|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 20:16:06 GMT -5
Joey Falco approached the front door of Grimalkin, Inc. bright and early. Daws had left a message on his cellphone, telling him simply that Mr. Tiernan had given her a new assignment, and she wanted him to come along.
The previous day had been difficult--trying to go about his normal routine, moving among his redoubtable colleagues at the Bunker without letting them see the traumatized daze he'd been in. He had experienced a few scraps, sure--like that one with the spooks the night Daws first turned up. But he'd never been through anything like the minor war of two nights earlier. He hadn't actually been in a situation where people were getting killed.
Where he might have been killed.
That realization hadn't sunk in until several hours later. He was lucky he'd been alone at the time, because he wouldn't have liked to explain to Cindi or Daron his sudden rush to the bathroom to get sick. He was ashamed of that reaction, and he hoped Daws didn't question him much, because he didn't want to tell her about it.
He sighed, squared his shoulders, and stepped through the front door of the office, passing through the waiting room to knock on the inner office door.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 20:22:34 GMT -5
Daws looked up from yet another examination of Tiernan's file on Cole and called out "It's open" -- hoping it wouldn't be a client who she would have to turn away.
Luckily it was Joey who pushed the door open and entered the office. Daws grinned and stood up.
"Good morning, kid. How are ya?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 20:27:42 GMT -5
Joey half-grinned, scratching his fingers through his thatch of reddish-blond hair. "Oh... I'm okay. Just, you know... trying not to look guilty every time somebody talks to me." He chuckled nervously. "I'm not so sure I'm cut out for this kinda work."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 20:30:17 GMT -5
"Aw, it just takes practice." Daws replied, wondering if by 'this kind of work' the kid meant resistance, snooping, or both.
"Nobody gave you any trouble, did they -- about the other night?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 20:39:34 GMT -5
Joey shook his head. "Nah. I said I was gonna spend the night with my mom--and I did. I went over to her place, then snuck out after she went to bed, and got back before she woke up." He shrugged. "I don't think anybody would've bothered me anyway. The others go places at all hours just to hang out. But since I don't, really, I guess it would've been weird if I did."
He spread his hands dismissively. "So what's this job the Boss--I mean, Mister Tiernan... wants you to do?"
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 20:44:15 GMT -5
Daws handed Joey the folder from her desktop.
"James Marcus Cole -- he's runnin' for mayor this fall. Has a pretty good chance of winning, too." She explained as Joey flipped open the file. "Tiernan met with him yesterday to see if he'd be willing to trade favors in office for Tiernan's support in the election. Only," she chuckled mirthlessly, "Tiernan didn't get a good enough answer to satisfy him.
"He wants me -- us -- to see what we can find out about our friend Mister Cole. Whatever we find out'll help determine whether or not Tiernan tries to buy Cole's way into the office come November."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 20:54:48 GMT -5
Joey looked up from the folder, blinking quizzically.
"So what're you gonna do?" He shrugged. "I mean, I don't guess you'd really want this guy to work with--Mister Tiernan."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 21:01:11 GMT -5
"No," Daws agreed, "We've got enough problems without Tiernan having the mayor's office wrapped around his finger, too. So if Cole seems really willing to play ball with Tiernan," She chuckled, "I'm gonna do my best to make Tiernan lose interest. If, on the other hand, Cole wouldn't be willing, I might step in and convince him to act differently -- at least until after the election."
Daws sighed. "Of course, the guy's a politician, so the real trick is gonna be figurin' out when he's telling the truth -- or if."
She retrieved her fedora from the bust of Shakespeare on the bookcase. "Tiernan also just wants us to see what we can find out about Cole -- there's some significantly missing data in that folder there. I figure that Cole's campaign headquarters might be the best place to start lookin' around for that."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 21:05:45 GMT -5
"Yeah," Joey murmured, following Daws out the door. "I don't know what I can do to help, though."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 21:12:24 GMT -5
In response, Daws dug a small notepad and a pencil out of her trenchcoat pocket and handed them to Joey.
