After the last few days doing field research for "Hey, Wow!" magazine, Suzy Kent was due in the office today. She'd woken up early, showered, got dressed in her green leaf patterned mini dress and light green shoes, applied her make up and was ready to go by 7am. The trouble was if she left now no one would be in the office. For good measure, she decided to do some last minute street interviews with passers by.Once she'd got her interview done, a strange sensation came over her...maybe it was the sunshine, maybe it was the loveliness of this tree that she remembered had a prominently marked question mark on the map of Foundry Cove that Burr DeBenning had shown her. Now Suzy felt this sudden urge to sing.
She knew it must have looked silly to anyone looking...it certainly drew a bemused smile from a little girl who happened to walk past at that moment, but sing she had to do.
As she drew to the close of her song, she checked her watch...it was time for work. Letting out a nervous laugh for anyone still bemused by her impromtu session, she quickly ran to the bus stop.
At work, her editor pulled her to one side. "Suzy...you've been out in the field chasing a story and I like that kind of initiative" he said. "However, we need articles. Now, with all that research you've done, do you have a story?"
"Well, almost one" Suzy replied. "I'd like more time to gather evidence"
"Give me a first draft of what you've got by the end of the day. That way I'll see if it's got any merit to it" he said.
She went to her desk in the open plan office, shut the noise and hubbub of fashion, pop music and movie gossip and got typing. She wrote about the rivalry between the Landgraabs and the Fengs, how the Goths fit into high society in the city but she didn't have anything near enough a consistent thread. How would she write about the Landgraab's alleged criminal activities? If she got any detail wrong she and the magazine would be sued. She kept it vague for now.
When she handed it in to her editor, he read it through very quickly. "I like your writing style..." he began. "But you talk about a trilogy of power and yet that's incomplete. You allude to criminal goings on with Malcolm Landgraab but your source is one anonymous person. I can't print this."
Suzy looked down. She knew she'd be lucky if it did get published.
"We're a trendy fashion and lifestyle magazine for the youth of today" said her editor, standing up and pacing around his office. "Will they go for any of this? Dusty old politics? Middle aged rivalries? The fuddy-duddy Goths? No, they won't go for a blow by blow account of Victor Feng vs Geoffrey Landgraab"
"I know...it's just I found some information on them and just ran with the story" said an apologetic Suzy.
"But...there's definitely something here" said the editor. "You've got an angle: Malcolm Landgraab. He's young...our target audience. He's one of Sim City's most eligible young men and has a reputation for being a bit of a bad boy. How bad? You find out."
"So...you want me to continue?" asked Suzy
"Yes, but focus on the Landgraab boy. Follow up with your contact...oh, and Suzy?"
"Yes sir?"
"Dang fine work you've done. In fact, I'm so impressed by the quality of your writing and photography that I'm giving you a promotion!"
"Thank you sir!" said an elated Suzy. She was going up in the world and, well, she could do with the extra money.
At the end of the work day she went home and cooked a celebratory dinner for one. There was a knock at the door; as usual, it was Summer Holiday. Summer had become Suzy's closest friend and the two shared a trust as well as a friendship: They told each other everything that was on their minds and this evening was no exception.
"I got a promotion at work today!" exclaimed Suzy.
The two went inside and Suzy started to tell Summer about how her boss liked her writing and that she should pursue the Malcolm Landgraab angle on it.
"So I guess our little stake out the other day paid off then?" said Summer.
"Definitely. So you'd be up for more snooping around?" said Suzy.
"Well, Malcolm Landgraab is too young for me and not my kind of guy but...hey. The other day was fun"
"Hey, you wouldn't believe what happened with me today" said Summer.
"Go on" replied an interested Suzy.
"Well, I was down at the Rattlesnake Juice Bar with some friends and this guy comes up to me and says I'm stunning and asks if I was a model"
"You don't say!" replied a shocked Suzy. "Who was he?"
"Some guy I'd never heard of but he said he ran a magazine and was always on the look out for beautiful young women who had modelling experience"
"And you think he was on the level?" said Suzy. "I mean, you could easily be a model but there's a lot of creeps out there..."
"I know and I treated him a bit cool...I'm suspicious of that kind of flattery"
"Did he say the name of his magazine?" asked Suzy.
"Lochnivar? Lottery? Erm...Lothario! That's it. Lothario magazine"
"Never heard of it" replied Suzy. "Hey, if you're interested in modelling I could hook you up with some genuine fashion photographers. There's a demand for good clothes models at the moment"
"Thanks but that's something I'm not really interested in" replied Summer. "I'm a bit two left footed and gangly"
"So...we haven't talked about our sucky love lives yet" said Suzy. "I'm getting nowhere...fast. Where are all the decent, single guys?"
"Hey, I know that Jeremy and that Barbara girl he's been seeing are getting serious now. Twice she's stayed over"
"Woooo! Good for him, he's such a nice guy!" said Suzy. Suddenly, another urge hit her....she had to dance this time. Switching on the radio she got up and had a boogie. Summer wondered what was going on.
