Forums » General Roleplay » The Awesome cases of Lightfoot & Pentecost (1x1)

While on the road...

There was talks of another report coming in...

Sandy: *Driving* We should look further in on the disappearances. The abductions are getting to be way too deep.

Victoria: I worry about the other kids. They don't seem to stand a chance against the one guy who's looking to commit sickening acts to us kids. I have to thank you, Detective Lightfoot. if you didn't find me when you did before he did... i would have surely met the same fate as those kids. Not saying that they are actually facing that now... but we don't know what is going on with the other kids. They could have just been abandoned. or forgotten. But they are still at risk. The guy is gonna try to mo---mo---mo...

Jeremy: Molest them?! *Gasps* Oh sweet mother of travesty...

Kimberly: I feel the pain of it already. I was molested when i was 8 years old. To this day i still suffer the scars of it. Not as bad as i did for the first 10 years after it happened... but i every so often have haunting visions of the thing that had happened to me. As does my sister.

Sandy: the terror still lives on. Molestation is a very bad concern. There are still so so SOOOOOOOOOOO many cases of that happening each year and the amount of those cases that get solved and children helped to retake back their lives in any way that they can... slim to none. That's the sad truth. The awful sad truth.

Kimberly: We need to find my sister... Linda. She's got a place where we can set up a sub-detective station... If Veronica is still at risk of being taken... her place would be the best bet.

Veronica: What's worse... It's that with the abuse that the woman did on us kids... as instructed by that sick man... a lot of us young teens took to smoking. I lost my pack on the bus. i couldn't find it. But i also can't bare to go back to my mom and dad. They'd only try to parade me with more heavier drugs.

Sandy: You won't be going back to them... after this case is over and done with... we're gonna make a case to the D.A and we're gonna get you taken from them. You'll be found a new family.

Veronica: Thank you. Anyone got a light? I need one bad.

Jeremy: What brand do you do?

Veronica: Newport.

Sandy: We don't have that. We got Parliament reds. Would that be okay?

Veronica: Sure.

A minute later...

Veronica: *Smoking*

Jeremy: *Looking at his wife and lover* Kimberly... Sandy. My portable computer and some of the needed files are in the trunk of my truck. I need to get those before we hit for your sister's place.

Kimberly; Okay. Where's your truck?

Jeremy: Back at the detective's office. My mom is likely there and returned from the interrogation she had with one of the families to the abducted young teens.



Kimberly: Okay.



Veronica: Let's go. I want to see us do what we can to save those other kids... teens. It isn't fair to see them getting nailed while i am free from the terror.

Jeremy: No worries. We'll get them saved. We are on the case, Veronica. You can count on that as the word of Jeremy K. "Passion Kiss" Lightfoot... when i'm on the case... no case rests till the innocent are found and brought to safe harbors. *Texting to Randle* Sound the alarm... Code 5 in the detective's book. Urgent case... it just went from urgent to multi-level innocence Emergency.

A Moment later...



Jeremy: *Voice-Over* We were on our way to my sister in law's place. the sister to my wife Kimberly. It was a risk to get her involved in the case too as to the way it was beginning to seem like... it was gonna turn into a rum-go. Dangerous and very treacherous due to the players in the case. We knew about the one woman... We knew about the man... their intents and actions. What they were capable of and that was because Veronica managed to provide us with some very solid concrete intel. Testimony. from what she told... it was a sign to us... that it was gonna be far from over... because we were about to get reports of there being cases of reported young teens in town from Cleveland, Ohio... Brooklyn, New York. Stratford, Connecticut and Smallville, Kansas... Question was... how much bigger was it gonna get?

Linda's house...



Linda: Hey Jeremy. It's been a while since i last saw you... *Hugging and kissing him in welcome* Come on in.

Inside...

Linda: i hear that you are a detective. Pretty hot. Big change up from the days of being a hip on the glitz celeb. But we all have to make changes in our lives every once in a while. To keep the human soul honest.

Jeremy: True. We need a place to set up shop away from the office. There is just too much danger and risks. I have this young teen who was left behind by the abductors and managed to escape the clutches. Thankfully. She's joining us for this case as she has the Intel needed for the case. Tips that could help this get a leg up... Major.

