Underground Doll (Closed)

[Lyssa_Marie]

Detective Jeanette Cassidy had been waiting outside of the office for ten minutes while one of the officers went to fetch the Captain. She was transferred from the Violent Crimes division after two and a half years to the Bureau of Organized Crime. A huge reason for the transfer was due the overwhelming stress over the unsolved murder of her twin sister, Danielle. After six months of intense therapy and a few mishaps, the chief questioned her on whether she should resign. While her partner defended her, even he noticed how much her sister’s death took a toll on her. After much talk that ensued, she finally consented to the transfer.

Organized crime sometimes mixed in with the cases she worked on when it turned out the suspect had ties to something much sinister.

The officer came out and instructed Jeanette that the captain was ready to see her.

Jeanette walked past the others until the officer pointed out the room. He knocked twice before he left her. She entered the room, taking note of the newspaper clippings posted on the wall. On one side by the door was a collection of clippings regarding the recent kidnappings of young women.

“Detective Cassidy, right?” the captain greeted her.

“Yes. I hope you don’t mind that I’m early.”

”No, no. You look quite young to be in this line of field.”

“Twenty eight years old, sir.”

”Interesting. Had you pegged for at least twenty two. Sit down.” He looked over her file, skimming through the documents that had been sent to him. “A knack for teaser puzzles and cracking codes. Might be useful. Two years in the Bureau of Detectives, specifically in the field of Violent Crimes…you’ve been transferred on recommendation by your captain due to personal stress that may have hindered your performance. Odd. According to your file and your nearly positive letter from your captain, you have a good track record. Mind if I ask why the transfer here after a short time?”

Jeanette was reluctant to answer for a moment. Her fingers drummed atop her knees before she let out a short sigh.

“The last case I was assigned…I became too close to it. My sister Danielle was murdered last year. Therapy, then a few other gaffes. So I was assigned here.”

”You also have great timing too,” he stood up. “Right now, we are in the middle of an investigation that we believe our instigator may be working for an underground organization. The problem is we have a hard time tracing it as some of the suspected help wanted ads are coming from addresses that don’t exist. You’ll be working with one of our veterans. Very reliable. He should be back by now.”

The Captain led her from his office and in to the main room where they ran in to a gentleman older than she was. Late thirties or early forties she would guess. After an exchange of the status on a case, she was introduced.

”Ah, good, I’ve run in to you. This is your new partner, Detective Jeanette Cassidy. Recently transferred from Homicide. She’s here to help you out with the case. And don’t tell me you don’t need assistance.”

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mike Futures

The Lear 90 rolls to a stop outside the hanger. Mike looks out the window of the jet. Why is it that these airports get smaller and smaller as I get older. Mike stands and gathers his files.
.............................................................................................................................
OCC:
Mike Futures named partner in the Investigative firm of Futures-Carr-Hyde-Ketchem of Palm Beach Florida.

Some back round on Mike. Mike was born in Conneticut. His father was a man of connections. Not a shady kind of guy just some one everyone seemed to know. A friend to cops and low lifes. Mike attended public school k-12 like most of the other kids in his town.

After high school Mike joined the Army. He spent several years in Germany then Italy. Upon returning he served at Fort Meade and made a name for himself. After several years serving there, he was eager to find his own way.

Several years of bouncing around he found a case fall in his lap. A woman had gone missing. She had been in Israel on on her way to Arkansas. She was a buyer for a major departmant store. Her specialty was Middle Eastern rugs. She had traveled all over to find $500 rung that could be made on the cheap then sold for a big mark up. Mike found her body and diamonds and gold threads in the rugs. ICE became involved and so did the media.

He was said to of broke up the Flying Carpet case. From then on the cases kept coming. Soon he had a Black American Express card. And the money started rolling in. After a couple years the load got to heavy and he took on partners. Now FCH&K have offices in several major cities. Palm Beach, Fort Worth, Portland and Kansas City. A named partner in each office.
.............................................................................................................................

