time to the present day baffled for an explanation as to what exactly happened:  The Dirigible Panic of 1896-97.  

Across the United States people claimed to have seen a mysterious dirigible in the sky over their homes.  As this technology was so new and really in an experimental stage many had no idea what they had witnessed in the air.  The airship came and went, sometimes flying low, sometimes lost in the clouds and where it would appear next...or whether there were an entire fleet of them across the nation, no one knew.

When one dirigible was sighted over Sim City one man took it upon himself to try to intercept it in his own hot air balloon:  Gregory Landgraab.  It came as a surprise that this businessman, a man of considerable wealth and status, would suddenly risk his life to take to the skies in a balloon to try to get closer to this mysterious craft but he did it and no one could persuade him not to.  Witnesses saw him ascend and get closer to the dirigible, which in turn turned to intercept him and they both disappeared in a bank of thick cloud.  Two hours later Gregory descended, alone, and said the problem was now over.  The scare had not been about anything important and that was that...the story was forgotten about.  There was another dirigible panic in 1909 and Gregory was asked for his assistance but even though he took to the skies in an aeroplane this time he returned to land and declared the crisis to be over.

Landgraab Company became the Landgraab Corporation.  Gordon passed away in 1900 and now Gregory had complete ownership of the business.  He and Bertha had children and built a grand mansion up at Acquisition Butte...far from the bustle of Sim City but high enough to overlook it.  Gregory became the greatest Landgraab of them all in terms of wealth and success.

The couple had numerous children and weathered the tragedies of WW1 and the Great Depression well enough so that the company still controlled much of the land, utilities and industry of Sim City.  When Gregory passed away in 1935 he left a vast fortune to his eldest son, Malcolm III.

Just as America was beginning to emerge from the Depression it was hit by entry into WW2.  As a leading American company Landgraab "did its part" by turning it's manufacturing facilities to make war materiel.  However, Malcolm III did make a lot of money for overcharging the US Army for land they wanted and Landgraab owned in Strangerville.

Now Malcolm, like his uncle Gordon before him, had no sons, only daughters but unlike in previous generations the idea that his eldest daughter would inherit wasn't such an abhorrent one.  The daughter's name was Nancy, born in 1922.

"Ha!  'I'm only 39 years old' is pure bunk!" chuckled Suzy.  

Nancy Landgraab was sent to the finest schools, both home and abroad.  She went to Switzerland to finishing school and was a flighty and feisty teenage girl galivanting around pre-war Europe.  At one stage she had a passionate affair with the son of a German count, who in turn was a highly placed official in the Nazi government, and it almost caused a diplomatic scandal at the time with a very worried U.S. State Department worried about the ramifications of a possible engagement between the teenage daughter of one of the wealthiest men in America with a 30 year old German baron who had close, personal ties to Adolph Hitler.  She was called home by a very angry father in 1940.

It was obvious to Malcolm that Nancy was very gifted in a number of areas but her wild, risk taking side would have to be kept under control and as Malcolm was the custodian of all the Landgraab secrets as well he needed to make sure that any potential husband of his daughter could be trusted and brought in to the inner circle.  Fortunately, he knew just the right man...

Geoffrey Osteer was a young man who acted as a liaison between the US War Department and the Landgraab Corporation.  In the latter stages of WW2 he was assigned to the team behind Operation Paperclip, whose mission it was to capture leading Nazi scientists and technology before the Russians could get them.  Geoffrey was known to be able to keep secrets, work in clandestine areas and was generally thought to have sound judgement.  It also helped that he was a cousin of Malcolm's...being descended from Gordon Landgraab's second daughter.  The Osteers were not wealthy at all, however. Geoffrey's father lost most of his shares and wealth in 1929 so the young man and potential suitor was very keen to be in the old family's inner circle and was even prepared to take his future wife's surname to cement his position.