Linda: Oh... no problem. You can use the dining room. Set up shop there. perfect shot and vantage point of the T.V to see if anything comes to speak of what's in relation to the case.

Kimberly: Thank you, sis.

Linda: Anytime.

It was only within the next hour that passed...

T.V.: *Reporting* Just an hour ago... a group of young teens coming from Cleveland, Ohio... Smallville, Kansas and Brooklyn, New York have been reported missing from the local bus depot. Several eyewitnesses have reported to have seen a couple of guys wearing black and gray trench coats and carrying knives. There is no known previous whereabouts of where those two men came from... but from the eyewitnesses who were at the scene... the abducted children count has now gone from 100 to 500. Some sources say that it's become a sex-trafficking ring. of the most sickening kind known in this decade. Local Authorities are baffled...

Veronica: *Recognizing one of the teens that were shown* IZZY! That was Izzy. She... she... they said she was also abducted... By the two men.

Things were now growing grim... was there to be any light for them?

Time was running out for the innocent young teens who were only on their way to a concert highlighting the K-pop boy band... BTS.

Tame Impala's "The Moment" plays in the background...

The countdown to the final curtain call for the innocent teens has already begun...

Looking back, I wonder how different we would've approached this case if we'd known the sheer size of it. Nothing'd suggested how serious and large it would become in the beginning; it'd just been a rumor Sprite and I overheard, to be served as a warm-up between us and our Metropolian colleagues.. what it ended up becoming was a nation-wide criminal pandemic, all because these damned three psychopaths so happened to be smarter than they acted. More things were amiss about this case than I've ever seen; lousy and out-in-the-open evidence, poor attempts at taking the eyes off the case.. it didn't feel right. Both Mrs Moneyburns and Arno & Son behaved like amateurs, yet at the same time, they managed to cause more ruckus than most of their caliber could even dream of causing. Of course, at this point, neither me, Sprite nor any of the Lightfoots knew that there was a much grimmer side to this case that went far beyond molestation or a quick, cruel way to cough up gambling money. Something of a nature rarely seen, but often talked about: the rise of a cult. However, that was yet to be discovered by my associates and me- without knowing it, we'd merely touched upon the entrance of the rabbit hole.. === "H-hang in there, kid.. we're gonna need to take a lil' detour here," Randle whispered, his rasp dialed up to eleven. Only now did the floorboards creak twice as loudly; memorizing which were the noisiest would be a life-saver here.. but it got only worse from there on. "Oh shit.." "Now where that damn kid go?!" complained Duggenfield Jr, slowly prowling into the shack. "Yeah, yeah, heh.. sure pops won't wanna have ya 'cause of those damaged eyes of yours, but that don't mean I don't.." Damaged eyes? So those weren't just bruises from the severe beatings the kid'd taken? Turned out the essence-deprived sod in his arms wasn't actually 'blind' after all. Good God.. "No playin' hide and seek with me, boy, I'll break your legs.. heh, heh.." Missing Jr's vision by an inch, Randle slid and crouched into the first hiding spot he saw.. a broom closet! Really..? Regretting his poor choice of hiding, he adjusted the child and put his trench around his body for a bit. He lacked the body heat to make it a reviving experience, but at least there was a chance the dim-witted pervert would mistake him for a pile of clothes at first, dusky glance. He waited and waited, listened for noises and creaks; Duggenfield showed how desperate he was by wasting way too much time looking for the kid.. PLIIING!! What in the goddamn?! Randle bit his tongue and crept further into the closet, only noticing the glow coming from his pocket when Jr heard it too: his phone'd gone off, apparently someone felt like the perfect time to text, was now. Almost reluctant, Randle shot a look at it: it was Jeremy. "Ooooo, tryna send texts, are we?" giggled Duggenfield Jr, turning on his heels to approach the closet. "You're one naughty, naughty bo- huh?!" With one unfortunate surprise, came another: only this time, it was in Randle's favor. Blaring sirens coming from no less than the ambulance he'd called minutes earlier resounded throughout the marshes, effectively striking Duggenfield with his daily dose of anxiety. He let out a scream; frustrated, secretly petrified. Clearly someone'd ratted him out, or at least his prey.. and the only choice that