>Day 1, 20:00
Vanessa came out of the bathroom, refreshed from the hot shower that she had taken. It was a long day, and she hoped that it would be the end. THe forsenic team had taken a long time to arrive to 9th Street, and the Sheriff was with them. It seemed that he was using every excuse he could get to get out of his house and away from his in-laws. After a few questions, they had allowed the 2 agents to go home, of which Vanessa was grateful for.
Now the only problem was how to tell the rest of the team about the old lady without sounding as if they had hidden some secrets (which they had).
Just then, the phone rang, breaking her train of thoughts.
"Hello" Vanessa answered.
>"Agent Lee, this is Agent Stern. " Jordan's familiar voice came over the line. " Is Agent Gorky there?"
Vanessa looked around the room, as if expecting the other agent to materialise on hearing her name. Then, she turned her attention back to the phone.
>"No, she isn't. If I see her should I give her a message?"
>"No. I just wanted to ask her about a reference in Mary Ritchie's diary >to the 'Surya's Grove'."
>"We drove past it this evening."
>"What?" Jordan asked surprised.
>"Yeah, it's a night club in town. Agent Reaper and I drove past it >earlier."
>"Really? Well Agent Lee, it looks like you and I are going out dancing >tonight. I'll meet you in the lobby in 10 minutes."
Vanessa looked down at herself. She was dressed in a oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her 'dress code' for sleep. Oh gee. She thought, then replied.
"Ok, I'll see you there."
She hung up the phone and glanced around the room. Her travelling bag was opened on the bed, as she had not had the time to unpack, and the floor looked clean enough. Giving it a chance, she did a five minute stretching exercise-cum-sit ups to wake up all the sleepy muscles. She then dig around her bag and came up with a tight brown sleeveless knitted wear and a pair of jeans, and a jacket, which she wore. It was the best she could come up with on a short notice, and she promised herself next time that she would bring a little black dress on her next out of state trip.
Her .38 Smith and Wesson was in the bathroom (oh yes, you are talking about a cautious/paranoid agent here who brings her gun with her when she bathe) and without a second thought, she tucked the gun underneath her jacket, and left her room.
Next to her room was Jim's, and as she passed by, she knocked on the door. There was no reply, but by leaning against the door (bad habit, my dear) she was able to hear the sound of running water. She decided to leave him alone with his cleaning habits there and then.
Agent Stern was already waiting for her at the lobby. Vanessa took a look at him, and had to smiled. He was still wearing his 'FBI' clothes, and looked every inch a law enforcer. What a sight we will be, she thought.
When they reached one of the rented car, Jordan threw her the car keys, signalling her to drive. As she drove out of the motel's car park, Jordan spoke.
"So what time did you come back just now? I did not seem to hear the 2 of you come back."
"Actually, we just came back for a while. We had something to do."
"Mmm?" He made a little sound.
Vanessa thought for a while, then proceed to tell him about the old woman.
"At first, I thought that maybe she had seen something. But after her death, we did a simple check on her body and clothing and it seemed that she is not the vagabond that she pretended to be. My guess would be that someone is taking care of her, while letting her free. And that someone might know about the murder too. "
"Well, I guess we will know more after the autopsy. When will it be held?"
"Tommorrow 1pm. At the central hospital. THe sheriff had invited us to come along. In the meantime they will try to establish her identity and to notify her next-of-kin."
A pause, then she continued.
" Its ironic isn't it. When she was alive, she just ran about and nobody cares, and now they are trying to find her relatives. "
Jordan did not answer.
>Twenty minutes later the agents pulled into the parking lot of Surya's >Grove. The entrance to the club was ablaze with light. The entrance to >the club featured the sun rising behind a four armed woman flanked by >palm trees.
>I wonder if they have palm trees in India, Jordan wondered. He reached >the door first and held it for Vanessa.
>The first thing she noticed was that they stuck out in this crowd. >There was no other male in the room wearing a jacket, it you didn't >count leather with metal studs, and the music was much too loud.
However, as if the other times she went to such places, she got used to the volume in a while and became to enjoy the music.
>Jordan stepped next to her, and yelled over the music, "Let's try the >direct approach."
>"And that would be?" she asked just as loud.
>"Lets find the bar and have a talk with the bar tender."
>Vanessa nodded, and Jordan led the way into the undulating crowd. >Dancers bumped into them as they made their way across the floor toward >a large neon palm tree on the far wall. Most of the dancers didn't >notice them. Vanessa supposed that they were either took absorbed in >the music, or they had absorbed too much of various illegal substances.
>One dancer shouted a question asking Jordan if he were a cop. When >Jordan answered yes, the questioner dissapeared into the crowd.