Geoffrey and Nancy were married in 1945 and they produced two sons, not one as the official records have it.  Jonathan, born 1946 and Malcolm IV, born 1949.  Jonathan seems to have had a streak of his ancestor, William, in him in that he has an artistic temperament and has little time for the business shenanigans of his family.  Instead of being a painter, Jonathan is in the entertainment industry and his estrangement came about in 1964 due to a row between him and his parents that led to his banishment from the family.  Whether it was about Jonathan's career choices or, as some have rumoured, it was about the young man's personal life we currently do not know.  Jonathan packed his bags, moved out of the family home and changed his name to Johnny Zest.

Since the end of the Second World War there are now more rumours about the Landgraab family and their business than ever before.  For starters, there are still questions about what Gregory's good fortune was and what exactly was his involvement in the two dirigible panics?  Then there's rumours of Nancy's involvement in organised crime; fuelled by her associations with various crime families in New York, Chicago and in Europe.  And then there's the activities of Geoffrey.  As was mentioned, he was working with the US government in getting hold of advanced technology in the post war years and certainly the corporation has been at the cutting edge of innovation.  Has Geoffrey used his contacts in government to get an edge over his competitors?  That is the simplest explanation but there is another...his association with another organisation other than the government.

But that is a story for another chapter.

"Wait?  That can't be it!  You can't leave it there, Mr Cornelius!" exclaimed Suzy, out loud so that Neil could hear her from another room.  He came running in to the study.

"Suzy, what is it?  Are you alright?" he exclaimed.

"This book!  It's told me so much about the Landgraabs but the author has left their story on a cliffhanger!"

Neil sat down next to her.  "So what you've learned...can you put it to good use?"

Suzy took in a deep breath before speaking.  "Well...it's a lot of rumour in here" she said, holding up the book.  "But it's given me pointers as to where I should be looking next:  That old cave that goes right under Affluista Mansion, there's something there for sure.  Nancy's got organised crime connections in other cities so I can investigate that as well...and there's lots more but the book hints there's more revelations later on.  My head's spinning with all this new information!"

"I think we need a break from here..." said Neil, clapping his hands.  

"That's for sure...do you have something in mind?" said Suzy.

"I've checked Villa Bovine and they're not busy tonight.  I can put in a call, book us a table and we can treat ourselves.  What do you say?"

"I say a definite yes!  But I can't go there in this" she said, indicating her outfit.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" quipped Neil.  "Alright, let's smarten ourselves up then"

Suzy opted to wear her little black velvet dress with sheer sleeves and Neil wore his favourite formal suit; his white tuxedo.  All dolled up to the nines, they were ready to go out and live the life of a sophisticated couple for one evening.

At the Villa Bovine they waited for their table to be ready but Suzy gasped when she saw who was in the queue in front of them:  Nancy and Malcolm Landgraab.

Neither paid any attention to Suzy as they were having a stilted conversation with Mortimer and Bella Goth.  Neil had paid the taxi driver that brought them to the restaurant and now entered the place, finding Suzy talking with the Maître d.  

"Have they got a table for us?" he asked.

"Yes, but have you seen who is also here?" whispered Suzy.

Neil took a look around the foyer and noticed the Landgraabs.  "Speak of the devils..."

"For one thing, how short is that dress Nancy is wearing?  I found out her age as well in that book.  44 and she's wearing that!" said Suzy, looking Nancy up and down in disbelief.

"She's 44?  She keeps herself in good trim then" said Neil.  "To be fair, that's a nice dress" he added.

"It's so much shorter than anything I have in my wardrobe!" said Suzy.

"Jealous, are we?" quipped Neil.  That earned him a slap on the wrist from Suzy.

"Mr and Mrs Humphries, your table is now ready" said the Maître d.  "Zane will show you to it" he said, pointing to a nearby waiter.  The couple were led to a cosy table for two and they were handed menus.  The Goths were seated after them, across the other side of the dining room but within sight of Suzy and Neil.  Bella looked relaxed but Mortimer shot Suzy a harsh look.  

