"What? No way!" Liberty blurted out in shock when she saw how much this month's household bills were. "What are we spending this much on? OK, there's taxes...but...meat? How can our meat bill be so high? And other food...there's only 3 of us; how come it looks like we're feeding a small army? What's this? 'For services rendered'? What does that mean?"
Liberty, however, saw the urgency and the impending due dates on these bills and hurriedly wrote out the cheques to pay them. Once deposited in the mail box, she went back inside to have breakfast. She just wanted some simple eggs and toast but when she opened the fridge she saw the entire cabinet was stuffed to the hilt with food and drinks.
"Hmmm, delicious breakfast, Libs...you should have some" said Travis pointing at his plate: He was tucking into a large dish of some grilled meat and a few token vegetables.
"Travis...is that roast lamb you're eating...for breakfast?" asked an incredulous Liberty.
"No, not roast; grilled with Mediterranean spices with some couscous. It's delicious but if that's too heavy going for you I've got some tofu dogs on the BBQ which I was saving for my second breakfast but you could share some as well" Travis replied.
"No...wait, you have a second breakfast?" asked Liberty, still shocked.
"I love to grill!" said Travis. "It's an old Scott family tradition: We must never go short so we cook 2 meals at a time"
"So that's why our meat bill is so high!" said Liberty.
"Good morning guys!" said Summer, walking past the kitchen. "I thought I'd get breakfast going...Travis, can I put your tofu dogs to one side so I can start grilling some steaks?"
"Not you too!" said Liberty. "Summer, Travis...our bills have been really high of late and this is part of the problem: Instead of cooking one meal at a time, we're cooking 3 or 4. We simply can't eat this much and a lot is going to waste"
"But...I love to grill!" said a hurt Travis. "Anyway, I've got to get ready for work...do try the lamb"
"Not so fast, bucko!" said Liberty, jabbing a finger at him. "Now, there's another item on the bills: For services rendered. What's that about?"
Summer piped up. "Oh, that's for our cleaner"
"Yeah, we hired a cleaner after our house got trashed, remember? She does a pretty good job" said Travis.
"The bill seems a little high for one cleaner. I'll have a word with Mavis when she's next here" said Liberty.
"Who's Mavis? Our cleaner's called Jeff" said Travis.
"No, it's Aime" said Summer.
Liberty looked puzzled and then the penny dropped. "Oh no, I hired Mavis!"
"But I put in the call and hired Jeff!" said Travis.
"I didn't know either of you two had called the cleaning company so I called them and they sent Aime"
Liberty slapped her forehead. "No wonder Mavis says she hasn't much to do! Guys, this is a disaster and we're paying through the nose. Right, One of us....ONE...calls the cleaning company and we settle on just the one maid. Travis, stop buying in so much food!"
"But...but...Summer's just as guilty as that!" he said in a tone that reminded her of a naughty schoolboy.
"We're going to cut down on the bills starting now. And you don't leave the stereo AND the TV on at the same time!" said a stern Liberty.
"Marcus Aurelius Agrippa Pontus...died of exhaustion and cruelty from his master" mumbled Travis.
"What's that all about?" said Liberty.
"That's the name of your last slave and what he died of" said Travis, heading out the door to work.
Liberty had some work to catch up on so retired to her room, leaving Summer to sort out the cleaner situation. As she had more contact with Aime, who was due to come clean the house that morning, it was decided that she should be the only cleaner for them.
"Phew, well that's sorted out" said Summer, bringing her a cup of coffee after Aime had finished cleaning the house. "I just wasn't aware that we were spending so much money"
"I think that's down to the fact that we live together but don't co-ordinate the domestic arrangements." said Liberty. "I know I've been a bit of a drag this morning about the bills...let's go down to the park for a bit? A fresh change of scenery will do me good, I don't know about you"
"I'm all for that, let's go!" said an enthusiastic Summer.
Magnolia Blossom Park wasn't busy, but it was a warm spring day and the quiet was only broken by the sound of the bird life. Liberty spotted an empty chess table and motioned to Summer that it was free.
"Every time I come here every chess table is occupied...why not grasp this rare opportunity to have a game" said Liberty.
"Sure...good idea. Only one thing: I don't know how to play chess" replied Summer.
"Right...." said Liberty, with a grimace. "Well, there's never a bad time to learn, I suppose"
"OK, I think I've got this" said Summer. "I'll start"
"Are you sure you don't want to play black instead?" replied Liberty. "I mean, it might be easier if you...oh. You took my knight"
"Is that good?" said Summer.
"Well....yeah, for you. I didn't expect such an aggressive move early on. OK, not a problem...I'll just move my bishop there....except if I do that makes it vulnerable to your queen. Are you sure you've never played before?"
Summer just innocently shrugged her shoulders.
"Ah, the classic Queen's Indian vs the Botvinnik Defence" said a passer by; a smart lady in her late 30s who carried with her an air of superiority about her.
"Well...I call it more all hands to the pumps" said Liberty, pondering her now weak position on the board.
"I'm a newcomer to this game. My friend here tells me I'm doing well" said Summer.
