CHAPTER 221: Temper, temper

When Julia went to treat her first patient of the day she was surprised to find that it was someone she knew quite well:  George Sneedley.

"Good morning, George" she said cheerily but a look at the man's face soon wiped the happy expression off of her face.  "Oh dear, those are some strange markings on your face...let's see if we can get to the bottom of what's caused that."

George smiled meekly back at her.  She had always found him to be a quiet, often reticent man who only really came to life when talking about odd, often esoteric topics of conversation such as uniforms and the superiority of stockings over tights.  

"So when did these skin markings start to appear?" she asked.

"Yesterday morning"

"I see...had you bathed beforehand?" 

"I bathed the previous evening" he replied with an almost apologetic tone to his voice.

"Not a morning person then?  And did you use your regular brand of soap or a different kind?"

"No.  My regular kind."

"Did you apply anything to your skin that you wouldn't normally use such as a moisturiser?"

"NO!" replied George, sharply.  "I do not use feminine products on my skin!"

Julia didn't instantly reply, shocked as she was by George's raised voice and sharp manner.

"The only reason I asked is that sometimes women get skin rashes when applying too much make up, which clogs the pores and causes a reaction in the skin.  I know they test things so this doesn't happen but it can still happen...but obviously you wouldn't use lots of foundation make up..."

"OBVIOUSLY NOT!" George snapped again.

"Let me run some tests...it could be blood related." she said, wondering what on earth was triggering George.

As she was about to leave there came a voice over the loudspeaker.  Julia recognised it as being Harper Newell, a nurse she knew and a friend, who was speaking and there was urgency in her voice.

"Paging a crash team to the lobby...paging a crash team to the lobby.  We have a patient emergency."

Julia, without any authority, ran to the lobby to see what was going on.  She wasn't officially part of the crash team but George Sneedley's room was the closest to the lobby so she thought she could get there within seconds.

A woman was lying flat on the floor and a child was next to her, looking confused and frightened.  

"Are you her son?" asked a nurse.

"No...ma'am...erm...she just collapsed all of a sudden!" said the boy.

"Step aside, I'm coming through!  Said Julia.  She knelt down next to the woman and checked to see if she was still breathing.  "She's alive and breathing" said Julia to the crash team.  No visible signs of injury...OK, let's get her on the gurney and get her to triage" 

The team wasted no time in doing what Julia ordered and before long they'd taken her to triage, where she was then sent for further examinations.  Julia was then told she was no longer needed by more senior doctors.

She collected the swabs taken from George and took them down to the lab for analysis.  As she guessed, it was a skin allergy and easily treated.

"Sorry about before, George, but there was this emergency in the lobby and I had to attend to it."

"Huh, how selfish of them"

"Aaaaaaaanyway, George, I have your test results back and it is a skin allergy that's causing the blotches on your face.  If you're using a new kind of soap or skin treatment..."

"WHICH I'M NOT!" he said, loudly and indignantly

"...OK, then it's advisable to avoid using certain ones in future, especially those which has an oil base..like the kind you find in make up"

Julia was met with a hard stare. 

"That's just an example.  Anyway, here is a prescription for some tablets for you to take..."

George snatched the prescription, let out a loud "harumph" and ushered Julia out of his room.

At the end of her shift Julia returned home.  There was excitement and also George's strange, defensive behaviour but what she was now looking forward to was an evening at the humour and hijinks festival.  Julia was a member of the Dishonourable Company of Pranksters: Practical jokers extraordinaire.

One of the reasons she was looking forward to going was that she had invited a new friend, Blair Herrick, to join her.  Blair was a chemistry postgraduate student, intelligent, interesting to talk to and even Julia had to admit that he was a good looking man...not that being handsome rated highly in her list of things she liked about men.  No, to her, being handsome was merely a bonus.  Still, just picturing him made Julia feel....sensual.  It was a very new feeling for her to experience.

She thought about changing into an outfit that most people would consider to be more alluring but the festival usually involved someone getting a custard pie in the face, or wet, or covered in gunge so she opted for her regular, practical outfit.

She headed down to the festival and kept a sharp look out for her 'date', even though she didn't consider this to be a romantic date; it was just going to be two intelligent, sophisticated people enjoying one another's company and if anything were to arise then Julia would take a measured, calm approach and not act like a silly little girl with a crush.

She took a fortifying drink of punch from the Prankster's bowl; a secret recipe known only to the Grand Prankmaster, and sat down, awaiting the arrival of Blair.  Sure enough he arrived, looking stylish in a grey blazer and black turtleneck sweater.

"Hi, Julia.  How's it going?" he said.

"Fine...fine...I haven't been here long.  Did you find this place OK?" she replied.

"I couldn't miss it.  Signs everywhere, people handing out flyers for comedy acts.  So this is the Humour and Hijinks Festival is it?  I've never been before." said Blair.