remained was making a run for it before the victim's abuser got his face revealed. Randle groaned in relief; at very last, Duggenfield made a run for it, and audibly vanished into the night. === Close shaves like these'd become more frequent recently. It's almost as if over the last few years, the world has become a more dangerous place. This case and my up-close encounter with an almost-disaster is living proof of that. Though, as pressing as the matter'd grown, I at least got one objective taken care of: the kid would be safe for now. I go outside and get the child taken off my hands sooner than I can wave at the paramedics. He's bad off, worse than he looked. Bruised beyond immediate recognition, mind is off worse. He's been living in a shock-like state for days, now, and hasn't eaten nor drank for even longer. I'm surprised the paramedics were even prepared to tell me all that; even the police were sweet golden retrievers of dudes compared to the CPD- down here in the Kansas, the bias against private eyes and Abnormals is nearly non-existent. And with this good news and bad news, came an additional, neutral fact. I remembered the name, and clearly so did the police. They'd been looking for this kid just like we had: the grade A trooper, a brave child of many talents. My mangled, bruised warrior of a victim was no one less than Drew Keller himself. === As the ambulance took off with Keller inside, the cops spend some time pacing around Randle. While it was indeed weird that he'd turned up with an injured missing person in the middle of the outskirts at 3 in the morning, they did in fact know who he was and what he'd done. Much like the Lightfoots, the Pentecost Agency used to be a large name before the Chicago police tried to put an end to its existence. Because of this, Randle was hit with a stroke of luck yet again: they were willing to drive him back to town and send someone to retrieve his car in the morning.. ..but only if he'd convince his colleagues to drop the case. As much as they admired the Pentecosts and the Lightfoots and their accomplishments, they still were the real police, and had the dented pride of such. Cases these big weren't made for privates, they claimed. It asked for a white lie. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure we all had our dose of misery here, alright," Randle chuckled, feeling his own lie-detector tickle away in his mind. "I just gotta make sure I get the address of my pal here right, I'll tell him first, then I'll get the others and blow the operation off. Don't have to worry about us again." Lying to two police officers.. phew, it sure was a sport. Luckily for him, they weren't that bright. For the first time since the jarring bleep'd almost caused a second battle of the night, he opened his text messages. Jeremy's text was as simple as it got: "Sound the alarm... Code 5 in the detective's book. Urgent case... it just went from urgent to multi-level innocence Emergency." Send 30 minutes ago.. "On it, will text Sprite in a moment, you make sure to relay it to your mom as well. Look, got huge updates on the case, but cops got involved. Meet me at the 7Eleven in Yorkshire Avenue, don't want them to know wherever you're at now," Randle texted back, keeping his message as short and fleety as he could. Didn't want these geniuses to think he was up to something, after all. "All set. Let's get the hell outta here, eh?" === Twenty minutes later, Randle was dropped off at said 7Eleven, mere streets out of the suburbian area. For about five minutes, he was held company by the comic Laurel and Hardy duo of cops, who, forgetting their determination to keep civilian detectives off the case, eventually abandoned him to catch up on their mauled beauty sleeps. Slouched on the curb, Randle glared around, waiting for Jeremy to come and meet with him. So far, he hadn't heard from Sprite either; apparently her and Lisa's interview was running quite deep.. and late, for that matter. He watched the subtle line above the horizon grow a mustache of dilluted red - was it too late at night or too early in the morning? -, and could only get himself to think: "God.. what a mess we've gotten ourselves into.."

Jeremy was at his sister-in-law's house and monitoring all the phones... and of course screens. He was looking at the files and saw that there were clues to what he found at that bus depot. He looked at the watch through a microscope and saw that there was something written on the back. Chiseled...

Jeremy: *studying the watch and getting a good look at the inscription*... What... what have we hear? *Reading off the inscription* To my ladyfaire... with deepest affection. K.A Who the heck is K.A. Those initials must mean something.

