CHAPTER 114: Fire Down Below

The young woman walked purposefully past the opulent mansions of Skyward Palms.  It was not a place she visited often but today there was important work to be done.  The other members of the Triangle had been careless lately and had betrayed its secrets to an outsider; someone who had not been assessed and approved.  A message had to be sent to the other two factions, a warning that they must be more careful in the future.  The members of the Triangle had been selected over decades of close and careful observation; characters assessed, behaviour predicted and destinies shaped.

In the distance she could see the person that needed to be confronted:  Nancy Landgraab was a very predictable person, always going for a fitness run beginning at precisely 6am and lasting exactly one hour.  She had a different route for each day of the week and it happened that this morning was the Skyward Palms route.  The young woman crossed the road and stood directly in the path of Nancy.

As Nancy approached the woman, she swerved slightly to avoid her but the woman matched her move and blocked her.  Nancy took two steps to the left to continue around her but again, the woman matched the moved and blocked her path again.

"Excuse me, I need to get past" said Nancy.

"You are.  Landgraab.  Nancy.  Businesswoman.  Confirm" said the woman.

"I beg your pardon?" replied an incredulous Nancy.

"You are.  Landgraab.  Nancy.  Businesswoman.  Confirm" the woman repeated.

"I am, and who might you be?" said Nancy, getting annoyed.

"I represent the interests of your partners in the Triangle."

"Lilly Feng sent you?  I might have guessed" said Nancy.

"No.  Your other partners" said the woman, coldly.  Nancy went quiet.

"Oh.  I didn't expect to hear from you.  It's been a long time..." she said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"The agreed protocol was violated" said the woman.

"Not by me or my husband"

"Irrelevant.  Protocol was violated.  Action to remedy this has been taken"

"Wait, were you the one who tried to shoot Lily Feng?" asked Nancy.

"Action to remedy this has been taken" repeated the woman and she turned to look at the mansion known as Granada Place.

"Wait...that's Alan Cuffe's house!" said Nancy in shock.  "He's not a participant!  What are you going to do?"

"Action.  To remedy this.  Has been taken" said the woman, also turning to look at the mansion.

The woman walked off, noticing that there was a visitor to the house.  Collateral damage, she thought, not her concern.

The doorbell of Granada Place rang and Alan Cuffe went to answer it.  The woman on the doorstep was a dark haired lady of about 30 years of age wearing and all black outfit with a chrome chain link belt.

"Marina, lovely to see you, you're looking fantastic" said Cuffe, enthusiastically and kissing her on the cheek.

"Alan, I couldn't resist your call" replied the woman, Marina Beckett.  She was a member of the Sim City Police Department and someone who would pass information on to Cuffe if she thought it would affect him or his business.  The two had met at a Police Benevolent Fund dinner last year and hit it off.  Now she was another entry in his famed "little black book".

"Do come inside" said Cuffe.  "I would dearly love to wine and dine you all day but, alas, business is calling so I can only spend a precious little amount of time with you today but I promise I'll make it up to you"

"I'll keep you to that" she said, smiling.

"But let me cut straight to business..." said Cuffe, ushering her into his living room.  "John Action...is he still investigating Madelyn?"

"He hasn't ruled her out as a person of interest in that shooting" Marina replied.

Cuffe shook his head.  "That's too bad.  This month is a potentially difficult one for me and my business:  The first Lothario Kitten Club premises is opening this week and I don't want any adverse publicity affecting it.  I would appreciate some help from you, Marina"

"What can I do?  It's not my case" she replied.

"Couldn't you steer him away from me and Madelyn?" asked Cuffe.  "Dig around, try to put the suspicion on the Fengs or Landgraabs for example; you should have plenty of leads linking them to something nefarious.  I mean, why not suggest that Malcolm Landgraab...desperate to maintain his dear mother's honour, tried to have Feng shot or something like that?"

"I don't know...Action is pretty hard headed...or haven't you noticed?" said Marina.

"Oh I have, Marina, I certainly have...anyway, I must change into more suitable attire for my meeting.  I'll leave you here to warm your hands over the fire and consider what I said.  I'm not asking you to do anything illegal...just leave a trail of crumbs away from me and towards someone else." and with that, he stood up to leave to go to his bedroom.

Marina stood up and paced around the room.  This was the biggest request Cuffe had ever made of her and she wasn't sure what to do.  Maybe she could just gently suggest to Action that Feng or Landgraab were more responsible for the shooting than they're letting on?  Maybe she could go through the records and put a few criminal files of known hit men on his desk?  What harm could it do?  After all, Alan wouldn't resort to murder, she was sure of that.

Alan returned wearing a blazer and cravat.  "Have you thought about my suggestion?" he asked.

"I have" replied Marina.  "Leave it with me, I'll see what I can do"

"Excellent, well I have time for one little drink...would you care to join me?" he said and as he reclined on his chair he was about to summon Madelyn to pour some drinks when he noticed a brilliant flash of light and a jet of fire shoot out from the fireplace, almost filling the room.  He instinctively ducked down for cover as the fireball shot over his head.  Sitting back up to see what was going on he saw that Marina was on fire!

"MARINA!" he cried out.  "Drop to the ground and roll!  Marina!"

Cuffe leapt to his feet and looked around for a rug or even curtain to wrap around her to smother the fire.  The woman began to panic and thrash about as the flames engulfed her body.  "Drop, Marina, DROP!" yelled Cuffe as he struggled to tear one of the curtain's off of its railing.  He had a flashback to when he was in the Army Air Force in World War 2 when he had to pull an injured crewman from a burning B-17 bomber.

"Madelyn!" he screamed.  "Get the fire extinguisher from the kitchen....NOW!" 

Madelyn came running in with the extinguisher and quickly read the instructions as Marina still burned.  

"Hurry up!  She'll be a gonner soon!" yelled Cuffe.

Madelyn pulled the safety pin out of the extinguisher, aimed the hose and squeezed the handle.  CO2 gas shot out of the nozzle and onto the burning figure of Marina.

The CO2 did its work and the fire was put out.  Marina collapsed to the ground, her clothing was charred and melting...some of the molten nylon had stuck to her skin which was badly burned.  Alan picked up the phone and called the Fire Department and asked for an ambulance...but tellingly not the police...whilst Madelyn put Marina's burned body into the recovery position.

