Chapter 6: Fun at the Park and Strange encounters

"Finch, have you found out anything about Debbie's blog, anything at all?"

"Well, interestingly enough, I found out that she had posted a rather blurred picture of an individual running in the park. In and of itself, it wouldn't be significant, however, the day she indicated that she had taken the picture, the body of a prostitute was found in the general vicinity of where the picture was taken. I have Detective Carter checking into the details to see if they have a suspect. In the meantime, I believe it is safe to assume that this man running through the park is a legitimate suspect."

Flicking off his ear bud, John contemplated their next move. Without knowing the identity of the threat, it was difficult to determine whether or not their planned trip to the park this afternoon would be a good idea or not. Debbie had wanted to take "engagement pictures" for Zoe and John. The poor girl was still totally clueless that John and Zoe were here for any other reason than to find a wedding location and to visit Zoe's grandmother.


Will tried to keep a safe distance as he followed Little Miss Shutterbug. He dodged other pedestrians and tried not to look as if he was following her, but she sure as hell wasn't making it easy on him. She walked at a fast clip, and to keep up, there were times he had to sprint especially when the lights turned at the next corner and a stream of zipping cars abruptly cut him off from her. He watched fascinated as not one, not two, not three, but four large black Lincoln town cars came speeding through.

Jesus, what is it with this city and black Lincoln Town cars. Every other freakin' car was a black sedan with mirrored windows and zipping around like a bat out of hell.

Swearing, he prowled back and forth on the curb, not particularly caring that he was jostling people as he watched Debbie move farther and farther away.

"Damn it," he muttered as he geared up for another round of chicken with the damn Lincolns. Every time he even thought about stepping off the curb, the cars raced past with blaring horns.

Watching her disappear around the next corner, he swore again. He checked for the traffic, but this time, he caught a break. Ignoring the Don't Walk sign flashing, he stepped off the curb and darted across the street. All around him drivers blew their horns, but he only made a rude gesture and never bothered to look at them. He even heard someone call him a moron from one of those black Lincolns.

Nearly ten minutes later, he finally found his quarry. And it was time to plan her demise. Looking around, he spotted the perfect weapon.


As soon as she reached the park, Debbie started scouting for locations where she could take pictures of Zoe and John. She didn't buy their little act. There is no way those two only got engaged two days ago in a whirlwind romance they claimed. Although why they would try to hide the length of their relationship didn't make sense. Zoe and John were like halves of the same coin. There never seemed to be a need for words between them. All it seemed to take was a quirk of a brow or lip, a bowed head, or the blink of an eye. Debbie realized that theirs was a rock-solid relationship. There was genuine affection there, Debbie decided.

Zoe and John showed an outward facade that was both smooth and offhandedly standoffish. However, on closer contemplation, there was a warm familiarity between them, a throbbing vitality.

Debbie looked up and saw that the subjects of her thoughts had arrived. And of course Miss Ruby was with them. Zoe must have lectured John to within an inch of his life on the southern gentleman's responsibilities. She could see John helping Miss Ruby from the car and offering her his arm as they crossed the street to the park. Gentlemen always escorted the elderly ladies across the street, although she wouldn't admit to Miss Ruby's face that she considered her elderly. She might get a twisted ear or a good tongue lashing.

Zoe was wearing a killer red dress that hugged every hill and valley of her slender figure and probably cost more than the entire contents of her equipment bag. Her hair was flowing down her back swept softly away from her face. The hem of her dress ending at just above the knee emphasized the strength of her lean legs. The matching red stilettos making her appear much taller than she really was. Debbie sighed, one day she would love to look even half as elegant and regal as Zoe did.

On the street bordering the park, cars zoomed along less than a few feet from where she had set up. Caught up in the lighting and the arrival of her subjects, she hardly paid attention to the traffic. When a horn blared a few blocks away, she didn't even look up . . . until more horns blared, drivers showing their irritation. Startled, Debbie straightened and looked down the block, only to gasp in horror as a black Yaris with a silver racing stripe came barreling down the street, wildly changing lanes. Tires screeched as drivers slammed on their brakes, trying to avoid an accident, but the driver of the Yaris never slowed down. The speed barely fluctuated as it finally jumped the curb and raced through the park. All around her people screamed and began to run away from the speeding Yaris, and Debbie caught it all in a series of lightning-quick shots.

