CHAPTER 141: Hot Stuff

Julia had awoken very early that Friday morning and couldn't get back to bed so she headed off to the tranquillity of Desert Bloom Park carrying a bag with some breakfast items in it.  She was all alone at first, as the Sun rose above the tall rocks that flanked the North and West sides of the park.  She lit one of the grills took out her skillet and began to cook up a batch of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and small bits of German beef sausage.

When she had finished and a moment to savour the aroma, she sat down on a nearby park bench to eat her meal, still with the park to herself and no one to bother here...

Until she took her first bite, when someone sidled up next to her.  A girl in her late teens with a glint in her eye that showed she was practically a woman and wearing a very short dress in a print of swirling green, turquoise, white and yellow with accessories to match.  

"Hmmm, that does look and smell good" said the girl to Julia.  "I stupidly ate lightly with breakfast this morning:  Just a banana washed down with orange juice.  Can I sit here for a while and just inhale what you're eating"

"I made more than enough for just me...if you'd like I can plate you up a serving" replied Julia.

"Oh you are an angel, Miss!" replied the girl, eagerly.

 

"Hmmm, this is delicious." said the girl.  "By the way, my name's Gillian"

"Julia" 

"Nice to meet you.  I'd ask what the recipe is but I don't really cook and I should watch my figure anyways:  I'm training to be a model!" Gillian said, proudly.

"Does that require much training?" asked Julia.  "I barely know anything about fashion"

"Oh you wouldn't believe how much you have to learn to be a model!" said Gillian.  "How to walk, how to stand, how to sit..."

"I would have thought that's something we all do by default?" said Julia, struggling to understand how anyone over the age of 2 needed to be taught those things.

"Not the way you see in the magazines and catwalks.  It's like you have to re-learn everything from scratch...oh, hello, here's a familiar face".  Gillian's attention was drawn to another young woman approaching them.  She was a girl in her late teens with bright blonde hair but a grumpy expression on her face.  Julia recognised her as well:  She'd once been a patient of hers at the hospital.  The girl's name was Judy Keith.

                                       

"Judy!  Come and join us...now that dress is just fab.  I've been eyeing up that one but haven't got around to buying it yet.  Life's so busy with both school and my new modelling career..." Gillian said, proudly.

"Thanks, I got it this last weekend.  It's a lot more figure hugging than my other favourite dresses but I really like it.  Feel the chenille..." she said, reaching across the table and getting Gillian to feel the fabric.  All this was lost on Julia.

"Hey, I know you from somewhere" said Judy to Julia.

"I'm Dr Epstein from the hospital.  You came in with a nasty stomach bug not so long ago"

"Oh yeah...well, thanks to that trip to hospital I missed out on a party and that horrid Lulu Strang went off with this cute guy I was sooooooooooooo interested in!  I don't blame you, by the way Doc, you were just doing your job....as my Daddy said to me when I wanted to sue...but grrrr!  Lulu Strang!  I hate her!"

"She's the pits!" added Gillian.

"What's wrong with her?" enquired Julia, who was getting some insight into the minds of the popular, fashionable teenage girls at high school.

"She thinks she's special but she's not" said Judy.

"She's not even that pretty" said Gillian.

"But she tries it on with all the cute guys and it's not fair!" said Judy.

"I tell you" said Gillian.  "She's worse than Cassandra Goth!"

"Oh yes...Cassandra's a big downer but at least she's not after anyone: She doesn't get in the way" said Judy.

"Right.  I think I understand" said Julia.

"It's alright for you, Doc...you're a doctor and you've probably got some handsome surgeon going after you" said Judy.

"Actually, I don't.  I don't think about men much at all" said Julia, proudly.

The two teenagers gave her a look of amazement and confusion.

 

The truth was, when she got to work, she WAS thinking about a man:  Dr Vincent Bledsoe, MD, FACS.  He had worked a couple of days as a locum doctor at the hospital the previous week and by all accounts he was going to be offered a full time contract to work there but today he wasn't rostered on nor was his name visible on any of the schedule for that week.  Julia had liked working with him.  He was very intelligent, knowledgeable, well travelled, dedicated to medicine and nice to work with.  On top of all that he, like Julia, was a fan of classical music and had sophisticated tastes which she thought reflected well on him.  She was sad he wasn't going to be there today...

But she had a job to do and she couldn't be distracted by thoughts of Dr Bledsoe...even if he was a great help in giving her a second opinion.  But before last week she didn't even know he existed so she couldn't get hung up over one man she's known for only two days.  So she did what she usually did:  Immerse herself in her work.

When she finished her shift she headed straight home where she thought about cooking a simple dinner but as soon as she took one step through the door her telephone rang.  Was it her parents or Aunt Elle with some family gossip?  Were her folks checking up on her?  She strode over to the phone and answered it.

"Hello...Dr Epstein speaking" she said.

"Oh Julia, I hope I'm not disturbing you...it's Vincent.  Vincent Bledsoe?" came his smooth, cultivated voice.  Julia immediately perked up.

"Vincent!  I mean, Dr Bledsoe....no, you're not disturbing me at all.  I...I mean, we...that is Dr Murakami, Nurse Griffiths and myself...missed your presence...I mean missed your expertise at the hospital today." Julia replied.

"Well, I'm helping out at a number of medical facilities right now but I did very much enjoy working with the team at Willow Creek hospital; particularly with you, Julia."

Gosh! She thought to herself, he's so charming.  