After he arrives at the police station. Mike walks in to the office of the Organized crimes division. He finds an officer who directs him to Lt. Davidson."Lieutenant Davidson a pleasure, sir." He shakes hands with the man. "Good then lets look at how I can help you on this case." Lt. Davidson stands. "Yes well it might be best if we went into the main study room where we have the case layed out. Mike follows the man to a large room. He starts to tell Mike about the newest updates in the case.
The Captain walks in with a young woman.
”Ah, good, I’ve run in to you. This is your new partner, Detective Jeanette Cassidy. Recently transferred from Homicide. She’s here to help you out with the case. And don’t tell me you don’t need assistance.”

Mike is taken back. "Captain I just got into town. The file your people E-Mailed me is a week old. Lieutenant Davidson here is briefing me on the latest. You have a wide open case here. Several missing women, several bodies. I'm here to help on just one case. A paying case. Senator Carlton's daughter. Amanda Carlton is my focus. The rest of these cases may be related or may not. They are not paid cases. So if this young lady wants to tag allong that fine with me. But it is with the understanding that my focus is on the Carlton girl. Amanda!"

 

[Asobininryochan]

Introducing Martin Ho

Marty Ho oversaw the preparation for tonight’s party. Although he stressed to the staff the importance of detail; their ignorance of speakeasies or of Prohibition threatened to ruin his vision. He studied the era while at University and at several times rebuked his employees for decorating with items not belonging from that era. In private, in his mind, where no one heard his complaints – he desired to berate the American help for their historical ignorance. On the other hand, the men who patronized his establishment hardly noticed his efforts and in fact sought after the stereotypes perpetrated by Hollywood!

Leaving the rest to a subcontractor supposedly qualified for the task, he ventured back to inspect the hostesses for the night. A disparate selection of American femininity – they constituted the country’s diverse ethnic population. Not that an actual speakeasy from the Twenties or even the Thirties sought integration; but (as he reminded himself once more) his clients wanted ambiance, not factual fidelity.

At least the costume designer came through and performed suitably for this occasion. Once he told the girls that they looked fine and dismissed them, he answered his mobile, reassuring his business partners that he foresaw no problems – sans the obvious surveillance caravan monitoring his place of business – with tonight’s party…..

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Jeanette stayed silent while watching the two men communicate. When Mike said something to the effect of how he was solely focused on the senate's daughter, she heard the frustration coming from the captain when he mentioned that it was no longer only the senate's daughter but that some of the other missing women in recent times fell under similar circumstances when it came to their disappearance. As the captain continued talking to the other detective, Jeanette pondered about the case: Her former division had no involvement in it simply because there was no case that linked the Jane Does to what was happening. The only time she heard of this current investigation was based on what the newspapers and news told her.

The captain left. A little red in the face, she noticed.

She watched as the Captain went back to his office and shut himself in. Then to the detective...her new partner...that she was assigned to.

"Um..." She tried to find the right words to say in this rather awkward situation. "Hello. Detective Cassidy."

 

[Asobininryochan]

Another call on his mobile – an annoyance he needed to attend since the caller came from the Chicago Police Department. Martin made assurances:

- Yes… a guaranteed opening for your daughter in the magnet school… and thank you for providing us with the information we requested…. Goodbye….

Returning to his office, he opened the file he received and began reading Detective Jeanette Cassidy’s dossier on his tablet….

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mike Futures

Mike studies the case board as the Captain rattles on about the other women. Mike barely notices that Captain has stoped talking. He sences some one else near him. Then he recognizes the scent, Midnight Passion. He looks at the woman next to him. "Your wearing Midnight Passion!" The woman speaks to him.

"Hello. Detective Cassidy." she says. Mike smiles at her. "Yes I'm sure you are. What can you tell me about Amanda Carlton? How is her case related to the others?When can we meet with the Senator?"Am I going to fast for you detective?"

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

She raised her eyebrows when Mike brought up the name of the spray she used. Jeanette muttered a "yeah," to confirm that he was correct. Maybe he was married or had been around enough women to recognize the specific name of the spray. Whatever the reason, she couldn't help but find it odd.

She looked up at the case board and studied the pictures and evidence posted up there. Based on what is up there and what little information the media was able to provide for her, Jeanette thought it over for a few minutes.

"Young women between seventeen and late twenties, middle and affluent neighborhoods..." Jeanette paused, reading the printed out newspaper clips. "Suspect is either a resident or has studied the area very well to advertise. Very careful. There is at least one other person working for the suspect in order to deceive the investigation."

Jeanette turned to the detective. "I'll need to see the files before I can delve any further."

