He's Not a Man Anymore, 7/?
Title: He's Not a Man Anymore (a.k.a. The Lycanthropy Case), chapter seven
Fandom: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Rating: T/PG-13
Word Count: 6,100
Main Characters: Fictional Rockapella
Summary: The guys set about attempting to bring Vivalene down.
Will be posted to 10_hurt_comfort when complete.
Chapter Seven
The walk along the rest of the corridor was mostly silent.
Scott massaged his eyes, silently scolding himself. Of course there had been a logical explanation for Elliott's behavior; the hypnosis session had proved it. And that was what he had really believed, despite the nagging voice in the back of his mind that had whispered the suggestion of the werewolf being real and El being the werewolf. Though . . . they still did not know that the werewolf was not real, he supposed. But he was growing disgusted with himself for even considering it.
"It must be a relief to know the truth, right, El?" Sean spoke.
Elliott looked over at him. "Yeah, no kidding," he sighed. "But I'm glad I was already starting to feel like I wasn't the wolf." He looked to Scott. "And whatever you think, Scott, the truth is that you helped a lot with that."
Scott managed a smile. "I'm glad, El," he said. "That's what I wanted to do. . . ."
He winced, reaching up to touch his wounded shoulder. The pain was starting to flare up again; it felt like it might have started to bleed a second time. And that was not encouraging.
Elliott gave him a worried look. "Do you think it could be infected?" he asked.
Scott shook his head. "Barry tended to it almost as soon as it happened," he said. "It sure hurts, though."
He had to wonder what doctor was on duty by now. Hopefully it was not Gregory Fenton. After the way he had instantly decided Elliott was suffering from clinical lycanthropy, Scott was not crazy about talking to him---especially to have him stitch up claw wounds from the wolf creature.
He glanced at Elliott, but the thought had not seemed to cross his friend's mind. He was too worried about Scott and Sean.
Luckily, a different physician met them when they returned to the main lobby of the infirmary. "Hello there," he greeted. "How are ACME's finest Musicnet agents today?"
"Scott needs help," Elliott said quickly. "And Sean should be looked at, too."
"Well, come into an exam room," Dr. Roger Thorp said with a gesture. "Run into trouble on a case?"
"You could say that," Scott said, wondering if Dr. Thorp knew about the werewolf problems. He and the others followed the older doctor to the nearest examination room, Barry closing the door after them as they entered.
Scott started shrugging off his coat. "We were wondering if this needed stitches," he said, indicating his shoulder.
Dr. Thorp washed his hands and came over, peeling back the bandage and frowning at the three parallel claw wounds. "My goodness," he said. "First Elliott, now you, Scott? Though these don't look like they were inflicted by a dog. . . ."
Scott gave a weak smile. "Would you believe a werewolf?"
Dr. Thorp paused, then shook his head and crossed the room to gather the necessary tools from the cupboard. "I have heard the nonsense going around today about a werewolf attack in Riverdale," he said as he washed his hands again. "And something about Elliott attacking you in the morning . . . ?"
"There's a plot against him," Scott said in an instant.
"I was hypnotized to act like that," Elliott added with a frown.
Dr. Thorp frowned too. "You've certainly been getting into some terrible predicaments today," he said.
Scott winced as he saw the physician come back with the equipment. He wanted to ask if the doctor had also heard what people had been saying about Elliott's behavior, but he did not like to when Elliott was right there.
Elliott himself broached the subject.
"I guess I don't have many friends at ACME anymore," he said with a rueful smile.
The doctor set to work cleaning and stitching the painful gashes. "Well," he said slowly, "some people aren't sure what to make of the news. They know how close you and Scott are, however, and they all assert that you would not act like that unless something was terribly wrong. They were suggesting stress, some physical illness . . ." He trailed off, focusing his attention on closing off the thread for the first slash.
". . . Do they want to put me away?" Elliott asked. He could guess that "mental illness" would have been the next words out of Dr. Thorp's mouth, but the old physician was too tactful to say it.
". . . They're concerned that you need . . . help," Dr. Thorp said. "That one Gumshoe . . . Jessica, is it? She's been telling people that you shoved her last night."
Sean frowned. "She can't just keep it to herself?" he said. "Okay, I can see that she might want to tell a doctor if she thinks something serious is wrong with El, but it sounds more like she's been randomly passing along the story to everyone."
"Well . . ." Dr. Thorp hesitated again, looking embarrassed. He looked at the gauze he was applying to Scott's shoulder.
"I deserve to know," Elliott said.
The physician looked weary. "I'm sure you'll hear it soon, my boy," he said, "but she's saying that . . . you were her favorite and she's been disillusioned."
"She doesn't even know any of the facts!" Scott exclaimed in indignation, while Elliott just gaped. He was not sure whether he was more surprised that she would string such a thing around or that she had said he had been her favorite.
"I know," Dr. Thorp nodded. "But I can see how it would be a terrible shock to her. . . ."
"Yeah . . ." Elliott sighed. Even though he was not the wolf, he had really shoved Jessica---albeit under hypnosis. Part of him felt that he needed to apologize. The other part was not sure he even wanted to talk to her after what she had been causing.
"If she really liked you, man, she would wait to get your side of the story," Scott said, indignation flaming in his eyes. "And she wouldn't string things all around like gossip."
"I guess so . . ." Elliott said. "I don't know, I don't understand women. . . ." He added this in a frustrated mutter.
"Does anyone?" Sean offered in a cheerful tone. Elliott cracked a slight smile.
"It will work out," Dr. Thorp told him. "All of this will blow over, especially after the truth is revealed."
Elliott rubbed his eyes. "It'd probably be better not to say anything until we bring in the culprits," he said, again frustrated that they could do nothing about Scott's double. And they still needed to know who had taught him hypnosis. That practice had not existed during the Revolutionary War. Either Vivalene had taught him, knowing that only he could get Elliott hypnotized by pretending to be Scott, or there was another party involved---maybe the same one playing the wolf. Not to mention they had to find out who was behind everything. Vivalene had to be working for someone.
"Wouldn't it be better to tell people now?" Dr. Thorp asked. "At least let it be known that you weren't yourself."
"I don't know if they'd believe me," Elliott said honestly.
"Oh, I don't know. You and the others are very well-liked around here," Dr. Thorp told him. "The other agents are sincerely concerned about you and want to understand what happened."
"Maybe." Elliott massaged the bridge of his nose.
The physician decided to drop the matter. He leaned back after closing off the last thread. "There!" he said to Scott. "You're ready to go now."
"Thanks," Scott said in relief as he moved to slide his torn coat back over his shoulders. "Now check Sean."
The taller man sighed, but good-naturedly walked into the center of the room. "There's really nothing wrong with me, Doc," he said. "I just got pitched a short distance by the wolf."
Dr. Thorp's eyebrows shot up. "My boy!" he gasped.
He had Sean take off his shirt, whereupon he began to examine the detective for injuries sustained in the fall. Sean winced as the physician's hands ran over a tender spot. But then he grinned again, looking ready to crack a joke.
"It's nothing," he said. "I've been through worse."
Dr. Thorp shook his head. "You should rest," he said.
"No time for that tonight," Sean said. "We have to clear El's name."
"And do you have any idea on how to do that?" Dr. Thorp asked, finding another sore place on Sean's shoulder.
"Sure," Sean gritted his teeth. "We have to catch a vixen."
****
In light of the revelations Elliott had brought to them under hypnosis, they mutually opted to wait to look at the ring. Instead, they determined to go right ahead with Sean's plan.
