Holding out for a Hero: The Meeting
Norman tugged at a loosely taped bundle of wires, carefully sliding connectors loose from between the motorcycles frame work and block. He paused inspecting the other harness on the bike comparing what he had in his hand to what is still installed.
"Jesse, could you hand me that wiring schematic I need to make a couple more changes. "
Jesse eyed the stack of graph papers. "Ah Norman, exactly which one?"
Norman looked at the stack wearily. "Never mind, one of the terminals has just pulled loose. "
He pulled out his chair sitting down at the table where Jesse has been settled for the past five minutes.
Jesse lowers the newspaper he has been scanning, to eye Norman.
"Well go on, say it." Norman dares Jesse in a tired voice.
"What?" Jesse asks trying hard to keep the grin off his face.
Norman exhaled a sigh. "You know very well what." He waits a beat then continues. "That I was wrong, I've ended up pulling this sample harness back off and now I have to get this terminal out. "
Jesse rattled the paper as he folds it back down. "But you didn't take anything off did you. I mean if I need to go out, I still can right?"
Norman tossed a glare towards Jesse as he rose from the chair to pace with the harness in his hand. "It's fine. Like I said earlier this is just a sample I have been working on. You are rough on that bike and I am just trying to do some upgrades so when I do have to tear it down for repairs, which looks like it will be soon if you keep on the way you are. "
Jesse shrugs a shoulder, in a halfhearted attempt to deflect Normans comment. "Look Norman, the bad guys I would like to remind you keep shooting at me, not so much the other way around."
Norman grunted what could only be taken as an unintelligible reply as he stalks around his work station. He was looking for something to substitute the missing removal tool that the wiring connector kit should have come with, but hadn't.
"Hey, look Norman there is this cycle shop that's moved into town, about a month ago. They must do good work; they just landed the Metropolitan Departments motorcycle contract. So maybe we could swing by there see if they can help us out?"
"Us?" Norman ask as he watched Jesse pulling his key from the switch. "So what's her name?"
Jesse quirked a brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about buddy. "
"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here. Look at this place it's a Hell's Angels dream hang out. Kitts's who calls their bike shop Kitts's sounds like an anagram for something sinister. Probably get mugged before we get through the door."
Jesse shakes his head as he rounds the nose of his mustang. "I'm sure we'll be fine. They had a really ahm nice representative come by to do the entire sales pitch."
Again Norman shakes his head, as he tugs his brief case closer to his leg. "It's apparent it's a single girl so, what's her name."
Jesse ignores him as he heads on to the visitors door of Kitts's Cycle Shop.
"You don't know her, name do you?"
"Not yet."
"You're kidding me, you dragged me down here. So you can meet a girl that you don't even know her name? And fact is, she probably doesn't even work here. Most likely she was a temp, just to get the departments business. It certainly doesn't look like the sort of place they would need a recipient."
"May I help you gentlemen?" An older biker, inquires as he stands from doing low shelving work.
Norman's eyes go wide, his worst fear just realized as he sizes up the biker.
Jesse ever the policeman shifts into business mode. "Yes, we're looking for owner, saw in the paper you work on bikes as well as carry dealer only parts."
Norman lets his eyes slide toward Jesse. He had better know what he is doing. And when did he find an ad in the paper about this place. He thought he had met some girl that knew about this place at the department.
"Oh. You want the boss, down on the creeper, doing some welding in the back. Come on I will introduce you."
"Yo, sunshine." A meaty fist pounded on the light metal fender. "I say yo sunshine you have visitors. "
In response a heavy lugged sole boot kicked out at the biker's foot in acknowledgement.
The biker just chuckled and grabbed a handful of gun metal gray cover all, right above the booted foot to tug the mystery welder, creeper and torch all from under the frame.
Norman was relieved to see that whoever it was, they didn't look like a brute.
"Here let me give you a hand up." The biker offered. His hand dropped down to the welders gloved hand.
Standing now the welder handed the torch off, to the biker, along with the heavy leather gloves, the leather welder's shirt buttons was undone. Then the welder helmet came off, taking a ball hat that had been holding up a wildly name of brunette hair.
Whatever Norman had been expecting, Jesse must have been expecting the same thing. But who they saw surprised them both.
"I assume Nick there is a perfectly good reason you dragged me off this job. And while we're at it with the twenty questions, who are your friends."
"Jesse Mach. We met at the Metropolitan Police Department."
"Ah yes, Officer Mach, we picked you up about five minutes into the tour. I seem to recall your coworker really didn't want you there. He kept referring to you as retired from street duty."
"Jesse's just fine. Yeah, long story ah… Sorry I never caught your name."
"Kitty Walsh and your friend here."
"Norman Tuttle" Norman spoke up, as he cautiously eyed Jesse at the mention of the name Walsh.
"Walsh as in?" Jesse fished.