Meanwhile, outside, the strange young woman cast a glance at a terrified Nancy Landgraab.  Nancy decided to run and keep running.

12:45pm, WILLOW CREEK

"Anything biting today, Spenser?" asked John Action to an old acquaintance of his, Spenser Lam.  Spenser liked to come to Foundry Cove to do a bit of fishing and he was always grateful to Action ever since he helped sort out gang trouble in Spenser's neighbourhood.  

"Not much, Action...say, I just heard on the radio that a policewoman was injured in a fire.  Is she someone you know?" said Spenser.

Action nodded.  "Yeah, and she works in the same precinct as me.  Word from the hospital is that she's in a stable condition"

"I hope she pulls through, Action."

"Thanks, Spenser, you take care and hopefully you'll get a good catch" 

"I hope so too!"

SKYWARD PALMS, 1:35pm

"So this is how the other half live?" thought Action to himself as he arrived at the site of the fire; Granada Place which was owned by none other than Mr Alan Cuffe himself.  Well, well, well, thought Action, isn't that man at the centre of everything these days?

He headed over to the lounge, where the fire happened and found a team of Fire Department investigators plus his own colleague, forensic expert Bibi Stahler.

"Bibi...what's the latest?" he asked.

"Fire investigators are already saying it's arson" she replied.  "Traces of an accelerant not commercially available were found in the fireplace.  The witness says it was like an explosion so we're looking into the possibility it was a bomb"

"Where is Cuffe at the moment?" asked Action.

"Upstairs" said Bibi.  Action nodded thanks and headed up to find Cuffe and his live in assistant, Madelyn.

"Mr Cuffe, we meet again" said Action.

"It appears so" said Cuffe, wearily.  "How's Marina?" he asked.

"In a stable condition:  She's got 2nd degree burns to large parts of her body." replied Action.  "So you're on first name terms, are you?"

"Yes, she's a friend.  I know her socially" said Cuffe.

"So why was she visiting you?"

"Like I said, it was a social call...just two friends catching up" replied Cuffe.

"But you had a business appointment to get to and this social call was, what, just for half an hour or so?  Why trouble Marina Beckett to travel from Willow Creek, where she lives, to Skyward Palms...over an hour's drive away...just for a half an hour meeting?"

Cuffe paused.  "She was in the area and wanted to ask my opinion about a matter" he said.

"Which was?"

"She was pitching an idea for a future Lothario article:  Women in uniform...she said she knows a couple of hot looking policewomen and, well, she's a very attractive woman; I could see potential in such an article"

Action said nothing but just nodded.  Did this story ring true?  Well, once Marina had recovered sufficiently he'd be asking her why she was there.  Madelyn then appeared on the upstairs balcony.

"Detective Action...how is she?" she asked.

"As I said to Alan, she's stable.   Doctors say she'll pull through." Action replied.  "Madelyn...did you notice anyone or anything suspicious outside or in the area at the time of the fire?"

"No.  I was in the kitchen when it happened and the kitchen looks out over the garden and the lake, not the road.  I saw nothing unusual."

"It looks like foul play at the moment and now there's been two attempts on your lives...I need to know who's out to get you, Mr Cuffe" said Action.

Cuffe threw his hands up in the air "How the hell should I know!" he said in frustration.  "As my business expands I'm now moving in the circles of the rich and powerful and they, as I have found out, have enemies.  The only threats I'm getting is from those crackpots over at the League of Decency"

"The League of Decency?" asked a puzzled Action.

"Yeah, a bunch of whackos who want my business shut down.  They hate sex, sexy people, the libertine lifestyle and fun in general...my office gets bombarded with mail from them demanding that I cease publishing Lothario magazine with threats of protesting outside of my premises.  I'm sure you'll find someone truly unhinged and capable of murder among that lot!"

"Thanks, I'll look into that" said Action, standing up.  "I'll check with the forensic team downstairs but rest assured, Mr Cuffe, I will call on you again so don't leave town."

"Action..." said Cuffe.  "...keep me posted on Marina's condition" he said with concern and sadness in his voice.  Action nodded and left Cuffe and Madelyn.

After checking on the team, Action's work shift had formally ended.  He'd agreed to meet his girlfriend, Katherine, at the Spice Quarter in downtown San Myshuno.  

"Now you are a sight for sore lips" said Action, taking in the beauty of Katherine after his tough shift.  They embraced each other and kissed.

"Ahhh, that's so good." said Katherine.  "Hey, how are you holding up?  I heard about your colleague and the fire"

"I'm doing OK" he said.  "Just got to wait for forensics to do their job before I can do mine.  Anyway, let's hang out and have some fun"

"Sounds good to me...it's the flea market today, fancy some bargains?"

"And here I was thinking you liked the expensive things in life" he said with a smile.

"Hey, I like that lamp" he said, stopping by one stall.

"I told you there would be something just right for you here" she smiled.

"Yeah, I can see that lamp just by the bookcase...hey, I'll take this" he said to the vendor.

"That's 15 Smoleons" said the guy.

"Done" said Action.  "I'll stop by before I get home to collect it"

Turning to Katherine, he put an arm around her waist and said "After all, I need to keep my hands free for more important things".

They stopped at another table and Action saw a carved, wooden elephant.  "Hey, buddy, do you know where that's from?" he asked the vendor.

"Yeah, it's an old vacation souvenir from Kenya" said the man.

"Kenya!  I need a little bit of African stuff for the house....what's it worth?"

"$25"

"I'll give you 15"

"No way, 20 at least"

"18"

"Done"  This time, Action took the little figurine with him.

Action and Katherine went to sit down and chat more whilst they listened to the local busker on guitar.  They were joined by a familiar face; Barbara Dubois.  

"Do you mind if I sit with you while I eat this meal?" she asked.

"Sure, go ahead" replied Action.  "Have you met Katherine before?"

"I have not.  Lovely to meet you; I've heard lots about you...all good" said Barbara.

They chatted for a bit until the subject of the fire came up again.  "How is your friend?" asked Barbara.

"Recovering." replied Action.  "She's not conscious yet so we haven't been able to talk to her about what happened."

"Do you think it has anything to do with that shooting...I mean, Alan Cuffe and his assistant seem to be targets?" asked Barbara.