Deciding that calling ahead would be a bad idea, Rockapella headed right back to the hotel in Riverdale after changing clothes and grabbing something to eat. The ride was tense and mostly silent, broken by the guys' discussions on what to do depending on if Vivalene was at her room or not. It was unfortunate that they could not arrest her solely on the basis of what Elliott had said under hypnosis. They had to find concrete evidence to back up their claims. And though they had procured a blood test for Elliott, courtesy of Dr. Thorp, they would not have the results back for a while.
"Maybe we could get the glass you drank out of, El," Sean said as he parked at the hotel. "If we could find traces in it of whatever substance turns up in your blood, we'd have a closed case!"
"I'm sure she was smart enough to wash it out," Elliott sighed, shaking his head as he got out of the car.
"Too true," Sean said.
He and the others exited the vehicle as well and they headed inside. A different clerk was at the desk, blinking at them with curiousness.
"Can I help . . ."
"No thanks, we know where we're going!" Sean called over his shoulder as he thundered up the stairs. Scott, Elliott, and Barry chased after him. The poor clerk gawked.
As they screeched to a halt in front of Vivalene's door, Jeff turned to look at them from where he was standing by the same location, his arms crossed. He did not look impressed by the noise level---or by all of them crashing into each other as they stopped. At the same moment, Vic the Slick opened his door down the hall.
"What's the deal with throwin' herds of elephants down the stairs?" he yelled, shaking a fist at the detectives.
"It gets us here faster," Sean smirked.
Jeff sighed. "She's not here," he said. "I knocked twice and rang the doorbell."
Sean shrugged. "Oh well, then I guess we go back downstairs and show our search warrant to the desk clerk."
The boy's mouth dropped open. "Search warrant?!" he repeated.
Scott nodded. "Now we know even more about Vivalene's involvement, just as we were hoping," he said. "It was easy to get the warrant."
"And just how did you find out?" Jeff frowned, moving to follow them as they turned to troop down the stairs.
"Top secret ACME business," Sean said with a smirk.
". . . You're enjoying driving me crazy, aren't you?" Jeff retorted.
Sean paused at the bottom, his hands on his hips. Then he glanced over his shoulder, his braids sweeping out with the motion. "Would it make me sound too heartless to say Yes?" he said with an innocent look.
Jeff frowned. Sean said it as if to be funny, but he actually was annoyed with Jeff deep down. Jeff could read between the lines.
Scott also shot him a Look as he followed Sean to the desk. Scott was not mincing words; his eyes said very clearly that he was displeased by Jeff's conduct in the cemetery. You went too far.
But Jeff did not have the chance to say anything about it.
"Hi," Sean was saying to the clerk. "We have a search warrant for Room 204. Here it is, and here's our authorization." He held out his badge along with the document. The clerk took both in stunned shock.
"I . . . I see," he stammered. "And you need the key card, Detective?"
"Well, she's not home to open the door," Sean said.
The nervous man set the warrant and the badge back on the counter as he turned to the cubbies. Taking out the spare key card, he laid it atop the badge with shaking hands. Sean scooped up all three objects, turning to head back to the stairs.
"Thanks," he said.
Again they thundered up the steps, much to Vic's displeasure. Sean stuffed his badge and the warrant into his pocket as he jabbed the key card into the slot. It clicked, and he threw the door open.
"Okay," he said as he reached for the light switch, "all occupants of this room come out with your hands up!"
Elliott snickered in spite of himself. The suite was obviously empty.
Sean wandered in, whistling Long Cool Woman as he glanced into the living room and moved through to the bedroom. Barry went to check the bathroom.
Scott pulled open a drawer in a small desk by the picture window, briefly looking over the contents. Vivalene had not added anything of her own; there was only a small telephone book and a pamphlet of hotel rules. He shut the drawer and rifled through the cubby holes above the writing space.
Elliott went to the kitchenette, Jeff trailing behind him. He opened the small fridge, bending down to peer inside.
"Anything?" Jeff asked, trying to look over his shoulder.
Elliott stepped aside, not liking his personal space being invaded. "Leftover takeout," he said, but Jeff was already discovering that for himself.
The kid lifted the lid on the Styrofoam container, regarding the contents with longing. "Fried chicken . . . !" he exclaimed.
Elliott gawked at him as he started to reach inside. "What are you doing?!" he gasped.
"We've gotta eat, don't we?" Jeff replied, pulling out a loose piece of the crunchy breaded covering that had fallen to the bottom of the box.
Elliott shook his head, vaguely reminded of Sean. "We can't eat her food, even if we do have a warrant," he said, even as Jeff crunched down on the purloined bite.
Jeff shrugged, but closed the fridge door. ". . . So," he said as he finished chewing, "since you found out more about Vivalene's involvement in the case, have you found out yet who the wolf is?"
"No," Elliott said, his tone guarded. "I just know it isn't me."
Jeff frowned. "I need to know who it is," he said, "for the investigation."
"But you were hired by Vivalene," Elliott pointed out. "Reporting back to her isn't going to help. She's the enemy!"
"This isn't about Vivalene," Jeff retorted. "It was never about her, at least not for me." He turned away, crossing his arms as he studied the rest of the room.
Elliott sighed. ". . . Sean was right, wasn't he?" he said. "You're trying to prove yourself to your uncle."
Jeff sighed too. ". . . I was going down a pretty bad path," he said, sounding resigned. "I got in with wild kids. . . . One night they stole some stuff without me knowing it. Then they tried to pin it on me. Long story short, I found out and started beating the main guy up for framing me. He said I wasn't hardcore enough or something to be part of the gang. Not that I wanted to be part of it any longer. After the mess got sorted out, my mom and dad made me accept my uncle's offer to train me as a P.I. They thought I could use an environment on the right side of the law. I don't know, I guess they thought I was going bad or something and needed to be on the other end of the chase.
"I guess I am trying to prove something to my uncle, and to my parents, but mostly I'm just trying to prove it to myself. I wanted to prove I'm not the bad egg everyone seems to think I am."
He turned back. "You know, I wanted to join ACME," he said. "But for that I have to become a better detective than I am now. I thought maybe this case would be my chance."
Elliott considered what he was being told. He was surprised that Jeff had opened up, especially to him, but he was glad of it too. It helped him understand the other a bit better. In some ways, he supposed, their pasts were not all that different. And he did not think Jeff was bad, just over-confident and impulsive.
"Maybe it still can be," he said at last.
Jeff blinked. "I accused you and you can still say that?"
"It did look bad for me, if anyone bothered to dig a little." Elliott laid a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Actually, we had a rough start too, when we first joined ACME."
Jeff finally nodded, stunned by Elliott's kindness and not certain how to acknowledge it. ". . . I guess we'd better keep looking for evidence," he said.
"Yeah," Elliott agreed.
At the same moment, Sean re-entered the living room with a sigh. "Nothing!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.
Scott blew out his breath in frustration. "So now what?" he wondered, looking up from the desk.
"We could wait for her to come back," Sean said.
"Anything else?" Barry deadpanned as he walked over to them.
Sean frowned, thinking it over for a minute. "I don't suppose you'd do one little thing to help us," he said, looking to Jeff.
Jeff looked at him in surprise. "Like what?"
"Did Vivalene give you a phone number?" Sean asked.
"Yeah," Jeff said. "Her cellphone, I think."
"Then call her," Sean said, "and tell her there's been a break in the case. Tell her you need to talk to her."
Jeff regarded him in awe. "And then you guys will be there when she comes!" he said.
"That's right!" Sean smiled. "A little surprise she won't be expecting."
Jeff took a deep breath, the debate still at work within himself. "I still don't know if you're telling the truth," he said. "But I know I want to believe you. And . . . I'd rather work with ACME than against them." He smiled. "Yeah, I'll help you."