"Anyway, the reason for my call...I'm still new here in Sim City and I've heard about this thing called the Spice Festival.  Have you heard about it?"  He continued.

"Oh yes, it's very popular.  I've been to it myself; it has lots of good food" she replied.

"That's good to hear...so I was thinking of heading down there this evening to try it out and I was wondering if you might like to join me there?  I mean, I don't know many people here and I thought of you first..."

"YES!  I mean, yes, that would be very nice and I would like to join you at the Spice Festival." she said, trying to sound composed and sophisticated.  

"Shall I see you at 7 then?" he asked.

"I shall see you there." she responded, cordially, but as soon as she hung up she did a little jig of joy before composing herself.  Then she changed out of her surgical scrubs and into her casual clothes:  Her favourite plaid skirt and black turtleneck sweater.

Vincent had arrived there first and his face lit up when he saw Julia.  As she came close to him he started to lean in to give her a friendly peck on the cheek but she instinctively recoiled and he quickly backed off.  However, her manner towards him was distinctly friendly, if not romantic.

"Vincent, lovely to see you and thank you for inviting me along this evening" she said.

"Not at all, and you look very nice tonight" he responded.

"Oh this?" she said, looking at her outfit "this is just my usual attire; nothing snazzy...but you like it?" 

"Yes, it suits you" he said, appreciatively.  "Anyway, shall we get some food?  Where do we find it?" he added.

She led him to the other side of the plaza where the line of exotic dishes were set up.  "You can see the cook over there preparing the food" she said, pointing to an old, Asian lady frantically stirring a wok.  "That's the food you can sample over here..." and Julia pointed to a table with a line of piping hot dishes laid out on it "...and over there is the bar where you can get milk and iced water if the food's too spicy" she said, pointing to a bar where a man was already downing an entire jug of ice cold water to kill the fire in his mouth.

"Right, I suppose we just dive straight in...now what's this one?  'Ensaymada', smells interesting" said Vincent.

"I'll try one too" said Julia.  He plated up a dish and handed it to her before serving himself.  

"Hmmm....that one's a bit....spicy..." he said, blinking.  "You get an aftertaste which is interesting to say the least....then the spice kicks in...getting hotter....hotter....HOTTER...how did you find that one, Julia?  Julia?"

He saw she had gone and sat down after having sampled the meal and her eyes were watering.

"Get....me....milk!" she gasped.

Vincent ran to the bar and grabbed a jug of milk and a glass.  Like the man from earlier, she didn't bother with the glass but instead chugged the whole milk jug down.  

"The sausages take a bit of getting used to...." she gasped.

"I'll bear that in mind!" said Vincent, chuckling.

Another familiar face was present at the festival and she made her way over to Julia to say hello.

"Jules...I see you're enjoying Spice Night as well!" she said.  "Are you here on your own?"

"Not exactly..." said Julia, looking sheepish.

"Well, Suzy, nice to see you again." Vincent had spotted Suzy's approach and came over to greet her.

"And you too, Vincent.  Nice to see the two of you together, out and about" said Suzy.

"I'm just showing Vincent the local sites, that's all" said Julia, defensively.

"She's a great guide" said Vincent, warmly.  "Can I get either of you ladies a drink?"

"Oh, yes please.  White wine for me" replied Suzy.

"The same, Vincent" said Julia.

"So is this a date?  Am I intruding because I can make myself scarce if you want?" said Suzy to Julia.

"No, it is certainly not a date...Vincent is new in town and I thought I'd show him the Spice Festival and that is all." replied Julia, haughtily.

"Sure" said Suzy, unconvinced.  "Now are you still available to come to by bachelorette party next weekend?" 

"Yes...I don't want to miss that" replied Julia.

Vincent came back with the drinks "There you go, ladies...the food is interesting but the whole atmosphere here is great.  I like the decorations they've done and there's music as well.  I can see why this event is popular.  I wonder if there are any other special events you could show me in town, Julia."

Suzy gave Julia a gentle nudge to respond to Vincent.

"Well...there are various things.  I mean, there's the science-fiction convention...that's pretty new but it's becoming more popular." said Julia.  "Then there's the Flea Market which is pretty low key but you can find interesting stuff there...oh, my favourite, the Humour & Hijinks festival.  That's where you can play practical jokes on others, there's stand up comedy and it all ends in a firework display.  I think that's all of them."

"You left out the Romance Festival" said Suzy, knowingly.

"Oh, there's that as well but it's a bit tacky" said Julia.

"Looks like plenty to see and do" said Vincent.  

Suzy could see that Vincent was trying to get Julia to open up and talk more but she was still tongue tied and awkward around him.  She tried to liven things up by suggesting they all watched the singer for a bit and Vincent was certainly up for that idea.  He reached out to Julia to come and join him but she didn't pick up on the signal and just said "I can see the singer just fine from here".  Suzy rolled her eyeballs at Julia's gaucheness around men.  She knew her friend liked Vincent and that Vincent liked her but they needed a chance to relax around each other...especially Julia.

Suzy offered to leave to not be a third wheel but Julia begged her to stay so in the end Suz reluctantly agreed to stay behind but she wanted no obstacles between Julia and Vincent.

"He's good, isn't he?" said Vincent to Julia. She nodded in reply. "I was wondering" he continued "whether you liked jazz or not"

"I do" she replied.

"Because I was thinking that perhaps...." but before he could finish his sentence a buzzing noise went off in his pocket.  He reached inside and found that his pager was making the noise.  "It looks like our evening together has to be cut short:  The hospital needs me right now.  Julia, thanks for showing me the delights of the Spice Festival...we should meet again soon."