Veronica: That... those... *Gasps* Those are the initials of Mrs. Moneyburn. Kate... App...app... Appleton. She left it at the bus depot?

Jeremy: yeah.

Kimberly: *Grins* That's the biggest break yet. *To Veronica* You're like a good luck charm, teen sleuth.

It was suddenly only a few minutes later when the phone rang. Jeremy answers it and finds that it was Randle.

Jeremy: *Voice-over* By time Randle called. it was getting close to 5 in the morning in Metropolis and it by that time... seemed like the storm had managed to die down a whole lot. There was a break in the storm and yet weather reports told yesterday afternoon that there was gonna be a series of 5 storms. 4 of them as strong as the tide. But not with too too much of a punch. However... the 5th one was gonna be the main gun. The main storm in the line and it would bring a much harder punch. Hail... Twisters most likely as we are prone to get them every once in a while... however... right now it seemed as if there was a break. Lucky too, right?
It was when he called... that i knew something had come. He found some leads... or hit dead-ends. But i answered the call and spoke with him. To get the scoop from his angle of the case... Not to say as though his was better or not as vital... it was... Just as vital as any other. Vital and very needed. You have to remember... when being a detective... on a case. Whenever you are looking for clues and intel... no intel is useless as it may hold a piece that could put the case together and reveal a little bit to the picture. The grand scheme of the entire story. People work the cases... they serve their time... but then there's the paperwork. the documentation. assessing the case and sometimes... just sometimes... depending on the type of case and what the case is about. Or revolving... follow-ups are included. But not always by choice.
He called or texted and said to meet him at the 7-eleven on Yorkshire avenue. I needed some fresh air anyway and it was time to start thinking on getting back with the others... like mother. and my sister Lisa and find out what they gathered in the case. Find out where the matter connected and how. Only problem was that... we didn't interrogate the band. Find out their angle in this case as this also brought them into the fray.

On the way to where Randle was...

Jeremy: *Texting to his sister* Case is blowing up and gaining more fuel. Found multiple vital intel revolving the case... after the interrogations... head for Linda Gillerson's place. I'll meet you there when i can.

A Moment later...

7-11 convenience store...



Jeremy: *With some snacks* ... *At the checkout counter* Hello. Can i get a carton of Parliament reds please?

Cashier: You got it.

Once done...

Outside...

Jeremy: *Putting the stuff in his car and then walking over to the side of the building*

Jeremy soon makes it to the side of the building to meet up with Randle who texted to have a meet there. What he found once reaching the side... was...

RANDLE

Jeremy: What's the news? What did you find out?

The meet was prone to happen. Right then and there...