All of a sudden, Debbie caught a flash of red then felt a thud as she and whatever force was watching over her rolled head over tea kettle down the hill towards the pond. Luckily, her momentum stopped right before she hit the pond. The flash of red however, ended up in the pond.


Normally, when her gut told her to do something she did it, this however, was one of the rare times that she had wished she had ignored it. Drenched red dress clinging to her body like a second skin, she would have made a seductive sight, were it not for the presence of lily pads, leaves, and pond scum tangled through her once immaculate hair. Making as dignified an exit from the pond as possible under the circumstances, Zoe shooed John's helping hand away with a contemptuous glare as she slowly pushed soaking wet clumps of hair and lily pads off her face.

John tried but failed to stifle a teeth baring grin as he stood next to an unharmed and completely dry Debbie. The driver of the Yaris was already zip-tied and on the ground waiting for the police to show up.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, Miss Morgan . . . " Debbie started, but was interrupted by a raised hand palm facing out as Zoe walked by. "I can't believe this idiot tried to run me down with a car. Are you okay Miss Morgan?" Debbie continued to chatter as she was wringing her hands. Zoe just ignored her as she continued towards her grandmother so she could take the keys to the car to drive home, leaving John, Debbie and Grandmamma Ruby to talk to the police.

"Sucks scummy pond water doesn't it, Sugah?" Miss Ruby cackled from her perch up on the hill. Were it not for the fact that she was her beloved Grandmamma, Zoe would have easily decked her. Of course knowing Grandmamma Ruby, she would have decked her right back.

Zoe ran a hand down each arm and through her hair again and squeezed out as much water and pond scum as she could. As she walked past John, she placed a wet hand on his chest and shoved him aside, "Not one word . . . " and walked up the hill with as much dignity as she could in soaking wet stilettos that squished with each step.

"Keys," Zoe growled at her Grandmamma as she reached the top of the hill.

"Your better half has them Darlin'," Grandmamma answered sweet as pie, not bothering to hide her mirth.

Reaching her hand behind her without bothering to turn around, Zoe flicked her fingers in the universal sign for "give me the damn keys," and felt them immediately in her palm.

Ignoring the snickers coming from behind her, Zoe pulled her shoulders back and made her way back to their car, which was currently blocked in by two Lincoln town cars with quite an eclectic trio standing in front of them.

The thin balding man was fretting as he walked back and forth across the pavement, stuttering something about a data annex that had been broken into, and that for sure this was going to ruin his date with Edna, some lady with a double chin that worked in accounting. The tall and leggy brunette in a miniskirt with the telling bulge of a firearm under her suit coat standing next to him called him a moron and told him to shut up.

Shaking her head, Zoe stuck to her side of the street and tried to maintain a low profile, not wanting to attract the attention of some rather odd characters in this town. Leave it to Grandmamma to find the oddest place to live.

"Miss, are you alright?" a concerned and distinctly Flemish voice asked. Too late, Zoe had caught the attention of the odd triad by the cars.

Waving the concern off with a hand, she claimed, "Just part of a day's work."

The brunette's head whipped up and caught Zoe's gaze and startled her for a minute. The hard ice blue gaze stroked a familiar chord in Zoe. The brunette's eyes flicked to Zoe's soaked appearance, then down to her shoes - - and her eyebrows rose in appreciation and dismay. "Oh honey, been there, done that. Are those Louboutins?"

Glancing back at Zoe's shoes, she nodded, slightly in that silent kind of understanding that women had sometimes, she said, "Sister, you better find the guy responsible and make him pay," drawing out the "a" so that it sounded like "paaaaaaaay."


AN: Let me know - "KS - I have nothing to say to you. You're off your rocker."