Tank Police Division 195
Chapter Twelve: Finding the Keeper
"Well, we've finally got a lead on this stupid case." Captain Scot muttered. He hated long cases almost as much as being sent to Child Welfare. "Do we have a description of this woman?"
"According to this kid that used to work part time at the store," Noin said, "she was 'drop dead gorgeous with legs that went on forever, blue-black hair, gray eyes, and a tattoo of a double helix on her ankle.'"
"How'd he manage to get a look at that?" Milliardo asked.
"She was always wearing daisy dukes(1) and sandals and she liked to sit on the counter whenever she came in with those guys. Our informant is with the sketch artist right now, so we should have something we can use to ID her."
"Excellent." The captain said.
Further down the hallway, Relena was in her weekly meeting with Chief Une. "I know I say this every week, Chief…" Relena sighed. "but it's my job. The mayor is very concerned about the amount of structural damage caused by your department."
"I realize that the damage is rather… excessive, but as I keep saying there isn't anything we can do about it. We only get in when the criminals are using heavy artillery that can't be counteracted by normal means. If it isn't us causing the damage it's the criminals, and when they do it it's a hundred times worse. However, the mayor must concede that the crime level has dropped by six percent."
"The mayor would argue that the insurance rates have gone up twenty-seven percent and the population ahs dropped by .7 percent." Relena sighed. "But as you said, it can't be helped. The thing of the matter is, the mayor doesn't think that's true. I'll try to talk to His Honor about it but you know how that usually goes."
"No, don't bother." Une sighed. "The mayor only likes to hear two things: that he is right, he is going to be reelected." Relena nodded ruefully.
"Well, I've said all I was going to say." Relena stood up and straightened her skirt. "It's time for me to head back."
"I suspect I shall see you next week."
"It wouldn't surprise me."
"Hey Quatre, Wufei and I are going to the coffee shop on 73rd, do you want to come?" Trowa asked. Quatre looked up from the papers on his desk.
"Sure, but what about Heero and Duo?"
"They're waiting for us in the parking garage. We're taking Heero's car."
"Ah." As he stood to leave with Wufei and Trowa, Quatre noticed Relena coming down the hallway. "Hi Relena, how are you?"
"Oh, Hello Quatre, Trowa, Wufei. Same as always I suppose. How are you all?" Relena asked, seeming relieved at seeing the three young men.
"We're all just fine. We were just going to get some coffee." Trowa said. Would you like to join us?"
"I'd love to but I have to go to a meeting on the mayor's behalf while he's at that conference downtown."
"Oh well, perhaps next time."
"I'll see you all some other time." Relena waved and headed for the elevators.
"Let's go tell the captain where we're going." Wufei said. "Then we can head down to the parking garage."
Heero and Duo were patiently waiting by Heero's blue SUV.
Now you may be wondering what one person needs with a vehicle that big. Truth be told, after driving tanks for the military for three years, Heero never got used to driving small cars again. It always made him feel a little claustrophobic. At any rate, while the two officers were waiting Heero had been trying to convince Duo to outfit his car with a few… special features.
"For the last time, Heero, I'm not going to put a rocket launcher in your trunk." Duo protested.
"Aw c'mon Duo!" Heero begged. "Just a little one!"
"No!" Trowa and the others stepped out of the elevator at that moment.
"What's all the noise, boys?" Trowa asked nonchalantly.
"Soldier boy wants us to outfit his trunk with a rocket launcher." Duo rolled his eyes.
"You're nuts, Yuy." Quatre deadpanned.
"You all just have no imagination (2)." Heero said. "Anyway, are we going now or what?"
The 73rd Street Café (known as Ricardo's) was always frequented by police officers, fireman and the like, which was why our boys weren't surprised to see Dorothy, Hilde, and Catherine there as well. The latter waved them over to the table that the ladies were sitting at.
"Fancy meeting you guys here." Dorothy smirked. "Are you here for the coffee or the waitresses?"
"What kind of guys do you take us for?" Trowa asked, feigning offense. "The waitresses of course." Catherine playfully smacked him upside the head.
"Bad boy, no biscuit for you." She chided, her brother mock-whimpered sending the little group into a giggling fit. A waitress came over to take their order and the guys failed miserably at not ogling her.
"Man, you weren't kidding about the waitresses, Doro." Duo whistled, as the woman left to get their order.
"Down boy." Dorothy muttered. "Don't make me ask one of those firefighters to hose you down."
"Yeah, you all act like you've never seen a woman before." Hilde teased.
"That was no woman, that was a goddess." Trowa sighed.
"Did you see her eyes?" Wufei asked, dreamily. "Like twin pools of liquid silver…"
"I don't know, she gives me a really weird feeling…" Quatre said.
"That's what's supposed to happen when gorgeous women are around." Heero smirked. "It's called lust."
"It wasn't that kind of feeling!" Quatre turned bright red.
"You guys are hopeless." Hilde rolled her eyes
Once the coffee came, the conversation went to more sedate topics. Mostly about what was going on in other divisions and who got promoted. They were in the coffee shop for almost an hour before they had to head back to their respective stations. Dorothy and Catherine wanted to stay out a little longer, but Hilde insisted that they didn't need more lectures from their captain.
The drive back to the 195th was uneventful and Captain Scot was waiting for them when they got back to the pit.
"How's it going boys?" he asked.
"Fine sir." Heero replied. "Is there something you need to talk to us about?"
"We got a break in the case. We need to keep an eye out for this woman." He showed them a copy of the composite sketch and their jaws just about hit the floor.
"Unbe-freakin'-lievable…" Duo said slowly. "That's…"
"…the waitress from Ricardo's." Wufei finished.
"I knew there was something weird about her." Quatre mumbled.
"You saw this girl? When?" Captain Scot demanded.
"Just now, at Ricardo's on 73rd street." Heero replied. "What's going on, Captain?"
"That girl has a connection to the guys from the arson case; they called her Keeper."
//The girl from the journal.// Wufei and Trowa thought simultaneously.
"Winner, call the dispatcher and tell her to get a hold of the regular police at the 70th street precinct. Tell them to get a couple of guys over to that coffee shop and get that girl in custody."
"Sir." Quatre saluted and rushed off.
"Barton, go tell the Chief what's going on, Yuy find Officer Noin and Sergeant Peacecraft and inform them of our situation. Maxwell, Chang, check your tanks over and prepare to move out when they get back."
"Sir." The four saluted and went to do as instructed.
//It's about time we had some luck (3) in this case…//
1) Batty riders to you Jamaicans, poom-poom shorts to you Bahamians.
2) Fine thing for Heero to say, isn't it? I love OOCness…
3) Some call it luck, I call it plot contrivance.