11:53am
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY'S
Lynn Sear was back in the break room of her work. She had just finished her coffee.
Her friend, Cathy, sat on the opposite end. She asked, "Lynn, are you all right today?"
Lynn looked up. "What?"
Cathy smiled. "Sorry. It's just that you seem to be deep in thought about something."
"Actually, I'm thinking about situations at home. A man claiming to be a police detective called me about my son. From Chinatown, of all places."
"Who did he say he was?"
"Peter Caine. He also said he had a father, some kind of mystical priest."
"Peter...the 'Shaolin Cop'?"
"Huh?"
"I saw him and his father on the news. Turns out they found a cure for a city-wide plague some time ago. But you should probably call his work. You never know, it could be an imposter."
"Sure...you know what? I think I will. I've put it off long enough. And just sitting here *thinking* about it won't do me any good." She walked over to the pay-phone. She picked up the receiver and dialed a number. "Yes, information? I need the city of Chinatown. 101st Precinct, Metro Police. Yes, Thank you. Sure, you can connect me." She waited a few minutes.
Then a voice on the other end said, "Yes, this is Sgt. Broderick. Do you need help?"
Lynn thought about who to talk to. Simms was the captain. Lynn didn't want to disturb him or her if they were in a meeting. She would rather talk to the detective. "Uh, yes. Is Detective Griffin in? I need to talk to him, it's urgent."
"Kermit Griffin?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Hold on, I'll patch you through."
************
11:56am
CHINATOWN
101st PRECINCT
Kermit was sitting in his office, looking for data on his computer. Then his phone rang. He picked it up. "Yo, this is Kermit. Who am I talking to?"
A woman answered, "Kermit Griffin?"
Kermit smiled to himself. "Uh yeah, that would be me."
"I'm calling about one of your detectives, Caine?"
"You mean Peter?"
"Yes. You know him?"
"Yes, what's your question? If it's what I think, I'm sorry. He's already seeing someone."
Lynn laughed. "No, it's not *that*. A man called me this morning claiming to be Peter. He said he was coming to Philadelphia to talk to me and my son. And that his father is coming with him."
"Oh. Well, that WAS Peter. He just left for Pennsylvania a couple hours ago."
"Oh, thank you. I was just a little worried, that's all."
"That's understandable. You never know who to trust these days. Trust me, *I* know. By the way, I didn't catch your name?"
"Oh. Sorry, I forgot. It's Lynn Sear."
Kermit sat up. That name rang a bell. "Huh? Did you say your name is 'Sear'?"
"Yes, I did."
"Hmm..."
"What is it?"
"This might be a weird question, but...would you be related in any way to Kenneth Sear?"
Lynn's tone became stronger. "Yes. He's my ex-husband. Ken left me and my son in the middle of the night, just didn't bother to take his belongings with him. Where do you know him from?"
"I used to work with him about seven years ago. You could call it 'field work'. Do you know where he lives?"
"Yes, he moved in with his new girlfriend, Trudy. The lady he ran off with. She works at a toll-booth in Pittsburgh."
"Ahhh..Trudy Sanders?"
"Yes. Why?"
Kermit dismissed it. "Nothing. Where do they live?"
"Pittsburgh."
"That's all very interesting."
"Why are you asking so many questions about him?"
"Oh, no reason. It's just that I haven't heard about him in a while. I just wanted to catch up on current events."
"Oh, ok. I can understand that. I just wanted to find out if Peter Caine really called me or not. Well, goodbye. Thanks for your help, detective."
"Sure, no problem. Bye." He hung up. He switched off his monitor and got up. He opened his drawer. There was a big handgun ("Elephant Gun', as he called it) inside. He took it out, put it in his coat, and closed the drawer.
As he left the room, Captain Simms stopped him. "Who was that on the phone?"
Kermit shrugged. "Oh, just a concerned parent. Can't be too careful these days."
"Where are you going?"
"Pittsburgh. Seems like that's been a real hot spot for action lately. And with Jack Wong, Xia, and Peter going to Pennsylvania, it's going to be a lot hotter. Peter and his father may need backup. But I'm going to meet with an old friend there, on the way...it's Ken, the woman's ex."
Simms crossed her arms. "And this friend...you and he have a.. history?"
Kermit put his green glasses on and smiled. "Oh, yeah."
