CHAPTER 206: Murder Most Foul

 

"Hey, how's it hanging?  Marina, congratulations on the promotion" said Action as he sauntered into the 13th Precinct squad room.

"Thank you for noticing the new stripes on my tunic but where the heck have you been?  The shift started 30 minutes ago" she replied.

"Wrapping up some loose ends, you know how it is"

"Yeah, and what was the name of this 'loose end'?"

"Action don't kiss and tell.  Anyways, I'm here now and ready to handle whatever you have got for me." he said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together in anticipation.

"Those old case files" she said, nodding to a big cardboard box filled with folders.

"Ah..." he said, his face changing from enthusiastic to that of a man who's been pointed in the direction of a mountain of potatoes and told to peel the lot.

He sat down at his desk and started to fill in the arrest forms from the previous week.  At around 10:30am Sergeant Kitchen approached him.

"Sarge, you'll be pleased to know I've sorted out a pickpocketing, two stolen vehicles and a flasher..."

"Can it, Action.  We've got a bigger situation to deal with:  A homicide down in Oasis Springs.  Can you handle it?  You're the senior detective here."

"Give me what details you have and I'll be there" said Action, wasting no time in getting up and checking that his .38 service revolver was ready to go.

"Here are the details..." said Kitchen, handing Action a case file.  "Officer Gunn is there and securing the crime scene.  You and forensics are to head out now."

Action quickly headed towards the parking lot to get his car but at the front desk he spied a familiar but not welcome face:  Daphne Blake.  "Oh no, she's probably got one of her cockamamie ideas about some spooky goings on which is probably just a cat stuck up a tree" he said to himself.

"...and then it turned out it wasn't a ghost, just someone dressed as one and when we pulled off the mask we discovered it was old Mr Wickles, the county museum curator!" she was saying to the confused looking officer at the desk.

Geez, I could have told you that!  Hello, he's the only person you had contact with down at the museum...it was obviously him! Action thought as he headed to his car.

Heading out of Willow Creek he drove south, over the bridge that divided the lush bayou area from the more parched and scrubland of Oasis Springs.  Locals often commented that in Summer the heat from the Springs hit you in the face as you crossed the river and already Action had his car air conditioning turned up as he drove along.

The crime scene was in a suburb known as Parched Prospect.  It was the kind of place people lived in when they were on the rise and they had money to spend on these new mod styled houses that came with every modern labour saving device yet developed.  The actual house where the body was found was shared by 4 young professionals who had pooled their resources together to buy and live in a house that would have been beyond their pay packets had they'd purchased it individually.  The main name on the deeds was a Mr Jameson Huntingdon III; a name that Action knew...he was a young socialite and member of the Kitten Club who he'd spied at their meetings, using his charm to get his way with the ladies.  Mention of the Kitten Club invariably meant Alan Cuffe being involved as well and Cuffe was already a "person of interest" to Action.  Could this homicide be linked to Cuffe or the trouble he had been in?

Action parked his car right outside the front, showed his badge to the officer on duty and crossed the hazard line that had been erected around the property to keep bystanders out.  Inside the coroner's team had just finished their cursory examination of the victim and were taking photos.  Action spoke to the other officers present and got a better picture of who this guy was and what had happened here.

Name: Unknown.  No ID on the victim.  Age, approximately 35-40 years of age.  Sex: Male.  Race: Caucasian.  Pale blue eyes, a round, pale face and close cropped fair hair; probably a military style crew cut.  Height:  5'8".  Victim was wearing a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt, tan slacks and brown leather shoes.  No hat.  No obvious marks or wounds on his body, no traces of poison but that could only be ruled out once they had got him to the morgue.  

"So we have no idea who this guy is...and we don't know what his connection to this place is.  He's not listed as one of the residents" Action said, reading the duty officer's notebook.  Once the outline of the body had been taped onto the floor and it had been transferred to the coroner's wagon he took some crime scene photos himself.

There were a couple of witnesses, none of them residents of this house but there were present when the man had died.  After he had finished taking the photos he looked across the living room and recognised one of them:  Tasha Michel.  She was a model, one of the most well known in Sim City and also Miss Ginger, one of the Lothario Kittens of the Month.  Now she was sitting at a dining table looking frightened.  Her sad expression changed to surprise mixed with relief when she saw Action.

