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 126: Mindbender

 

"Dang!  You are looking sharp today!" said Action to himself as he checked out his reflection in the bedroom mirror.  It was going to be a smooth day off:  A workout, a trip down to the old Spice Quarter for a bite to eat and then taking Katherine down to the club for a little dance and a date and finally back here, with girlfriend in tow for a little woohoo magic between the sheets.  

But his moment of self-satisfaction was burst when there was a loud and repeated banging on his front door and ringing of his doorbell.

"Sheesh!  Calm down, bucko, where's the fire?" he sighed in exasperation as he headed to the door.  The pounding and ringing weren't letting up and, as a precaution, Action reached for his .38 service revolver from his shoulder holster.

"Who is it?" he said, before he opened the door.

"Alan Cuffe!  This is a matter of urgency, Detective!" came the voice, which sounded like Cuffe's alright.  Action opened the door but made sure the chain was still in place.  Peering through the gap with his pistol at the ready, he could see it was Cuffe.  He slid back the chain and let him in.

"It's my day off, Cuffe.  This had better be urgent" said Action.

"It is, Action, otherwise I wouldn't be here!" replied Cuffe.

"OK, how about you tell me what's going down?" said Action, offering Cuffe a chair whilst he put the pistol back in its holster.

"I'm being followed, my every move observed" said Cuffe.  

"Who'd want to do that?" said Action, leaning back on the wall and folding his arms.

"Them!  The people who are out to get me!"

"OK, let's back this up here...so what happened that makes you think that?"

"I was playing chess in Desert Bloom Park with Victor Feng...we occasionally meet up to play or talk and today it happened to be the park...when I noticed this guy following us, watching us from the other side of the park and using something that looked like a diary only he wasn't writing in it.  He just held it in front of him but in our direction"

"How can you be sure he was following you?  What if he was following Feng instead?" Action felt Cuffe was being paranoid.

"Because after our game Victor went to do some fishing while I headed home...this guy followed me from the table to where I'd parked my car, still holding his diary thing in front of him as if it were some kind of camera" said an agitated Cuffe.

Action stood up and paced the room, slowly.  "This could have waited, Cuffe, until you could get to a police station.  This is my day off" he said.

"Action!  I know if I bring you in on this the job will get done!  These...people...they're getting closer to me and that can't happen!  I want shot of the lot of them, I want no further part of their plans!  Get them off my back, Action!"

Action stood before Cuffe.  "OK, what did this guy look like?" he said.

"Red hair, a little long at the back and Brylcreemed down the sides and at the front.  Pale skin, really pale, and with a tiny downwards pointing triangular beard...also red, like the hair.  Blue/grey denim jacket and faded red pants."

Action wrote this all down.  "OK, I'll make some enquiries" he said.

"Do it, Action...I know you want to catch these people and I think this guy's working with Leanne." said Cuffe.

Action took a deep breath.  "I was thinking the same".  That clinched it; if he could get this guy then maybe he could catch Leanne.  She was the key to the whole mystery.  So the work out will just have to wait...

On his way into town he bumped into his work colleague, Prisha Dhatta.  Action hadn't seen her in that dress before:  It was long with an abstract pattern but cut very, very low to reveal a whole different side of her than Action was used to.

"Dhatta, all dressed up...I hope you have somewhere to go" said Action.

"I'm meeting a guy, Action, it's my day off as well" she replied.

"I didn't know you had a man in your life, Prish" said Action, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"There's a lot about me you don't know" she replied, coyly.  "And right on cue, here he is"

"Prisha!" cried the man, enthusiastically, as he walked down the road.  He was one of those button down types with neatly parted black hair and big, round glasses.  He approached Prisha and kissed her on the cheek.

"Action...this is Herbert" she said, making the introductions.

"Is your name really Action?" said the man.

"Is your name really Herbert?" replied Action, shaking the guy's hand.

"Anyway, we must get getting along now" said Prisha, fearful that Action would say something snide to Herbert.  "I'll see you on Monday, Action"

"Have fun you two" he replied.  Herbert!  He thought.  The guy even looked like one.

The Fashion District, San Myshuno was Action's destination...a diversion of his original plan to hang out in his old neighbourhood of the Spice Quarter where he would shoot some hoops, eat some Ramen and hang with the local cats down at the Waterside Warble.  The Fashion District was a different scene; hip, happening and in touch with the Now Generation.  It was also where Leanne, or one of her associates, tried to shoot Lily Feng and Madelyn Buchanan.