"Never too early for a good breakfast, eh?" Quick to recognize a familiar face attached to approaching silhouette, Randle dragged himself upright to greet his associate. "Glad ya could make it. Wasn't sure if I'd meet ya at the office or somewhere more appropriate for the police to get a gander at- hope this wasn't too far off your route." He motioned to Jeremy's car, now freshly stocked on loads of civil twilight snacks. Pulling an all-nighter sure did weird things to the body. Not that Randle'd know. And maybe that was for the better too; hunger didn't sound like something he'd be missing out on. "As far as my findings go, well.. strap in. Didn't get any less ugly from where I left ya, so it might be better if we didn't discuss it out in the open, if ya don't mind?" Either the car or a stroll through Metropolis's charming alleys would do; he went with whatever. Regardless of whether Jeremy'd take him up on the invitation to exchange leads in his car or would follow him to the calmer, less populated alleys nearby, Randle only dared speak up when they were well out of earshot from most folks. No place was more suitable for these secretive dialogues. "Managed to hound our friendly bus driver outta town, somewhere on the outskirts near the river banks. He gained a minor upper hand when he, ehh, more or less out-manoeuvered me, but that's not relevant. What is, is the house that he led me to, where I dug up my two biggest clues so far. First one's that there's a rather solid chance that the guy who attacked me is related to our second suspect Arno Duggenfield, by blood or otherwise. As far as the second goes.." His lifeless stare lingered at the back of Randle's mind. His thin fingers clenching his thumb for the dear life of him.. no, it hadn't been pretty. But the kid was still alive, for the time being, and that was all that mattered. "..inside the shack, on the top floor, there was the largest pile of evidence I've found so far; cages, filled up with filth and blood, a torn child's shirt and.. well, a child, one that was left behind. Much like the gal you found, he was lucky enough to slip through the cracks, somehow." "Medics identified him as one of your files; Drew Keller, though I doubt he'd look anything like his earlier photo's by now. Before ya ask, yeah, we could visit him, but we oughta give him the proper time; couldn't walk, speak and hardly breathed when I carried 'em outside." Replaying the past happenings in his head, Randle continued to be baffled at how lax the cops'd been. Sure, they'd attempted to talk him and his partners out of the case, but aside from that, they didn't seem to show much interest in inviting their colleagues or any journalists onto the scene. Almost as if they genuinely didn't care, or had their pockets lined to not to.. Whatever it was, it wasn't a point that he could gloss over so easily. "That, and the ambulance brought along two friends who weren't too psyched to hear us civilians intereferring with this 'case of the decade'. Nothing big, we just got to make sure that we're not too.. obvious about we're doing. I'm sure your police deparment here might be having themselves just as many ego problems as ours back in The Windy City. Should be fine, though." Good, good, enough with the cops. "In short, from what I could tell, what I've found is only living proof that we're going to have to broaden our horizons, literally. The two kids we found are the ones that fell off the cart; Gods knows where the rest of them've ended up." Or worse: were doomed to end up later. Allowing Jeremy a short silence to let it all settle, Randle reached into his pocket to light up an L&M, only to find his pack soaked to the bone. Going bog hiking without the right gear was biting him in the tail.. and in the underhanded fashion possible! At least it'd help him to let that old habit die. "But like ya said, even without the haunting whopper of a lead I've added to our pile, we should notify the others regardless. Especially Macie, now that I've gotten onto something connected to her part of the job. Except.. well, can't say yet if sticking our heads together at the Lightfoot Office'd be the wisest of ideas now. Wouldn't want the MPD to think we'd weren't planning to be good, passive citizens, now would we?" He shot a grin, stuffing his mud-caked cigs back into his coat. "But, heh, enough about me. What happened to the young dame?" === An' as 'em action guys talked'n chatted, Lisa'n me did our fair share'o it too. Well, not 'xactly by that hour'o t'early'mornin', but durin' t'time that Rando 'n Jeremy'd spend rescuing kids'n findin' 'nough leads t'bring all our asses a mile closer t'victory - or so w'thought.. -, my new equal agent'n I snooped 'round in 'em more subtle side'o things. Even tho' I wanted t'make sure Lisa knew I was no lowly side-kick'o hers, I did let 'er do most'o talkin' once t'interviewee got t'emotional f'me. I asked 'em questions t'way they were practical, an' apparently, Mrs Jahvri couldn't keep up wit' that pace. Whatever.. Anyway, some talkin' later, w'did pull to get Mrs Jahvri permission t'scan through her daughters shit, an' while it wasn' much - t'amount'o posters 'n knick-knacks 'bout these BTS guys will f'ever haunt m'dreams.. -, we did find a few essentials that, unbeknownst t'us at that moments, would come in handy later. I shot a few pics of it: printed black'n'white copies'o the BTS concert tickets, full with dates, locations and places.. and a meet'n'greet ticket. Things was, 't'person who'd sold Mrs Jahvri's kid'n 'er friends these meet'n'greet tickets didn' belong t'no legitimate business that dealt in those: in fact, there wasn' a business name we could look up on the ticket either. 'Twas jus' a mediocre promise with a code and fancy letters; no bizz, just initials: K.A. Who 'em initials belonged to, neither'o us knew yet. Fortunately, it wouldn' be long 'till we'd be reunited wit' our pals'n'kin to make sense outta all'o this..

[img]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EpdecW_XYAMEjoY?format=jpg[/img]

Jeremy: *Sitting down while lighting up and with the evidence in the other hand* It's never too early to have breakfast. Breakfast is for anytime of day. Randle. but with the late night i had... that's just to keep me rollin' till i can crash and catch some Z's and or get a large jumbo cup of coffee.

