THE ONLY EASY DAY IS YESTERDAY
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
Part 30
Agent Ropper sat at a table in a small conference room. Around
her were spread all of her notes from the investigation so far.
Everything seemed to point to the same impossible conclusion, she had
to be missing something.
The two agents assigned to her entered the room "Ma'am." one
of them spoke up, "We have our report."
Anita looked at the sharply dressed and impeccably groomed
Agents. "The ambitions of youth." she thought to herself. Then said
"What do you have?"
One of them put a folder of photos on the table. "These are all of
the people who visited Joe Dawson's bar in the off hours during the two
days after his return. We were able to positively ID all but five of
them."
Agent Ropper sorted through the stack of faces. "Any of them
fit the profile I gave you?"
"Yes ma'am." the second agent said and placed a relatively thick
folder in front of the senior agent. "Duncan MacLeod was one of the
first to visit Dawson. He is a martial arts expert, and has been known
to carry swords in public."
Anita perked up at the mention of swords. "Really? Let me see
that." She slid the folder closer and opened it up. "It says here he's
been investigated for the deaths by beheading of several people." She
sorted through the file, reading a history of near brushes with the law,
and disappearances of known acquaintances. "Good work, did you find
out anything about Pierson?"
The two looked at each other "Nothing." They finally admitted.
Then one continued "The only time we were able to establish contact
with him was at Dawson's bar. When he left there, he disappeared into
the night and we were never able to follow him more then a few
blocks."
"He knew you were following him."
"Of course, they both did." One of the agents defended. "But
Pierson never seemed aware, he would just wander into a crowd, or a
store then we'd loose him."
"You have nothing on him?" Anita asked in disbelief.
They put a thin folder in front of her. In it were copies of his
birth certificate, driver's license and a photo of the man taken at
Dawson's bar.
"The address on the license is an apartment that got torn down a
month after the license was issued." one of them volunteered.
Anita shook her head and closed Pierson's folder, then turned
back to MacLeod. "I think I'll pay Mr. MacLeod a visit. See if he
knows anything he's not going to tell me. You two continue to look
into Pierson, nobody can be such a ghost. Try our files, maybe even the
witness protection program, anything, at least tell me where he lives."
When investigating in a city out of driving distance from D.C.,
Agent Ropper always rented a car. Most of the time she would have
been able to get a vehicle assigned by the local office, but those cars
stood out like a sore thumb. Might as well have "FED" painted on the
doors in bright yellow paint. This trip, she had opted for a dark green
Ford Probe. Very impractical for transporting anybody, but was
common enough not to stand out.
Approaching MacLeod's address, Anita saw the parking ramp
across the street from his building. She drove in to inspect it as a place
for surveillance, but soon spotted a van she recognized. A white
company van was already on the third level over looking MacLeod's
dojo. Anita saw the vehicle from a distance and turned around before
anybody in the van could have recognized her.
It had to be Gattlin, he was the only other person on this case
and he seemed to have the connections for sophisticated equipment like
that. Perhaps it was time to turn the tables on him. He had been
following her, now she would play his game and follow him.
But first, she had to do what he expected, that is to interview
MacLeod. If he could find him, he'd also expect her to. Anita returned
to headquarters and exchanged her Probe for a company sedan. She
then pulled up directly in front of the dojo, parking across two spaces.
Anita walked through the rough gym, the few patrons hesitating
in their workouts to watch her pass. A tall man with long, dark brown
hair came out of the office and approached her.
"I'm Duncan MacLeod." he said with a charming smile. "Can I
help you?"
Anita flashed her ID up at him "I'm Special Agent Anita
Ropper, FBI. Mr. MacLeod, is there someplace we can talk?"
He showed her into his office and shut the door. MacLeod took
his seat behind his desk, and Anita sat across from him. "Now what
can I do for you, Agent Ropper."
Anita looked around the room and the weapons on the wall, she
focused on a pair of katanas. "Mr. MacLeod, I'm investigating a string
of murders, all seemingly unrelated, except for one thing."
MacLeod had a puzzled look on his face. "And that is?"
"How they were killed. With many crimes, a good rule of
thumb to find most perpetrators, is 'Follow the money'. She looked at
the swords again. But in this case I found that 'Follow the swords'
seems to fit a lot better. You see, Mr. MacLeod, every murder I'm
investigating involves swords, and in most cases the victim was
beheaded."