Julia waved goodbye to Vincent as he ran off and sighed.  Suzy walked over to her.

"Wow, do you have it bad for him!" she said.

"What?  No!  It's a shame he had to leave early, that's all" replied Julia.

"He was about to ask you on a date!" 

"He was merely asking if I liked jazz...the inference that he was asking me to accompany him to some jazz concert is purely yours"

"Oh Julia, what are we going to do with you?" sighed Suzy.

"Well, I for one am going to enjoy the rest of this evening...it is a shame Vincent couldn't stay but we doctors do have our medical duty to help others."

CHAPTER 140: This ISN'T A Date

 

John Action was spending his morning before work hanging out at the gym and chewing the fat with fellow fitness enthusiasts Brant Hecking and Don Lothario.  Brant was talking about a recent vacation he'd had with a buddy that he recommended and Don was bragging about how his housemates, 3 women, were keeping him busy.  It was good to hang out with the guys and put all the recent work and personal issues to one side for just a brief moment.

As he towelled himself off after the run, he noticed Jeremy Saint had arrived and so Action walked over to him to say hello.  Jeremy had a strange expression on his face when he saw Action:  One of annoyance.

"Yo, Jez...how's it hanging?" said Action.

"It's Jeremy, not 'Jez'" replied Jeremy, coldly.

Action was taken aback by Jeremy's frosty response.  "No worries, guy, I'm just being friendly"

"Yeah, whatever" replied Jeremy, still in a tone that bordered on hostile.  Action, however, was someone who never backed down from a challenge and something was clearly up with his neighbour:  Something that needed challenging.

"You gotta problem with me, Jeremy?" said Action, bluntly.

"Maybe I just don't like all this fake machismo you project" replied Jeremy.

"Fake?  Who are you calling a fake?" said, Action, standing right up to Jeremy.

"Look at you:  You still wear your dog tags and you're not even in the army anymore" said Jeremy.

"I was in the Marines" said Action, bristling.

"Whatever; same difference" said Jeremy, turning his back on Action.

"Hey, don't you turn your back on me!" said Action, his voice raised and his hand poised to grab Jeremy's shoulder.  At that moment Brant Hecking stepped in to calm things down.

"Gentlemen...there's no need to go bouncing off the walls here!" said Brant.  "This is a gym and you're creating a disturbance for everyone.  Now Jeremy, I happen to be wearing dog tags.  They're not mine; they're my brother's...he was killed in Vietnam at the start of the year so I wear them to remember him by.  Now Action's proud of his service to his country and you have no right to have a go at him about that here. Have a little respect, hey?  Now, Action, don't start something here you'll regret."

Jeremy's head dropped and he mumbled an apology.  Action had calmed down by now and he nodded his appreciation to Brant for stopping what could have been a fight.  He went over to the weight lifting machine to work off his anger at Jeremy.  Jeremy, for his part, stood in front of a mirror, looking at his reflection and wondering what had just occurred.  It was like he lashed out, instinctively, but why he couldn't figure out.  John...Action...is my...enemy popped into his head but something seemed off.  As he thought, he suddenly got a sharp headache and he pressed his fingertips to his temples in response.

His impulse was to approach Action again but this time in a non-hostile way however, with each step he took towards him, a sense of revulsion started rising.  But why?  Action and he had always got along in the past, why is he feeling antipathy now?

"Action....I just wanted to say....s-s-s-sorry for earlier" he said, stammering over the word, sorry.

"All is forgiven...tell me to shut my yap for prying but are you OK?" said Action.

"I guess the new job is intense.  So much to learn, to adapt to."

"I hear you"

"Fortunately Geoffrey and Mother are helping me to adjust"

"Your Mom?" 

"Did I say 'Mom'?  I meant Nancy" 

"Well, I gotta get to work soon but you stay cool, man" said Action, suspicious of Jeremy's mixing up his mom with Nancy Landgraab.

Action arrived at the 13th Precinct house with barely any time to think about Jeremy's strange behaviour.  For once, his case load was in the clear and he started his shift with no ongoing investigations.

The first person he met at the station was his favourite co-worker, Bibi Stahler.  She was the deputy head of forensics at 13th Precinct, on loan from the Munich police department.  What Action liked about her was that she was cool, logical, very good at her job and on top of all that she was a hot red headed Teutonic beauty.  They weren't an item, but he sure liked having beautiful women around him.

"Bibi, got anything interesting for me today?" he said.

"Case wise, I do.  A burglary over at Oasis Springs." she replied, handing him a case file.  Action flicked through the incident report just making some surface notes in his head.

"And anything on our little ongoing investigation?" he asked, hoping that Bibi had any new information on the strange McGregor/Landgraab case.  

"Oh some very interesting things.  For example, all those samples you brought back were of commonly found fish and plants except for one thing." she said with an enigmatic upturn to her voice at the end.

"Which is?" asked Action.

"The cellular walls were much weaker than you would normally find." she said, matter of factly.

"OK, and that's surprising how?"

"It's surprising in that when subject to handling the various flora and fish become....how do you say it in English?  Der matsch or schleim?"

"Sounds like slime...all pulped up and messy?"

"Ja, that is it.  Now what causes weak cell walls?  I do not know at this stage"

"That's something to be getting on with" said Action.

"Ahem...you have this case here to be getting on with first" she said, pointing to the file he was holding.  

