So how long has it been since I've written a JQ story concurrent with the series?  Well, I'm not about to start now.  This one's gonna be interesting, I hope.  Inspired by a bunch of movies I got to see around the same time-- "L.A. Confidential," "Chinatown", and yes, even a little "Bugsy Malone" (yeah, I know it's not the right era!).  We take a little trip in the tradition of "The Inner Light" (I even stole the title from the same place).

Disclaimer: Characters and associated details are property of Hanna-Barbera and are used for non-profit entertainment purposes only.

Archiving permission granted.

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

Synopsis: Jessie discovers a surprise waiting for her in her new digs.

Categories: E, F

"THE BIG GOODBYE"

by Eric R. Umali

Chapter One - "Discovery"

"In the words of Bette Davis, 'What a dump!'"

"That's really supportive, Jonny."  Jessie shook her head.  "I thought you at least would appreciate this place as the... fixer-upper it is."

The young man flicked the light switch beside the doorway, causing the single bare bulb to sputter to life.  "Jessie, this place isn't a 'fixer-upper,' it's a demolition site waiting to happen!"

Across the apartment, Hadji struggled to pry open the window.  "I am afraid I must agree with Jonny on this subject."  He pulled again.  "Jonny, can you help me, please?"

Jonny joined his brother, and with a mighty heave, they managed to get it open a few inches, only to let in the raucous noise of downtown traffic outside.  Hadji leaned against the sill gingerly.

"I understand your wanting to get a place completely on your own," said Jonny, "but I think this is a little... what's the word?"

"Dilapidated?" offered Hadji.

"That's good.  You don't really expect to live here, do you?"

"After it gets fixed up," Jessie said firmly, "yes."

Hadji surveyed the apartment.  The yellowing wallpaper was peeling in places.  The hardwood floor was deeply stained, and broken in more than a few spots.  There was very little lighting, and the kitchen and bathroom were ancient.  It was fairly clean, though, and (surprisingly) free of any pests.  He sighed.

"You would need a small army of contractors to make this place livable," he said.  "At least a few people to get it... acceptable..." his voice dropped off.

"Oh, no," whispered Jonny.  "I know that look."

Jessie put her hands on her hips.  "What look?"

He pointed.  "_That_ look."  Jonny turned to his brother.  "She expects us to help her fix up this place!"

Jessie was silent.

**********

Two days later, Hadji was in the main room, stripping wallpaper, Jonny was in the bathroom, replacing some pipes, and Jessie was in the bedroom, fixing the closet doors.

From inside the bathroom, Jonny called out.  "Jessie-- explain to us again why this is better than the Columbia dorms."

With a grunt, she answered.  "Because I've finally got the chance to be completely independent, and I'm taking advantage of it."

"Yeah, whatever," Jonny groaned.

Tired, Jessie dropped to the floor, leaning against the side wall of the closet.  *Ohh, maybe Dad was right when he said he didn't like the place,* she thought.  She dragged the back of her hand across her brow, and let her head fall against the wood.  *That didn't sound right.*  She got up suddenly, and knocked against the wall.  It was hollow, and the stud behind the wall seemed to have a gap.

"Hey guys, take a look at this!" she called while reaching for a long screwdriver.

As Hadji and Jonny arrived, Jessie was tapping against the wall with the screwdriver's handle.

"What're you doing," asked Jonny, "using Morse Code to talk to termites?"

Jessie didn't reply.  Instead, she pried the blade end of the screwdriver into a barely-visible seam in the wood.

"What have you found?" Hadji asked, crouching down to watch.  Jonny followed suit.

"We're about to find out together," answered Jessie.  The false panel fell away, disgorging a large amount of dust and musty air.

Coughing, Jonny picked up a nearby flashlight and shone it into the darkness.  The beam illuminated a large steel rectangle, about the size of a shoebox.  Gently, Jessie reached in and pulled the box out from its hiding place.

"Is it heavy?"

"Less than ten pounds," said Jessie, wriggling out of the closet.  "A lot of it's the lock."  She inclined her head towards the heavy padlock holding the box closed.  The trio headed for the main room, where they placed the box on the single piece of furniture-- the dining/coffee/kitchen/etc. table.

Jonny turned his watch towards the lock, and it's laser torch made short work of the old steel.  Avoiding the hot metal, Hadji removed the lock.  Holding her breath, Jessie opened the box.

It contained mostly papers-- letters, newspaper clippings, and a notebook.  A few other items were scattered throughout, as well.  What caught their attention first, though, was the diary.  It was a small, leather-bound book, held closed with a simple ribbon tie.

"Open it," urged Jonny, finally breaking the silence.

"I can't," Jessie replied.  "It belongs to someone."

"We can only figure out who by opening it," said Hadji.  The others turned to him in surprise.  "Well," he said smiling, "_one_ of us was going to say it."

Jessie untied the ribbon and read aloud.

"'The Personal Diary of Jennifer Montrose.'  The first entry is dated June 21, 1943.  'Dear Diary-- Welcome to the first day of my new life!  No more Jenny Montrose of Chester, Pennsylvania; now there's just Jennifer Montrose, New Yorker and Broadway star!  Well, almost.  My audition with Mr. Z is tomorrow, and I'm absolutely certain that he'll put me in his show.  It was so nice of him to arrange this terrific place for me to stay!'"

"Terrific?" Jonny interrupted, amazed.  "This is 'terrific'?"

"Remember, Jonny, that until the Fifties, this was a very high-class part of town," Hadji reminded him.

"Are you two finished?" said Jessie impatiently.  Duly chastised, the guys nodded silently.  "All right then.  Jennifer goes on to say, 'The secretary who made my appointment assured me that Mr. Z's show is in a very respectable nightclub, frequented by a lot of Broadway producers.  I may be doing a nightclub chorus now, but it's not too far to doing Gershwin on Broadway!  Anyway, that's all for now-- I want to get plenty of sleep for tomorrow.  Goodnight.'  That's it for the first entry."

Jonny shook his head.  "I don't like this already.  You know what they say-- 'There's a broken heart for every bright light on Broadway.'"

"How do you know this doesn't have a happy ending?" asked Jessie.

"If it did, that diary would've be safe and sound with Jenny's grandkids."

Hadji pulled an ever-present Quest laptop onto the table.  "Go on with the next entry, Jessie, while I try to look up Ms. Montrose."

Jonny got up.  "I'll get some sodas.  This seems like a good time to take a break."

Jessie turned the page.

TO BE CONTINUED...