"This is it" replied Julia, looking around her at all the other attendees; some of whom she knew.  "It's a comedy and practical jokes evening, a bit of fun.  Over there you have the Pranksters and opposite them are the Jokesters.  The Prankers like..."

"Pranking?" Blair interjected.

"That's right, so expect whoopee cushions, custard pies and buckets filled with confetti.  The Jokesters like firing off quick fire jokes and puns..."

"Ugh, puns..." Blair recoiled with a look of disgust on his face.

"I know!  Anyway we have these competitions; who can play the most practical jokes in 3 hours or who can tell the most one liners"

"It all sounds a bit silly" said Blair.

"It is.  That's the point.  A bit of levity in our otherwise serious lives.  That's why I joined; to take a break, to show a different side of myself."

"Have you always been a joker?" asked Blair.

"No...it's a recent thing.  I developed that side of my personality in college.  There were fellow med students who wanted to play practical jokes on campus but lacked ideas...so they came to me because they thought I was smart."

Next to Julia and Blair were three men talking loudly, using very florid words and terms.

"I find that when dealing with the none-too-bright and barely hominid types a well phrased witty riposte or play on words usually shuts them up as they try to work out what's been said to them."

"Jokesters..." whispered Julia.  "They're gearing up for a pun assault, I can tell."

"They're blabbing their plans!  Geez, do they have to be so loud?" said an increasingly annoyed Blair.

"For example..." continued the very loud man.  "...I was called a 'bastard' the other day and, quick as a flash, I responded with 'ah-ha!  Better to be conceived by a MISS, than to be MISconceived!' and he had no response.  No response at all!"

"Oh very witty, Damian, very witty." said one of his friends.

"No it wasn't!" said Blair out loud.  "That's just being pretentious!"

"Excuse me, sir, are you referring to my friends and I by that statement?" said a man with an immaculate pencil moustache and bright bleached blonde hair.

"Can you noisy fruits not be so loud and....so damn annoying!" said Blair, raising his voice.

"Fruits?  I'm just as God made me!" responded the blonde man with great indignation.

Julia felt Embarrassed at this scene.  "Blair, just leave things alone...it's meant to be a fun evening."

"Well...people like that get on my nerves!" said Blair.

"By people like that you mean?...." said Julia, nervously.

"Well...you know the type.  Gentlemen of the Lavender persuasion who are loud show offs.  Like that goddawful Truman Capote!  Every time he's on TV I have to change channels."  Blair's brows were furrowed and his cheeks were starting to go red.

The penny was dropping with Blair.  He had all this anger in him that he had concealed until now, the presence of three homosexual men had pushed a button in him and now he wasn't so handsome and charming.

"Look, this place isn't my scene...let's say we split from here and get a drink somewhere?" said Blair.

"I....enjoy the festival.  I'll stay." said Julia, looking disconsolate that, once again, a man who showed such promise had turned out to be a jerk.

"It's like that, is it?" said Blair, tetchily.

"It's like that" she replied.  "Goodnight, Blair."

He got up and stormed off, shaking his head all the way to the subway station.  Julia went in the opposite direction to seek some comfort by watching the stand up comic.

Julia was left with a sinking feeling that left her sick in the stomach.  Another prospect dashed.  Not even the comedy could cheer her up.

"He left you high and dry, eh?  Well, you dodged a bullet in my opinion" came a voice from her left.  Julia turned to see who was speaking to her and it was the man with bleach blonde hair.

"I left him as much as he left me.  Another winner I backed..." she said, with a heavy sigh.

The man was about to reply when there a came a voice over the loudspeaker.  "The result of tonight's contest is in.  Pranksters 7, Jokesters 4.  Therefore I declare the Pranksters to be the winner of this evening's Humour and Hijinks Festival, proudly sponsored by Crelm Toothpaste.  Crelm, for a minty fresh smile as you laugh the night away."

"Congratulations, Prankster..." said the blonde man.  "...in time honoured tradition the losing team buys the winner a drink.  Would you stay and have one?" 

"This isn't a rebound thing, is it?" asked Julia.

"Honey, you're not my type.  This is a genuine offer of camaraderie and consolation."

"Alright...I'll accept your offer but I'm done with men for the foreseeable!"

"That makes less competition for me!" said the man with a mischievous grin.  My name is Diego, what's yours?"

"Julia"

"Pleased to meet you Julia, what's your tipple of choice?"

Julia told Diego what she wanted and in a flash he went over to the Tiki Bar, snapped his fingers and was served instantly.  Almost as quickly as he had left to go to the bar, he was back with two exotic cocktails.

"Here's to comedy!" he said, raising a glass to hers.

"To comedy!" Julia replied.  "I'm sorry about my date...the things he said."

"You don't have to apologise for him being a jerk." Diego replied.