"Awww, and we were working so well together as well.  There's always this barrier between us and I don't mean this flimsy tape thing here" he said, indicating the queueing barrier in the lobby of the station house.

Action made his way down to Oasis Springs, to a wealthier, middle class part of the neighbourhood.  It was rich enough to be full of nice places to live, but not so rich that those houses would have decent alarms or security systems.  In short, a juicy place for burglars to target.  The crime scene was familiar as well...his first case after being assigned to 13th Precinct happened here as well.  A large, single floor house inhabited by four young professionals, one of whom he had met briefly:   J. Huntington III, member of the Lothario Club.

Action approached the senior uniform cop present, Senior Patrolman Tony Gunn.  "What's the score, Tony?"

"Looks like a break-in and theft job, Detective.  The perps made off with TVs, a fridge and an expensive stereo system.  State of the art record and cassette player and all."

"A combined record AND cassette player?  Impressive.  That'll fetch a hefty price on the black market" replied Action.

"Forensics are on their way" said Gunn.

"OK, I'll take some photos and have a look around.  You round up any witnesses" said Action.

"Graffiti...why do they always leave graffiti?" he muttered to himself as he got to work.  Judging by the size of the stereo...which apparently had a built in radio with both AM and FM bands as well...and fridge Action reckoned there had to be more than one person involved and that they would have needed a van or truck to make away with the loot.

There were three witnesses and they were all marshalled to a room at the back of the house.  When Action entered the room he saw one of them browsing through the bookshelf.

"Cut that out!  You don't live here" said Action, swatting the book out of the man's hand.  "Now, one at a time, what did you see?"

"I saw this dirty white van pull up outside and this lady stepped out and walked over to the house" said a young, Hispanic man who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Your name?"

"Rez Valdes, Detective.  I saw this dirty white van..."

"Did you get the licence plate number?" asked Action.

"No.  I didn't see it.  Anyway the van pulls up to the front of the house and then I see this lady step out..."

"Are you sure it was a woman?  What did she look like?"

"Yeah, pretty sure it was a woman...she had, well, you know, a woman's figure" Rez said with a little knowing laugh.

"What was she wearing?" asked Action.

"Shorts, a blouse and she had a baseball cap pulled low over her head so I couldn't see her face.  I thought it was odd that a woman in a fancy blouse would be driving a dirty old van"

"Did any of you two see this woman?" Action asked the other witnesses.

"Oh yes, Detective.  Yeah, she was wearing a fancy blouse and cap" said one.

"I saw the van and I got the first 3 numbers of the licence plate: 335" said the other.

"Very good, guys" said Action, jotting this all down on his notepad.  Turning to Gunn he said "you finish things off here, I'll head back to HQ to look through the files and see if we can get some suspects"

"OK, Action"

Back at 13th Precinct Headquarters Action was able to use the latest electronic document reader to look through a list of potential suspects...files kept on microfiche.  The reader also had a photostat printer so that files could be printed out to A4 size.  

Gunn had returned with the last of the evidence and witness reports bagged up and was joking around in the squad room how this should be an open and shut case.

"Ain't no such thing until we get a name and we're not there yet!" said Action, warning Gunn not to get too ahead of himself.  He admired the young officer's zeal but that could lead to sloppiness.  Better whip him into shape before they botch this case, thought Action.

"OK, the stolen items are all electronic goods so the thieves will want to offload them quickly.  Let's look into the local markets, shops who we know handle stolen goods and black market regulars." said Action.  "Bibi, do you have anything from the lab?" he said to her as she entered the room.

"No fingerprints, but we're looking at a hair sample" she replied.  "Also, we're running checks on that partial licence plate"

Action was impressed at how his team were working together and the rest of the shift saw people being brought in for questioning, ruling out suspects and narrowing down the list of potential ones.  An arrest was definitely in the cards for the next couple of days.

As he ended his shift and was preparing to go home, he saw Bibi once again.

"Good work today...say, I was going to grab a bite to eat; want to tag along?" he asked.

"You're not asking me on a date, Action, are you?" asked Bibi, sceptically.

"Oh no...nothing like that.  An end of shift bit of socialising, getting some decent chow and catching up on things, that's all.  What say you?"

"As long as it is not a date, that is fine" she replied.  "Where shall we go?"

"I was thinking something simple and low key such as The Sunny Side Up?"

"I have not been there.  Do I have to look smart?"

"You can go as smart or as casual as you want"

"Good.  I will go home and get changed and will meet you at this Sunny Side Up place but it will NOT be a date."

Both of them headed home and changed into more casual clothing before meeting up again outside of the diner.

"Bibi, you look amazing as usual" said Action.

"You look very smart.  That is some jacket you're wearing" she replied.

"An original Pierre Cardin.  A friend recommended it to me and I trust her fashion judgement" he replied.

"A Pierre Cardin jacket on a Detective's salary?  You must tell me your financial secrets, Action" she said, with a smirk.

They took their seats in the diner, Bibi looked around with interest.

"This is how I have always imagined what American restaurants to be like...a good idea of yours, Action, to come here:  I hate cooking" she said.

"And there I was thinking you might make a mean strudel" he replied.

"I do not" she said, curtly.

 The waiter came and took their order.  Action had a burger, Bibi a quiche.  

"And what would you like to drink?" asked Action.

"I would like....hmmm....as this ISN'T a date..."

"It's not" said Action.

"...then I will have this" she said, jabbing her finger at some kind of cocktail listed on the menu.

