[Something Wicked] They had a really nice evening last night. There was a tender moment that both will deny, some more eating, speculation, a lot more fucking then sleep. A night with bodies entangled with each other and sheets. Morning came, alarm rang and their little routine kicked in. Derek gotup, made coffee and breakfast, showered with her or watching her and then, they dressed and left, with the unspoken promise of seeing each other at dinner.
He hadn’t moved in with her, but it’s been two weeks since he had been to his place.
It left Izzy with her day’s agenda. Talk to Barry..and maybe some other things.
[Izzy Montoya] There was a tender moment, that lingered – even through the rest of dinner, through the passion of the night that left them spent and tangled and exhausted, on through to the morning when she can still feel his arms around her, possessive yet loose enough she could pull away anytime she wanted too… topped by the fact, the realization that it was something she didn’t want to do. Not yet. Maybe not for a very long time. She will deny it – but it has been two weeks since he’s been to his place, two weeks of breakfast made, showers shared, bodies explored over and over again.
And she still wants more. Since John – she has never wanted more, and she still, steadfastly refuses to explore just what that means – both for letting go of John, and opening up to another man.
So, instead, after she slapped his ass as he walked out the door, she tucks her weapons where they belong on her person, grabs her badge and id, and her case files and heads to the street. First up – talk to Barry. She makes the call, already on the move.
“Barry? THis is Detective Montoya. I’ve taken over Diana Rehgar’s case, and would like to speak with you as soon as possible. When would be convenient?”
[Something Wicked] The voice on the other side of the phone had been sleepy. It sounded gravelly “What? Oh..yeah, Mister Orton told me you asked for my number after talking to Miss Regher’s guy. I could meet you..early afternoon? I would liek a few more hours sleep if it’s all right with you, detective”
[Izzy Montoya] “Of course. My apologies for waking you up. Shall we say 1pm?”
It gives her enough time to do some background work too.
[Something Wicked] “Sire Detective, where would you like to meet?” She can hear him fumble as if he was looking for something as they talked.
[Izzy Montoya] She things about it for a moment, and then gives him the address of one of her normal haunts and makes sure he knows where it is, before adding. “Breakfast on me if you want. coffee if not.”
[Something Wicked] “All right, see you then Detective”He hangs up, probably going back to sleep. It left Izzy with a few hours to kill. Derek had asked before leaving which gym she wanted him to look at: Gold or Atlas.
[Izzy Montoya] She had chosen Golds for herself – as the last thing she needs is a run in with her hookup that would force her to have to think about what she’s doing with Derek – since he regularly works out at Atlas, and only went to Golds for her. And Derek’s already worked out there once, so who knows, there might be some big boy comradarie waiting to happen.
So – after hanging up with Barry, she makes her way there, with a list of things to see, ask, talk about in mind – as well as the pictures of Katie and Fannie, and the man who abducted Vivian.
She does make a quick phone call to Derek though. “Hey, it’s me. Get a list of employees, will ya? I’ll get one from Golds, and one from Anton. Maybe a name will jump out at us.”
[Something Wicked] He had answered “Hey.”After her request he adds “Sure, I’ll do it. Shouldn’t be a problem. Call me if you need anything, let me know”
He hangs up once they were done. It left Izzy with a decision..should she go ot Gold gym first or to gym in Cabini
[Izzy Montoya] She heads to Gold’s first – and will go back to speak with Anton just before meeting with Barry. She puts the car into gear and heads that way, smoking the first of many many cigarettes she’ll go through today.
At Golds, she grabs the files from her case, and makes her way inside once again. To the counter, and the girl there, who should remember her – but if she doesn’t, she simply gives her name. “I’d like to speak with the Manager again please.”
[Something Wicked] The girl had nodded to her “Sure thing detective” A few of the guys there look at Izzy with smile,s some showing off a little while she waits. The manager appears after a little more than five minutes “Morning detective, what can I do for you?”
He leads her toward his office if she wants a place to talk more privatly. He knows that she’s investigating a murder and doesn’t want people to eavesdrop.
[Izzy Montoya] As she waits, she lets her gaze travel, watching the men show off for her a little bit, smirking slightly letting them know she watches. Then, she pulls back when the Manager comes up and agrees to go to the office, where they can have a bit of privacy.
“Thank you. Unfortunately we’ve found another victim. Another member of your gym. Do you recognize this woman?” She slides over the picture of Fannie.
[Something Wicked] The men of course had looked pleased that they got her attention. Each was hoping she’ll come over once she was done with the manager.