"Could be...could be" mused Action.

"Anyway, enough about that" said Action.  "How's the shop going?"

"You have a shop?" asked an inquisitive Katherine.

"Yes, a fashion boutique on Magnolia Promenade.  It's only been the first week since we opened but it's going well.  I'm kept VERY busy!" said Barbara.

"You must write down the name and address...I'd love to come and visit it" said Katherine.

"Yes..." said Barbara, reaching into her handbag and pulling out a small pad and pen.  "Here we go.  Anyway, I'm looking for little artistic objects for the shop to decorate it and I want to look around before the market closes...all the best, Action, and lovely to meet you, Katherine"

"She's a lovely girl" said Katherine.  "and that's Jeremy's girlfriend?  Lucky man"

"How about getting a drink at the bar?" said Action.  Katherine looked enthusiastic.

They headed over to the Waterside Warble and ordered drinks.  Sitting on the plush sofa in the bar they began to chat but Katherine had noticed Action was distracted.

"It's this case, isn't it?" said Katherine

"That obvious, eh?" replied Action.  "Look, this isn't a random case; this is another officer who's been hurt and I believe it's somehow linked to that attempted shooting"

"So you think Alan Cuffe and his assistant are the targets?"

"It's increasingly looking that way but the question is why?  Cuffe thinks the people out to get him is this League of Decency.  Ever heard of them?"

Katherine shook her head.  "Not come across that name before.  They might be a registered charity, I could look into whether they are or not"

"That would be great.  This case is eating me up from within:  Who and what is going on?"

At that moment another person had entered the bar; Spenser Lam, who John had seen earlier on in the day.

"Yo, Spenser, what brings you here?" he said.

"Oh just out and about.  Say, I heard on the news that it was a fire bomb this morning and the funny thing is, I drove past that area just a few minutes before the bomb went off."

Action sat up all of a sudden.  "What did you see?" he said.

"Not much...I was checking out the fishing spots there because the lake waters are usually good around there.  I caught up with an old friend, Bjorn Bjergsen...we often go fishing together....and he said the lake had been overfished recently so I went on to Willow Creek.  I did spot a couple of women having a discussion right outside the home that got bombed."

"Can you give me a description?" said Action, enthusiastically.

"Erm...one was a blonde lady in a white outfit.  The other lady I don't remember much about.  Dark hair...wearing a hat.  Hmmm, Bjorn got a better look as he was there before I arrived and hung around afterwards."

"Spenser, you've been a star!" said Action, jotting all this down in his notebook.  He stood up to go to the phone in the bar so he could call Precinct 13 headquarters when he noticed Katherine still next to him.  He sat back down.

"Sorry baby, I forgot we're on our date" he said, apologetically.

"Just go, Action" she replied.  "This is eating you up, you need to get that information to your colleagues now, not later.  We'll do this another time"

"Rain cheque, I promise!" he said kissing her cheek before getting up and going to a payphone mounted on the wall.

"Hello, Precinct 13?  Who's that I'm speaking to?  Bibi?  Perfect...any new developments?  Really?  Well I've got a potential witness who might lead us to some suspects.  Run a check on a Bjorn Bjergsen...can't be many of them in Sim City.  I'm at the Spice Quarter, I'll meet you halfway to the station at the Arts District...and get Bjergsen there as well!"

Twenty minutes later and the precinct forensic officer met up with Action outside the Casbah Gallery: The midpoint between the Waterside Warble and police headquarters.

"Did you manage to track down Bjergsen?" asked Action.

"Yes, and he will be here shortly" replied Bibi.  "I have a more detailed report than the preliminary one I gave you at the mansion"

"Go on"

"We found traces of a chemical accelerant, not found on the wood or coal that is commercially sold for fireplaces.  It seems the coal was coated in this substance which lies dormant except for when it comes into contact with another chemical and heated"

"So what's this other accelerant and where was that in relation to the coal?" asked Action.

"We also found the remains of a small container which was connected to a miniature radio receiver."

"It was a remote control detonator?  Is that what you're saying?"

"Ja.  A remotely operated device...only a small receiver so range wouldn't be good"

"But far enough for someone to press the button standing on the other side of the street from Granada Place" Action nodded, another part of the jigsaw fell into place.  "Which means if Bjorgsen can give us a description of the two women standing outside of the house we may have a suspect!"

They waited a little longer, talking about the case in more detail when Mr Bjergsen arrived.

"Are you Detective Action?" the man asked.

"John Action and my associate, Bibi Stahler" replied Action.

"I was told over the phone you want to know whether I saw anyone in Skyward Palms this morning" said Bjergsen.

"That's correct, sir.  Did you see two women having a discussion at around 10am right outside of Granada Place, where the bomb went off?"

"I did as a matter of fact.  A blonde lady...age 30-35 I guess...hard to tell, she was wearing sunglasses.  She was wearing white tracksuit."

"And the other lady?" asked Action.

"Ah, now she struck me as odd.  I remember her being quite thin, long dark hair, dark eyes that penetrated your soul when you made eye contact with her?"

"Did you speak to her, or just look?" said Action.

"Only looked in her direction the one time as I got out of my car and walked to the lake.  But I shan't forget those penetrating eyes...like she could see right into you.  I must say it seemed unsettling at the time but I put it out of my mind.  She was wearing a black and white patterned dress...short, like all the young women are wearing these days...over an orange sweater and she had a black cap on as well."

Action jotted this all down; the description of this lady sounded familiar.  He couldn't place where, though.

"Did you overhear anything they said?" said Action.

"Not really...the blonde lady seemed upset about something, the dark haired one was cold as ice to hear.  No emotion in the voice at all.  But I didn't catch what they were saying, just how they were saying it"

"Well, that's a start" said Action to Bibi when he had finished taking Bjergsen's statement and the latter had gone home.  "Now why does that description of the dark haired woman sound familiar?" he mused.

"I don't know, but the description of the other lady...white tracksuit, blonde...that matches Nancy Landgraab on one of her epic runs" said Bibi.

"It doesn't make sense that she would want to kill Cuffe.  Let's grab a drink and sit down to sort this out"

They grabbed a couple of drinks from the bar and found a nearby table to sit at and talk.  

"The remote device...was it sophisticated?" he asked.