Action cased the area, half in hope that his suspects would show themselves.  Realistically he thought about a line of enquiry he and the police should have taken in the first place, but failed to do so.  They searched the immediate area, they questioned everyone who was in this specific corner of the Fashion District but they hadn't interviewed the food stall vendors or the bar staff.  Action was here to correct that oversight.

As he made his way through the district he came across an anti-war demonstration.

"1...2...3...4...we don't want your Vietnam War!" yelled someone holding a megaphone.  The others present held up signs with the peace symbol and other slogans on them.  Action looked on:  He'd been out there and he knew first hand what it was like.  He didn't have much time for the senior leaders who were mismanaging the war, in his opinion, and getting mired in the dirty business between North and South Vietnam but he still had buddies...fellow Marines...putting their lives on the line and doing their duty and he wondered what they'd think if they knew some folks back home weren't supporting them.  

One of the people at the protest looked on but didn't seem engaged by it.  Action approached her and showed her the photo-fit image of Leanne McGregor and gave a description of this new suspect, asking if she'd seen either of them.  She shook her head.  Action then headed over to the food vendor and was surprised to see that the guy behind the counter was the spitting image of the man Cuffe had described.  He sat down at a bench.

"Hey, can I get a hot dog with onions and mustard?" said Action.

"Yes, certainly sir" said the man, who flashed a momentary look of surprise when he saw Action.

Your hunch payed off, Action he thought to himself.  Yes, it made sense...if this guy was an associate of Leanne's then he'd be the lookout whilst she set up the hit on Lily and Madelyn.

When Action went to collect his hot dog he paid the guy and started to casually question him.

"Say, do you know either Victor Feng or Alan Cuffe?" Action asked.

"I might do, who wants to know?" said the man.

"Detective John Action, Sim City P.D." said Action, showing him his police badge.

"Look...I can't talk now, I'm still on my shift.  I finish in half an hour; I'll meet you over at Planet Honey Pop"

"You'd better" said Action, taking his hot dog and sitting down to eat...all the while observing the vendor.  Once he'd finished he headed over to the bar.

The place was half empty; most patrons were over at the bar..  Action scoped out a place where he could keep an eye on the vendor, in case he decided to slip away.  As he was surveying the scene a familiar looking woman approached him.

"Hi, Action" said Tasha, aka Miss Ginger, in a sultry voice.

"Are you here on business...or are you off duty?" she said.

"A little of both.  Say, do you know who that guy is over there?  The one selling hot dogs?" Action replied.

"Him?  Yeah, his name's Luke...don't know his last name though.  He works over there and usually comes in here at the end of his shift to have a few drinks." Tasha replied.

"Does he have any friends or a crowd he hangs out with here?"

"Not that I know of.  He usually comes and leaves alone but sometimes he'll chat with other customers.  I don't know, I can't quite put my finger on it but he kind of gives me the creeps.  Nothing definite, you know, but there's a creepy aura about him.  Why?  Is he a suspect?"

"Maybe...but I'll need something more to go on than a creepy aura, Tash.  Stay cool, I'll catch you later" said Action, giving Tasha a smile.

"You'd better" said Tasha, flirtatiously.

Action made his way over to the bar and noticed that he could see out the window to the food shack.  Luke continued serving until he pulled the shutter down, whereupon Action lost sight of him momentarily.  He got off the barstool and walked closer to the window, ready to pursue the guy if he tried to cut and run.  But, after a few minutes, this Luke character had changed his outfit from his work overalls to a shirt and tie combo and made his way to the bar.  He saw Action and walked over, sitting down next to him. 

"Detective John Action, I am here as agreed" said Luke.

"What happened to your moustache?" asked Action, noticing that the man's appearance had slightly changed from when he first saw him.

"Appearances can change" replied the man, flatly.

"And you're called Luke...what?  What's your last name?" asked Action.

"You don't need to know" replied Luke, in a cold voice that would chill anyone who was less resilient than Action.

"I think you've forgotten the fact I'm a cop and when I ask someone a question I get an answer; one way or another"

"Not today, John Action.  You have interfered with our activities enough.  Now you will stop."