"I know I shouldn't but...that's the third time I've struck out in as many months!  I mean, I'm a doctor, a serious professional and I spent years avoiding romance and now...now..."

"You're inner romantic has been stirred up and it won't quieten down?"

"Yes!  That's it!  I'm sorry to be all 'poor me'.  I don't want to keep you from your friends..."

"They're not really my friends.  I mean, one of them stole some of my artwork back in the Spring and he's doing community service for my gallery so I tolerate him for now.  He does tell a good story though so it's not so bad being in his company."

"Are you a painter?" she asked.

"Art critic.  I haven't the time to paint.  I should but I prefer the company of people too much to be the tortured artist.  Let's see if my hopeless romantic soul can help yours.  Tonight's date was a jerk, what about the other two?"

"Blair...the guy you saw tonight, seemed alright.  He's a chemistry postgrad, intelligent, articulate and knowledgeable so I thought he'd be a good match.  Before him was Jude, a successful stockbroker, was successful and charming but he's still infatuated with his ex-wife and was such a lazy slob!  And then the guy who ruined it all for me:  Vincent."

"What was wrong with Vincent?" asked Diego.

Julia sighed.  "Nothing.  He was charming, intelligent, handsome...if you put such store in things like mere physical attractiveness...and so, so nice.  I mean selfless!  He went to work in the Congo helping victims of the civil war there."

"Oh unrequited love!  How well I know thee!" sighed Diego.  "I take it this Vincent was the catalyst for your romantic stirrings and since he left you've tried to find the nearest thing to him?"

"You seem to know me so well!" said Julia.

"Like I said, I'm a people person." said Diego.

"I don't like all this!  I want the romance to go away!  I want to be the strict professional woman of science again!"

"The genie's out of the bottle, honey.  As I see it, you've got three choices:  1, go to the Congo and find Vincent.  2, become a nun.  3.  Keep trying until you find someone as good or even better than Vincent.  Now with my list of contacts, I'm sure I can steer you in the direction of someone like that.  Let Diego Lobo be your guide!"

 

CHAPTER 178: A Stroll In The Park

Joanna Thompson, of all people, moving into Foundry Cove, of all places.  What's going on?  Thought Action.  

"Don't make no sense" he muttered to himself.  Joanna was once a scrappy teenager with a short fuse who hit the streets and now she was here in suburbia.  Don't make no sense...

He had to find answers.  This little street was not just where his home was; it was a community.  For a lone wolf like Action he appreciated his neighbours and had their backs.  Besides, there was a little matter of the Landgraab's desire to own this street, the tree and the mysterious glade it led to...

And now Joanna was part of this community.  Why?  The best way to get answers was from her so after his breakfast and morning run he holstered his .38 service revolver, put on his jacket and headed across the road to Streamlet Single to speak with her.

KNOCK!  KNOCK!  KNOCK!

"Yeah, who is it?" came the voice from inside.

"Action"  he replied.

"It's open, come on in" 

He walked into the house.  It was still a lot of bare walls, packing crates here and there but Joanna had, at least, installed a sofa, TV, a dining table and chairs.  She was sitting on the couch, still in her night wear.

"Is it a bit too early for you?" said Action  "Maybe I can come back later when you're dressed?"

"You've seen me in a lot less than this" she replied.

"True"

"Come on in...It's always nice to see an old friend."  she said.

"Do I count as one?  I've cautioned you over your....activities...in the past." he said, sitting next to her on the sofa.

"You're doing your job, and I was doing mine" she said with a shrug.

"But are you serious about not doing that job anymore?" he asked her in all seriousness.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life.  You gotta believe me, Action" she replied, sternly.

"Why the change of heart and where did you get the money for this place?"  

"Typical cop...always suspicious.  If you must know...read this." she reached for her great-uncle's letter that was lying on the coffee table and handed it to Action.

He took a few minutes to read it in detail, even holding it up to the light at one point to see if there was anything suspicious about the paper it was written on.  Then he let out a sigh and handed it over to Joanna.

"Too bad Mikey's not around to share your good fortune.  I take it back what I said about you; you're really on the level." he said.

"Thanks for the belated vote of confidence" she said, acidly.

"So what are you gonna do now...now that you've moved in here?"

"I reckon I'm gonna go to college and get a better education" she said, with a hint of pride in her voice.  Action nodded.

"Smart move."

"Yeah...you joined the army..."

"Marines"

"Whatever.  That was your way of getting out of the ghetto; this is my way" she said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Hey, I'm all for what you're doing!" said Action, sincerely.

Joanna paused for a moment and then said.  "Say, do you mean what you said about wanting to help me?"

"Sure"

"How about helping me shift those boxes?"  

Action smiled.  "You got it", he said.

He lugged the empty packing crates outside to where the trash can was and on his way back he paused to have a look at all the textbooks Joanna had lying around on her desk.

