Two
Sara pulled out her badge once she walked up to the receptionist's desk at Vorschlag.
"Hi. I'm detective Sara Pezzini. I need to speak with Ian Nottingham in regards to a recent murder. Do you happen to know where he might be?"
"Of course. He's down the hall, first door to your left."
"Thank you." Sara nodded to the receptionist.
"Oh! Detective!" Sara turned.
"Yeah?"
"Good luck in trying to talk to him though."
Sara turned and walked back to the receptionist. "Why is that?"
"Well, for starters, he's shut out all of us that work here, all he wants to do is stare into that damned fire..."
"Really?" Sara mused.
"Yeah. Secondly, he's turned off the intercom into the foyer room. And if he hasn't he's not answering..."
"Interesting...thank you, miss..."
"Evelyn...Evelyn O'Connor."
Sara shook the receptionist's hand. "Nice to meet you. Now. Is there anything you would like me to tell, Nottingham for you?"
*****
Ian was half asleep when the sliding doors were ripped open. He whirled and saw a very pissed off Sara Pezzini, hands on her hips, Witchblade in full- gauntlet form.
"Lady Sara..." Ian moved to stand, but found himself cut off when she crossed the distance between them with superhuman speed and held him down in the chair by the offending gauntlet.
"Cut the crap, Nottingham."
Ian nodded...or as much as possible considering the Witchblade was threatening to strangle him to death.
"I'm here, because of a murder. Know anyone that I may be talking about?"
"Would you be referring to the excommunicated Monsigneur James Sehon, perhaps?" Ian struggled for breath and Sara relaxed her grip on the Black Dragon's throat. The gauntlet retracted into bracelet form and she moved to sit on the edge of the chair next to Ian. "Please, Sara." Ian jumped up quickly and ushered Sara into the plush surface of the chair.
She took a seat and gazed at him inquiringly. "Excommunicated? What do you mean by that?"
Ian nodded. "The Monsigneur was excommunicated some, six years ago for the information he held about the Witchblade. He made the mistake of making mention of it in one of his sermons. The following day, he was excommunicated by the pope himself; charged with heresy."
"Harsh..."
"Not quite. He stated some facts, known only to the Wielder and her Guardian."
"Whoa...Guardian?"
Ian nodded. "The Guardian is one whom resurfaces each time a new, true, wielder is chosen."
Sara was silent for a moment. Ian could tell she was having a vision.
"Lady Sara?"
Sara shook her head as if to clear it, and gazed at Nottingham seriously. "So...Are *you* my Guardian?"
Ian's eyes dropped to the floor. "I...am not at liberty to say, Lady Sara."
Sara let out a disgusted sigh. "Great...Well, when you figure out what EXACTLY you can tell me about this thing...come find me. You'll know where I'll be, I'm sure."
Ian nodded. "If you wish, Lady Sara."
Sara turned to walk out the door, but stopped short. "Oh...Nottingham? Your receptionist has messages for you. She wants you to pick them up *today*." Sara spoke without turning around.
"And..." She trailed off not knowing whether to proceed would be a good idea.
"Lady Sara?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, there is one thing I can tell you...to help you with the inquiry of who your guardian is..." Sara whirled around.
"By all means..."
"Listen to the visions. Watch them carefully. The Guardian is a future lover, one who reappears over and over in those visions. He may not be your present lover, but you will know when you find him."
"A lover, huh?"
Ian nodded.
"All right...Anything else you can tell me about this victim?"
Ian moved to the table beside the brown leather chair that sat before the hearth and picked up a manilla folder.
"This - " Ian motioned to the folder as he handed it to Sara. " - is the Monsigneur's life's work. Read it carefully Sara. You shall see what I mean once you do..."
Sara nodded. "Thanks...Ian..."
There was an awkward silence before Sara turned and walked out the door. As she walked up to the receptionist's desk, she flashed a smile.
"Problem solved. He'll be down here in a few minutes."
"How can you be so sure?" Evelyn asked, amazed that she had gotten through to the former Black Dragon.
"Because...I know Nottingham...he'll be here, trust me." With that, she left Vorschlag Industries.
True to her word, Ian Nottingham was seen a short time after, walking down the hall at a fairly quick pace to retrieve his messages from the receptionist...
