LIKE FIRE AND ICE - chapter 3:
Spike was back in his office sitting in his chair and thinking up the plan. First he needed to contact Val. She would help him with the 'missing father' case. And maybe while she was at it, he could have her look into this "Angel" guy. He nodded absently and grabbed a cookie from the tray Harm brought him before, bit into it and dialed the familiar number. It rang several times before someone answered it.
"Los Angeles Police Department, how can I help you?"
"Yes. I need to speak to Captain Valerie Whirlington from the Homicide, please. This is William Whirlington." Spike answered to the operator.
"One moment please." The voice on the other end spoke.
He heard the line click then "This is Whirlington." The female voice said.
"Hey sis. Miss me?" Spike started.
"Like a rain in London." Valerie answered sarcastically. "How's my favorite older brother doing?"
"Hungry." He supplied shortly sinking his teeth into another cookie. He heard a sweet laugh on the other side of the phone. "You?" he prompted with his mouth full.
She sighed. "Two more murders today. I hate this town. Sometimes I wonder why I let you drag me here," she laughed to him.
Spike laughed back to her. "Ah, you know you bloody well like it. Otherwise, you would have left long ago. We all now how stubborn you are."
"Gee, and I wonder where I learned that? Must have chosen a bad person to look up to," she said, teasing him slightly. "Now, seriously. What do you need this time, Spike."
"Oh, come on sis. Can't an older brother call his beloved sister from time to time and ask about her well being?" he asked in a false shock.
"Right," Val answered skeptically. "The only time you call me, Spike, is either when you need me to snoop around in the police case files, or when you're hungry and you want to invite yourself in for a free dinner. So, which one is it this time, brother?"
Spike felt so sheepish at this moment. His little sis was too damn smart for him. She figured him out within two minutes. He sighed loudly and cursed under his breath.
"Bloody Hell... Oh, alright. Listen, I need a favor from you pet." He ran a hand through his thick platinum hair as he spoke to her.
"Anything, you name it," she said to him. Spike knew he could count on her for anything.
"I have this case I'm working on and I need some of your resources for some information." She continued to listen. "I need to find a missing person...well, I think he's missing."
"What do you mean by that?" she questioned him. "You're either missing, or your not. Make up your bloody mind!" Val sighed. Yep. Definitely the wrong person to look up to.
"This woman came into my office yesterday and said that her father was missing and she wanted our help finding him. But then she also says she thinks someone is following her - and guess who she thinks it is?" Spike paused dramatically.
"Who?"
Spike held his breath for a few seconds and blurted out, "Her father!"
Val couldn't help but laugh. "What? Are you serious? How can someone be missing and follow her around at the same time? Bloody weird woman. She a loony or something?" she asked.
"Hah! I thought the same thing. Anyway his name is Hank Summers. See what you can find about him, what kinds of enemies he had...you know the drill. Oh and ah, while you're at it, see what you can find out about the name Angel Nelson too." He wanted to see what was up with him.
Val was writing just as fast as her brother could talk.
"Summers... Nelson... Angel? What kind of a poofter name is that?" she exclaimed to the phone.
Spike laughed out loud. God, they were so alike.
"Thanks sis. You're a doll. I'll get back to you later and see what you've found. Before I forget, Pops and I are having dinner tonight at my place, why don't you stop by?"
"Oh, I am so there. Oh wait, on second thought....you cooking?" She giggled at him.
"Ha, bloody, ha. Very funny, am I never gonna live that down?" Spike put his face into his hand.
"Well it's not everyday you almost burn down the house trying to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Hey, you know I love ya. See you then."
And with that she hung up the phone.
****
Valerie looked on her notes once again. Hank Summers... the name sounded familiar to her... And Angel Nelson? Must be a real pootfer, she thought shaking her head and giggling to herself as she made her way down to the Archive Room in the basement of the building.
She didn't notice the tall dark man peeking from behind the wall, observing her curiously.
****
"Hey Charlie, how's the family?" Valerie asked the man at the Archive desk. "Has your daughter had the baby yet?"
The man looked at her handing her the form to sign. "Any day now," he answered, a huge grin spreading on his chubby face. " I can't wait. I'm going to be a grandpa! I've never been grandpa before."