"Don't ask me..." said Suzy. "It's been one of those days!"
There'd been something gnawing away at Barbara Dubois and it wasn't the alleged rat that her work colleagues and the sandwich bar claimed existed in the dry food storage. The last few days she couldn't get Jeremy Saint out of her mind. The more she thought about him, the more warmly and fondly she felt. Despite the outwardly square and awkward demeanour she knew he was really a romantic and caring person. Plus he was the first guy she'd dated who wasn't interested in one thing and one thing only. Barbara wasn't a prude by any means but she liked being courted, wooed and romanced and that's what Jeremy brought to their courtship. He was also the first American she'd dated since her move from Montreal to Sim City and that made him seem more exotic, crazy though that seemed.
But this lunchtime she'd finished her shift and and was desperate to see him. Maybe he was in, maybe he'd had lunch at home? Sure, she could wait until after 5pm but she HAD to visit him just in the slight chance he was there....to see him and tell him how she felt. However, knocking at the door she knew there was no one at home. Sighing in disappointment she began to trudge off when an idea struck her...she'd leave a note for him, telling him she wanted to see him soon. Not too desperate, but clearly displaying her eagerness to meet up. She wrote a note, folded it and pushed it through his letterbox.
At a little after 5pm Jeremy had arrived home feeling crushed, disappointed and embarrassed. He was certain he was going to get a promotion today after all the nods, winks and "attaboys" he'd been getting from some of the senior staff at Dewey, Cheathem & Howe. He'd heard his name being spoken in corridors along with the word "promotion" so when he was called into J.J. Gotcha's office he began by saying to his boss "Thank you, you do me a great honour and I'm pleased to accept the appointment...can we talk about my salary?"
"What salary? What are you talking about?" said Gotcha.
"Well, the promotion" replied Jeremy
"But what's your salary got to do with Henderson's promotion?"
"Henderson?" said an incredulous Jeremy.
"Yes...Henderson is being promoted to department manager. You didn't think it'd be YOU, did you? Ha. Ha-ha. Ha-ha-ha!"
"Well, sir, it's just that there were rumours...." said an embarrassed Jeremy.
"Hey! Bronson...come in here for a moment!" said Gotcha, calling to a passing colleague who stopped to listen. "Saint here thought he'd be getting the promotion! Ha-ha-ha-ha- ha!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" said Bronson, bursting out laughing.
"What's so funny?" said a woman clutching a folder who was also walking past. When Bronson explained that Jeremy thought he was being promoted to department manager she started laughing as well. The laughter was so contagious it started to spread around the office. Soon Jeremy couldn't take it anymore.
"Gahhhhhh!" he said, running out.
When he got home he just wanted to die. If that didn't happen then he'd probably pack his bags and move back to Crested Butte.
He opened the door, sighed and noticed a little note on the floor. Opening it up, he saw it was from Barbara.
I have to see you, is this evening any good? Please call me....hugs and kisses, Barbara
What could she want to see him about? Knowing his luck is was another dumping, just like Bianca. But she did sign it hugs and kisses so maybe it wasn't all bad? He raced to the phone and called her.
"Barbara...are you alright?" he said.
"Jeremy! Oh I'm so glad you called. Did you get my message?" she replied.
"Yes...I'm free tonight as a matter of fact. Is everything OK with you?"
"Oh absolutely...I'm so looking forward to catching up with you. See you shortly" she said, enthusiastically. Jeremy smiled....she didn't sound like she wanted to dump him. He went over to the radio and switched it on and noticed his "employee of the month" award. How long ago did that seem? Now he was "laughing stock" instead.
He changed into a casual suit and started to prepare some dinner for him and Barbara. Just as he was putting the finishing touches to a clam chowder, the doorbell rang. Springing to life he saw that it was Barbara.
"Jeremy, thanks for inviting me over" she said, entering the house.
"My pleasure. So you really wanted to see me?" he replied.
"Is that so strange? I'm.....very fond of you" she said, sheepishly. She wanted to say something else but fear had gripped her out of worry of being rejected.
"Well you're in luck because tonight I've cooked another of my grandmother's recipes...clam chowder, I hope you like it"
"I love chowder...it's a favourite dish back home" she said, smiling.
They ate and soon Jeremy forgot all about the work humiliation he'd suffered. Barbara was the ray of light in his life and he wanted to tell her....to tell her how fond he was. No, that sounded weak....he felt much, much more for her but he couldn't quite say it. What if she rejected him just like Bianca did?
Barbara joked and told silly stories about her work but she was barely supressing what she really wanted to say to him. Everything was perfect right now, what if she said something that panicked him?
After dinner they went to Jeremy's study where they talked about their favourite books, places they'd like to go and things they both enjoyed. But there was an elephant in this small room and it wanted to escape! Barbara looked at her feet and scuffed one of them on the floor whilst clasping her hands....
"So....I really wanted to see you tonight. I couldn't stop thinking about you at work today" she said, hesitantly.
