CHAPTER 246: Missing Persons

John Action had just returned from a lunch date with his girlfriend, Katherine.  They had wined and dined at the Kitten Club; now that he had been given membership by the owner, Alan Cuffe.  It was a great time and Action wanted their date to continue but Katherine had a family engagement to attend and so they parted with a kiss and a hug, promising to resume their romance as soon as both had a day off.

But when Action had arrived home he found his neighbour and friend, Jeremy Saint, waiting at his front door and looking agitated. 

"Yo, Jeremy...what are you doing hanging around out here?  Locked yourself out again?  Babs thrown you out?  What gives my man?" 

"I have something weighing on my mind...it could be nothing, it could be something big.  I need to get your expert opinion." said Jeremy, rubbing the back of his neck in worry.

"On chicks, yeah, on drinks, I'm your man...but police business?  That should be done down at the station house." Action replied.

"It might be of interest to the police...let me explain..." began Jeremy.  "I have a friend...well, more like a work colleague...actually it's former work colleague.  I knew him before I was fired from Landgraab..."

"Get to the point" interjected Action.

"OK, this colleague...former colleague.  I was working with him to get the dirt on the company; he hates them as much as I do.  Anyway we fell out when I went to the police early and he wanted to wait until we had gathered more evidence."

"From what I could tell, Jeremy, Landgraab security were closing the noose around you...if you hadn't had gone to the cops when you did you could have ended up in more trouble than just getting fired."

"That's what I told him...anyway, we eventually patched things up and were working together again to get more compromising evidence against them."

"And have you?" asked Action.

"Darrin...that's his name...said he had got something and was going to get it to me so I could pass it on to you and Suzy.  That was supposed to be yesterday but he never showed up to the rendezvous point we'd agreed on.  I phoned him, no answer.  I visited his home, still no answer.  He's usually so precise and a man of his word that it's not like him to fail to show up for a meeting and then not tell me."

"Hmmm" said Action.  "When was the last time you had any contact with him?" he asked.

"Four days ago.  Is it too soon to launch a missing person's case?" asked Jeremy.

"Does he have a wife?  Any family in the city?" said Action, not answering Jeremy's question right away.

"No.  I know hardly anything about his background other than he had deep, personal reasons to hate the Landgraab family."

"So did he find any extra information and pass it on to you?" asked Action.

"He called me to say he had something and wanted to meet.  Oh, and he sent me a birthday card yesterday...but my birthday's in February!" 

"Hmmm, now that is interesting." said Action, stroking his chin.

"I thought he'd made a mistake..." said Jeremy.

"You said he was precise and methodical...so he'd have your birthday written down in a diary and would consult it if he were wishing you a happy birthday." Action replied.

"So you think he was trying to send me a message?" asked Jeremy.

"Yeah, he's one smart cat.  OK, now you've got my interest...let me look into the matter and, oh, do you still have the card?"

"Yes...do you want it?" 

"Not now.  Keep it in a safe place and DON'T throw it away!  I'll be needing it later..."

The next day at work Action thought about this missing person's case.  He consulted his colleague, Cole Michaels.

"Yo, Michaels...I'm looking into a missing persons case:  The guy's name is Darrin Lew, he's from Windenburg and he was last heard from two days ago.  Any of your 'Mod Squad' hear of anything.?"

"How old is this Mr Lew?" Cole replied.

"36.  I've got a description of him as well.  5'11", medium brown hair, average build and with a goatee beard."

"My squad covers the teen beat but I'll put the word out to see if any of our street contacts have heard of anything.  Is this Mr Lew connected to the underworld or in some important position?"

"He's an insider at Landgraab and was one of the people who got us information about Geoffrey's criminal activities so, yeah, he's important."

"You know who becomes the leading suspect if something bad has happened to him...?"

"Yeah, don't I know it!  I'm gonna be locking horns with that family again...OK, later, Michaels"

Action then proceeded to records to look up the case files he had on the Landgraabs.  Maybe there was something that could link Lew's disappearance with either Geoffrey's murder or young Malcolm's drug dealing empire.  It was there where he found his most trusted work colleague:  Bibi Stahler.

"Bibi, just the person I wanted to see" he said the moment she walked into the room.

"And what is it this time, Action?  Is what you're working on an official case or one of your side projects?" she replied.