"Yes.  I'd say so.  The miniaturisation and precision was of the highest quality workmanship.  It's lucky that Cuffe ducked when he did"

"OK, so he and Marina are standing by the fireplace.  Do you remember where the windows are in that room and what they look out on to?"

"Yes, the road outside"

"Precisely where Bjergsen says the two women were standing.  The trigger mechanism can be concealed in the palm of a hand"

"Conceivably" replied Bibi.  "enough at that range"

"But who is this woman?  Black and white dress, orange sweater, penetrating eyes...penetrating, penetrating" he repeated the word softly to himself, in search of inspiration.

"or rather....HYPNOTIC!  That's where I've seen her before!  I was on patrol in Oasis Springs and some guy said a woman matching that description had hypnotised her!"

"Do you think it's the same woman?"

"The man said she was evil and trying to hypnotise him...he also claimed she had levitated!"

"Clearly this man was out of his mind on drugs" said Bibi, dismissively.

"No, that's it.  The guy passed a drugs test...he was clean.  And get this...that incident happened outside of Cuffe's old house in Oasis Springs!...I'm telling you, find that woman and you've found our arsonist...maybe even shooter as well!"

CHAPTER 113: A Friend In Need

"So that's the dress, the maid of honour dress, the signature colour, the date and the venue sorted out..." said Suzy to her fiancé, Neil.

"And the car" he interjected.

"Oh yes, the car.  You'll be glad to note that I've rehearsed getting in and out of the car with grace and panache" she added.

"One more thing, the entertainment.  We've got Bakko doing that" said Neil.

"Good point...well, that just leaves..."

"About another million things to organise" said Neil with a sigh.

"We'll get it done...it's only six weeks away now.  Anyway, I must get to work.  We've got a big fashion promotion going on."

"Hey, isn't that a new dress you're wearing?" said Neil.

"It is...thanks for noticing" she replied.  "Don't worry, I haven't spent our honeymoon money on this:  It's a freebie from one of the designers we work with.  They're actually paying us to wear their gear and in return we get to keep it.  What do you think?"

"That sounds like a good deal" said Neil.

"No!  Not the deal,  the dress...in fact, the whole outfit:  They gave me the dress, the shoes and the tights"

"It's....quite short" he said.

"Yes.  That's the latest fashion" said Suzy, matter of factly.

"I mean, it's bound to attract attention"

"It's meant to turn heads but actually I'm not displaying that much flesh.  It's got long sleeves, a turtle neck and my legs are covered by these tights...don't you just love the colour and the pattern?" she said slowly running her hands up her leg.  Neil let out a contented sigh.

"You like it when I do that" she said, with a wink.

"You've got the best pair of legs in Sim City" he said, shuffling closer to her.

"Kind of you to notice" she said and they leant in to kiss.  Neil went to place his hand gently on her knee but no sooner had he done so she stood up.  "I really, really, really want to continue this but I've just noticed the time...time for work"  she said.

"Wow, I need to be off as well...love you" he said, giving her one last peck.

"You too, now scoot!" she replied.

Suzy arrived at the offices of "Hey Wow" magazine, dazzling the reception staff in her new outfit.  She made her way to her desk, which was in an open plan office.  As a hip, with-it magazine, the proprietors and editor thought an open office was ideal for the staff to throw around ideas to each other to create a happening vibe.  Suzy, her expertise being fashion, sat next to Layla; who was the magazine's music reporter.

Suzy was hammering out a piece on "top 10 trends you MUST have NOW" but her mind kept drifting to what the Landgraabs and Fengs were up to right now.  She desperately wanted to find out more but that article didn't pay the bills but this trends one did.

"Say, Layla, what's happening in the world of music?" she asked her colleague.

"I've received some singles to review:  Chris Montez, Bobby Fuller and something called...let's see..." she said picking up one of the records.  "My Little Red Book by Love...never heard of them.  Oh, it's written by Burt Bacharach; I'm off to see him in concert on Friday.  He'll have Dionne Warwick and Cilla Black performing with him as well."

"Lucky you" said Suzy.  "I'll still be at this desk on Friday if I can't think of 4 more must have trends"

"Hats?" suggested Layla.

"Actually I was thinking more like belts.  Lots of belts.  Thick ones made of plastic or metal rings.  That's it, only 3 more to go"

Suzy picked up a newspaper that was lying on a nearby coffee table to get some inspiration and saw a photo of Nancy Landgraab attending a large, charity event.  "What makes her tick?" she mused.  Suddenly the last 3 fashionable items didn't seem important to her anymore...getting to the truth was more important.  She went back to her desk, ripped out the sheet of paper she was typing and started again....this time the title was Top Seven Trends You Must Have Now.  Layla looked over at Suzy's desk with curiosity.

"Why change it from 10 to 7?" she asked.

"Because the truth is you don't need 10...you only need 7.  If I were to pad this out unnecessarily then I wouldn't be truthful" Suzy replied.

 Later on, back home, Suzy and Neil caught up with each other.  "How about I open a bottle of wine and we have a nice, relaxing night in?" he said.

"Sounds great...I'll just powder my nose first" said Suzy.  Neil went to get the wine and some snacks when there was a knock at the door.

"The best laid plans of mice and men..." he sighed as he went to answer it.  It turned out to be a friend of his, Andre.

"Andre?  What's up man, you look like you've had a nasty shock" said Neil.  Andre was looking downcast and miserable.

"Neil, old buddy, I don't think I can take this dating malarkey any longer!" said Andre in a panicked voice.

"Did tonight's go badly?" asked Neil.  He knew that Andre had been trying to get a date these last few months since he broke up with his old girlfriend.

"Badly?  It was a disaster...and I've had three of them this week!"

"Come inside and I'll pour you a drink...tell me all about it" said Neil.  The romantic evening in would have to go on hold.

"So what went wrong?" asked Neil

"Monday's date....she got drunk and proceeded to smash up the bar" sighed Andre.  "Wednesday's date took one look at me and screamed like I was..."

"One of the Beatles?" said Neil.

"No, like I was Vincent Price" said a despondent Andre.  "And tonight's date walked into the bar, took one look at me and walked out without pausing or stopping"

"Oh..." said Neil, stuck for something encouraging to say.  "Well, old buddy, just hang out here with us for a little bit...you've got friends here" he eventually said.