"Indeed you are" said the lady. "I'm a keen student of the game and I'd say you're a natural at this if this is your first ever try."
Liberty spent a long time considering her next move, but then checked her watch. "Oh no, I've got to get to work"
"Just when I was starting to really enjoy this game. Say, chess is actually cool!" said Summer.
"Well, Black's position is difficult but not impossible" said the lady.
"Would you care to take over from my friend when she has to leave?" asked Summer.
"If you wouldn't mind" said the lady. "My name's Yumiko"
"Oh, Summer. And this is my friend, Liberty"
Yumiko took Liberty's place at the chess board. "Hmmm, indeed a tricky spot for black but maybe if I move the rook here..."
Within 5 moves Summer's seemingly winning position was overturned and Yumiko triumphed.
"Very satisfying" said Yumiko. "But well played" she added to encourage Summer. "Very nice meeting you but I need to get back to work; I have a young intern who needs supervising...a lot!"
Summer headed home and grabbed a late lunch but then the doorbell rang and she went to check who was at the door.
"Hey, Suz....oh my! I forgot you were meant to be coming over!" said Summer.
"Is this a bad time?" replied Suzy.
"Not at all, come on in...let's talk wedding plans!"
Suzy's visit was to go over some of the wedding planning with her maid of honour. The date had been fixed now, for early June, and a venue booked: The Newcrest Chapel. Now it was time for Suzy and Summer to discuss wedding and bridesmaids dresses, a signature colour and....importantly...the Bachelorette party.
"I'm thinking either pale pink or powder blue for the signature colour..." Suzy began in expansive mode, as if she were creating a vast imaginary tableaux. "...dresses for us; well, we must take a trip to the bridal shop in Magnolia Promenade and see what they've got and...help me here, Summer: Do we do a nice meal for the Bachelorette Party at a swanky restaurant or do we go a bit wild and hit either the Orange Peel Club or Discotheque Pan Europa?"
"Why not both?" replied Summer.
"This is going to be a 3 cup of coffee discussion...at least!" said Summer, making a fresh pot. So much to decide! Have you done a guest list?"
"Not yet...well, family are a given and of course all you guys in Foundry Cove." said Suzy.
"Seating plans: We need to sit Julia on the same table as a nice, single guy" said Summer.
"Definitely" said Suzy.
Summer was making general notes on a pad of paper she found in Travis' room when who should appear but the man himself, holding a pick me up beverage.
"Now I hope you're not going through my drawers, ladies" he said, mischievously.
"We're making notes for Suzy's wedding" replied Summer.
"Should I be here? I mean, secrecy about the dress and all that?" he said.
"You're not the groom, Travis" Summer corrected him. "But be warned, it's going to get very technical and girly in a moment"
"I'll be a fly on the wall" he said.
Suzy stood up to look in Travis' bedroom mirror. "What do you reckon" she asked "long or short, tight fitting or loose and flowing?"
"Short and tight" said Travis.
"Travis! This is Suzy you're talking about!" replied Summer.
"Hey, if you're maid of honour then you get to wear something similar as well! I'm merely expressing an opinion about what I...and Neil...would prefer"
"Make yourself useful by fixing up some dinner....and NO excessive enormous platters of grilled meat either" said Summer.
"Awww" said Travis, leaving the room. The girls continued doing some more wedding planning whilst Travis cooked. Then, when Liberty came home, they all sat down together...with Suzy as a guest...to eat and talk. Finally Liberty crashed out in her room, Suzy went home and Travis and Summer found themselves alone together at last.
"You're incorrigible, you know that?" said Summer, looking Travis up and down.
"If I fully understood what that meant I'd probably agree" said Travis with a cheeky, schoolboy smirk.
"Well, as long as the idea of a wedding doesn't freak you out..., you'll do" she said, smirking in response.
"Thank you, now when was the last time we kissed....hmm....Tuesday?"
"Good morning, Nancy" said Alan Cuffe as Nancy Landgraab jogged past. Alan knew that at precisely 6:30am she would pass his house on her daily run. Normally Alan would slip out of bed, careful not to wake the cute blonde/brunette/redhead or raven haired beauty lying next to him...it was seldom the same woman twice in a row. However on this occasion he decided not to invite on of his contacts from his little black book for a sleep over but instead get an early night...alone...so he could accost Nancy Landgraab on her daily run.
"Alan, you're up early" she said, coming to a halt in front of him.
"Yes, most unusual for me but it's because I wanted to catch you this morning" he replied.
"Couldn't you have called my office or arranged to come by the mansion?" she said, sounding bothered.
"Far too many prying ears and eyes for my comfort if I came to your establishment. Better to catch you on my turf."
"What's this about?" she asked, forcefully.
"Someone tried to shoot Lily Feng or my assistant, Madelyn, the other day" he said, matter of factly.
"How sad; but what's it got to do with me?" she said.
"I was thinking motive...who would want to bump off either of those two? The only name that sprang to mind was yours" said Alan, still keeping a calm tone.
"What makes you think I'd want to kill either of them? Alan, have you been reading too many of your magazine's short pulp mysteries?"
