Carrie 6

Chapter 6

Jace and Carrie Left the Snell's place and headed for the 12th precinct. A few minutes later Carrie was seated in one of the chairs by Detective Jacksons desk while Jace stood next to her. Steve Jackson, a tall African American man in a suit and tie, with broad shoulders and currently wearing a serious expression came back to his desk.

He handed Jace some photocopies of a file on Avano and his followers. There were people of all shapes and sizes in pictures in the file. The largest group of them were dressed as goths.

"That's everything I could get on the Snell case without getting caught by Detective Halleck." He said

"Halleck," said Jace thoughtfully, "Isn't he the one who wears that rumpled trench coat and suit and hates my guts?"

"That's him." Said Steve, "Try to avoid him if you can on the way out."

"What did I ever do to him anyway?" said Jace

"He's egotistical and Every time you come in here and manage to solve one of his stalled cases you make him look stupid in front of the captain." Replied Steve, "So whatever you do don't let him catch with those photostats."

Jace nodded, and he and Carrie made there way out of the precinct careful to avoid Halleck.

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Carrie straightened up and looked at herself in the Mirror. She now had on white face makeup, streaked hair, and bright red lipstick. She was dressed in a red and black lace corset dress and she had a studded collar around her neck.

There was knock on the bathroom door.

"Come in," she said. The door opened and Jace walked in. he had dyed blonde streaks into his own hair and had on similar makeup.

"Are you sure that I look alright." she said

"Definitely," said Jace, "in fact I would say that you are easily one of the prettiest goths I've ever seen."

Carrie blushed right through her white face makeup.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?"

"Because most of the people in those photos were goths," said Jace, "So this will probably our best bet to get into Avano's sanctum unnoticed."

They both stepped into the elevator and took it down to the Garage.

"Carrie," he said, "For this job I think we need to take my other car." He led her over to a black Ferrari 488, "This car was part of the inheritance," he explained, as he opened the passenger door for him, "But I only use it when I need to look wealthy."

"You think Sue's disappearance is about money?" asked Carrie as Jace climbed into the driver's seat.

"I do," said Jace

"But Sue doesn't have any money," said Carrie, "at least none that I know of."

"But you saw her aunt's house," said Jace, "I looked up some stats on it while you were getting ready it's A five-bedroom, four Bathroom Mediterranean Style house with an in-ground pool in the back in Florida. That runs into the six figures easy around here."

"I get it," said Carrie, "you think that Avano sucked her in to get to her aunt." Jace nodded

"I did some checking on the aunt and I found out that she runs her own real estate business and has a net worth of 10 to 15 Million dollars."

A few minutes later Jace and Carrie pulled into the parking lot outside the three-story building that served as Avano's meeting place. Jace hopped out and walked around the car to open Carrie's door. She smiled at him as she climbed out.

They turned and walked toward the building. Just after they stepped inside through the double door, Carrie noticed that a lot of the guys they were passing in the hallway were staring.

"Jace," she whispered, "everybody's staring at us, do you think they suspect?" she was surprised when Jace chuckled.

"Carrie," he said, "They're not starting at us they're staring at you."

"What, Why," she asked.

"I told you," he said, "You're Beautiful." Carrie blushed again. When they got within sight the door to the auditorium where Avano held his meetings, they realized they had a problem. All the others that approached the door had an invitation card. They showed it to the 6-foot 7-inch hulk that was guarding the door.

"Well this could be a problem," muttered Jace, "I didn't count on needing an invitation."

"Jace," said Carrie, "I can see in his mind that there are more of those cards in office 343 one floor up."

Jace and Carrie slipped back into the elevator and pressed the button for the next floor. When the doors opened they slowly and cautiously walked down the hall. Half way down the hallway they found 243 hidden back in a small alcove. Jace tried the door.

"It's locked." He said

"No problem," said Carrie, her pupils dilated. She looked at the lock and there was an audible click as the door unlocked.

Jace opened the door. there across the room from the doorway on the table next to the copy machine were the remaining invitation cards. With a look two cards shot across the room into his hand. He handed one to Carrie. When they got back down stairs they got into the auditorium without any trouble.

Avano's followers were all seated in several ways. Some sat in the chairs, some where draped over the chairs and some were sitting on the floor. They were all chatting as they waited for Avano to appear. Carrie moved closer to Jace. This place was making her very nervous. She almost jumped when Jace put his arm around her, but she was actually grateful for the simple gesture.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and the in the next instant in a flash of fire Avano appeared seated on his "Throne".