"Maybe something that can link the the two.  It's a missing person case right now but it has links to the Landgraab Corporation."

"You are still going after them even though the Geoffrey Landgraab case has been turned over to the FBI?"

"New information, Bibi...and I've been entrusted with it.  A man named Darrin Lew was one of our informants...working alongside Jeremy Saint.  Now Lew's gone missing."

"Alright, let's assume for this moment his disappearance is linked to the Landgraabs?  Have you checked his home?  Known hang outs?"

"I'm off to check those right now...In the meantime can you run a full background check on Lew?  Any criminal record?  Where he's from originally?  Known associates, family, the works.  Can I leave all that with you?"

"Leave it with me, now...schnell!  You'd better get moving on your end." said Bibi, coolly.

WINDENBURG:  1420hrs

Action arrived at the address he was given and from the outside it looked neat and well looked after...and quiet.  After looking around the outside and seeing nothing noteworthy he tried knocking at the door to see if anyone was in and he wasn't surprised when there was no answer.

Taking a look around to see no-one was watching he pulled a set of skeleton keys from his pocket and used them to get in the house.  He would bother with a search warrant later, for now it was all about having a look around.

Once inside the first thing that struck Action was how sterile the place was.  Sure, there was furniture and all the basic comforts but no personal touches, no artwork, photos or mementos of any kind.  There was also no dust, not even under the sofa or chairs.  The whole place was impeccably clean.

Looking through the bookcase didn't reveal anything either.  Two dictionaries, a cookbook, a guide to Sim City...it was all so generic.  There wasn't a single novel or anything to indicate what Darrin Lew's taste in books were.

And it was the same upstairs:  Clean, spotless and ordered.  The bed was made with the precision you would find in a hospital.  The drawers and closet contained clothes, all perfectly folded and stored but, again, no personal effects.  Action thought about this...was this really Darrin Lew's home or merely some kind of front?  The other possibility is that someone had been here and removed all his personal belongings, anything that would reveal what kind of man he was.

Eventually Action gave up searching around.  A look for some kind of secret compartment revealed nothing and so he left, pausing to search the empty letterbox out the front.  If Lew did have compromising material on the Landgraabs it wasn't in this house.  He considered the possibility that Nancy, or whoever was running her security, had the place searched, cleaned and stripped of that material.  As for Lew...Action didn't hold out much hope of finding him alive.  He had no proof of that, just his gut instinct.

As he went back onto the streets of Windenburg he pondered what his next move would be and then he noticed there was a bar just across the way from Lew's house.  Could that be a place where he was recognised and known?  Well, only one way to find out.

It was a nice, cosy establishment...well kept but nothing outstanding about it.  Action had arrived just before the place started to fill up so he found getting to the bar and getting served no problem.  He also found striking up a conversation with the attractive barmaid no problem either.

"Say, sister, I'll have a bourbon on the rocks" he said to her.

"You got it...we don't get many cops in this joint.  You here on official business or is this a social call?" she replied as she poured him his drink.  There was definite sass to her voice and Action liked that in a woman.

"A little of both.  Nothing heavy...Miss?"

"Call me Emily" she replied.

"Call me Action" 

"Yo shittin' me?"

"No, my name really is Action.  John Action."

"You look it.  So what's the official part of your business or do we skip straight to the social?"

"I'm looking for a man..."

"And there I was getting my hopes up"

"Steady, sister, that's not what I'm talking about.  The cat I'm looking for is called Darrin Lew.  White guy, mid 30s, brown hair and a light beard.  Lives nearby."

"Darrin?  Yeah, I know him.  He visits here regularly.  What's up?" she said in surprise.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"He was in here three nights ago.  Had a couple of drinks, chatted a bit but then said he had an early start the next day so went home about 9"

"Was he with anyone?"

"No, that evening he was alone.  He usually comes in here not with anyone but just to have a few drinks and talk to some of the regulars.  Poor guy, he's still reeling from losing his wife and child a few years back.  Likes to come here to forget all the pain."

"Do you know what happened to his family?" asked Action, now very intrigued by this new information.

"I don't know the details...it happened back in '62 I think.  Some kind of accident, chemical spill, like I said I don't know the details and I didn't want to be curious and bring up bad memories for him by asking too much.  Say, is he in trouble?"