"What's that all about?" said Neil, who noticed Mortimer's stern expression.

"He hates journalists" was Suzy's nonchalant reply.  "You have to remember he's very protective of Bella after all that's happened to her.  But her life is a big mystery so, naturally, people ask questions about it."

"Goths to the right of us, and here come the Landgraabs...and here I was thinking we'd be able to get away from all the revelations and dark secrets of Sim City for one night."

"I think we're being taught a great, big cosmic lesson that we can't escape from them...but I'm actually fired up now; They don't know what I now know..." said Suzy with a look of excitement in her eyes.

At that moment the Landgraabs were shown to their table and Nancy glanced down at Suzy as they walked past.  There was a look of contempt in her face, as if she had trodden in something deeply unpleasant.  

After Suzy and Neil had placed their order and there was no one in the immediate vicinity to overhear their conversation, Suzy leaned in across the table and closer to Neil and spoke in a voice that was just about audible to him.

"I know we're meant to be taking a break from all the investigation this evening but, Neil, if what's in this book is true it'll give us more information about what's going on and where we...I...should focus my efforts." she said.

"So...have you had any thoughts about what you'll do next?" he asked.

"I need to tell Action and Burr about the tunnel under the mansion and I need to see if Jeremy can find out anything about the land around there; Maybe that holds the key to the source of Gregory Landgraab's wealth."

As they ate their meal Suzy brought Neil up to speed about what she had learned from the book.  He didn't ask many questions but instead sat there, eating his food and taking in all this information.  Suzy was wondering if she was boring him or it was sailing straight over his head because he wasn't responding straight away, except for the occasional "I see" or "that's interesting" comment.

"Neil...are you taking any of this in?" she asked.  He didn't respond right away as he had his mouth full of food but he twirled his fork with one hand and held up one finger on his other to indicate a pause.  Once he had swallowed what was in his mouth he picked up his napkin, dabbed his mouth and put his fork down.  This all added to Suzy's tension as she waited for his response.

"It seems to me..." he began "...that the most fascinating part of what you've told me is about the Dirigible Panic."

"That?" she responded with some astonishment in her voice.  "What do you find fascinating about it."

"Well...I'm not sure if we had dirigibles around that time for starters but let's say we did, but they're so uncommon that the public who see them don't know what they are exactly or why they're flying over their neighbourhoods.  What I find most interesting is that Gregory Landgraab takes it upon himself to sort the issue out.  I mean, he effectively says 'I'll sort out this mystery' and goes and does it...then comes back declares the panic to be over and nothing more is said about it.  And he does this twice over the years.  Most strange."

"Do you think I should prioritise researching into that?" she asked.  Neil took another bite of food and nodded.  Then, as he was chewing his food, he held his finger up again to indicate a pause.

"Right..." he said when he was ready to speak again.  "That tunnel is going to take some manpower to unblock and you'll be digging right under the Landgraab's noses.  The shady business dealings are a given; we knew that already, but if you want to link them to Advik's madness then the airships over America issue might be the connection."

"I'll definitely look into that" she said, nodding.  She took a sip of wine and looked across the table to her husband.  A warm glow rose in her as she thought about how thoughtful and perceptive he could be and that she felt bad thinking he was uninterested in her investigative work.  And he did look so sexy in his white tuxedo as well!  She slipped off one of her shoes and extended her foot forwards so that it brushed up against his calf...time for a little footsie, she thought.

"Oh...hello!" Neil said, suddenly sitting at attention when he felt her soft, silky nylon covered foot brush up against him.

After they'd finished their meal and had settled the bill, they got up to leave.  

"Is Nancy still glaring at you?" asked Neil as he stood up.

"Just a little..." replied Suzy.  "I'd better be polite and give the Goths a little wave"

Bella returned the gesture but Mortimer just curtly nodded, still with a stern look on his face.