She thought the question about when should they meet with the senator was a little strange. "Do you suppose he said anything about his daughter?"

 

[Asobininryochan]

Danielle Cassidy… the name seemed familiar and recollections of the girl returned as he studied the information given to him concerning Detective Jeanette Cassidy. He wondered why her face evoked a certain level of familiarity until he read that she shared a relation with Danielle Cassidy; her identical sister.

Regrettably, he allowed his client to abuse his privileges. Ignorance prevented from discriminating certain patrons. Fortunately, he paid enough to make the venture marginally profitable (after paying the considerable bribes that nearly ruined his enterprise here in the United States).

Hopefully, her presence in the investigation team potentially benefitted his plans to misdirect their effort; but first, he needed to make a telephone call:

- Hello… Mr. Hyde… you may inform your client that the whereabouts of her missing daughter is no longer a mystery…. Yes…. I assume she would be very pleased….

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

"I'll need to see the files before I can delve any further." Jeanette says. Mike turns from the wall and looks at her and smiles. "Yes looking in to the case file would be helpfull." He moves down the wall to a set of pictures of an unidentified woman.

"Do you suppose he said anything about his daughter?" Jeanette askes. Mike continues to look at the pictures on the wall. " The senator is my client. I'm here to help in any way I can. Your department has a fine record of solving cases. I'm here to observe and assist in the cases.. And yes I do think the Senator said some thing to her, he was her daughter. That is why I, sorry, we need to speak to him."

" I notice that all of these bodies are in a wooded area. Except for #4 which is leaning a against a brick wall. " Mike walks over to another picture and points to the picture. " Look at these rocks. They are roundish. Those are river rocks. I need to know how many bodies were found near a river and if so what river. That may be an important clue."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

"I meant to say if he revealed anything about his daughter."

Jeanette studied the pictures carefully. She recognized the women from previous cases. Their bodies have been found within a thirty mile radius. The brick wall was somewhere in town, if she could recall. She could only vaguely recall the details of those due to the leave of absence she had taken at that time that forced her to be off the case.

The two women on the right were the more "recent" ones and possibly the most bizzare given where their bodies were located.

"Giselle Ramirez, Lila Vincent. Seventeen, eighteen." Jeanette rattled off the names. "Both were missing for several weeks before their bodies turned up. Lila's the one with the bricks. I will need the files for them. I was unable to look in to it as much as I should have at the time they were discovered. I know these last two."

She pointed to the two pictures on the right.

"Kathleen Steinbecker and Yun Kim. They're different because they were found in Franklin County. We were handed the case because both of them were from downtown Chicago. I think the senator would be easy to find, given his missing daughter."

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

"Franklin county, you mean Cook county. Franklin county is in Ohio." he returns to the pictures. "Yeah if the senator is in town. And not in Washington. Or on his boat on Lake Michigan or at his house in Allentown. Or his parents place in Whiteplains. Yeah he could be in town. I read his file on the plane. Its at Cook county airport if we need it."
Mike turns to Jeanette as he speaks. " You are the local here. I'm from out of town. Bricks mean the older part of the town. Round rocks means a river is near by where the body was dropped. Amanda is not on this wall. I have a few days to find her. Alive! And I get payed. Dead and I leave with all my expenses. The Senator wants his little girl back alive. I want his little girl back allive."

Mike returns to the wall."All these women are different. All are young 18-20. Why dump young woman in the woods and all over?"Why not into the lake?" Have there been any bodies found in the lake?"

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

"I meant the creek. It's about an hour from here. Lee county." Jeanette felt her face burn in shame. She needed to concentrate but the crime scene photos reminded her of how her sister was found. Shaking her head, she mumbled something about Illinois' own Franklin County being way further down the state. Damn it.

"Sorry." Jeanette looked over the photos again. "None of the ones that were found in the lake this past few years alone were ever linked. I think the person wanted their bodies to be found eventually. Could be metaphorical or symbolic. The way they are posed..." She stopped for a moment, then turned to Mike. "Can I see the file for Amanda? What can you tell me about her?"

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Amanda Tasha Carlton

Mike walks over to his breif case and opens it. He pulls out the file and hands it to Jeanette. "That is a week old. Thats why I need to speak to the Senator ASAP."