"I sometimes feel that way about you" Jeremy replied, looking around the room, too frightened to look her in the eye.
"I....think....well...I KNOW that I...." she began.
"I...I...I..." said Jeremy, trying to fill the silence. "...I want to say, what I mean to say is....
"I LOVE YOU!" "I LOVE YOU!"
They both said it simultaneously.
There was a short laugh and then silence. Both looked each other in the eye and couldn't break contact. Then they drew towards each other, as if by magnetism, neither wanting to stop what was happening naturally.
They parted after kissing for what seemed like an age. Jeremy stroked Barbara's hair and finally they spoke.
"What were we ever nervous about?" he said, softly.
"I know" she said, looking deep into his eyes. "What next?" she said.
"Stay" he said. She nodded.
"I was hoping you'd say that" she responded. "As it so happens I packed some nightclothes in my bag just in case"
"Good call. Shall we retire to the bedroom?" he said, a new found confidence in his voice. Anything was possible now, he thought.
"I'll just go to the bathroom first" she said. Jeremy went to his room and changed into his pyjamas, neatly folding his clothes on top of his dresser. His heart was starting to pound...he was going to spend the night with her and...well, this could be the night where they would...he couldn't bring himself to think of the word.
His heart began to pound faster when Barbara entered the bedroom. She'd changed into her nightclothes but they were not what he expected. She was wearing a white satin basque with matching garters and sheer white stockings. She'd gone the extra mile.
When Barbara packed a bag earlier on today, in the hope that she and Jeremy would spend the night together, she wondered about how risque her lingerie would be...maybe it would make Jeremy think less of her? As she put the garments on, however, she felt seductive and alluring. Sauntering into the bedroom she stood resplendent. Jeremy's jaw almost hit the floor.
"You're....beautiful" he said, admiring her from across the room.
They slid into the bed and began to snuggle and kiss. Each wanted the other so much but....it was late, and slowly, as they were canoodling, tiredness overcame them. Before anything else could happen they were fast asleep.
Julia Epstein was a young woman who liked schedules and procedure. She'd been like this all her life, much to the annoyance of her family and those who knew her growing up. She was up at 6am, did a routine of light exercises and had showered, as she had done all through her college years. Finally she put on her make up, plaited her hair and put in some contact lenses...normally she didn't wear them but today was a special day and she didn't want to lose her glasses in a patient during surgery. Yes, today was her first day of work at the hospital and if she was going to assist the best surgeons Sim City had she needed to look smart and professional.Most doctors wore their normal clothes to work and changed into their scrubs or lab coats at the start of their shift at the hospital but Julia wanted to be super keen so she wore her new, fresh out of the box scrubs on the bus. She couldn't wait to start work; four years of medical school...finishing first in her class...all came down to this: An internship at Sim City's premier hospital.
When she arrived at the hospital she just sauntered in, confident. She knew she belonged here, in the medical world, bursting at the opportunity to show her superiors just what she was capable of. Walking through reception, she made her way to the information desk where she saw a woman in medical scrubs manning the phones and looking through patient records.
"Dr Julia Epstein, reporting for duty" she said.
"Dr...Epstein?" said the woman on the desk. "Do you work here?"
"As of today, yes. Did you not see my file?"
"I haven't but I'm sure the Duty Doctor has. Let's just look through my records here....Epcott, Ephraim, ah here we go...Epstein. I see you're a first year intern."
"That's me!" replied Julia, positively.
"I'm Francesca Griffith, admin assistant. Glad to have you on board, Doctor. I'll page Dr Murakami and she'll show you the ropes."
Francesca picked up a phone receiver and put out a message over the hospital loudspeaker system. "Paging Dr Murakami...paging Dr Murakami...please report to reception please.
After a few minutes wait a Japanese-American woman with short hair and wearing a lab coat arrived in the reception area and walked over to Julia. "Ah, Dr Epstein...good of you to join us. I see you've met Mrs Griffith...now, I haven't got time to give you a guided tour of the whole hospital but it's well signposted, there's maps in every corridor and I'm sure you'll pick things up quickly."
"Now, for your first task I want you to take some food for the patient in room 2" said Dr Murakami.
"Erm, you want me to take some food to a patient?" asked an incredulous Julia. "Surely I should be studying some case notes, maybe working in the lab..."
"Oh no, I want you to take food to the patient" said Dr Murakami, matter of factly. "I have a policy where new interns learn the ropes and layout of the hospital by doing simple tasks. I don't like those fresh out of medical school...particularly ones who show keen medical knowledge but little in the way of life skills...to learn from the bottom up. Now, this meal, room 2 and pronto...Dr Epstein." she said, pointing to a trolley with a covered metal dish on it.
Julia, without saying a word, trudged over to the trolley and began to push it. Reaching the double doors to the wards, she turned to Francesca looking puzzled.
"Through those double doors and just ahead to the left...you can't miss it" said Francesca.
