Second Chances: Dream A Little Dream
A Simon and Simon/Six Million Dollar Man Crossover Story
When a fortuneteller's predictions come true, will
the Simons face a dark future? (This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters are owned by Universal
and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)
Chapter 1
"Ok, Ricky, time for Uncle Rick to say bye-bye", Linda cooed at her son, interrupting his uncle's attempt to bring up a burp.
"You're no fun, Linda, I was just getting started," he pretended to grumble, handing over the four-month old to his mother. A.J. came down the hall, then embraced Linda as he grabbed his jacket. "See you later, Ricky, be a good boy." he leaned over and kissed the top of his head, then ducked as a little fist grabbed for his nose.
"Attaboy, little guy, you show your daddy who's boss!" he grinned, then moved away from his brother's half-hearted swat. Linda just shook her head, "You two behave yourselves, I made Laurie promise you wouldn't eat too much junk at the carnival."
"Darling, I won't, I take no credit for iron stomach here!" A.J. teased, coming back for one more kiss. His brother laughed, then bussed his sister-in-law's cheek. "Thanks, honey, for letting me feed Ricky. I'll drop A.J. off in time for dinner, we should be done by then."
Climbing into Rick's truck, the brothers drove off as Linda waved goodbye. Re-entering the house, she looked into the face of their son. "Hey, little one, you don't know how lucky you are, you have the best daddy and uncle in the whole world. I bet they win at least one prize for you at the games!"
Entering the highway, A.J. got out the directions for their assignment, as Rick tried to balance his thermos of coffee while playing with the radio. "Ok, little brother, who's our contact with the carny group?" he asked, giving up on the music stations and leaving it on a talk show.
"Ronny Bing, the head of Bing Brothers, he's going to be the only one who knows we're not local help. We meet him at the carnival office, Laurie's already there and she'll see us in the parking lot. Remember, I'm Tom Smith and you're Rick Smith, the roustabouts from Tech Time." A.J. added. Rick smirked, "And who is Laurie this time?"
A.J. laughed, "You had to ask, Linda loaned her that red wig so she's Helga, Valkrie of the Sideshow. Bing thinks the till tapping is an inside job, so she's subbing for some girl who got a job at Circus, Circus." Rick did a spit take, coffee flying all over his shirt.
"Oh great, I finally got rid of "Cousin Margaret" for "Helga", sheesh!" he groaned, setting his beverage down and blotting the coffee off his front. His brother smiled, "All's fair, Rick, I had to listen to that accent for two days, you only have the Norwegian goddess for one!"
Reluctantly, Rick grinned, this might not be a bad assignment after all. At least he'd get his fill of candied apples and popcorn.
Finally arriving at the suburban park hosting the city carnival, Rick followed the signs for employee parking, then pulled up near the trailers labeled "Bing Brothers, Inc."
A short redhead walked toward them, and both Simons eyes widened at the leather-clad outfit she wore. "Velcome, I am Helga," she said loudly, then coming face to face with her husband and brother-in-law, giggled, "what do you think?"
Rick took a deep breath, "Sweetheart, you look, uh, wow!" He took in the low-scooped top and mini-warrior skirt, then meeting Laurie's eyes, turned red, saying "I thought I had trouble with the blonde!"
A.J. elbowed his brother, "Don't mind him, honey, you look great. He just doesn't want to fight off guys all day. Have you met Bing yet?" Laurie nodded, smiling at the two of them. "Yes, he's waiting to see you guys now. He gave me a list of employees who have access to the cash drawers each night. I walked around their booths, and I noticed two of them have extra side slits near the parking lot side. " Handing the paper to her husband, she caught sight of two tent pole workers eyeing them, then loudly proclaimed, "Come see Helga at the sideshow, we get to know each other better!"
Turning around, she strode ahead of them toward the big top, leaving Rick and A.J. ready to bust with laughter. "Don't say it, don't even breathe it, A.J.", the older Simon sputtered, following her to the owner's office.
Checking in with Ronny Bing, the brothers got much the same information as Laurie had, with an additional bonus; the security guard for the ticket office had been found dead a few minutes before, and the receipts for the rides were missing.
"I had to call Phoenix P.D., Captain Johnson has a unit on its way and the coroner is right behind them. I need to keep this quiet, good thing the midway doesn't open until 1 pm today.," the heavy-set man said. Collapsing into his chair, he stared at the Simons. "You two are my last hope, any more funds go missing and my corporate bosses will take over and run this outfit into the ground." A.J. pulled out a pad and pen, "We'll do our best, Mr. Bing, do you know who was the last person to see your guard?
"Yeah, Sniffy the Clown, he had a cup of coffee with George, that's the guard. He'd been with us for several years, in fact this was his last stop with us, wanted to retire to the desert he said." Bing replied, wiping his face with a bandanna.
