Hotel Room
*kicking self* Ok, it's still not 10k but its something....so HA.
Gen groaned, unwilling to open her eyes yet. There was a dull ache right on top of her head that worked its way through the inside of her head and out through the back of her eyeballs. She tried to move a little and felt something cold against her forehead.
“She’s coming around, Inspector.”
Gen’s eyes finally fluttered open, trying to focus through her headache. She was laying on her back on the hotel room bed. There was someone kneeling next to the bed on her right who she couldn’t make out just yet but the white lab coat and black bag on the bed next to her suggested a doctor. Bending over her was a middle aged man who had come over once the doctor had spoken. His clothes were blue. Gen saw the NYPD badge stuck on the front of his uniform. He was looking her up and down like a piece of a puzzle he wasn’t quite sure fit yet.
“Glad to have you back, Miss,” he said, though his tone said that he wasn’t glad in the least bit. “You think you can sit up?”
Gen blinked a couple of times to clear a couple of cobwebs from her vision and moved her head and neck experimentally. She winced.
“Maybe...not yet,” she said, her tongue sounding thick in her mouth. The doctor helped her prop her head up a bit with a pillow and Gen took over the bag of ice he was applying to the wrong spot on her head. It was then that the whole room spun into focus for her.
There were two male paramedics dressed all in white lifting the unconscious Dr. Carlton onto their gurney. The desk was still smashed beyond repair and the bookcase had been righted somewhat, presumably to get Gen out from underneath. It stood at a jaunty angle, devoid of its books that were in a pool on the floor around its base. Another younger policeman was writing stuff down as he stepped carefully around the room. Gen could hear another policeman shooing people away from the door, trying to clear the scene for the paramedics. Gen looked at Dr. Carlton as he passed by her on the stretcher. He was still breathing though still completely out of it. Gen breathed a sigh of relief. At least she’d been on time. It was then that she realized the older policeman was watching her reactions intently. One of his men, the one with the notepad, signaled him. “I’ve got everything I can Inspector.”
The Inspector nodded and indicated the other policeman outside the door making way for the departing stretcher. “Alright, you help George keep the door clear of onlookers. We don’t need the press on this until we’re finished. Till then, we don’t give them anything.”
“Yes, sir.”
The younger officer left the room as well as the Inspector walked closer to Gen laying on the bed. “Alright, young lady. Let’s have it,” he addressed her, taking out his own little black notepad.
“I’m sorry?” Gen was confused.
“I’m so glad you’re sorry but I think this would go faster if you start at the top. What were you doing here tonight?” He fixed his eyes on her, apparently waiting for a full confession. Gen let out a breath slowly, realizing she had to be careful what she said here. Her experiences with the police hadn’t gone too well in the past...although technically the World’s Fair would be the future. Thinking of that just made her head ache more. “Um...” she tried to begin. “I saw someone come into this room and they were trying to attack Dr. Carlton...”
“You know the good Doctor, do you?”
Gen shook her head, wincing at the effort. “No, he asked Dr. Carlton what his name was before he attacked him. I was trying to stop him and I guess the bookshelf came down in the fight...” Gen’s explanation died off as she saw the Inspector wasn’t writing anything down. In fact, he was looking quite amused as if he was trying to keep from laughing. “You fought this mysterious attacker...on your own...I see...” He cleared his throat, throwing a skeptical look at the medical Doctor who was packing up his stuff into his little black bag. “Do you have a description of this...attacker?”
Gen was a bit frustrated by his lack of belief in her story but she obliged him with what she could remember, which wasn’t much. The Inspector cut her short when she started on his clothes. “He wasn’t by any chance wearing an all black suit with a black belt, rather like a cat burglar?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“Yes, why? Did someone else see him?” Gen asked.
The Inspector reached over and yanked off the covers from the bed. Gen’s heart fell, realizing she was still dressed exactly the same as the other Quatrix. And there was no way she could change now without someone noticing. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to come downtown with us, Miss.”
“It’s not how it looks...” Gen tried to begin but the Inspector had already turned to one of his men who had come in. “Get pictures of everything and make sure she comes with us when we clear out. Clear case of robbery, we should be done before midnight.”
Gen opened her mouth to protest, aghast that she was being arrested AGAIN for something she didn’t do. But a new voice made everyone turn towards the door.
“What’s the rush, you got a date tonight, Charley?” The newcomer said with a mischievous look in his eye. He was a younger man with dark hair and darker eyes leaning against the doorframe as if he’d been standing there for hours waiting for an entrance. His gray trench coat was buttoned onto his lean frame and a black wide brim hat sat at an angle on his head. His mocking smile was trained at the Inspector who was looking quite ruffled at this intrusion. “Sloane,” he spat out as if he didn’t like the taste of the name. “Who let you in here? This is a crime scene, not a tourist attraction.”