Julia followed the directions and found room 2. Inside was a teenage girl who appeared to be covered in spots "Early stage psoriasis or perhaps an allergic form of eczema" thought Julia to herself.
"Nurse?" said the girl, quizzicly.
"Doctor, actually. Dr Epstein. I've brought you some food."
"Oh I'm so hungry...I had an examination early this morning and missed breakfast time...I guess this is a late breakfast, maybe brunch"
"Are my results back yet?" asked the girl.
Julia walked to the end of the bed and checked her notes...name, Yuki Behr, age 17. The usual medical history...nothing out of the ordinary.
"No, not yet it appears" said Judith. "But my guess is that it's an allergic reaction to something that contacted your skin. Do you by any chance frequent outdoor places much?"
"Well...no, not usually, but recently I've found a shortcut through Newcrest to my home that takes me through a lot of old heath land that has a lot of long grasses and wild bushes."
"Ah, that's probably it. If it is then there's plenty of ointments we can prescribe."
"Thank you, Dr Epstein...you're the first person here to tell me what might be wrong"
At that point there was a knock on the door. Julia said "enter" and Francesca did just that.
"Dr Epstein....Dr Murakami has got your next task for you." she said.
"Already? What is it? Does she want me to sit in on surgery? Does she want me to take some tissue samples from this patient?" asked an eager Julia.
"No, she wants you to change the IV drip of the patient in room 4."
Julia let out a "harumph", put Yuki's chart back in its holder and left the room. Popping along to room 4, she was met by a VERY talkative old lady.
"Well you took your time...do you know how long I've been waiting for an operation? Do you? Well it's not good enough, do you hear? Not good enough...good grief, look at the state of you? Are you a nurse? In my day nurses looked like nurses...white uniforms and hats...now look at you!"
"I'm a doctor, madam" replied Julia, when the old lady paused to intake a breath of air.
"A doctor! What are you, 12? Tsch! And a mere slip of a girl as well!"
"I'll just change your drip" said Julia, who had faced plenty of prejudice during her medical training from older male doctors who thought that she was too young and slight to cut it as a doctor.
"I tell you what Mrs...." and she checked the patient's notes "...Kearney. I'll follow up with the surgeons on your time of operation" and with that she quickly made her way out of the room.
Lunchtime came and Julia grabbed a light snack from the cafeteria. She ate alone; not knowing any of the other staff apart from Francesca, who was still working on the front desk. To be frank, she didn't mind the solitude here and appreciated the break from all the mundane tasks she'd been assigned. It certainly wasn't what she expected on her first day as a qualified doctor.
Heading back to the reception, Julia asked Francesca what her next "arduous" medical task would be.
"Well...there is something the higher ups wanted you to do" said Francesca. "Something that will familiarise you with every part of the hospital, be more hands on and is part of the very wellbeing of the place."
"Ooh, sounds interesting...what is it?" asked an expectant Julia.
At the end of her shift Julia trudged out of the hospital...she was disappointed that all her cases could have been handled by nurses, janitors or candy stripers but a job's a job and she would give it more of a go to prove to the "higher ups" that she deserved better. Francesca stopped her on the way out.
"Don't sweat it; all new interns go through this process" she said, sympathetically.
"Sigh...I guess. I'm still frustrated though; I want to prove what I can do!" said Julia.
"That'll come...in time. Meanwhile do you fancy hanging out for a bit after work? My husband's taking our daughter to ballet class this evening so I've got a workout session booked at Skye Fitness...and I'm allowed to bring a guest."
"Sounds good...I don't exercise much but I'm keen to give it a try. Sure." replied Julia.
"OK, see you there at 7pm"
Julia went home, had dinner and grabbed her exercise clothes. Catching the bus into San Myshuno she arrived....as she liked to do...promptly. Francesca had also just arrived and ran over to her.
"Phew! They couldn't find some x-ray at the hospital so yours truly had to locate it for them! Doctors! Anyway, I rushed straight from there to here; I didn't even have time to change out of my scrubs!"
"Hey, this is a pretty swanky place here" said Julia, impressed by the modern state of the art gynmasium.
She and Francesca entered the gym. "Yes, this place can be expensive but my husband's a member" said Francesca.
"Maybe one day I'll earn enough to get membership here as well" commented Julia, taking in the expensive furnishings and equipment.
They went into the ladies' changing room where Julia changed into her exercise leotard. She'd never been the sporty type and wondered how she would get on here but how difficult could keep fit be, she wondered. Francesca showed her to the treadmills and showed her how to operate one.
"So, do you think you'll stick with the hospital?" asked Francesca.
"I'm determined to. It's what I've always wanted to do all my life" replied Julia. "So what's the key to winning over Murakami?"
"Hard work and a can-do attitude" said Francesca. "But I think you did all the right things today, even if they didn't seem like much"
Julia kept running on the treadmill but noticed that two of her neighbours, John Action and Jeremy Saint, had entered the gym.
"Hey, Julia, what are you doing here?" said Jeremy.