Action was happy to socialise but Bibi wanted to cut straight to business.  

"So, to business." she said.

"I was afraid you'd say that" said Action.

"These samples, they turned out to be unstable.  Did you obtain them from a laboratory?" she asked.

"No, in the field" he replied.

"Then was this place, remote, normally inaccessible?" 

"You could say that"

"Then that explains it.  An environment normally restricted and, if handled incorrectly, the flora and fauna lose their cellular cohesion"

"I think I know what you mean.  But why?  Is it some kind of freaky experiment?"

"Possibly scientific research into some new agricultural methods" she replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, but this 'research' as you call it could be the reason behind all the cloak n' dagger jazz we've got going on with this case!"

"I don't understand...'cloak n' dagger jazz'" she replied.

"I mean spies, Bibi."

"Ah, ja.  That I do understand.  Yes, that is a possibility.  This food is surprisingly good"

"Talk about a change of subject." Action said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes.  This is a much nicer place and the food is of a higher quality than I expected.  Almost as if this were the kind of place you'd take a date.  Which this is not"

"If you say so" he said, taking another sip of beer.

"I thought you were seeing someone, Action?"

"That's on hold for now"

"Oh, sorry to hear that.  I will not pry"

"What about yourself?  Are you seeing an American guy or is there someone special back in Germany?"

"There is no one.  I am happy with things that way:  It was easier for me to come to America if I was not involved with a man back home, and getting involved with one here will lead to problems once I go home so this way I do not get hurt, and no one gets hurt by me."  She made it all sound matter of fact.

"So let's keep this professional then" said Action, raising his glass to her.

"Yes.  Professional...although you make it difficult sometimes" she said, smiling suggestively at him.

After dinner he escorted her home but didn't stay for a night cap.  Instead, he went home and crashed out.  The next morning he awoke, showered, got dressed for another shift and was eating breakfast when the lights and radio suddenly cut out.

"Dang...what now?" he muttered.  He went to the light switch and flicked it up and down a few times.  Nothing.  Then he checked out the fridge.  It had stopped working.  Every electrical device in his house stopped working.  Was there a power cut?  He went outside and noticed the lights on at Jeremy's house so whatever the problem was, it seemed to be affecting him.  He noticed a letter sticking out of his mail box so he went over to see what it was:  It was an electrical bill from the providers; the Landgraab Energy Company.  He looked at it; it said he hadn't paid his last bill so they were shutting off the power until he did.  

"But I did pay the last bill!  Last Monday...this is a crock of...heck, I'm going to have to sort this out but I have to get to work!  Damn electrical company, stupid admin people!  Damn the Landgrab Corporation!  Damn them!  LANDGRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB!"

CHAPTER 139: Those Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Ol' Gang Of Mine

As the day of her wedding inched ever closer, Suzy Kent found herself becoming more and more pre-occupied with thoughts about the day itself, every little detail in its planning and imagining what it would all look like; from her walking down the aisle to how Neil would look in his formal suit.  She could actually see herself loving every moment of it...a far cry from the hip, happening, party girl who moved into the neighbourhood all those months ago.  That Suzy would never have considered getting married back then.

She was now overcome with very warm, very romantic feelings towards her fiancé, Neil.  With those bright blue eyes, that unruly lock of blonde hair on his forehead and his increasingly toned and lithe body she couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl in Sim City to have landed this talented, kind and brave man who had matinee idol looks.  She approached him and stroked his face, lovingly.

"Hmmm, what have I done to deserve that?" Neil asked, smiling.

"Just being yourself you wonderful, wonderful man" she said, softly with a gentle purr to her voice.

"Is this what I can expect once we're married?" he replied.

"This....and much, much more" she said, leaning in for a kiss.

They embraced and kissed lovingly and when they eventually parted lips she went to make some coffee for the both of them.

"So, will you be meeting up with the guys to celebrate your last week of freedom?" she asked him.

"Yes.  It's just a low key thing...me, Andre and Jeremy" he said, nonchalantly.  He was having a small bachelor send off as he didn't know that many guys in Sim City so his best friend and Best Man, Andre and his neighbour, friend and colleague in Suzy's adventures, Jeremy, were the only other two guests.

"Well, have fun and I hope they'll send you home intact and not handcuffed to some remote telegraph pole" she said.

"It'll be fine!  Can you imagine Jeremy agreeing to that...or having strippers?" he joked.

"Well, just be careful...that's all I'm saying" said Suzy, sounding a note of caution.  She felt a slight uneasiness about this...she couldn't place her finger on why she felt it; Jeremy and Andre were decent guys but....something didn't feel right.

Suzy headed off to work and Neil headed over to Oasis Springs where the other guys would be gathering:  The Rattlesnake Juice Bar in Oasis Springs.  He arrived to find Jeremy sitting outside the bar so he went to sit next to him.

"Hi, Jeremy.  You OK?" he asked.

"Yeah...well, busy, you know.  You're lucky I'm free today" said Jeremy, flatly.

"The new job, eh?  How's that going?" Neil asked.

"Wonderful..." said Jeremy, suddenly bursting into life.  "Geoffrey Landgraab is very friendly and Nancy is like...a...m...m...m...mother to me".  Jeremy seemed to have difficulty saying the word "mother", which Neil found odd.  In fact, the way he was praising the Landgraabs; a couple the residents of Foundry Cove came to view with deep suspicion, seemed off.  Something wasn't right with his friend but before he could find out more, Andre had arrived.