"Recently your family...your company...have been trying to undermine my business ventures. Geoffrey's trying to lobby City Hall into blocking my plans to build a Lothario club, I buy stock in 'Hey Wow' magazine only to find out that you're trying to shut it down and ruin one of their star reporters and as Madelyn's my day to day operations manager and Lily Feng a part owner of my nightclub it doesn't take a genius to figure out you've got the biggest axe to grind and if I've figured it out then sure as heck the Sim City PD are close to figuring it out as well"
Nancy look flustered but soon regained her composure. "I didn't have anything to do with an attempted murder of your assistant or Lily. Neither did Geoffrey. But before you start levelling accusations at me, I suggest digging into the background of Madelyn Buchanan: She's been dabbling in all kinds of enterprises the Police Department won't like"
"What's that supposed to mean?" said a shocked Alan.
"When my Malcolm was...led astray...by the wrong people; she was one of them. She was quite the customer for marijuana: Buying far too much for personal use, if you know what I mean. I'd check under her bed if I were you for her stash and untraceable banknotes."
Alan Cuffe was rendered speechless at this revelation. Madelyn was his live-in personal assistant with a lot of responsibility in the Lothario enterprise and he had no idea she either used or sold drugs.
"Now if that's all, Alan, I must get on with my run...things to do, people to meet, places to go." And with that she set off running again.
THE BLUE VELVET CLUB, LATER THAT EVENING
"I mean, where can you find a decent man these days? Oh forget decent, where can you find a REAL man?" the woman was drunk and speaking so loud she was in danger of drowning out the music in the nightclub. "I swear the next man...THE. NEXT. MAN. who walks in here I'm going to snaffle up!"
Seated next to this woman was Julia Epstein: Doctor, citizen, member of the League of Decency and she was NOT impressed by this lush sitting next to her.
"Hey, am I right?" the lady said, nudging Julia in the ribs.
"I'm not looking for any man in particular. I come for the music and to meet friends" Julia replied, quietly and in a formal manner.
"Sheesh, get a load of Madam here" the lady said, rolling her eyes.
"She happens to be correct and you, Madam, are drunk and disgusting." those words came from the cavalry: Edna Sneedley. Julia hadn't seen Edna arrive but there she was, sitting on the other side of the drunk lady and remonstrating with her.
"You should smarten yourself up" said Julia to the lady. "My friend here is correct: You'll never find a decent man in your state. Go home, sober up and stop hanging around bars trying to pick up louches"
"Harumph" said the woman, struggling to stand up. "I will not stay here and be insulted by two mousey spinsters!" and with that she stormed off.
"Good riddance" said Edna. She looked around and moved her seat closer to Julia. "So, what news? Have they been in tonight?"
Julia shook her head. "No...I haven't seen them. Usually the Kitten Club meet here a couple of nights a week and this is a usual day for them but nothing so far. Maybe they've changed venue"
"Or maybe they got word that we'd be here and they didn't want their meeting disrupted! Grrr, I hate Alan Cuffe, he's so devious!"
"We lucked out tonight...but we'll keep the pressure on" said Julia, trying to reassure Edna.
"You're such a positive person; brimming with the energy of youth" said Edna, smiling at her protégé. Now on to other matters; the uniforms should be delivered to your house tomorrow. Hopefully, by the time of our next group meeting everyone will have a set."
"Wow, that was sorted quickly" said Julia.
"Purpose. Direction. Results. The words I live by, young Julia." said Edna proudly.
The next day Julia was back at work at the hospital. Dr Murakami had noticed that she was particularly good with children and was putting more paediatric cases her way. Julia didn't mind, she liked working on those cases and had developed a good rapport with most of them.
At the end of the shift, she changed out of her scrubs and headed back home where a large parcel, addressed to Dr Julia Epstein, was waiting on the front porch for her.
Taking the parcel inside, she could guess what it was: The new League of Decency uniform. She took it through to the bedroom and opened it up. There were quite a number of items; a top, skirt and boots but also a bag of accessories. On top of it all was a sheet of A4 paper with neatly typed instructions reading: LEAGUE OF DECENCY, UNIFORM REGULATIONS.
It even comes with regulations! Thought Julia. But she was actually quietly impressed...she liked the organisation of the League and thought Edna was completely on the case...driven, purposeful and getting results.
THE LEAGUE OF DECENCY
UNIFORM REGULATIONS
This uniform is to be worn at all League of Decency meetings and activities. Its purpose is to present a strong and identifiable image to the general public as well as encouraging a spirit of purpose and fellowship within the League itself. The uniform is to be kept in a clean and presentable fashion and must not show signs of stains, tears and damage. Dry clean only, accessories to be hand washed in warm, soapy water.
FEMALE UNIFORM
The female uniform consists of the following parts:
1. Sweater, high neck, long sleeved, wool/Dacron(tm) mix in Sky Blue. Sleeves are not to be rolled up in public but must be worn long at all times. Sweater to be worn tucked into the skirt.
2. Skirt, cotton poplin with polyester lining, in black. Skirt length should be 1" above the crease of the knee, no shorter.