Action took a sip of the bourbon before answering.  "We're just looking for him, that's all." was his eventual reply.

The bar was starting to fill up with more customers and one of them looked in Action's direction and tried to get his attention.  Emily the barmaid noticed her.

"One of your girlfriends has just breezed in" she said, nodding towards the door.  "Tall, willowy redhead in a yellow dress"

Action looked around and saw Bibi right where Emily was indicating.  "A work colleague, Emily.  Thanks for the drink...here's a tip" and he passed her a $10 bill before getting up and going to greet Bibi.

"Ah, Action..." she began.  "I had a guess that you would be in a nearby bar...investigating, of course.  You were investigating this case of the missing man, ja?"

"You doubt that?  Yeah, got some good information as well.  His house; it's immaculate, I mean it's spotless, clinical...as a German you would love it." Action replied.

"I think that's a compliment.  Anyway I did some looking into the files of the missing gentleman and I discovered his name in one file:  Back in 1962 there was an accident..."

"And his wife and child were killed.  Yeah, so I heard.  Any specifics in the file as to how they died?"

"Yes.  At that time he was a land surveyor for the State.  In June 1962 he was doing a survey of the national park and invited his family to join him as a kind of small vacation...I think that's the proper term.  In German it is mini urlaub.  There was a chemical spill and a lot of people were hospitalised...including the Lew family.  Darrin Lew pulled through after a few days, his wife and daughter were not so fortunate."

"I was in the Marines back then and out of country so I missed that story.  Did they find who was responsible for the spill?" asked Action.

"Yes.  It was a tanker truck that crashed into the lake.  The brakes were faulty.  It was a Landgraab Corporation vehicle filled with highly toxic chemicals."

"Landgraab!" muttered Action, disparagingly.  "No wonder he wanted to bring the corporation down!  So was no-one held accountable for the deaths?"

"Landgraab were not charged, the matter never went to court."

Action pounded his right fist into the palm of his left hand in frustration.  "Damn you, Landgraab!  I tell you this, Bibi.  If anyone is capable of making a man vanish, it's that family!  You've done great work and...wait a minute!" he said in a moment of revelation.

"Vas is das?" asked Bibi, looking puzzled.

"Lew's a family man yet there were no family photos in his house.  No mementos, no pictures, no love letters from his wife, no keepsakes of their daughter growing up.  You know, the kindergarten picture on a fridge or the first school report, that kind of thing.  Landgraab had their agents clean the place out!  Those heartless bastards!  I'm going to hunt them down and make them pay!"

CHAPTER 227: In The Bloodstream

Stay off the case, Action...we've got top men...TOP MEN...taking care of the Landgraab murder.  Just stick to your assignment...

Action was pounding the streets of Willow Creek hard this morning as he jogged around the neighbourhood.  It was often a good way to sharpen his thinking when he had a lot on his mind.

My assignment...a stolen diary and a drug overdose gone wrong.  I should be focussing on them but I keep thinking about the anomalies in the Landgraab death; someone tampered with the thermostat and locked the door from the outside.  It was no accident but Detective Schuster's going to write it up as one because he's lazy.

I've always said...'my job, my way'.  Dammit; I have a hunch all three cases are connected and I'm going to prove it!

 

At 13th Precinct HQ Action wasted no time in heading to the forensic lab to get some answers.

"Bibi..." he said to his favourite crime scene officer.  "...did that toxicology report I requested come in yet?"

"Which one?" Bibi replied in her clipped German accent.  "Your official case that you are meant to be working on; the Thomas Green case, or the one you insist on working on even though you have been told not to?"

"Why not both?" Action replied.

Bibi picked up two files from her desk and opened up the first one.  "Mr Thomas H. Green:  There was nothing in his bloodstream out of the ordinary...but we haven't been able to ascertain what caused his massive organ failure.  But there is something of interest."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"Something that was found on his person.  In one of his jacket pockets there was a handkerchief and wrapped up in it were two small pills"

"Drugs?  Illegal ones?" asked Action, his interest in the Green case suddenly piqued.

"They tested as amphetamines but one that is entirely new to us:  It is not on our database of narcotics.  But now things get interesting..."

"How so?"

