CHAPTER 24
It was getting old. Leslie was also thinking that the time she spent fixing herself up was a complete waste. Was she loosing her touch? This Cole guy had not even noticed that you could almost see through her outfit! All he did was babble on and on about this missing crown jewel of his collection. If Leslie understood the guy, he was not even intent on selling it. She really did not get jewelers or even jewelry for that matter. The whole business sounded like a scam to her and this Cole was doing nothing to change her opinion. In fact, she was only really talking to the guy because she wanted to make it look like she had to do more than was really required.
Finally Leslie had enough. She raised her hands and snapped at the guy, “enough! So what you're telling me is...”
“The fair is next week,” Cole replied. “If I do not have this back I am ruined.”
“Fair?” Leslie moaned and rubbed her eyes as she sighed, “this jewelry bonanza thing you guys got going. You all get together, down at the civic center, to see who has the shiniest rocks so you can turn your noses up at each other, is that about the size of it?”
Cole was not sure what to say to that. He shrugged and replied in a confused manner, “yes?”
“So this necklace thing was going to...” Leslie got interrupted when Cole tried explaining to her exactly why this necklace was a prize piece. He was quite proud of it and she had to stop him several times before finally getting out, “and did you tell this to your friend? All of it?”
“George?” Cole then explained, “why wouldn't I? We might be competitors but he has been a good neighbor for years. He was happy for me and he is a respected jeweler. I know he understands why this piece is so...”
“Ahhh!” Leslie pointed to the wall, “and he's next door right now?”
“Didn't you already talk to him?” Cole was confused even more, “I am sure he will confirm what I say, as amazing as it sounds.”
“Excuse me,” Leslie said as she walked out of the shop and vanished out of sight. A minute later she came back, dragging George by an ear. She stopped the guy at the counter, slapped it with her free palm, and then told George, “show him your new Family Day gift big boy.”
George screamed when Leslie twisted his ear and then he reluctantly, and quite quickly, put the necklace up on the counter. He did manage to say, “I was going to give it back.”
Cole was almost speechless. The only word he managed was, “how?”
“It was really easy Mister Cole,” Leslie said with no small amount of condescension. “You weren't alone. George here, was standing right next to the display. It's called two men in an elevator, one man farts, everybody knows who did it.” After that, Leslie called the city to come pick up George. She wasn't even sure how to handle that part since, nobody had told her what to do with prisoners. The police were happy enough to take a solved case that did not require them to do any work. Leslie was happy enough to get the hell out of there. When she drove back to the station, she wondered exactly how much paperwork was going to come with this. That was something else nobody had bothered to tell her.
When she walked towards the porch, the first smiling face she saw was Calvin. He was leaning up against a post and looking out to sea with an almost vacant, yet pleased, stare. He barely even noticed Leslie so she stopped, next to him and joined him looking out at the water and dunes. She didn't see much so she asked. Calvin's voice was so content that it was almost cracking as he replied, “oh, Rusty is back up on his feet again and...”
“Rusty?” Then it struck Leslie, “oh the dog.”
“Noodle is out in the dunes,” Calvin said, never looking from the sea, “she's running him. Vet said it was good for him.”
Leslie became a bit suspicious but, kept it to herself as she walked in the screen door and found Norm sitting at a table. He was busy looking over a phone that was pink, with little flowers pasted on it. Leslie had a big smile as she sat down next to him and said, “it's done boss. Next?”
Norm was disinterested, never looking away from the screen, “what did you do with the prisoner?”
“Let the city have him,” Leslie commented, almost as a side note before continuing, “you know, your new phone is just so cute. I love your color coordination.”
Now Norm did look at her, “was there something you wanted?”
“Not a thing,” Leslie said as she slid out of the chair and headed for ops. She figured the 'good job' speeches were probably in short supply around this place but, of course in all fairness, she did blow up a thrift store yesterday. Maybe it would balance out? Leslie was not so sure about that, so, she stopped at the stairs and looked back to Norm, “you know Norm, I have to keep asking myself something. Why did you guys hire me, exactly?”
Norm was busy with the pictures again, “you'd have to ask Barbara that.”
“I think you know what I mean,” Leslie told him.
She got his attention again. This time he took a minute and was obviously composing his thoughts before he finally answered, “you know Leslie, I'm the one that's been pulling for you around here.”
Leslie was obviously unimpressed, “and what's that supposed to mean, Norm? What am I supposed to do, say thank you?”
“What it means is, Leslie,” Norm replied, “don't piss me off.”