“Oh, you know me,” Sloane said, sauntering into the room. “Can’t keep my nose out of anything, no matter how clean I keep it.” Ignoring the Inspector glaring at him, he walked around the room taking in the shattered desk and spilled books. “Looks like there was quite a to-do here.”
“How’d you even know about this,” Inspector Charley asked with accusation in his voice. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“Well, it’s a funny thing,” Sloane said with a smile, taking his hands out of his pockets. “I was working at the party tonight. Some petty thing, following a guy and his mistress, boring stuff. I was about to pack it in but this...This is much more interesting.”
“No, Sloane, I won’t have it. I won’t have you upstaging this investigation. George!” The Inspector yelled out the door trying to attract the attention of his men down the hall. Before he could pull his head back in, Sloane had sat down on the bed near Gen’s feet. She’d been watching this scene play out, not sure what was really going on. He took her free hand in his gallantly. “Richard Sloane, Private Investigator at your service.” He pressed his lips to her hand with a smile playing around his lips. Gen couldn’t help but smile back. “And you are?” he asked before the Inspector pulled him almost bodily off the bed and started him unceremoniously towards the door.
“SHE isn’t interested, you aren’t supposed to be here, and this is NOT your case. It’s for the police to investigate so I strongly suggest you take your business back to watching cheating husbands.”
Detective Sloane managed to put on enough brakes to stop himself at the door. “Aw, come on, Charley. Is this how friends treat each other, you gotta give me something.”
“We aren’t friends. George!” One of the young policemen finally appeared with a hurried salute at being slow to show up. “Escort Mr. Sloane off the premises and make sure he doesn’t come back.” While the Inspector’s back was turned giving instructions, Sloane winked at Gen, nonchalantly tossing her a white business card while nobody was looking. Gen palmed it before anyone could see it. And then Sloane was gone, presumably dragged away by Policeman George. Inspector Charley adjusted his collar, sighing as if he had just won a battle and was glad it was over with. Gen absorbed the card into her hand, telling herself she’d look at it later.
“Right, back to real police work. On your feet, Miss. Time to go.”
to be continued...
Gen groaned, unwilling to open her eyes yet. There was a dull ache right on top of her head that worked its way through the inside of her head and out through the back of her eyeballs. She tried to move a little and felt something cold against her forehead.
“She’s coming around, Inspector.”
Gen’s eyes finally fluttered open, trying to focus through her headache. She was laying on her back on the hotel room bed. There was someone kneeling next to the bed on her right who she couldn’t make out just yet but the white lab coat and black bag on the bed next to her suggested a doctor. Bending over her was a middle aged man who had come over once the doctor had spoken. His clothes were blue. Gen saw the NYPD badge stuck on the front of his uniform. He was looking her up and down like a piece of a puzzle he wasn’t quite sure fit yet.
“Glad to have you back, Miss,” he said, though his tone said that he wasn’t glad in the least bit. “You think you can sit up?”
Gen blinked a couple of times to clear a couple of cobwebs from her vision and moved her head and neck experimentally. She winced.
“Maybe...not yet,” she said, her tongue sounding thick in her mouth. The doctor helped her prop her head up a bit with a pillow and Gen took over the bag of ice he was applying to the wrong spot on her head. It was then that the whole room spun into focus for her.
There were two male paramedics dressed all in white lifting the unconscious Dr. Carlton onto their gurney. The desk was still smashed beyond repair and the bookcase had been righted somewhat, presumably to get Gen out from underneath. It stood at a jaunty angle, devoid of its books that were in a pool on the floor around its base. Another younger policeman was writing stuff down as he stepped carefully around the room. Gen could hear another policeman shooing people away from the door, trying to clear the scene for the paramedics. Gen looked at Dr. Carlton as he passed by her on the stretcher. He was still breathing though still completely out of it. Gen breathed a sigh of relief. At least she’d been on time. It was then that she realized the older policeman was watching her reactions intently. One of his men, the one with the notepad, signaled him. “I’ve got everything I can Inspector.”
The Inspector nodded and indicated the other policeman outside the door making way for the departing stretcher. “Alright, you help George keep the door clear of onlookers. We don’t need the press on this until we’re finished. Till then, we don’t give them anything.”
“Yes, sir.”
The younger officer left the room as well as the Inspector walked closer to Gen laying on the bed. “Alright, young lady. Let’s have it,” he addressed her, taking out his own little black notepad.