Sara pulled out her badge once she walked up to the receptionist's desk at Vorschlag.
"Hi. I'm detective Sara Pezzini. I need to speak with Ian Nottingham in regards to a recent murder. Do you happen to know where he might be?"
"Of course. He's down the hall, first door to your left."
"Thank you." Sara nodded to the receptionist.
"Oh! Detective!" Sara turned.
"Yeah?"
"Good luck in trying to talk to him though."
Sara turned and walked back to the receptionist. "Why is that?"
"Well, for starters, he's shut out all of us that work here, all he wants to do is stare into that damned fire..."
"Really?" Sara mused.
"Yeah. Secondly, he's turned off the intercom into the foyer room. And if he hasn't he's not answering..."
"Interesting...thank you, miss..."
"Evelyn...Evelyn O'Connor."
Sara shook the receptionist's hand. "Nice to meet you. Now. Is there anything you would like me to tell, Nottingham for you?"
*****
Ian was half asleep when the sliding doors were ripped open. He whirled and saw a very pissed off Sara Pezzini, hands on her hips, Witchblade in full- gauntlet form.
"Lady Sara..." Ian moved to stand, but found himself cut off when she crossed the distance between them with superhuman speed and held him down in the chair by the offending gauntlet.
"Cut the crap, Nottingham."
Ian nodded...or as much as possible considering the Witchblade was threatening to strangle him to death.
"I'm here, because of a murder. Know anyone that I may be talking about?"
"Would you be referring to the excommunicated Monsigneur James Sehon, perhaps?" Ian struggled for breath and Sara relaxed her grip on the Black Dragon's throat. The gauntlet retracted into bracelet form and she moved to sit on the edge of the chair next to Ian. "Please, Sara." Ian jumped up quickly and ushered Sara into the plush surface of the chair.
She took a seat and gazed at him inquiringly. "Excommunicated? What do you mean by that?"
Ian nodded. "The Monsigneur was excommunicated some, six years ago for the information he held about the Witchblade. He made the mistake of making mention of it in one of his sermons. The following day, he was excommunicated by the pope himself; charged with heresy."
"Harsh..."
"Not quite. He stated some facts, known only to the Wielder and her Guardian."
"Whoa...Guardian?"
Ian nodded. "The Guardian is one whom resurfaces each time a new, true, wielder is chosen."
Sara was silent for a moment. Ian could tell she was having a vision.
"Lady Sara?"
Sara shook her head as if to clear it, and gazed at Nottingham seriously. "So...Are *you* my Guardian?"
Ian's eyes dropped to the floor. "I...am not at liberty to say, Lady Sara."
Sara let out a disgusted sigh. "Great...Well, when you figure out what EXACTLY you can tell me about this thing...come find me. You'll know where I'll be, I'm sure."
Ian nodded. "If you wish, Lady Sara."
Sara turned to walk out the door, but stopped short. "Oh...Nottingham? Your receptionist has messages for you. She wants you to pick them up *today*." Sara spoke without turning around.
"And..." She trailed off not knowing whether to proceed would be a good idea.
"Lady Sara?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, there is one thing I can tell you...to help you with the inquiry of who your guardian is..." Sara whirled around.
"By all means..."
"Listen to the visions. Watch them carefully. The Guardian is a future lover, one who reappears over and over in those visions. He may not be your present lover, but you will know when you find him."
"A lover, huh?"
Ian nodded.
"All right...Anything else you can tell me about this victim?"
Ian moved to the table beside the brown leather chair that sat before the hearth and picked up a manilla folder.
"This - " Ian motioned to the folder as he handed it to Sara. " - is the Monsigneur's life's work. Read it carefully Sara. You shall see what I mean once you do..."
Sara nodded. "Thanks...Ian..."
There was an awkward silence before Sara turned and walked out the door. As she walked up to the receptionist's desk, she flashed a smile.
"Problem solved. He'll be down here in a few minutes."
"How can you be so sure?" Evelyn asked, amazed that she had gotten through to the former Black Dragon.
"Because...I know Nottingham...he'll be here, trust me." With that, she left Vorschlag Industries.
True to her word, Ian Nottingham was seen a short time after, walking down the hall at a fairly quick pace to retrieve his messages from the receptionist...