Marco's Diner

[Jordanna]

It took Miriam some time to find Marco's Diner, which turned out to be a greasy spoon in a less-than-glamorous neighborhood.

She walked in hesitantly, grimacing at the tinny country music that came over the radio behind the counter. There were no other customers; she chose a booth in the farthest corner from the door, and waited.

What was Daws' other client like, and what was his connection to that poor dead woman? She was eager to find out, but also a little afraid. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was plunging herself into something that would cost her terribly.

[skybright]

"Y'might as well park here," Daws said as they turned onto Norton Avenue in Alex Malone's car. "We can walk the block from here."

Malone didn't ask, and Daws didn't volunteer, the reason for the brief walk to Marco's diner -- as they traveled in silence down the sidewalk Daws had walked just a few evenings earlier, she was intensely involved in observing the streets around them. She strained every one of her enhanced senses to their limits -- trying to make sure they weren't being shadowed. It didn't seem that they were, which made her feel marginally better -- but it was still possible that Tiernan had them under some undetectable mode of surveillance.

Gettin' too paranoid for this job, Ace. Daws told herself. Jumpin' at shadows.

On the other hand, She retorted right back at herself, You've known people who could look like shadows.

She glanced at Malone as the reached the door of Marco's. They'd stopped briefly at a pharmacy, and Malone was looking a lot better (and sneezing a lot less) with antihistamines moving in his bloodstream. He still looked a little dazed at how swiftly large chunks of his world had fallen apart -- but all things considered, Daws was impressed with how Malone was dealing.

"Okay," She said, pulling the door open to the familiar twang of country on the diner radio, "Here we go."

[Jordanna]

As the bell above the door jingled, Miriam looked up sharply. It was Daws, alright--and with her was a reedy, redheaded young man who looked tired and worried.

Miriam stood as they approached her corner booth, and shook hands with Daws. "I was getting worried about you," she admitted.

Then she glanced at the man, who smiled twitchily, waiting to be introduced.

[skybright]

Daws half-grinned as she returned the handshake. "No need to worry, Doctor. Nine lives, and all that."

She slid into the booth and gestured at Malone. "Doctor, meet Alex Malone. Mister Malone, Doctor Miriam Van Linden, assistant ME at the Manhattan coroner's office."

[Jordanna]

Alex's expression quirked as Daws introduced Miriam. He didn't understand why a city coroner should resort to a private detective to investigate a murder--and he couldn't envision this slight young woman cutting open dead bodies. That made him wonder whether she had done so to Caroline... and that thought caused him to squirm internally.

Nevertheless, he forced a friendly smile as he shook Miriam's hand. "Nice to meet you, Doctor."

"The same." Miriam sat down, prompting Daws and Alex to do likewise; then she fixed Alex with a direct, serious gaze that disconcerted him just a little more. "I take it you have some relation to Caroline Rosenstein."

"I'm a--a family friend. Her husband is my boss... You know, at the Paragon Club."

"I'm sorry for your loss." The words were sincere, but there was a deep weariness beneath them.

"Miss Dawson already told me who killed Caroline," Alex said, glancing briefly at Daws. "Now what I'd like to know is... how."

Miriam sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. She glanced gravely at Daws, then back at Alex.

"Officially, all I can tell you is what the Long Island coroner reported. We haven't even examined Mrs. Rosenstein yet. But..." She drew a deep breath and let it out. "But this meeting is as unofficial as it gets--because if I told my superiors what I'm about to tell you, I'd be through."

Alex was silent at the gravity of that statement. Miriam ran a hand through her hair, took a swallow of tepid water from the glass in front of her, and continued.

"You see, I have... a certain psychic ability, Mister Malone. I think you can guess where it comes from."

It took Alex a moment to realize what she meant--and when he did, he turned pale. This was the last thing he had expected. He'd never felt entirely sure that there were other mutants like him, who looked normal on the outside; yet this delicate-looking little woman was confessing as much to him, a total stranger. If she felt anything like the fear of exposure he lived with every day, she was a far braver person than he.

Alex gulped and stared wide-eyed at Miriam, who dropped her gaze. Realizing he was staring, he looked away, and his befuddled gaze turned to Daws. The detective touched his elbow and nodded slightly in reassurance.