"Traces of that amphetamine were found in Geoffrey Landgraab's bloodstream"

Action said nothing at first but instead looked straight at Bibi as he realised the implications of that bit of information.

"A narcotic that is entirely new, Green, a known drug dealing associate of Malcolm Landgrab has possession of it and Malcolm's father had ingested it.  I've got a lot of questions about this bit of news but my one to you, Bibi, is could the amphetamine caused Geoffrey's heart attack?"

"We don't know enough about this specific drug but in theory a pill that boosts your heart rate in the body of a middle aged man who gets stuck in a sauna..."

"...LOCKED in a sauna with the thermostat turned up to maximum.  Yes...it all adds up!  Bibi, once again you are a superstar" and with that Action gave her a kiss on the cheek as he strode out of the lab and towards the squad room.

"OK, listen up you turkey necks!  We've got a new lead in both the T.H. Green and Landgraab deaths..." he said, his loud baritone voice bellowing in the squadroom.

"But Action, I thought we were only supposed to be working on the Green case" said a young patrolman, Jesse Navarro.

"Turns out this lead is for both cases.  A new type of drug, an amphetamine, was discovered on both bodies.  Here's a tox report I want you all to read.  When you go out on patrol I want you to shake down every dealer, every dope head and fixer you know.  Find me the manufacturer of this drug!"

Action was prepared to lead by example and hit the streets himself, questioning his network of informants and those who he knew had an ear to the ground on the streets.

Of course once a policeman starts flashing his badge around in public they're going to encounter a moral busybody who demands the police do something about layabout delinquents/terrible litter/illegal parking/buskers...

One of his favourite places to hang out and get information from was The Blue Velvet bar on the Willow Creek high street.  Everyone knew Action there and when he entered he was satisfied to see a couple of regulars there who knew what was going down.

                                                

As soon as Action had entered the bar he was recognised by one acquaintance.  She wasn't enthusiastic to see him either.

"Action...you here?" she said with a resigned sigh.

"I sure am, Aime.  How are you keeping?" he replied.

"Clean."

"Good to hear...but maybe you can help me out on a little matter?" he asked.  Aime's eyes rolled; she knew what was coming.

"I just knew you were working.  OK, what is it this time?" she said, with a weary sigh.

"I'll make this worth your time.  The lowdown is this:  A new drug, an amphetamine, has hit the streets and we have two dead bodies on our hands, both related to this new thing.  Have you heard anything about it?"

"You know, Action, I have.  This kid...she's over there by the piano...came in here earlier and offered to sell me a couple of pills:  She said is was a new way of getting high, keep me going all night.  I told her I don't do that kind of stuff so she's been trying it on with some of the other customers but they're not exactly the kind who wants to trip out."

Action looked over towards the piano and saw a mixed race waif of a girl who was wearing a bright orange-red wig.  "Not exactly the inconspicuous type..." he muttered to Aime.  "...and she's no more than 15, I'll wager.  Thanks for the tip off, Aime" he said, passing a $20 bill to her.

Action sauntered over to her and flashed his badge.  "I need to see some I.D." he said to the girl, matter of factly.

"I ain't got none; they're in my other pants" she replied, defiantly.

"That's a shame...then you're going to have to come downtown with me and answer some questions"

"And what if I refuse?" she said, jutting her jaw out in stubborness.

"Kiddo, I'm John Action.  Ask around; I've never lost a fight.  You can come along peacefully or in cuffs; your choice.

The teenager, who went by the name of Aya Chatman, kicked up a stink when they arrived at the precinct house.  

"I know my rights!  I have to be in class in an hour!" she wailed.

"In class?  I thought you had I.D. proving you were an adult" Action replied.

"Erm...I'm a college student" she stammered.

"Oh yeah, whereabouts?"

"Britechester Academy..." 

"It's Britechester University.  So what are you studying there?"

"Erm...uhm...theorem?" she said, unconvincingly.

"Whatever, Einstein, just get in here and answer some questions." he said, shoving her into the interrogation room.

"Am I under arrest?" she asked as she sat down.

"No, not yet...although you illegally purchased liquor in a licenced establishment so I can charge you with that.  And those pills you were carrying on you can get you jail time as well...not least you were trying to sell them in that club, which witnesses will attest to.  So I can go through all that and charge you, then we bring in the lawyers and your legal guardians, you'll go to court, probably get probation if this is your first offence and you'll have a nice shiny criminal record.  Or..." 