3. Boots, knee length, leather, black with 2" square heels, inside zip fastening. Boots are to be kept polished with scuff marks removed.
4. Foundation garments (not provided). Appropriate foundation garments should be worn with the uniform. Female protuberances in the bosom must not be visible under clothing. The bosom must remain secure with the minimum of upwards and downwards movement. Corsets advisable, but not compulsory. Lower undergarments must be firm fitting and not be visible under clothing.
5. Hosiery (1 x pair provided). Black stockings in nylon or silk, 10 to 15 denier, to be worn with the uniform. NO PANTYHOSE. Must be firmly attached to garter belts with no slippage. Plain, no patterns but back seams permitted.
6. Jewellery is permitted for the following items: 1 pair of earrings, one ring per hand, no necklaces, bracelets or arm bands.
7. Make up should be worn but in smart, discrete colours. No false eyelashes, no glitter.
8. Hair must be neatly groomed with no multi-coloured dyes, no wigs (except in cases of alopecia) and no brightly coloured headbands in poor taste.
"Wow, that is very specific!" said Julia, upon reading the regulations. She wanted to see if everything fitted and what it looked like on her so she got out of her everyday outfit and proceeded to put on the uniform.
First, she had to find the appropriate 'foundation garments': She'd last worn a garter belt for her med school graduation and that was some time ago now. Tucked at the back of her underwear drawer she found her most formal and firm undies and put them on before opening up the packet of stockings and gently pulling them on her legs. Then came the tricky and fiddly part of attaching them to the garters. It was a lot of fuss, she thought.
Once that was on, Julia put on the snug fitting sweater, skirt and boots. Smoothing out some wrinkles she inspected herself in the mirror and then walked around the house to get a good feel for the outfit. Now it was on her she started to feel good in it. She could see that it would give her more drive, purpose and....power!
Julia strutted around the living room imagining giving overly flirtatious people a warning. "Hey! Stop that necking in the park...there are children present! And put on a shirt!" She even pretended she was like her neighbour, John Action, arresting a perp: "League of Decency! You're busted!" She let out a little giggle...she didn't want to go too power crazy: Only warn the worst offenders, of course. Not everyday folk.
After walking around in her new uniform, and feeling more comfortable wearing it, she changed back into her regular clothes because she was going to go out to the Blue Velvet again: It was her scheduled night on the piano. However, as soon as she arrived, her boss and overlord at work; Dr Murakami, was already there.
"Ah, Doctor Murakami. What a surprise!" said a startled Julia. "I didn't know you frequented here"
"On occasion. I take it you're a regular?" Dr Murakami responded in a cool and slightly disapproving manner.
"Semi-, ish, I take a turn on the piano occasionally" said Julia, defensively.
Murakami didn't respond to Julia's point but instead changed the subject completely. "Dr Epstein, I have recently been impressed by your work with the younger patients...have you considered branching out into paediatrics?"
"I have given it some thought" replied Julia.
"Good, you're more focussed on your medicine than I thought. Well, if a paediatrics rotation spot becomes available, I will forward on your name and my recommendation."
"Gosh, thank you, Dr Murakami!" said Julia, wide eyed with excitement at that news.
"See you at work, sharp, 8am Doctor...don't stay out too late" she said as she turned to leave the club. Julia had not expected Murakami to be that benevolent towards her.
Julia's piano playing...a 20 minute slot in-between a nightclub crooner and the standard discotheque music played over the speakers...netted her 20 Simoleans for the night; not bad for an amateur doing an "open mic" session. When her performance had ended, a familiar face came up to congratulate her.
"I really liked your set tonight" said Barbara Dubois.
"Oh thanks, Barbara...I didn't notice you arrive. I guess I was too lost in my own playing! Is Jeremy here?" said Julia.
"He's getting in a round of drinks" replied Barbara.
Another woman came over to congratulate Julia on her set. "Hey, you're becoming quite the regular here: My name's Eliza. Eliza Pancakes" she said.
"Hi. Julia Epstein"
"DOCTOR Julia Epstein...our girl here is multi-talented" interjected Barbara.
"A doctor? Do you have a cure for a lazy husband? HA! I am joking, of course" said Eliza. "Good thing he isn't here to hear that!"
Julia didn't know how to respond so she changed the subject back. "I'm just an amateur, really, at the piano but I'm glad people liked the set tonight. So, I hear you're ready for the grand opening of the boutique" she asked Barbara.
"Nearly there: doing the finishing touches and getting the mannequins dressed up. I'm still learning the ropes at the moment!"
"Oh you run a dress shop do you?" said Eliza. "I could do with a new dress; not that my husband would notice! HA!"
Julia only stuck around to say hello and have one drink with Jeremy and Barbara...and Eliza, who stuck around. Then she decided to call it a night and head home...she thought about the next League of Decency meeting, what they would do and would they need to wear the uniform!
And WHAM! A hook with the right! SLAM! A jab with the left. Action felt pumped up and energised doing his morning calisthenics, which climaxed with a session on the punch bag. Heaven help the perp who would try to take him on today!