Action laughed and shook his head.  The audacity of this guy!

"Listen, bud, I've dealt with people who've tried to beat, stab, shoot and blow me up since I began to crawl...many have tried to stop me; they've never succeeded.  Now for the last time, I want some answers to my questions and I'm not intimidated by a hot dog seller who stalks local businessmen."

Luke gave Action a hard stare before saying "You people are so linear thinking...I can hurt you with a thought.  With the power of my mind.  You do not know who and what you're dealing with, John Action." 

Action looked sceptical.

"Very well" continued Luke.  "You will have to be dealt with" and with that, he put his fingers to his temples before shutting his eyes and thinking hard.  Suddenly, Action started to shake and feel a hot, burning and painful sensation in his head whilst a pulsating noise pounded his brain.

"You will forget all about me, about Leanne McGregor, The Visitors, the shooting and the fire bomb...John Action.  You will remember nothing about them." Luke didn't say these things out loud:  He was transmitting them straight into Action's mind.  Action grabbed the counter hard, his knuckles white with the effort of holding on.  He tried with all his might to resist this intrusion into his mind but this was nothing like he'd ever encountered before.  

"Must...resist..." he gasped out loud as he tried to resist whatever it was that Luke was doing to him.

"Forget...it...all" went Luke's voice in Action's mind.

The burning sensation and pulsating stopped.  Action's head jerked forwards and he sat there, dazed.

"You look tired, Detective John Action:  You should go and have a lie down" said Luke.

"I...must...lie...down..." said Action, who stood up and staggered to one of the deep filled sofas in the bar.  He felt so sleepy, barely able to stay awake and when he reached the sofa he flopped down and drifted off.

"Sleep, Detective John Action...deep sleep" said Luke.  The world turned an inky black to Action.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Action!  Action!  Wake up!" came a voice, a woman's voice that sounded familiar.

"Urrugghhhh....soup...soup's good for you...wha?  Wait...where am I?  Katherine?" said Action as he came around.

"No, it's Suzy" said the woman.

"Suzy Q?" said Action

"No.  Suzy Kent.  What happened, Action?  Did you have one too many?" asked Suzy as she helped him to sit up.

"No...I...I don't know.  Why am I here, at the Planet Honey Pop?  Is Katherine here?" he said, groggily.

"I haven't seen her." said Suzy.  Action indicated that he wanted to stand up and Suzy helped him to his feet.  Then she noticed that under his jacket he was wearing his shoulder holster with his gun in it.  "Are you on a case?" she asked.

"I don't know...I remember talking with Prisha Datta and her boyfriend and then...I was going to go for a run and meet Katherine.  But this isn't our usual haunt.  I'm...yeah...I'm meant to be off duty today.  Why have I got my gun on me?"

"You're not steady on your feet...let's talk over here where it's a little more private" said Suzy, indicating a table nearby that was away from the bar.  Action was still very dizzy and couldn't make sense of his surroundings or why he was even there.

"So, Action, Neil and I have discovered some more things about that mysterious tree...I'm not sure it's related to Leanne or not."

"Who? asked Action.

"Leanne McGregor...the woman we think is behind the hit attempts on Feng and Cuffe" 

"What hit attempt?  Who are you talking about?  Do you mean Victor Feng and Alan Cuffe?  I've never met them."

Suzy looked shocked.  "Action...this big case!  Don't you remember?  You've been chasing after this woman for over a week now!"

"Look Suzy, I've just busted that cross-dressing house thief...I know nothing about no attempted murder case."

"That cross-dressing thief you arrested over a month ago!" said Suzy.  "Action, what's happened to you?  How could you forget this case?"

"I...I don't know.  I don't know why I'm here...something happened, Suzy.  Something happened to me today and I just don't know what!"

CHAPTER 106: Fab Gear

 "98...99...100!  And........rest!" said Jeremy after he and Barbara finished their keep fit routine down at Skye Fitness, the exclusive health club that Jeremy had become a member of through his contacts at work.

"Phew, I am ready to collapse into a heap!" said Barbara.

"Ah, not yet...today's a big day!" said Jeremy.

"The way I'm feeling right now I'm not sure I could even open the door of the shop" she gasped, looking for the nearest water cooler to get a drink form.