"Welcome, My Children," he said in an eerie voice, "Today I have come to bring you council from the great beyond."

The rest of the meeting consisted of Avano giving advice and demonstrating his so-called clairvoyant powers by telling people about themselves about themselves things they didn't know how he could possibly know.

Carrie spoke to Jace telepathically,

"He puts on quite a show."

"Yeah, but that's all it is a show." Replied Jace, "So far I haven't seen him do anything that a decent stage magician couldn't do."

A few minutes later the meeting was over. Carrie and Jace began to mingle among the visitors that hung around the building. Carrie glanced at the different people as she and Jace strolled around arm in arm. suddenly her gaze rested on a girl standing in the corner with a couple of other girls. She had red streaks in her black hair. She was wearing a black corset dress and platform boots. Unlike the others she was looking around a little uneasily.

Carrie's eyes widened as she perceived something. She tightened her grip on Jace's arm.

"I know," said Jace, "I see it too. She knew Sue."

"We should talk to her." Said Carrie. Jace nodded in agreement. They worked their way through the crowd of people and over to her.

She looked up when they approached her.

"Hello," said Carrie with a smile.

"uh Hello," said the girl, "A little warily."

"Don't be afraid of us," said Carrie, "And don't ask us how we know, but we have a mutual friend, Sue Snell."

"You know Sue," she said lowering her voice.

Carrie nodded.

"We're looking for her." Said Jace quietly. The girl looked around first before saying anything else. I seemed she wanted to make sure that no one else was listening.

"My name is Josie Squires," she said, "But everyone around here as a name that Avano gives them. He gave me the name Raven and he gave Sue the name Dove, so that's the name that most everyone around here would know her by."

"I see," said Jace, "I get the feeling you two were pretty good friends" Josie nodded

"When she came here I could tell that something in her past was haunting her. It took a while before she opened up about it. Apparently, she's from that town in Maine where the so call black prom took place."

"She must have lost friends at the black prom," said Jace as he felt Carrie's arm tense up again.

"Well, yes she did," said Josie, "But she said it wasn't there deaths that haunted her. Get this, she says that the who disaster was caused by a girl with Psychokinetic powers, that this girl was tormented at home and at school. Sue said an incredibly cruel prank was played on her at the prom and the girl went Insane, unleashed her powers and caused that entire tragedy. She also said that up until then this girl had been a kind and gentle soul who had never harmed anyone.

She was deeply ashamed that she had ever been part of this girl's tormentors and was always haunted by her own actions."

"And that's why she got involved with Avano?" asked Jace. Josie nodded

"She was searching for away to make amends for past mistakes," said Josie, "She was even given the job of being Avano's secretary, and working in his office on the top floor, But I saw her not long before she disappeared, and she was very angry about something she had discovered. She said that Avano wasn't what he appeared to be and as soon as she could get her hands on the evidence she was going to prove it."

"And that was the last time you saw her?" asked Carrie. Josie just nodded.

"Thanks," said Carrie.

"I was still hanging around this place trying to find out anything that could tell me what happened to Sue but Avano and his 'Council' are being very tight lipped about the whole thing." Josie

"That gives me a bad feeling," said Jace. Carrie nodded gravely.

"Thanks, Josie," said Jace, "Now take my advice. Get out of this place and never come near Avano again."

Josie didn't need to be told twice she turned and left but not before she gave Jace and Carrie her number, so they could call her when they knew anything.

Jace and Carrie turned toward the rest of the room. Avano had already retired to his office. Jace and Carrie decided to try a direct strategy for the next part of their investigation. They stepped into the elevator and took it up to the top floor.

They walked down the hallway until they came to Avano's private office and rooms. They were stopped at the door by the same hulk they had seen downstairs earlier.

"Sorry no visitors," he said, "Avano is currently communing with the cosmos and cannot be disturbed."

"Not even to talk about Dove," said Carrie. The man gave a start at the mention of the name.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"You heard her," snapped Jace, "This concerns the disappearance of and possible foul play to a girl he called Dove, his secretary."

"Now," said Carrie, "You go and tell Avano for his own good he'd better get his head out of the cosmos and back down to earth right now."

TBC…. Please Read and Review