"Man, that felt good!" he said after his workout. He noticed, in the distance, Nancy Landgraab on her daily run but he decided not to confront her today: He knew she was up to something no good but she was well connected and could evade any police attention because she was so good at covering her tracks. He watched her run out of sight before heading indoors for a quick breakfast and a catch up of the news.
"...Meanwhile, the US Air Force launched its first large scale B-52 bomber raid on Hanoi..."
"Man, those things will cut up the Cong real bad" thought Action, who knew how devastating a fully laden B-52 bomber was. This was the first time they were being used to drop conventional and not nuclear weapons. Action turned the TV off after a few minutes: He really didn't want to hear any more about what was going on in Vietnam: He still had friends out there and didn't want to hear stories about casualties...especially American ones.
Action showered, got dressed and still felt pumped up about life. Only a few days earlier he'd received a commendation for his work in solving the Stargazer Lounge burglary and bringing the perpetrators to justice. Now an even more intriguing case had landed on his desk: Why was the theft of some photographs from the gossip columnist, Penny Pizzazz, so important to someone? Today, he'd make a major stride in finding out.
A major stride or a major strut? When Action arrived at 13th Precinct headquarters he was positively sauntering in. A couple of very attractive young women were standing outside of the station and Action couldn't help but swagger past and give them flirtatious looks. Both young women flirted coyly back at him.
Inside the station, Action wasted no time in contacting one of the forensics team in the lab. They'd been examining the photos and had a report for him.
"Cassidy, those photos from the Pizzazz case; have you analysed them yet?" he said upon entering the lab.
"I have, Detective, here they are" said Cassidy, who was the most senior of the lab team. She held out some large black and white 8 x 10s for him to look at. The first was of a beautiful and fashionable young woman.
"She's been identified as Jenny Newsome: She's a fashion model, one of the most popular in the city...done a lot of magazine work." said Cassidy.
"I know" replied Action. "She's also Lothario magazine's Kitten of the Month, March 1966..." Cassidy looked at him with a reproachful look. "I don't just read it for the articles, Doc" Action added. "What else have you got for me?"
"The next photo, from the same session, is one of these two women talking." said Cassidy as she handed the second photo to Action.
"The woman on the right we haven't identified yet, the woman on the left has her back to the camera so we couldn't get an I.D. either" said Cassidy.
"Hmmm" thought Action. The woman with her back to the camera looked familiar. "That looks a lot like Lily Feng" he said after looking at the photo more closely.
"As in City Councillor Feng's wife?" enquired Cassidy.
"The very same" said Action. He looked at the photo closely and noticed something in the background.
"Cassidy...can you enlarge this area, around here?" he asked, pointing to a spot just to the left of the two women.
"Sure thing...let's get to the darkroom" she replied. Cassidy and Action went to the station darkroom, where she used the photograph enlarger to zoom in on the area Action had indicated.
"Any idea on who that blonde lady is?" Cassidy asked.
"No, but I'm certain the other woman is Lily Feng. Can you zoom in again on that area, near those bushes?" said Action.
"Sure thing, but the picture quality will drop"
"I don't care; just zoom in again" he said, determinedly.
"How about that?" asked Cassidy.
"Hmmm" said Action. As soon as the photo paper had dried, he took it and stepped out of the red lit darkroom and into the light of the police station. He examined this enlargement in detail, using a magnifying glass to look in the area of the bushes. Suddenly, he dropped the magnifier and ran back into the darkroom.
"Cassidy...one more enlargement: Right here!" he said, jabbing his finger right where a large bush was next to a lamp post.
Cassidy put the negative into the enlarger and adjusted the lens even more, nearly to its maximum level. She zeroed in on the area Action had indicated. Once she had the magnification as sharp as she could make it, Action yelled "Stop!". They both looked at the image and could make something sinister out.
"Good Lord!" said Cassidy when she saw the image.
"A gun...and it's pointing at those women" said Action. "Cassidy, I want you to check with ballistics on the type of gun there...and send a team down to the Fashion Plaza to scour for any sign of a bullet or shell casing"
"On it! What are you going to do?"
"Warn those two women!" said Action heading for the exit.
LANDGRAAB APARTMENTS, SAN MYSHUNO 12:43pm
The views from atop the apartment block impressed Action as he arrived at the resident of Mr & Mrs Feng. He knew a lot about the couple: Victor Feng was a senior city politician whilst his wife was a well known businesswoman and socialite. Action had never heard of any criminal or underhand activity from the pair of them but he also suspected that they didn't get to where they were today by being a pair of goody-two shoes either.
He knocked at the apartment door and was greeted by the lady of the house, Lily Feng, herself.
"Mrs Feng...My name's John Action, I'm a detective sergeant from Sim City PD and I'd like to ask a few questions if I may"
"Come on in, Detective. Is it me you wish to see or my husband?" she said calmly.
"Primarily you, Mrs Feng, but this may involve your husband"
"This sounds intriguing, what is the matter?" said Lily, sitting down behind her work desk. Her husband, Victor, remained sitting passively in an adjoining room.
"Mrs Feng, can you confirm whether this is you in the picture?" Action said, handing her the photo of the two women. Lily Feng took the photo and looked carefully at it.