"A... psy-psychic ability?" Alex stammered out.

Without lifting her head, Miriam raised her eyes to his. "I relive the last memories of the dead."

It was a horrific admission, and although Alex knew very well that Miriam couldn't help the ability her mutation had endowed her with, it made his skin crawl. The idea that she might have intruded upon Caroline's final thoughts was vaguely abhorrent... And yet, how hellish for her, to experience what Caroline must have gone through.

No wonder the young doctor looked so fragile and worn.

"I'm sorry," Alex blurted out. He hadn't meant to say it, and it wasn't even enough to express what he felt, but there it was.

Miriam straightened in her seat, abruptly assuming a mask of professionalism. "It has its uses, Mister Malone. I saw the man who murdered Mrs. Rosenstein--and not only through her eyes, but those of another victim, a few weeks ago. That's why I hired Miss Dawson in the first place. I wanted her to find evidence linking Tiernan to that crime."

An ugly feeling stirred deep within Alex. "You mean he killed someone else?"

"More than one, I suspect. There's something about a killer's eyes, when..." Miriam paused abruptly. "I've learned to read the types, you see. Nicholas Tiernan was no first-timer when he looked into the eyes of that woman they dragged out of the river."

"I read about that case," Alex murmured. He hesitated, then asked, "Doctor, how does he do it?"

Miriam blanched, and Alex knew he would not like what he was about to hear.

"I'm convinced he's a mutant," Miriam said. "He certainly has some kind of power. I don't know exactly how he does it, but... he can tear someone's internal organs apart, from across the room, and not leave any trace on the surface."

Alex caught his breath and blinked rapidly, fighting back an upwelling of tears. Caroline went through that?

Evidently Miriam noticed his pain, and her next words were at least a little comfort. "Mister Malone, please know that Mrs. Rosenstein didn't suffer. Tiernan took her life very quickly and suddenly." She paused. "I don't think he wanted her to have the chance to cry out."

Alex sank deep into his seat and put a hand over his face. He needed a moment to take in what he had learned.

Miriam glanced at Daws, with a solemn shrug. "Now you know as much as I do about Mrs. Rosenstein's murder... for all the good it will do. There's no more physical evidence than there was the last time. Her cause of death is going to read 'undetermined', and no one besides us will even be sure that it wasn't natural causes."

[skybright]

Daws sighed heavily and rubbed her shoulder. "I knew it was Tiernan. I could smell him last night, at the crime scene; but even if my sense of smell plus your visions made convincing evidence -- which they won't, Doc, not to the cops -- it's still not enough. We've got nothing to pin any solid case on.

"I've managed to get a sort of undercover job in Tiernan's 'organization' -- the illegal half of it." She held up a hand against Dr. Van Linden's startled look. "Believe me, I'm nervous about it as anyone is. But it's an in, albeit a tenuous one; if I stick it out, I'm hoping to dig up something solid against Tiernan.

"It's guys like Tiernan that give mutants a bad name in this world -- and I take offense to that." Daws scowled. "I take even bigger offense at innocent people dying. Tiernan's dangerous, and smart, and powerful -- but even the best men slip up somewhere. Tiernan's got a slipup somewhere; if I can find it," She looked pointedly at the two other people at the table, "Then we can use it against him."

[Jordanna]

Miriam rubbed her face wearily. "I don't much feel like it, but I'll go back to the office today. After my performance with the last victim, I don't think they'll let me near Mrs. Rosenstein's autopsy, but I want to get my hands on the report as soon as I can. It doesn't sound like we'll learn anything from it, but we can hope."

Alex looked at Daws. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

[skybright]

Daws nodded. "Right now the best thing you can do is be there for Sid and those kids. They're gonna need someone to hold them up over the next couple of weeks," She said, knowing full well that Malone would be doing that anyway. She hesitated, then added, "Keep an eye out at the Paragon Club; I don't know what game Tiernan's playing, or if he meant it when he said he'd lay off the club -- but somehow I doubt it. And if you can, try and keep Mrs. Rosenstein's family off the scent of this whole mess.

