Mon Sep 4 - Thomas Street

[Dexter Ford]

With the splint and sling, the throbbing ache of the wrist, and the lingering pain of the injection, there's no way Dex can maneuver his Ford through the city traffic. Fortunately, Myron is still in the waiting room.

"I'll drive you back to the building, Mr. Ford. If you want, you can wait in Mr. Hirt's apartment until I get off at six and I'll drive you home. Where do you live?"

The beautiful afternoon weather -- breezy and about seventy degrees -- somehow fails to make Dex feel better.

Dex sighs when he sees Myron, but then nods his head. He gives him the address to the office, but mentions stopping by a pharmacy to pick up some aspirin. He folds the hospital bill in his pocket, and places the revolver back into the jacket pocket. He sits back in the passenger seat and looks out the window. "Myron, how many times have you seen Miss Hirt in the building since Mr. Hirt disappeared? Have you ever seen her there before Mr. Hirt's absence was noticed?" He sticks his hand in the jacket pocket with the reloaded revolver, resting his fingers on the butt of the gun. "Myron, any reason you are being so helpful? Not that I mind the assistance, but frankly when we first met, you didn't seem to be the type to be so....useful. More of the annoying type at first glance...officious and all."

[Gaffer]

Franky
In the hall is one middle-aged woman and one older gentleman.

"I'm Mrs. Wolcott from 301, next door," she quavers, "Did I hear... gunshots?"

"Course it was gunshots, Mavis, already told you that. Heard enough of 'em in the Army, didn't I?" He extends his hand, "Col. Deutsch, retired, 203 downstairs. Need any assistance young feller?"

Assured that there is no danger and that Esposito has plenty of help, they start to return to their apartments. The colonel goes into the stairwell. At her door, Mrs. Wolcott, turns back.

"Do make them get rid of that awful dog, officer. It's so noisy."

Dex
Myron watches the traffic as he replies, "I take my job very seriously, Mr. Ford, just like you. I'm not a man of action, but I... admire men who are. I just want to help, I guess." He glances at Dex.

"As to Miss Hirt, I never saw her before a couple of months ago, when she began going in and out with Mr. Hirt. He never introduced her to me -- some people think people in jobs like mine are insignificant. Then about a week ago, she came in alone and introduced herself, very nice. She said she hadn't heard from her brother for a couple of days and was worried. I offered to let her in to his apartment, but she said she had a key. Since then, she's been in every couple of days."

He pulls over to the curb and sets the handbrake. "Here's the pharmacy. I'll be right out with your aspirin."

[FrankyEsposito]

At her door, Mrs. Wolcott, turns back.

"Do make them get rid of that awful dog, officer. It's so noisy."

I try not to smile at the unflappable Mrs. Wolcott. "Yes, ma'am."

[Langdon]

Finally feeling somewhat recovered, though my face is still flushed, I stand slowly. "What happened? I came into the kitchen with ... her ... and she disappeared. You three were out in the hall shooting and shouting at something?"

[Delores Brown]

"I asked you what you saw and you didn't want to talk about it," said Delores tartly. "We were attacked by that devil dog, whilst you were in there..." she nods to the kitchen, "... with Marlene." Despite everything, she can't help herself but to be snide towards Langdon - there's just something about him that rubs her up the wrong way.

The mention of Marlene reminds Delores of the photos. "I'll be right back," she says, and steps smartly into the next room and scoops the broken picture from the floor. She pulls the pictures from the frame and studies them.

[FrankyEsposito]

I walk back in and see Delores picking up the picture. "You're not tampering with evidence are you, Miss Brown?" I give her a quick wink so she knows I'm just stringing her on.

I go to the kitchen and come back with a broom. "Slip those in your purse before the flatfoots get here." I sweep up the broken glass and picture frame and toss them in the trash.

[Langdon]

"Now see here Dolores!" I start as she walks out of the room. When she returns I stand mute. If that's how she wants to play it, so be it. Let Esposito and Dex do the story-comparing. I've had enough stress in this apartment already!

[Dexter Ford]

Dex
Myron watches the traffic as he replies, "I take my job very seriously, Mr. Ford, just like you. I'm not a man of action, but I... admire men who are. I just want to help, I guess." He glances at Dex.

"As to Miss Hirt, I never saw her before a couple of months ago, when she began going in and out with Mr. Hirt. He never introduced her to me -- some people think people in jobs like mine are insignificant. Then about a week ago, she came in alone and introduced herself, very nice. She said she hadn't heard from her brother for a couple of days and was worried. I offered to let her in to his apartment, but she said she had a key. Since then, she's been in every couple of days."

He pulls over to the curb and sets the handbrake. "Here's the pharmacy. I'll be right out with your aspirin."

Dex nods as Myron speaks, and when he heads into the pharmacy, after giving him a few bucks to pay for the aspirin, Dex pulls out his notebook and looks over the facts and dates that he has gathered. Assessing what Myron has told him, he wonders figures that Miss Hirt appeared right around the time Mr. Hirt began his investigation into this desert tribes and their religious cults. He double checks the notes, and when Myron approached, he slides the notebook back into his pocket.

"Myron, thank you for all your help. I have just one question, and it may seem an odd one, but who introduced you to Miss Hirt? Did Mr. Hirt ever say she was Miss Hirt, or did she only introduce herself as Mr. Hirt's sister after he disappeared. It may sound trivial as to timing, but it is important. Did she ever introduce herself, or did Mr Hirt introduce her as her sister, before he disappeared?"

[Gaffer]

Dex
"As I say," Myron says, as he returns the money and hands Dex the bottle of pills, "He never deigned to introduce his sister to me. Only after she started coming around on her own, worried about her brother, did she trouble herself to make my acquaintance. The aspirin was only a quarter. My treat. We better get you home. You're looking a little green around the gills. "

He puts the car in gear and heads uptown.