He looks at Jeanette as he stands next to the wall of photos." She is a little wild, loves horses. And taking walks in the woods. One theory is she was in the woods and she saw something she was not suppose to see. Like some one dumping a body. Yun Kim's body was found in a wooded area 3 miles from the Carlton's horse farm."

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

Jeanette's fingers leafed through the paperwork. She heard Mike say something along the lines of how Amanda may have not been an intended target but someone who may have witnessed what happened to one of the victims. It was possible but there was also a chance that they may have initially gone willingly before being held against their will. She hummed a few "mm-hmms" and nodded at his theory.

"As far as the senator is concerned, he should be in town this week." She grabbed a paper and began to jot down the phone number she was aware of and handed it to him. "Sometimes his office is a bitch to get through with his assistant handling his calls but if you explain that you're in charge of the case regarding his daughter..."

She stopped when she looked through the e-mail printouts taken from Amanda's personal account. Jeanette looked up at the wall of the clippings, then back at the paperwork.

"Shit."

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mike listened to Jeanette then she hands him a piece of paper with a number on it. He recognizes the number. "This Mirium Carter's number the Senator's communication director in Springfield." Mike walks over to the corner of the room and calls his office in Florida.

"Hey Trish, yeah I'm here in Chi town. I'm working the Carlton case. Right that one. Listen hun I need the number for the senator cheif of staff... Harvey something." He waits a few seconds. "Harvey Waterfield that is the one. Ok I got it, thanks hun, what, a White Sox cap? I thought you were a Brewers fan, oh your kid. Sure Trish, I'll se what I can get, thanks again."

He walks over to Jeanette. "I got to get a hold of Chris Sale before they trade him. He's from FGCU." He walks over to the desk and writes down the phone number for Harvey Waterfield. Just as he is handing her the paper she says. "Shit!"

"Hey Sale is a good pitcher, but if they are going to trade him, its the managements decision. I'm sure he will do well where ever he goes."

 

[Asobininryochan]

Indeed, the military attaché from the Second Department knew his craft when he set up the monitoring equipment at the Bureau of Organized Crime. Fortuitously, his contact from Huawei granted them permission to modify the upgrades to the Chicago Police Department’s IT systems. Now, as Marty watched Detective Cassidy and Mister Futures make sense of the inept handiwork of an indiscrete client, he looked at the woman giving him fellatio.

Her gazed on the task at hand, namely, his manhood; he sighed in pleasure as he felt no need to chastise her instructor for failing to properly inculcate her in the administration of oral sex. After she received his seed, he manipulated her head so that she looked into his eyes. Bidding her to open her orifice, he satisfactorily viewed the seminal fluid resting on her lingua and gave her leave to swallow. Then, after he allowed the nude girl to clothe herself once more in the Flapper dress in which she arrived – he summoned her under the pretense of needing to scrutinise her costume – he declared:

- I believe you are ready for tonight’s gathering, Miss Carlton!

 

[Asobininryochan]

After watching her depart, he returned to the monitor as he saw another Amanda Carlton (dressed in an identical outfit) approach Detective Cassidy. He watched her tap Jeanette on the shoulder. When the detective turned around, with a look of amazement engraved upon her countenance, she said:

- I’m supposed to deliver this to you….

Her puzzlement continued as she examined the hand written invitation to attend a Speakeasy Party at the Underground Doll with instructions on appropriate attire required for admittance in addition to other details (such as directions and so forth)….

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

"I wasn't talking about Sale." Jeanette had no idea who Chris Sale is. Must be an acquaintance of Mike's. Whatever it may be, she pushed the thought aside. "No it's not that. It's just...the e-mail printout in her file. The one that congratulated her for being accepted to some prestigious establishment..."

Jeanette pulled out the printout she was referring to and tacked it on the wall next to the classified ads that were found with the women or copies that were cutouts from the newspaper.

"The wording is a little different for each of the acceptance letters that these women received but all of them are for some prestigious agency or school. Often times they will be asked to meet in mid-afternoon or evenings at some cafe just to make them comfortable. The problem is...well...after asking the places if they had ever seen them and the tapes we reviewed...it doesn't look like the women ever showed up. It could be possible that Amanda...or maybe not so..."

She looked over the slip of paper Mike handed to her. Before she could ask about it, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, a young woman resembling Amanda Carlton stood before her. In her hand was an invitation.