"Action!  Thank goodness you're here!  Listen, I didn't have anything to do with this guy!  I don't even know who he is!  He just stumbled in..." her words came out as a torrent awash with panic.

"Cool it, Tash...how about we slow down and let me take a statement, OK?" said Action, raising his hands in a calming manner.  She nodded and he sat down, taking out his notebook and pen to get her statement.

"OK, so let's back this up a little.  Where's Jameson?" asked Action.

"He...left.  Ran out.  He got spooked by this guy showing up here and dropping dead and all that" she replied.

"And that's what happened is it?  This guy dropped dead right inside J's house?"

"Pretty much.  Well it was like this; J, Don and myself were all hanging out here and there's the doorbell rings.  Don offered to answer it to see who it was and it was that guy...he staggered in here, trying to say something but couldn't get the words out.  Then he collapses right there.  J's panicking and Don goes over to check on the guy and says he's dead.  I then call 9/11 and that's when J says he can't be seen here with a dead body in his house and with the cops on the scene so he high tails it out of here."

"And you said you don't know who this guy is?" 

"No.  Never seen him before."

"Are you sure?  Maybe he's a client at the Kitten Club or attended one of Cuffe's parties?"

"Well...maybe.  I don't recall meeting him though."

Action scribbled down all this information and was thinking that Tasha was telling the truth about not knowing who this guy was but Huntingdon's behaviour was highly suspicious.  Maybe he knew who this guy was?  Action thanked Tasha for her information and he turned to the other witness who was present:  The man Tasha referred to as 'Don'.

"OK, and what's your full name?" asked Action.

"Don Lothario"

"You're kidding me..."

"No, it really is that.  Here's my driver's licence.  See?  Donald Lothario of Sultry Springside, Skyward Palms, Oasis Springs."

"OK, I believe you" said Action, waving him away.  "So you tell me what happened here"

"I was visiting J and Tasha was with us and, you know, we're just hanging out and having a little fun..."

"What do you mean by having a little fun?" asked Action.

"Does that have anything to do with the stiff?" said Don, defensively.

"Well, maybe this guy wanted in on the fun?  Maybe he was here to stop it?" 

"Well...it's like this...we were...uhm...goofing around" said Don, awkwardly.

"Action...we found this in the living room" said one of the other policemen.  He was holding two tabs that were half the size of a postage stamp but twice as thick.  Action took one look at them and knew what they were.

"Acid...I'm guessing there was a third of these but J took it" said Action, giving Don a hard stare.

"OK, so we were taking some LSD and you're right, J took one before we did and just freaked out when that guy crashed into the house." 

"Action...we're not...well, regular users." said Tasha, apologetically.

"I'm more interested in this 'stiff' as you call him.  Now both of you are certain you've never seen this guy before?"

"Positive"

"Never"

"OK, Tony...take down the rest of their statements and let's finish up with forensics before heading home" said Action, closing his notebook.

The rest of the shift was taken up with getting the forensic evidence down to the lab, filling in some forms and trying to find out who this guy was.  The coroner hadn't worked that one out so it was a lot of ground pounding by detectives and uniform to I.D. him.  By the end of Action's shift, no one was the wiser.

He went home but wasn't feeling hungry at all.  He found a message on his answerphone from Suzy Humphries saying that she wanted to see him soon as she'd had an idea about an old case of his.  Returning her call he found that she wasn't at home that evening, but had gone down to the Movers and Shakers gym.

He made his way down there and saw what he thought might be her, running on a treadmill but that she looked very different to normal as she wasn't wearing make up and had her hair tied back. 

"Suzy?" he asked as he approached her.  "You look very different from how I usually see you" he said, impressed by her rhinestone studded pink exercise outfit.  "That's a very Las Vegas look you've got going there."

"A leftover from my failed attempt at becoming a ballerina...I take it you got my message then?"

 "I did...so have you got time to talk?"

"Yes." she said and she pushed a button on the treadmill to get it to stop.  She grabbed a small hand towel and patted her face gently with it before stepping off the machine.