Just then, a knock sounded on the office door, then Captain Ron stuck his head in. "Mr. Bing." he inquired, then seeing the brothers, smiled. "Hey guys, bad news travels fast, huh?"
The owner looked puzzled, "Captain, you know these investigators?" The policeman nodded, "I've worked with them several times, they're the best. A.J., how did you two get here so fast?"
The younger Simon filled him in on their case, then added, "We have a third partner this case, her name is Helga and she's working the Midway." The captain glanced at Rick, then his mouth twitched. "Helga, huh, what is she, a redhead this time?"
He nodded, "Yeah, wait til' you see her. I thought Margaret was too much, she's got her topped!" He turned back to Bing, "Do you want to take Captain Johnson to the murder site, while A.J. and I start work?"
"Yeah, only come take a look at George first, there's something funny about the way he dropped when shot," the carny boss told him.
Going around the trailers and cutting through the deserted midway, the four men wound their way to the Fun Zone. Stopping behind one of the ticket booths, Rick and A.J. spotted the sheet-clad body wedged in the back door. As Captain Ron carefully lifted the covering, the two P.I.'s noticed the awkward position of the upper body. "Captain," Rick pointed to the lower arm almost tucked under the side of the corpse. Kneeling down, Captain Ron surveyed the position of the limbs, then standing, told one of his officers "Take every picture necessary of the way the body was dumped."
"Dumped?", Bing repeated, as if in shock." "Yes, I'm afraid your guard was shot elsewhere then dropped off here. I'm going to need the whereabouts of all your employees from 8am on," the Captain informed him. Just as he was about to cover over the body, A.J. was struck by the funny color of the underside of the nails on the security guard. "Rick, look at this, I think George here might still be able to tell us who killed him".
The policeman glanced at both of them, then calling over his forensics team, told them to take scrapings under the guards' nails, then call him when and if an identification of the material was made.
Walking back to the midway with Captain Ron, he informed the Carnival owner that the area behind the ticket booths was to be secured until all evidence was collected. Agreeing, Bing left the three friends to make the necessary arrangements.
Rick looked at the Captain, "This was just supposed to be a simple case of missing money, looks like someone was about to be found out." Just then a loud voice was heard, demanding to be let go. Recognizing "Helga's" accent, Rick ran towards the sideshow aisle, followed by his brother and Captain Ron. Just as they got to the canvas entrance, a man came sailing out of the tented area, landing right in front of the policeman. Jumping to his feet, the costumed performer yelled, "You don't say no to Zando without payment!"
A Simon and Simon/Six Million Dollar Man Crossover Story
When a fortuneteller's predictions come true, will
the Simons face a dark future? (This is a work of fiction. No money is being made on it, and the characters are owned by Universal
and are only being borrowed for a little while. .)
Chapter 1
"Ok, Ricky, time for Uncle Rick to say bye-bye", Linda cooed at her son, interrupting his uncle's attempt to bring up a burp.
"You're no fun, Linda, I was just getting started," he pretended to grumble, handing over the four-month old to his mother. A.J. came down the hall, then embraced Linda as he grabbed his jacket. "See you later, Ricky, be a good boy." he leaned over and kissed the top of his head, then ducked as a little fist grabbed for his nose.
"Attaboy, little guy, you show your daddy who's boss!" he grinned, then moved away from his brother's half-hearted swat. Linda just shook her head, "You two behave yourselves, I made Laurie promise you wouldn't eat too much junk at the carnival."
"Darling, I won't, I take no credit for iron stomach here!" A.J. teased, coming back for one more kiss. His brother laughed, then bussed his sister-in-law's cheek. "Thanks, honey, for letting me feed Ricky. I'll drop A.J. off in time for dinner, we should be done by then."
Climbing into Rick's truck, the brothers drove off as Linda waved goodbye. Re-entering the house, she looked into the face of their son. "Hey, little one, you don't know how lucky you are, you have the best daddy and uncle in the whole world. I bet they win at least one prize for you at the games!"
Entering the highway, A.J. got out the directions for their assignment, as Rick tried to balance his thermos of coffee while playing with the radio. "Ok, little brother, who's our contact with the carny group?" he asked, giving up on the music stations and leaving it on a talk show.
"Ronny Bing, the head of Bing Brothers, he's going to be the only one who knows we're not local help. We meet him at the carnival office, Laurie's already there and she'll see us in the parking lot. Remember, I'm Tom Smith and you're Rick Smith, the roustabouts from Tech Time." A.J. added. Rick smirked, "And who is Laurie this time?"
A.J. laughed, "You had to ask, Linda loaned her that red wig so she's Helga, Valkrie of the Sideshow. Bing thinks the till tapping is an inside job, so she's subbing for some girl who got a job at Circus, Circus." Rick did a spit take, coffee flying all over his shirt.
"Oh great, I finally got rid of "Cousin Margaret" for "Helga", sheesh!" he groaned, setting his beverage down and blotting the coffee off his front. His brother smiled, "All's fair, Rick, I had to listen to that accent for two days, you only have the Norwegian goddess for one!"
