Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters. Nor do I own
the Getty Museum.
XV
Informing Ryder
Dylan and Anthony
The next morning at the office, Charlie told us that Ryder was going to be late getting to the Agency.
"That gives us time to tell you about our suspicions," Alex said.
The three of us then explained to Charlie our theory that Crown had offered the paintings at the Getty as payment to Norris for Black Ice.
"An interesting idea, Angels," Charlie said. "I do have a few questions that need to be asked before we can fully accept Ms. Crown as one of our suspects."
"I knew you would say that Charlie," I said, grinning slightly.
"Yes. Well, my first question," Charlie began. "Is why didn't the Norris' just take the paintings when they wanted to? You did find out that Jacob Norris is a professional thief."
"She probably gave them a key or something like that to get onto the museum property," Natalie answered.
"That is possible," Charlie said. "Another question, how could Crown keep the fact that she was an Ice addict from Mr. Ryder."
"She could have learned to control the gestures an Ice addict makes,"
"And it wouldn't be too hard for her to find ways to take Ice in private, away from Ryder," Alex said.
Before Charlie could respond, the phone on Bosley's desk rang. Bosley picked it up and spoke quietly with the person on the other end. He hung up the phone and said, "Ryder'll be here in a few minutes."
Anthony
Ryder entered the office, his face pale.
"Is everything okay, Mr.. Ryder?" Natalie asked.
"I just got out of a press conference about the stolen paintings," Ryder said. He sank down into an armchair next to Bosley's desk. "A couple of members of the public got into the room and started accusing me of having the painting stolen for the money."
"The press went crazy, didn't they?" Dylan asked.
Ryder nodded. "Please tell me that you guys are close to getting them back," he said pleadingly.
Natalie, Alex and Dylan glanced at each other. None of them wanted to tell Ryder that his fiancee had been in on the robbery.
"Mr. Ryder," Charlie then said gently. "I'm afraid that the girls and Anthony have discovered that your fiancee, Ms. Crown, was involved in the art theft."
"W-what the hell are you talking about?" Ryder asked angrily.
"Black Ice," Anthony said to him calmly.
Dylan
Ryder's eyes widened at the mention of the drug. "B-but I told you that Caty only took Black Ice a couple of times," he stammered.
"Has she ever rubbed her index finger and thumb together very quickly?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, I've seen her do that a few times," Ryder said. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Black Ice addicts make that gesture," I said.
"Oh god," Ryder said, burying his face in his hands.
Everyone fell silent as Ryder then started shaking his head.
After a few minutes, he seemed to get control of his emotions. Ryder raised his head and asked, "Who are the robbers?"
"A drug dealer named Edward Norris and his son, a professional thief, Jacob," Natalie answered.
"Oh god," Ryder moaned again. "That's why he asked me all about the museum when I met him at the party."
"Did you meet his father at that party?"
"I was introduced to him when I arrived since he was the host," Ryder said. "But I didn't see him other than that."
"Was their home decorated elaborately?" Alex then asked.
"It was a mansion on the north shore of the island," Ryder said. "And all the rooms that I saw had works of art from a bunch of different time periods."
"And the furniture in the rooms?" I asked.
"All antiques except for a few modern pieces," Ryder answered.
"Where is your fiancee now Mr. Ryder?" Natalie asked.
"At the museum I think," Ryder answered. "What's going to happen to her?"
We were all silent, waiting for Charlie to answer that question.
"We'll have to make sure that she was in on the robbery," Charlie answered.
"And if she was?" Ryder asked hesitatingly, obviously dreading the answer to his question.
"She'll be turned over to the police," Charlie answered.
Ryder nodded slowly and then looked down at the ground. "Would you let me be there when you interrogate her?" he asked.
"Well that's not really how-" Alex started to say.
"What do you think Charlie?" I asked, interrupting Alex.
"You can go Mr. Ryder," Charlie said. "It will probably be easier to get information from Ms. Crown if you are there."
"When are you going to talk to her?" Ryder asked us.
"If you'll step out of the office for a moment Mr. Ryder," Charlie said. "I need to speak to the girls and Anthony in private before they go to talk to your fiancee."
Ryder got out of his chair and went back into the room he had come out of when he had arrived at the Agency.
"Angels, Anthony," Charlie said. "I'm allowing Ryder to join you when you go interrogate Crown that way he won't try and help her escape."
"Charlie," Alex said. "What if it turns out that Crown wasn't in on the robbery?"
"Then you'll have to go back to the Norris,'" Charlie said calmly. "Bosley, call Mr. Ryder back in, I'd like to speak with him."
Bosley left his desk and opened the door to the room that Ryder was in. "You can come back in," he said.
Ryder stepped back into the office and stood next to Bosley's desk.
"Now Mr. Ryder," Charlie started. "When the girls are talking to Ms. Crown, I would appreciate it if you kept quiet unless it becomes-"
"Someone is coming," Anthony said suddenly, interrupting Charlie.
Alex, Natalie and I all stood up and turned to the door, Anthony doing the same.