Neil went to see Suzy, who was in the bedroom touching up her make up.  "Suz, slight change of plan" he said.  "An old friend of mine has just popped around and he's in a pretty bad way"

"Oh, what's the matter?" asked Suzy.

"He's been jilted...a lot.  Got stood up on his wedding day last year and he's never really recovered from that.  He's trying the dating circuit again and...well...it's going really badly for him.  He needs a bit of cheering up so I invited him to hang out with us.  Is that OK?  I know it means putting our nice evening in by ourselves on hold"

"Ouch!  No, poor guy, by all means let him hang out here.  Do you want to just be you guys and I'll lurk in the background?"

"You don't have to...maybe a woman's perspective could encourage him?" said Neil.

Suzy went out to say hello to Andre, who she had never met before.  "Hi, I'm Suzy, Neil's fiancée" she said.

Andre stood stunned when he saw her and looked her up and down before speaking.  "I'm Andre...wow, you're everything Neil said you were"

"I'm hoping he said nice things" said Suzy.

"Only nice things" said Andre.

"Neil said you've had a rough time this evening...a date went badly?" she asked.

"It was the worst!" Andre replied.

"Well you seem charming and polite so she must have had a problem" said Suzy.  "Come and have a seat and Neil will get you something to drink.

 Andre asked for a coffee and sat down at the table.  Neil tried to encourage him.  "Suzy works for 'Hey, Wow' magazine...I bet she has loads of tips for dating"

"As a matter of fact, I wrote a column about it last month" said Suzy.  "The key thing is to remain positive, despite the setbacks"

"I don't know...the more I strike out, the harder it gets" said Andre with a sigh.

"Some women sense panic and fear..." said Suzy.

"You sensed panic and fear in me when we first met" Neil replied.

"Actually you radiated positive energy when we first met" Suzy corrected him.  "You talked passionately about your art, which is what attracted me.  It was only afterwards, when we got talking more that I realised you were shy and needed a little coaxing"

"That's true!" said Andre.  "Back in college, Neil was too terrified to speak to girls!"

"But get him talking about something he likes and he relaxes and becomes positive, strong and....attractive" she said, winking at Neil.  "And that's what you need a bit of...positive energy, Andre."

"How do I get that?" he asked.

"Start with your body language...now sit down over here and show me you being relaxed" said Suzy.  Andre gingerly stood up and walked to the sofa where he sat down next to her.

"You've got to be confident in yourself and let that radiate out" said Suzy.  "Right now you appear all tensed up"

"I am all tensed up" he replied.

"But there's no need to be.  Make yourself comfortable and at ease"

"I don't know if I can manage this!  What if everyone thinks I'm a loser?" 

"Don't think of yourself like that" said Suzy, trying to encourage him.  "OK, let's try something different.  Stand up.  Now give me a power walk"

"A what?"

"A walk that says you're in charge, you know who you are and what you like..." she said.

"Where did you get that line from?" asked Andre.

"An advert for men's cologne but that's not important...what is important is that you need to have better body language.  Now stand up, inhale, exhale, clench, unclench, shoulders back, head held high, you OWN this room!  Say it!"

"I own this room" he replied, meekly.

"More positive!" she said.

"I OWN THIS ROOM!"

"That's better...now give me a quick walk and turn.  And one...two...three....turn...hello!"

"How do you feel now?" she asked.

"Stupid...but I see where you're going with this" Andre replied.

She gave some more tips for Andre while Neil kept everyone supplied with drinks.  Andre thanked both of them for their time and went home.

"Aww, poor guy...his confidence has really taken a hit" she said.

"Yeah, he never gets the lucky breaks which is a shame because he's a really nice guy" said Neil.  "Which makes me all the more lucky because I found you" he said, giving her a kiss.

"Hmm, love you too" she said.  "Is Andre on our guest list because..."

"I know where you're going with this...yes he is.  Who do you have in mind?"

"Hmmm, Layla...she's from work.  Or Julia"

"Julia?  Isn't she a bit...resistant to dating?" said Neil

"Details, details!" replied Suzy.  

"Yawn...I'm getting real sleepy so I'm going to head off to bed" said Neil.  "You coming?"

"Not just yet...I'm still buzzing!" said Suzy.

"You always are when you've got a project.  Good night, see you in bed"

"See you, honey." she replied.  Looking out of the front window she saw a familiar face.  Gillian:  Malcolm Landgraab's ex girlfriend and wannabe model.  She wanted to catch up with her for a number of reasons.

"Gillian, isn't it?" asked Suzy.

"That's right...you're Suzy Kent from 'Hey Wow" the girl replied.

"Yes...how is it going with the modelling; are you still interested in that as a career?"

"Very much so.  Thanks for that contact you gave me:  I had a professional photographic portfolio done and now I'm applying for jobs"

"You're welcome.  I hope it goes well for you.  And are you still in touch with Malcolm Landgraab?"

Gillian shook her head.  "That louse stood me up and then dumped me for this French girl!"

"Oh...that's too bad" said Suzy.  "Well, I suppose you're better off out of his scene"

"Absolutely!  I could tell you a few stories about what he gets up to, believe me!"

"Oh I do believe you...you must tell me"

CHAPTER 112: You're Welcome

 

"Good morning, Mr Saint"

"Good morning, Carole, lovely weather we're having" replied Jeremy Saint as he arrived at the offices of Dewey, Cheathem and Howe.  Carole nodded and walked on by; not wanting to be late for her meeting.  As for Jeremy, he had to negotiate three obstacles:  First, was the attention of his boss but that was fine because he was busy dealing with Jeremy's second obstacle:  Bianca.  Since joining the firm as J.J. Gotcha's secretary she would occasionally give him the eye and he felt uncomfortable.  If he caught sight of her in the distance, he'd make sure he never made eye contact and would take a circuitous route to his office just to avoid her.  His third obstacle was the "wit" of the man he shared an office with: Fanshawe.

"Good morning, Saint!" said Fanshawe, enthusiastically, the moment Jeremy walked into their office.

"You seem in a good mood, Fanshawe" replied Jeremy.

"More than just good...absolutely top of the world, for you see I have obtained TWO tickets to see Mr Burt Bacharach with FRIENDS in concert this Friday evening"

"Two tickets?  So who's the other person going to be?"