"I've found some things out and I have a bit of an idea I want to run past you" she said.  Action was intrigued.

"I'm always one for a good idea" he replied.

"I'll let you be the judge of how good it is" 

"OK, I'll head on next door to the Blue Velvet and you can tell me more there" said Action.

"Give me 5 minutes to get changed and I'll be over" replied Suzy.

The 45 minutes that elapsed between that conversation and Suzy's eventual arrival wasn't a waste for Action as he caught up with friends, colleagues and bar regulars.  When she arrived Action noticed how well poised she always was; not a hair out of place, make up immaculate and she had a swagger that turned men's heads when she walked in the room.  She didn't just walk, she glided.

He had claimed a small table over by the fireplace for their conversation and, after getting the drinks in, they settled to have their conversation.

"You look serious, Action"

"It's a serious business I'm in" he said.  "I'm currently working on a homicide case.  John Doe just shows up on the doorstep of some swanky pad in Oasis Springs and just dies and no one knows who he is or why he was there.  BUT, and there's always a but, the house is owned by one of Cuffe's Kitten Club members and he had one of the Lothario Kittens in the pad so there might be a connection.  Trouble is, the house owner's gone on a drug fuelled run somewhere.  On top of that, Leanne McGregor's shown up again..."

"Oh her?  Are you any closer to catching her?"

"Nope.  And get this...she's changed her appearance.  I mean, like radically.  Apparently she's knocked 10 years off her age, lost 6 inches in height and is now some perky waif like redhead.  Or maybe it's just someone in the same line of work with the same name and working towards the same ends.  Some days this job throws up more questions than it ever answers."

"If it's any help I've found some things out about the Landgraabs; mostly background detail so far but their wealth was obtained through highly dubious means...always was, for nearly 200 years.  It's Nancy who's the real boss, Geoffrey's a figurehead."

"None of that is surprising" said Action, flatly.  "I've long since suspected that but do you have proof?  With proof I can move against them."

"Well, not quite yet but I've got plenty of leads..." said Suzy, wishing she could give Action that little extra so he could make an arrest or two.

"Have a look into Malcolm a little more..." she continued.  "I think he's the one who tried to shoot Madelyn Buchanan.  The two of them used to peddle drugs but their working relationship went south and he was left in the lurch.  Malcolm's a nasty, vengeful character so my idea is that he wanted to get back at her.  Lily Feng was never the target."

Action nodded.  It mostly made sense except that he knew the weapon used against Madelyn was some kind of laser.  Where would Malcolm get hold of one of those?

Their chat was interrupted by friend and neighbour Travis Scott.  He was dancing away and spotted his friends having a conversation so he waved and danced his way over to them.

"Action, Suzy...two people I haven't seen for a while!" said Travis, cheerily.

"Travis, nice to see you; how's the wedding planning going?" asked Suzy.

"Sheesh, is that all you chicks can talk about?  Yeah, it's going OK.  Summer's organising most of it, I've just been measured for a suit.  I think Sum's got some things to ask you about the whole deal so just warning you before she calls."

"I look forward to it.  Tell her she can call on my anytime to talk about it." Suzy replied, the excitement of wedding planning broke her train of thought about the Landgraab investigation.

All Action wanted to know at this point was when was the date for the wedding and was he invited?  He pondered for one brief moment whether he would one day get married but almost instantly brushed that idea out of his mind.

"Suzy...I'll look into that matter with Malcolm and let you know how it's getting on.  In the meantime, can I ask you a favour?  Look into the dealings of a Mr J. Huntington III.  He's a socialite and from old money so he'll have cropped up in your style magazines I'll bet.  I know he's a member of the Kitten Club and hangs with Cuffe but see if there's any connection between him and the Landgraabs."

"OK...J. Huntington III.  We'll trade information again, soon" she replied.

CHAPTER 188: Aftertaste

Another ordinary day in Sim City, but behind the nice, pleasant white bread facade there's a dark underbelly of secrets, threats and crime...

