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Post by skybright on Jul 14, 2006 6:40:15 GMT -5
Caddy grinned at Alex. "Hey, think nothing of it. Anyone who feeds me after I've been doin' med work is always okay in my book."
He glanced sideways and caught the unhappy frown on Sid's face. The brisk, everyday persona suddenly faded, replaced with the more sedate bedside manner. "Hey, look -- you or Tara need anythin'? Checkup, consultation, someone to talk to?"
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 14, 2006 6:49:37 GMT -5
Sid blinked up at Caddy and shook his head, scratching his fingers through his thinning hair. "Nah, thanks, Doc. I just--still got some thinkin' to do."
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Post by skybright on Jul 14, 2006 6:57:35 GMT -5
Caddy nodded sympathetically. "Okay. You change your mind, don't hesitate to call. I mean that." He shook Sid's hand, then reassumed his brisk, motormouthed attitude.
"Daws," He shot a glance at the detective, "I mean it. Don't get killed. Who's gonna keep my life from getting boring without you and your extracurricular activities?"
Daws shook her head and laughed. "Okay, I won't. Get out of here, will you?"
"Oh, well," Caddy sniffed, "I see how you feel. Fine. Well, Mother always said to leave before I wore my welcome out, so I guess this is as good a time as any." He raised an eyebrow at Hubert and gestured at the apartment door. "Whenever you're ready, Doctor."
Hubert nodded faintly and took a deep breath. Then he glanced at Handy, Alex, Sid and Miriam.
"Thank you all." He smiled uncertainly. "I'm sure we'll see one another again."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 14, 2006 7:00:13 GMT -5
"No doubt about that," remarked Vance, who had subsided once more onto the sofa.
Ignoring the Major, Miriam smiled at Hubert. "Take care. We'll be seeing you."
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Post by skybright on Jul 14, 2006 19:14:23 GMT -5
Hubert nodded and smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Caddy grinned, threw off a vague salute, and took the other man gently by the elbow. "All right then, good, great, excellent. Right this way, my friend." He raised an eyebrow as he swung open the apartment door. "Now, lemme ask you, since it's gonna be a bit of a drive out to Queens -- whattaya think about Bolivar's latest work with sequencing and mitochondrial coding? 'Cause, the way I see it . . ."
The door swung shut behind them, and Daws leaned back with a sigh. "And there they go."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 15, 2006 3:44:51 GMT -5
Vance shook his head with an amused smirk. "They're either gonna be best friends or kill each other. I'm not sure which."
"I hope we haven't just undone all the work it took to bring Hubert around," Alex said plaintively.
Miriam smiled faintly and shook her head. "It's been a struggle for me to have faith about a lot of things lately... but somehow, I have faith about Hubert."
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 0:20:28 GMT -5
Daws leaned back with a satisfied grin. "So do I, Doc -- and for that matter, I've got a lot of faith in Caddy. He may run off at the mouth and act like an airhead eighty percent of the time -- but when the chips are down, he mostly knows when to get serious. I think Hubert'll teach him more about that -- and I think he'll teach Hubert when to lighten up."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 1:40:08 GMT -5
Vance sighed, delving into his pocket for a cigar. "Well, I've still got this Brandeis thing to line up. Then I'll be glad to wash my hands of the whole business." He glanced wryly at Daws. "Maybe you'd like to join me on another warehouse raid, when we're back to business as usual."
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 1:50:52 GMT -5
Daws smirked at him. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll turn up something you can join us for, for a change."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 1:54:22 GMT -5
"That might be interesting." Vance popped a spark and lit his cigar. "You got something particular in mind, detective?"
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 1:58:22 GMT -5
"I just might." Daws examined her claws lazily. "You saw how Caddy gets at the thought of a new scientific geegaw to mess around with. I figured Nicholas Tiernan might have some things squirreled away someplace secret -- things that'd really make Caddy's day."
She grinned at Vance. "I even think we might be able to have Tiernan tell us where to look -- without him knowing, that is."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 2:07:09 GMT -5
Vance raised an eyebrow. "You're thinkin' of having Cole root around in the old bat's brain. Well, it might work, if the politician is willing to stick his neck out. Don't bet too much on it, though. A mind like Tiernan's could be more than just unpleasant for a stronger telepath--it might hurt him, psychologically if nothing else."
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 2:16:44 GMT -5
Daws shook her head slightly. "He's been in once already -- wasn't too pleasant for him, but he survived it. And he said he was willing to do what he had to for this cause. I'm gonna hold him to that.
"Besides," she shrugged, "Nosing around Tiernan's mind can't be much more dangerous for Cole than nosing around in Tiernan's actual, real-world business is for me -- and I don't think I'll be too useful on that front for a while. I'd best avoid any more unpleasantness turning up in connection with things he tells me about -- at least for a month or so. If Tiernan gets suspicious . . ." she trailed off and grimaced faintly.
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 2:27:09 GMT -5
"So that's why you're calling in Cole for a reinforcement," Vance mused. "Makes sense, I guess. Now, what's really effective is having a nice, quiet, unobtrusive little mole with a clerical job in Tiernan's works, who gets a peek at all kinds of interesting papers without anyone even realizing it." He frowned. "And no, I'm not givin' out the name. The less you spies know about each other, the safer you are."
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 2:33:16 GMT -5
Daws held out her hands. "Hey, no arguments here. I've seen enough James Bond pictures to know what can happen -- and I'd just as soon not have anyone's life directly in my hands that isn't there already." Her gaze flicked unconsciously to Sid, Alex and Miriam.
"Anyway," she continued, "I'm talking to Cole tomorrow. It was supposed to be today, but apparently he got held up at his family place Upstate. I'll let you know when -- if -- he turns up anything useful."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 2:38:52 GMT -5
"Right." Vance stretched and stood up. "Well, now that our houseguest is gone, I guess it's back to our usual hole for Handy and me."
"And Foxy an' I gotta get to the Club," Sid remarked, glancing at his watch.
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 2:43:41 GMT -5
Daws shrugged and reached for her fedora. "I got nowhere to be -- and it's too late to go back to the office. Guess I'll head home."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 2:49:15 GMT -5
Vance gave Daws a sideways glance. "You got any ideas on a way to pass the time, I'm open to tagging along. Nothing in particular on my agenda until tomorrow."
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Post by skybright on Jul 16, 2006 2:55:33 GMT -5
Daws thought for a moment and then grinned. "Archie's tavern's just down the block -- I suppose we could drink to the successful prevention of a genocide.
"And," she added slyly, "They've got a chess table. I think I still owe you a defeat."
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Post by Jordanna on Jul 16, 2006 3:02:30 GMT -5
"What about me, Jerod?" Handy asked.
Vance shrugged. "Stand down for the night. Go find yourself a card game to fleece or something."
Handy grinned, nodded, and scampered out the door.
"Okay, folks. After you," Vance said to Sid, Alex, and Miriam, with a gesture toward the door. He and Daws followed them out, and together the group took the elevator down to the first floor, where they parted.
"Right, then," Vance murmured, with a slight grin to Daws. "Point the way."
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