"I'm sorry, Agent Ropper, I don't see how that concerns me,
unless your looking for some expert help. You know, I've had some
experience with swords, both in the martial arts and as an antique
dealer. I'd be more then willing to give you any help I can."
Anita placed a picture of Joe Dawson on the desk. "Do you
know this man?"
Duncan glanced at it. "Yea, that's a friend of mine, Joe Dawson,
why?"
"He showed up to claim a body at the scene of a recent murder."
"Still, Ms. Ropper." Duncan repeated. "What does that have to
do with me?"
Anita leaned forward "Like I said Mr. MacLeod, I'm following
the swords. Mr. Dawson and his, ah, cousin," Anita glanced at her
notes as if she couldn't remember the name "Adam Pierson, were both
carrying swords."
A hint of surprise crossed MacLeod's face but he hid it quickly.
"Joe Dawson was carrying a sword?"
"Sure was, and guess who one of his first visitors was as soon
as he got back to Seattle."
Duncan smiled "That's why your here? I visited a friend and
suddenly I'm a murder suspect?"
"From your file, Mr. MacLeod, I know it wouldn't be the first
time. This time, however, I know who my killers are. I'm trying to find
them, and understand them. I think there is something bigger then just
a few sword fights. There have been a lot of sword fights and a lot of
people losing their heads. I'm going to find out how they're all related,
and your just another link in the chain."
"So you think I'm involved with murders in cities I've never
been to?"
"I think you know why these people are killing each other."
Anita fixed solidly on Duncan to watch his reaction as she asked her
next question. "Tell me Mr. MacLeod, are you an Immortal?"
The look that flashed across MacLeod's face was not what Anita
really expected. It was a look of surprise, and of hearing a secret
revealed. He laughed. "Agent Roper, I have no idea what your talking
about?"
"There's been some talk of these killings being related to people
who think they are immortal and must go around killing each other."
Recognition and maybe even a glint of fear showed in the man's
eyes "I'm sorry I can't help you, I've never heard of such a thing."
Agent Roper didn't press it any further, she knew what he
wasn't telling her. "Thank you for your time, Mr. MacLeod. Perhaps if
I do have questions about the swords, I'll take you up on your offer of
help."
"Any time." Duncan said then stood with the lady and watched
her walk out of the dojo. "She's getting awfully close." he said to
himself.
to be continued..........
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
Part 30
Agent Ropper sat at a table in a small conference room. Around
her were spread all of her notes from the investigation so far.
Everything seemed to point to the same impossible conclusion, she had
to be missing something.
The two agents assigned to her entered the room "Ma'am." one
of them spoke up, "We have our report."
Anita looked at the sharply dressed and impeccably groomed
Agents. "The ambitions of youth." she thought to herself. Then said
"What do you have?"
One of them put a folder of photos on the table. "These are all of
the people who visited Joe Dawson's bar in the off hours during the two
days after his return. We were able to positively ID all but five of
them."
Agent Ropper sorted through the stack of faces. "Any of them
fit the profile I gave you?"
"Yes ma'am." the second agent said and placed a relatively thick
folder in front of the senior agent. "Duncan MacLeod was one of the
first to visit Dawson. He is a martial arts expert, and has been known
to carry swords in public."
Anita perked up at the mention of swords. "Really? Let me see
that." She slid the folder closer and opened it up. "It says here he's
been investigated for the deaths by beheading of several people." She
sorted through the file, reading a history of near brushes with the law,
and disappearances of known acquaintances. "Good work, did you find
out anything about Pierson?"
The two looked at each other "Nothing." They finally admitted.
Then one continued "The only time we were able to establish contact
with him was at Dawson's bar. When he left there, he disappeared into
the night and we were never able to follow him more then a few
blocks."
"He knew you were following him."
"Of course, they both did." One of the agents defended. "But
Pierson never seemed aware, he would just wander into a crowd, or a
store then we'd loose him."
"You have nothing on him?" Anita asked in disbelief.
They put a thin folder in front of her. In it were copies of his
birth certificate, driver's license and a photo of the man taken at
Dawson's bar.
"The address on the license is an apartment that got torn down a
month after the license was issued." one of them volunteered.
Anita shook her head and closed Pierson's folder, then turned
back to MacLeod. "I think I'll pay Mr. MacLeod a visit. See if he
knows anything he's not going to tell me. You two continue to look
into Pierson, nobody can be such a ghost. Try our files, maybe even the
witness protection program, anything, at least tell me where he lives."