"You thought of where you'd like to study?" he asked her.

"I'm thinking of Foxbury...more technical and work related courses there.  I don't want to waste time studying poetry or archaeology or fluff like that." she replied.

Action just nodded.  Joanna, however, had a question for him.  "Say, Action, are you any good with a hammer and nails?"

"I've been known to dabble" he replied, nonchalantly.

"I've got a bookcase to put up on the wall, over there" she said with a mischievous grin.

Action knew when he'd been outmanoeuvred so he stood up, shrugged his shoulders and asked where the toolbox was.  After an hour there was a nice, neat little bookshelf on the wall.  Joanna was very grateful and made him a coffee.

"I'd better gulp this down because I have to scoot" he said, picking up the coffee mug.

"Work?"

"Pleasure"

"Ooh, is it a woman?" Joanna asked, coquettishly.

"It is.  My woman." Action replied.

"What's she like this woman who has even the great John Action at her beck and call?" 

"She's classy" came his calm reply.

"Out of your league then?"

"I've gone up a division" 

"Upwards and upwards, eh?"

"Something like that.  And you can do it to.  You've made a start already.  If you want anything else mounted on a wall you just let me know" he said, handing her the empty coffee mug.

"I must dust off that head of a tiger then" she replied.  "Have fun with your lady friend"

PUPPERSTONE PARK:  1pm

That is precisely what Action intended to do:  An afternoon and evening spent with his girlfriend, Katherine.  He made his way over, Southwards, to the coastal suburb of Brindleton Bay; an area he had only a brief experience of visiting.  Meeting there was her idea and he liked the thought of being with her in a part of town he wouldn't be recognised easily in.

Normally she liked to be fashionably late for a meeting but today Action was surprised that she had arrived at the rendezvous ahead of him.  That was Katherine in a nutshell:  Always full of surprises.

"Am I late?" he said on greeting her.

"No, I'm early for a change.  How's your morning?"

"Busier than I expected.  We have a new neighbour who's just moved in an I had to help them put up a bookcase and shift some empty packing crates."

"So what's she like, this new neighbour?" asked Katherine.

"I never said it was a 'her'" he replied, somewhat defensively.

"I guessed from the fact that you put up a bookshelf for them:  Normally a man wouldn't ask for that help."

"Hey, I'm meant to be the detective here!" he said, surprised at her sleuthing skills.

"You must be rubbing off on me" she said with an easy smile.

"Evidently.  Anyway it turns out I knew her already from my old stomping ground but she's not my type."

"Redhead?"

"Compromised" replied Action.  

Action changed the subject.  "So, why did you pick here to meet up?" he asked.

"This is my stomping ground.  I was born and raised near here and I still live around these parts.  I wanted to show you my home town." she said.

"I can see why you like the sea and the river...you've grown up around it all your life" he nodded.

"I love the sea.  Have you ever been yachting?" she asked.

"The only ships I ever got on were Navy vessels.  Hardly luxury." he replied.

"I must take you out on the water sometime.  Hey, let me show you around..." She said, standing up and grabbing him by the hand.  He eagerly followed and in a moment they were off around the park lands.

They ended up on a small wooden bridge in a secluded part of the park.  The grounds went way beyond the neat little fenced off area where people took their dogs for a play and runaround and into a more natural, wilder area that had a small creek running through it.  Katherine stopped on the bridge and turned to face Action.

"Now this bridge has fond memories for me..." she said.  "When we were kids, my sister and I would come down here and play Pooh Sticks"

"What the heck is 'pooh sticks'?" Action replied.

"Have you not read Winnie the Pooh?"

"Do I look like a guy who's read Winnie the Pooh?"

"Come on!  Everyone's read Winnie the Pooh!  OK, maybe not you...anyway Pooh Sticks is a game..."

"Don't tell me; invented by this Winnie the Pooh character?"

"That's right.  Anyway, you play it like this:  You and your friends select a small stick, then you lean over a bridge, count to three and after that you drop your sticks into the water all at the same time, run over to the other side of the bridge and see which ones emerges first.  Look..." Katherine picked up a twig from the ground and showed Action how the game worked.

"Sounds like you could place bets and make some money if you picked the right kind of stick" he said, nodding.

"Now we just played it for fun, not to gamble on" said Katherine.

"The betting would make it more fun." replied Action.  "So this is your childhood haunt.  It's nice; I can see why you like it here."

"I thought I'd show you my neck of the woods, for a change" she replied.  There was a hush in the conversation and Action looked all around him; his internal radar ever tuned.

"Do you hear that?" he eventually said.

"Hear what?  What's up?" Katherine replied, anxiously.

"Nothing.  You can't hear anything other than the creek running.  No people, no critters.  Just quiet."

"Does that bother you?" she asked.

