20 – Mirage
Gabriel stood in front of Dante's office, wondering if this was someone's idea of a joke. When his search for information on Jake had failed, he decided to do things the old fashioned way. Which was getting up from in front of his computer and finding things out for himself. He had come to the precinct under the guise of looking for an old friend from his hometown, namely detective Jake McCarty, since there had been announcement of his death Gabriel assumed that such a ruse just might work. When he had asked some woman in a lab coat if Detective McCarty worked here, he was greeted with a cold almost frightened stare and told that she didn't know, when he'd asked for Detective Pezzini's partner she directed him to Dante's Office. At last the door opened and an old man in brown jacket left, since he didn't close the door behind him, Gabriel assumed it wouldn't hurt for him to go in.
"May I help you?" Captain Dante's voice was filled with an annoyed arrogance. Exactly what he'd expected from a man Sarah loathed so much. Dante didn't even bother looking up at who he was addressing, something that peeved Gabriel immensely. Reminding himself that he was here for a purpose however he curbed his annoyance and replied as politely as he could manage.
"Yes sir, My name's Gabriel Bowman I was looking for Detective Pezzini or her partner, but I was told to come here instead." Immediately Dante's entire manor changed, looking up he studied Gabriel carefully, making him feel like a fish in a specimen jar. Gabe couldn't tell if Dante was assessing his importance or his purpose, unwilling to reveal either one, he grinned in a goofy way. Hiding behind the appearance of an ignorant little boy. "The three of us were supposed to go to the Met's game today but they both stood me up."
"Oh… then you must not have heard." Getting up Dante closed the door, just as Gabe managed to paste a perplexed look on his face. "Please Mr. Bowman… you may want to take a seat." Quickly Gabe did just that, still keeping his eyes fixed on Dante. "Detective Pezzini is currently on vacation… two days ago she attended a funeral, afterwards she was too… affected to return to work." When Gabe's expression didn't change Dante realized he'd have to spell things out. "It was her partner's funeral."
"What!?" Gabe managed to mix just the right amount of shock and pain in his expression to convince Dante that he truly had no idea of what had transpired. "That's impossible. Jake can't be dead. There's no way that's possible." When Dante's brows furrowed, Gabe was afraid that he had overdone it with his last outburst, but Dante's next comment took him completely by surprise.
"Mr. Bowman… I think you've made a mistake… Detective Pezzini's Partner was Danny Woo."
***
When Sarah awoke she was haunted by vague images still retained from sleep. Of the entire dream she remembered only Irons looming figure, and somebody's grave, a marble headstone over frozen ground, and a little girl with roses. It was all so vague, and all so real. As if it were some long buried memory. Over a chair Colleen had a laid an indigo blue summer dress as a fire burned cheerfully in the fireplace. The dress was something that Sarah loathed to wear but did anyway. Luka needed her help, and today she intended to help him.
Walking down t breakfast she found that the round glass table in the dining room was set with breakfast for three. Ian and Irons were sitting each in their respective places, but neither had begun to eat. "Good Morning." Irons greeted Sarah cheerfully and she smiled halfheartedly in return. "I'm glad you could join us this morning." Rising he pulled Sarah's chair out for her and then returned to his own seat, Sarah noted with some surprise that he was almost walking normally again. For a few moments they ate in silence, until Irons broached the subject of last nights gala. As Sarah related what happened, she saw Ian clench in jaw, but dismissed it as her imagination. When she was done, Irons stated that she had done well and that she had nothing more to concern herself with tomorrow. Satisfied, Sarah finally broached the subject she had waiting to talk about.
"Kenneth," again Irons seemed startled by her use of his first name. "Is it possible to erase all public records about a person? From everywhere, the Internet, news, databases. Make it as if that person never existed." If surprised by her use of his name, he was more surprised by this. However Sarah seemed slightly nervous asking this, that didn't seem natural for her, and yet the question was asked completely in earnest and since that was so, he decided to answer her in truth.
"No. You can erase records, you tap into databases, but you cannot erase a person from existence. Even death can not do that." He smiled almost maliciously, and Sarah wondered if he'd ever attempted what he called the impossible. She suddenly found dining with him repulsive, and quickly excused herself, leaving the house behind as quickly as she could.
***
A man lowered himself into the penthouse apartment of a hotel. Looking around he found that he was in the sitting room. Moving towards an impression of Monet he immediately removed the painting revealing a wall safe. In minutes he had it open. Quickly he sifted through the few things. Opening a red velvet envelope he looked at the contents then closed it almost immediately. It wasn't what he had been sent to find, but it would do. With stealth he returned the room to its previous state, then soundlessly he left. Unobserved to him, someone watched through a keyhole, and that someone, was pleased. It had begun… now it had truly begun.