"I might ask you the same question...this place is pretty expensive" she replied.
"I know. But my boss gave me a one off pass as a promotion present. John here got a pass from one of his contacts"
Action turned and smiled. "It was more of a personal contact...if you get my drift. I've been seeing this lady who has friends on the council. It pays to be connected"
Julia got off the treadmill, feeling exhausted. Jeremy turned to her and said "I almost forgot! Today was your first day at the hospital. How did it go?"
Julia paused for a moment. Francesca had gone to the other end of the gym to lift weights and was out of earshot and she didn't want to tell Jeremy about her day of delivering food, mopping floors and getting harangued by old ladies.
"Oh it was VERY challenging" she said. "I hit the ground running, so to speak. Never off my feet for a moment with all these tricky cases."
Action stroked his chin. "Really? You made a big impression on your bosses? Normally you have to mop the floors when you're at the bottom rung."
"Come on, Action, your shift is about to start....why are you always up here working out when there's fresh donuts in the squad room?" Officer Prisha Datta said to John Action as he gave the punch bag another mighty blow.
"Working out keeps me sharp. Eating well keeps me in shape" replied Action, once again landing a heavy blow on the bag.
"Anyway, you've got about 10 minutes before you have to be out there on the streets. You won't have time to get changed...or hit the showers, phew!" she said, making a wafting sign with her hand as she caught a whiff of Action's sweat.
"Listen, Prish...I'm so fast I can punch this bag, get showered and into my uniform faster than you could eat that donut over there" he replied and giving the punch bag one last massive hit, he grabbed his towel and headed for the showers.
His shift began with taking a suspect's fingerprints, however this cat was giving Action some sass.
"Hey! Watch the hands!" he said "These are the hands of an artist!"
"A con artist more like" said Action, non plussed.
"I'm sure it's against your regulations to be this flip with an innocent victim of your so-called justice" said the suspect, complaining more.
"Innocent victim?" said Action, slamming the guy's hand down on to the ink pad to get his prints. "Tell that to the judge, who you'll be seeing real soon"
Action finished taking the prints and handed the folder with them to Datta. "I'm going to hit the streets now, Datta. Don't eat all the donuts while I'm gone"
He had personally requested his patrol route took in his home suburb as he'd noticed some strange comings and goings there of late. Jeremy and Suzy had informed him about Geoffrey Landgraab and Gillian Hills, Malcolm Landgraab's on-off girlfriend. Plus there were the altercations between the Landgraabs and Mortimer Goth that needed to be kept an eye on. With the all the comings and goings in the area Action had a gut feeling that his shift wouldn't be quiet today.
It did, however, begin peacefully. As he walked up and down the street he noticed Travis Scott leave his house and walk over to him.
"What's up, Travis?" said Action
"Good to see you around, Action. I haven't seen you around recently. Are you still seeing Liberty?"
"It's a casual thing, Travis. I ain't looking to go steady or anything like that" Action replied.
Travis looked a little put out by this comment, mainly because he hadn't done much about his own love life. "Anyway, Action" he said, changing the subject "I noticed this couple down the road there, near the garden, they seem to be having an argument."
"So noted" said Action. "I'd better check out that scene. Catch you later, Travis"
Action made his way cautiously towards the arguing couple. All of a sudden, they stopped shouting and everything went quiet. Action stopped by a large tree so he could watch events from a more discrete distance. The couple started talking again but this time in a quieter tone. Neither of them looked happy but at least they weren't causing a disturbance. Action decided to back off for now and await for any future disturbances. But what he didn't spot was that someone else was stalking him.
Action walked back to the corner of the street but it was then the mysterious stalker suddenly rushed him and gave him a karate chop on the back of the neck. Action didn't have time to reach for his .38 service revolver as he dropped to his knees. "Take that, pig!" said the attacker. Action flicked out his left arm and chopped the back of the attacker's knee which caused the man to buckle and lose his balance. Seizing his chance, Action leapt to his feet and gave a roundhouse blow to the guy's jaw, but he was tough and fast and rolled with the punch to lessen the blow. As he recovered he gave Action a 1-2 and almost put him to the ground again.
But all the training Action had put in recently came to the fore. Action stood up and uppercut the guy in the jaw, using the momentum of his rise to give his punch more power. The guy recoiled and fell back into the lamp post. Action was quick to whip out his regulation handcuffs and in seconds he'd locked his attacker to the post.
"You need to cool off, pal!" said Action. "Now why would you go do something stupid like try to beat up a cop?"
"A....warning...." gasped the attacker, who was still stunned from the beating Action had given him. "You've....made....enemies....Action!" he continued before collapsing through exhaustion.
Action got on the radio to call in a car to take this thug away. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to name my enemies in the cooler" he said. "You stay there like a good little doggie while I go deal with the rest of the trash"
The voices between the arguing couple grew louder and was attracting the notice of the locals. Action sauntered over to them.
"I hate you!" yelled the girl.