"No...but it does allow us to enjoy an unguarded moment..." he said, gently grabbing her and pulling her body towards his.  Katherine didn't resist at all, in fact she wanted this to happen...wanted the peace and tranquillity of Brindleton Bay to work their magic charm on Action.  Once embraced, they let themselves go and kissed each other.

"Mmmm, that was good" said Action.  "Is this the local romantic spot?"

"One of them" replied Katherine, with a knowing wink.

"I look forward to you showing me them all"

They walked around the park, sometimes holding hands and sometimes with Action's arm around her shoulders.  Then, at one point, Katherine broke away from his touch and turned to face him.

"It's great to be back together again" she said.

"That's what I was thinking. Great minds think alike." he replied.

"You're not going to put me on hold again, are you?"

Action paused and looked at her quizzically.  "I thought we'd talked about that:  No more me being overprotective about us."

"I know, but your life gets chaotic.  Sure, we're fine today but another big case you have to deal with, another crisis, some kind of escaped killer on the run and you put me as far from you as you can."

"I only do it to protect you" he said, touching her arm in comfort.

"I know that's what you think you're doing..." she replied, looking off into the distance for a moment before looking back at him.  "...but isn't it about protecting yourself?"

"What?  No!  I can look after myself!" he protested.

"Physically...but emotionally?  You pushed me away when things got tough; you never gave me a chance to prove I could stand my ground as well."

Action didn't have a reply to that.  "It's a tough world out there and..." he began.

"You don't think I'm tough, do you?  I'm a pampered rich girl who's had it easy, is that it?  Well, I'll let you know if things get too tough...don't make that decision for me."

"So....this means?  Aww, shoot, here's the one thing I didn't want to have happen today actually going to happen!" he said, looking past Katherine's shoulder.

""What's up?" said Katherine, suddenly concerned.

"We've been spotted by one of my colleagues...OK, time for some small talk..." he said, resignedly.  

A young woman of South Asian heritage and wearing a long, Indian style dress waved to Action and walked over.  She had an easy grace and style about her movements and Barbara wondered where he knew this exotic looking woman from.

"I didn't know you frequented Brindleton Bay as well, Prisha" said Action to the woman.

"I get around and about" she said, mysteriously.  "And I didn't know this was one of your haunts either" she added.

"Well, I'm getting a guided tour from Katherine here.  Kat, this is Officer Prisha Datta; she's a colleague from the 13th Precinct.  Prish, this is Katherine...my girlfriend" he said, making the introductions.  Just calling Katherine his "girlfriend" sounded lame when it came out of his mouth.  Made him sound like a high schooler.  Katherine was more than just a girlfriend...but he wasn't ready to upgrade her to fiancée or soulmate yet.

"So you're the mysterious woman in Action's life, eh?" said Prisha to Katherine.

"Actually, Action is the mystery man in my life." said Katherine, looking at Action in a knowing way.

"He's a bit of a mystery down at the precinct as well" said Prisha.

"I can imagine" replied Katherine.  Action said nothing but sat down next to his girlfriend and let the gossip float over his head.

Before Prisha could either relate some story about working with Action or Katherine could share an anecdote about how sweet, soppy and tender Action could be in private he decided to put the emphasis back on his work colleague.

"So, Prisha, are you still seeing that accountant?  What's his name?  Herbert?" he said, stretching out the two syllables of 'Herbert'.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I'm going to meet up with him very soon.  It's going well." Prisha replied.

"Give my regards to Herr-Bert, will you?" he said.

"I will.  Well, have fun you two...nice to meet you, Katherine.  Make sure he doesn't get you into trouble."

"I've got him on a short leash, nice to meet you too" Katherine replied.

When Prisha had left Action put his arm around Katherine's shoulders "Yeah, right, as if I can be kept on a leash!" he snorted, derisively.  Katherine merely smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Now I'm not a complete stranger to Brindleton Bay" Action continued to say.  "I know a very nice place just up the road from here.  Let's get a drink..." 

Action took Katherine down to the nearby Club Calico; an uptown yachting club which Action knew about when he made an arrest there not so long ago.  He was impressed by the luxurious decor, the crystal-clear swimming pool, fantastic views over the bay and that they served excellent cocktails.

"Club Calico...you've got good taste, Action" said Katheine nodding in approval at the choice of destination.

"Know it well?" he replied.

"It's where the beautiful and wealthy all congregate in Brindleton Bay."

"Then you know it very well indeed...shall we?" he said, ushering her towards the club.

Action ordered the drinks and they sat by the pool as the sun set.  They were soon joined by an old lady who seemed dressed for a Hawaiian Luau and was wearing wrap-around sunglasses.  She sat down at the bar and looked inquisitively at Katherine.

"Is that...Katherine?  Katherine Bowie?  It is!  I didn't recognise you with that hair-do.  Well how are you?  I haven't seen you since your graduation." she said.