Daws sipped cautiously at the water in front of her. "Look, if anyone asks, this meeting is about Mrs. Rosenstein's autopsy, nothing else. You," She pointed at Malone, "Were already my client on an unrelated matter. You got upset about the idea of an autopsy, and the fact that the cause of death wasn't known -- so I contacted someone I knew at the Coroner's," She gestured at Dr. Van Linden, "To meet us 'unofficially' and see if she could put you at ease with the whole thing.

She glanced back at Malone. " Neither of us is going to have any further contact with the Coroner's office on this case. You and I don't know about the other death -- let alone about it having the same cause. And Grimalkin, Inc. is not investigating the circumstances of Carolyn Rosenstein's death."

She pushed her fedora back and sighed. "I don't know how successful all that's going to be; but unless all three of us want to end up in the same condition as Carolyn Rosenstein," She looked gravely from Malone to Van Linden, "We've got to do what we can to keep our heads down."

[Jordanna]

"I can't believe all this is happening," Alex murmured, with a shake of his head.

Miriam glanced back and forth between Daws and Alex. "I can make one suggestion. If either of you need to reach me, call Henry Casselton at the Casselton Mortuary. He knows my suspicions about Nicholas Tiernan--actually helped put me onto his scent--but it isn't known around my office that we're friends. We could meet at the mortuary, if need be."

Pausing, she turned to Alex. "In fact, it might work out well if you could convince Mr. Rosenstein to go to Henry for his wife's... arrangements."

She glanced at Daws, waiting to see how the more experienced sleuth would react to the idea.

[skybright]

Daws nodded slowly. "It's a good idea -- a meeting place none of us're known to frequent. My place is sure to be too conspicuous, and the Paragon's not really my scene anyways. But Tiernan just might buy my lending a helping hand to a client," She nodded at Alex Malone, "In a time of grief. I've done it before."

She hesitated, letting her gaze slide sideways to Dr. Van Linden. Then she reached into her trenchcoat and withdrew the envelope with the $500 that Malone had given her yesterday -- an age ago. "Here." She slid the envelope across the table to Malone, clearing her throat. "I didn't earn that. And the case you hired me on is . . . well, it's closed, the way I see it. This one is a whole different ballgame. And I think it's gonna be a long time before this thing we've gotten ourselves into is anywhere near bein' closed."

[Jordanna]

Alex stared down at the envelope for a moment, as if it were a dead fish. He didn't want to take the money back; it felt as if it were somehow tainted by... something. On the other hand, he could imagine Daws feeling the same way. At last he reached out slowly, took the envelope, and tucked it away under his coat, deciding he would use it to do something for Sid and the kids.

With a shrug and a sigh, he stood up. "I really want to get back before Tara or Sid wakes up... So if there's nothing else, I guess I'll get going. Er--Miss Dawson, I can drop you somewhere first..."

[skybright]

Daws considered that for a moment, then shook her head. "I think I'll take a walk, do a little thinking before I hit the office today." She stood as well, nodding towards the kitchen. "I'll slip out the back -- I know the day-shift cook." She glanced at Dr. Van Linden.

"Probably best if you wait a bit before you leave. If either of you need a hand, you know where to find me. And I'll keep in touch."

Daws settled her fedora firmly on her head, squared her shoulders, and surveyed the two civilians -- there was no other way to think of them. She couldn't help wondering how long the two of them would last against someone like Tiernan -- how long any of them were going to last. Daws shook that thought off and nodded at both of them before heading for the aforementioned rear exit.

"You two take care of yourselves."

[Jordanna]

Alex watched Daws retreat through the kitchen doors, then glanced back at Miriam. The young woman was still seated, her pensive gaze focused on her clasped hands.

"Thanks for trusting me," Alex said softly.

Miriam glanced up. "What?"

"About... what you are. I mean, I... I don't know if I could--in your place."

"Oh." Miriam shrugged slightly. "I wasn't afraid of that. After all, we're on the same side in this."

Alex half-smiled. "Yeah... Yeah, we are." He extended his hand. "If I can do anything, call the Paragon Club. They'll know where to find me."

Miriam accepted the handshake. "I'll be in touch with you and Miss Dawson when I have something on the autopsy. Goodbye, Mister Malone."

Alex nodded somberly, and turned to leave. Ahead of him lay the task of comforting a family... and beyond that, a frightening unknown.