Reluctantly, Rick grinned, this might not be a bad assignment after all. At least he'd get his fill of candied apples and popcorn.
Finally arriving at the suburban park hosting the city carnival, Rick followed the signs for employee parking, then pulled up near the trailers labeled "Bing Brothers, Inc."
A short redhead walked toward them, and both Simons eyes widened at the leather-clad outfit she wore. "Velcome, I am Helga," she said loudly, then coming face to face with her husband and brother-in-law, giggled, "what do you think?"
Rick took a deep breath, "Sweetheart, you look, uh, wow!" He took in the low-scooped top and mini-warrior skirt, then meeting Laurie's eyes, turned red, saying "I thought I had trouble with the blonde!"
A.J. elbowed his brother, "Don't mind him, honey, you look great. He just doesn't want to fight off guys all day. Have you met Bing yet?" Laurie nodded, smiling at the two of them. "Yes, he's waiting to see you guys now. He gave me a list of employees who have access to the cash drawers each night. I walked around their booths, and I noticed two of them have extra side slits near the parking lot side. " Handing the paper to her husband, she caught sight of two tent pole workers eyeing them, then loudly proclaimed, "Come see Helga at the sideshow, we get to know each other better!"
Turning around, she strode ahead of them toward the big top, leaving Rick and A.J. ready to bust with laughter. "Don't say it, don't even breathe it, A.J.", the older Simon sputtered, following her to the owner's office.
Checking in with Ronny Bing, the brothers got much the same information as Laurie had, with an additional bonus; the security guard for the ticket office had been found dead a few minutes before, and the receipts for the rides were missing.
"I had to call Phoenix P.D., Captain Johnson has a unit on its way and the coroner is right behind them. I need to keep this quiet, good thing the midway doesn't open until 1 pm today.," the heavy-set man said. Collapsing into his chair, he stared at the Simons. "You two are my last hope, any more funds go missing and my corporate bosses will take over and run this outfit into the ground." A.J. pulled out a pad and pen, "We'll do our best, Mr. Bing, do you know who was the last person to see your guard?
"Yeah, Sniffy the Clown, he had a cup of coffee with George, that's the guard. He'd been with us for several years, in fact this was his last stop with us, wanted to retire to the desert he said." Bing replied, wiping his face with a bandanna.
Just then, a knock sounded on the office door, then Captain Ron stuck his head in. "Mr. Bing." he inquired, then seeing the brothers, smiled. "Hey guys, bad news travels fast, huh?"
The owner looked puzzled, "Captain, you know these investigators?" The policeman nodded, "I've worked with them several times, they're the best. A.J., how did you two get here so fast?"
The younger Simon filled him in on their case, then added, "We have a third partner this case, her name is Helga and she's working the Midway." The captain glanced at Rick, then his mouth twitched. "Helga, huh, what is she, a redhead this time?"
He nodded, "Yeah, wait til' you see her. I thought Margaret was too much, she's got her topped!" He turned back to Bing, "Do you want to take Captain Johnson to the murder site, while A.J. and I start work?"
"Yeah, only come take a look at George first, there's something funny about the way he dropped when shot," the carny boss told him.
Going around the trailers and cutting through the deserted midway, the four men wound their way to the Fun Zone. Stopping behind one of the ticket booths, Rick and A.J. spotted the sheet-clad body wedged in the back door. As Captain Ron carefully lifted the covering, the two P.I.'s noticed the awkward position of the upper body. "Captain," Rick pointed to the lower arm almost tucked under the side of the corpse. Kneeling down, Captain Ron surveyed the position of the limbs, then standing, told one of his officers "Take every picture necessary of the way the body was dumped."
"Dumped?", Bing repeated, as if in shock." "Yes, I'm afraid your guard was shot elsewhere then dropped off here. I'm going to need the whereabouts of all your employees from 8am on," the Captain informed him. Just as he was about to cover over the body, A.J. was struck by the funny color of the underside of the nails on the security guard. "Rick, look at this, I think George here might still be able to tell us who killed him".
The policeman glanced at both of them, then calling over his forensics team, told them to take scrapings under the guards' nails, then call him when and if an identification of the material was made.
Walking back to the midway with Captain Ron, he informed the Carnival owner that the area behind the ticket booths was to be secured until all evidence was collected. Agreeing, Bing left the three friends to make the necessary arrangements.
Rick looked at the Captain, "This was just supposed to be a simple case of missing money, looks like someone was about to be found out." Just then a loud voice was heard, demanding to be let go. Recognizing "Helga's" accent, Rick ran towards the sideshow aisle, followed by his brother and Captain Ron. Just as they got to the canvas entrance, a man came sailing out of the tented area, landing right in front of the policeman. Jumping to his feet, the costumed performer yelled, "You don't say no to Zando without payment!"