She wrote down her name and the case file number she was looking for and gave it back to him.
"You not ready for marriage yet? Cause my nephew - who is VERY handsome." He made sure to put an accent on the word 'very' widening his eyes a bit, "...would love to meet you." He already knew the answer, but he loved teasing her about it anyway.
She knew what Charlie's idea of 'handsome' was. She still remembered the one time she let him set her up with one of his 'handsome nephews'. She only agreed because he was literally following her around, practically begging her to go. She finally said yes and was cursing herself and her 'bloody poofy heart' all the way to the restaurant.... then during the whole 'appendix removal' story... and then the 'fascinating' conversation about 'this year's changes in the tax law'.
Val shook her head forcing the horrifying images out of her head and grinned back at him with the same trademark raised eyebrow as Spike.
"Not me buddy, I love my freedom to much."
Charlie shrugged and stood up from behind his desk, turning to open the door to the Archive Room. He was a short, plump man with a balding head and brown eyes. He was about 55 years old and one of the nicest men Val ever had a chance to meet. He opened the door to the huge room filled with 50 years worth of case files and motioned for her to go in, and locking it behind her as the procedure required.
****
Charlie was sitting behind his desk, looking through the papers when a loud cough followed by 'Ahem' sounded, startling him and causing him to drop the files. He quickly looked up to find a tall dark haired man in his late twenties and sighed in relief.
"Xand, man. You scared the shit out of me!" He shook his head. "Don't you EVER sneak up on an older man like that."
Lieutenant Alexander Harris grinned at him and bent over to retrieve the files Charlie dropped. Putting them back on the man's desk, he smiled warmly.
"What's up Charlie?"
"Looks like I'm the popular one today." The man sighed and sat down at his desk again. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
"Yeah... uhmm... I need a scoop into some files... the case I'm currently working on seems awfully familiar and I need to check something out. I don't really remember the case name..." Xander scratched his head trying to remember the name. "Something like Broderick..? Brokenstick..? Don't really remember. It was a 1994 murder case."
"Sure. Let me check the computer files, see what I will come up with and narrow it down for you," Charlie said and turned his chair to the computer.
Xander waited until the man turned then leaned over quickly and scanned the entry form, keeping a careful eye on the man's back. Once he found Valerie's name he grinned to himself, then frowned slightly.
Charlie turned back with a printed list of about 30 different names and handed it to Xander, who was looking around, bored.
"There you go, Xand. Sorry, but that's the best I could do."
He handed him the sheet and Xander groaned before thanking him and heading back to his office.
****
"Nothing. There is nothing in his files. It's just too clean I tell ya."
Val was on the phone with Spike, filling him on the Nelson/Summers case. "Either he's a goody-goody two shoes, who never got a speeding ticket in his life... or he has someone here cleaning up his messes."
Spike sighed loudly into the receiver.
"Yeah, that does sound strange. I think I'll just pay this Angel a visit tomorrow, and see if I can get anything off him," he told his sister.
"I think that's a good idea, big brother. You go do what you do best, annoy the hell out of people." She couldn't help but snicker when he gasped for air.
"Why sis, what ever are you talking about!" He snickered too. "What about her father, what did you find on him?"
"Hank Summers...nothing really, just the usual stuff you would find. Tickets, court appearances. And the man was loaded. He had money coming out his ass."
Spike chuckled a little, "That would explain her snotty attitude," he told her.
"That bad, huh?" she questioned him.
Spike sat back in his chair and rubbed his hand across his chest.
"You have no idea."
"Alright Spike, if that's all, I've got work to do other than yours." She started laughing even though she knew he was the hardest working man she knew.
"Ok, so I'll see you tonight then, bye. Oh. You mind bringing a bottle of wine with you? I've kind of run out." He bit his lower lip waiting for her to start her ranting.
"Sure... why not... I always do anyway..." She sighed. "See you at dinner, brother."
****
Xander paced back and forth between the walls of his office trying to decide his next move. Things were starting to get a bit complicated and he needed to quiet it down again. He cursed under his breath as he picked up the phone and dialed a number. He waited a moment before a voice on the other side answered then, carefully looking around one more time, he sighed.
"Yeah. We might have a bit of a problem..."
tbc...
please feedback! Makes us all gooey inside!