"I wish Mortimer wouldn't see me as a threat; I just want to help them find out who got to Bella and who stole his diaries:  I believe they're the same person." said Suzy.

"I think he knows that as well but his protectiveness is too strong.  Come on, let's not cause a scene" said Neil, ushering his wife out of the restaurant.

Instead of going straight home they took a walk along the creek that was nearby the Villa Bovine.  The sun was ebbing away, casting the whole area in a warm, pink glow and Suzy walked arm in arm with Neil, not saying much but enjoying the evening air.  

Eventually Suzy broke the silence.  "I appreciate your input on this case" she said.

"My pleasure.  I find it very interesting myself.  So are you going to tell the others what you've found out?"

"At some point" she said.

"I think you should.  Poor Advik kept it all to himself and look what happened..." Neil said, sounding a note of caution in his voice.

"I hear you, and I'm better prepared...I think...than he was.  I know I have Jeremy, Action, Barbara, Burr and, of course, you to help me.  I won't be reckless, I promise."

They found a bench to sit down on and continued the conversation from there.  Suzy was still buzzing from the date and her ideas were bouncing around inside her mind.  Neil, by contrast, was unwinding and just enjoying the peace and romantic air.

They both enjoyed the tranquillity of this place and snuggled together, again without saying much but then they didn't need to fill the air with empty chat when each felt such warmth and secureness towards the other.  It was fortunate that no one else was around as Neil hated public displays of affection where people could stare or tut when they walked past.

Finally it was time to head home and as they sat in the back of the taxi for the relatively short drive they quietly held hands with Suzy resting her head on Neil's shoulder.  Once back at the house she stayed up a little longer, made herself a hot chocolate and browsed through the notes she had made on the book one more time.  Neil headed straight for bed.

"What's the next part of the book?" she mused to herself, flicking through the pages past the section on the Landgraabs.  She found the part where she had left of at, covering the events of the early part of the decade but stopping at 1964.  The next part of the book had a blank title page about a 3rd of the way in.  Blank except for one word.

FENG

Suzy tapped on the page and then looked around the study for a bookmark.  Finding one made from yellow thick cardboard she put it in at that section, shut the book, drank the last of her hot chocolate and went to see Neil in the bedroom.  He was fast asleep, still in his tuxedo...the poor guy was just drained and tired.  She smiled lovingly at his sleeping form and decided she would just slip off her shoes and crash out next to him.  There's was plenty to do tomorrow...

Author's note:  I must give a big thank you to two people who helped with the visuals of this chapter.  

Dirk Landgraab and Margaret McClochness were created by "Broken Record" of the Sims of History Discord group.

Gregory and Bertha Landgraab were created by Ms Cellophane also of the Sims Of History.

And a final thank you to all of you who have stuck it out with Sim 66 for 200 chapters.  

CHAPTER 171: The Mystery Of The Goths

 

Action gulped down the protein drink whilst he checked the mail.  Bills, and bills...and his Police Detective's salary just about stretched to cover them.  "Dang, I need a case to secure a promotion and soon!  My bank account's gonna be drier than Arizona at the rate I'm going!" he said to himself.  But Action was a man of taste and style and it cost him money to maintain his lifestyle.

As he popped the last cheque in the mailbox he saw playboy millionaire, Alan Cuffe, jogging past his house.  It had been a while since he'd seen Cuffe and rumour had it that the guy was losing his marbles over some incident.  Well, Action had a hunch what caused it:  A deep, dark secret that Cuffe refused to share with anyone.  Maybe the good fortune of having the guy jogging past him right at this moment was too good opportunity for Action to miss out on.  

"Alan, have you got a few minutes to spare?" 

"Sure, Action...what's up?  Is this about work or a friendly chat?"

"Mostly just friendly.  How have you been?  Anyone tried bothering since we last spoke?"

