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Post by Jordanna on Jan 27, 2009 23:24:47 GMT -5
Vance half-grinned at Daws. "If you need to sharpen that pencil, Handy's got a pocketknife."
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Post by skybright on Jan 27, 2009 23:31:19 GMT -5
Daws examined the worn-down stub of lead and then grinned. "Probably wouldn't hurt. I never can remember to do it when I'm in the office."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 27, 2009 23:47:37 GMT -5
"Here ya go." Handy produced from his pockets a folding knife and a handkerchief--spreading the latter on the table to catch the shavings. Then he took the pencil from Daws proceeded to sharpen it.
While Handy worked, Vance looked at Cole, raising an eyebrow. "See anything that means anything to you?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 27, 2009 23:56:57 GMT -5
Cole shot him a somewhat wincing smile. "I'm afraid it's mostly Greek to me, Major." He gestured to the formulas and chemical diagrams. "Science was never my particular long suit at school."
Then he tapped one of the sheets of paper thoughtfully. "I do remember the name of this company, vaguely." He said, "PrimaBio -- it's a medical supply corporation. Fairly innocuous so far as I know."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 28, 2009 0:03:00 GMT -5
"That's the way a front is supposed to look," Vance remarked wryly. "Regina, you'd better have Jai do some poking into that company's business, if he can."
Handy had meanwhile finished sharpening Daws' pencil, and he handed it back to her with a satisfied grin.
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Post by skybright on Jan 28, 2009 0:11:35 GMT -5
Daws nodded over her shoulder at Vance. "Can do -- thanks, Handy."
She accepted the pencil with a grin, and then bent over the blank sheet of notepaper, sketching lightly across the surface with the pencil. After a moment she held it up, frowning thoughtfully. "Looks like telephone numbers."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 28, 2009 22:53:28 GMT -5
Vance straightened from his slouch with an expression of sudden interest. "Now that sounds like something that might be useful."
He glanced at Cole. "Do any of 'em look familiar to you?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 28, 2009 23:30:05 GMT -5
Cole took the paper from Daws' outstretched hand and examined it carefully. "Even if they don't, it's possible that . . ."
The mayor's voice broke off abruptly and his expression hardened. "Yes." He said coldly, pointing to one of the numbers. "This one belongs to a deputy commissioner of police who's about to find himself out of work."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 28, 2009 23:43:48 GMT -5
Vance's expression hardened, but he raised a hand. "Wait a minute--we can't act too quickly. Not if he might lead us to any other links in the chain."
He frowned. "Exactly how could this guy be involved with our mad scientists? Giving them cover with the police? And in exchange for what?"
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Post by skybright on Jan 28, 2009 23:50:04 GMT -5
"That seems like the most likely scenario." Cole replied.
He shifted to his feet and began pacing moodily. "He's a holdover from my predecessor's administration -- one I thought was clean enough to keep in place, for the time being anyway. Obviously I was wrong."
The telepath scowled. "I don't know the man in question well enough to know what they've offered him. Money, quite possibly."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 28, 2009 23:59:32 GMT -5
Vance stood up, folding his arms. "Then I'd suggest he's a guy you'd better start getting to know, sir. The clinic bombing oughta give you some kind of excuse to meet with him. We've got to find out what he knows--without spooking him enough that he'll warn anybody higher up in this plot."
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Post by skybright on Jan 29, 2009 0:06:21 GMT -5
Cole nodded. "I'll have it arranged right away." His scowl deepened. "Even if he doesn't know anything more about the clinic than how much the payoff is for protecting it -- I need to know who else he's selling out to, and for how much."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 29, 2009 0:15:03 GMT -5
Vance chuckled grimly. "I'm sure you're real happy about your career choice just now."
He turned to Handy. "Write down a copy of those phone numbers. We'll leave the original for His Honor here to look into--but who knows, some of 'em may be to medical facilities Doc Ollivard will recognize."
"Sure, Jerod." Handy had located a notepad and two pencils before Vance even finished speaking. Writing with both of his right hands, he quickly began to transcribe the list of phone numbers.
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Post by skybright on Jan 29, 2009 0:21:54 GMT -5
Daws grinned crookedly. "Pretty impressive -- gives me a headache just watching that, let alone trying it."
She glanced at Cole, who was still pacing and examining the list of phone numbers with a black expression. "Speaking of headaches -- you haven't heard anything from Tiernan, have you?"
"Not since you were last here." Cole replied.
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 29, 2009 0:27:28 GMT -5
"I don't like it," Vance muttered. "Either he's sitting back smugly because things are going according to his plan, or he's just as confused as we are and trying to follow up his own leads."
He shook his head. "We need to know if the bombing was his doing. I thought he knew better than to scare off the real puppet masters before they could be traced--but we can't put anything past that psychopath."
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Post by skybright on Jan 29, 2009 0:37:03 GMT -5
"No, we can't." Daws frowned. "And the longer we go without knowing what he's got up his sleeve, the more risk we run of crossing his path without meaning to. That's no good no matter which way you look at it."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 29, 2009 23:28:39 GMT -5
Vance scowled. "There's only one way to get the answer. One of you is gonna have to get in touch with him."
Handy had finished copying the phone numbers, and now handed both the copy and the original to Vance, who took them with a distracted nod.
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Post by skybright on Jan 29, 2009 23:39:31 GMT -5
Daws frowned and glanced at Cole. "I suppose of the two of us, I'm the one with the better excuse for seeing him." She said with a sigh, gesturing at the papers that the mayor still held in his hands.
"If we can figure out some of that that wouldn't be too useful to him, I can take it in -- and see if I can find out what the score is with him and the bombing."
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Post by Jordanna on Jan 29, 2009 23:51:13 GMT -5
"I don't think there's any choice," Vance muttered. "Mister Cole here'll be busy enough checking on this assistant commissioner, and everything else. But first we'd better see what Caddy can make out of all that science junk."
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Post by skybright on Jan 29, 2009 23:58:33 GMT -5
Daws nodded. "Guess we'd better get on that, then." She raised an eyebrow at Cole, who ceased his pacing and handed over the paperwork with a somewhat apologetic look.
"And I had better get to my office." Cole said. "I put that off because I guessed you'd come here -- but the public is going to expect an official statement before too much longer." He smiled humorlessly at Vance. "I know public relations ranks low in your esteem, Major, but I'm afraid that had better be my first move today."
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