The door burst open and Catherine Crown ran into the office.
XV
Informing Ryder
Dylan and Anthony
The next morning at the office, Charlie told us that Ryder was going to be late getting to the Agency.
"That gives us time to tell you about our suspicions," Alex said.
The three of us then explained to Charlie our theory that Crown had offered the paintings at the Getty as payment to Norris for Black Ice.
"An interesting idea, Angels," Charlie said. "I do have a few questions that need to be asked before we can fully accept Ms. Crown as one of our suspects."
"I knew you would say that Charlie," I said, grinning slightly.
"Yes. Well, my first question," Charlie began. "Is why didn't the Norris' just take the paintings when they wanted to? You did find out that Jacob Norris is a professional thief."
"She probably gave them a key or something like that to get onto the museum property," Natalie answered.
"That is possible," Charlie said. "Another question, how could Crown keep the fact that she was an Ice addict from Mr. Ryder."
"She could have learned to control the gestures an Ice addict makes,"
"And it wouldn't be too hard for her to find ways to take Ice in private, away from Ryder," Alex said.
Before Charlie could respond, the phone on Bosley's desk rang. Bosley picked it up and spoke quietly with the person on the other end. He hung up the phone and said, "Ryder'll be here in a few minutes."
Anthony
Ryder entered the office, his face pale.
"Is everything okay, Mr.. Ryder?" Natalie asked.
"I just got out of a press conference about the stolen paintings," Ryder said. He sank down into an armchair next to Bosley's desk. "A couple of members of the public got into the room and started accusing me of having the painting stolen for the money."
"The press went crazy, didn't they?" Dylan asked.
Ryder nodded. "Please tell me that you guys are close to getting them back," he said pleadingly.
Natalie, Alex and Dylan glanced at each other. None of them wanted to tell Ryder that his fiancee had been in on the robbery.
"Mr. Ryder," Charlie then said gently. "I'm afraid that the girls and Anthony have discovered that your fiancee, Ms. Crown, was involved in the art theft."
"W-what the hell are you talking about?" Ryder asked angrily.
"Black Ice," Anthony said to him calmly.
Dylan
Ryder's eyes widened at the mention of the drug. "B-but I told you that Caty only took Black Ice a couple of times," he stammered.
"Has she ever rubbed her index finger and thumb together very quickly?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, I've seen her do that a few times," Ryder said. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Black Ice addicts make that gesture," I said.
"Oh god," Ryder said, burying his face in his hands.
Everyone fell silent as Ryder then started shaking his head.
After a few minutes, he seemed to get control of his emotions. Ryder raised his head and asked, "Who are the robbers?"
"A drug dealer named Edward Norris and his son, a professional thief, Jacob," Natalie answered.
"Oh god," Ryder moaned again. "That's why he asked me all about the museum when I met him at the party."
"Did you meet his father at that party?"
"I was introduced to him when I arrived since he was the host," Ryder said. "But I didn't see him other than that."
"Was their home decorated elaborately?" Alex then asked.
"It was a mansion on the north shore of the island," Ryder said. "And all the rooms that I saw had works of art from a bunch of different time periods."
"And the furniture in the rooms?" I asked.
"All antiques except for a few modern pieces," Ryder answered.
"Where is your fiancee now Mr. Ryder?" Natalie asked.
"At the museum I think," Ryder answered. "What's going to happen to her?"
We were all silent, waiting for Charlie to answer that question.
"We'll have to make sure that she was in on the robbery," Charlie answered.
"And if she was?" Ryder asked hesitatingly, obviously dreading the answer to his question.
"She'll be turned over to the police," Charlie answered.
Ryder nodded slowly and then looked down at the ground. "Would you let me be there when you interrogate her?" he asked.
"Well that's not really how-" Alex started to say.
"What do you think Charlie?" I asked, interrupting Alex.
"You can go Mr. Ryder," Charlie said. "It will probably be easier to get information from Ms. Crown if you are there."
"When are you going to talk to her?" Ryder asked us.
"If you'll step out of the office for a moment Mr. Ryder," Charlie said. "I need to speak to the girls and Anthony in private before they go to talk to your fiancee."
Ryder got out of his chair and went back into the room he had come out of when he had arrived at the Agency.
"Angels, Anthony," Charlie said. "I'm allowing Ryder to join you when you go interrogate Crown that way he won't try and help her escape."
"Charlie," Alex said. "What if it turns out that Crown wasn't in on the robbery?"
"Then you'll have to go back to the Norris,'" Charlie said calmly. "Bosley, call Mr. Ryder back in, I'd like to speak with him."
Bosley left his desk and opened the door to the room that Ryder was in. "You can come back in," he said.
Ryder stepped back into the office and stood next to Bosley's desk.
"Now Mr. Ryder," Charlie started. "When the girls are talking to Ms. Crown, I would appreciate it if you kept quiet unless it becomes-"
"Someone is coming," Anthony said suddenly, interrupting Charlie.
Alex, Natalie and I all stood up and turned to the door, Anthony doing the same.
The door burst open and Catherine Crown ran into the office.