"You said this was a friendly chat but it sounds more like work"

"The two often collide...so?  Life settled down to whatever it is you call normal, Alan?"

"Have I seen that strange woman since the fire?  No, Action, I have not.  Nor have I seen the man who I thought was following me...it must have been my imagination:  I've been working too hard."

Action noticed that Cuffe's fist was clenched and that he looked nervous.  His eyes darting left and right to see if anyone untoward was about.

"Well, we never did catch those people who tried to get you...or your assistant.  You know where you can find me if there's anything bothering you.  We can even keep it off the record." said Action, knowing that Cuffe was hiding something but that he wouldn't confess straight up here and now.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm doing fine.  Gotta keep moving, you know?" said Cuffe before he continued his run.

"Yeah, I know..." muttered Action.

Later, at 13th Precinct Headquarters Action saw that Officer Marina Beckett was helming the front desk.  Now Marina had some 'history' with Cuffe and Action's curiosity was aroused by his encounter with the man this morning.

"Marina...I bumped into a friend of yours this morning" he said to her.

"Oh yeah, who?" she replied.

"Alan Cuffe."

Marina hesitated a moment before replying.  "Oh yes, did he have anything interesting to say?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing at all, but I know something's bothering him.  You know him a lot better than I do; do you know what's eating away at him?"

Again, Marina hesitated before answering.  "He's not been the same since the fire.  He's acting...erratic."

"You've not said much since the fire either.  Do you know if those responsible have confronted either you or him since then?"

"Wait!  No!  You don't think I've held anything back since that day!  My loyalty is beyond question!" she said, indignantly.

"I never said it wasn't.  Listen, Marina, anything that Cuffe confides with you that pertains to the case...you let me know, OK?"

"Isn't the FBI handling it from now on?" she asked.

"You don't think the people who've been trying to kill Cuffe and do all those other things have left Sim City, do you?"

At that moment a young woman entered the station and made her way to the front desk.

"Well, Action, you've got a lot of work on today...you can either deal with this young lady's problem or deal with a breaking and entry at the Goth Mansion." said Marina.

Action looked the young woman up and down and liked what he saw...but he knew where the big case was.

"I'm sure this young lady's problem can be dealt with by Detective Michaels and his team.  I'll take the Goth Mansion case."

Marina handed him a folder with some case files in it and Action went to the squad room to take a look at them and familiarise himself with the case.

The Goth Mansion was one of the oldest residences in Sim City, it's construction dating back to the 1870s.  Mortimore Goth was a well-known author and his wife, Bella, a onetime model, bit part actress and now full-time housewife and socialite.  They have two children and no priors...except for a few years ago when Bella Goth had gone missing for a time but had suddenly shown up alive and well some time later.  Police didn't treat that as a crime at the time..."strange", thought Action.

He made his way to the Goth Mansion, keeping a look out for the officer who was first on the scene:  Patrolman Jesse Navarro:  A young, keen but somewhat reckless cop.  Action would take charge of the crime scene once he was there.

The house was in an old and wealthy part of Willow Creek.  Even among the "Gay Nineties" architecture of the surrounding neighbourhood, the Goth Mansion stood out as it was darker, more gothic and sinister looking...and that was just the outside.  Inside the decor matched the exterior...apparently the Goths weren't big on lighting.  Action walked up the stairs to find Officer Navarro, half expecting Vincent Price to emerge from the shadows.

Upstairs he found Officer Navarro pondering over an antique chess set.

"There's no time to be playing games, Officer" said Action.

"Oh, Detective Action!  No...erm...I wasn't...I was waiting for a forensic team to dust this chess set."

"Why?  There's nothing missing there" replied Action.

"Well, I thought that Chess obsessed thief you arrested might have been responsible for the burglary.  I hear she's out on probation." 

"She is, but she didn't do this..." Action knew that the woman was a reformed criminal and one of his informants.  "So, what is actually missing?" Action added.