Sean whooped for joy as he and the others gathered around. Jeff, looking embarrassed, pulled out his cellphone.
"Okay, okay," he muttered, looking at the device to hide his smile. "She might not even answer, you know." He also took out a piece of paper, glancing at the number before dialing with his thumb and bringing the phone to his ear.
After a moment there was a click. "Hello?" Vivalene voice purred. Elliott turned bright red at the smoky sound.
"Uh, hey," Jeff said. "I'm one of Aaron Gordon's apprentices---Jeff."
"Oh yes, Jeff," Vivalene said in a conversational tone.
"There's been a break in the case," Jeff said. "I need to talk to you about it."
"How wonderful," Vivalene said, not giving any indication of what she was actually thinking. "Do you feel you're any closer to knowing who's behind the attacks?"
Jeff looked to the others for help. Sean nodded.
"Um, yeah," Jeff said then. His confidence gathered. "In fact, I'm pretty sure of it! He'll probably be arrested tonight."
"Wonderful," Vivalene said, though she sounded slightly hesitant. "Oh, I do hope he isn't . . ." But she trailed off. "Nevermind! Where do you want to meet, darling?"
Jeff frowned, confused both by her unfinished sentence and her question. Where should they meet?
"The detective agency," Elliott mouthed.
". . . My uncle's agency," Jeff said. "How soon can you be there?"
"Within fifteen, twenty minutes," Vivalene said. "I'll leave right now. I do thank you so much, Jeff. You've been such a big help."
"It was nothing," Jeff said. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Of course. Ciao!"
Jeff shook his head as he heard the click signifying the end of the call. "What a woman," he muttered.
"What a faker," Sean replied.
He hurried to the door. "We have to get to the agency first," he said. "Come on!"
The others rushed after him. "But Sean!" Elliott exclaimed. "What's our plan? What are we going to do when Vivalene gets there?"
"I'll tell you when we get there!" Sean called back as he stepped into the hall. "Don't worry, I've got a plan. Jeff's ad-libbing made it all come together."
He looked to Jeff. "By the way," he asked, "did you bring a car?"
"I walked," Jeff replied as they all stepped into the corridor.
"You better come with us, then," Sean said. "Good thing our car seats five. . . ." He made sure the lights were off before pulling the door shut and locking it. Then he hastened to the stairs. The others followed.
****
Elliott was worried that Vivalene would end up arriving before them. But no cars were in sight when they parked at the back of the small building a short time later.
Jeff leaped out first, jogging to the back door and inserting the key. As he pushed the door open, he reached for the light switch just inside. The quartet followed, looking around the side of the building to the main street in order to make certain Vivalene was not already coming. Satisfied that the coast was clear, they filed inside.
"This is the lounge," Jeff said in explanation as they shot curious looks at the old green sofa, the worn office chairs, and the water cooler.
"Is there going to be a place for us to hide in the main office?" Sean wondered. "We need to be able to record everything being said, too."
Jeff frowned, thinking on the problem. "Two of you could get behind the big desk," he said. "And maybe the other two in a closet. . . . But hey, wait!" His eyes widened as a new dilemma occurred to him. "I told her the perp would probably be arrested tonight! She'll want to know who it is. . . ."
"And that's the key to everything!" Sean said in a grand tone. He looked to his childhood friend. "El, would you mind pretending to be the guilty party?" he asked.
Elliott was stunned. "Huh?!" He fixed wide, bewildered eyes on the other man.
Scott also stared at their leader. "What are you thinking, Sean?!" he exclaimed. "We're trying to clear El's name here . . . !"
Sean nodded. "And I want to see how Vivalene reacts if Jeff says he caught the werewolf, then knocked him out and watched him turn back into a human," he said. "Maybe she'll slip up. After all, if she knows who the real culprit is, then she'll also know that you're innocent, El. And maybe Jeff's statement will really startle her."
Understanding dawned. "It's worth a try!" Elliott decided, his eyes brightening. "Sure, I'll play a werewolf for that."
"Good!" Sean pointed at the floor. "Lay down here and pretend to be knocked out. And we'll have to make it look like your hands are restrained. . . ."
Elliott frowned as he got down on the short carpet. "But what if I need to suddenly jump up and help out?" he wondered.
"That's why we'll just make it look that way," Sean said, producing a pair of handcuffs. "We won't close these all the way, but if you lay right, it won't be noticed."
"I've got a better idea," Jeff said. "I know how to tie someone up so they can slip out of it!" He pulled a piece of rope out of his pocket. "She might notice unlocked handcuffs, but she shouldn't notice a loose rope."
"Let's try it," Sean said. "El, do whatever he tells you to do."
Elliott nodded, holding out his hands with the wrists together. Jeff knelt down, starting to wrap the rope around the older man's wrists. "Now hold it here," he said, pushing part of the rope into Elliott's hand. The brunet took it, grasping it as Jeff finished tying him up. Then the P.I. leaned back, looking pleased.
"There!" he smirked. "You'll be able to get out of that easy."
"I hope so," Elliott said as he laid down on his side and closed his eyes. "How do I look?"
"Try being more limp," Jeff said as he stood.
Elliott relaxed his muscles as much as he thought he could.
"Perfect!" Sean said.
The roar of a motor sent him, Scott, and Barry flying behind the desk. "Is that her?!" Scott gasped.
Jeff glanced to the window. "I think so," he said. "The car just turned the corner. I can see the headlights on the window."
Scott slapped his forehead. "We'll all have to stay back here," he moaned. "Are we noticeable?"
"No, if you don't move," Jeff said. "Do you already have your recorder thing?"
Sean gave a mock salute. "Right here," he said, pulling the miniature tape recorder out of his pocket. "I'll start it now so she won't hear the click."
"Just in time," Jeff noted. "She's parking." He started to pace back and forth in front of Elliott, as if watching him to make sure he would not suddenly awaken.
Elliott did not dare move, even to slightly shift his position. His thoughts were racing. Would they be able to pull this off? What if Vivalene threw another monkey wrench into the works? What if she did not fall for their ploy and did not let anything incriminating slip?
He gritted his teeth behind closed lips. It was almost unbearable, to hear Jeff walking back and forth in front of him and to not be able to open his eyes and observe him. It felt like the kid was getting too close to his personal space.
The door opened and Jeff looked up with a start. Vivalene sashayed in, not noticing Elliott's form right away.
"I came as fast as I could, Jeff darling," she said. "Did you say you'd found out the identity of the wolf?"
Jeff nodded, hoping he was going to sound convincing. "It ended up breaking in here not too long after I called you," he said. "I guess it knew I was onto it!" He shook his head, looking overwhelmed. "Somehow I was able to knock it out, and . . . well . . . then it turned back into a human. . . ." He stepped aside, allowing Vivalene to get a good look.
The woman's eyes widened. "Oh no!" she gasped, running over and kneeling down beside Elliott. "No, there must be some mistake! It has to be a mistake!" She reached out, gently running her hand over Elliott's dark curls. It was all the poor man could do not to pull away from her uncaring touch.
"There's no mistake," Jeff said, sounding regretful. "I was surprised too. I don't know how I'm going to tell his friends. . . . They were so convinced he was being framed."
Vivalene continued to stroke Elliott's hair. "You said on the phone that he was going to be arrested," she said, "but surely not! The poor dear! He can't want to hurt people, after all!"
"Whether he wanted to or not, he's done it," Jeff said, wondering how long they could keep the charade going. She had to know it was a trick.
"Oh, how hard did you hit him?" Vivalene frowned. "He should be waking up now."
Jeff racked his mind for an answer. "He's probably weak from transforming back," he said. "I didn't hit him that hard!"