"Hey, silly cow...you and me, it's not serious." replied the man, matter of factly.
"You slept with HER! How could you?"
"I can't be pinned down, girl, you know that."
"But my best friend as well!"
"I get around, baby, you know that. Now calm down, get your knickers back on or I'm going to have to give you a slap to keep you in line"
"You ain't slapping her or anyone else today" came Action's booming voice. The man faltered in his tracks.
"Hello officer, this is between me and the girl" said the man, not bothered by Action's presence.
"You are causing a disturbance and have just threatened to strike this lady. I'm warning you, pal, you get out of here right now or you'll be joining that guy over there" said Action, nodding to where his assailant was cuffed.
"Alright, chum, keep your hair on." replied the man, leaving the scene.
"You alright, Miss?" said Action to the woman.
"Grrrr! That man! I detest him!" She replied.
"Hey, I know you...." said Action "We met when I first moved into town. Down at the...uhm....the Blue Something or other"
"The Blue Velvet" she replied. "I remember. I didn't know you were a cop...you're pretty handy to have around. I'm Jade"
"Of course" replied Action, smiling.
"Anyway, Jade, you can do better than him in your life. Look, my ride is here and I've got to get that perp back to the blockhouse. Stay cool, baby" he said, tipping his hat at her.
Action and his back up uncuffed the assailant from the lamp post, shoved him in the back of the black and white and hauled him back to 13th Precinct HQ. However, there was no rest for Action. Datta was on the front desk and she was talking to two civilians. One, a dorky looking young man and the second an elegant blonde lady.
"Ah, Action, no rest for the wicked today...we have a couple of complaints to deal with" she said, indicating the two civilians.
"No problem, me and the lady here...." he began.
"Uh-huh...Mr Fowler here has been waiting the longest and he has a problem which I think you're uniquely suited to help with. I will deal with Miss Vale."
Fowler began to explain his problem to Action "Well, officer, I don't know how quite to explain this problem we have in our little community...but someone's been going around and messing in our swimming pools. And by messing I mean...well...leaving something in them that, frankly, deserves to be in a bathroom."
"I get what you mean" said Action, sighing, whilst watching Datta deal with the elegant woman.
At the end of his shift, Action headed home. The pool depositor case would have to wait until tomorrow. He changed out of his uniform, had some chow and was relaxing when he saw a familiar figure outside of his window. A pleasant and familiar figure. Action got up and went outside to say hello. The person was someone he'd met recently; Katharine Bowie, young socialite. She was dressed in the height of fashion, wearing a few yellow whisps of nothing much.
"Katharine" said Action, smiling. "A pleasure to see you"
"Likewise, Action" she replied.
"All dressed up to the nines, and beyond" said Action, complimenting her appearance.
"A charity fundraising dinner" she said.
"And no plus one? I would have thought all the eligible men of Sim City would be beating a path to your door to accompany you"
"Not tonight, alas" she said. "Do you own a tux?"
"I own two"
"I'll remember that for next time" she said, smiling.
"I'll remember to have them dry cleaned" he replied.
Suzy Kent struggled with the transition from A flat major to B flat major 7th on her guitar. "Dang it, I'm never going to be Joan Baez at this rate!" A few more attempts and she finally got there, albeit with too long a pause between the two chords. At that moment, there was a knock on her door. "Now's a good time as any to take a break" she said, putting her guitar down.
It was Summer Holiday at the door. Of late Summer had become Suzy's best friend: The two shared much in common...a positive outlook on life, both interested in pop music and fashion and they both had non-starter love lives. "Hi, Suzy" said Summer. "I'm not rostered on at the cafeteria until 2 this afternoon and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out for a bit?"
"Absolutely, Summer" replied Suzy. "In fact I was wondering if you'd like to help me on a little project of mine" she added.
"Oh do tell"
"I need to find a teenager...a specific one" said Suzy.
"And why would you want to find them?" said a puzzled Summer.
"Oh it's a lead on that story I'm working on. I need to find a girl called Gillian to interview...the trouble is the school she goes to won't give out any contact details so we have to 'chance' encounter her. Do you know if the teens still hang out at the Bowl-o-Rama in Newcrest?"
"Yep...some things don't change from when we were their age..." replied Summer.
"Which was only a couple of years ago" said Suzy. "So what do you say? We go there, hang out at the lounge for a bit and see if her or any of her friends show up....oh and we might meet a couple of nice guys there as well"
The girls grabbed their bags and caught the bus over to Newcrest and the Bowl-o-Rama...a popular spot that had been around for nearly a decade. There was a bowling alley, a food court, a cinema and a lounge bar all in the one building. It was a very popular hang out with teenagers and the two ladies swapped stories on the bus about their fun times hanging out there and the boys they went out with at the time. Both Suzy and Summer were 20 years old so High School wasn't so long ago for them...but with the fast change of society these days 1964 already seemed like a decade behind 1966.
"So we're here to play detective, have drinks and check out single guys?" asked Summer, when they finally arrived at the leisure complex.