Silver & Boogee
Spike was back in his office sitting in his chair and thinking up the plan. First he needed to contact Val. She would help him with the 'missing father' case. And maybe while she was at it, he could have her look into this "Angel" guy. He nodded absently and grabbed a cookie from the tray Harm brought him before, bit into it and dialed the familiar number. It rang several times before someone answered it.
"Los Angeles Police Department, how can I help you?"
"Yes. I need to speak to Captain Valerie Whirlington from the Homicide, please. This is William Whirlington." Spike answered to the operator.
"One moment please." The voice on the other end spoke.
He heard the line click then "This is Whirlington." The female voice said.
"Hey sis. Miss me?" Spike started.
"Like a rain in London." Valerie answered sarcastically. "How's my favorite older brother doing?"
"Hungry." He supplied shortly sinking his teeth into another cookie. He heard a sweet laugh on the other side of the phone. "You?" he prompted with his mouth full.
She sighed. "Two more murders today. I hate this town. Sometimes I wonder why I let you drag me here," she laughed to him.
Spike laughed back to her. "Ah, you know you bloody well like it. Otherwise, you would have left long ago. We all now how stubborn you are."
"Gee, and I wonder where I learned that? Must have chosen a bad person to look up to," she said, teasing him slightly. "Now, seriously. What do you need this time, Spike."
"Oh, come on sis. Can't an older brother call his beloved sister from time to time and ask about her well being?" he asked in a false shock.
"Right," Val answered skeptically. "The only time you call me, Spike, is either when you need me to snoop around in the police case files, or when you're hungry and you want to invite yourself in for a free dinner. So, which one is it this time, brother?"
Spike felt so sheepish at this moment. His little sis was too damn smart for him. She figured him out within two minutes. He sighed loudly and cursed under his breath.
"Bloody Hell... Oh, alright. Listen, I need a favor from you pet." He ran a hand through his thick platinum hair as he spoke to her.
"Anything, you name it," she said to him. Spike knew he could count on her for anything.
"I have this case I'm working on and I need some of your resources for some information." She continued to listen. "I need to find a missing person...well, I think he's missing."
"What do you mean by that?" she questioned him. "You're either missing, or your not. Make up your bloody mind!" Val sighed. Yep. Definitely the wrong person to look up to.
"This woman came into my office yesterday and said that her father was missing and she wanted our help finding him. But then she also says she thinks someone is following her - and guess who she thinks it is?" Spike paused dramatically.
"Who?"
Spike held his breath for a few seconds and blurted out, "Her father!"
Val couldn't help but laugh. "What? Are you serious? How can someone be missing and follow her around at the same time? Bloody weird woman. She a loony or something?" she asked.
"Hah! I thought the same thing. Anyway his name is Hank Summers. See what you can find about him, what kinds of enemies he had...you know the drill. Oh and ah, while you're at it, see what you can find out about the name Angel Nelson too." He wanted to see what was up with him.
Val was writing just as fast as her brother could talk.
"Summers... Nelson... Angel? What kind of a poofter name is that?" she exclaimed to the phone.
Spike laughed out loud. God, they were so alike.
"Thanks sis. You're a doll. I'll get back to you later and see what you've found. Before I forget, Pops and I are having dinner tonight at my place, why don't you stop by?"
"Oh, I am so there. Oh wait, on second thought....you cooking?" She giggled at him.
"Ha, bloody, ha. Very funny, am I never gonna live that down?" Spike put his face into his hand.
"Well it's not everyday you almost burn down the house trying to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Hey, you know I love ya. See you then."
And with that she hung up the phone.
****
Valerie looked on her notes once again. Hank Summers... the name sounded familiar to her... And Angel Nelson? Must be a real pootfer, she thought shaking her head and giggling to herself as she made her way down to the Archive Room in the basement of the building.
She didn't notice the tall dark man peeking from behind the wall, observing her curiously.
****
"Hey Charlie, how's the family?" Valerie asked the man at the Archive desk. "Has your daughter had the baby yet?"
The man looked at her handing her the form to sign. "Any day now," he answered, a huge grin spreading on his chubby face. " I can't wait. I'm going to be a grandpa! I've never been grandpa before."
She wrote down her name and the case file number she was looking for and gave it back to him.