Sean nodded to himself. Jeff was quick on the draw. That was good.
"Please tell me nothing horrible will happen to him," Vivalene implored. "He doesn't deserve any cruelty. He's just a sweet, dear man. He's . . . he's a victim!"
Scott clenched a fist. That two-faced witch! She did not mean any of what she said. How many men had she wrapped around her finger in the past? She would not have Elliott. She would never have Elliott!
"It's not up to me what happens to him," Jeff said. "But I'm not going to call the police. I'm going to have his friends decide what to do. They have the most right . . . hey! What are you doing?!" he cried.
Barry stiffened. What was she doing?! If only they could look out without being seen! Confound the need for secrecy!
Vivalene had reached out with her free hand, grasping a small bit of skin on the back of Elliott's uninjured hand. As she held it between her thumb and forefinger, she squeezed and twisted it.
The sudden, sharp, intense pain was too much. Elliott cried out, his eyes flying open. Vivalene was still pinching him, smirking at his misery.
His eyes flashed. He pulled at the rope to free his hands, forcing Vivalene to let go as it unraveled. Then he sat up, watching as she rocked back.
"This farce has gone far enough," he said, his voice a warning signal.
"I agree!" Sean exclaimed as he and the others ran out from behind the desk. The tape recorder was still running, safely inside Sean's pocket.
Vivalene looked around at the men as she brushed her red curls over her shoulder. "Well, my!" she purred. "Isn't this a convention."
"What did you do that to him for?" Jeff crossly asked.
"I didn't like the trick you were playing on me!" she said. "And I decided I'd let him know I knew he was faking." She looked to Elliott. "Isn't that right, darling?"
The brunet's eyes darkened. "What made you think that?" he said. "I didn't move."
"But your clothes aren't torn!" Vivalene said, touching the tip of his nose with her finger. "If you were the werewolf, they would be ripped to shreds."
Elliott fell back in chagrin. They had not even thought of that! If there had been more time, someone surely would have, but on the spur of the moment it had not crossed anyone's mind.
"There, you see?" Vivalene smirked. "You're not a werewolf. But you are a very naughty boy. Really, all of you are." She stood up, gesturing to the five men encircling her. "Imagine, trying to make me believe such a dreadful thing. I can't say I'll want to continue employing your uncle's services after this, Jeff darling!" she said, looking to the apprentice P.I.
"I can't say he'd miss it," Jeff shot back.
Vivalene's hands went to her hips. "And I do expect an explanation!" she said. "Why did you do this? I thought you were more honorable than to play cruel tricks, Elliott darling."
"Aren't you the one playing cruel tricks?" Scott retorted as he stepped forward. Maybe they could still trip her up. If Elliott revealed that he remembered what had happened the previous night, when he had been supposed to forget, that might rattle her enough to get something useful out of her.
"Me?!" Vivalene cried. "What kind of cruel nonsense are you speaking now?"
"I'd like to know why you had Scott's double over for company last night," Elliott said.
The woman stared at him, the color draining from her face. "What?!" she exclaimed.
"And I'd like to know why he hypnotized me!" Elliott cried. "I'd like to know why he told me to run off every time you blew me a kiss and to act like a wolf when I saw someone fixing her hair. I'd like to know what I ever did to you that would make you go along with the plot."
Vivalene blinked, definitely stunned by this turn of events. She took a step back. "Darling, I still don't know what you mean . . ." she tried to say.
"You know exactly what he means!" Scott said. "And I'd like to know what was really in that drink you gave him!"
"Nothing but the liquor," Vivalene purred. "I really wasn't expecting him to start choking on it. But then, that's how nervous he was, the poor dear."
"Stop calling me that." Elliott's voice was hard, cold. "You don't really care about me. I'm sick of hearing you talk like I actually mean something to you."
"But you do!" Vivalene said. "You mean quite a bit to me."
"I'm sure," Sean said in sarcasm. "He means just as much as what you were paid to darken his name."
"I wasn't paid a thing!" Vivalene said. "And you're aware of it, aren't you, darling? After all, you're probably the guilty parties in actuality. Poor Elliott, having such a group of wicked people for his friends."
Scott's eyes flashed. And he had thought she had gone too far long ago! There were no words to express his fury now.
"We'd never do anything to hurt him!" he cried.
"Yes," Vivalene mused, "you'd say that. But do you really mean it, darling, or are you just two-faced?"
Elliott looked at her. Any traces of shyness were gone by now. After all, he was only shy around real ladies.
". . . Shut up."
Vivalene blinked, looking to him. "What did you say?"
"I said shut up!" Elliott's voice raised, his hat tipping back on his head. "Making accusations against me is one thing. I can take it. But I won't let you accuse my friends."
"My, but you're touchy," Vivalene said.
"I'm not either," Elliott retorted. "No one with a heart would appreciate the way you're acting."
"Sometimes it's those closest to you that you need to watch out for," Vivalene told him.
"And sometimes it's complete strangers who don't mind their own business," Elliott said.
Jeff felt a bit sick as he watched the exchange. Vivalene's words were so similar to his own from the cemetery. What had he been thinking? He should have talked peaceably with these guys, laid out the evidence and waited to hear what they would say to defend themselves, instead of playing judge and jury and announcing Elliott was guilty. Was he any better than those who had blindly accused him of stealing in the past? He had only wanted to stop crime, but in his desire to prove himself he had grown zealous.
"Well, really!" Vivalene said now. "After the evening we spent together, I'd hardly say I'm a complete stranger!"
"You had some ulterior motive all along," Elliott retorted. "That's why Scott's double told me to meet you when he hypnotized me in my room!"
Again with the brief look of surprise. "You do have an imagination, darling," Vivalene said. "You must have been worse sick than I thought!" She looked to the others. "If you care about him at all, you'll take him to a doctor at once!"
"We already did," Sean replied. "El is of sound mind."
"Then get a second opinion!" Vivalene said, moving to step out of the circle. The guys looked at each other and held their ground. They were not ready to let her get away yet.
"Jeff! What is this?!"
Everyone started, looking to the door. Mr. Gordon had entered, appalled by the sight of Vivalene surrounded by five detectives.
"We're conducting a criminal investigation here," Sean said. "We used a search warrant to go through Vivalene's hotel room. . . ."
"Well, really!" Vivalene cried. "However did you get such a thing?"
"I remembered everything that happened," Elliott said.
"That's impossible!" Vivalene spat.
"Why?" Elliott retorted. "Because I was told to forget?"
Vivalene's eyes widened. "Of course not!" she exclaimed.
Mr. Gordon crossed his arms. "What is going on?!" he demanded.
"I'd like to know, too!" Jeff said. "What's this about being told to forget?!"
Sean ignored them both. "You know, I think we have more than enough to take you in for questioning," he said. "We were hoping to get a full confession first, but I can see that isn't going to happen." He took hold of Vivalene's arm. "This way, if you please!"
"I most certainly do not please!" Vivalene ranted, trying to pull away. Barry grabbed her other arm.
Her moment of anger passed. She took a deep breath, giving them a coy smile. "Now really, darlings, this isn't the way to treat a lady," she said.
"Lady?" Sean repeated. "I don't see one." He pretended to look around the room.
"Sean . . . !" Elliott scolded, but he had to snicker. Vivalene was certainly the farthest thing from a proper lady!
Sean and Barry began to escort the woman towards the door. She sighed, but then shrugged in resignation. She was convinced that they could not hold her. They would question her and let her go.
"Are we welcome to attend your little interrogation?" Mr. Gordon asked, the annoyance evident in his voice.
"Sure," Scott said. "You're a part of this too."