"...in that order" replied Suzy.
The girls sat in the upstairs bar, near the huge windows that looked down on the street below.
"So what does this Gillian look like?" asked Summer.
"She's skinny, about 17 years old with long, straight strawberry blonde hair with a straight fringe. A bit of a party animal from what I hear" replied Suzy.
"Sounds like me when I was 17....that wasn't that long ago, have we become old maids already?" said Summer with a sigh.
"I hope not! It's just...well....where are all the decent guys these days?"
"Beats me!" said Summer, taking a swig of her white wine. "I sometimes think of moving to somewhere more lively. Sim City can be such a drag sometimes"
"I've been thinking of the scene in San Francisco, or New York" said Suzy
"...or London" replied Summer.
"London would be soooooooo fab! Carnaby Street! The Marquee Club!" Suzy's eyes lit up at the thought of it.
"Tea with the Queen!" said Summer and the both of them laughed.
"Seriously, if it wasn't for this story I'm working on I'd already be looking to move away from Sim City" said Suzy.
"I'm already thinking of those cute British guys!" said Summer.
The two friends continued to talk about work, relationships...or lack thereof...and Suzy's investigative journalism. It certainly was a far cry from fashion journalism, which is what Suzy was originally hired to do.
"Dang, that girl hasn't shown up yet and I need to get to work!" said Summer, finishing off her wine. "Are you OK to stay here or are you going to give up too?"
"I'm staying for the moment...I know it's only a hunch that she'll show up here but if I've guessed correctly she's the type of girl who'll want to be where the action is and with all these other teenagers hanging around..." and she nodded in the direction of all the teens gathering to go see the new, wildly popular French movie "Un Sim Et Une Simme" "...I'm sure she's going to show up soon"
Summer made her goodbyes and headed off whilst Suzy continued to look out for Gillian. Soon enough, a girl matching her description could be spotted from the upstairs lounge walking towards Bowl-o-Rama.
Suzy ran downstairs and out of the building in case Gillian walked past it. "Hello there...are you Gillian by any chance?" she called out to the girl. The teenager stopped and turned to look at Suzy.
"I am, who wants to know?" she said.
"Hi, I'm Suzy Kent...I'm a writer for 'Hey, Wow!' magazine"
The girl's eyes widened and her face lit up with excitement. "Hey, Wow!' I love that magazine...I get it every week!" she said, enthusiastically.
"Glad to hear it...anyway I'm doing a story and wondered if I could ask you a few questions?"
"Sure! What about? Fashion? I know ALL about fashion! Pop music? I know EVERYTHING about that as well!"
"It's more personal than that....erm" Suzy felt embarrassed to be asking this girl questions about her personal dating life but she was committed to this story now. "...you know, we cover celebrity news as well; who's dating who, who's been seen in the trendiest sports...you know the thing"
"I do" said Gillian, now standing confidently and less bubbly and gushing. "In fact, I know a well known person about town AND have been on a few dates with him....if you're interested" she said, teasingly.
"Do tell!" said Suzy.
"Well....I mean, I don't want to go telling about this guy unless there was something rewarding in it" Gillian looked shrewdly at Suzy.
"I see...well, what can I help you with?"
"I want to be a model...top of the range stuff, the famous fashion houses....well, you must have contacts there...maybe you could hook me up with some of them. I'm the right height, the right shape and I've got 'the look'. What about it?"
Suzy thought about this; the girl was certainly no shrinking violet....she could see why she would incur the wrath of Geoffrey Landgraab.
Suzy thought about what Gillian had asked for...a simple matter of introducing this girl to some of her modelling contacts. There was a risk; if she proved to be a liability and as demanding as Suzy had suspected it might reflect badly on her. On the other hand, if what she had to say was revelatory then perhaps she would be forgiven if the story was good.
"OK, I know people who might help your modelling career" said Suzy, hoping she wouldn't regret it. "I have a business card from a top photographer...it's yours IF you tell me about this guy." She held the card aloft, just out of Gillian's reach.
"Alright....I've been dating Malcolm Landgraab...the heir to the Landgraab fortune" the girl said.
"I know the Landgraabs. Go on" said Suzy.
"Well...he's no angel but then again, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree if you get my drift" Gillian continued.
"This I already know" said Suzy, turning the business card over in her hand.
"OK...here's the dope..." said Gillian leaning in and speaking softly. "Malcolm's been supplying the party scene with some substances that the cops wouldn't take too kindly too: 'Shrooms, acid and especially space cookies. It's his way of 'expanding' the family business with a sideline of his own."
"And the family business is, what, exactly?" asked Suzy.
"The old man's a ruthless business tycoon...as you know. But he's REALLY cutthroat. Putting people out of business, cutting off their water and power supplies. It's less like a corporation and more like a protection racket. But not to be outdone is Mommy Dearest...she's into ALL kinds of criminal activities! She pretty much runs the Sim City underworld!"