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY'S
Lynn Sear was back in the break room of her work. She had just finished her coffee.
Her friend, Cathy, sat on the opposite end. She asked, "Lynn, are you all right today?"
Lynn looked up. "What?"
Cathy smiled. "Sorry. It's just that you seem to be deep in thought about something."
"Actually, I'm thinking about situations at home. A man claiming to be a police detective called me about my son. From Chinatown, of all places."
"Who did he say he was?"
"Peter Caine. He also said he had a father, some kind of mystical priest."
"Peter...the 'Shaolin Cop'?"
"Huh?"
"I saw him and his father on the news. Turns out they found a cure for a city-wide plague some time ago. But you should probably call his work. You never know, it could be an imposter."
"Sure...you know what? I think I will. I've put it off long enough. And just sitting here *thinking* about it won't do me any good." She walked over to the pay-phone. She picked up the receiver and dialed a number. "Yes, information? I need the city of Chinatown. 101st Precinct, Metro Police. Yes, Thank you. Sure, you can connect me." She waited a few minutes.
Then a voice on the other end said, "Yes, this is Sgt. Broderick. Do you need help?"
Lynn thought about who to talk to. Simms was the captain. Lynn didn't want to disturb him or her if they were in a meeting. She would rather talk to the detective. "Uh, yes. Is Detective Griffin in? I need to talk to him, it's urgent."
"Kermit Griffin?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Hold on, I'll patch you through."
************
11:56am
CHINATOWN
101st PRECINCT
Kermit was sitting in his office, looking for data on his computer. Then his phone rang. He picked it up. "Yo, this is Kermit. Who am I talking to?"
A woman answered, "Kermit Griffin?"
Kermit smiled to himself. "Uh yeah, that would be me."
"I'm calling about one of your detectives, Caine?"
"You mean Peter?"
"Yes. You know him?"
"Yes, what's your question? If it's what I think, I'm sorry. He's already seeing someone."
Lynn laughed. "No, it's not *that*. A man called me this morning claiming to be Peter. He said he was coming to Philadelphia to talk to me and my son. And that his father is coming with him."
"Oh. Well, that WAS Peter. He just left for Pennsylvania a couple hours ago."
"Oh, thank you. I was just a little worried, that's all."
"That's understandable. You never know who to trust these days. Trust me, *I* know. By the way, I didn't catch your name?"
"Oh. Sorry, I forgot. It's Lynn Sear."
Kermit sat up. That name rang a bell. "Huh? Did you say your name is 'Sear'?"
"Yes, I did."
"Hmm..."
"What is it?"
"This might be a weird question, but...would you be related in any way to Kenneth Sear?"
Lynn's tone became stronger. "Yes. He's my ex-husband. Ken left me and my son in the middle of the night, just didn't bother to take his belongings with him. Where do you know him from?"
"I used to work with him about seven years ago. You could call it 'field work'. Do you know where he lives?"
"Yes, he moved in with his new girlfriend, Trudy. The lady he ran off with. She works at a toll-booth in Pittsburgh."
"Ahhh..Trudy Sanders?"
"Yes. Why?"
Kermit dismissed it. "Nothing. Where do they live?"
"Pittsburgh."
"That's all very interesting."
"Why are you asking so many questions about him?"
"Oh, no reason. It's just that I haven't heard about him in a while. I just wanted to catch up on current events."
"Oh, ok. I can understand that. I just wanted to find out if Peter Caine really called me or not. Well, goodbye. Thanks for your help, detective."
"Sure, no problem. Bye." He hung up. He switched off his monitor and got up. He opened his drawer. There was a big handgun ("Elephant Gun', as he called it) inside. He took it out, put it in his coat, and closed the drawer.
As he left the room, Captain Simms stopped him. "Who was that on the phone?"
Kermit shrugged. "Oh, just a concerned parent. Can't be too careful these days."
"Where are you going?"
"Pittsburgh. Seems like that's been a real hot spot for action lately. And with Jack Wong, Xia, and Peter going to Pennsylvania, it's going to be a lot hotter. Peter and his father may need backup. But I'm going to meet with an old friend there, on the way...it's Ken, the woman's ex."
Simms crossed her arms. "And this friend...you and he have a.. history?"
Kermit put his green glasses on and smiled. "Oh, yeah."