Seconds later...

Jeremy: We were working the case. There were some things that i managed to get out of it. It began...

Jeremy flashes back....

Jeremy: *Voice* Hours ago... after we got to the bus depot... You went your way... and i went my way... i looked all through some of the platforms on the one side. it was where i hypothesized something... something of insight. "There was a struggle. A fight. Clearly this guy or woman... came with the intent of luring some kids over to one of the busses and hold them. The child refuses and tries to struggle. Scream perhaps. The Abductor gets startled as attention is drawn from the other kids who manage to be close by. The Abductor would have had to be of a rather cunning sort. Meticulous. calculating. Now... i'm a Ex-celebrity. But from a celebrity standpoint... if i were performing and saw an abduction... I'd motion for security to adhere to it and try to foil the attempt. Now... okay. The concert was BTS and they were performing. This abductor was possibly counting on a big turn out of young teens showing up. Saw what he wanted and plucked them... harvested the crowd for the ones he wanted." It was then when i walked on a few steps and suddenly... from the corner of my eye... i catch a glimpse of something. It was where i discovered a watch. It had an inscription on it. i was about to go and check another part of the area when i out of nowhere. I heard this type of whimpering. This whimpering... it sounded like a young girl. Young teen. i went towards the buses on that side and as i got closer... i heard the noise get louder... louder... i spoke out to it to let it know that i was coming. Stating my name to identify. I got on the bus and come to find that it was a young teen girl. no more than maybe 14. 13 perhaps. Veronica fenner. She was a loner as she clearly was left behind in the abduction. She was the only one i found. But it was where she mentioned about her parents being druggies. Planning to sell her off to the highest bidder. just to in order to keep getting their drugs. Throughout that time... i was provided with some swell intel. The best intel we could get. She told us about the lady... the one she could recall. It was a woman who had a gambling heart One who didn't know the sole meaning of easing down. Later...

Jeremy revealed the watch and shows it to Randle in order to get his take on it...

Jeremy: Get a load of this. This watch was found in the close proximity of where i found the girl. It was a watch and look at the back of it. That's the bitch of it all. There's an inscription on it. Almost as if someone chiseled it on... "To my ladyfaire... with deepest affection. K.A" There's more. Veronica figured out the name to the lady. Kate Appleton. But that isn't all... there's also now reported reports of more kids.... young teens missing. Abducted. Now the watch isn't common. it had to have been very expensive. Like almost a couple hundred easy. *Taking a drag off his smoke; smoking*

Jeremy then sighed as he knew how much it was gonna be to just take all the intel in that was gathered. There was a ton of leads...

Jeremy: Oh... *Pulling out a pack* Here. *Tossing it over* These are not the usual brand. But it'll suffice. Parliament Reds...

Suddenly...

Jeremy's phone goes off...

Jeremy: *Answering the call*...

Who was it? Was it time to hit for the office?

Before the call though...

Jeremy: You had a run in with one of the bad ones but all after being nearly swiped by someone and then being lead to a strange hut? But... wait. You found a kid there and it turned up being that Keller kid? But... b-but... w-w-w-wait a minute. Wait. was the kid really that keller kid? Did he or she speak or say anything? Indicate anything to you... Provide clues or intel os some kind. Something that would help in getting to the sole bottom of anything?

Jeremy asked those things as he was in a bit of shock as once he got done with telling his side and what he came across... what he witnessed and all... he had the things Randle told him play in his mind and for a second he didn't react... probably trying to process all that he was hearing... however it was only then when it all caved and slammed him mentally. He was a father and had a couple kids and when he was told all that stuff... it was taking a rather big heap toll on his mind as he thought... "SHIT! This could have been my kids. They could have faced that outcome. CRAP!"

Shocking... isn't it?