In the office, the manage takes the photo and look at it “Yeah, yeah, I”ve seen her before. She used to come regularly last year. Haven’t seen her in a while. So she was murdered as well?” He asks, handing back the picture, looknig at Izzy
“You think someone is targeting my customers? That maybe they want to destroy my gym?”
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly. “She was declared missing in January. We found her a few nights ago. During the investigating we found she was a member here, as was another victim.”
She sits back when he asks the question, and considers how to answer it. “I can’t really answer that as of yet. I don’t think it’s so much as trying to destroy your gym, as that they are finding they’re typical victim here. It’s not just your gym either. Could you get me a list of employees – including any cleaning personel, etc, as well as a member list?”
[Something Wicked] “Oh, I’m glad I”m not the only target. I mena it’s horrible what’s happening ot those young women. I jsut don’t want my gym to be a target. It’s how I pay the rent you know”
He nods at her request. “Sure. How far back you want that list to go?” He asks her as he type on his computer. he did seem relieved that his business wasn’t the reason for the murders.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly. “I understand. If you could get me a list back over the past year or so that would be great. I’ll be asking the same of others, see if any anomalies pop up.”
She reaches for the other photo, the one of the man who kidnapped Vivian. “And while I know you don’t know ech of your members personally, if you could flag any names that this person reminds you of, that would be helpful too. It’s not a clear photo, so I understand if it could be several different people.”
[Something Wicked] He nodded and cotinued to type. Eventually the printer can be heard. It takes a while before the printing is done. He takes the picture of the man and look at it “Yeah, not the best picture. It could be so many of the guys that came here over the years. Mike, Tommy, Lyle, Karl, Damian, John, Steven and a few others”
He hands the picture back.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly. “Any of them have access to member files?”
[Something Wicked] He shook his head “No. Only me and the clerks has access. None look like this guy”
He gets up and hands her hte sheets of paper. There seemed to be about 10 pages. All with names of employess or members and ex members
“Anything else I can do for you detective?”
[Izzy Montoya] She nods. “Alright, thanks.”
She takes the sheets, separating the employees from the members and scanning through to the cleaning personel, to see if Barry’s name happens to be on there – it’s almost too much to hope for, but she looks anyway.
“I appreciate your time. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”
[Something Wicked] She look at it quickly and there’s no Barry on file for the cleaning crew. The manager shakes her hand “Well I hope it has been helpful and you catch the murderer”
he escort her back to the entrance and then leave her to do what she wanted to do.
[Izzy Montoya] She scans through it, and nods. It would be just too easy. she does check the list of possible suspects that look like the build of their perp, and then follows the managers lead back to the front. If nothing shows up to link the two gyms at her next stop it’ll be time for the tedious work of alibi checking and interviewing each possible suspect.
Is it really too much to hope for a break?
[All signs point to yes]
She makes sure she has her things, and then heads to the door. She pauses to give the guys pumping iron a good once over, catching them unawares if possible, scanning to see who in the gym they are watching – and if any of them fit the victim profile. Then, with a little smirk for the boys, she turns and heads to her car.
Time to hit Anton’s Gym.
[Something Wicked] No one seemed to be watching her more than they should. After all she’s used to guys checking her out. Beside the clerk, she was the only woman around at this hour. Her smirk got a few pleased smiles and then she’s out driving to Anton’s gym.
The man wasn’t there but the manager was. She was taken to his office, the lsit printed, the answers pretty similar to the other man’s..except the suspect names, different from the other man. He handed Izzy the papers
Änymore I can do for you?”
[Izzy Montoya] She makes note of the names and then shakes her head. “Thanks, you’ve been very helpful. I’ll contact you if I need anything else.”
And then, with her thick stack of papers, she makes her way back to the car, and to the diner where she said she’d meet Barry. She’s plenty of cross referencing to do between the two gyms and coffee to drink while she waits for him to arrive.
She settles in at the diner, and starts the tedious work of cross referencing, seeing if any names pop up at both gyms – employees first, members second, as well as the names of possible people that meet the perps description.
[Something Wicked] She looks at the sheets and a couple of names pop up: Mike Sullivan, Hnerik Mortensen and Ivan Dranko, members as well as Matt Jones an employee. There is no descriptions jsut adresses and names.
Barry arrives at the dinner. He was a thin, short man in his 40’s with graying hair. He looked around and noticing her, he walks toward her “Detetive Montoya?”He asks. When she confirms it, he sits facing her “What can I do for you?”
[Izzy Montoya] She makes note of the names that are linked on both, to be checked on Derek’s list when they meet up at dinner. She’s on her third cup of coffee when barry comes in, and it’s instantly certain he’s not the perp she has a picture of.