The "herds of elephants" line is quoted from Lisa. **is amused to no end by it.**
Fandom: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Rating: T/PG-13
Word Count: 6,100
Main Characters: Fictional Rockapella
Summary: The guys set about attempting to bring Vivalene down.
Will be posted to 10_hurt_comfort when complete.
Chapter Seven
The walk along the rest of the corridor was mostly silent.
Scott massaged his eyes, silently scolding himself. Of course there had been a logical explanation for Elliott's behavior; the hypnosis session had proved it. And that was what he had really believed, despite the nagging voice in the back of his mind that had whispered the suggestion of the werewolf being real and El being the werewolf. Though . . . they still did not know that the werewolf was not real, he supposed. But he was growing disgusted with himself for even considering it.
"It must be a relief to know the truth, right, El?" Sean spoke.
Elliott looked over at him. "Yeah, no kidding," he sighed. "But I'm glad I was already starting to feel like I wasn't the wolf." He looked to Scott. "And whatever you think, Scott, the truth is that you helped a lot with that."
Scott managed a smile. "I'm glad, El," he said. "That's what I wanted to do. . . ."
He winced, reaching up to touch his wounded shoulder. The pain was starting to flare up again; it felt like it might have started to bleed a second time. And that was not encouraging.
Elliott gave him a worried look. "Do you think it could be infected?" he asked.
Scott shook his head. "Barry tended to it almost as soon as it happened," he said. "It sure hurts, though."
He had to wonder what doctor was on duty by now. Hopefully it was not Gregory Fenton. After the way he had instantly decided Elliott was suffering from clinical lycanthropy, Scott was not crazy about talking to him---especially to have him stitch up claw wounds from the wolf creature.
He glanced at Elliott, but the thought had not seemed to cross his friend's mind. He was too worried about Scott and Sean.
Luckily, a different physician met them when they returned to the main lobby of the infirmary. "Hello there," he greeted. "How are ACME's finest Musicnet agents today?"
"Scott needs help," Elliott said quickly. "And Sean should be looked at, too."
"Well, come into an exam room," Dr. Roger Thorp said with a gesture. "Run into trouble on a case?"
"You could say that," Scott said, wondering if Dr. Thorp knew about the werewolf problems. He and the others followed the older doctor to the nearest examination room, Barry closing the door after them as they entered.
Scott started shrugging off his coat. "We were wondering if this needed stitches," he said, indicating his shoulder.
Dr. Thorp washed his hands and came over, peeling back the bandage and frowning at the three parallel claw wounds. "My goodness," he said. "First Elliott, now you, Scott? Though these don't look like they were inflicted by a dog. . . ."
Scott gave a weak smile. "Would you believe a werewolf?"
Dr. Thorp paused, then shook his head and crossed the room to gather the necessary tools from the cupboard. "I have heard the nonsense going around today about a werewolf attack in Riverdale," he said as he washed his hands again. "And something about Elliott attacking you in the morning . . . ?"
"There's a plot against him," Scott said in an instant.
"I was hypnotized to act like that," Elliott added with a frown.
Dr. Thorp frowned too. "You've certainly been getting into some terrible predicaments today," he said.
Scott winced as he saw the physician come back with the equipment. He wanted to ask if the doctor had also heard what people had been saying about Elliott's behavior, but he did not like to when Elliott was right there.
Elliott himself broached the subject.
"I guess I don't have many friends at ACME anymore," he said with a rueful smile.
The doctor set to work cleaning and stitching the painful gashes. "Well," he said slowly, "some people aren't sure what to make of the news. They know how close you and Scott are, however, and they all assert that you would not act like that unless something was terribly wrong. They were suggesting stress, some physical illness . . ." He trailed off, focusing his attention on closing off the thread for the first slash.
". . . Do they want to put me away?" Elliott asked. He could guess that "mental illness" would have been the next words out of Dr. Thorp's mouth, but the old physician was too tactful to say it.
". . . They're concerned that you need . . . help," Dr. Thorp said. "That one Gumshoe . . . Jessica, is it? She's been telling people that you shoved her last night."
Sean frowned. "She can't just keep it to herself?" he said. "Okay, I can see that she might want to tell a doctor if she thinks something serious is wrong with El, but it sounds more like she's been randomly passing along the story to everyone."
"Well . . ." Dr. Thorp hesitated again, looking embarrassed. He looked at the gauze he was applying to Scott's shoulder.
"I deserve to know," Elliott said.
The physician looked weary. "I'm sure you'll hear it soon, my boy," he said, "but she's saying that . . . you were her favorite and she's been disillusioned."
"She doesn't even know any of the facts!" Scott exclaimed in indignation, while Elliott just gaped. He was not sure whether he was more surprised that she would string such a thing around or that she had said he had been her favorite.
"I know," Dr. Thorp nodded. "But I can see how it would be a terrible shock to her. . . ."
"Yeah . . ." Elliott sighed. Even though he was not the wolf, he had really shoved Jessica---albeit under hypnosis. Part of him felt that he needed to apologize. The other part was not sure he even wanted to talk to her after what she had been causing.
"If she really liked you, man, she would wait to get your side of the story," Scott said, indignation flaming in his eyes. "And she wouldn't string things all around like gossip."
"I guess so . . ." Elliott said. "I don't know, I don't understand women. . . ." He added this in a frustrated mutter.
"Does anyone?" Sean offered in a cheerful tone. Elliott cracked a slight smile.
"It will work out," Dr. Thorp told him. "All of this will blow over, especially after the truth is revealed."
Elliott rubbed his eyes. "It'd probably be better not to say anything until we bring in the culprits," he said, again frustrated that they could do nothing about Scott's double. And they still needed to know who had taught him hypnosis. That practice had not existed during the Revolutionary War. Either Vivalene had taught him, knowing that only he could get Elliott hypnotized by pretending to be Scott, or there was another party involved---maybe the same one playing the wolf. Not to mention they had to find out who was behind everything. Vivalene had to be working for someone.
"Wouldn't it be better to tell people now?" Dr. Thorp asked. "At least let it be known that you weren't yourself."
"I don't know if they'd believe me," Elliott said honestly.
"Oh, I don't know. You and the others are very well-liked around here," Dr. Thorp told him. "The other agents are sincerely concerned about you and want to understand what happened."
"Maybe." Elliott massaged the bridge of his nose.
The physician decided to drop the matter. He leaned back after closing off the last thread. "There!" he said to Scott. "You're ready to go now."
"Thanks," Scott said in relief as he moved to slide his torn coat back over his shoulders. "Now check Sean."
The taller man sighed, but good-naturedly walked into the center of the room. "There's really nothing wrong with me, Doc," he said. "I just got pitched a short distance by the wolf."
Dr. Thorp's eyebrows shot up. "My boy!" he gasped.
He had Sean take off his shirt, whereupon he began to examine the detective for injuries sustained in the fall. Sean winced as the physician's hands ran over a tender spot. But then he grinned again, looking ready to crack a joke.
"It's nothing," he said. "I've been through worse."
Dr. Thorp shook his head. "You should rest," he said.
"No time for that tonight," Sean said. "We have to clear El's name."
"And do you have any idea on how to do that?" Dr. Thorp asked, finding another sore place on Sean's shoulder.
"Sure," Sean gritted his teeth. "We have to catch a vixen."
****
In light of the revelations Elliott had brought to them under hypnosis, they mutually opted to wait to look at the ring. Instead, they determined to go right ahead with Sean's plan.