"Congratulations, kid," She grinned, "We just got hired by the New York Weekly Spiel to do an article on Mister James Marcus Cole."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 21:21:05 GMT -5
Joey blinked in surprise as Daws put the notepad in his hands. He knew he bore about as much resemblance to a reporter as he did to a professional wrestler. He opened his mouth to question her, but then he closed it and shook his head.
"You're the boss," he mused, and followed Daws down the sidewalk.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 21:30:26 GMT -5
Cole's campaign headquarters was situated in a large storefront; the glass windows were adorned with red-white-and-blue trimming and posters bearing Cole's image and his slogans (For All New Yorkers and A Move That Makes Sense).
Daws paused on the front sidewalk and turned to Joey. "Okay, kid, your first official lesson in snooping is this: most people'll tell ya just about anything if they think it'll get their name in the paper. The second lesson," She gestured at the notepad, "Is to make notes on that thing, look interested, and nod a lot."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 21:38:37 GMT -5
Joey's head bobbed vigorously. "Yeah. Nod. That I can do."
He followed Daws into the building, where they were accosted on the spot by a perky college girl carrying a bowl of buttons with Cole's slogan on them. "Hi! Want a button? What can I do for ya?"
"I, um..." Joey squirmed, glancing at Daws as he reached into the bowl to grab a pin. It seemed like the polite thing to do.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 21:49:20 GMT -5
Daws pushed her fedora back and smiled ingratiatingly. "Regina Dawson with the New York Weekly Spiel," She announced, "And my assistant, Joey." She waved vaguely at the teenager.
"We're doin' a series of articles -- you know, be informed about your voting choices, that sorta thing. The paper sent us down to ask a few questions of the," she cleared her throat and gestured at the college girl, "The hardworking average volunteers on the campaign. Editor thinks it'll make a great angle."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 21:56:11 GMT -5
The overcaffeinated volunteer beamed. "Sure! If you want, I can set you up in the meeting room over there," she waved vaguely over her shoulder, "and round up some of the other 'team members' for you to interview."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 22:09:32 GMT -5
"No, really?" Daws grinned widely. "That'd be great, really great." She glanced at Joey. "You know, I told you we shoulda brought Vince along with.
"Vince is our photographer." She explained to the volunteer, as she and Joey followed the girl to a side room. "I tried to convince the editor we needed room for a photo with the spread, but he said the space was gonna be taken up with an ad for Rain-Glo soap." She shrugged.
"Editors." Daws raised her eyebrows at the girl. "Anyway, we could start the interviews with you if you don't mind, miss . . . ?"
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 22:13:46 GMT -5
"Shelly Swinburn," the girl piped up, flushing slightly. "Um, yeah, well... sure. Right this way." She gestured them toward a doorway off to the side--through which was a meeting room that looked more like a school cafeteria, complete with metal folding chairs encircling its long table.
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 22:24:58 GMT -5
Daws grinned disarmingly as the three of them sat down. "All right, Miss Swinburn -- s-w-i-n-b-u-r-n?" She turned to Joey as the girl nodded. "Make sure you get that.
"Now, maybe we could start with a little about you -- how you came to the Cole campaign, what your experience has been like here, that sort of thing. Common interest stuff."
|
|
|
Post by Jordanna on Jun 7, 2006 22:32:40 GMT -5
"Um, yeah, well, actually, I got started working on this campaign because my boyfriend is doing it too. He wants to go into politics, so he thought this'd be a really good way of getting experience, and I wanted to be able to help him." She gave the self-satisfied smile of a young woman who was already imagining a wedding ring on her finger--not to mention a private jet and a summer home in the Hamptons.
"So... yeah, it's been cool. Mailing out newsletters, answering phones, that sort of thing. I've actually only talked to Mister Cole twice, but he seems like a really nice guy. Yeah."
|
|
|
Post by skybright on Jun 7, 2006 22:38:51 GMT -5
Daws nodded and glanced at Joey, who was scribbling notes (or at least making a pretense of doing so).
"Good stuff, good stuff." She pushed her fedora back and leaned forward. "So, you haven't noticed anything . . . odd . . . about Mister Cole? What I mean is," She added quickly, "We've heard some rumors of health problems. You wouldn't know anything about that?"
|
|