She stands when he gets close though, and offers him her hand. “Yeah, that’s me. Have a seat.”
When he does, and she orders coffee for him, a warm up for her, and whatever else he might like, only then does she start to question him. “I’ve been reassigned to take over the case of Diana Regher, as it’s possible she’s tied to another one of my investigations.” And, as he knows she is with homicide, it’s not to difficult to guess what she thinks may have happened to Diana. “Anton mentioned you were the last to see Diana alive, so I wanted to be sure to speak with you. Can you tell me about the night she disappeared?”
[Something Wicked] He orders some bacon and eggs then answer her question
“I can’t tell you much. It was a night like any others. Miss Regher had finished her shift, she was the last one to leave that night. She went out, supposedly ot her car and we never heard form her again”
He puts 2 sugars in his coffee and drinks from it. “What happened to her?”
[Izzy Montoya] “We’re not sure at this juncture. She never made it home, and we’re working on discovering just what happened. Was anything going on at the gym that was untoward? Was anyone harassing her, did you get the feeling there was anything out of the ordinary going on?”
She finds the picture of the perp, and slides it across the table. “Do you recognize this man?” Expecting the answer, of course, to be the same as everyone elses…
[Something Wicked] He shrugs “I didn’t notice anything particular. It was jsut another night. Business was slow because of the holidays btu beside that nothing special”
He checked the picture carefully and she was right,same answer “Could be many of the guys at the gym”
The eggs and bacon arrives and he eats slowly, watching her.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, slightly. “How big a crew do you work with? Do you cover any other gyms, or you exclusive to Antons?”
she takes the picture back, and adds it to the pile on her files. She is still searching for her connection, and feels like its right there, and she’s missing the obvious…
[Something Wicked] He shrugs “I work alone, five nights a week, just at this place. Takes me about 5 hours to clean it up properly, then it’s pretty late and I head home”
And there is a linksomewhere..maybe not obvious..maybe she’ll find it later..when she has time to check things out properly.
[Izzy Montoya] She nods, again, and finishes off her coffee. She slides her card across to him. “Thanks for your time, Barry. If you think of anything else, please let me know – call anytime.”
Then she gathers her things, and as almost an after thought, she adds. “The picture I showed you – any of chance this list of names could be him? Mike, Ivan, Henrik or… Matt?”
[Something Wicked] He took the card then listened to the names “Could be Mike Sullivan. I don’t know the others. Most of the time, the gym is empty when work, not many contacts with the folks training there”
[Izzy Montoya] She nods. “thanks for your time – enjoy your breakfast.”
She turns, and heads to the counter, making sure to pay the tab and leave a generous tip to cover anything else he might want, before she lifts her hand in a wave and heads back to her car. She drums her fingers on the steering wheel lightly, before she makes a call to the station and Detective Russel.
Normally she would call Finn. She wants to call Finn. It eats her up that she can’t trust him any longer…
So she calls Russel instead. “Hey – think you can get me a background check on a guy named Mike Sullivan? And these names too – but Mike first.” She ticks off the other names as well, and the limited information she has on them. “Just fax it to my home office when you’ve got it. Thanks.”
And then she starts the car, pulls out into traffic, and heads to said office…
[Something Wicked] Russell has answered and agreed to run a background check “Shouldn’t you ask your partner to do so?” He ask her, already typing to look at the namesshe has given him “I’ll send everything to you when I”m done” He hangs up.
By the time she arrives the fax were already coming in.
[Izzy Montoya] She smirks. “I’ve got him tied up in the bedroom right now, Russel. He’s a little busy.” Nothing like playing to the rumors, hm? “He’s on another job for me, else I would. I appreciate your help.”
And she does, really.
When she arrives home, she kicks off her shoes, goes through the routine of putting away her weapons and badge, her coat and her keys, before she moves to the fax to collect the pages, and then go about setting it all out on the table, and searching for the connection that she knows she’s missing.
It’s here somewhere.
He’s here somewhere.
He has to be.
[Izzy Montoya] [Kahseen, Do. Not. be. a whore! Perc+investigation]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 6, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]
[Izzy Montoya] [You are SUCH A WHORE Kahseeno. We are done professionally. Fuck you AND your fuckin dice.
I can fuckin do better than THAT.
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 4, 5, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 7) Re-rolls: 1
[Something Wicked] She reads the files, for a long time, so long in fact that Derek had time to come back with something that smells delicious. Chicago style meat pizza. He placed a stack of paper near hers on the table and didn’t say anything as she seemed quite focused. She could absently hear him move in the appartment, eventually his presence, his cologne, his warmth was beside her, making her bounce slightly as he sat on the couch placing a beer near her.