>Finall they reached the bar and Jordan signaled to the bar tender. The >young man walked over, serving several patrons on the way. >Jordan cut >right to the heart of the matter, "I'm Agent Stern of the FBI, and this >is Agent Lee," he said with ID in hand, "We're wondering if you've ever >seen this woman in here," Jordan laid the picture of Mary on the bar.
>The bartender looked for a moment and said, "No, but I've only worked >here for a week. You might try asking Joe."
>"And where is this Joe?" Vanessa asked.
>"In back having dinner. He's been tending bar here for a couple of >years. Just go through that door."
>"Thanks," Jordan said picking up the picture and leading the way toward >the indicated door.
Jordan pushed at the door, and they went inside. Once inside, the door did a effective job of blocking out the music. They no longer had to shout to make themselves heard.
Vanessa saw a man seated on a stool in a far corner, half eating his lunch and half smoking.
"There," she pointed out to Jordan. He nodded, and both agents made their way to him.
"You are Joe?"
THe man looked up, abit irritated at having his dinner interrupted.
He was no more than 25, but the strain of working non-godly hours, chain smoking and heavy drinking made him looked like a man of 35. His eyes were all red, and it looked as if he had not shaved for a few days.
"Yeah. I'm Joe. You a cop?" He asked Jordan as he threw the cigarette on the floor and squashed it with his left foot.
Jordan flashed his ID.
"Federal agents. I'm here to ask a few questions. Have you seen this woman before?" He showed him Rebecca's pictures.
"Don't know. All of them looked the same to me. Blood-shot eyes, revealing clothes, gelled hair, makeup..."
"I'm sure you know her, Joe. Don't make a fool of yourself. " Vanessa spoke, her voice still soft, but serious. "I'm sure you don't want to be charged with obstructing federal investigations. Especially one involving a dead girl. "
Joe looked at Vanessa with surprise, then looked back at Jordan.
"Hey, I thought you in charge?"
Jordan smiled a little. He could not help it.
"Sometimes the lady takes over, Joe. So why don't you answer her questions? Do you know this girl? "
Joe frowned abit, then peered at the picture.
"You say she the dead girl in the newspapers? I never know the dead look so pretty. Of course I had seen her before. She was here regularly. Just like the rest of them, tight dress, makeup, lots of booze, always flirting with the men...."
Jordan and Vanessa were surprised. They did not expect that.
" Do you remember who was she with when she was here? Or did she picked anyone up, or vice versa? " Vanessa asked.
Joe frowned again, as if recalling.
"Well, sometimes she come alone, but then she always leave managed to talk friendly with strangers.... well, at first anyway. "
Jordan was disguised with his english. "What do you mean by 'at first anyway'?"
Joe looked at Jordan. "That the information you want? Eh?" He made a gesture with his fingers, as if figgering some money.
Both agents knew that it would not be good to give him money, and that they would get the information after some threats, but they also knew that they do not have that much time.
Jordan removed a ten from his wallet, and passed it to the bartender.
"So what do you mean by 'at first anyway'?" He repeated.
Joe smiled a orang-utan smile. "Well, for the past few months, she had found a loverboy. "
"A loverboy?" Both of them chorused.
"Yes, a loverboy. She just hang around him, and whisper sweet nothings into his ears. Last time when man talk to her, she talked to them, and dance with them. But now only talk, no dance... only dance with her loverboy. "
"Can you remember how he looked like? His name? "
"The usual. "
"What do you mean by 'the usual'?"
"You know, honey, darling, sweetheart, ..the usual. "
"No other names? Real names?"
"Not that I can remember."
"Looks? Do you remember how he looked?"
"No man. What do you think I am? A gay? Why would I look at man when I should look at woman? " Joe shook his head.
" Can't you remember anything at all? His hair? Eyes? Clothes?" Jordan prompted, losing his temper with every passing second.
Again, Joe shook his head.
"Look here, this is my namecard. If you remember anything. Anything at all. Just call me okay?"
Joe looked at the namecard, then stuffed it into his brest pocket. Out of sight, out of mind.
The two agents turned and began to walk out.
As they were about to exit through the door, Joe shouted.
"Hey, FBI. "
They turned to face him.
"I make your money worthwhile. Go check out cars. "
"What do you mean?"
"Loverboy. Loverboy had a red convertible. "
"How did you know that?"
"Well, once, the dead woman was high, and she told me that he was going to give her his red convertible. "
Jordan thanked him, and turned to leave again.
"Hey, FBI?"
They turned back.
"Yes?"
"If you find the car, can give it to me. Guess the lady don't need it no more."
Jordan left without replying.
When they left the nightclub, Jordan told Vanessa.
"Tommorrow, we will go and check on the cars. It might be local, it might not be. We can only hope. Now, just go back and try to figure out how I claimed back my ten dollars from travelling expenses. "
Regards,
Lee Sau Woon aka SA Vanessa Lee