"I'm well, thank you.  Oh, let me introduce you to John..." she said, indicating Action sitting next to her.

The woman peered over her sunglasses and looked Action up and down.  "Pleased to meet you, John" she said, coolly.  "And how do you know Katherine?"

Before Action could say anything Katherine said "oh, Action and I are dating".

The woman nearly choked on her drink when Katherine said that and could only mutter "I hope you have a pleasant evening" Before turning away from them.

"So much for Civil Rights" muttered Action.

"The civility is thin on the ground at times." Katherine replied.

"So I notice" said Action, raising his glass to Katherine before taking a drink.  He smiled ruefully when another black man sat on the other side of the lady and she squirmed in her seat.

"An acquaintance of my parents.  Never mind her...what cases are you up to at the moment?"

"A real puzzler with the Goths.  I can't go into details but...say...do you know anything about her disappearance?" asked Action.

"Now that was the talk of the town a few years ago.  Rumour was that she had an affair and got pregnant so she had to 'disappear' for a while so she could get an abortion." replied Katherine.

"That makes more sense than some of the other theories I've been hearing...something mystical, unearthly or..."

"...alien?  Some people actually think she was abducted by aliens.  Ha!" laughed Katherine.

"Hello Detective" came a voice from behind them.  A deep, husky voice that sounded vaguely familiar to Action.  He turned around to see a plump, garishly dressed woman with a big bouffant hairstyle.

"Have we met?" asked Action.

"You don't recognise me like this, do you?  That's OK.  I remember you very well." said the woman.

"The voice rings a bell..." said Action.

"It should.  It's me:  Damian.  Damian Blount.  You've taken down my....particulars...a couple of times." they said, smirking at their innuendo laden comment.

The penny dropped.  Damian Blount:  The "artiste" thief with a penchant for stealing ladies' shoes and wearing them.  Well, Damian had obviously gone a lot further than just shoes this time.

"Damian?  Well, that new look of yours...." said Action.

"I know!  I'm finally living as me!  I'm fabulous!" 

"That's one word to describe it"

"I won't disturb you with your....lady friend.  I look forward to our next 'encounter', big boy" 

"Just keep your nose clean, Damian.  I hope you didn't steal that outfit from anyone"

"Oh Detective!  What a suspicious mind you have!  Right, I'm off to watch the house pianist over there.  He certainly can tinkle the ivories!  Bye bye" said Damian, giving Action a little flirtatious wave before sauntering off.

"You meet some interesting people, Action" said Katherine, looking at Damian walking over to the piano.  "I'm not sure about that colour combination though..."

"Just as long as he's staying on the right side of the law...anyway, that's interesting what you said about the Goths.  Do you know them well?" asked Action.

"Only at large social gatherings.  Nice enough people but there are so many rumours and stories about them.  Goodness knows what is true and what isn't but I'll tell you one thing...Mortimer Goth knows where all the skeletons are.  Not his...but everyone else's.  But he never says anything about them.  It's like he's...." and at that point Katherine looked off into the distance as if she was trying to remember something.

"What?" said Action, now on the edge of his bar stool and fascinated by what Katherine was going to say.

"...it's like he's...frightened of something." she said.

"I can't help but feel this is just one part of a larger story" said Action.  "The Goths, Bella's disappearance, the Landgraabs, Fengs and Villareals.  Something binds all of them."

"Well, I'm connected with all of them, socially.  I could do some digging around" said Katherine.

"Yeah, that might help but..." 

"...be careful.  I get it, Action, but don't wrap me in cotton wool or, worse, push me away again." 

"I won't.  But promise me you'll not be reckless.  I'm telling you it's the thing that binds them that is also the same group who messed with my mind and has tried to kill people."

"I promise" she said, finishing off the last of her wine.  Action looked her with a mixture of admiration and desire.

"My place?" he asked.  She nodded.

They headed off for Willow Creek as the daytime turned to dusk and the last light of the day was fading.  Standing outside of his house he paused before reaching for the door keys.  Turning to Katherine he said "I hope you had a good day"

"It was more than good" she replied.  "It was 'fun' meeting your friends as well"

"A work colleague and a flamboyant thief...some friends." he replied.

"Let's go inside before I get cold!" she said.

The inside of the Action household was warm and cozy with his exotic taste in decor prominent throughout.  His time in Vietnam heavily influenced how his home was decorated.  

"I'm hungry...I'll make us something" he said.

"Hmmm, sounds good:  I'm famished" 

"You make yourself at home" he said, heading to the kitchen.  But instead of sitting on the couch and kicking back, Katherine instead followed him into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What you said...making myself at home and you've still got a pile of your breakfast dishes left lying around.  Now at home I'd make sure this would all be cleared up." 

"Don't you get your butler or someone to do it for you?" 