"Ah, that's what I wanted to ask you about..." said Fanshawe, dropping his voice and looking serious for a moment.

"Fanshawe, I'm flattered but..." said Jeremy.

"Not you!  I meant that superb specimen who is J.J.'s secretary"

"You mean...Bianca?" said Jeremy, sounding shocked.

"Yes, isn't she wonderful?" said Fanshawe, dreamily.  "The reason I'm telling you about my interest in her is that I understand you and her have a bit of...history?"

"Phht!  It was one date" said Jeremy, shrugging his shoulders.

"Still, wanted to give you the old heads up, buddy.  Are you OK with me asking her out?"

"I'm more than OK!" said Jeremy, enthusiastically.  "In fact, I couldn't be happier for you.  By all means take her to the concert and I'd add treat her to dinner as well:  She likes Italian." added Jeremy, slapping his colleague on the back.  

"I mean, if there are any residual feelings..." said Fanshawe.

"Trust me, there aren't" Jeremy wanted to give Fanshawe an unequivocal blessing.  If Bianca liked Fanshawe then she'd stop trying to flirt with and distract him.  Jeremy could finally get complete, 100% closure.  There was only one true love for Jeremy, and right about now she was probably deluged with customers over at the boutique.

There was only one person in Pack's Clothing at that time and that was the owner herself.  To say it was a slow morning would be an understatement:  It was a dead morning as far as customers were concerned but Barbara consoled herself with the knowledge that she'd only been open for an hour...still 7 hours left in the working day.  The last couple of days' saw brisk trading as she had to hire a temporary staff member who normally worked over at JF&S's but who helped out on his day off as a favour.  There were two awkward customers...one seemed to have had a panic attack...but her temp handled the situation well.  But he wasn't available today and probably for the better:  He'd have been wasting his time here.

Barbara thought a little mood music might make people, especially that vital teenage and youth crowd, want to come into the store.  

"Ahh, that's better" she said.  Barbara walked over to one of the mannequins and checked out the outfit that was on it.  It was brand new and inspired by Pierre Cardin...although getting an original Cardin outfit was way beyond Packs' budget.  Barbara adjusted the pose and shifted the dummy so that it could be seen better by anyone coming through the door.

No sooner as she had made those changes than her first customer of the day arrived.  However, they were not quite the type Barbara had in mind.  A tall, older lady who was a little on the large side had entered and was casting a suspicious eye over the premises.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" asked Barbara.

"Harumph...this place used to be a hardware store.  Where's Herman Pack?" replied the lady.

"That store closed down 10 years ago and Mr Pack retired.  I own the store now and, well, it's a fashion boutique."

"It's bright in here" said the lady.

"Can I help you find something you might like?" 

"I'll look for myself, thank you" said the lady, brusquely.  

Another customer entered the boutique and this time it was a much younger lady.  Barbara greeted her and asked if she could help in any way.

"I've just had my hair done and now I'm looking for a new outfit" said the young lady.

"You've come to the right place" replied Barbara.  "I love your hair and that blouse is sensational.  Now are you looking for something everyday or for a special occasion?"

"Something to impress when I'm out and about" replied the young woman.

"Huh!  You'll need to lose a few pounds before you can manage that!" said the old woman, grumpily.  The younger woman looked shocked when she heard such a brutal and blunt remark and Barbara could tell things could go rapidly south.

"Let me show you our European inspired line...." said Barbara, trying to whisk the younger woman away from the older one before the two customers came to blows.

"Who does that lady think she is?" said the younger woman.

"I know, I know...how about this?  It's inspired by Pierre Cardin" said Barbara.  She looked over to another area of the shop and noticed a bald, middle aged man standing too close to a shop dummy and who was rubbing his thighs and licking his lips.  "Oh no, a weirdo!" thought Barbara.

"Sir, can I ask you not to do that to the mannequin" said Barbara, trying to escort the man away from it.

"How much for it and the swimsuit?" said the man.

"The mannequin is not for sale, only the swimsuit" replied Barbara.

"Hngh!" said the man, indignantly and he walked off.

Barbara sighed...she had some awkward customers and no sales at the moment!  More people streamed in and with any luck some of them would want to buy something.  One teenage girl, dressed in the height of fashion, approached Barbara.

"Wow, how long has this shop been here?  It's fab!" she said.

"Oh, not long...coming up to one week now" replied Barbara.

"I love it!  Have you got anything by Mary Quant?"

"I have something a lot like it, come this way" said Barbara, her mood suddenly picking up.  This young lady was just the type of customer she was hoping to attract.

The young woman practically tried on every dress in the shop but Barbara made sure she dealt with other shoppers...and, all of a sudden, with an hour to go before closing time she was deluged with keen and eager customers.

It was all starting to be more than one person running a shop could handle.  However, the cavalry arrived in the form of Jeremy.

"Hey, sweetheart, how's business?" he asked Barbara.

"BUSY!  Now I need you to ring up some customers while I restock the shelves!"

"OK...Chief!" he said, sarcastically.

Between the two of them they managed to deal with all the customers and keep things stocked by closing time.  Exhausted, both of them headed back home for dinner.

"You should look into getting some permanent help" said Jeremy.  "You're rushed off of your feet as it is"

Barbara shook her head.  "I can't do that until we start making more of a profit.  These are early days and extra budget is going into publicity right now.  Once we start doing a healthy business, I'll hire a shop assistant"

"And how was your day?" she asked him.

"Oh it was very good, very satisfying" said Jeremy, his eyes lighting up.  "Fanshawe has asked....erm....one of the senior secretaries out to that upcoming Burt Bacharach concert".  He had to stop himself from saying "Bianca" because he didn't want Barbara to know that she was still on the horizon at work.

"I would love to go to that show!" said an enthusiastic Barbara.  "I wonder if there are any tickets left?"

"Oh I wouldn't have thought so" said Jeremy, defensively.

"Let's phone the theatre and find out.  You never know unless you ask!"

"I don't want to set you up for disappointment" 

"There's no harm in asking"

"Aren't we busy this weekend?  Aren't we seeing my folks or your folks or my brother-in-law?"