“ I’m supposed to deliver this to you….”

Jeanette raised her eyebrows at the sight of the woman, then at the invitation, then a quick glance at Mike with an expression that read Does she look awfully familiar to you?

She turned her attention back to the woman. “What is your name? Who sent you?”

 

[Asobininryochan]

- I’m Amanda Carlton!

Good, thought Marty, the girl from Second City remained true to character. He hired her using an advertisement; with a number that instantly disappeared from existence once the actress accepted the contract to play the role of a flapper named Amanda Carlton. (He especially liked her ability to physically transform into her current role: a fact he might mention to Lorne Micheals, should he attend, as promised.)

 

[Lyssa_Marie]

The young woman had all the resemblance of the missing Amanda Carlton that Mike was focused on. Jeanette looked at the invitation; fancy calligraphy writing delicately stroked the paper. She turned her attention back to the woman. For some reason, she could not quite ease the discomforting feeling that was on the back of her mind.

"And who sent you to give me this?"

The fact that the invitation was given to her made Jeanette felt rather uneasy. Unfolding the invitation, she glanced up once in a while to make sure the woman did not go away.

"Underground Doll?"

 

[Asobininryochan]

- No idea…

The woman resembling Amanda Carlton answered as she added further details:

- A friend told me about someone needing a Flapper and gave me a contact number…

She lit a cigarette, as instructed, took a drag and exhaled smoke into the ceiling before continuing:

- I called and a guy answered… told him I wanted the job… then he asked for my measurements and my address.

After extinguishing her smoke, she then said:

- Next thing I knew, UPS dropped off a dress with further instructions….

At this point, a carrier from United Parcel Service appeared with a package and asked:

- Are you Detective Jeanette Cassidy?

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mike walks up to the woman slowly. "Let me get this straight. You not Amanda Carlton? And you were payed to say you are Amanda Carlton. Your here to deliver a pckage to Detective Jeanette Cassidy. You don't know who Amanda Carlton is, nor do you know who Detective Jeanette Cassidy is and I gather you have no idea who I am? Is this correct?"

Mike pulls Jeanette to the side" This what my friends in the Mossad call an 'English Tea Party' you go but you don't come back."

Jeanette looks at him" Mossad?" Mike just shakes his head.

 

[Asobininryochan]

While the UPS man waited for Detective Cassidy to accept her package and sign his scanner; the woman presently referred to as Amanda Carlton lit another cigarette as she listened to Mike’s questions. After he finished, she proceeded to blow smoke into his face and answered his queries:

- I’m Amanda Carlton!

Then pointing to the man in the UPS uniform, she in her retorted:

- That guy, not me, is delivering a package for Detective Cassidy….

As she continued to drag her fag and then exhale in Mr. Future’s countenance, she added:

- You’re a meshuggener, buddy! I may be Jewish, but I’m not Mossad, you Anti-Semitic Bastard!

 

[BRIGHTWELL]

Mike looks at her " Anti-Semitic that is rich, no you little minch, I didn't say you were Mossad and if I was going to insult you in Hebrew I'd call you a Igudan troll." Mike turns to Jeanette. " All I'm saying is think this though."

Mike walks toward the UPS driver "I will sign for Jeanette Cassidy. I'm her husband Mike Cassidy." He walks over and signs the E-reader. The driver hands over the package. Mike carries it over to Jeanete. "Don't worry about it I do that all the time." The UPS driver leaves. Mike smiles at Jeanette."Shall we see what your wearing to the tea party?"

 

[Asobininryochan]

Marty laughed in amusement as he saw Amanda Carlton insult Mike Futures in Yiddish. On the other hand, he found further amusement in watching Mister Futures sign the package as Mike Cassidy – an electronic record easy exploitable by his lawyers. Unfortunately, the carrier showed too much diligence in the execution of his duties and officiously stated:

- I’m sorry, sir, but I was under strict instructions to hand this package personally to Detective Jeanette Cassidy and no one else, sir.

Sadly, Marty forgot that detail; he wanted her and only her to first glimpse at his present: a peach coloured flapper dress of lace – decorated with tassels and floral patterns. He also included, of course, matching shoes, gloves, cape, hat, various unmentionables and et cetera….