"Or what?"

"Or you can help me catch some bigger crooks." he said, laying out his case file before her.

Aya said nothing.  Action continued by showing her a photo.  "Do you know this guy?"  he asked.  Aya took the photo and looked at it.

"Yeah, I know him:  Tom Green.  He died recently but I had nothing to do with that!"

"Do you know who did?" Action asked.

"I...I'm not sure.  One of his dealer pals, I reckon."

"Male or female?"

"Could have been both:  One to give the order and the other to carry it out.  That's the rumours, anyway.  I was told to keep my mouth shut."

"By who?"

"Man...I just told you!  I was told to keep my mouth shut otherwise..." Aya looked tense and anxious at that point and she shut her eyes and put her hands to the temples of her head.

"Who told you to keep your mouth shut?" said Action with more forcefulness in his voice.  "Who?"

Aya looked up at the ceiling and then all around the room before she spoke.  "OK, if I tell you I want police protection" she eventually said.

"That can be arranged"

"Malcolm Landgraab.  There.  He handles the business side, the distribution, but he doesn't get his hands dirty."

"I bet he doesn't...but go on, who does get their hands dirty?"

"This girl...Leanne's her name.  She doesn't look like much but there's something about her that's real scary."

Action's eyes lit up.  His suspicions confirmed by this girl and he wanted to spring into action.

"Aya, I'm going to get a police sketch artist to come and talk to you and I want a detailed description of this Leanne.  Don't leave a single detail out!"

"So it's that obsession with you, Action:  Leanne McGregor, that's responsible for the deaths?" said Chief Amos.  He had called Action in during his lunch break because he was worried his lead detective was going rogue again with his wild hunches.

"I know it is, Chief" Action replied before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"But this sketch you've just had made looks nothing like the original APB sketch of McGregor that we have on file.  Explain the difference, Action"

"Same person, different look.  Plastic surgery, a wig, different clothing and make up..."

"So she changed from a Latin looking woman with black hair and dark brown eyes to a pasty faced, green eyed red haired girl about 10 years younger than she was?  Come off it, Action!"

"I can't explain how she did it, but it's the same woman, Chief.  If our initial assumption is correct and she's ex-KGB then she's already a mistress of disguise.  Look, let me play this hunch out, Chief.  I know this case better than anyone!"

"Ah, but which case, Action, which case?"

Action had gone home to change into a suitable outfit for where he was going to go next.  He had a plan and a couple of helpers along the way; one willing, one not so willing.  His destination was The Kitten Club, where he had membership...but strictly for professional purposes.

Action didn't immediately go into the club but instead walked a little down the road as he was waiting for the two people he had arranged to meet.  One was a fellow cop; Jesse Navarro and the other was his latest acquaintance, Aya Chatman.  Navarro was there to escort the troublesome waif and keep her out of trouble as a condition of her release.  She was there to provide some information.

"OK, Aya, talk me through how you would conduct your business dealings" asked Action when they got to Newcrest; the centre of this drug dealing ring.

"I'd get here at the Bowl-o-Rama about a half hour before the deal was to go down.  There's a dead drop point inside where a message would be left telling me my instructions for the evening." she replied.

"Where's this dead drop located?"

"There's a rack with a brown, chipped bowling ball on it:  No-one would want to use that one so it just sits there.  Down one of the finger holes a note would be placed, curled around on the inside.  I go there and it looks like I'm trying out a ball but when I withdraw my fingers from the hole, the message is now wrapped around my finger."

Action nodded, "Very clever".

"Then I carry out the instructions...either keep a look out for cops, help the client find what he 'needs' or taking the cash to a prearranged place after the deal is done." she carried on.

"But you don't actually conduct the deal yourself?"

"No.  Malcolm handled that and Leanne is his enforcer.  Anyone steps out of line and...." at this point Aya shuddered.

"What is it?  What does she do?" asked Action, now all excited.

"I've seen her....it's hard to explain but....she rarely touches anyone but when she does the first thing anyone says is how cold her hands are but she has a power...I don't know how she does it but she has a way of looking at people that can turn even the biggest, burliest and meanest guy into a quivering jello."

"And where does the meeting happen?" 

