[CoC] Sick-n-Twisted (Fresh Meat)

[Master_Pugs]

Something is going on here... something big Tanya thinks

She orders a beer and holds it to her lips, not drinking. She sits and watches Bruder from the corner of her eye.

Whatever it is, this one isn't leaving my sight

 

[doghead]

As the phone rings, Bruder ponders what he is going to say.

"Hey mum, how's it going?" ... I need to find out if anything unusual has happened recently. But I don't want to worry her. ... "Sorry about not dropping by this week, bit of a rough one." ... I probably be able to tell from her voice if anything is out of the ordinary has happened. Come on Mum, pick up the phone. Probably misplaced the handset again. Dozy old bird ... "I'll drop by early next week. Do you need anything?" ... Yeah, nice and simple.

That cop has been eyeballing me. Probably thinks I am up to something. Should have seen the look on her face when I cold shouldered her ...

Come on Mum. I'm going to have to buy you a regular phone and stick it on the wall ..."

 

[bruin]

Damn, Jim thinks, only getting Pritchard's answering maching. "Hey, it's Jim. Gimme a call back when you get a chance. Some weird stuff happened tonight and I want to know if you've ever heard of anything like it."

What am I gonna do about that cop? he wonders. Better warn Bruder. He calls information and pays the fee to have the call connected to the bar. "Jack is Bruder there? On the phone? Can you tell him to call me when he gets a chance?" and hangs up. That's only half the problem though. I can't go back there as I am; better go in disguise if that cop's still there.

When he gets back to his apartment, he ignores the mail for the moment and goes upstairs to get changed. He picks out a fine English suit, a bowler, and matching umbrella, and decks himself out to look just like John Steed from The Avengers He looks around in his disguise kit and adds a fake, thick moustache and a pair of phony pince-nez to add to the effect.

When he's ready, umbrella tucked under his arm, he grabs whatever's in the mail and starts to drive back to the bar. I'll let Bruder open it himself, as it's his mail. He polishes up on his phony British accent as he drives, going over phrases like "Righto old chap" and such.

 

[doghead]

Brrring. 19 Brrring 20

"B*gger", Bruder mutters under his breath, and hangs up the phone.

Bruder notices that Jack is free. "Oh well, might as well get that drink now." As he heads over to the bar he gets Jack's attention with a slight tilt of his head.

"Er, another cold one Jack." ... "Thanks." .... "What? Jim called? Did he say what he wanted?" ... "Allright, I'll call him back now. Can I get some quarters for the phone?"

Taking the beer, Bruder heads back to the phone and calls Jim's mobile.

 

[bruin]

Still a minute or two away from the bar, Jim hears the cell ringing and picks it up.

"Hello? Hey Bruder. Listen, I'm on my way back now. Be careful. That cop in the bar, I think she came there looking to catch me! I'm coming back, but I'm in disguise. I need you to say some things out loud, so the cop can hear you saying them."

"Say: 'You're leaving the country! Dear God, why?'"

"Then Say: 'But how am I gonna get the truck back?'"

"Then Say: 'Ok, he's on his way to the bar? He'll be here soon? Ok, then, good luck in Paris. Keep in touch if you can.'"

"Got that? Alright, I'll be in there a minute or two."

Jim hangs up. He stops for a few minutes a little way from the bar, composing himself and getting into character.

Then he parks near the bar, gathers up the mail and umbrella and heads inside...

 

[bruin]

Jim strides into the bar, larger than life, debonair and gentlemanly. He approaches Jack and speaks in a bored, aristocrat British tone: "Hello, good sir, could you tell me where I might find a chap named Bruder? I'm supposed to give him something."

After Jack directs him to Bruder, Jim walks over and extends his hand. He projects his voice just loud enough for the cop to hear him. "Good day, I understand you are Bruder? My name is Maximillian Wearywalker, but you can call me Max. A short time ago, an aquaintance dropped by my office in an awful rush, claimed that he had to get out of town and that the police were after him or some such rubbish. Anyway, I owed him a favor, so he asked me to drive your truck here and give you these keys. He also gave me some mail that he said you needed." Jim hands these over, giving Bruder a wink and a smile.

Then: "He also mentioned that you had a rather odd experience at a church this evening. He didn't go into detail, but I gather that you could use some assistance? I'm a private investigator by trade, and I think I could offer you some help, if you're in a bad way."

OOC: From this point on I'll be referring to him as Max when he acts, though I'll still call him Jim when he thinks. Unless he and Bruder are alone.

 

[doghead]

... ?

"Err ... Ta ... I mean thanks."

Bruder takes the keys and the mail, pocketing the keys and putting then starts shuffling quickly through the letters.

"Take a seat," he mutters abscently.

Bill. Junk. Bill. Junk. More Junk. A letter from Bob! I thought that he was dead or married or something like that ... He's in Ohio ... Well, as good as dead. Another bill. ...

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Bruder says, suddenly realising that Max had been saying something. "You're in the band's way. What band?"

 

[bruin]

Speaking slowly and deliberately: "James O'Rielly. Friend of yours. Said. That you had a bad experience at a church this evening and that you might need some help." With his right hand out, he motions hurriedly in the direction of the cop, keeping the hand out of her sight but visible to Bruder.

C'mon Bruder, we have to keep up the act for her benefit, at least until we can shake her Jim thinks.

OOC: was that question mark Bruder or you? I'm doing the disguise thing so that Jim and the cop can be in the party together without any strife, at least for the meantime. Later on, when they've actually worked together a bit, maybe he can dispense with the act, but for now...

 

[doghead]

"Urr ... Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention ... the mail ... ah ... take a seat, please Mr ... Weatherwalker?"

Bruder glance in the direction of the bar to see if the woman is still out of earshot. She is.

"What the hell is going on? Which cop? The bird you tried to hit on? What's with the weird get up?"

 

[bruin]

"That's Wearywalker." He says loudly, for the cop's benefit.

Then, whispering: "Yeah her. She said she was looking for a burglar, and I don't think she wanted to hire me for my services! Sorry about the get-up. It was the only thing I could find on short notice. All my other disguises are professional stuff, like police and UPS deliveryman uniforms."