"That is me, Detective, on the left of the picture" she said, calmly.
"I see. And do you know who the other woman is?" he asked.
"Yes. Her name is Madelyn Buchanan. She's an acquaintance"
"Can you be more specific? What is her relationship to you?"
"There isn't one, really. She's the personal assistant of Alan Cuffe...the publisher."
"I know who Alan Cuffe is. So can you explain what is going on in this photo?"
"This was a photo shoot to promote a joint business venture between me and Mr Cuffe. It's nothing really; he wants to start a new exclusive club in the city and my company is helping part fund it. We had some of his models pose in front of the planned venue. Miss Buchanan was there to make sure everything went to plan."
"Did you notice anything unusual about that day? Something specific to the time that photo was taken? Like an unusual noise, someone suspicious hanging around the area?"
"I didn't, Detective."
"One more thing: Have you had any threats lately? Anyone threaten violence towards you or your husband?"
Lily Feng's expression changed and she stood up. "No...but that's a serious matter. Do you know of any threat to me or my husband?"
"We suspect there may be...just a maybe at this stage." Action didn't want to reveal the photo of the gun aimed at Lily Feng to her right now.
"Are you saying my wife is at risk?" said Victor Feng, now animated and walking over to Action and Lily.
Action took a deep breath. "Someone might be making an attempt on your wife's life. Which is why I need to know if she had seen anyone or anything suspicious that day" he said.
"You will assign some police for my wife's protection, won't you?" asked a very agitated Victor Feng.
"Yes, until this matter is resolved and we get to the bottom of this there will be police assigned to you and your wife. In the meantime, if you have any information to pass on...here's my card."
PARCHED PROSPECT, OASIS SPRINGS 14:15pm
The next port of call for Action was the residence of Alan Cuffe; the notorious owner and editor of Lothario magazine and founder of the Kitten Club. The club was a bit of a mystery to outsiders but what was well known that membership was purely by invitation and that the female members were dressed in sexy cat themed outfits. Action had a subscription for Lothario; he was a red blooded single guy (albeit dating right now) who appreciated beautiful women, the finer aspects of life and aspired to enjoying some of that playboy lifestyle as well. As such he'd always wanted to meet Alan Cuffe but today his focus was on his personal assistant.
He was greeted by the person he specifically wanted to see; Madelyn Buchanan.
"Miss Buchanan?" he said, flashing his ID when she answered the door. "Detective John Action, SCPD. I want to ask you a few questions"
Madelyn, in contrast to Lily Feng, was more open with Action...flirtatious even.
"Am I wanted for something? I do hope so?" she said in a breathy voice.
"I want to ask you about a photo shoot you arranged for Lothario magazine a few days ago" he said, looking around the smart, modernist abode of Alan Cuffe.
"Oh that, why don't you sit down next to me and I'll tell you all about it" she said. Action could hardly pass up the invitation.
"You were talking a bit with Lily Feng, is that correct?" he asked.
"I was." replied Madelyn.
"Did you notice anything suspicious...like a sudden and unexpected sound or someone acting suspiciously?"
Madelyn paused to give the question some thought. "You know, now that I think about it...I did hear something strange. Well, I thought it was strange at the time but haven't thought about it since. There was a sound..."
"What like?" asked Action.
"A whizz...a high pitched whizzing sound. Or was it a whoosh? A whizz, a whoosh...something like that"
"Was that noise close to where you and Mrs Feng were standing?"
"Yeah, I'd say pretty close. I was in the middle of telling Lily...that's Mrs Feng...a story and I remember that sound interrupting my train of thought and forgetting the ending. That's why I remember it"
"And you didn't see what could have made that noise or anyone else who was there who shouldn't have been?"
"No...sorry. Maybe Alan would remember" she said and, right on cue, Alan Cuffe himself emerged from his office.
"Detective...I'm Alan Cuffe, pleased to meet you" said the notorious publisher, shaking Action's hand profusely.
"Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions" replied Action. "I don't suppose you saw or heard anything suspicious?"
"I can't say I did....but what's this about?" asked Cuffe.
"It's too early to tell but we think someone was at that photoshoot who intended harm on either Mrs Feng, Miss Buchanan or anyone else involved with the shoot. We're stepping up police protection for everyone who was present at Fashion District that day but obviously we want to know who might want to cause you...or your assistant...harm"
Cuffe let out a small laugh. "Well, maybe any of my detractors and I have many, Detective. I have a couple of whack jobs who are trying to shut my company down...I could give you their names: Edna and George Sneedley. But they don't seem like violent people, just annoying ones."
"If I could have a list of people who might want to harm you that would help greatly with my enquiry" said Action.
"Of course, come through to my study and I'll write out a list for you" said Cuffe.
Action followed Cuffe into the study and the policeman couldn't help but notice that the walls of the room were adorned with all kinds of erotic art. Along one wall were a set of photos of women Action recognised as Lothario Kittens of the Month. The last one on the row was Madelyn Buchanan in a Kitten outfit.