"Malcolm sets up the deal and concludes business at the Kitten Club down the road."

"OK, that makes sense; it's a plush and desirable location and I'm sure no one in the staff questions that he's under 21.  OK, that's where I'm going next."

"What about me?" asked Aya.

"You ain't going in there, sister.  I'll have my man, Officer Navarro, take you home.  You're done now."

Action went inside the club and found Navarro sitting by the bar, in full uniform.  Action let out a low grumble and strode over to him.

"Navarro, what the hell are you doing here?  You're on duty!  And what's with the uniform?  You're gonna scare all my informants away!" he glowered.

"Sorry, Action, I didn't think..."

"No you didn't!" said Action, cutting off the now sheepish looking young policeman.  

"Chatman's waiting outside.  Escort her home and check her place over; someone might be watching her.  Make sure the premises are safe."

"On it, sir" Navarro said, quickly getting off the barstool and heading outside.

"What are the Academy churning out these days?" muttered Action to himself.  He took a look around the joint, looking for someone he knew he could put the word out to.  There was no one downstairs so he headed up to the upper bar and gallery and spotted just the right person...

"Hello Deano" he said to a very old acquaintance of his:  Dean Lunn.

"Action, long time no see.  Digging that jacket; cool threads man, cool threads."  said Dean, laconically.

"Thanks ol' buddy.  I trust you're keeping your nose clean." said Action, knowing all about Dean's chequered past with the law.

"As always, Action.  I keep a toehold in the underworld but I don't cross the line into it." replied Dean.  "Now I take it this ain't no social call."

"Am I that obvious?  Yeah, I'm still working on the job."

"Then sit down, Action, I'll call a waitress and get us some drinks:  You do drink whilst on duty, do you?"

"On this occasion I do."

"OK...oh, waitress..." said Dean, clicking his fingers at a Kitten Club waitress who was bedecked in the iconic costume of a black strapless corset bodysuit, black pantyhose, high heels, a collar, white gloves and a cats ears tiara.

"Two bourbons, Miss" said Dean and the waitress nodded and went to the bar to get them.  "What a time to be alive..." mused Dean as he watched the young, shapely woman slink away.

"To business..." said Action, snapping Dean out of his mini-trance.

"OK, what do you want this time, Action?"

Action looked around the lounge to see who was nearby before leaning in closer to talk to Dean.  "There's a new kind of drug that's hitting the streets:  A completely new and largely unknown amphetamine.  Have you heard of it?"

"There's been rumours..." said Dean, in a non-committal tone.  "Ah, here are our drinks.  Thank you, Miss."  Dean and Action waited until she was out of earshot before they continued their conversation.  "You know I don't deal hard drugs, Action."

"I know, but you know who does.  I'm looking for someone in particular; a woman"

"Action, I thought you were steady with that rich white chick"

"Not that way!  She's a suspect.  Goes by the name of Leanne McGregor.  The best image I have of her is this police sketch." Action said, passing a sheet of paper, folded, across the table to Dean.  The other man opened it slightly and took a look.

"Yeah, I've seen her around." he said, calmly.

"Where?"

"Here and there.  Usually in the company of either Malcolm Landgraab or another guy called Luke Kendall.  I can't tell you much about him, unfortunately."

"Luke Kendall...Luke Kendall..." Action mused over the name.  "It sounds familiar but I don't know where from."

"What do you want to know about them?" asked Dean.

"Where they live, where they hang out, who they hang out with, what kind of things are they getting up to that might interest me."

"That's a long list....what do you want me to do with my other hand?"

"I'll think of something.  Can you do this, Deano?  There's a reward for helping me out."

"That goes without saying.  I wouldn't do this for free." said Dean, downing the rest of his drink.  "Leave this with me.  Don't try to contact me, I'll contact you if I find anything."

Dean got up and walked out of the club.  Action nodded, appreciatively. 

CHAPTER 219: Sideshow

 "Ah, Action...sit down.  Have you heard the news?" asked Captain Amos when Action arrived for work that morning.

"About Geoffrey Landgraab?  Sure, who hasn't?  The news can talk about little else right now." Action replied.

"And how are you about it?  I know you have history with that family"

"I'm a professional, Chief.  I was lead on the Malcolm Landgraab drug bust but I think I did a pretty good job on that one."

