Detective Nick Shaughnessy hated this shit.
Murder, rape, robbery, drug trafficking, now those were crimes that he could handle. In fact, Shaughnessy had spent the past thirty years fighting those crimes and putting those criminals behind bars. Solving a traditional crime was never easy, but in comparison to Dream Robbery... It was safe to say that Shaughnessy knew he was completely out of his league. When the news of the Robert Fischer incident hit the media, it seemed pretty damn simple. Psycho. Loose cannon. Daddy didn't love him so he opened fire on his employees before taking his own life. It wasn't like it hadn't never happened before. It should have been an open/shut case...but that was before they found traces of Dream Robbery in Fischer's past.
That's when it got complicated.
Those involved with Fischer's Dream Robbery were now wanted fugitives. Airports were alerted to arrest the Dreamers on sight. Shaughnessy and his partner were the lead detectives on the case, doing all they could to fish out information that would assist in the capture and prosecution of the Dreamers responsible. Finding them was turning out to be the hard part...
Dominick Cobb, leader of the pack, disappeared into thin air moments after Fischer's death. Ariadne Price, the youngest member of the group, wasn't at home with her parents in Arkansas. Actually, her parents thought that she was still in Paris working on her Masters, despite the University's insistence that Ariadne hadn't attended classes in the past month and a half. Yusuf Aalim was a foreigner from Kenya who may or may not have returned home after the job was finished. Contacts found his place of work in Mombasa, and there was no sign of Aalim. Richard Eames was spotted in LA a few days ago, but he gave the police the slip with the greatest of ease. There was no word on his whereabouts since then. And Cobb's right hand man, well, he was a problem. They didn't even know the guy's last name. So finding "Arthur" had been rather difficult. Yeah, it sure as hell wasn't an easy job.
The detective's hand shook as he raised a cigarette to his lips.
"You know we aren't in a film noir, Nick. You can't smoke in here," His partner, Jenna Alvarez, reminded him. She smirked, and Nick just sighed in response glancing over at the spirited thirty year old. Nick had a fondness for his young upstart of a partner for two reasons. One, Jenna was a young Latina girl from LA's streets who decided to become part of the solution instead of the problem. He admired that. And Two. She looked damn good in every pant suit she ever wore; filling it out in all of the right places. Yeah, Shaughnessy was just fine with his partner. If only she didn't hate his smoking habit.
"Fine, fine, Alvarez, I just can't stand this." Nick put his cigarette out on the windowsill of the double sided mirror. Glancing through, he saw the woman they were about to question. Marie Dupont, 75 years of age. Like all citizens of the world, Marie learned of Fischer's murder/suicide on the evening news. But what made her quite different from all other world citizens was the fact that she knew the dreamers that were blamed for the violence. Actually, Dominick Cobb was her son-in-law. Even though Marie Dupont wasn't a witness to the actual Dream Robbery, she was connected to the Dreamers. At least it was something.
"I can lead," Jenna insisted placing the case's file under her arm. "C'mon. Let's get an education. I just hope that she doesn't quiz us on our PASIV knowledge." When the Dream Robbery law was first brought on Congress' floor, the LAPD was offered a quick summary of Dream Sharing. Their nerdy tutor came into the meeting room with a white board and markers. On that white board, he drew a few stick figures, a set of wiggly lines, and then a square... Needless to say, many detectives and officers were still a little hazy about Dream Technology.
Jenna held the door open for her partner, and walked calmly into the interrogation room. "Hello, Mrs. Dupont. I'm Detective Alvarez and this is my partner Detective Shaughnessy. Thank you for coming in and helping us out here." She took a seat opposite the woman. Marie Dupont looked her age, in fact, she looked even older than her 75 years. Her hair was the color of snow, although a few darker hairs were peppered here and there on her scalp. Her tired eyes were a deep brown color. Marie's hands were tightly wound around her biceps, refusing to move. Her whole body was stiff, unmoving. Tense.
