FOUR
The police station was busy as usual. Darryl was busy with
paperwork when Phoebe arrived. Since Andy's death, he had not been
assigned a new partner. In some ways, it was better that way for him.
"Hey, Phoebe," said Darryl, "what brings you down here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by and say hi," said Phoebe. "I was also
hoping you could help me. I saw a report on the news yesterday about
a warehouse that burned. A woman was rescued from it. She looks like
someone I used to know. I hadn't heard anything about her condition
and I was hoping you might be able to tell me how she's doing."
"I wish I knew," said Darryl. "She was sent to the hospital to
make sure she was okay. Somewhere along the way she disappeared.
Just jumped out of the ambulance when it got bogged down in traffic
for a minute. And you should really be more careful about who you
associate with."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"The arson squad says the fire at the warehouse was deliberate,"
said Darryl. "Your friend is our prime suspect. Her and some guy
dressed all in black. Witnesses saw them both enter the warehouse
just minutes before the fire broke out."
"Do you know her name?" asked Phoebe.
"She gave it as Gretchen Halford," said Darryl. "It's probably
a fake, just like the address she gave us."
"Well, it's probably not my friend," said Phoebe. "And I doubt
she'd have anything to do with setting a fire, anyway."
"What's your friends' name?" asked Darryl. "I may need to talk
with her."
"Oh, I doubt it was her," said Phoebe. "She lives in New York
City. I just thought it was strange she came all the way out here and
hadn't stopped by to see me, that's all. I'm sure she's still in New
York. It was probably someone who just looked like her."
"Okay," said Darryl. "But you let me know if you find out she's
out here. If she is out here, no matter what you think, I have to
check her out."
"I will," said Phoebe.
Driving back to the manor, Phoebe thought about what she had
learned. The name was probably a fake, just as Darryl had said. But
at least they now knew it HAD been a setup. It wasn't much, but they
had something to go on. When she got home, she told Leo and Piper
what she had learned from Darryl.
"Well, it's not much, but it's a start," said Piper. "All we
have to do is track down this Gretchen Halford."
"Track down one woman who probably gave a fake name in all of
San Francisco?" questioned Leo. Talk about a needle in a haystack."
"Maybe now," said Phoebe thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"Prue's still alive," said Phoebe.
"How does that help us?" asked Piper.
"I don't follow you," said Leo.
"Well," said Phoebe, "Piper mentioned that whoever they are,
they'd be destroying the Charmed Ones without ever attacking. But why
string it out? Why not just destroy Prues' body and get it over with?
For that matter, why take her body at all? Why not just destroy it
while it was unprotected in the car? Why go through all this hassle
if all they want is to destroy us?"
"That's a good point," said Leo. "There must be a reason for
all this. Other than your destruction."
"They want something," said Piper. "Something we have that they
can't get to."
"But what?" asked Phoebe. "Our powers? The Book of Shadows?
Something else we may not even know we have?"
"I'll take 'What is the Book of Shadows for a thousand, Alex'."
Everyone turned to see who had spoken. Standing in the entryway
was a young man, about thirty years old, dressed completely in black.
"Warlock," gasped Piper.
The police station was busy as usual. Darryl was busy with
paperwork when Phoebe arrived. Since Andy's death, he had not been
assigned a new partner. In some ways, it was better that way for him.
"Hey, Phoebe," said Darryl, "what brings you down here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by and say hi," said Phoebe. "I was also
hoping you could help me. I saw a report on the news yesterday about
a warehouse that burned. A woman was rescued from it. She looks like
someone I used to know. I hadn't heard anything about her condition
and I was hoping you might be able to tell me how she's doing."
"I wish I knew," said Darryl. "She was sent to the hospital to
make sure she was okay. Somewhere along the way she disappeared.
Just jumped out of the ambulance when it got bogged down in traffic
for a minute. And you should really be more careful about who you
associate with."
"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.
"The arson squad says the fire at the warehouse was deliberate,"
said Darryl. "Your friend is our prime suspect. Her and some guy
dressed all in black. Witnesses saw them both enter the warehouse
just minutes before the fire broke out."
"Do you know her name?" asked Phoebe.
"She gave it as Gretchen Halford," said Darryl. "It's probably
a fake, just like the address she gave us."
"Well, it's probably not my friend," said Phoebe. "And I doubt
she'd have anything to do with setting a fire, anyway."
"What's your friends' name?" asked Darryl. "I may need to talk
with her."
"Oh, I doubt it was her," said Phoebe. "She lives in New York
City. I just thought it was strange she came all the way out here and
hadn't stopped by to see me, that's all. I'm sure she's still in New
York. It was probably someone who just looked like her."
"Okay," said Darryl. "But you let me know if you find out she's
out here. If she is out here, no matter what you think, I have to
check her out."
"I will," said Phoebe.
Driving back to the manor, Phoebe thought about what she had
learned. The name was probably a fake, just as Darryl had said. But
at least they now knew it HAD been a setup. It wasn't much, but they
had something to go on. When she got home, she told Leo and Piper
what she had learned from Darryl.
"Well, it's not much, but it's a start," said Piper. "All we
have to do is track down this Gretchen Halford."
"Track down one woman who probably gave a fake name in all of
San Francisco?" questioned Leo. Talk about a needle in a haystack."
"Maybe now," said Phoebe thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"Prue's still alive," said Phoebe.
"How does that help us?" asked Piper.
"I don't follow you," said Leo.
"Well," said Phoebe, "Piper mentioned that whoever they are,
they'd be destroying the Charmed Ones without ever attacking. But why
string it out? Why not just destroy Prues' body and get it over with?
For that matter, why take her body at all? Why not just destroy it
while it was unprotected in the car? Why go through all this hassle
if all they want is to destroy us?"
"That's a good point," said Leo. "There must be a reason for
all this. Other than your destruction."
"They want something," said Piper. "Something we have that they
can't get to."
"But what?" asked Phoebe. "Our powers? The Book of Shadows?
Something else we may not even know we have?"
"I'll take 'What is the Book of Shadows for a thousand, Alex'."
Everyone turned to see who had spoken. Standing in the entryway
was a young man, about thirty years old, dressed completely in black.
"Warlock," gasped Piper.