Hirt's Apartment
Delores has just put the photos in her purse when the buzzer sounds, followed by some heavy knocking.

Two uniformed policemen are standing there.

"What's the rumpus?" says the older, heavier man, "Someone reported a disturbance and possible gunshots. Oh, hey, Esposito. You got here fast."

Esposito recognizes the speaker as Ed Mahoney, the cop on this beat. The other one's a rookie named Phipps.

[Delores Brown]

Delores stuffed the photos into her purse and hung back behind Franky. He seemed to know the two men and she hoped he could deal with it all. She just wanted to get back to the office and start to write up the story - not that she was even sure where to start or how she could sell it to her Editor.

[Langdon]

OOC,not sure why this didn't post earlier :-/

I make myself presentable, wiping my brow with a towel, straightening my coat and shirt, before stepping back into the living room. If there are police here (other than the good detective Esposito) I don't want them to think I was skulking around, avoiding them.

Keeper,[Edit: let me know if his sweating/wobbly-knees condition still persists. I just realized the timeframe from the incident to now may be short enough that the condition could still be present]

[FrankyEsposito]

"What's the rumpus?" says the older, heavier man, "Someone reported a disturbance and possible gunshots. Oh, hey, Esposito. You got here fast."

"Got here fast? Huh? No, no. I was here all along -- saw everything. We've got a missing persons case here, and some dame pretending to be the vic's sister. She sicced her dog on us and faded. One guy's in the hospital right now. Mahoney, come help me check and see if the dog's still alive. Shot the damned thing a couple times." I don't give them time to think or ask too many questions as I lead them towards the bedroom.

I turn to the rookie. "Phipps, right? Phone's in the other room. Get a car sent to 1288 Lex. Have them watch for a woman in a red '32 Ford Coupé. And check for any priors on a Merivana Azaff." I spell it for him. "Not sure on the first name, but the last one's pretty solid."

I've got my gun ready as we approach the bedroom. I've got no clue what we're going to find. "You ready, Mahoney?"

[Gaffer]

Langdon,I think the sweating and shakiness are mostly past, though he is probably still a bit jumpy.

Phipps goes right to the 'phone and calls the station house.

"I'm with you, Franky," Mahoney unholsters his revolver, holding it tight at his side and follows Esposito to the bedroom door, "What sorta dog is it?"

[FrankyEsposito]

"Dunno. Big, ugly bastard. And vicious. Took at least two, maybe three shots plus a solid kick in the ribs and kept going. Okay. I'm going in..."

[Gaffer]

Hirt's Apartment
As Esposito's hand closed around the doorknob, Mahoney tapped his arm and pointed to the floor. About three inches of clipped-off tail lay beside a bleached and pitted section of floorboard. Franky's hand grew sweaty on the knob, but he tightened his grip and threw the door back against the wall, his and Mahoney's gun barrels sweeping the room. There was no dog in sight.

Franky crouched to look under the bed, but no dog there either. The closet door was closed, so was the window. Franky took a deep breath and wrenched the closet door open. He was disappointed not to be met with snarling fangs.

"No blood, Detective," muttered Mahoney. There were a couple of places where the polished floor was stripped and leached of color and the rug at the foot of the bed had a large hole with a brownish ring. Mahoney was wondering if some of the stories about Esposito's mental state might be true.

"Where's the dame that sicced 'im on ya? Maybe the dog ran off with her."

Dex
Myron noses the Ford into the curb not far from 721 5th Avenue and kills the motor. "Shall I see you upstairs, Mr. Ford? Or will you be alright from here? Oh, and might I trouble you for carfare? I'd rather not be out of pocket, though I was glad to help out."

[FrankyEsposito]

"You're right, Mahoney. The dog must have gone with her."

Damned if I know how. Maybe she took all the blood with her, too.

[Dexter Ford]

Dex
Myron noses the Ford into the curb not far from 721 5th Avenue and kills the motor. "Shall I see you upstairs, Mr. Ford? Or will you be alright from here? Oh, and might I trouble you for carfare? I'd rather not be out of pocket, though I was glad to help out."

Dex pulls five dollars out of his pocket. "Keep it, Myron and thank you for all your help." He fishes in his pants pocket for a crumbled business card. "If Miss Hirt comes by again, can you call my office and leave a message either with the secretary or the service? I doubt you will see her again or the dog, but if you do, please give me a ring." Dex will get out of the car, taking the keys with him, and he will wait in the lobby of his office building until Myron gets in a cab and leaves or he disappears down the street. He will then head for his office, letting himself in, and change into a spare shirt and his coat in the office. He will also unlock his desk drawer and pull out a his shoulder holster and spare weapon. A scotch will also help, as he sits back and thinks about everything that has happened.

(OOC: There are rules for two weapon use, I remember seeing it in the book when I ran a tabletop one shot two weeks ago. I'll find the page number for a reference later on.)

[Gaffer]

Hirt's Apartment
Phipps comes to the door of the guest room and reports that a car has been dispatched as requested to watch for Marlene's coupe. There are no open warrants for anyone named Azaff and no priors on any Merivana Azaff.

"So you'll write this up, Detective? Let me know if you want anything from us." Mahoney and Phipps leave the apartment.

[Langdon]

"Excuse me, officers, but since Detective Esposito already took a statement from me, would it be alright if I stepped outside for some air?"

[Gaffer]

"Excuse me, officers, but since Detective Esposito already took a statement from me, would it be alright if I stepped outside for some air?"

Mahoney looks to Esposito for an answer.