"Hey guys...shall we go inside and toast our great, soon to be wedded, buddy?" said Andre in good cheer.

"A send off toast..." said Jeremy.

"OK, let's go..." said Neil and all three of them entered the bar.

"Barkeep!  Three beers over here, thanks" said Andre.  The bachelor party found some seats at the bar and sat down to enjoy the first of many drinks.

"Cheers, old friend" said Andre "You're a lucky, lucky guy" 

"Hmmm, I'm not so sure about that" said Jeremy.

"You're joking, right?  Suzy is a catch!" replied Andre, surprised at Jeremy's quip.  "She's gorgeous, smart and super, super sexy..."

"She's also a troublemaker, a bossy boots..." muttered Jeremy.  "I mean, Neil, no offence but do you need to be settling down so soon?  Hmmm?  I mean, what's wrong with biding your time or considering your options?"

"OK, joke's over Jeremy..." said Neil.

"No, I'm serious.  How long have you known Suzy?  Not long and do you know her, really?  Do you know enough about her?  Hey, don't look now but I think that woman at the end of the bar is giving you the eye.  Barkeep!  Three more beers over here!"

There was, indeed, a woman looking in the direction of the three men.  She had short blonde hair, wore heavy eye makeup and was wearing a long multi-coloured dress that showed a lot of exposed arm...and cleavage.

"See what I mean?  And I think it's you she's interested in" continued Jeremy.

"Maybe it's me..." said Andre.  "She's not bad looking..."

"You're welcome to try your luck with her, Andre" said Neil but Jeremy's whole tone was bugging him.  "Look, has something happened between you and Suzy?  Have you two fallen out?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.

Jeremy sat there saying nothing.  He looked at his beer quizzically and tilted his head as if contemplating something.  Then his mouth opened as if to speak but no words came out so he shut it again.  

Neil took a deep breath.  "Look, I love Suzy and want to spend the rest of my life with her.  Raise a family and share in her adventures and, hopefully, she'll share in mine."

Jeremy snorted in a derisory manner.  "Yeah, right, like she'll do that" he said, sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Neil, getting annoyed.

"Haven't you noticed?  Everything's about her; her adventures, her troubles, her snooping around and poking her nose where it doesn't belong" said Jeremy.

Neil suddenly stood up to confront Jeremy.  Andre reacted, quick as a flash to try to diffuse the situation.  "Guys, guys...calm it down!  Jeremy, next week Neil's getting married and Suzy's a great gal.  He's a lucky guy and we should be supporting him."

"I've said my piece" said Jeremy.  He finished his beer, stood up and walked out of the bar.  "Good luck, Neil...you're going to need it" he said in parting.

Neil sat back down.  "What's got into him today?"

"Unfortunately I don't know him well enough to say but I from the few times I've met him before he seemed like a nice guy.  Maybe something in his life's bugging him?"

"Maybe...something's not right, that's for sure" said Neil.

Jeremy walked to the subway station to make his way home but as he turned a corner and the Rattlesnake Juice Bar was out of sight he stopped and grabbed the sides of his head.  What am I doing?  None of that seemed right but....but....Suzy Kent is my enemy.  Suzy...Kent...is...my...enemy....but why?  WHY?  He thought.  Little made sense so he plodded his way back home.

Meanwhile at the bar, Andre was pondering a bigger question.  "Should I offer to buy her a drink?" he asked Neil.

"You have my blessing" Neil replied.  "She is still looking in our direction..."

It was a completely different scene over at the offices of 'Hey, Wow!' magazine.  Suzy was deep in the magazine archives looking for background material for her next article.  Instead of taking individual documents or lugging heavy boxes of papers to her desk she found it easier to take her typewriter down to the archive room.  

It was very quiet down here.  Up at her desk there was always a buzz around the open plan office as ideas for articles were tossed around, models and photographers came and went and sometimes an occasional celebrity would visit.  Suzy found she could get a lot of work down down here.

However there was one interruption and that was from her editor, Abigail.  "Someone told me I could find you down here.  Is this your new office?" she said.

Suzy let out a little laugh.  "No, I came down here to do some research and it was just easier to bring the typewriter down.  Do you wish to see me about something, Abigail?"

"Well, we were going to have a little celebration upstairs but you're conspicuous by your absence" Abigail replied.

"Celebration, what for?" Suzy asked.

"I've got a little wedding present for you....a promotion.  From tomorrow I want you to take over the Style Editorship.  The whole fashion and style department is yours.  I thought you'd might like to celebrate that"

"Wow...the editor position?  That's great!"

"You'll answer directly to me and you'll be expected to attend editorial meetings but the job's yours if you want it"

"I do!  Thank you Abigail!  I'll come right up and join the party"

"Let's pop the champagne corks then" said Abigail.

It was a slightly tipsy Suzy Kent who came home that night.  Neil had finished his own "celebration" with Andre, who had managed to buy that lady a drink and even get her phone number.  He had then did a shift at the shop and came home slightly ahead of Suzy.

"Hey, lover, I got me a promotion!" she said, skipping lightly towards him.

"Congratulations!  Let's celebrate!" he said.

"Ooh, I'd better not right now!  I've already had a leeeeetle too much to drink today and my head's spinning" she replied.  "Anyway, how was your little get together?  I see you made it back in one piece...I knew Jeremy wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."

"Yeah, about Jeremy...have you two had an argument?" asked Neil.  Suzy looked at him quizzically.  

"No?  Why do you ask?" she replied.