"Hello," Was all that woman said in response, her thick French accent coming through with just one simple English word.
Nick cleared his throat before taking a seat next to Jenna whom opened the file out on the desk in front of them. She began, "So, Mrs. Dupont, we were hoping that you could bring us into the know here. We're a little rusty with Dream Robbery, and your connection to the accused would be rather helpful. However, I do have one concern that I'm sure my partner shares-"
"You want to know why I'm not defending my son in law and his cronies?" Marie asked with no emotion in her words. "Why I'm talking to you instead of my own lawyer?"
Jenna's eyes caught Nick's. "Yes," Jenna admitted aloud. "That is our concern. After all, it is written in the file that you took care of your grandchildren, his children, for a few years while he was away."
"Can't a grandmere love her grandchildren?" Marie asked her dark brow raised in what seemed like annoyance. "I have no love for their father, only for my grandchildren. And the rest of the men...well, I have no love for them either. I do not know the girl, though, I'm sure my Miles knows her very well." The mention of her husband made Jenna pause. Miles Baker had disappeared from his French University, the same that Price attended, a few days after the Fischer incident. The French were insistent that they would find the man whose connection to the Fischer case was integral, but the LAPD certainly wasn't holding their breath waiting...
"Alright, Miss Dupont," Nick started sitting up straight on his chair. "I think we better take it slow. Real slow here, alright? Like we're kids who ain't that smart." Jenna tried to hide her smile at that comment.
Marie took a deep breath and sighed. "I suppose that is in order. It may take some time to explain how this mess all began."
"We have the time," Jenna said encouragingly twirling her pencil between her fingers under the table.
Marie looked down at her hands and explained clearly but quietly, "I met Miles Barker when he was in France for the war. He was a young soldier who helped to liberate Paris. I was a young girl. Only fifteen at the time and I wanted desperately to become a nun. I would run to the church every day and pray for liberation. Even the Nazis could not infiltrate my prayer. When Paris was liberated, the streets were filled with people who were happy, crying with relief. Miles was dancing as if he was French himself. Feeling the same joy that we were. I fell in love with him then. That moment. Then he asked me to dance. All of my dreams of being a holy sister were forgotten the moment that he asked me to follow him to England. My parents were outraged. A young girl running away with an English solider. A girl who held such promise..." She paused a shadow passing over her face. "Perhaps it would have been for the better if I...it's no matter. I ran away with him against the orders of my parents. Married him, and lived with him on a base in England. The war was over but Miles' work was far from done."
"He helped to create the Dreaming Technology?" Jenna asked her pencil now steady and ready to take notes in the margins of the file.
Marie nodded. "Yes. He was an architect in University, and they needed someone to create the space of the dream. It was he and a few of his friends who worked on it. The King called it his 'special project'. The Dream Sharing Technology as they call it was used for battle preparations for all of the wars thereafter. We moved to America during the Korean War. America bought the technology being the war mongering country that they are-"
"Excuse me," Nick started his face turning red at the accusation, but his anger deflated after feeling Jenna's hand on his thigh.
"I apologize, Ms. Dupont. Continue please. You moved to America," Jenna prompted, all of the while keeping a hold of Nick's leg.
"Yes. We moved to America. Miles worked with the Pentagon at that time helping them with Korea and then later with Vietnam. By that time we had our daughter," Marie paused now as if out of reverence.
"Mal Cobb?" Nick asked glancing at the file from the corner of his eye.
"It's pronounced Moll," Marie corrected a look of irritation clear on her face. "She is named after my favorite novel. Moll Flanders. Of course my ridiculous husband believed that the spelling wouldn't serve her in life so he changed it. But yes, my daughter was born during that time. She was always a...what do Americans call it? Daddy's little girl? She adored her father. He came around so rarely it was a treat to see him. I was always there." She grumbled under her breath, but then continued, "My husband loved her as well, but he was a horrible father. Not only was he too busy for her, but he also thought that if he treated her like a friend instead of a child she would love him more. He brought her into his first Dream Share when she was only eight years old. He told me that he created a whole world for her on the sea shore, you see, she loved the beach. Of course I was enraged. My child was brought into a dream at such a young age. She barely knew that the pictures on the screen of our television weren't real. Now this."