Navarro pulled out his notebook and started to read what he had written down earlier.  "Let's see...a crystal decanter and goblet set, a bronze bust of an Ancient Greek lady...said to be an original from about 300 B.C....some silverware and various books and papers."

"Books and papers?  Why steal those?  Are they especially rare editions?" asked Action.

"From my notes, not especially."

"OK, can you show me where the books and papers were stolen from?" asked Action.

"Yes...but aren't you more interested in the ancient sculpture or silverware?" asked Navarro.

"Not now..." said Action, curtly.

Navarro showed Action the bookcase that had volumes stolen from it.  "Has it been dusted for prints?"

"Erm, yes sir...the only prints they could find match the family's and Miss Joiner's"

"Who's Miss Joiner?" asked Action.

"Mr Goth's research assistant.  She's downstairs being questioned as a witness."

"Send her up here, Navarro"

Miss Janice Joiner was a nervous and distraught young woman in her early 20s.  She was in the house when it was broken into and was now traumatised by what happened to her.

"I was downstairs, at Mr Goth's desk arranging papers for him, when these two people...wearing masks...burst into the room.  They grabbed me and shoved me in the cellar, locking the door.  I must have been in there for half an hour when a neighbour came to investigate what was going on and heard me banging on the door."

"Can you tell me what books are missing from this bookshelf?" asked Action.

"Oh that's Mr Goth's reference library.  It's where he keeps books he uses for research for his novels.  Oh..." she said, but suddenly she stopped in mid sentence.

"What's wrong?" asked Action.

"Well, as you can see these books are about the paranormal.  The top shelf is the ghost section, then mythical beasts, legends and lore and so on but one section is completely missing." Miss Joiner replied.

"Which one?" 

"UFOs and aliens" she said.

"Are those books particularly rare or valuable?" 

"Not particularly.  But Mr Goth likes writing notes in the margins of his reference books so they're unique.  And there's a couple of books I'm not allowed to touch or read.  Those are strictly private and for his eyes only.  They're missing as well."

Action nodded his head.  "Thank you, Miss Joiner, you've been very helpful."  The distraught young lady left the room.

Checking the room one more time Action noticed a scrap of paper on the floor, probably torn from one of the pages of the books that was stolen.  He put on a disposable glove and picked the scrap up gently with his thumb and forefinger.  Examining it, the scrap had two handwritten words on it:  WHY BELLA?

"Why indeed?" muttered Action.

He made his way downstairs where he was greeted by Sergeant Kitchen, who had taken over command of the investigation team.

"We've got a full inventory of what's been stolen...those busts should give the insurance company a nightmare." he said.

"That's a ruse...so was the stolen silverware" Action replied.  "The real target for the thieves were his papers and reference books.  We're not dealing with common criminals out to make a quick buck.  Whoever did this wants information that only Goth has."

"A bunch of books about little green men?  Come on, Action, why would anyone want those?" said Sergeant Kitchen.

"Because of what Goth wrote in them.  He scribbles notes in the margins.  I bet he's the kind of guy who slips notepaper with his ideas into books as well.  Where is Goth, anyway?"

"In Europe on a speaking tour.  He won't be back for another week."

"Dang!  Any other witnesses?" Action asked.

"Oh yes...and you'll just LOVE her" said Kitchen, sarcastically.

Action went to see this other witness...another young lady in her early 20s but blonde, bubbly and wearing large glasses.

"Hi, I'm Honey...Honey Pleasance" she beamed.

"But of course you are" replied Action.  "Can you tell me what you saw?"

"Well, I live nearby and I love to take walks along the beautiful tree lined boulevards, especially on a day like today with all the flowers and blossoms from the trees..."

"Just cut to the bit where you saw something suspicious"

"Oh, OK...well, normally I quicken my pace when I walk past the old Goth mansion on account of all the strange stories that you hear about the place but today I notice two people run out of the building and down the street clutching large, army style rucksacks."

