Case File: A Better Mole Trap | The Tip-off

[x-callisto.livejournal.com]

Bobbi and Lorna investigate the death of a second victim, an unnamed busker, and are approached by a mysterious informant.


"Was there anyone who would have wanted to hurt him? Any altercations in the past couple of days?" Lorna asked looking down at her notepad as she was asking the storekeeper. She had gotten a little information but not much to help pinpoint on what exactly had happened to the victim.

Bobbi watched the storekeeper's response, trying to pick up on any cues which might indicate nervousness or lying. "Does anything odd stick out in your mind at all?" she prompted, broadening the question in case they can't get a more specific answer.

The storekeeper - an older man who seemed uncomfortable with the whole proceeding - shrugged. "Nothing really. He was just another panhandler, ya know?" he replied in a thick New York accent. "They're a dime a dozen around here. At least this one was doing something to earn his way, if you like that sort of music. Not my thing, I like jazz, but some people like that folksy crap."

Lorna frowned at him but decided not to push. She hated that their victim was labeled as another panhandler to people, this was someone's son. Closing her notepad and gave the man a half hearted smile. "Thank you for your time. Come on Bobbi." Turning to leave the store.

Exiting the store first, Bobbi sighed as she held the door open for Lorna. "Well, that wasn't as helpful as we'd hoped." The storekeeper was friendly enough but didn't really have anything to add to what they already knew. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, whatever it is you could hardly be doing it more slowly."

The voice came from off to the side and when they turned they didn't see anyone at first - just the usual passer-by foot traffic you'd expect on a normal street on a day like today. But then a passing figure stopped, pulling back a hood to reveal a choppy head of dark hair and a pretty face marred with a long scar to either side of the patch over one eye.

"I'm sorry," she added. She didn't sound very sorry, and her mirthless smirk didn't look very sorry. "Just figured you people might have been on top of this by now."

"Excuse me?" Bobbi responded, bristling a little at the comments. She raised an eyebrow as she took in the stranger's appearance. She didn't recognize the newcomer, though maybe she knew something that they didn't. "And you are?"

The stranger waved a hand. "Not important. Look, it isn't just Mole and Piper. There's another, Chickenwing, she has... had... well, that's not important, what's important is she's lying in a morgue and I know who did this but I can't get to them. And I know you can help with that."

Lorna looked at Bobbi before looking back at the stranger. "You mean these other ones are connected to our victim?" This was bigger than Lorna thought. "We welcome any information you may have."

"Of course they're connected - they're all connected." The young woman's brow furrowed, but she shook her head as if to ward off whatever errant thought was creasing it. "Look, I know where they are. There's a condo under construction to the north of the District - that redevelopment zone just outside the limits?" She held out a scrap of paper with a perhaps surprisingly neatly drawn map and an address in block capitals. "I've tried to get in but they're watching for me."

Lorna took the paper and looked down. "We will take a look at this. They wouldn't be watching for us." After studying the map for a few seconds, Lorna looked up at the helpful stranger. "I take it you knew these people."

Their informant rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

"I think we've got somewhere we need to be," Bobbi replied, peering down at the map her partner was holding. She nodded her thanks to the stranger. "We'll go check this out as soon as possible. Thanks... what did you say your name was again?" The other woman hadn't but something told her it mightn't be forthcoming if Bobbi didn't ask herself.

And yet, even now that he did ask, the woman lifted the eyebrow of her 'good' eye, and he knew before she even answered what she was going to say.

"I didn't."