That's why men like John Action exist.  They walk the line between the respectable and criminal, keeping the predators of society at bay.  Action was someone who could spot trouble long before it erupted.  Every nervous glance by someone in the street, every house where the curtains were always drawn fast during the daytime, every vulnerable person alone late at night...he would notice it all and it would all go in his memory, ready in case something untoward happened.

He arrived at Precinct 13 to begin his shift but before he could even open his mouth to make some witty banter with the desk officer, Marina Beckett, she had something for him.

"Action, I have something that will interest you" she said.

"I'm sure you do" he replied, half suggestively as this sounded like another bit of banter.  

"The Goth Mansion case...the missing silverware has been discovered and the person with it is in custody."

Action raised an eyebrow in surprise.  "Well that's good news at least...any word on the missing books?" he asked.

"Not so far.  Here's the file with all the updates on that silverware though" she said, handing it to him.

Action flicked through the pages of the report and not only had the stolen silverware been found, but the people who had handled the stolen goods were able to give some leads about who the items had been bought off.  He peered intensely at the documents to see if there was anything more untoward to be discovered before he realised the front desk area was filling up with members of the public with their various complaints.  He had to go to the squad room to finish reading the report.

"Officer Beckett here will help with all your enquiries" he said to the members of the public before stepping away.

He went in to the squad room where there was Sergeant Kitchen, young Cole Michaels from the Juvenile Crimes unit and some new guy who strutted around the place as if he owned it and went by the name of Graham.  Fortunately everyone had more than enough to do except Graham, who it was suggested should deal with the public in the entrance lobby.

Action stood by the crime map with all the evidence gathered so far about the Goth case and referred to the new notes in his folder to get a more full picture of what they knew.  The mansion was broken into and apart from some silverware, targets of opportunity, the majority of stolen material were some books about UFOs and Mortimer's diaries covering a specific time period in the early 60s.  One witness, Mrs Giordano, said one of the thieves was definitely a woman.  The two men arrested for receiving stolen goods said the person who sold it to them was a woman although they did not know her name.

There was still a question about the case he wanted answers for and he swung past the criminology lab to see if the forensics team there had any information.  The person responsible was Feliciano, and he was just coming to the end of his shift and was upstairs in the recreation room.  Action wasted no time and headed up there himself whereupon he found Feliciano and fellow detective, Tony Gunn, playing chess.

"Good use of police time, gentlemen" said Action, as he entered the recreation room and saw Feliciano of forensics and detective Tony Gunn sitting around, drinking coffee and playing chess.

"I'll have you know that my good buddy, Thiago, and me have officially finished our shifts and are enjoying some time socialising before we go home to our beloved wives and girlfriends." replied Gunn.

"More like in your case avoiding being bossed around by your girlfriend" replied Feliciano, with a chuckle.

Action held the file up and showed it to the two men.  "Good work on the Goth case...how did you find the stolen merchandise?" he asked.

"One item we found at the crime scene...a few red hairs." said Feliciano.  "They wore ski masks but one of them must have taken theirs off or at least lifted it off their face at some point...probably after they locked Miss Joiner in the cellar and there weren't other witnesses around.  The hairs were found in the study, a very private part of the house so none of the Goths have red hair, the research assistant Miss Joiner doesn't and neither does the housekeeper so I figure it's one of the perps."

"Makes sense" said Action.  "OK, what next?"

It was Gunn's turn to speak.  "I figured there can't be too many female red headed burglars in Sim City so I ran the records and we found one...Maddy Henson."

"Maddy Henson!" exclaimed Action.

"Do you know her?" asked Gunn.

"By reputation.  Top cat burglar in her day but she packed it all in and went quiet back in '63." Action replied.

"Looks like someone or something has lured her back into the game" said Gunn.

"What about the people she sold the silverware to?" 

"They're amateurs out of their depth.  They were fed a rumour that the old Goth family silver was on the market and jumped at the chance to get their hands on it.  They caved in under interrogation and gave us Henson's name as the one who fenced the gear."

"Is there an APB out on her yet?  Why is everyone sat around here?  We need to be out there!" said an impatient Action.