"You did.  I need to know where your head is right now.  Geoffrey's death is a whole new level."

"I know, Chief.  So what's happening with the case load?  I take it there's the fraud case and now Landgraab's inquest."

"FBI and the IRS are handling the fraud, it's out of our hands now.  Yes, his death will be investigated but preliminary reports suggest Landgraab died of a heart attack."

"Do you want me on that one, Chief?"

Captain Amos leant back in his chair and didn't respond immediately.  After taking a breath he just said "No, I've got other cases for you, Action.  Schuster's lead on the Landgraab death."

"But sir, I just said I'm a professional...my feelings about the Landgraabs don't..."

Amos cut him off "I know.  You're not being assigned to Geoffrey's death not because I don't trust you; it's because you already have an ongoing murder investigation with the Tom Green case and some loose ends of the Goth burglary.  Schuster's next senior in the detective division."

Action returned to the squad room where he put the latest bits of evidence and clues on the crime map.  Witnesses on the day saw a woman, wearing a blouse and jeans, cute, red head...Action instinctively knew who the killer was:  Leanne McGregor.  She had gone to ground though and no one knew where she was.

He turned to the other detectives in the room.  "Hey, any of you got any leads on McGregor?"

"If we had you'd be in the loop, Action" said Cole Michaels.

"Yeah, she's public enemy #1 right now so it's not like any of us are slacking" added Schuster.

"You've got the street contacts, Action, aren't any of them coughing up info about her?" asked Michaels.

Action sighed.  "No..."

A uniformed officer came into the squad room.  "We've got an incident down at Britechester U.  It's kicking off and they need anyone not busy down there, now"

Action got up and holstered his .38 service revolver.  "I can't act on anything until we get some information about the whereabouts of McGregor.  OK, I'll bite...give me the details, officer."

Action wasted no time in getting to the campus.  Apparently there was some kind of disturbance, a clash between students.  "Hippies and radicals vs the John Birch society, no doubt" Action thought as he sped through the city to the university.

When he got there he found a fight in progress.

"Alright!  Break it up!" he said, brandishing his badge.  The two young men at the centre of the fight ignored him so Action grabbed one of them by the shoulders and physically flung him to one side before pushing the other combatant away before he could put the boot in.

"The name's Action...Sim City PD...and I haven't had my mid-morning coffee yet so don't make me even angrier.  Calm it right down, keep your distance and tell me what's going on."

He noticed a young, fair haired man standing on the sidelines and scowling.  "What are you looking at?  Are you involved in all this?"

The man shook his head and stepped back from Action.

Action pointed to a young man who was wearing red shirt and had a black, rockabilly hairstyle and sideburns.

"You, Elvis...what's your name?" asked Action, forcibly.

"Frederick Mouser" replied the man in a haughty tone.  Action wrote that down in his notebook.

"What's the beef you've got going with Beach Boy here?"

"It's Julian, officer" interjected the other combatant, who had long blonde hair.

"Ooh, Julian.  Julian what!"

"Julian Lydon...with a y"

"With a y...OK, Julian with a y, you wait here whilst Frederick explains why you two are creating a public disturbance."

"He's a dirty liar, a con artist and a thief!" said Mouser.

"Wow, that's a list of crimes..." Action replied.

"He's hyping it up, officer!" interjected Lydon.  "I never said I was taken, Freddie.  You chose to believe that...I just didn't deny it, that's all.  And unless we've re-introduced chattel slavery without me knowing you can't steal a person."

The penny dropped with Action.  "Ah, you're fighting over a girl!  Presumably you, Miss?"

"Anahi Loh" said the pretty Asian girl standing with the group.

"Are you going to book them, officer?" asked the fair haired bystander.

"You still here?  Buzz off, no onlookers"

The man sulked off, grumbling all the way.  Action looked at Miss Loh and there was a hint of recognition there.  Where had he seen her before?

"OK, Elvis and Beach Boy..." began Action.  "I'm letting you off with a caution; but in future keep your fists to yourself when squabbling over a woman."

"Is that all, officer?" asked Mouser.

"That's all" Action replied.  Mouser walked off but Lydon couldn't help himself.  

"That's right, Freddie!  You run!  You run away!" he called out.