Deciding that calling ahead would be a bad idea, Rockapella headed right back to the hotel in Riverdale after changing clothes and grabbing something to eat. The ride was tense and mostly silent, broken by the guys' discussions on what to do depending on if Vivalene was at her room or not. It was unfortunate that they could not arrest her solely on the basis of what Elliott had said under hypnosis. They had to find concrete evidence to back up their claims. And though they had procured a blood test for Elliott, courtesy of Dr. Thorp, they would not have the results back for a while.
"Maybe we could get the glass you drank out of, El," Sean said as he parked at the hotel. "If we could find traces in it of whatever substance turns up in your blood, we'd have a closed case!"
"I'm sure she was smart enough to wash it out," Elliott sighed, shaking his head as he got out of the car.
"Too true," Sean said.
He and the others exited the vehicle as well and they headed inside. A different clerk was at the desk, blinking at them with curiousness.
"Can I help . . ."
"No thanks, we know where we're going!" Sean called over his shoulder as he thundered up the stairs. Scott, Elliott, and Barry chased after him. The poor clerk gawked.
As they screeched to a halt in front of Vivalene's door, Jeff turned to look at them from where he was standing by the same location, his arms crossed. He did not look impressed by the noise level---or by all of them crashing into each other as they stopped. At the same moment, Vic the Slick opened his door down the hall.
"What's the deal with throwin' herds of elephants down the stairs?" he yelled, shaking a fist at the detectives.
"It gets us here faster," Sean smirked.
Jeff sighed. "She's not here," he said. "I knocked twice and rang the doorbell."
Sean shrugged. "Oh well, then I guess we go back downstairs and show our search warrant to the desk clerk."
The boy's mouth dropped open. "Search warrant?!" he repeated.
Scott nodded. "Now we know even more about Vivalene's involvement, just as we were hoping," he said. "It was easy to get the warrant."
"And just how did you find out?" Jeff frowned, moving to follow them as they turned to troop down the stairs.
"Top secret ACME business," Sean said with a smirk.
". . . You're enjoying driving me crazy, aren't you?" Jeff retorted.
Sean paused at the bottom, his hands on his hips. Then he glanced over his shoulder, his braids sweeping out with the motion. "Would it make me sound too heartless to say Yes?" he said with an innocent look.
Jeff frowned. Sean said it as if to be funny, but he actually was annoyed with Jeff deep down. Jeff could read between the lines.
Scott also shot him a Look as he followed Sean to the desk. Scott was not mincing words; his eyes said very clearly that he was displeased by Jeff's conduct in the cemetery. You went too far.
But Jeff did not have the chance to say anything about it.
"Hi," Sean was saying to the clerk. "We have a search warrant for Room 204. Here it is, and here's our authorization." He held out his badge along with the document. The clerk took both in stunned shock.
"I . . . I see," he stammered. "And you need the key card, Detective?"
"Well, she's not home to open the door," Sean said.
The nervous man set the warrant and the badge back on the counter as he turned to the cubbies. Taking out the spare key card, he laid it atop the badge with shaking hands. Sean scooped up all three objects, turning to head back to the stairs.
"Thanks," he said.
Again they thundered up the steps, much to Vic's displeasure. Sean stuffed his badge and the warrant into his pocket as he jabbed the key card into the slot. It clicked, and he threw the door open.
"Okay," he said as he reached for the light switch, "all occupants of this room come out with your hands up!"
Elliott snickered in spite of himself. The suite was obviously empty.
Sean wandered in, whistling Long Cool Woman as he glanced into the living room and moved through to the bedroom. Barry went to check the bathroom.
Scott pulled open a drawer in a small desk by the picture window, briefly looking over the contents. Vivalene had not added anything of her own; there was only a small telephone book and a pamphlet of hotel rules. He shut the drawer and rifled through the cubby holes above the writing space.
Elliott went to the kitchenette, Jeff trailing behind him. He opened the small fridge, bending down to peer inside.
"Anything?" Jeff asked, trying to look over his shoulder.
Elliott stepped aside, not liking his personal space being invaded. "Leftover takeout," he said, but Jeff was already discovering that for himself.
The kid lifted the lid on the Styrofoam container, regarding the contents with longing. "Fried chicken . . . !" he exclaimed.
Elliott gawked at him as he started to reach inside. "What are you doing?!" he gasped.
"We've gotta eat, don't we?" Jeff replied, pulling out a loose piece of the crunchy breaded covering that had fallen to the bottom of the box.
Elliott shook his head, vaguely reminded of Sean. "We can't eat her food, even if we do have a warrant," he said, even as Jeff crunched down on the purloined bite.
Jeff shrugged, but closed the fridge door. ". . . So," he said as he finished chewing, "since you found out more about Vivalene's involvement in the case, have you found out yet who the wolf is?"
"No," Elliott said, his tone guarded. "I just know it isn't me."
Jeff frowned. "I need to know who it is," he said, "for the investigation."
"But you were hired by Vivalene," Elliott pointed out. "Reporting back to her isn't going to help. She's the enemy!"
"This isn't about Vivalene," Jeff retorted. "It was never about her, at least not for me." He turned away, crossing his arms as he studied the rest of the room.
Elliott sighed. ". . . Sean was right, wasn't he?" he said. "You're trying to prove yourself to your uncle."
Jeff sighed too. ". . . I was going down a pretty bad path," he said, sounding resigned. "I got in with wild kids. . . . One night they stole some stuff without me knowing it. Then they tried to pin it on me. Long story short, I found out and started beating the main guy up for framing me. He said I wasn't hardcore enough or something to be part of the gang. Not that I wanted to be part of it any longer. After the mess got sorted out, my mom and dad made me accept my uncle's offer to train me as a P.I. They thought I could use an environment on the right side of the law. I don't know, I guess they thought I was going bad or something and needed to be on the other end of the chase.
"I guess I am trying to prove something to my uncle, and to my parents, but mostly I'm just trying to prove it to myself. I wanted to prove I'm not the bad egg everyone seems to think I am."
He turned back. "You know, I wanted to join ACME," he said. "But for that I have to become a better detective than I am now. I thought maybe this case would be my chance."
Elliott considered what he was being told. He was surprised that Jeff had opened up, especially to him, but he was glad of it too. It helped him understand the other a bit better. In some ways, he supposed, their pasts were not all that different. And he did not think Jeff was bad, just over-confident and impulsive.
"Maybe it still can be," he said at last.
Jeff blinked. "I accused you and you can still say that?"
"It did look bad for me, if anyone bothered to dig a little." Elliott laid a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Actually, we had a rough start too, when we first joined ACME."
Jeff finally nodded, stunned by Elliott's kindness and not certain how to acknowledge it. ". . . I guess we'd better keep looking for evidence," he said.
"Yeah," Elliott agreed.
At the same moment, Sean re-entered the living room with a sigh. "Nothing!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.
Scott blew out his breath in frustration. "So now what?" he wondered, looking up from the desk.
"We could wait for her to come back," Sean said.
"Anything else?" Barry deadpanned as he walked over to them.
Sean frowned, thinking it over for a minute. "I don't suppose you'd do one little thing to help us," he said, looking to Jeff.
Jeff looked at him in surprise. "Like what?"
"Did Vivalene give you a phone number?" Sean asked.
"Yeah," Jeff said. "Her cellphone, I think."
"Then call her," Sean said, "and tell her there's been a break in the case. Tell her you need to talk to her."
Jeff regarded him in awe. "And then you guys will be there when she comes!" he said.
"That's right!" Sean smiled. "A little surprise she won't be expecting."
Jeff took a deep breath, the debate still at work within himself. "I still don't know if you're telling the truth," he said. "But I know I want to believe you. And . . . I'd rather work with ACME than against them." He smiled. "Yeah, I'll help you."
Sean whooped for joy as he and the others gathered around. Jeff, looking embarrassed, pulled out his cellphone.