She gave him a cute little scrunched up face and said, “yeah, kind of thought that's what you meant.” Leslie did not bother after that. Instead, she climbed the stairs and found Tony. He was relaxing in a chair with his feet up on the counter, talking with this Idhirti chick. Leslie did not know her very well but, understood that the girl used to work here before she got a better job. Still, it seemed like a good sign that a former employee would come back and sit in this hell hole for twelve hours. It did say something about Leslie's new co-workers.
Then Leslie noticed something that did not fit with the picture she had of this girl, from the morning. When Leslie had seen her walk in the building, the girl had her hair up in a bun. It was half way down her back now and, Leslie supposed, that could be nothing. Still, Idhirti was in a pretty good mood and, definitely more than this morning. Tony looked normal enough though. That was something of a relief to Leslie.
“You know guys,” Leslie said, “I'm loosing it. Those two fat ass, middle aged, over priced rock salesmen didn't look at me once. Then I come walking up here and Calvin couldn't take his eyes off the ocean. I get a sneer from Norm, and Tony here is still pining for his hare-em. What am I doing wrong today?”
Tony got defensive, “What? I was just talking is all I was doing!”
Idhirti bounced her head and looked out the window at the sea, “it is such a lovely day. After all that rain last week, you know, I had forgotten all about that while I was in New York.”
“You know what Idhirti,” was as far as Leslie was prepared to go with that. She slapped Tony on the shoulder and said, “you are absolutely right. I see some breakers in my immediate future, like, in ten minutes. See you out there big guy.”
Leslie got changed into her new swimsuit and grabbed the board she kept in Tony's, sometimes, room. Norm ignored her as she walked out the door so, she returned the favor. She found Calvin in the exact same spot, doing exactly what he had been when she had arrived. This time he did look over at her and he even said something, “isn't that a lifeguard bathing suit?”
Leslie smiled, bounced, and pulled her little jacket to the side so he could see the city seal on it, “why Calvin Brandt, it most certainly is. Thank you for actually looking at me but, hey, when you're dreaming, dream big.”
“Huh?” Calvin was genuinely confused.
Leslie walked by and brushed her fingers across his cheek as she developed an evil laugh, “you dirty dog you.”
As Leslie walked off she heard Calvin saying something about, “you see the dog? I can't find him.”
She ignored him and continued on to the beach where she found that she was not really alone. It was not exactly who she was expecting though. Garcia was sitting on a dune and watching the waves. Unlike Calvin, he most definitely was not glowing. Leslie set her board aside and then sat down next to him, “short vacation? You know, I get why they kidnapped you but, why did they bring Shannon back?”
“I don't want to talk about that,” Garcia replied.
“I know about the email Gar,” Leslie admitted frankly.
“Yeah I know,” Garcia told her without looking her way, “Tony told me all about your little adventure. I guess I should say thank you.” Leslie was about to speak but Gar cut her off, “I'm not being a smart ass. I know I must sound like one right now but, you know. Thank you.”
What could Leslie say now? She did notice Shannon was standing behind them, just barely hiding behind a dune. Leslie eyed the girl and nodded for her to join them and all Shannon did was hide some more. Leslie grunted at that and then distracted Garcia with, “I don't think it was a ruse. You know, the email. In fact, I think that girl might have some real trouble ahead.”
“Think she's already had some real trouble,” Gar replied. “You know, I was so busy thinking about what Jake did to us, it never occurred to me he was playing her even more.”
“Gar,” Leslie said in a very indignant kind of way, “that's the business you're in. Look, in case you haven't noticed, we are in some real trouble here.”
“I thought we supposed to help people?” Garcia asked a reasonable question and he was not angry when he did. Of course, he did sound a bit more peeved when he asked his next question, “is that supposed to excuse what we do? I have no idea what the Americans are going to do her. I really didn't believe they'd be following her. I thought this whole trip would be a dead end and maybe I could have some fun.”
Leslie asked the obvious because she suspected that it was more than she had thought, “you really like this girl, don't you?” Gar said nothing and it kind of answered the question so, Leslie continued with, “Ok, didn't ask the right question.” Now that she had his attention and, as she stood up to go surf, Leslie told him, “maybe they weren't there following her. Maybe they were following you.”
Garcia was seriously confused, “why would anybody do that?”
“I don't know,” Leslie said with a smile as she raised her voice, “why don't you ask our expert, Shannon. She's right behind us.” Leslie ran off to her board and then towards the surf.
“Shannon,” Garcia growled, “get your ass out here girl. What I done told you about ease dropping.”
“Nothing,” said Shannon as she emerged from her cover but, kept her distance. Then, with a nervous edge, she said, “sorry?”
Garcia deflated, “you got nothing to be sorry about girl. Come on over here and watch the waves.”
“I,” Shannon stumbled with her words for a moment, “I'm fine Gar, really.”
“Ain't for you,” Gar shot back and patted the sand.
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Decant
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