"Victoria, eh? Well, already knew ya found the kid, heard her with ya when I called you back in the bog," Randle said, giving his eyes some well-deserved rest as he stared away at the pavement through Jeremy's windshield. Based on what Duggenfield Jr'd uttered to Sr on the phone, there was a high chance that she was one of the other kids left behind. "Doubt she'd even know that.. at least she's safe and well. I don't think coming across two close-to-dying kids in one night would've done the group mentality much good.." These were thoughts he'd rather keep to himself for now. After all, Randle couldn't tell what the Lightfoots could handle; they were relatively fresh in the field, but so far they'd proved to be valuable allies. "Hope ya got the kid somewhere safe now. God knows what traumtic things she's already gone through; wouldn't want to break the last leg she's standing on right now, she needs someone to trust." What could bring a parent to sell off their own blood and flesh? Sprite and him'd seen the monstrous things drugs did to folks's brains first-hand, but the idea still baffled him. Soon, they moved subjects; Jeremy'd found a watch. "Huh, now that's not something ya dig up every day.." Quite the pretty thing it was; solid, glossy metal, equipped with hands and dials of high artistic quality. Not at all fitting for the heartless wench that'd send it. "We could always run this through with one of your local experts here in town, though I think assuming this thing's worth a good bucket of green is of good help already. Just makes ya wonder.. why leave it with the kid?" Randle flipped the watch over to inspect the back, running a finger of the engraving. Done by professional hands, no doubt about it; at this point, visiting Metropolis's jewelers was becoming a legitimate point on their to-do list. However, his main point of interest was its shiny strap. No signs of damage on it- it'd been taken off and planted in the location purposefully, without any fighting. Not entirely weird either, as judging from the engraving, Appleton'd already planned to gift it to someone. Whoever this 'my ladyfaire' was, was yet another mystery for them to solve. "Did Victoria recognize it? Not saying it could be for her, but Appleton might've wanted to send this gift along with another kid to give to whoever that dame she admires so much is." Another suspect? A customer of Appleton's, or part of her scheme? They were in the dark about too many things still.. instead of finding answers, they'd only stumbled upon more questions. Randle sighed and handed the watch back to Jeremy, who in exchange and by chance had tossed him a new pack of cigarettes. Why, how kind of him! "Ah, appreciate it. Don't mind trying on new brands, it's not like I can actually taste the difference, heh." An occasional joke about his Husk-ness wouldn't hurt. He trusted Jeremy enough. "And no, no, like I said, Drew was at the brink of death when I brought him outside. Never seen a kid off that bad before, not even in murder cases. Pale, bony, had bruises all over him, especially his face- Duggenfield's compadre referred to him as 'blind'.. I'm just hoping that was an exaggeration." He lit the cigarette and stuck it between his lips, filling the soothing fumes bituminize his lungs. "Police kept me away from him when the paramedics did their thing. He's alive, but far from stable. He's gonna need a few days before he can tell us anything." Even if Drew Keller made a full recovery anytime soon, getting the information out of him would be a tall order regardless. He was but a kid, and had been treated like an abomination. In time the physical scars would fade, but there was no telling how incurable his psychological ones were. "For a kid to go through all that.." In a way, Drew Keller'd already been murdered. Whoever abused him'd robbed him of his childhood and had cut into him a trauma that would haunt him for the rest of his life. There was no mercy for these people, not even in Randle's book: if continuing this case meant trouble with the police and who knew what else, so be it. He wouldn't give up this random fight he'd dropped into, come what may. And clearly, he wasn't the only one who had such ardent feelings about this case either. Randle put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder, giving a soft nod. "Hey, ya know they're not. Things'll get better, even the darkest nights don't last forever. We'll find the rest of these kids and put an end to this, ya have my word for it." His looks rarely were in favor, but he tried the best he could to let his eerie glowing eyes and beastly yet robotic features give off that sense of reassurance. He considered himself lucky he didn't know the same protectiveness that let Jeremy worry about his own kin so much; the case was already tearing at him, and he couldn't imagine what it was like to have that disgust boosted by fear. "We'll make s-" That was when Jeremy's phone went off. Darn it! Was it gonna be the police again, with an official warning? Had their suspects grown enough capsones to not only ambush them in the depot, but send threatening calls too? Wait, wait, alright.. maybe he was overthinking it. Could be anyone. "Don't let me keep ya," Randle hummed, motioning to Jeremy's phone. This presented him with an opportunity to check his own device as well; his buddy'd been awfully quiet for these last few hours of intensive research- hopefully that meant she was onto something. As he opened his messages, though, it turned out Sprite hadn't been so radio-silent after all: he'd missed a spike in activity by minutes - 'cause of course, his old-fashioned butt couldn't bother to checkh is phone more often.. -, hinting at a successful investigation over the Jahvri's. Would it be connected? Both answers to that were equally scray. He scrolled down. No scoop with the mother; to be expected, unfortunately. A look through the files, copies of the tickets.. a meet-and-greet with BTS? Organized by a company named- his breath faltered. "Dammit.. lured them right into her greedy claws," he whispered, his face furrowed into wrinkles as he focused on the texts. So Appleton'd even gotten herself into creating celebrity-marketing businesses now? Her arrogance and avarice really knew no bounds. Randle lost himself in his thoughts, manifesting situations that could've followed this tragic concert: had Appleton herself been there, or just set up the trap that her clients could retrieve their freshly-deceived kids from? Was BTS even aware that this'd happened? How had the young Jahvri and her friends even managed to fix herself that meet and greet? He was so busy filosophizing and getting gradually more agitated with Appleton's wicked efforts to kidnap children that he didn't notice the last two messages at first. Once he did, the mysterious phone call to Jeremy became clear as day: Randle immediately turned to his newfound acquaintance. So, back to the office it was then. Having to recap all that had happened wasn't going to be a pleasure, seeing how shocking the facts that Jeremy and he'd found were.. but the idea of reuniting with his best friend and allies filled him relief. With their powers combined, he was confident that they could put an end to this, and make sure no more kids would have to suffer this inhumane fate.

