It was of course as he had feared. They would be assisting the police even more in this investigation than they had in the past, and due to his long, dark hair and paler skin, he was the best candidate to check out the scene. Of course his habits, interests and what not had certainly not helped him stay off their respective radars… But he was who he was and even after the long life he'd led, he was still that same person… Immortality hadn't changed him too terribly much. It was just one of those things. One got better, wiser, weirder and more withdrawn with age he supposed – and none here would ever guess his true age. He'd gotten better at lying throughout his time on this earth as well. What would they do without him?
"Right Sir, so I'm to assume then, that I'm to be out at night, scouring the Goth scene as it were and seeing if I can find our dear boy Dark or at least find out information on him then?" He asked turning his dark gaze on his Chief.
"Yes, Nigel you are. Detective Hoyt will be accompanying you."
Nigel couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "Pardon me Garrett, but are you off your bloody rocker? Hoyt? No offense but our dear Woodrow here would definitely not fit in at any of the clubs in the area. If we're going to do this right, he's going to have to look the part, hell, he's going to have to look, sound and walk the part. Frankly I don't think he'll be up to it. He's as straight laced as they get." Nigel scoffed.
Garrett had to admit, Nigel did have a point, Woody would stick out like a sore thumb in the scene they'd have to invade. "Well we are assisting with a police investigation Nigel… and he is the Officer assigned to the case, we don't have much choice really." Garrett said, pinching the bridge of his nose in contemplation.
"Woody, do try to lose the goody two shoes image. If I'm going to have to take you along on this endeavor, do your best not to embarrass yourself… or me. All black if you have it… an all black suit would even work… and we are going to have to pale you out Woodrow… you look too alive to go to any club like that… and I suppose a bit of eyeliner wouldn't hurt…. Darken you up a bit?" Nigel chuckled.
"I will not be wearing makeup. That just is not going to happen… you can't make me." Woody stammered looking rather quite indignant.
"Well then you can't go I'm afraid. You're going to scream cop just walking in there looking like you do and we'll not get a stitch of information out of them. Come on Woodrow, let that untarnished image go for a night, have some fun, live a little." Nigel coaxed, chuckling mentally… Live a little… Nigel wasn't even alive, but they didn't need to know that… another little private joke… how he loved them. Everyone else was getting a kick out of this conversation as well… the fact that Detective Hoyt was thoroughly embarrassed and the topic of putting the lad in makeup of all things had them practically rolling in the aisles. It was quite fun for Nigel really.
"No, I'm just… No… You can't leave me behind and you won't get me to wear makeup Nigel." Hoyt argued.
"Awww but love, you'd look so smashing in it." Nigel chuckled in that seductively gay tone he sometimes used, which got another big laugh out of those assembled.
"Well you two will have to work something out. You want to catch this guy Woody you might have to take some pointers from Nigel since he seems to be so familiar with the lifestyle and the clubs that you'll be visiting in search of our suspect. So come to some sort of an agreement and don't jeopardize the case, that's all that I ask." Garrett says as he gathers his papers and stalks out of the office shaking his head.
"Come on Woody, I think you'd look good in all black with a paler face… maybe a bit of red lipstick looking like you'd just drunk blood…" Jordan says in that purring little laughing tone of hers. Woody just stares at her blankly as always and I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to like the picture that 'vampire' was painting in everyone's head. I would so love to show her…
"Let's face it Jordan, luv, Woodrow's just not man enough to do it. Scared of makeup and a little bit of black clothing… poor, poor boy." Nigel teased. Jordan just turned to him and laughed while Woody sulked. It was a beautiful picture indeed.
"Too right Nigel. Woody's just a bit too All American guy for this. I mean sure, Superman could go from Mr. Apple Pie to super hero, but our Detective Hoyt just doesn't have that in him. He's a bit too Clark Kent for all of this. Too bad though." Jordan chuckled with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Nigel loved that look on her face. Oh she would make a most excellent companion. She was already so well suited to his secretive, eternal lifestyle. He really had to stop thinking about that; there was a case to solve.
"So Woodrow, what will it be? You do have to as Garret said come to some sort of agreement with me here. There are some things that we could do to make you fit in a bit better that will not completely destroy your Wisconsin American Guy image. We'll get you a black suit, a black dress shirt, a black tie… you might even have some of these things in your wardrobe. We'll muss up your hair a bit, give you a bit more of a roguish look. You'll have to do your best to not act like the apple pie cop that you are. I won't make you wear eyeliner, but we will be putting a wee bit of white powder on your face just to get rid of a bit of the tan… Unless of course we use the old sunless tanner bit. That could work, but we have to make you look a bit more of the scene Woodrow, there is just no help for it. If you go into one of those clubs dressed as you are, they will know instantly that you're a cop and that will not bode well for us." Nigel explained, trying very hard to not make fun of Detective Hoyt excessively.
Woody just sighed deeply. He didn't want anything to do with the goth scene – those kids had always creeped him out in school… Though, he had to admit that Nigel had a point. He hated to admit it, but with the image that was Woodrow Hoyt, he would stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of a goth club. "Alright, alright Nigel. I'll wear all black and I'll even put the stupid white powder on my face. There will be no eyeliner, there will be no pictures and we will never speak of this ever again… Alright?" He sighed; it was one of those things.
"No problem Woodrow, after all – Vampires don't show up in pictures." Nigel snickered… of course that was yet another Hollywood lie, but Woody didn't need to know that.
"No pictures? You mean Nige is the only one that's going to get to see you all dark and dashing? That's so not fair." Jordan said with a bit of a pout.
The meeting was quickly adjourned… as Dr. Macy had everyone going back to work. "So, you do have something suitable to wear, don't you Woodrow?" Nigel inquired, keeping the teasing out of his voice.
"I'll have to pick up a black dress shirt, but yes Nigel, I have something I can wear." Woody said with another deep sigh. This was all wearing on him quite a bit. This just wasn't his thing. He wanted this to be done and over with as quickly as possible. He wished he could just let Nigel go off and do this, but he was the cop in this case and Nigel was just the M.E. That meant that he had to go… if only things had been different.
"Well then, now that this has all finally been settled, shall we to our respective homes and meet back here after dark to go to the club and see what we can find out?" Nigel inquired, regarding Woody with an arched eyebrow.
"Yeah, I guess here's as good as any other places…" Woody sighed… he was wearing that kicked puppy face again. Thankfully we were all spared the sight of it for any length of time since it was at that point that Woodrow decided to take his leave.
"Do you think I was a little too hard on him Jordan, love?" Nigel asked, turning toward his favorite colleague.
"Nah Nige, he's just a little too all American apple pie for his own good, that's all. It'll do him good to let go like this… though he'll probably be just as much of a stuffed shirt as always." Jordan chuckled.
"Well, lucky for us, there are a lot in the goth scene that are just as stuffy as he is. Don't worry luv, I'll do as much of the talking as Woodrow will let me." Nigel chuckled. Jordan couldn't help but join in on his laughter. It was something of an infectious thing.
"Well, I'd better get going luv. I've got some work to get done if I'm going to make a good show of it at the club… that, and I'll have to make sure to bring a few things, in case our dear Woodrow doesn't pass muster." Nigel chuckled.
"Go get 'em Nige. Knock 'em dead… again." Jordan laughed as she turned and made her way out of the conference room. Oh how he loved her sense of humor, how she could be cutting and scathing at times and just plain hilarious at others. He shook his head and forced himself to go out and get about this evening's task.