Neil recounted to her everything that Jeremy had said back at the bar and the hostile tone he took whenever her name was mentioned.  Suzy was taken aback:  Her friend, the first person she ever met in Foundry Cove, an ally...could he really hate her or was Neil saying this because he was jealous of him?  Suzy had sometimes suspected her fiancé was plagued by feelings of being a "second choice".  With just over a week to go to the big day, she really didn't need any personal drama.

CHAPTER 138: Once You Are Seated, The Test Will Begin

 

Jeremy Saint had finished his morning jog around the neighbourhood but something was playing on his mind.  Usually he would come home after a run and grab a glass of water or fruit juice but this time he headed straight for the bedroom and sat down in silence on the bed.  His girlfriend, Barbara, knew the signs that all was not well with him.

She knocked on the bedroom door.  "Are you OK, sweetie?" she said.

"Oh, yeah, you can come in if you like" came Jeremy's reply from inside.

She walked in to see him there, still in his running gear, sitting on the bed with a serious expression on his face.  She could guess what it was.

"Worried about today's interview?" she asked, gently.

Jeremy let out a sigh.  "Yeah, it's the third and final one and I haven't prepared for it...well, I can't prepare for it:  Landgraab's haven't told me a single thing about it other than the time, the place and that I have to attend.  I don't know what they're going to ask me or what I'm expected to do.  They've seen my resume, they've seen my portfolio and they've interviewed me...what could this third interview be about?"

"Maybe that's the point?  They don't tell you anything in advance so they can throw some questions at you to see how you react spontaneously?  But I'm sure you can cope with chance and randomness...after all, that's how we met" she said, smiling warmly at him.

"You're saying I should stop getting wound up and go with the flow, eh?" he replied.

"Precisely.  Now make sure you're not late.  You go and have a shower and I'll lay out your suit on the bed for you."

An hour later both of them had headed off to work.  For Barbara, she hit the ground running at Pack's Clothing, which was particularly busy today...

Meanwhile Jeremy had arrived at the Landgraab Corporation building and was instructed to report to Room 142.  The officious secretary there told him, starkly, to proceed to another room...Number 9...on the ground floor, where he would find an elevator that led down one level.

"What room do I go to from there?" asked Jeremy.

"You'll already BE in that room" she said, curtly.

Jeremy followed the directions down to the ground level and then on to a door right at the back of the building.  This part was deserted, where no employee set foot by the looks of things and, if he didn't get his directions right, there was no one to ask for help.

He approached the door to room 9 and knocked on it.  There was no answer.  He tried knocking again and there was still no response from within.  He slowly turned the door handle and found it was unlocked.  Slowly opening the door he poked his head around it and found it was uninhabited.  What was contained in the room were ducts, pipes, machinery and all kinds of industrial accoutrements:  Could this possibly be the correct room or had he stumbled into the maintenance room by mistake?  However, there was an elevator at the far end and he remembered that the officious secretary said to take it down one level...

The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside it, the brushed aluminium walls contained no mirror and only two buttons:  Up and down.  Jeremy pushed down and wondered what would be waiting for him there.

The doors opened and revealed a large, sparse dark room illuminated by a single bank of lights on the wall behind the elevator.  There was almost nothing in this room except for an ultra modern chair atop a low dais and, facing it, a large projector screen flanked by two speakers.

A voice boomed from the speakers.  "Please sit down, facing the screen.  Once you are seated, the test will begin..."

Jeremy slowly made his way to the chair and sat down, not knowing what to expect.  

Then the room went completely dark before light from the projector screen came on to provide some illumination.  Strange, electronic music emanated from the speakers and a series of images appeared on the screen.

A deep, booming voice came from the speakers.

"THE LANDGRAAB CORPORATION...SINCE 1810 IT HAS GROWN FROM A SMALL, PROSPERIOUS TRADING COMPANY TO THE MASSIVE CONGLOMERATION IT IS TODAY.  EVERYTHING YOU USE, EVERYTHING YOU WEAR, THE TOOLS YOU DEPEND ON EVEN  WHERE YOU LIVE....MADE BY OR PROVIDED BY LANDGRAAB...."

Oh great...thought Jeremy...one of those motivational publicity films.

"FROM BIRTH, THROUGH LIFE AND UNTO DEATH:  LANDGRAAB IS WITH YOU, EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY"

Jeremy sat there watching to the montage of all the "achievements" and aspects of the Landgraab Corporation whilst listening to the commentary but every so often an image accompanied by a word would flash before his eyes.  Images that passed so quickly they were recognised unconsciously by him.

Jeremy remembered that time he met with Geoffrey and had a warm memory from it.  That was the day Geoffrey had offered him a position at the corporation...yes, he was being friendly that time.  Actually he was always friendly to Jeremy...

Wait...how did they get a photograph of them that day?  The thought had evaporated when the next images appeared on the screen.  But then an image of Nancy Landgraab came and went in a flash.

Wait, what?  Jeremy thought.  That's Mrs Landgraab...although his own mother had fair hair and green eyes like Nancy's.  But then another warm thought came into his mind...Mrs Landgraab was a mother, a carer, someone who shoulders maternal responsibility.  More images flashed by him in an instant.

Was that Edna Sneedley on a "League of Decency" protest?

I get it, he thought, bins are my enemy?  Maybe the garbage collectors?

Action?  My enemy?  But....

Yes...Geoffrey is my friend.

Suzy...Suzy....is....my....

Action...Action...is....my...ENEMY!