"Relax, Action...an APB has been put out and we have units out there looking for her.  Now I'm going to give you a little advice I learned when I first joined the force:  Every day, give yourself a little present.  Could be a nice pair of shoes, a trip to the movies or something as simple as a cup of coffee and a tasty donut."  Tony Gunn said these words softly and at the end he pointed to the donut vending machine on the far side of the recreation room.

"You know, I might just do that" said Action, who got up from his seat and went to get a tasty donut.

An hour later and Action was pacing up and down in the main incident room, noting reports from various units on the APB.  Whilst the Goths' silverware had been recovered the books and journals hadn't and Mortimer Goth was still not back from his European trip to provide extra information about them.  Action's mind turned over with many possibilities of this case:  Did the thieves time their burglary because Mortimer was away?  What do they want with the journals?  To fence, blackmail or to make sure no one else had them?  

Not only did his mind turn over, so did his stomach.  "Man, I shouldn't have listened to Gunn and his hippy-dippy 'give yourself a present' ramble!" he thought "Those donuts in the vending machines were disgusting and I'm paying the price right now!"

"Detective Action!" called out the dispatcher.  "1-Baker-10 has spotted the suspect, Maddy Henson, at Hare Square in Windenburg"

"Tell them to keep an eye on her but don't approach...I'm on my way....*GURGLE*...ungh!" he replied, his stomach almost as loud as his voice.

It didn't get much better by the time he arrived at Hare Square but Action did have a life lesson that he would one day pass on to Tony Gunn:  Never let pain and discomfort show on your face.  He checked in with the beat cops of 1-Baker-10 and told them to circle the area whilst he homed in on Henson.

At first he thought he'd found her when he saw a strawberry blonde who looked vaguely like the suspect from a distance and then he thought she could be his own girlfriend, Katherine, who had a similar fashion sense with a striking, siren red outfit with white trim.  However this woman turned out to be neither but Action still thought she was worth questioning.  Even though he had a steady girlfriend, Action couldn't help but be drawn towards beautiful women even if it was just for a friendly chat.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm Action...Sim City PD.  I'd like to ask you some questions." 

The woman halted in her tracks and looked coy and more than a little embarrassed.

"I hope I haven't been naughty, Detective...Action, did you say?" she replied.

"Yes, Action.  You haven't been naughty in any way I'd be interested in right now however I'm looking for someone.  Have you seen this woman around here?" he asked, showing the lady a mugshot of Maddy Henson.

"As a matter of fact I have!" said the woman.  "Is she dangerous?  Is she wanted for a serious crime?" the woman's face turned from coy to scared in a flash.  "She's...she's...over there!" she said, pointing with a shaking hand to a woman just over a row of hedges who was walking along in the park.

"Alright, lady, calm down...don't make it obvious by pointing at her after all we don't want her to..."

The suspect woman saw the lady in the red outfit pointing directly at her and looking frightened and saw that she was talking to a man who had just flashed a police badge at her.  She put two and two together, turned around and started to run.

"...ESCAPE!" said Action, seeing the woman turn tail and start running.

Action noticed she could run fast for a woman wearing an elegant skirt suit and heels but if Action hadn't joined the US Marines at the age of 18 he would have made it as a running back for the Sim City Plumbobs so a suspect fleeing the scene would have to have been as athletic as him to stand a chance of outrunning him.  In a few long and fast strides, Action not only caught up with her but had overtaken and blocked her path.

"Maddy Henson...I'm Action, Sim City PD!" he said holding his warrant card in one hand and his .38 service revolver in the other.  She stopped running and looked defiantly in his eyes.  The other two patrolmen caught up with them and between them and Action they had cut off her escape routes.

Action put his ID away and swapped it for another card with some typed text on it.  "Dang it, I'll never get used to this part but we have to say it to you by law.  OK, Maddy Henson you are under arrest on suspicion of robbery and handling stolen goods.  You have the right to remain silent..." *GURGLE* "Oh don't you start, gut!"

____________________________________________________________________________

"Well done, Action" said Marina as they led Maddy Henson back to Precinct 13.  "Has she coughed up much?"