Jenna lifted her eyes from the file and murmured, "Ms. Dupont, it says that your daughter died in an accident."
"Accident?" Marie leaned her head back and laughed. Both Jenna and Nick were caught off guard by the woman who barely spoke above a whisper the entire session.
"No, it was no accident, Detective," Marie commented after getting a hold of herself. "No, my son-in-law killed her. I don't believe he pushed her, but he drove her to kill herself living the life that they did..."
Jenna began to say, "According to the files-"
"Bull shit your files," Marie practically shouted, the very American saying sounding rather out of place on her French tongue. "You don't know my son-in-law from a file. He is one of great power. Great manipulation. He was on the run for years avoiding a murder charge for the death of my daughter. He may run for years trying to avoid the ramifications of Robert Fischer, too."
Jenna looked through the files feverishly looking for any note of Cobb's involvement in his wife's death. Any hint that it was more than an accident. Nick knew that she would find none no such note. He read over the file very carefully the night before. "Jenna," Nick patted his partner on her shoulder. "Why don't you tell the boss about this new development and I'll continue to talk to Ms. Dupont here?"
The young detective gathered up her papers without a nod of agreement and left the interrogation room. Nick knew the feeling. Before this little chat, they only had Cobb and his men down for Dream Robbery and possible attempted murder charges of Robert Fischer. Adding Mal Cobb to the mix might get old Dom sent to the damn electric chair when they caught 'em. A little voice in the back of Nick's head had to wonder how Cobb sidestepped his wife's "death." How there was no mention of it in the files...part of him wanted to believe that this French broad was flat out lying. But he'd been at this job for a while, and he recognized people when they lied for the most part. Dupont was telling the truth.
"All right, Marie, why don't we continue, huh?" Nick asked sliding in his chair so his beer gut touched the table. "Why not go back to when your daughter met the louse, Cobb?"
"Yes. We only lived in the United States for a few years, and then we returned to France. Miles was offered a job at the University, and I stayed at home with Mal. Dominick was an exchange student. One of Miles' favorites. My husband introduced him to our daughter. No big surprise," Marie remarked with a snort. "My husband liked to collect students. Bring them home to dinner. Introduce them to the family. The boys were like the sons he never had. The girls, well, he wanted them to be more than daughters." Her words snapped in the air.
Nick cleared his throat again, "Am I correct in guessing that you are no longer...with your husband?"
"We have been separated since my daughter's death. He stayed in Paris to teach, and I stayed with my grandchildren. We barely spoke. I could handle his infidelities, but I could not handle his...friendship with Dominick. Yes, I would call Dom once a month, so my grandchildren could hear his voice. No child should be without their parent, even if he is Dominick Cobb. But I could not look at my husband after Mal passed. If he never taught her how to Dream Share. If he never taught Dominick...brought him home that night...none of this would have happened," Marie brushed away a tear that fell down her face, although she still remained perfectly poised. "So you can see, Detective, I hate Dream Sharing. It has ruined my life and all of those who I held dear."
This was Jenna's job. To give the witness a pat on the back and tell her or him that it was okay. That life would get better. Nick, on the other hand, would usually sit there and watch her comfort them. So Nick did all that he could, he reached out and patted her hand with his own for a split second. That was good enough. "So Mrs. Dupont. I have a few more questions for you if you don't mind. When did your son-in-law come home to your grandchildren?"
"Around the spring. He finished one last job, Miles said. I saw him when he arrived, and then I kissed the children and flew to San Francisco to live with a friend," Marie supplied. Nick just stared at the woman. If she believed her son-in-law to be such a horrible creature, how could she allow her grandchildren to stay with him? Naw, Nick would never understand women. "Of course they are in my custody now. Now that their father is on the run...again. The children appeared in my living room one evening sleeping in their sleeping bags. Little angels, they don't deserve any of this."