"Did you get a look at their faces?"

"No, they were wearing masks.  But they left the front door open so I summoned up enough courage to step inside the house because, as I said, you hear stories about the Goths and their home and those creep me out.  Anway, isn't it an amazing place?  I mean, still creepy but so much interesting stuff as well....oh, sorry, I'm just shooting my mouth off here, I really should focus you know?  My tutor at college is always saying I should be more succinct in my speech....oops, I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Just a bit" said Action.

"To cut a long story short, I heard a banging noise from behind a door and I opened it and there was that woman trapped in a cellar.  Then I phoned the police.  Maybe I should have given chase to the thieves instead!"

"No, you did the right thing.  The thieves may have been armed." said Action.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that!" replied Honey.

"You mentioned that you've heard stories about the Goths...any ones in particular?" asked Action.

"Well, they do talk about that time Mrs Goth went missing." she replied.

"Was it a kidnapping or did she just walk out and return sometime later?"

"Oh none of those things..." Honey looked nervously around the room and leaned in closer to Action.  "They say supernatural forces were at work.  She was here, then gone and with no trace, then she returns with her memory all gone from that period of time."

That struck a chord with Action:  A complete memory wipe of an event....just what had happened to him.

"Thank you, Miss Pleasance" he said.

"Call me Honey" she said, smiling broadly again.

"I sure will" he replied.  "You've been most helpful."

After she had left Officer Navarro had a quiet word with Action.  "That one is clearly tripping on something.  I should pull her over to see if she's carrying any narcotics"

"Leave it" said Action, putting a hand on Navarro's arm to restrain his eagerness.  "We've got a lot to do with this case.  Is there another witness?"

"Just one more" said Navarro.  "A Mrs Giordano"

"Si, I saw them run away from the building" said Mrs Giordano in a thick Italian accent.  "And I tell you; one of them was a woman"

"A woman?" said Action.

"Si!  Yes!  I said a woman.  I could tell....her shape, the way she run.  A woman"

"You seem very certain.  Well that's very helpful." said Action, writing down her statement and closing his notebook.  With forensics moving in to do more analysis it was time for him to head back to the precinct house.

He typed up his initial findings in a report including his assessment that the papers were the real objective of the thieves and that the theft of a few objects d'art and antiques was merely a cover.  He wasn't sure that would go down well with the Chief though as it wouldn't be a simple open and shut case...

He went to the station archives to find information about Bella Goth's disappearance.  There were crime scene photos of her abandoned car, found in the outskirts of Oasis Springs, and the surrounding area but it was still a cold case...made freezing by Mortimore Goth's insistence that no charges would be pressed and that, in his view, no crime had been committed because Bella had returned alive and well, no ransom was ever demanded and nothing had been stolen; therefore, no crime had taken place.

But there was a mystery nonetheless and one that related to a crime that had just taken place.  Mortimore Goth had done his best to conceal it but someone knew the truth of what happened to her and had obtained the evidence for themselves.  Goth was out of the country right now but not Mrs Goth.  Action determined to go and question her in person.

He travelled back to Ophelia Villa to see her.  The forensic team had just departed and he saw Bella Goth standing outside the house with a small boy of about 8 years of age.  Action deduced that he was her son.

Everything he'd heard about Bella Goth was true:  She was alluring to the point of hypnotic, her very presence had a magnetic and sexual allure; this was accentuated by her dress which clung to every smooth curve of her body, her long arms and smooth finely sculptured shoulders exposed, the shortness of the hem revealing a perfect set of legs, accentuated by expensive dark hosiery.  Her eyes and lips enticed as she looked directly into Action own eyes...it was an effort just to concentrate on asking her questions.  She had to have been in her late 30s at least and yet she looked 10 years younger.

"Mrs Goth, I'm Detective John Action of the Sim City PD.  I'd like to ask you a few questions." he asked, composing himself.