When investigating in a city out of driving distance from D.C.,
Agent Ropper always rented a car. Most of the time she would have
been able to get a vehicle assigned by the local office, but those cars
stood out like a sore thumb. Might as well have "FED" painted on the
doors in bright yellow paint. This trip, she had opted for a dark green
Ford Probe. Very impractical for transporting anybody, but was
common enough not to stand out.
Approaching MacLeod's address, Anita saw the parking ramp
across the street from his building. She drove in to inspect it as a place
for surveillance, but soon spotted a van she recognized. A white
company van was already on the third level over looking MacLeod's
dojo. Anita saw the vehicle from a distance and turned around before
anybody in the van could have recognized her.
It had to be Gattlin, he was the only other person on this case
and he seemed to have the connections for sophisticated equipment like
that. Perhaps it was time to turn the tables on him. He had been
following her, now she would play his game and follow him.
But first, she had to do what he expected, that is to interview
MacLeod. If he could find him, he'd also expect her to. Anita returned
to headquarters and exchanged her Probe for a company sedan. She
then pulled up directly in front of the dojo, parking across two spaces.
Anita walked through the rough gym, the few patrons hesitating
in their workouts to watch her pass. A tall man with long, dark brown
hair came out of the office and approached her.
"I'm Duncan MacLeod." he said with a charming smile. "Can I
help you?"
Anita flashed her ID up at him "I'm Special Agent Anita
Ropper, FBI. Mr. MacLeod, is there someplace we can talk?"
He showed her into his office and shut the door. MacLeod took
his seat behind his desk, and Anita sat across from him. "Now what
can I do for you, Agent Ropper."
Anita looked around the room and the weapons on the wall, she
focused on a pair of katanas. "Mr. MacLeod, I'm investigating a string
of murders, all seemingly unrelated, except for one thing."
MacLeod had a puzzled look on his face. "And that is?"
"How they were killed. With many crimes, a good rule of
thumb to find most perpetrators, is 'Follow the money'. She looked at
the swords again. But in this case I found that 'Follow the swords'
seems to fit a lot better. You see, Mr. MacLeod, every murder I'm
investigating involves swords, and in most cases the victim was
beheaded."
"I'm sorry, Agent Ropper, I don't see how that concerns me,
unless your looking for some expert help. You know, I've had some
experience with swords, both in the martial arts and as an antique
dealer. I'd be more then willing to give you any help I can."
Anita placed a picture of Joe Dawson on the desk. "Do you
know this man?"
Duncan glanced at it. "Yea, that's a friend of mine, Joe Dawson,
why?"
"He showed up to claim a body at the scene of a recent murder."
"Still, Ms. Ropper." Duncan repeated. "What does that have to
do with me?"
Anita leaned forward "Like I said Mr. MacLeod, I'm following
the swords. Mr. Dawson and his, ah, cousin," Anita glanced at her
notes as if she couldn't remember the name "Adam Pierson, were both
carrying swords."
A hint of surprise crossed MacLeod's face but he hid it quickly.
"Joe Dawson was carrying a sword?"
"Sure was, and guess who one of his first visitors was as soon
as he got back to Seattle."
Duncan smiled "That's why your here? I visited a friend and
suddenly I'm a murder suspect?"
"From your file, Mr. MacLeod, I know it wouldn't be the first
time. This time, however, I know who my killers are. I'm trying to find
them, and understand them. I think there is something bigger then just
a few sword fights. There have been a lot of sword fights and a lot of
people losing their heads. I'm going to find out how they're all related,
and your just another link in the chain."
"So you think I'm involved with murders in cities I've never
been to?"
"I think you know why these people are killing each other."
Anita fixed solidly on Duncan to watch his reaction as she asked her
next question. "Tell me Mr. MacLeod, are you an Immortal?"
The look that flashed across MacLeod's face was not what Anita
really expected. It was a look of surprise, and of hearing a secret
revealed. He laughed. "Agent Roper, I have no idea what your talking
about?"
"There's been some talk of these killings being related to people
who think they are immortal and must go around killing each other."
Recognition and maybe even a glint of fear showed in the man's
eyes "I'm sorry I can't help you, I've never heard of such a thing."
Agent Roper didn't press it any further, she knew what he
wasn't telling her. "Thank you for your time, Mr. MacLeod. Perhaps if
I do have questions about the swords, I'll take you up on your offer of
help."
"Any time." Duncan said then stood with the lady and watched
her walk out of the dojo. "She's getting awfully close." he said to
himself.
to be continued..........