"Okay, okay," he muttered, looking at the device to hide his smile. "She might not even answer, you know." He also took out a piece of paper, glancing at the number before dialing with his thumb and bringing the phone to his ear.
After a moment there was a click. "Hello?" Vivalene voice purred. Elliott turned bright red at the smoky sound.
"Uh, hey," Jeff said. "I'm one of Aaron Gordon's apprentices---Jeff."
"Oh yes, Jeff," Vivalene said in a conversational tone.
"There's been a break in the case," Jeff said. "I need to talk to you about it."
"How wonderful," Vivalene said, not giving any indication of what she was actually thinking. "Do you feel you're any closer to knowing who's behind the attacks?"
Jeff looked to the others for help. Sean nodded.
"Um, yeah," Jeff said then. His confidence gathered. "In fact, I'm pretty sure of it! He'll probably be arrested tonight."
"Wonderful," Vivalene said, though she sounded slightly hesitant. "Oh, I do hope he isn't . . ." But she trailed off. "Nevermind! Where do you want to meet, darling?"
Jeff frowned, confused both by her unfinished sentence and her question. Where should they meet?
"The detective agency," Elliott mouthed.
". . . My uncle's agency," Jeff said. "How soon can you be there?"
"Within fifteen, twenty minutes," Vivalene said. "I'll leave right now. I do thank you so much, Jeff. You've been such a big help."
"It was nothing," Jeff said. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
"Of course. Ciao!"
Jeff shook his head as he heard the click signifying the end of the call. "What a woman," he muttered.
"What a faker," Sean replied.
He hurried to the door. "We have to get to the agency first," he said. "Come on!"
The others rushed after him. "But Sean!" Elliott exclaimed. "What's our plan? What are we going to do when Vivalene gets there?"
"I'll tell you when we get there!" Sean called back as he stepped into the hall. "Don't worry, I've got a plan. Jeff's ad-libbing made it all come together."
He looked to Jeff. "By the way," he asked, "did you bring a car?"
"I walked," Jeff replied as they all stepped into the corridor.
"You better come with us, then," Sean said. "Good thing our car seats five. . . ." He made sure the lights were off before pulling the door shut and locking it. Then he hastened to the stairs. The others followed.
****
Elliott was worried that Vivalene would end up arriving before them. But no cars were in sight when they parked at the back of the small building a short time later.
Jeff leaped out first, jogging to the back door and inserting the key. As he pushed the door open, he reached for the light switch just inside. The quartet followed, looking around the side of the building to the main street in order to make certain Vivalene was not already coming. Satisfied that the coast was clear, they filed inside.
"This is the lounge," Jeff said in explanation as they shot curious looks at the old green sofa, the worn office chairs, and the water cooler.
"Is there going to be a place for us to hide in the main office?" Sean wondered. "We need to be able to record everything being said, too."
Jeff frowned, thinking on the problem. "Two of you could get behind the big desk," he said. "And maybe the other two in a closet. . . . But hey, wait!" His eyes widened as a new dilemma occurred to him. "I told her the perp would probably be arrested tonight! She'll want to know who it is. . . ."
"And that's the key to everything!" Sean said in a grand tone. He looked to his childhood friend. "El, would you mind pretending to be the guilty party?" he asked.
Elliott was stunned. "Huh?!" He fixed wide, bewildered eyes on the other man.
Scott also stared at their leader. "What are you thinking, Sean?!" he exclaimed. "We're trying to clear El's name here . . . !"
Sean nodded. "And I want to see how Vivalene reacts if Jeff says he caught the werewolf, then knocked him out and watched him turn back into a human," he said. "Maybe she'll slip up. After all, if she knows who the real culprit is, then she'll also know that you're innocent, El. And maybe Jeff's statement will really startle her."
Understanding dawned. "It's worth a try!" Elliott decided, his eyes brightening. "Sure, I'll play a werewolf for that."
"Good!" Sean pointed at the floor. "Lay down here and pretend to be knocked out. And we'll have to make it look like your hands are restrained. . . ."
Elliott frowned as he got down on the short carpet. "But what if I need to suddenly jump up and help out?" he wondered.
"That's why we'll just make it look that way," Sean said, producing a pair of handcuffs. "We won't close these all the way, but if you lay right, it won't be noticed."
"I've got a better idea," Jeff said. "I know how to tie someone up so they can slip out of it!" He pulled a piece of rope out of his pocket. "She might notice unlocked handcuffs, but she shouldn't notice a loose rope."
"Let's try it," Sean said. "El, do whatever he tells you to do."
Elliott nodded, holding out his hands with the wrists together. Jeff knelt down, starting to wrap the rope around the older man's wrists. "Now hold it here," he said, pushing part of the rope into Elliott's hand. The brunet took it, grasping it as Jeff finished tying him up. Then the P.I. leaned back, looking pleased.
"There!" he smirked. "You'll be able to get out of that easy."
"I hope so," Elliott said as he laid down on his side and closed his eyes. "How do I look?"
"Try being more limp," Jeff said as he stood.
Elliott relaxed his muscles as much as he thought he could.
"Perfect!" Sean said.
The roar of a motor sent him, Scott, and Barry flying behind the desk. "Is that her?!" Scott gasped.
Jeff glanced to the window. "I think so," he said. "The car just turned the corner. I can see the headlights on the window."
Scott slapped his forehead. "We'll all have to stay back here," he moaned. "Are we noticeable?"
"No, if you don't move," Jeff said. "Do you already have your recorder thing?"
Sean gave a mock salute. "Right here," he said, pulling the miniature tape recorder out of his pocket. "I'll start it now so she won't hear the click."
"Just in time," Jeff noted. "She's parking." He started to pace back and forth in front of Elliott, as if watching him to make sure he would not suddenly awaken.
Elliott did not dare move, even to slightly shift his position. His thoughts were racing. Would they be able to pull this off? What if Vivalene threw another monkey wrench into the works? What if she did not fall for their ploy and did not let anything incriminating slip?
He gritted his teeth behind closed lips. It was almost unbearable, to hear Jeff walking back and forth in front of him and to not be able to open his eyes and observe him. It felt like the kid was getting too close to his personal space.
The door opened and Jeff looked up with a start. Vivalene sashayed in, not noticing Elliott's form right away.
"I came as fast as I could, Jeff darling," she said. "Did you say you'd found out the identity of the wolf?"
Jeff nodded, hoping he was going to sound convincing. "It ended up breaking in here not too long after I called you," he said. "I guess it knew I was onto it!" He shook his head, looking overwhelmed. "Somehow I was able to knock it out, and . . . well . . . then it turned back into a human. . . ." He stepped aside, allowing Vivalene to get a good look.
The woman's eyes widened. "Oh no!" she gasped, running over and kneeling down beside Elliott. "No, there must be some mistake! It has to be a mistake!" She reached out, gently running her hand over Elliott's dark curls. It was all the poor man could do not to pull away from her uncaring touch.
"There's no mistake," Jeff said, sounding regretful. "I was surprised too. I don't know how I'm going to tell his friends. . . . They were so convinced he was being framed."
Vivalene continued to stroke Elliott's hair. "You said on the phone that he was going to be arrested," she said, "but surely not! The poor dear! He can't want to hurt people, after all!"
"Whether he wanted to or not, he's done it," Jeff said, wondering how long they could keep the charade going. She had to know it was a trick.
"Oh, how hard did you hit him?" Vivalene frowned. "He should be waking up now."
Jeff racked his mind for an answer. "He's probably weak from transforming back," he said. "I didn't hit him that hard!"
Sean nodded to himself. Jeff was quick on the draw. That was good.