"I see Miss Buchanan isn't just your personal assistant, she's a Lothario Kitten as well" said Action.
"Oh yes, it makes things easier when my employees can fulfil more than one role in my organisation." replied Cuffe, writing down some names. "Do you read my magazine, Detective?"
"I do, on occasion" said Action. "And Miss Buchanan lives with you here, in your home?"
"It makes work and life so much easier with that arrangement"
"Would you say you were close?" asked Action.
"Detective, my private life isn't a matter for the police"
"It is if there's someone out there who wants to harm you or her"
"I am intimate with Madelyn...but we're not in a formal relationship. I'm a happy bachelor and my love life comes with no strings attached. Madelyn's the same way; she's free to date whoever it's just at the moment we occasionally share the same bed."
"And the other Kittens?" ventured Action.
"The same deal" Cuffe replied. Action looked at the row of photos and then back at a smiling Cuffe. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in astonishment.
"Your list, Detective." said Cuffe, handing Action a list of names.
"Much obliged" said Action.
Action's shift had ended now. A call back at 13th Precinct revealed that no bullet had yet been found but teams were looking for it. Action weighed up all the possibilities of this case: Either someone wanted Lily Feng or Madelyn Buchanan dead. He had to do more digging around to find out a motive for either target.
He returned home, beat, but intrigued. This mystery got a whole lot more interesting.
"So we need to book a venue for the wedding, sort out the catering, a wedding car, band, invitations...we need to draw up a guest list and send out the invitations...I need to get measured for a dress..."
"Suzy, I'm in the middle of eating breakfast!" said Neil. "You called me in here, in between mouthfuls, because you said it was an emergency"
"If we want a Summertime wedding we have to start planning now, not later, not manana: Breakfast or no breakfast" said Suzy, earnestly.
"General Westmoreland could do with you on his staff!" said Neil, taking another bite of toast.
"You'd never find him complaining about breakfast when there's more important things for him to do. So here's a list of venues and wedding services...you call them and ask for availability around June and July."
"Sir! Yes Sir!" saluted Neil as he finished his toast. "Now with your permission, Sir, I request to use the bathroom."
"Silly!" said Suzy, giving him a gentle slap on the arm. Neil went to the bathroom but as he flushed the toilet a leak suddenly sprang up."
"Oh great...add 'find a plumber' to my growing list of tasks" he thought. "However...I can show Madam that I can be handy around the house: Do the manly tasks." He thought with a wry grin.
"Just coming through...nothing to worry about" he said, dashing from the bathroom to the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen. He grabbed a tool bag and dashed back. Suzy briefly looked up from her note book to see Neil streaking past but had no idea what he was doing.
"Right....what to do, what to do?" Neil said to himself. The truth is, he had no idea what he was doing. Fortunately he had a handyman book his father had given to him so he looked up "leaky toilet" in it and guessed that the problem was a broken washer letting the water pour through.
Outside the bathroom, Suzy was trying to practice her guitar. She had in mind a couple of songs that she wanted played at the wedding and wanted to play them through to see which one she preferred for the song list.
But her practice was being disturbed by what she could hear coming from the bathroom: Loud, metallic banging noises punctuated by a lot of shouting. BANG! BANG! BANG! "OWW!" BANG! BANG! BANG! "SON OF A BITCH!" BANG! BANG! BANG! "OWW!"
Then the noise stopped, the door opened and Neil staggered out. "There, I've fixed the toilet" he mumbled.
"Fixed it? It sounded like you were smashing it to smithereens" said Suzy.
"Well, you know with a tricky job like that you can't do things in half measures" he replied, trying to sound like an expert in plumbing. "Oww-owwww!" he said, clutching his lower back.
"What's the matter?" said Suzy, putting down her guitar and rushing to his side.
"Pulled some muscles in there...I had to really crouch down to get to the U-bend and then I stood up too quickly...hey, are you smiling?" he said, looking sternly at Suzy.
"Oh no...not at all" said Suzy, suddenly looking serious but thinking Neil was adorably dorky with pretending to be some kind of handyman who, instead, strained some muscles. "Now does it hurt...here?" she said, gently placing her hand on his back.
"Hmmm, yes. That's exactly the spot" he said.
"Well, let's sit down together and I'll give you a massage" she said.
"That's what I was hoping you'd say" he replied.
"Oh that's wonderful...you just know where to put your hands" said a very contented Neil moments later.
"You're welcome...and thanks for fixing the toilet. I appreciate your help. It's like we're a married couple already"
"Alright...give me the list of things to do and I'll make a start" said Neil. Once he saw Suzy hand him not a one page list, but an entire notebook filled with wedding ideas, he was taken aback.
"Is there a volume two?" he joked.
"Maybe..." said Suzy with a wry smile.
They both headed off to work. Neil had two 4 hour shifts with 4 hours in between them so he arrived back home at lunchtime. He'd made lunch and then a few phone calls for wedding venues...two were available on the preferred dates: Newcrest Chapel and Myshuno Meadows. Neil booked appointments to go and visit them in person.