"Nope...nothing in the diary.  I'll phone the theatre tomorrow...maybe we can go to dinner at that Italian restaurant near there"

"NO!  I mean, I've heard there's an excellent French one nearby...supposed to be terrific.  Or Chinese!  Plenty of Chinese restaurants near there.  Or do you fancy steak?"

"I'll book the tickets, you book the restaurant...how does that sound?"

"Cosmic..." said a less than enthusiastic Jeremy.

Eventually Jeremy went to bed and Barbara tidied up in the kitchen when she was disturbed by a knock at the door.  "Who could it be at this time?" she muttered.

Answering the door she saw a stocky young man on the porch.  "Hello?" she said, checking her watch.  "It's very late"

"Is it?" said the man.  "We met back at the Llama Man convention.  I'm head of the Llama Man fan club and you signed a form indicating that you were interested in membership"

"Really?  I forgot about that...listen it's real late..." said a frustrated Barbara.

"Well you shouldn't have signed the form!" said the man.

"Well I didn't know you were going to show up a month later at 11 o'clock at night!"

"Is that late?"

"YES!  Now please, I just want to go to bed...goodbye"

"I'll put you down as a maybe?" said the man as the door shut in his face.

CHAPTER 111: A Question Of Hemlines

 

"Tsch, shocking!  Disgraceful!  Scandalous!" George Sneedley tutted to himself as he looked on at the mannequins in JF&S Clothiers; a haute boutique for the well dressed and well off.  He was on an early morning walk through Magnolia Promenade as that was his way of getting exercise without having to run or lift things.

The fashions of the day appalled him with their revealing neck and hemlines.  Grown women were now dressing like naughty schoolgirls and this led to a generation of long haired, randy young men chasing them.  The wedding dress he was looking at was particularly in bad taste...too snug fitting around the shoulders and bosom and way, way too far above the knee.  He thought of his own wedding to Edna and how wonderful she had looked in her grandmother's bridal gown...ah, the Edwardian era, thought George: How more elegant were things then?  Of course, they had to rush their own wedding arrangements because it was 1950 and he was just about to be shipped off to Korea and the war.

George left the boutique and headed home where Edna was already up and watching the news.  It was about another war, Vietnam, where the story was that USAF planes had clashed with North Vietnamese jets for the very first time since the American involvement in the conflict began.

"I didn't know the North Vietnamese had jet fighters" said Edna to George.

"They'll have got them from the Chinese or Soviets, dear" he replied.  "Same with back in my day...the North Koreans relied on the Chinese"

"Anyway...how did you walk go this morning?" she asked.

"Mostly fine" he replied.  "It's a nice day, the waterfront was pleasant and I think I spotted a heron at one point.  However, what is being sold in the shops under the description 'fashion' is shocking"

"I know...I know...you can really see standards dropping over the last year.  This is what happens when there are no longer decent female role models for young women to look up to...they've traded in Jackie for something called 'Twiggy'.  Oh if only we could have our delightful former first lady back as the inspiration for the younger generation."

"I quite agree, Edna, Mrs Kennedy and....Marilyn Monroe" he said, wistfully.

"Well, I never quite got the appeal of Marilyn Monroe myself" said Edna, knowing that Marilyn was George's pin-up idol when he was in the Navy.  "But a Grace Kelly...or Princess Grace to give her the correct title...there was a lady!"

"Ooh, yes" said George enthusiastically.

Edna stood up all of a sudden.  "I have an idea!" she exclaimed.  "I propose that you and I go and visit one of these so-called 'fashion boutiques' and investigate how they are corrupting womanhood!"

"When shall we do this?" asked George.

"Now!"

The two of them travelled to Magnolia Promenade where they found all the different fashion boutiques.  The place was getting a reputation of being "The Carnaby Street of Sim City" and was a fertile ground for the Sneedley's moral indignation.  One particular establishment caught their attention:  It was converted from a much older building but had big, newly installed glass windows, neon signs and bold colours decorating it.  It was called "Pack's Clothing" and it seemed like it was purposely built to annoy them.

"It looks positively garish!" said Edna "and what's the appalling smell coming from it?"

"If my culinary senses do not deceive me" said George "I believe it's a combination of incense, peppermint and....I think that's thyme"

"Anyway...let us gird ourselves and carry out our task.  George, no looking at anything too racy; we don't want you to have one of your turns"

Edna and George took deep breaths and entered the shop....and they didn't like what they saw right from the off.  For starters, there was discordant music playing over a speaker which made Edna wince.

"Tsch, most unsuitable!" said Edna looking at a couple of mannequins.  Even their poses offended her...no grace or poise, just blatant provocativeness and lewd playfulness.

She moved on to view a poster of a man with shaggy, unkempt hair, playing a guitar with a tortured look on his face.  The caption read "JEFF BECK".

"Ugh, just the sort of young man my mother warned me about!" she said.

George came and sat down next to her.  "I had to sit down and take a rest...it's so horrible in here!  The men's section is just as bad...medallions and strange patterns" he said.

"Well that's one thing I'll give this establishment" said Edna.  "At least there's plenty of places to sit"

"Excuse me, Madam, Sir...can I be of assistance?" said a young shop assistant.  He struck the Sneedleys as somewhat odd looking:  He was a black man with very dark skin and yet had a mop of golden blonde hair.  

"No thank you" said Edna curtly as she stared at the man's hair.

"Ah you've noticed my hair" said the shop assistant.  "New in stock:  Deluxe Merseybeat wigs.  Ideal for young men who want to look like The Beatles but whose hair is too curly, short or straggly to have cut into the classic Beatle cut.  Also great for the older gentleman who's hairline is receding and might want the extra coverage" he said, looking at George's head.

"Made from realistic nylon, they come in 20 different shades: This one is called Golden Dawn" continued the man.

"No thank you" replied Edna.  "Although that is probably the least objectionable thing I have seen in here so far" 

The man went off to help another customer and Edna took a moment to survey the scene.  "George" she said, an idea formulating in her head "I think we should conduct some interviews with some of the customers; find out what they think"

"I agree; we should make ourselves seem more official...say we're doing important market research" George replied.

"Agreed...I will speak with that lady in the blue over there...George that young woman in the turquoise; you should have a word with her"

Edna walked over to a young lady who was dressed all in dark blue.  She was checking out a short dress in a peppermint colour when Edna introduced herself.