"Not a word since we arrested her." Action replied.  "She's going to lawyer up...she's an experienced criminal so we'll get nothing from her until her lawyer gets here.  Just book her, go by the numbers until then.  My shift is ending so I will sign off the arrest report and head home.  We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

Action didn't go straight home.  After changing into his brown suit at the precinct he headed to Suzy and Neil's new house to catch up with them.  He'd not been there before but they had given him their new address and telephone number and wanted to keep in regular contact as they were both working on one case together.

He received a warm greeting from Neil who ushered him inside.

"Hey, Neil, I know this is unannounced" said Action.

Neil waved a nonchalant hand at him "Don't sweat it, Action.  You're always welcome here" he said.

Action noticed that Suzy was cooking dinner but he also spotted the worn and dirty journals next to the record player.

"Hey, Action" said Suzy.  "Would you have some dinner with us?" she asked.

His stomach still hadn't settled "No thank you, I'll pass this time although it looks and smells good.  I ate not so long ago..." and I'm still regretting it.

"Is this purely a social call or one of our investigative catch-ups?" she asked.  

"A bit of both...I've made some good progress today" Action replied.

They all sat down in the lounge area and Action told his tale even though he was feeling very nauseous by now.

"A couple of weeks ago Mortimer Goth's diaries and research notes were stolen along with a few items of monetary value and today we busted one of the thieves who we think did it." he said.

"Why did they want his notes?" asked Suzy.

"Because they have the information about Bella's disappearance a few years ago." said Action.

Neil and Suzy both said nothing but took in deep breaths as the significance of this information dawned on them.

"Did you retrieve the journals?" asked Neil.

Action shook his head.  "We got the valuable items and one of the two thieves but no...no books." he said with a tinge of bitterness to his voice.  "We'll see if our suspect spills the beans in interrogation but it shows that someone out there thinks those notes about Bella are important enough to steal.  I reckon if we get our hands on those journals we'll know more about what's going on in secret in this city!"

"Well, you'll be pleased with what we found" said Suzy, enthusiastically.

"Remember how this all began with one torn page from a book no one could find?" she asked Action, milking what was, for her, a dramatic moment.

"Don't tell me...you found the book?" he replied.

"Not just one book...lots!" she said, wide eyed with excitement.  "They were buried just out there; the notes of a man called Patrick Cornelius, whose papers were obtained by that artist that went missing up in the mountains and now found by us."

"OK, what's in them?  What do they tell us?" said Action, impatiently.

"We've only just started to read them...they're very densely written and assumes the reader knows a great deal about esoteric science, philosophy and psychology but so far it describes three layers of secret activity in our city:  One controlled by the Landgraabs, one controlled by the Fengs and one by a group referred to as The Visitors.  So far we're learning about the history of the city and the influence the Landgraabs have had on it since the early 19th century.  It'll take time but we'll soon learn about what's been going on."

"Any dirt that would put those Landgraabs away would be very welcome!" said Action with a look of grim determination on his face.

"Action..." said Suzy in all seriousness.  "...what information we have now is going to blow our case wide open.  We'll soon get to know all the grubby, scary, mysterious secrets this city has!"

____________________________________________________________________________

"Agent 51 to Control...this is Agent 51, do you respond?" said the elfin looking red headed young woman into a device shaped like a TV remote control.

"Control to Agent 51.  Report" came a harsh, inhuman voice emanating from the communications device.

"Sources confirm that Detective John Action has apprehended Hu-mann Agent Maddy Henson.  Shall I liquidate either or both of them...or should I absorb them?" she said.

"You will keep Detective John Action under observation for now.  I will assign another agent to deal with Maddy Henson.  You have only recently altered your appearance; I do not want you to draw attention to yourself now."

"What about the Goth journals?"

"Safe and in our possession...Mortimer Goth knows more than we suspected."

"Shall I?..."

"NO!  You are to keep Detective John Action under surveillance for now and that is all."

"*sigh*....as you wish, Control.  Nilharoy Shebber-Shenty" Leanne McGregor put the device back in her handbag.  Since her alteration she hadn't had any 'fun' assignments...observation, research, more observation.  If only she could kill another human or perhaps absorb them she would be a lot happier.

And if that human was Detective John Action, so much the better.  She particularly detested that one.

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.