Katherine picked up a dish cloth and smacked him with it.  "I'm not useless!  Now, pass me those plates and you concentrate on the food!"

"Yes, ma'am...I don't have to tell you to make yourself at home:  You already have."

"And do you have a problem with that?" she asked with a hint of flirtatiousness in her voice.

"I don't have a problem with that at all..." said Action, thinking that maybe he should clear some space in his closet for her things as well.

CHAPTER 96: The Penny Drops

 

"Yo, Rookie...what do you have for me?" said Action as he entered the squad room at Precinct 13 headquarters.

"The suspect...Damian Blount...in cell one needs interrogating.  And I ain't no Rookie anymore; I served my probation time and am a grade 1 patrolman"

"Until I see you cut it on the streets when the crap hits the fan, you're a rookie to me.  Now, who's Damian Blount?"

"He's the breaking and entering specialist who has a thing for women's shoes"

"Oh him!" Action said, remembering the first time he'd encountered Damian.

"Come on, Twinkletoes, time to sing" said Action as he let Damian Blount out of his cell to be interrogated.

"You had nothing on me last time, Detective, and you've got nothing this time" replied Damian, a sound of overconfidence and disdain in his voice.

"You got off on a technicality and were lucky the judge was weak...but wait 'till you see what I've got this time"

"Ooh, don't tease me!" said Blount, in a mock flirtatious voice.

Action gave Blount a big shove in the back and marched him off to the interrogation room.

"I know it's you hitting all those expensive houses, Damian, you have a distinctive M.O." said Action, shining the desk lamp into Blount's face.

"Oh do tell, Detective" replied a defiant Blount.

"You have expensive tastes and they need paying for...not only do you break in and steal cash, jewellery and other items of value....you like to take dresses, shoes and other ladies' apparel.  That makes you a bit different"

"It's not a crime in this state to like women's clothes, Detective" 

"Hey, if you want to dress up as a woman that's your gig: I don't care one way or another.  But you can't do it in clothes you stole either" There was an awkward pause in the interrogation as Blount remained defiant.

"Prove I stole them, Detective"

Action said nothing but reached into a file and slid a document across to Blount.

"We searched your apartment, Damian" began Action "and found a gold lamé dress belonging to Nancy Landgraab and reported stolen a week ago by her in your closet"

"That dress is legitimately mine" responded Blount, still remaining calm.

"Then how come on the inside lining of the dress there's a pinned dry cleaning invoice MADE OUT TO NANCY LANDGRAAB?" Action raised his voice and jabbed his index finger down on a photocopy of the invoice in front of Blount.

"Erm....I....I" stuttered Blount; his composure collapsed.  Action had his man bang to rights....Blount ended up confessing to a series of robberies and once Action had got a signed confession from the suspect and with that job done, he put him back in the cell.

That job done and dusted, Action headed to the Chief's office to update him on the case being closed and ready for trial.

"Well done, Action my boy, well done" said the Chief, enthusiastically when told the news that they'd got a confession out of Damian Blount.  "We've been after that one for some time and you were the one that closed the case"

"It still has to go to trial but that confession will help secure the conviction" said Action.

"It'll go to the D.A.'s office and they'll sort it out...well, what are you waiting for, Action, go get out there and crack some more cases!" the Chief said, abruptly.

SAN MYSHUNO, 13:05 hrs

It didn't take long for something to happen downtown that Action needed to deal with.  As he was talking to a local by the name of Arun Bheeda a very attractive but panic stricken young woman came running up to him.  Looking at her she seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he'd seen her before.

"Officer!  Officer!  I need your help, urgently!" she said, out of breath as she came running to him.

"What's the matter, Ma'am?" Action replied.

"I had something of mine stolen, out of my hands, just around the corner from here!" she explained, pointing to a spot around the corner from where they were standing.

"What was stolen?" asked Action.

"An envelope containing some photos" she replied.

"That's all?  Your bag wasn't taken was it as well?"

"No, just the envelope" she explained.

Action took a moment to think about the significance of an bunch of photos being taken but a woman's bag, presumably containing her cash and valuables, was ignored.

"And can you describe the man who took this envelope?"

"Yes, he was a black man, in a tank top and flat cap" she said.

"Hey, I've seen that guy around here a lot!" exclaimed Arun Bheena, all of a sudden.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have a look around this area and call in some back up" said Action, instinctively checking his .38 service revolver was still in its holster.  "Here's my card; if you see the guy who robbed you, call this number"

"Can I have one of those cards as well, Detective?" asked Arun.  "If I see this guy, and I'm pretty sure he hangs out around here a lot, I want to let you know"

"Sure Mr Bheeda, here you go" he said, handing a second card to the keen and eager young man.  However, Action had another person he wanted to interrogate...someone who sees all but is hardly ever noticed.

"Howdy Cowboy" said Action as he approached the mime artist who was being a living statue for the day.

