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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 2:57:20 GMT -5
The next morning (or, rather, later that same morning) Daws made her way down to the Latimore apartments. It was Saturday, and the kids of the neighborhood were amusing themselves with kickball games, skateboarding, and other childhood activities. Their older relatives sat on front stoops and fire escapes, trading gossip and hanging out laundry to dry. Daws waved at a few people she knew before dashing up the steps of the Latimore building and making her way to the elevator.
Whistling lightly to herself, she pushed her hat back and knocked on the door of apartment 509.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 3:21:15 GMT -5
When the knock came, Jerod Vance was lounging on the sofa with the morning newspaper, which Latimore had brought up at his request. Handy was in the dining alcove by the kitchen, making short work of a few doughnuts.
Handy moved to answer the door, but Vance waved him back and rolled off the couch. He glanced through the peephole to verify that it was Daws--which he had half-expected--and opened the door.
"Morning, detective. What's new?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 3:24:28 GMT -5
Daws grinned and shrugged out of her coat. "Well, I called Caddy last night -- and then our friend Tiernan called me this morning. He isn't happy -- but at least he doesn't think I had anythin' to do with Hubert vanishing."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 3:31:34 GMT -5
"Thank heaven for small favors," Vance murmured. He moved over to the coffee table and picked up the newspaper, handing it to Daws.
"Well, I dunno what Nocturne's gonna make of things as they develop, but they are developing. Somebody finally reported Huber missing when he didn't show for his speech yesterday, and now the cops are in the fray. At least when this was printed, they hadn't found the suicide note yet."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 3:36:38 GMT -5
"Yeah, that's what Tiernan mentioned." Daws looked the article over. "He wants me tracking down Huber's whereabouts -- truth is," she glanced up at Vance with a grim smile, "Tiernan's scared. He thinks our friend disappeared on his own recognizance -- because he's close to being ready to deploy his superbug."
She glanced thoughtfully at the paper. "I'm half-tempted to go snooping around Hubert's old lab myself, and 'find' that note we planted. Might make for a sticky spot with the cops -- but it'd make me look good with Tiernan."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 3:50:37 GMT -5
Vance frowned. "Actually, I wouldn't have thought so. Seems to me it'd look a little funny if you just happened to be the person who found that note in a lab nobody knows about yet--especially with the police investigating too."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 3:57:00 GMT -5
"Hunh. Good point." Daws shrugged one shoulder. "Suppose my professional dignity got a little wounded by Tiernan's suggestion about my 'bad luck'. I shouldn't take it personal."
She read a little further into the article and grimaced. "Oh, and that really cements it." She gestured at the paper. "Art Simpson's the head detective on the case. I've already had my ribs busted by him once this year, thanks." She tossed the paper back onto the table. "I'll let him look good for once -- if he can pull it off."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 4:05:58 GMT -5
"Shouldn't be too hard, even for amateurs like the cops. Hubert said the address is with his things. All they have to do is read it and go there."
Vance dropped himself on the sofa with a shrug. "I guess you're wondering where our rogue scientist actually is. As far as I know, he's still asleep, or maybe taking a shower. He's behaved himself fine, though. I guess now he's more confused than anything."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 4:12:21 GMT -5
Daws shrugged and perched on the arm of the armchair. "Can't say I blame him on that front. It can't be easy leaving your life and rebuilding from the ground up. Heck, it wasn't easy on me, and I didn't have a life to leave behind."
Hubert chose that moment to emerge from the bedroom, blinking sleepily and yawning. "Good morning." He mumbled.
Daws chuckled. "'Morning. Not much of an early riser, I take it?"
Hubert made a noncommittal noise and shook his head. "I believe the past few days have begun to catch up with me."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 4:18:38 GMT -5
"Have some breakfast," Vance suggested. "It ain't Foxy Malone's cooking, but there's doughnuts and toast."