"Right," Nick was eager to change the subject, "Then you never heard the specifics of the Fischer job they pulled? Not who funded it, or what they planned to do?" Nick asked hoping that Miles had mentioned something. They really needed to find that old coot. His wife was helpful, but she was obviously not privy to the ideas of Cobb and his team. Nor did she know where the hell they were.
Marie shook her head. "No. Although I do know that it was not a normal robbery. Miles said that he was amazed that they pulled it off. Multiple layers and forgery. It was not simple, yet they thought it to be a success."
"Then you think that their job may have been to implant an idea into Robert Fischer's head? That he should bring a gun to the office, take out his entire staff, and then jump out of his office window on the 60th floor?" Nick asked leaning forward.
Marie simply met his eyes. "Yes. I believe that may have been the goal of their Inception. It seems like it has worked...hasn't it?"
"Thanks, Ms. Dupont. It's been a pleasure. Oh, and if you hear from your estranged husband, please be sure and give us a call."
Nick found Jenna at her desk, her fingers were currently buried deep within her dark hair. Being partners for the past few years, he knew that such a stance meant that Jenna was confused as hell. Nick had to admit that he didn't blame her. "So, you find anything about our wife killer?" He asked sitting on the corner of her desk.
Jenna didn't let her eyes leave her computer screen as she explained, "Yeah, I found it all right, but it was buried real deep, Nick. I don't understand how, but this was all hidden. I had to revert the system back to two years ago. And when I did, there it was as plain as my nose in front of me. Cobb was wanted for the murder of his wife. He fled the country right after it happened, but then somehow he waltzed back in recently. With the warrants out for his arrest he should have been caught at the airport...it just doesn't make any sort of sense. "
"No, it doesn't. Maybe when we catch him or one of his merry men we can ask. I'm not thinking Cobb got in the country by asking nicely," Nick snorted pulling out his cigarette pack which Jenna quickly snatched up and tossed into her garbage bin.
"I guess not..." Jenna sighed resting her fingers back into her hair.
"Hey! Shaughnessy, Alvarez!" Officer Pete Quinnlin, a fresh faced rookie, ran up to Jenna's desk. The kid looked like a puppy dog who just found his favorite bone buried under the sandbox. "You'll never guess who wants to talk to you."
"The President?" Jenna offered without enthusiasm.
"Dominick Cobb?" Nick grumbled.
Pete chuckled, "No, no. That would make life easier though, huh? Here you go." He placed a file down on Jenna's desk. "My first guy! My first perp. He wants to talk to you about the case. Says that he has a connection to Cobb."
"Lemme guess," Nick started, "He wants to see if we could cut down his jail time in exchange for information."
"Yep, that's his angle. Pretty cool though, huh? My first perp?"
Jenna paged through the guy's file getting herself acquainted with Phillip Nash. Nick didn't have to read the file. He got a play by play of Nash's entire life when Pete brought him in. Course, when Pete said that Nash was his first perp...it was a bit of a stretch. Pete didn't catch Nash. The Dream Robber showed up one day in the American Embassy in Japan begging to be arrested. All Pete did was drive him from the airport to the slammer. But hey, they let the kid have some fun.
"Says here that he did work for Cobb not too long ago," Jenna informed Nick. "Might be worth a shot."
"Okay, Pete. Bring 'em in."
Note: Next chapter, Nash answers some questions.
By the way, if you've read my other multi-chaptered fics and wondered why they kinda stopped I had a bit of a "I'm a horrible writer" phase brought on by a bad review. I know I shouldn't have let it get to me so badly, but it did so I'm kinda trying to work my way back up. I'll definitely get back to Iris and the Replacement soonish. I have a few other fics I'm working on too, but I'm doing so slowly and carefully. Thanks guys.