Jeremy: *Voice-pver* i took the call and found out that it was a old friend. One that i knew from when my sisters and brother used to be innocent. But those fine days were over and we all knew it. It was Cosmo Trent. He was calling to inform me of a lead to a case. Something that i might have overlooked or not considered. It was after the call when...



Jeremy: *Getting into the car* We might have a lead. But there is something to it. It was from a old acquaintance from the young years and since high school... we all went our separate ways. He of course became agoraphobic. He doesn't like meeting more than one person at a time. Cosmo Trent. He mentioned about a lead. Said that he might have something vital to the case.

Jeremy pulled out his phone and saw a text from his mother saying to meet back at the office ASAP. Clearly there was something up. However he had to get to this lead....

Jeremy: I am gonna head over to meet the contact. You head back to Linda's place and pick up the crew from there. Take them over to the office and brief them all on the case. Inform my mother of the details too. She's gonna need to be kept in the know of what's up.

Jeremy lit up another cigarette and got back out and walked over to his car to make his way to meet with the contact... He didn't know what Cosmo had to tell. Nothing was for certain that if this lead broke the case... it could have it all wrapped up before it were to get any further...

However as for Macie and Saphiroth...

They were just pulling up against the curb and parking...



Macie: *Lighting up; Smoking* Saphiroth, I've taken up the habit. I gave up being clean and pure as i come to the realization that things are just gonna go bust. We can't stop it. We can't make it go away. It's gonna keep coming back. This case is just proof of that and as much as we like to deny it... it's just that way.

Saphiroth: I know... the concert that was done by BTS was a lynchpin in the abducting of so many kids. We need to get back to the office and re-examine the clues and the testimonies that we gathered from some of the families. There had to be something which didn't fit in one of the families accounts. Their information that they told us about their kids last whereabouts. one of them said that they never saw anything out of the ordinary with their kid or kids. But then said that in the statement after that... that they figured right off that something was perhaps bugging their kids. That they didn't know what to make of it.

Macie: You suspect that foulplay is involved somewhere?

Saphiroth: I'm not sure. But we're gonna need to sit with the others. Sprite, Randle, Lisa, Jeremy, All of them. We're gonna need to brainstorm and put all our data on the table and figure out what doesn't fit and see as where we're to go from there.

Macie: Sounds good.

Was something off about the details? Was there something more to it than what they could see?