"I have good news on that front...for the first official opening day of Pack's Clothing I have found you a keen and dedicated shop assistant!"

"Oh yes, who's that?" she asked.

"Me" he said, proudly.  "I've taken the day off so I will be your willing gopher.  I have no idea about fashion but I can work a register, take inventories, do the accounts..."

"Jeremy, that is fab news!" she said, putting her arms around him.  "It will be great...you and me...working together and I'll teach you everything you need to know about how to sell clothes"

"I will put myself into your capable hands" he said, giving her a little kiss.

They showered, dressed and on their way out of the health club they spotted an old friend:  Bakko Jang.  He was setting up his amplifier and tuning his guitar for another public gig.  Jeremy had to go and see him as Bakko was a loyal and wise friend of his.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Sim City's cutest couple...how are you guys doing?" said Bakko, putting down his guitar.

"We're good...invigorated after some exercise" said Jeremy.

"Speak for yourself! I'm aching!" said Barbara.

Bakko let out a little laugh.  "I hope you have enough energy for your grand opening today.  Well done on getting it ready on time.  I was down that way on Friday and had a little look in the window.  Groovy place you've got there, Babs.  I dig the style."

"Thanks Bakko.  Could we tempt you to come along and visit later?" she replied.

"Maybe, guys, maybe...gotta gig at the Narwhal Arms later on but...this is one way I can help...I'll get the word out to all the people I meet and tell them about the shop.  But get a load of you two:  To think how far you have come since I first met you...well done guys; you're beautiful people."

Barbara was moved to go over and give Bakko a big hug, and Jeremy shook his hand vigorously.

"Hey, don't crush my strumming hand!  That's my livelihood!" joked Bakko.

They said their goodbyes and headed over to the boutique.  There it stood; now fully furnished, decorated and stocked.  It was the first day of a new venture and Barbara gulped at the prospect of running a business that she was entirely responsible for.

"OK...this is it!  I'm really nervous!" said Barbara, holding tightly on to Jeremy's hands.

"Teamwork, Barbara, teamwork...I'm here by your side" he replied.  She nodded, reached for the key to the shop and opened the door.  Her kingdom awaited inside.

"Right, what can I do to help?" asked Jeremy.

"OK, erm...I know; can you check to see everything is in its right place and clean and switch on the radio for some background music" said Barbara.

"OK, what station?  A little Mitch Miller or Lawrence Welk or even Perry Como if you want something more out there"

Barbara rolled her eyes.  "None of that square stuff you listen to with your parents, Jeremy.  I want a Carnaby Street vibe in here so we're going British Invasion.  Something like The Who"

"I have no idea who.  I don't know these British bands"

"I mean there's a band called The Who" 

"The what?"

"Not The What...THE WHO!"  

"I'll get cleaning" said Jeremy, puzzled as to why a band would call themselves something vague like 'The Who'.

Jeremy checked over the shop in such detail that Barbara had to hurry him up..."It's nearly 9am, Jeremy, quickly...get ready I'm going to flip the open sign" she said.

They watched the wall clock and counted down the last few seconds:  5...4...3...2...1 and OPEN!  Barbara flipped the sign and jogged back to the cash register.  Jeremy looked around, wondering where he should be in the shop.

And nothing happened for the first fifteen minutes.  Barbara and Jeremy had primed themselves for the moment of opening they were motionless enough that anyone passing might mistake them for one of the mannequins.  One very trendily dressed young woman walked past the shop, paused by the window and for a moment Barbara thought she would be their first customer, but in the end the woman walked on and off into the distance.

Eventually someone did enter the shop:  A lady of Asian descent who was wearing a long, floral patterned dress.  Jeremy recognised her.

"Hello...it's Officer Datta, isn't it?"  he said.

"Yes it is...now I know you from somewhere, don't I?" she responded.

"I'm John Action's neighbour.  We met once before" 

"Oh yes, so this is your shop...is it?" she said, looking around.

"Well, it's my girlfriend's actually...I'm helping out for the day.  Can I help with anything?"

Barbara came over to them.  "Hello, I'm Barbara and welcome to Pack's Clothing."

"Well...I've been invited to something called a 'mod party' and I'm looking for a new party dress" said Datta.

"I've got this from here, Jeremy" said Barbara.