He glanced at Daws. "Speaking of Malone, he and the Doc are gonna drop by shortly. I talked to 'em earlier, and she's kinda curious to see how Hubert's getting along." He smirked. "Sid bowed out. I don't think he quite believes yet that Hubert's ideas have been changing."
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 4:28:57 GMT -5
Huber snorted and moved toward the table. "I'll be so sorry to be deprived of the pleasure of his company." He remarked.
Daws chuckled, shaking her head. "Give it time, Hubert. You two just got off on the wrong foot."
"Would that be the 'threats-of-bodily-harm' foot, or the 'none-too-subtle-comparisons-to-Hitler' foot?" Hubert eyed the donuts skeptically, then reached for a slice of toast.
Daws rolled her eyes. "This conversation can only end in tears no matter how I answer. Let's leave it at sayin' that neither one of you were really on your best behavior at the Motor Court."
Hubert flinched slightly at that and turned for the kitchen. "Is there coffee anywhere in this apartment?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 4:33:55 GMT -5
Vance made a slight face. "There is if you wanna be brave. Neither Handy or I are exactly masters of the art of coffee brewing. It came out pretty strong." He pointed toward the kitchen.
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 4:46:16 GMT -5
Hubert gave a longsuffering sigh and ducked into the kitchen, toast in hand. "I suppose I'll have to make do."
"Y'know, if you'd get up earlier you'd probably be in time to beat them to the coffeemaking next time." Daws remarked offhandedly.
Hubert re-emerged from the kitchen. "I believe I have enough radical lifestyle upheavals to deal with without adding my sleeping habits to the lists." He replied, grimacing at the cup in his hand.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 4:52:38 GMT -5
"I think there's actually a sense of humor in there somewhere," Vance remarked, in a wry aside to Daws.
A light knock then sounded at the door. Handy trotted over to admit Miriam and Alex--the latter, as usual, bearing food.
"Morning, everybody," Alex greeted the group, setting down a dish of honey muffins and still-warm scrambled eggs.
Miriam squeezed Daws' hands. "I'm glad you're alright. I had a feeling you might've been called in by him last night." She studied the detective's face anxiously. "Were you?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 4:58:01 GMT -5
Daws half-grinned. "Yeah, I was -- at two thirty am, which didn't make me very happy. But he doesn't suspect me of anythin' on this one. He's under the impression that Huber disappeared of his own volition -- and I'm not gonna do anything to disabuse him of that notion." She chuckled. "In point of fact, I'm ostensibly out looking for the missing scientist right now."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 5:02:59 GMT -5
Miriam frowned. "What are you going to do, then? And what about Doctor Ollivard? Is he willing to take on Doctor Huber?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 5:11:59 GMT -5
"Well," Daws replied, helping herself to a muffin, "First off, we took the liberty of havin' one of Vance's boys plant a suicide note at Huber's lab here in the City -- so eventually, New York's Finest are gonna find it and declare him presumed dead.
"As for Caddy -- yeah, he's willin' to help out. I talked to him last night, and again for a bit this morning." She bit into the muffin and grinned at Alex. "Y'know, I love these things."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 5:16:08 GMT -5
Alex grinned. "Thanks. Glad to hear it."
Miriam turned a polite smile to Hubert. "So how are you doing, Doctor?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 9, 2006 5:20:55 GMT -5
Hubert frowned and suddenly became very interested in his coffee cup. "It's . . . difficult to say. Physically, I'm feeling the aftereffects of such an extreme metabolic event -- fatigue, hunger, some muscle aches and mild dehydration."
He shook his head and smiled faintly, without looking up. "I'm afraid the physical symptoms are the only ones I can classify with any clarity."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 9, 2006 5:27:24 GMT -5
Miriam smiled gently. "I can understand that."
She sat, gazing down at her folded hands. "It was all a lot more subtle for me. I see the memories of people who have died. The first time it happened, everyone thought it was just a case of shock and my own imagination. It was another two years before it happened again, and I realized it was something real."
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