"Hello...My name is Mrs Edna Sneedley and I am conducting some market research on behalf of an important organisation whose name I am not at liberty to mention.  May I ask you a few questions about your preferences in ladies fashion?"

"Hi...my name is Bianca, I'm 24 and work in an office" replied the young woman.

"How nice...I see you have opted for the shorter hemline:  Is that something that appeals to you?"

"Yeah, it's fab!  It's kicky!" said Bianca.

"Hmmm, 'kicky', I'm afraid I'm not well versed in the slang of the youth of today.  But don't you feel that your shorter hemlines will attract the attention of the wrong sort of man?"

"I'm not against attracting the attention of a man...providing he's cute" said Bianca.  "But it's about freedom, confidence and the Pill"

"THE PILL!" exclaimed Edna, shocked.  If there was anything she hated more than mini skirts, it was the Pill.  "Young lady, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

At that Bianca became very indignant.  Meanwhile, George was trying a slightly different approach.

"Excuse me, Miss" he said to a willowy auburn haired young woman who wore a turquoise mini dress.  "I am conducting a survey on fashion and the younger generation.  Do you prefer the long or the shorter skirt?"

"Well, man, it's all good, right?" she replied.  "Long, short as long as it's with it I'm cool with all that.  My favourite clothes are my flared jeans, baby"

George didn't catch on with the slang but proceeded to enquire more.  "And are you wearing stockings today or....tights?" he said, wincing at the T word.  

"These?  These are tights, man.  I've given up on all the constricting underwear that mom and grandma wore:  I got rid of garters, corsets, girdles and I've read the bra is a symbol of the past so I might end up throwing that in the trash can or burning it"

"Oh...dear..." said George, who acted as if he had walked into a minefield.

"Yeah man, I mean, why do we need clothes anyway?  Underwear, who cares?  Some days I don't bother at all with them.  You've got to feel free, baby, unconstricted and let it all hang out.  Have you tried spending the day in the nude?  Wow, that's like being at one with nature!  Mister, are you alright?  Mister?"

George had gone pale and was clutching his heart.  "I...need...fresh air..." he gasped.

"Hey, lady, is this guy bothering you?" said a young, male customer who had seen what was going on.

"I don't know, man" replied the hippy girl.  "This guy was asking about what I was wearing..."

"Oh I see..." said the man in a threatening tone and rolling up his sleeves.  "I've dealt with perverts like him before!"

"GASP!" cried George and Edna turned to see him down on his knees having a panic attack.

"George!  Oh no!  Make way!  Make way!  I'm his wife...clear the area, he's having one of his turns!"  Edna helped George back to his feet and led him out of the shop.

They went straight home from Magnolia Promenade where George had a drink, some air and time to calm down.  "Oh Edna...that young woman you sent me to speak with:  She turned out to be a nudist!  I wasn't prepared, I just wasn't prepared!" he said.

"No, that was my fault...I should have been more aware of the type of customer we were dealing with.  My one wasn't much better; a loose woman on the pill, shall we say?" 

"Well I appreciate you coming to my assistance" said George.

"My wifely duty, George.  After all, you've always been there in my hour of need" replied Edna, warmly.

The two felt drawn to each other at that moment.  Not a word passed their lips but they sat on the couch, looking lovingly in each others' eyes.  Slowly, ever slowly, they inched towards one another until those lips were touching and then they gently held each other as they embraced and kissed.

It wasn't just a peck either, they kissed over and over; lovingly and tenderly.  The years together rolled back and they were like they were when they were first courting.  Finally, their lips parted.

"That's enough of that" said Edna.

"Yes, I must get to work now.  A most pleasant experience, thank you" replied George.

He went off to the restaurant and Edna craved a drink, so she headed off to the Rattlesnake Juice Bar.  Not her favourite haunt, but a place George often stopped at on his way back from work.

"Your usual, Mrs Sneedley?" asked the barman.

"Yes thank you, David.  That's lovely.  David...do you ever get worried about the permissive society?" she asked.

"Only that it's passing me by" replied the barman.

Edna drank the crisp dry white wine and thought about what to make of what her and George found this morning.  Was it that young women were to blame or the people who tell them what they should wear, listen to and do with their lives?  So much to ponder.

"You know what I don't like about today's society, Mrs Sneedley" 

"What's that, David?"

"Modern art.  I just don't get it:  Blobs, lines, splatter, wham...I mean, what's it all about?  Nothing, I tell you, nothing."

Edna thought about that...yes, modern art: Another symptom of society in decay.  She finished her second drink and put the glass down on the bar, loudly.

"David...is the gallery down the road still open at this time?" she asked.

"Should be" the barman replied.

Edna settled her tab and headed off to the Futures Past museum, keen to find fault there.

The modern art section was on the 2nd floor so she wasted no time being distracted by the classical sculptures and Mediaeval works of art and headed straight there.  Upon arrival she spotted an abstract painting that immediately triggered her sensibilities.

"No, I don't get this at all" she said out loud.  "Are those meant to be hills?  Did the artist just spill paint by mistake?"

"I think you'll find that the shapes are held in proportion to each other...the painting holds the rounded sections and the lines in tension, juxtaposing the very shapes themselves" came a voice from next to her.  Turning to see who had spoken, she saw that it was none other than her nemesis: Alan Cuffe.

"Oh no, trust you to like this, Mr Cuffe" she said.

"I appreciate art and beauty in all its forms" he said.

"Yes...especially if it's wearing a bathing suit" she responded, snidely.

"You know, Edna, your life would be considerably improved if you didn't spend so much time seeking out things that offend you."

"I have a duty to protect our community!"

"No one asked you"

"Because you've lured them into complacency"

"You credit me with too much influence, Edna"

"I see your influence growing day by day, Mr Cuffe"

"You don't know the half of what goes on in this city...if you did you wouldn't see me as your great enemy!" Cuffe's voice started to crack as he said those words.  Suddenly, he went quiet.

Edna took a moment to compose herself during this brief silence before saying "Well, I've made my point perfectly clear.  Goodbye, Mr Cuffe"

She headed home where she rendezvoused with George.

"I have met the enemy, George" she said "...and he is scared!"

"Of us?" asked George.

"Why yes, who else?" she replied.