"Thanks" he replied, quietly.  "I have no idea what you wear to a mod party"

Barbara took Prisha Datta and showed her various items that might be suitable for the event but it wasn't long before a second customer entered and Jeremy had to deal with him.

The young man looked intense and worried and his gaze darted from mannequin to shelf to display pedestal.  With Barbara busy with Prisha, Jeremy felt he had to step up to the plate to help the man.

"Erm, hello.  I'm Jeremy and I work here...well, I kind of help out here...it's my girlfriend's shop and...you don't actually need to know any of that except that I'm here to answer any questions and hopefully find what you're looking for"

The young man gave Jeremy a blank stare before eventually speaking.  "Yeah, so my roomies tell me that they don't want to be seen in public with me whilst I'm wearing this T-shirt...shirts, really, I own 5 exact copies...and, well, you know what it's like with women..." he said gesturing to Barbara with his head.  "There's this chick I share a house with and she's like really hot and groovy and...you know, man, I've got to dress to impress and all that scene."

"I think...I follow you" said Jeremy.  "Dress to impress a woman..." he said, looking frantically around the shop.  "...I think we can help you in that department...let's try....over there!" he said, pointing towards a couple of male mannequins.  He spotted a brochure for the clothing supply company on the countertop and grabbed that:  He needed a script to work from.

Meanwhile Barbara was giving advice to Prisha.  "Now this peppermint green dress is the height of fashion at the moment..." she said, indicating the mannequin.

Prisha looked at it and hummed "I'm not sure...I have seen that exact dress around town and I want something more distinctive"

"OK...I think I have just the thing!" said Barbara.

The young man, who was named Mitchell, went into the changing booth to try on an outfit that Jeremy recommended.  Mitchell stepped out of the booth to inspect himself in the mirror whilst Jeremy read the text from the brochure.

"This patterned shirt, made from a Dacron/Draylon mix is the cutting edge in male style, especially when teamed with these Crimplene slacks.  Only $13.80 when bought with the shirt."

"I dunno, man" said Mitchell.  "I think the shirt's too snug around my gut... I can see some of my belly hairs poking out"

Jeremy grimaced at the idea of "belly hairs" poking through a shirt.  "I'm sure we can find something more suitable" he said, looking around the shop again.

Prisha still couldn't make up her mind as Barbara showed her more and more things to try on but another customer entered the shop, then another.  "If you require any help, sir, just give me or my assistant a call and we'll be with you in a moment" she said.

"I'm still with this other guy!" said Jeremy, softly, to her. 

"Just leave these new people to browse and if they look like they want to ask something, let them know you'll be along as soon as you can.  Don't make them feel ignored" said Barbara.

As Jeremy and Barbara tried to help their most indecisive customers it turned out that Prisha and Mitchell helped each other.  He was trying on a Corduroy suit with a brown turtleneck sweater underneath and this drew favourable comment from Prisha.

"I have a work colleague who wears those kinds of suits...and he's the coolest man I've ever met" she said.

Mitchell raised an eyebrow and said "Really?"  He looked again in the mirror, sucked in his gut and stood in profile to inspect himself.  "Yeah, I like the idea of this kind of suit but...I don't like the colour.  What is this, mycelium?"

"I have a similar suit over here but in more a kind of orange...orangey brownish...well, something like that" said Jeremy, indicating another mannequin.

Meanwhile Barbara thought she'd hit the jackpot with Prisha.  "OK" she asked the customer "how are you with short?"

"Short?  As in mini short?" replied Prisha.

"Yes, mini...quite mini in fact.  Would that present a problem?"

"Erm...." Prisha thought.  "Well...I am proud of my Indian heritage so I like the long, flowing look with the hint of the traditional Hindi style.  I've never worn a miniskirt though"

"OK, now you might not like this but give it a go" said Barbara, holding out a few blue wisps of nothing much.  "It's mod...very mod.  It's about the most mod dress I have in stock at the moment."

Prisha took it from Barbara's hands and felt the material.  "My, this is so light, so delicate to the touch!" she said.

"Double layer chiffon over satin" said Barbara.

Prisha thought about it.  Well, I'll try it for the material alone" she said and Barbara showed her the way to the changing room.

It was a nervous few minutes for Barbara as she saw yet another customer enter and she was keen to close the deal and sell her first item.  Eventually Prisha emerged from the changing room and Barbara let out a gasp when she saw the dress on the customer.