"Gnnnaaa arrraaayy" the mime replied.

"I have a few questions to ask you" Action said, flashing his warrant card.

"I shaid....gna array. G'naim trynggghhh to rorwk here" said the mime.

"I don't care if you're trying to work just standing around hoping a pigeon will crap on you...I'm the police and you will answer my questions either here or down at the precinct house"

The mime relented and stopped standing motionless.  "Fine, what do you want?" she said.

"Snatch n' grab a little while ago.  Black guy in a tank top and wearing a cap stole a large envelope.  Did you see it happen or the guy who did it?"

"Yeah, I heard something...a scream then this guy hurtles past me at high speed carrying a big, yellow parcel or something like that.  He went that way, towards the bar that's over there"

"And have you seen this guy around here before?" Action asked.

"Oh yeah...he's catcalled me a few times and shouted my act is garbage.  I don't know his name though"

"Thanks for the help...and you say he went in that direction?" The mime nodded.

"Say, you should try being more still, Detective.  Cast off the cares of the world and let your body be still and at peace"

Action scoffed.  "I stand still for no man" he replied and he headed off to the bar where the suspect was last seen heading to.  His eyes scanned all potential lurking spots but he couldn't help shake the feeling that something about this crime was amiss:  Why steal photos unless there was something incriminating about them?  And who do they incriminate?  

Up ahead he saw Arun Bheena frantically gesturing off to his right.  Action figured he'd seen something, possibly the perp himself.  He quickly jogged over to Arun to find out what was going on.

"He's there...the guy who stole the envelope!  By that payphone!" said an excited Arun.

Without saying a word, Action crept up on the suspect.  Using his Vietnam jungle skills to move silently and undetected he was up on the perp in a flash and had his service .38 jammed into the small of the suspect's back.

"Don't move or you'll have a tunnel going all the way through your guts.  Now drop the envelope you're holding right there and down on your knees, sucker!" said Action.

Action cuffed him, read him his rights and called for a Black & White to pick him up.  Witness statements were taken from Arun, the Mime and the young woman at the centre of the theft.

"We've retrieved your photos and arrested the man who took them, Miss?" said Action, asking for the woman's name.

"Pizzazz.  Penny Pizzazz" she replied.

The "penny" dropped for Action: "Of course, you're the gossip columnist and TV personality" said Action.

"That's me" she replied.  "Can I have my photos back now?"

"They're material evidence, Miss Pizzazz.  They'll be returned to you in time but for now we need to keep hold of them."

"But they're important for my work!" she protested.

"Don't you have copies?  Can you make more from the negatives?" he said.

"Well...yes...I suppose" she said in a faltering manner.

"Good.  We'll be in touch, Miss Pizzazz" said Action.  His curiosity now piqued as he wondered what was in those photos...time would soon tell.

Back at the station, Action went to seek out the forensic unit.  "Say, can you boys in the lab check these photos and this envelope out...I'm not just looking for fingerprints, I want those photos analysed for every last detail."

"Sure, Action" said the forensic chief.  "What are we meant to be looking out for?"

"I don't know at this stage....look over them and enlarge any section that you think looks of interest or out of place".  Action had a hunch the photos were stolen for something they contained that incriminated someone...but Pizzazz wasn't a known criminal with a habit of blackmailing people...or was she?

At the end of his shift Action headed home for a rendezvous with his girlfriend, Katherine.  They were both pretty beat after their work days but perked up once they saw each other.

Action gave Katherine a massage.  "Hmmm, that feels good!" she said.  "You've got the magic touch"

"You should see all the other things I can do with them" he joked, flirtatiously. 

"You've got my attention if it's anything like this massage" she replied.  They headed to the bedroom to get more intimate.

"My day was so boring" began Katharine.  "Attending all these meetings of charity bodies, organisations and listening to one dull speech after another.  How was your day?"

"I got a confession from that thief who steals women's jewellery and clothes and arrested a street robber who mugged Penny Pizzazz, the lifestyle reporter on the news" he replied.

"Oh I know Penny" said Katherine.  "Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she didn't get hurt...it was this package of hers that got stolen.  Say, do you know her well?"

"A little" replied Katherine. "We attend some of the same events"

"Would you say she's on the level?" he asked.

"Penny?  Sure!  She's sweet, knows everyone who is everyone and is a positive kind of person.  Why do you ask?"

"It was this envelope she was holding...it contained some photos and I was wondering if, in her line of work, the photos would be embarrassing to someone?"

"Penny's not a blackmailer if that's what you mean...well, she doesn't come across like one.  I'm tired..." she said, yawning.  "Let's go to bed"

"Sure thing" said Action, smiling and undoing his shirt.  It was time to put work to one side and to enjoy some playtime.  In the morning, Action looked forward to one of the treats of his day...Katherine's scrambled eggs for breakfast!