"Please tell me nothing horrible will happen to him," Vivalene implored. "He doesn't deserve any cruelty. He's just a sweet, dear man. He's . . . he's a victim!"
Scott clenched a fist. That two-faced witch! She did not mean any of what she said. How many men had she wrapped around her finger in the past? She would not have Elliott. She would never have Elliott!
"It's not up to me what happens to him," Jeff said. "But I'm not going to call the police. I'm going to have his friends decide what to do. They have the most right . . . hey! What are you doing?!" he cried.
Barry stiffened. What was she doing?! If only they could look out without being seen! Confound the need for secrecy!
Vivalene had reached out with her free hand, grasping a small bit of skin on the back of Elliott's uninjured hand. As she held it between her thumb and forefinger, she squeezed and twisted it.
The sudden, sharp, intense pain was too much. Elliott cried out, his eyes flying open. Vivalene was still pinching him, smirking at his misery.
His eyes flashed. He pulled at the rope to free his hands, forcing Vivalene to let go as it unraveled. Then he sat up, watching as she rocked back.
"This farce has gone far enough," he said, his voice a warning signal.
"I agree!" Sean exclaimed as he and the others ran out from behind the desk. The tape recorder was still running, safely inside Sean's pocket.
Vivalene looked around at the men as she brushed her red curls over her shoulder. "Well, my!" she purred. "Isn't this a convention."
"What did you do that to him for?" Jeff crossly asked.
"I didn't like the trick you were playing on me!" she said. "And I decided I'd let him know I knew he was faking." She looked to Elliott. "Isn't that right, darling?"
The brunet's eyes darkened. "What made you think that?" he said. "I didn't move."
"But your clothes aren't torn!" Vivalene said, touching the tip of his nose with her finger. "If you were the werewolf, they would be ripped to shreds."
Elliott fell back in chagrin. They had not even thought of that! If there had been more time, someone surely would have, but on the spur of the moment it had not crossed anyone's mind.
"There, you see?" Vivalene smirked. "You're not a werewolf. But you are a very naughty boy. Really, all of you are." She stood up, gesturing to the five men encircling her. "Imagine, trying to make me believe such a dreadful thing. I can't say I'll want to continue employing your uncle's services after this, Jeff darling!" she said, looking to the apprentice P.I.
"I can't say he'd miss it," Jeff shot back.
Vivalene's hands went to her hips. "And I do expect an explanation!" she said. "Why did you do this? I thought you were more honorable than to play cruel tricks, Elliott darling."
"Aren't you the one playing cruel tricks?" Scott retorted as he stepped forward. Maybe they could still trip her up. If Elliott revealed that he remembered what had happened the previous night, when he had been supposed to forget, that might rattle her enough to get something useful out of her.
"Me?!" Vivalene cried. "What kind of cruel nonsense are you speaking now?"
"I'd like to know why you had Scott's double over for company last night," Elliott said.
The woman stared at him, the color draining from her face. "What?!" she exclaimed.
"And I'd like to know why he hypnotized me!" Elliott cried. "I'd like to know why he told me to run off every time you blew me a kiss and to act like a wolf when I saw someone fixing her hair. I'd like to know what I ever did to you that would make you go along with the plot."
Vivalene blinked, definitely stunned by this turn of events. She took a step back. "Darling, I still don't know what you mean . . ." she tried to say.
"You know exactly what he means!" Scott said. "And I'd like to know what was really in that drink you gave him!"
"Nothing but the liquor," Vivalene purred. "I really wasn't expecting him to start choking on it. But then, that's how nervous he was, the poor dear."
"Stop calling me that." Elliott's voice was hard, cold. "You don't really care about me. I'm sick of hearing you talk like I actually mean something to you."
"But you do!" Vivalene said. "You mean quite a bit to me."
"I'm sure," Sean said in sarcasm. "He means just as much as what you were paid to darken his name."
"I wasn't paid a thing!" Vivalene said. "And you're aware of it, aren't you, darling? After all, you're probably the guilty parties in actuality. Poor Elliott, having such a group of wicked people for his friends."
Scott's eyes flashed. And he had thought she had gone too far long ago! There were no words to express his fury now.
"We'd never do anything to hurt him!" he cried.
"Yes," Vivalene mused, "you'd say that. But do you really mean it, darling, or are you just two-faced?"
Elliott looked at her. Any traces of shyness were gone by now. After all, he was only shy around real ladies.
". . . Shut up."
Vivalene blinked, looking to him. "What did you say?"
"I said shut up!" Elliott's voice raised, his hat tipping back on his head. "Making accusations against me is one thing. I can take it. But I won't let you accuse my friends."
"My, but you're touchy," Vivalene said.
"I'm not either," Elliott retorted. "No one with a heart would appreciate the way you're acting."
"Sometimes it's those closest to you that you need to watch out for," Vivalene told him.
"And sometimes it's complete strangers who don't mind their own business," Elliott said.
Jeff felt a bit sick as he watched the exchange. Vivalene's words were so similar to his own from the cemetery. What had he been thinking? He should have talked peaceably with these guys, laid out the evidence and waited to hear what they would say to defend themselves, instead of playing judge and jury and announcing Elliott was guilty. Was he any better than those who had blindly accused him of stealing in the past? He had only wanted to stop crime, but in his desire to prove himself he had grown zealous.
"Well, really!" Vivalene said now. "After the evening we spent together, I'd hardly say I'm a complete stranger!"
"You had some ulterior motive all along," Elliott retorted. "That's why Scott's double told me to meet you when he hypnotized me in my room!"
Again with the brief look of surprise. "You do have an imagination, darling," Vivalene said. "You must have been worse sick than I thought!" She looked to the others. "If you care about him at all, you'll take him to a doctor at once!"
"We already did," Sean replied. "El is of sound mind."
"Then get a second opinion!" Vivalene said, moving to step out of the circle. The guys looked at each other and held their ground. They were not ready to let her get away yet.
"Jeff! What is this?!"
Everyone started, looking to the door. Mr. Gordon had entered, appalled by the sight of Vivalene surrounded by five detectives.
"We're conducting a criminal investigation here," Sean said. "We used a search warrant to go through Vivalene's hotel room. . . ."
"Well, really!" Vivalene cried. "However did you get such a thing?"
"I remembered everything that happened," Elliott said.
"That's impossible!" Vivalene spat.
"Why?" Elliott retorted. "Because I was told to forget?"
Vivalene's eyes widened. "Of course not!" she exclaimed.
Mr. Gordon crossed his arms. "What is going on?!" he demanded.
"I'd like to know, too!" Jeff said. "What's this about being told to forget?!"
Sean ignored them both. "You know, I think we have more than enough to take you in for questioning," he said. "We were hoping to get a full confession first, but I can see that isn't going to happen." He took hold of Vivalene's arm. "This way, if you please!"
"I most certainly do not please!" Vivalene ranted, trying to pull away. Barry grabbed her other arm.
Her moment of anger passed. She took a deep breath, giving them a coy smile. "Now really, darlings, this isn't the way to treat a lady," she said.
"Lady?" Sean repeated. "I don't see one." He pretended to look around the room.
"Sean . . . !" Elliott scolded, but he had to snicker. Vivalene was certainly the farthest thing from a proper lady!
Sean and Barry began to escort the woman towards the door. She sighed, but then shrugged in resignation. She was convinced that they could not hold her. They would question her and let her go.
"Are we welcome to attend your little interrogation?" Mr. Gordon asked, the annoyance evident in his voice.
"Sure," Scott said. "You're a part of this too."
The "herds of elephants" line is quoted from Lisa. **is amused to no end by it.**