“I’m sorry?” Gen was confused.
“I’m so glad you’re sorry but I think this would go faster if you start at the top. What were you doing here tonight?” He fixed his eyes on her, apparently waiting for a full confession. Gen let out a breath slowly, realizing she had to be careful what she said here. Her experiences with the police hadn’t gone too well in the past...although technically the World’s Fair would be the future. Thinking of that just made her head ache more. “Um...” she tried to begin. “I saw someone come into this room and they were trying to attack Dr. Carlton...”
“You know the good Doctor, do you?”
Gen shook her head, wincing at the effort. “No, he asked Dr. Carlton what his name was before he attacked him. I was trying to stop him and I guess the bookshelf came down in the fight...” Gen’s explanation died off as she saw the Inspector wasn’t writing anything down. In fact, he was looking quite amused as if he was trying to keep from laughing. “You fought this mysterious attacker...on your own...I see...” He cleared his throat, throwing a skeptical look at the medical Doctor who was packing up his stuff into his little black bag. “Do you have a description of this...attacker?”
Gen was a bit frustrated by his lack of belief in her story but she obliged him with what she could remember, which wasn’t much. The Inspector cut her short when she started on his clothes. “He wasn’t by any chance wearing an all black suit with a black belt, rather like a cat burglar?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“Yes, why? Did someone else see him?” Gen asked.
The Inspector reached over and yanked off the covers from the bed. Gen’s heart fell, realizing she was still dressed exactly the same as the other Quatrix. And there was no way she could change now without someone noticing. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to come downtown with us, Miss.”
“It’s not how it looks...” Gen tried to begin but the Inspector had already turned to one of his men who had come in. “Get pictures of everything and make sure she comes with us when we clear out. Clear case of robbery, we should be done before midnight.”
Gen opened her mouth to protest, aghast that she was being arrested AGAIN for something she didn’t do. But a new voice made everyone turn towards the door.
“What’s the rush, you got a date tonight, Charley?” The newcomer said with a mischievous look in his eye. He was a younger man with dark hair and darker eyes leaning against the doorframe as if he’d been standing there for hours waiting for an entrance. His gray trench coat was buttoned onto his lean frame and a black wide brim hat sat at an angle on his head. His mocking smile was trained at the Inspector who was looking quite ruffled at this intrusion. “Sloane,” he spat out as if he didn’t like the taste of the name. “Who let you in here? This is a crime scene, not a tourist attraction.”
“Oh, you know me,” Sloane said, sauntering into the room. “Can’t keep my nose out of anything, no matter how clean I keep it.” Ignoring the Inspector glaring at him, he walked around the room taking in the shattered desk and spilled books. “Looks like there was quite a to-do here.”
“How’d you even know about this,” Inspector Charley asked with accusation in his voice. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“Well, it’s a funny thing,” Sloane said with a smile, taking his hands out of his pockets. “I was working at the party tonight. Some petty thing, following a guy and his mistress, boring stuff. I was about to pack it in but this...This is much more interesting.”
“No, Sloane, I won’t have it. I won’t have you upstaging this investigation. George!” The Inspector yelled out the door trying to attract the attention of his men down the hall. Before he could pull his head back in, Sloane had sat down on the bed near Gen’s feet. She’d been watching this scene play out, not sure what was really going on. He took her free hand in his gallantly. “Richard Sloane, Private Investigator at your service.” He pressed his lips to her hand with a smile playing around his lips. Gen couldn’t help but smile back. “And you are?” he asked before the Inspector pulled him almost bodily off the bed and started him unceremoniously towards the door.
“SHE isn’t interested, you aren’t supposed to be here, and this is NOT your case. It’s for the police to investigate so I strongly suggest you take your business back to watching cheating husbands.”
Detective Sloane managed to put on enough brakes to stop himself at the door. “Aw, come on, Charley. Is this how friends treat each other, you gotta give me something.”
“We aren’t friends. George!” One of the young policemen finally appeared with a hurried salute at being slow to show up. “Escort Mr. Sloane off the premises and make sure he doesn’t come back.” While the Inspector’s back was turned giving instructions, Sloane winked at Gen, nonchalantly tossing her a white business card while nobody was looking. Gen palmed it before anyone could see it. And then Sloane was gone, presumably dragged away by Policeman George. Inspector Charley adjusted his collar, sighing as if he had just won a battle and was glad it was over with. Gen absorbed the card into her hand, telling herself she’d look at it later.
“Right, back to real police work. On your feet, Miss. Time to go.”
to be continued...