She had been looking at the same names for a moment, something nagging at the back of her mind and when he put the bottle down, it was near a name and something cliked in her mind. There was a Patrick on the lsit, in fact there was three. Didn’t Carly dated a mysterious Patrick before her death?
[Izzy Montoya] She knows he’s in the apartment – after all, he smells good, and the pizza makes her belly rumble, and its a testament to the trust she has in him that she doesn’t mind him moving around her, doesn’t push him away when he sits near her, doesn’t feel the need to say anything, to even strip and fuck him right then and there.
She’s been staring at the same lists for hours it seems like. She keeps focusing on the possible names she was given that might be her man, and when he sets his list next to hers, she goes through it as well, and then it hits her.
Patrick.
The one name no one mentioned, the one no one thought looked like their perp. There were three of them on the list – and one of them has to be Carly’s Patrick, which would tie her in to the others. “There. There you are you smug motherfuckin bastard…”
Well, technically, there three of them are. She circles the names and the info they have on each. It’s just finding out which one is the right one… She grabs her phone in one hand, the beer in the other, and dials while taking a swig of her beer. “It’s Montoya. Get me back ground checks on these guys, asap. Thanks.”
Only then does she lean back and look up at Derek. “That pizza I smell?” And hello to you, darlin, how was your day?
[Something Wicked] She gets and affirmative when she asks for background checks. Dereks was grinning when she looked at her, drinking from his beer “Why hello baqby, my day has been good, it seem yours jsut ogt better”He says looking at the circled names “Good job”
He leans to kiss her deeply before pulling back with a smile “And yeah, I got us pizza. Got to feed you and all. Don’t want to sleep beside a skeleton you know. I like your sexy curves” he say looking at her body then her face with a smile.
“Are those Patrick on the lsit of your other gym?”He ask before leaning ofrward toward the table and check his own listings “I came up with nothing after cheking my listing. No Barry nor anyone who rang a bell.”
[Izzy Montoya] She starts flipping through the other lists for the gyms, and circling any patrick she finds, and cross referencing them with the others… pausing only when he kisses her, moaning softly in the back of her throat as he takes her away from the case for just those moments, and reminds her of why he’s still around – the feeling that creeps up on her when he kisses her like hits… leaving her wanting more. Always.
She lets her hand linger along his jaw for a moment when he pulls back, and then turns back to her notes with a snort. “What curves, I’m practically a fuckin’ stick.” Not that anyone’s ever complained, least of all her.
“Barry ain’t involved. I got nothing off him that set off any warning bells, really. And he’s clearly not this guy.” She taps the picture, and shakes her head. “He’s only involved with Anton’s gym, so pretty sure he’s a write off. This list of names here were all mentioned as looking like the picture – I got the background checks here. But Patrick is our missing link, I’m sure of it. Just which one…”
[Something Wicked] There were a few Patricks here and there, one was on two list. Patrick Ferguson. He was on both the Atlas and Gold gym’s list.
Derek had grinned at her words “Takes your clothes off, I’ll show you where I see those sexy curves” He did look at her breasts. They were amonst the curves he liked on her. They weren’t as large as Kristen’s or Marni’s, but they were firm, perky and so arousing.
“Well we now need to know what those Patrick look like”He got up, one hand moving to caress her hair briefly and headed for the kitchen “Giess we’ll have ot wait for the bacground results. Let’s eat in the meantime”
[Izzy Montoya] She circles Patrick Ferguson’s name on both lists, and stands to add it to the board – and below it the other Patricks as well, just in case. She has a feeling she’s on the right track now, and energy thrums through her form as she studies the board and the copy of his picture there, as she settles back to the couch and waits for the Fax machine to start up again.
When Derek looks at her breasts, she flashes him with a smirk, testament to how good a mood a break through puts her in. “If I take off my clothes, we’ll never eat dinner, and I’m fuckin’ starving.”
She reaches out and slides her hand across his hip as he moves toward the kitchen, and she settles into the couch, propping her feet on the coffee table and studying the board absently.
[Something Wicked] “I promise I’ll be a good boy and wait ofr oyu to be done with dinner” He had grins at her, winking and disapeared into the kitchen. He came back later with pizza, beers and napkin. he knew she didn’t need a plate for her pizza and since they wouldn’t handling anything, so did he.