THE VISITORS ARE OUR FRIENDS said the booming voice over the speakers.

"The....Visitors...." Jeremy replied, dazed and increasingly confused by the pulsating sound and flashed images.

THE VISITORS ARE OUR FRIENDS....LEARN THE WORDS, SAY THE WORDS

"The....Visitors....are our.....friends" he gasped.

SAY IT AGAIN

"The Visitors are....our friends"

LOUDER!

"THE VISITORS ARE OUR FRIENDS!"

WHO IS SUZY KENT?

"Suzy Kent is...my..."

SAY IT!

"Suzy Kent is....my....ENEMY!"

The music and film stopped.  The lights came up again.  Jeremy sat there in a trance.  Slowly, he started to regain his senses.

Thank you, Mr Saint.  The test is now complete.  You may leave.

"Wait?  Was that it?  Surely it hasn't started yet!  I just sat down in the chair and..."

You may leave.

"But what was the test?  When will I know the result?"

You will be informed.  Stand by for further instructions.

Meanwhile, back at Pack's Clothing, Barbara had her hands full selling clothes and redressing mannequins.  The stock was flying off the shelves today.  She didn't have time to notice a well known customer approach her.

"Are you the manager?" came a snooty, refined voice.  Barbara turned around and saw Nancy Landgraab standing behind her.

"Yes I am, how may I help you?" Barbara replied.

"My name is Nancy Landgraab, maybe you've heard of me?"

"I have.  Is there something in particular you desire from our range?"

"Yes, I have a very important social event to attend....very important, you understand, and I require the most 'with it' party dress you have."

"A with-it party dress you say?  Let me think what we have in store...."

"I saw something in your shop window that is pleasing to my eye.  The blue dress with the chiffon sleeves."

"Oh that?  Yes, let's take a look and see if we have one in the correct size.  Is this dress for a younger relative?"

"It is for ME!" came Nancy's cold, harsh reply.

"The only reason I ask is that is a very young, contemporary look, generally favoured by those in their late teens or early 20s..." replied Barbara, apologetically.

"I keep my body in the peak of condition, Miss.  I am the same dress size now that I was when I was 20.  Which wasn't that long ago...."

"Of course..." said Barbara, diplomatically.

She found the dress in two sizes and offered them both to Mrs Landgraab to try on.  Nancy emerged, a few minutes later with the larger of the two sizes.  "This one fits me the best.  Hmmm, it shows off my legs to wonderful effect!" she said, pleased with herself.

Barbara had to admit that Nancy Landgraab still had the legs, and body, even at her age.  Her face, however, seemed set in a permanent sneer and which betrayed her true age.  However, that particular dress was one of the most expensive items sold in the shop and it was yet another satisfying ring of the cash register till at the end of the day.

When she had flipped the shop sign to "closed", she looked at all the empty spaces on the clothes racks and shelves and counted the takings.  At that moment, Jeremy had arrived.

"Oh Jeremy!  This has been the best day's business since we opened!  $1,400 dollars in takings this day alone...even with ground rent and restocking that puts us in a clear profit!" she said.

"That's........great" he said, haltingly.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" she asked him.

"I've got a headache, that's all." he replied.

"Oh, sorry to hear that.  Anyway, how did your interview go?"

"It....was....fine.  Yes, fine" he said, distracted by trying to remember what had happened but failing to think of a single thing that happened from the moment he sat down in that strange chair to the moment he stood up and left.

"That's good" said Barbara, looking concerned because she could tell all was not well with him.  But she didn't want to press him.  "Listen, sweetie, I've got a little bit of stocktaking to do but how about we celebrate your work and mine by going out to dinner tonight?" she asked.

"I'd like that.  I'd like that very much" he said with a thin smile.

The Villa Bovine was their destination and, after stopping by home to change into more appropriate outfits, they were soon savouring the menu and the wonders on it.

"I was thinking" said Barbara "Suzy and Neil's wedding is coming up soon and I haven't a suitable outfit for the occasion!"

"What you're wearing now would be fine.  I'm not bothering to get anything new" Jeremy replied, flatly.

"Really?  I mean, wouldn't you want something a bit more snazzy than your work suits?" she asked.

"They'll do fine.  I'll probably won't be going anyway" he replied, curtly.

"Not going?  But we're invited and Suzy's one of your oldest friends!" said Barbara, shocked.

"Friend?  I hardly think so.  She's nothing but trouble that one"

"Jeremy, I'm shocked to hear you say that!  We're neighbours, friends..."

"We'll be moving out soon, what with my pay rise.  Good riddance to Suzy...and Action for that matter"

"Jeremy, this is a complete turnaround for you!  These are people we know and like"

"LOOK!  CAN WE STOP TALKING ABOUT SUZY KENT AND JOHN ACTION!  Just for one evening?" he said in a sudden outburst.

Barbara dropped the subject.  Something had happened to Jeremy...what that was, she didn't know.  He barely mentioned his job interview today except to say it went 'well'; whatever that meant.  He was clearly upset by something but he was revealing nothing.  She had to keep a close eye on him...was it a co-incidence that as he was having his final interview at the Landgraab Corporation, Nancy Landgraab had visited the boutique?  Surely a woman as wealthy and as influential as her would shop at the finest couturiers or, instead, have all her clothes perfectly tailored by the top fashion houses?  No, she was visiting Pack's Clothing for something other than a few blue wisps of nothing much.  In a world of mysteries, Barbara added another one to the growing list.