"You not ready for marriage yet? Cause my nephew - who is VERY handsome." He made sure to put an accent on the word 'very' widening his eyes a bit, "...would love to meet you." He already knew the answer, but he loved teasing her about it anyway.
She knew what Charlie's idea of 'handsome' was. She still remembered the one time she let him set her up with one of his 'handsome nephews'. She only agreed because he was literally following her around, practically begging her to go. She finally said yes and was cursing herself and her 'bloody poofy heart' all the way to the restaurant.... then during the whole 'appendix removal' story... and then the 'fascinating' conversation about 'this year's changes in the tax law'.
Val shook her head forcing the horrifying images out of her head and grinned back at him with the same trademark raised eyebrow as Spike.
"Not me buddy, I love my freedom to much."
Charlie shrugged and stood up from behind his desk, turning to open the door to the Archive Room. He was a short, plump man with a balding head and brown eyes. He was about 55 years old and one of the nicest men Val ever had a chance to meet. He opened the door to the huge room filled with 50 years worth of case files and motioned for her to go in, and locking it behind her as the procedure required.
****
Charlie was sitting behind his desk, looking through the papers when a loud cough followed by 'Ahem' sounded, startling him and causing him to drop the files. He quickly looked up to find a tall dark haired man in his late twenties and sighed in relief.
"Xand, man. You scared the shit out of me!" He shook his head. "Don't you EVER sneak up on an older man like that."
Lieutenant Alexander Harris grinned at him and bent over to retrieve the files Charlie dropped. Putting them back on the man's desk, he smiled warmly.
"What's up Charlie?"
"Looks like I'm the popular one today." The man sighed and sat down at his desk again. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
"Yeah... uhmm... I need a scoop into some files... the case I'm currently working on seems awfully familiar and I need to check something out. I don't really remember the case name..." Xander scratched his head trying to remember the name. "Something like Broderick..? Brokenstick..? Don't really remember. It was a 1994 murder case."
"Sure. Let me check the computer files, see what I will come up with and narrow it down for you," Charlie said and turned his chair to the computer.
Xander waited until the man turned then leaned over quickly and scanned the entry form, keeping a careful eye on the man's back. Once he found Valerie's name he grinned to himself, then frowned slightly.
Charlie turned back with a printed list of about 30 different names and handed it to Xander, who was looking around, bored.
"There you go, Xand. Sorry, but that's the best I could do."
He handed him the sheet and Xander groaned before thanking him and heading back to his office.
****
"Nothing. There is nothing in his files. It's just too clean I tell ya."
Val was on the phone with Spike, filling him on the Nelson/Summers case. "Either he's a goody-goody two shoes, who never got a speeding ticket in his life... or he has someone here cleaning up his messes."
Spike sighed loudly into the receiver.
"Yeah, that does sound strange. I think I'll just pay this Angel a visit tomorrow, and see if I can get anything off him," he told his sister.
"I think that's a good idea, big brother. You go do what you do best, annoy the hell out of people." She couldn't help but snicker when he gasped for air.
"Why sis, what ever are you talking about!" He snickered too. "What about her father, what did you find on him?"
"Hank Summers...nothing really, just the usual stuff you would find. Tickets, court appearances. And the man was loaded. He had money coming out his ass."
Spike chuckled a little, "That would explain her snotty attitude," he told her.
"That bad, huh?" she questioned him.
Spike sat back in his chair and rubbed his hand across his chest.
"You have no idea."
"Alright Spike, if that's all, I've got work to do other than yours." She started laughing even though she knew he was the hardest working man she knew.
"Ok, so I'll see you tonight then, bye. Oh. You mind bringing a bottle of wine with you? I've kind of run out." He bit his lower lip waiting for her to start her ranting.
"Sure... why not... I always do anyway..." She sighed. "See you at dinner, brother."
****
Xander paced back and forth between the walls of his office trying to decide his next move. Things were starting to get a bit complicated and he needed to quiet it down again. He cursed under his breath as he picked up the phone and dialed a number. He waited a moment before a voice on the other side answered then, carefully looking around one more time, he sighed.
"Yeah. We might have a bit of a problem..."
tbc...
please feedback! Makes us all gooey inside!
Silver & Boogee