Kitty turned her full blue eyed gaze on to him. "As in Joe Walsh the rocker. It was some sort of inside joke with the doctor that delivered me. Actually my last name is supposed to be Washio. But he scribbled Walsh. So here I am stuck with it."
"So, Kitty." Norman took a step toward her hoping to break the building tension from Jesse. Oh yeah he was right anticipating there was going to be sparks but not the sort Jesse had hoped for earlier.
They were standing in the show room looking over some of the novel items the bike shop offered as well as some of other more biker serious items. Kitty was leaning against a counter a small straight pin in her hand. She was looking at the arness Norman had brought.
"See, I am doing some experiments with alarm systems and well ah." He paused. He hadn't thought it through how he was going to explain what he was doing with such an experimental harness.
Kitty glanced up at his pause. "Look as long as you are not my competitor, and you are NOT going to build some super car or whatever to run drugs. I don't wanta know. If it's experimental it's a secret, keep it to yourself. Geez that's like kissing and telling."
"Are you from the south, I caught just a hint of southern accent there. Didn't you hear it Jesse?" Norman ask, trying hard to change the subject.
"Yeah." Jesse replied his mood still very dark.
Kitty tried hard not to let the stiffening at the question be noticeable, so she threw all her interest into the harness and stray terminal still stuck in the connector. She shifted it to the right then to the left in an attempt to find better lighting.
"Yes, I am from the south. I try to keep the accent hidden. It seems when I slide into the southern tongue the rest of the world looks at me, as if I am speaking a foreign language. "
Jesse watched her, she had peeked his interest the first time he'd met her at the department. But he hadn't been able to talk to her then. Now he had a chance, he wasn't sure he wanted to anymore. The convenient explaining away of the last name bothered him. What sort of game was she trying to play? Who is she involved with and why? He shifted glancing about the shop, at the jingle of a bell.
Kitty jerked to attention now suddenly aware, that someone else was joining them. It was bad enough that Officer Mach was eyeing her with more than passing interest. She wasn't sure what triggered him. His gaze felt more like an evaluation, of her. As if she was guilty of hiding something or she was a sudden suspect to something.
"So, gentleman, as I was saying." She carefully laid the harness to the side. She was hoping Norman would pick it back up and put it away. I worried her; it was what he didn't say that scared her. "We can custom build frames from the ground up; we have our own paint booth, and well." She waved her hand towards the shelf. "As you can see we also do other custom works."
"Ah, Mach, I see you found your way to my girls, bike shop." Van Bruke slid his hand possessive around her waist pulling her closer. "She's good. Really good." He chuckled. Kitty dipped her head below his chin, in a submissive act.
"My fiancé is being overly kind about the work I am capable of doing on bikes. I handle the basics, wiring, diagramming, some touch up work."
"Ah, well yes, still my girls good." His emphasis on my girl was to make a point he possessed her.
Jesse forced a tight smile. "Yeah." He gave a nod, indicating to Norman they were almost ready to go. But he had one more question. "So you do rentals too?"
"Rentals, sales, servicing, paint jobs, and yes even wiring." Van replied.
"Well, okay, then, good to know." Jesse replied as he turned on his heel to leave.
Norman sat across the table from Jesse. "We forgot the harness, Jesse. That is a vital piece. I mean sure she doesn't know what it goes on. But well, I need to get it back."
Jesse kept his gaze down looking into the bottom of his protein shake. "Did you get the impression, there was something more going on there? "
Norman shrugged. "He was a little possessive maybe. What exactly did you mean?"
"It just doesn't feel right, you know what I mean. There is something more."
"Look Jesse leave things alone. I think he was protecting his interest. I mean she's a nice enough looking girl. Who knows maybe he's jealous of what she does. "
"Yeah, sure."
"Jesse is it really? I mean you went on guard the very minute she introduced herself."
Jesse shifted in his chair, sliding the glass around on the table top. There was something more there. But for the time being it was going to have to wait.
Sighing Jesse looked up at Norman. "There's something wrong there. She's - I don't know. She seems to have the personality that should come across as feisty; but when Van showed up she seemed so subdued. And the entire time we were there she was tense. And when people are tense I want to know what they are hiding and why."
Norman held his hands up in mock surrender as he got up moving away from the table, making a beeline to Street Hawk com controls. He didn't think he would be suggesting Jesse take the bike out, just to keep him off the Kitty Walsh topic. But here he was, willing to give it a shot.
"So are you going to suit up? The nights young and the bad guys are just beginning to come out." There was no reply. Norman waited a beat. Still no reply. Great he was already thinking to himself. Jesse is probably asleep. As he turned to say something again, Jesse rounded the weight room door already suited up.
Looking sheepish, Jesse began. "Thought we'd get an early start on the streets tonight, that is if you don't mind."
"Ah, yeah, yeah. That'd be great." Norman settled into his com chair at the controls. Slipping his headset on, his fingers begin the dance across the control boards prepping the bike to launch. In a matter of moments the heavy steel birth door, glided open.