"Certainly but I did tell your colleagues everything I know about what was stolen.  I'm afraid I don't know who could have committed such a crime or who had the motive or means.  As for the items, we are insured." she replied, her voice a soft purr.

"Even your husband's files and notes that he wrote in all those books he had about UFOs?" 

Bella paused before answering.  "Alexander, dear, run along inside.  I will join you soon." she eventually said.

"Yes Mother" replied the boy, looking sullen.  He trudged off inside, pausing once to turn towards his mother for some reassurance, which she gave by nodding and smiling at him.

"So, Mrs Goth, about those books of your husbands..." said Action.

"I know of them but I've never read any.  That is my husband's affair" she replied.

"So you don't know what he wrote in them or why he's interested in the subject?" asked Action.  "Somehow, Mrs Goth, I don't quite believe you."

"Dectective Action, I resent that insinuation!" she said proudly and indignantly.

"Let me tell you my own story, Mrs Goth, a true one.  A few weeks ago I was on a case and I found a lead, a really juicy one, and something happened.  I went to meet someone to get information and I went missing for a few hours.  Then I emerged, unscathed but with my memory of that meeting and the case I was working on completely gone:  Sound familiar?"

Bella Goth said nothing.

"I have a good buddy of mine whose mind's been messed with as well.  He went for a job interview but can't remember anything about what happened.  A few days later and he's working at that company but now he's developed a hatred for people he once liked.  Turned out he was subjected to brainwashing but he can't remember how it was done...again I ask you, Mrs Goth, is this ringing any bells?"

"Detective, I honestly cannot remember a single thing that happened to me during that time I went missing.  That is the truth." she said, nervously.

"But your husband has an idea, which he wrote down in those books and which someone has stolen.  So that means a few people know what happened...has he said anything to you about it, over the years?"

"My husband is extremely protective of me.  He refuses to talk to anyone about my disappearance and that includes me."

"And you're not curious?"

"Of course I am curious, Detective!  Six weeks of my life...SIX WEEKS...was stolen.  When I got back I was prone to blackouts and falling into semi-consciousness for months afterwards.  Mortimore cared for me but he also wanted to know what happened.  So he went searching and...well...wrote in those books and kept a journal of the whole affair...what he knew of it.  But he refused to share that with me, no matter how much I pleaded.  Eventually caring for Cassandra and Alexander and my charity work occupied all my attention and when I recovered, I stopped asking Mortimore for information."

Action nodded and took a step closer to Bella.  He could smell her exotic perfume and she seemed more alluring than ever to him.  "When your husband gets back from his trip, I want to see him and he will see me!  You tell him that."

FOUNDRY COVE, WILLOW CREEK

Geoffrey Landgraab huffed and puffed his way along the empty streets of Willow Creek.  No matter how much he ran, he could never shift that bit of extra weight around his stomach.  But, like his wife, he pushed himself onwards and onwards to try to keep fit.

"Geoffrey Landgraab" came a voice behind him.  Geoffrey stopped and looked around.  He saw a young man with red hair and casual attire walking towards him.

"Geoffrey Landgraab...we need to talk" said the man.  Geoffrey instinctively knew who this person was despite never actually having spoken with him before.

"Ah...yes..." Geoffrey said nervously.  "I usually deal with a young woman from your...organisation."

"She has been altered and reassigned.  You will now deal with me: I am Luke Kendall.  I am concerned information about our activities becoming known by others.  Leanne McGregor had to be altered.  What are you doing about the leaks, Geoffrey Landgraab?"

"I have conditioned one of my employees...a man who lives just over there...to be a willing puppet to our cause.  He will provide no obstacles.  And I believe you dealt with Detective Action."

"Affirmative"

"Nancy has arranged for Goth's evidence against us to go missing...as a matter of fact she's already accomplished that.  That only leaves Suzy Kent.  Shall I deal with her or will I leave her up to you?" said Geoffrey, sinisterly.