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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 1:54:35 GMT -5
Daws arrived at her office earlier than usual the next morning; between her absence over the weekend and her meeting with Tiernan, she hadn't had the chance to check and see if any other potential clients had called.
Finding nothing waiting for her but an empty answering machine and a small stack of newspapers, Daws decided to occupy the time until Joey Falco arrived with giving the outer office a much-needed cleaning.
Peeling off her trenchcoat and rolling up her shirtsleeves, Daws dug the furniture polish and cleaning rags out of the supply closet and went to work, stirring up a small cloud of dust as she did so.
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 2:01:38 GMT -5
To his embarrassment, Joey overslept, having still been tired after working late the previous night. Arriving at Daws' office, he opened the door and steeped in--only to sneeze at the cloud of dust that greeted him.
"Jeez, we oughta have Mister Tiernan hire you a cleaning service or something!" he exclaimed, considerately leaning over to pick a few stray cobwebs out of Daws' fur.
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 2:09:57 GMT -5
Daws grinned at the teenager. "Thanks." She brushed dust out of the fur on her forearms and shrugged sheepishly. "I never spend that much time out here, so I never seem to get around to cleanin' it.
"However," she took another swipe at the lingering dust on the front windowsill, "I'm not sure I'd trust anyone Tiernan'd hire to be in here when I'm not -- I'd rather live with the cobwebs."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 2:14:19 GMT -5
"Yeah, I guess so... So we're going to the Millennium?" Joey grinned. "What kind of act did you figure on using today?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 2:24:46 GMT -5
"Actually," Daws grinned, retrieving her fedora and coat, "We're gonna start out by just bein' detectives.
"See, most of the hotels in the City -- especially the big ritzy ones like the Millenium -- employ at least one house detective to keep an eye on troublemakers, track down people who don't pay their room service bill -- that kinda thing." She stowed the furniture polish and rags back in the closet.
"Most of 'em are decent guys -- have some military or police experience. A couple even do private work on the side." She shrugged one shoulder. "Private eyes are a lone-wolf kinda bunch, mostly -- but we do each other a good turn when we can.
"The guy I usedta know at the Millenium has moved on to better things -- if you call crab fishing better -- but that doesn't mean his successor wouldn't be willin' to help us out." She ducked into the inner office and emerged a moment later with a manila folder, which she handed to Joey.
"Of course, we're not interested in the science conference." She grinned slyly and gestured to the photograph paperclipped to the manila folder -- a grainy, badly-focused shot of a generic-looking middle-aged man. "We're lookin' to find that guy."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 2:32:32 GMT -5
"Cool," Joey murmured, fingering the photo. "So who is he?"
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 2:43:55 GMT -5
Daws grinned lopsidedly. "His name's Giueseppe D'Angelo. Owns an Italian joint down off of Hawker Boulevard. Known him for years."
She reached out and tapped the photograph. "But he's average everything -- height, weight, skin tone, hair color. That photo could be of any number of guys -- particularly since the quality isn't the greatest.
"See, just like people'll buy what you say if you act like you know what you're doin'," she grinned, "People really want to be able to help you out, most of the time. They'll look at a photo like that, and think they've seen the guy. All you gotta do then is let 'em tell ya what you really wanna know."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 2:51:32 GMT -5
"I don't see how you're gonna make the leap from a missing Joe Regular to info about the science conference," Joey mused, scratching his head. Then he grinned. "But I've got no doubt you can do it."
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 2:55:50 GMT -5
Daws swept her fedora off and executed a mock bow. "Your vote of confidence is truly inspiring." She replaced her hat and grinned. "All right, then -- let's head for the Millenium."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 3:03:41 GMT -5
Joey grinned. "Right, Boss," he replied, and held the door open for Daws as they exited the office.
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 3:20:28 GMT -5
The Millenium Hotel had been built during the era when glass and chrome were New York's prerequisite building materials: the entire place looked vaguely as if it belonged at a World's Fair or in a 70's B sci-fi picture.
In spite of that -- or perhaps because of it -- the Millenium attracted a lot of upscale clientele. It was just a shame, Daws mused, that all that money hadn't been put towards fixing the aggressively modern ugliness of the lobby carpeting.
She led Joey past the front desk and down a short hallway near the elevators, stopping in front of a door marked Security Services. She rolled her eyes at Joey.
"They stopped using the term 'house detective' in the 60's -- said people weren't comfortable with the idea of being watched anymore. How changin' the name of the job we've been doing since they invented hotels changes anythin', I've never figured out."
She raised her hand and knocked on the door. After a moment, the latch slid back and a short, solidly-built woman with salt-and-pepper hair stuck her head out.
"Yeah?"
Daws grinned and took off her fedora. "Looking for the house detective."
"Lookin' at the house detective." The woman replied quickly, glancing between Daws and Joey. "Who's lookin'?"
"Regina Dawson," She fished a card out of her pocket and held it out. "Grimalkin, Inc. -- private license."
"Ahunh." The woman took the card and peered at it, then nodded and stepped back. "All right, c'mon in."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 3:28:48 GMT -5
Joey followed Daws into the cluttered office, trying to fight the urge to squirm. He was certain he would never get used to this line of work.
"We--uh--we haven't come at a bad time, have we?" he asked the house detective warily.
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 3:38:19 GMT -5
The woman shrugged and seated herself behind a cluttered desk. "No good times left this week," she said, waving an exasperated hand at the paperwork on the desktop. "Got a conference in the house, an' it's screwin' up everyone's schedules."