"Knock it off, bucko!" said Action, tersely.  

Lydon left as well and that just left Miss Loh.  "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked.  It bugged him that he knew her from somewhere but couldn't place her.

"Thanks officer...those two are just college jerks.  I find each one amusing in their own way but they take these things way more seriously than I do."

"Both of them think they're alpha males.  You know, I never forget a face and I'm sure we've met before." 

"Yeah, I get that sense as well." she giggled.  "I've never fallen foul of the law before so you can't have hauled me in to police headquarters."

"Maybe it's social.  Where do you work?"

"At the Landgraab Corporation.  I'm a secretary there."

And that's when the penny dropped:  Action had met her before, but at the time he was in disguise as a maintenance worker.  Now this was awkward..."

"Ah, maybe it was at one of Mrs Landgraab's police fundraising events" he said, hoping that would suffice as a cover story.

"That must be it then"

Action saw an opportunity to get some information about the Miss Loh on the sly.  "Terrible news about your boss.  What's the mood amongst the staff?"

"It's hit us all hard, officer.  First the fraud allegations and now Mr Landgraab dead.  He took fitness very seriously, you know?  Often went for runs during office hours, worked out, a perennial at the health spa and he always ate sensibly.  He must have had a congenital heart problem."

"Must be.  Anyway, thanks for remaining calm whilst those loudmouths were sizing each other up.  Stay safe." he said, with a wink, before walking off.

On the drive back to Precinct 13 he thought about what Anahi Loh mentioned.  Must have been a congenital heart defect.  Only Geoffrey Landgraab had access to the best doctors in Sim City...in America.  Surely they would have warned him about overdoing the exercise?  He'd seen Geoffrey many times running around the city, working out at the gym and yes, you can overdo things but then again, you can manufacture the circumstances to overdo things as well...

Back at headquarters, he went straight to see the Chief.  

"Have we got the coroner's report on Landgraab's death yet?" he asked, pointedly.

"Action, I told you you're not on that case."

"Have we or have we not?"

"Yes, it's in.  Died of heart failure, probably brought on by spending too much time in the sauna."

"Pretty strange for someone who's health conscious, don't you think?" said Action.

Chief Amos drew a deep breath before answering "This case has nothing to do with you, Action.  Now get back to your existing case load!" he snapped.

Action went back to his desk feeling frustrated but he got through to the end of the shift.  He had an idea though:  Go to the Perfect Balance Spa, where Geoffrey died, and do a bit of investigation himself.  But he would require some assistance and he knew exactly who to enlist.

"Bibi, what are you doing for the next couple of hours?" she asked his forensics colleague with a broad, warm smile as if he was giving her an offer she couldn't refuse.

"But you're not on this case, Action" said Bibi.

"I know that but Schuster needs all the help he can get." Action replied.  "Besides, don't you feel a bit put out that you're not involved in such a high profile case either?"

"I work on whatever cases the Chief deems necessary.  I do not let emotion get in the way" she said, haughtily.

"Anyway, you're here.  Let's go and check out the sauna....in a professional capacity!" said Action.

They went upstairs to the sauna; any members of staff who were puzzled by the sight of Action and Bibi looking around in great detail were shown his police badge.  He had managed to bluff his way into access of whatever he wanted to see there, even though this wasn't his case.

"Well, Bibi, this was where Landgraab fell and died.  What did the crime scene report say?" 

"A Miss Judith Ward noticed the door to the sauna rattling and she went over to investigate closer.  She thought someone might have been inside so she summoned an attendant who tried to open the door but found it was locked...."

"From the outside?" interjected Action.

"Ja.  There is no way to lock or unlock this door from the inside of the sauna.  The attendant went to fetch the key and on his return unlocked it and Geoffrey Landgraab staggered out and collapsed right there."

"Where's the thermostat?" asked Action.

"Here, inside this control box..."

"Which is also on the outside of the sauna, not the inside."

"But you need another key to access the box.  You suspect foul play?" she asked.

"He was a man with a thousand or more secrets about to go to prison, it would be worth someone's time to silence him." Action replied.

"But whom?"

"Take your pick from at least a dozen suspects.  But whoever it was they had access to the keys to this sauna and the thermostat."

"But, Action, you're not working on this case, right?"

"But...you're not working on this case....RIGHT?"