He sits back beside her, opening the box, letting her pick a slice and then did so himself. He ate, watching the board and her then the board, then mostly her. Things might be moving forward now. Hopefully they’ll catch the guy soon. Very soon. But until the background check is faxed, there was nothing much he could think of doing for the case.
He leans back in the couch, quite comfortable with the way things were between them. Well almsot completly comfortable. Things were..always slightly different, getting more..softer? Intimate? Nah, it was jsut fatigue right..had to be. They were partners, lovers, exclusive, living together or kina…nto a couple right
God it sounds fake, even in his head.
[Izzy Montoya] She snorts. “I already told Russel I had you tied up in the bedroom.” So much for his good boy image, hm?
She takes her slice, and sits back, taking a bite with a grateful sound, happily devouring her piece. “Some day your gonna make some bitch a perfectly good husband.” It’s said lightly, teasingly, without any hint that she might be that bitch – because they’re not really a couple. Right?
Right?
Even if when she says it, she nudges his knee with her own, and leaves it there, touching him on as many points as possible as she watches the board as if something else might jump out at her, while almost completely focused on the feeling of him sitting next to her, and how…. easy… it is with him here.
[Something Wicked] “Pff I’m sure he wish it was him. If we keep it up, we’ll make quite a few men jealous. I mean, you don’t have time much for others lately after all”And well they kinda promised each other not to look elsewhere too. Too bad guys, I”m with her..well..kinda..sorta..
He chuckled at the husband comment “Yeah, probably. We’ll see if one opens her eyes right?”He nudge her back, enjoying her presence, every time their body touches. He eats, quietly, just sitting beside her as if it was normal to do so. As if they didn’t really need owrds to understnad or appreciate each other.
The fax machine starts and the background on the Patricks comes out. Patrick Ferguson is a fairly well built black man and a doctor. Patrick Sullivan was dark haired and a stock broker, Patrick Lorne was blonde, big and on the board of Vesal investments.
[Izzy Montoya] “I could make time…” She quips – without adding the obvious ‘if I wanted too’ because that would be a little too close to commitment for her, really. And she doesn’t do that. And he knows that, though this looks like, from the outside, that it’s very much the same thing. She ends the thought though with a little smirk… “but I hear you get jealous…” and an obvious joke.
She finishes off her piece, and grabs a second when the Fax machine starts, and she stands and goes to collect the papers as they come out of the machine. She sets them on the table, and goes through them as she makes her way through the piece of pizza too. She looks at the photo, and at the men, and points to Lorne. “He’s the only blond on the list. What do you think?”
She lets him compare the pictures while she searches through the rest of the information on the suspects.
[Something Wicked] He snorts “Me jealous? Maybe I should go see my lady friends see if you don’t get al ittle jealous”He teases and they both suspect he wouldn’t do it. Not with the way they don’t want to admit things are going.
The info on each is pretty extensive. All are fairly succesful, Sullivan is married, the other two single. There are adresses, family members, schools they went to and all that. It was pretty extensive, depending on what she was looking for,
Derek looked at the picture carefully “Well if he’s really big, I think he could be our man. He seem to have the same head shape..but this is a face shot and the cam is more of back one”
[Izzy Montoya] She snorts. “I’d just have to shoot them, and then where would you be?” Idle threats, just a tease, because she really wouldn’t because she’s not jealous of the man she’s totally not in a relationship with… right?
Right.
[Hahaha]
She searches for any obvious connections to the women they’ve found and connected to them, any prior arrests, anything that sets off warning bells – domestic violence, trouble at work, anything like that. “Tomorrow’s agenda will be bringing each of these boys in for questioning.”
And an arrest, if they’re very, very lucky.
[Something Wicked] He laughed “Sure sure. Not sure they would like to be shot though” He look at her amused. The ladies he had in mind, well they were both pretty tough and bullets weren’t the most efficient way ot kill them. His mind didn’t stay longer on those ladies and came back rather quickly to a certain Fenrir kin.
As much as Izzy searches, there seem to be no connection between any of them and the victims except 2 went to the same gym as him. No connection to carly, except he was maybe dating her, not connection to Debbie and Vivian. They were moving forward btu not everything was clear yet.
[Izzy Montoya] She just nudges him as she finishes off her piece of pizza, before grabbing her beer as she sits back and takes a swallow or three, before resting the bottle on her belly, and her spare hand on his thigh.
“No real connection but for the two at the same gym – we’ll have to see if any of them let something slip in questioning, and keep digging. But – we’re finally getting somewhere. I can feel it.”
She nods. Hopefully the get somewhere fast – before he kills again.
[Izzy Montoya] [and then they had sex. Lots and lots of sex.
Fade! :) ]