She frowned, then chuckled. "Sorry." She extended her hand to Daws, who shook it. "Diane Roeber."
She held her hand out to Joey. "What is it I can help you guys with?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 3:41:54 GMT -5
Joey shook Roeber's hand. "Joey Falco. We're... uh, that is, Miss Dawson here is a detective. I'm just her assistant." He grinned sheepishly, then went on, "We're looking for a missing man, and we'd like to know if he's been seen around here."
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 3:57:09 GMT -5
Daws gave Joey an approving look and turned to Roeber. "Y'know how it is. Guy's wife took a peek at the bank account, and . . ."
"And hubby was funneling off funds for some weekend relaxation," the house detective finished with disdain. "Yeah, we get 'em all the flippin' time. Middle-aged stockbrokers wanna come live it up at a high-class place." She scowled. "Time was, the house dick got paid to kick guys like that out."
"Those were the days, huh?" Daws raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly. "Look, I already picked the guy's trail up at two different places in the past six months. Just couldn't get there in time to nail him." She took the folder from Joey and passed it across the desk to the other woman. "He likes the top-notch suites, y'know?"
"Oh, whatta gem." Diane Roeber scowled at the photograph. "Most've the top suites are filled up with guys from this conference. Lemme think . . ." she peered at the photograph, shaking her head. "Jeeze, not a very distinctive guy, is he?"
Daws shook her head regretfully. "I really need a new lens for that camera," she said, spreading her hands. "Kinda hoping that wifey's check'll pay for that -- but of course, I gotta catch hubby first."
"Ahunh. I dunno. He looks familiar, but I wouldn't swear to 'im." Roeber shrugged and handed the file back to Joey. "We got sixteen top-notch suites," she said, "And only three of 'em that this guy coulda been in since the conference attendees arrived day before yesterday. One of 'em's a Korean couple. The other two're empty until tomorrow."
She shrugged again. "Suppose your guy could've taken a lower-class room?"
Daws frowned. "I don't think so. His last withdrawal was a pretty top-dollar affair. He likes to splurge." she sighed and glanced at Joey. "Whattaya think, kid? Try the next hotel on the list?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 4:04:34 GMT -5
Joey shrugged, wondering how they were possibly going to get any more information this way. "I... guess so," he murmured, and hoped that was the answer Daws wanted to hear.
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 4:18:05 GMT -5
Daws sighed and made a motion to rise. "All right, back to the legwork."
Roeber chuckled. "I feel for ya -- that's why I took this gig. Elevators."
Daws made a wry face. "That'd be nice, yeah." She paused suddenly and sat back down, leaning across the desk. "Look, could you maybe do me a favor?" She reached over and plucked the paperclipped photo off of the folder in Joey's hands, holding it out to Roeber. "Do you have some way you could copy that off and hand it around to your security guys?"
Roeber frowned and hesitated -- but then accepted the photo. "Yeah, I don't guess it'd hurt any. I'm gonna warn you, though," she shook her head. "My boys are booked solid for the next week."
"Oh, right." Daws slapped her forehead lightly. "The conference. Look, if it'll be a bother . . ."
"No," Roeber shook her head and kept hold of the photo, "Far be it fro me t'keep you from snaggin' a lout like this one. I've just got all but a third of my guys focused on the conference activities -- and most of the rest of them are busy keepin' an eye on all the formulas and junk these eggheads brought with 'em."
She shook her head in exasperation. "Six guys guardin' a safe fulla paper. Most ridiculous thing I've seen in weeks. I got punk kids walkin' off with whole rafts of silverware, but y'think Management cares?"
Daws shook her head in sympathy. "An' that's why I took my gig -- no bosses."
Roeber looked wistful. "I'd kill f'r that."
Daws shrugged. "So all these eggheads just dumped their stuff on you and left it, huh?"
"Yeah." Roeber snorted in disgust. "Typical men. All but one of 'em -- he won't let his stuff out from under his nose, and he insists on hoppin' between two suites every other day, t'boot."
Daws looked incredulous. "You're kiddin'."
"Nope." Roeber scowled. "Nuttier than my Aunt Dora's fruitcakes. Moves all his junk clear from one end of the hall to the other -- crazy."
Daws shook her head sympathetically. "Sister, you've got my sympathy." She held out her hand and rose again. "Thanks for the help, all the same. Sorry to've troubled ya."
"No trouble." Roeber also rose, shaking Daws' hand. "Us lady snoops gotta stick together."
She turned an appraising glance on Joey before extending her hand. "You keep an eye open, kid," she said gruffly, "An' you'll learn a lot."
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 4:24:47 GMT -5
Joey grinned broadly. "Oh, I'm learnin' more every day," he replied, struggling not to laugh.
As soon as they had exited the office, Joey shook his head and chuckled. "That was better than the bottled water thing. I dunno how you do it--you say you're leaving and then they start talkin' to you."
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Post by skybright on Jun 23, 2006 4:31:19 GMT -5
Daws grinned slyly and gestured back over her shoulder at Roeber's office. "One thing that changed when they stopped being called 'house detectives' was that they also got turned into quasi-administrators. She probably spends more time in that office in an average month than I spend at mine in a whole year."
She shrugged philosophically. "If they had you penned up back there all the time, wouldn't you get talkative on the rare occasions when someone showed up who wasn't your boss?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jun 23, 2006 4:37:45 GMT -5
Joey smiled. "Yeah, I guess I would. I never thought about it. You know... you don't think about being talkative when you work for Mister Tiernan."
He shrugged. "So what's next?"
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