Suzy said nothing. She was shocked by this revelation...the Landgraabs were way worse than she had initially suspected. Clearing her throat, she asked Gillian "So are you going to keep dating Malcolm?"
"I guess...depends on him and whether he'll stand up to Daddy" she shrugged.
"Well, if you hear anything new...here's my contact number. And here's that business card I promised as well...thank you Gillian"
The girl looked at the cards she was given and smiled broadly. Suzy walked away Good luck... she thought you're going to need it.
Suzy headed into town for some light relief and noticed that there were bright pink and psychedelic colours decking out the public squares. One look at the signs posted everywhere told her it was "Romance Festival" night. "Oh no!" she thought, remembering how dull it was last time. However, all was not a total loss...a familiar face was present.
"Bakko Jang...always where the party is!" she said, smiling at him.
"You know me, sis" he replied. "Gonna dance?" he asked.
"Maybe later...I'm hungry right now" she replied. Suzy headed over to a vendor for one of this week's special "romantic" dishes but they usually turned out to be regular meals but with more chili sauce on them.
Looking around the festival, it was the same old bunch of middle aged men on the hunt and female fashion disasters as the divorcees attempted to look hip but failing. Still, the food was nice and after she'd finished she headed back to talk with Bakko.
"I'm doing a live spot later...it's open mic night at the bar and I've got me some new material" said Bakko, enthusiastically.
"I look forward to seeing it" said Suzy.
"Hey, it's either one of my fans...or one of yours...coming towards us" said Bakko, nodding in the direction behind Suzy. She turned around to see Nancy Landgraab approaching them.
"Bakko..." Nancy said "I'm very much looking forward to seeing your act later on. I'm so glad the money and time we invested in your career is starting to pay off"
"Thank you, Mrs Landgraab...enjoy the show" replied Bakko.
"And Miss Kent, how lovely to see you again. I rely on your publication to inform me of the latest trends" she said, showing off her latest outfit. A bit racy for a woman of 40 but Nancy had the courage...and the looks...to just about pull it off.
"Pleated skirts are the height of fashion right now" replied Suzy. "Are you with your family tonight, by any chance?"
"Geoffrey's here. Malcolm was invited by he's with friends this evening" Nancy replied, haughtily.
"Yes, I hear he's quite the socialite" said Suzy. "He's been seeing this aspiring model I believe?" Suzy was trying to get a reaction from Nancy and she didn't have to wait long either.
There was a frosty silence between Nancy and Suzy, who realised she'd touched a nerve there. Suddenly, Nancy looked away and over to an area where people were painting. This seemed to snap her out of her mood. "Ah..." said Nancy. "I see someone I'd like you to meet. Neil! Would you be a darling and come over here for a moment?" she said to a young, fair haired man who'd been painting a still life scene. He put down his paintbrush and came over to where Nancy and Suzy were standing.
"Suzy Kent...I'd like you to meet a friend of mine: Neil Humphries. Neil is an aspiring young artist the Landgraab Foundation are sponsoring. Miss Kent here is from 'Hey, Wow!' magazine."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Kent" said Neil, pleasantly
"Call me Suzy" she replied. Suzy thought Neil was a friendly, good looking guy from his smile and honest expression.
"I must attend to other business...until next time" said Nancy, who promptly left.
Neil looked stuck for something to say so Suzy tried to break the ice. "I like your painting over there" she said.
"Oh, that? I haven't finished it yet" he said, looking embarrassed.
"Nevertheless it's looking good...you're good at capturing reflections on canvas. So do you have anything exhibited in any galleries?" she asked, trying to get him to open up.
"Not yet...I still consider myself an amateur at this stage. Hopefully one day I'll have my own exhibition. At the moment I'm just glad to be able to participate in this arts festival..."
"Erm, this is the Romance Festival" said Suzy, correcting him.
"Romance Festival? Oh my god!" the man looked panicked and looked around him frantically.
"Is something the matter?" said Suzy, now looking concerned.
"I...I don't do well at these kind of things. I thought this was an art festival"
Suzy suppressed the urge to laugh. Neil looked so panicked at the idea of being at a romance festival.
"Relax...this place is usually filled with middle aged people looking to cheat on their spouses anyway. I've been to this event twice now and haven't met a single....nice....young...single....man" and as she spoke those words, her eyes met Neil's briefly before both of them looked away.
"I...I...hope you can come to a showing of my work in the future...Suzy" said Neil, putting his hands in his pockets and looking awkwardly at his feet. "In the meantime...I'd better get back to my painting"
Suzy nodded. She didn't know quite what to make of this guy but that brief moment of eye contact was enough to spark an interest in this man who was so awkward he made Jeremy Saint look like a lounge lizard. Suzy went to get some food and found that she was sitting opposite Geoffrey Landgraab. He didn't notice her though; his attention was drawn to a an elegant blonde haired lady wearing a lavender coloured Chinese dress. Geoffrey gave her a wink and a wave...she smiled seductively back at her. This is not the model family thought Suzy.