After that, he found a book of Suzy's that was lying on a coffee table so he picked it up and browsed through it. It was a history of Sim City and he found some interesting information that he didn't know about previously: That the Goth family arrived in the country from Europe in the 1750s, that the Landgraabs were descended from an old Dutch naval dynasty and first emigrated to America in 1810. The Fengs were latecomers: Victor's parents setting in Sim City in 1920. The book told of various political struggles and deals struck between the Landgraabs and the Fengs over the years.
Neil read on a bit more and then he suddenly shut the book. "Wait!" he thought. "That part doesn't make sense!" He looked up a section in the index and went to the relevant page. "Just as I thought...we've assumed the wrong thing all along! I must tell Suzy!" and with that he shut the book again and went to the phone to call her office. The polite secretary at Hey Wow magazine told him that she was in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed. Frustrated, Neil hung up and checked the book again...there was mention of the old Willow Creek tree; first planted in 1880 but no one knows by whom...one day it wasn't there and one day it was a sapling that grew to full size in a matter of months, not years. Neil went to check it out again.
"Now why would a history book single out one tree in a relatively small and obscure suburb? Hmmm" he thought on this more and more. He tried to find the opening Suzy found but today it was invisible. Another oddity about this tree and mysterious history of the city.
He couldn't hang around any longer; he had another shift in a few minutes so Neil went home, changed into his work shirt and waited around, hoping to catch Suzy and tell her his thoughts about what he'd found. Alas, he could wait no longer and headed off for work...minutes later, she arrived home: They had missed each other by only 5 minutes.
Had he managed to stay longer, he would have seen that she was upset and angry. At Hey, Wow magazine a big advertiser had decided not to renew their contract with the magazine. They claimed the publication didn't promote a "healthy" lifestyle for young people and that it wasn't even relevant to the youth scene anymore. The news came out of nowhere, there were no warning signs and it left a huge hole in the revenue of the magazine. Staff and editors were shocked and tried to figure out why this advertiser pulled out: Suzy suspected the sinister hand of the Landgraabs in all this. Suzy felt like venting...what she needed right now was to either punch something, hard, or else get rid of the stress...she chose the latter.
"Ugh...why did I have to find that strange page in a random book in the first place?" she thought to herself. "Why did I allow myself to become wrapped up in the Landgraab's dirty business?"
The citrus scented bath did the work, however, and the tension gradually eased as she relaxed.
Time was marching on and she wanted to get back home but after getting dressed she spotted Alan Cuffe getting ready for a massage. He waved to her and signalled her to come over to speak with him.
"Suzy...how's my favourite fashion journalist?" he said.
"Well...a lot better for a bit of spa treatment I can tell you" she replied.
"You know, I heard about your biggest advertiser pulling out of Hey, Wow. That's a huge blow" he said, cutting straight to the point.
"Word gets around" she said.
"Indeed it does. But not what I'm about to tell you: I don't want to see Hey, Wow going under because the Landgraabs are being petty so I'm going to buy advertising space to cover the hole in your magazine's budget. But that's hush-hush at this stage"
"Wow...that's good news, but why would you want to do that? I thought you were friends with the Landgraabs" she asked.
"I am" he replied in a flash. "To a point. You know people have me pigeonholed as this peddler of smut, that I have orgies, exploit women and have no principles."
"Do you?" asked Suzy, boldly.
Cuffe let out a small laugh. "No one who works for me is ever forced to do anything they don't wish to. I'm a libertine and a pleasure seeker and I won't deny that my parties can get a bit....racy. But anyone who attends is there because they want to be. No, the principle here is bigger than titillation or mere hedonism: I believe in a free press...what they're doing to you and your magazine now they once tried to do to me...heck, they're still trying to. I don't want anyone to use their power to silence their critics. Geoffrey...yes, I play tennis with him occasionally and will be at some of the same social events as him and Nancy but they're thin skinned and think they own this town. They only mostly own it, but they don't own you or me. That's why I'm helping you out."
"I appreciate that, Alan" Suzy said. "Well, all of us at the magazine will."
"Remember; this is hush-hush. Only you and your boss will know about this." he cautioned.
Those were welcoming, and sobering, words that Suzy took with her on the way home as way of comfort.
As soon as she got home, the telephone rang. Upon answering it she noticed that it was her boss at work calling.
"Suzy...I know today's staff meeting was arduous but I have some good news for you: You've been promoted. Jill was put off by the negative publicity about our difficulties and has defected to Smogue...I want you to take over from her at leading features"
The news was a shot in the arm: Despite her pessimism, things for her had turned around today. She felt better and was in a better shape when Neil came home.
"Hey, guess what?" said Suzy to Neil as he entered the house.
"No idea...but if you tell me your good news I'll tell you mine" he replied.
"I got a promotion!" she said.
"Oh really, so did I! Wow, in sync. Well congratulations but I have other information that you'll be interested in: I was doing some research and I have this idea: The Triangle of Power that runs the city? We've thought it was the Landgraabs, Fengs and Goths but hear this....I don't think the Goths are part of it at all! I need to do some more research but it's someone else other than them!"
"So now you're involved as much as I am?" Suzy said folding her arms; impressed by her man.