"How do you like it?" asked Barbara.

"Hmmm" said Prisha, taking a few steps up and down and looking in the mirror.  The fabric feels amazing but....wow, that's a lot of leg I'm showing.  She looked herself up and down once more.  Yes...YES...I like this a lot!  I'll take it"

Barbara cheered inside and could hear the cash register ringing in her head.  Jeremy too was having some luck.  Mitchell had found something he liked as well.

"Yeah, I can dig this" said Mitchell.

Two sales down but more customers were entering the shop.

"No resting on our laurels!" said Jeremy to Barbara.

As well as full outfits, accessories were selling well too:  Men's shoes, women's earrings and sunglasses were shifting and eventually the division of labour was changed so that Barbara assisted the customers and made sales whilst Jeremy restocked items sold.

5pm came around and, as the last customer left with a purchase of a Dacron/Draylon patterned shirt Barbara could finally flip to shop sign to "closed".  She turned to Jeremy and said "phew, what a first day!  We had more customers than I'd expected.  How did we do sales wise?"

Jeremy had the accounts book in front of him.  "You might want to sit down for this bit of news" he said.

"OK, sock it to me" said Barbara.

"Now this is subtracting utility bills and restocking sold items but....the profit for today was....$534."

"Five...hundred...?" gasped Barbara.

"...and thirty four Simoleons...oh and 75 cents" said Jeremy.

"That's way above our projections!  And that profit goes straight into our bank account?"

"It goes straight into our bank account"

Barbara was left speechless.  Jeremy produced a bag from behind the counter.  "Now I took the liberty of having a little trophy commissioned to celebrate your first sale...I thought it might look good hanging from that wall" he said, pulling a framed certificate with the words "CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST SALE: BARBARA DUBOIS, PROPRIETOR, PACK'S CLOTHING" written on it.  He hung it on a spare picture hook on one of the walls.

Barbara was moved and called Jeremy over.  "Tell me, lover, how much profit did we make today?" she said, grabbing him around the waist.

"Five hundred and thirty four Simoleons..." he whispered as her mouth drew close to his "and seventy....five....cents..."

"You're so sexy when you quote statistics!" she said, pulling him closer for a big kiss.

"Phew...I feel giddy!" said Jeremy.

"There's more where that came from..." said Barbara, seductively.

"No, seriously, I actually feel giddy...and hot...and nauseous" 

"And you've got red blotches all over your face...we need to get you home this instant!"

Once back home Jeremy took a big gulp of medicine whilst Barbara made them a meal.  Sitting next to each other on the sofa they looked back on a first, successful day of the boutique.

"I swear that Mitchell guy hadn't washed that shirt he came in with for weeks...maybe even months.  I must have gotten a flea bite from it"

"I could not have got through this day without you; maybe a career in retail is beckoning?" she said, smiling.

"I was rushed off my feet I can tell you; I think I like my office desk just fine.  But we did learn a lot today; you'll be fine tomorrow"

The two of them snuggled and unwound from the day's events.  Barbara eventually decided to call it a night and headed to bed.  Jeremy wanted to stay up a little bit later to watch the latest episode of The Saint.

 No sooner had the words "may I present to Your Majesty the infamous Simon Templar", the familiar halo appearing above The Saint's head and the opening theme tune started, there was a knock at the door.  Jeremy went to see who it was and found Suzy Kent on the front porch.

"Hey, Jeremy, I just dropped by to see how the grand opening went"

"Barbara's gone to bed but...yeah, it went really well.  Well, that's what the balance sheet says" he said.

"Did you sell that trendy blue dress I told Barbara about?" Suzy enquired.

"Heck, I don't know what we were selling...she was the expert, I just muddled through.  What is 'Dacron' anyway?"

Suzy laughed and Jeremy ushered her inside where he could tell her more about the day.

"It sounds like you guys had a great first day" said Suzy.

"We did...and I'll tell you now; that was the best day off I've ever had!" Jeremy replied.

Suzy turned to him and looked him in the eyes.  "You're perhaps the finest man I know" she said.

Jeremy blushed.  "I mean, what about Neil?  What about your dad?" he blurted.

"You remind me a bit of both of them.  You're Barbara's very own White Knight:  All that's missing is the horse and the armour"