Another Quiet Day At The LAW Office

Another Quiet Day At the LAW Office - Part 3

Selene (Feb. 28, 2003)

While the four girls where entering the boarding house, Selene couldn't keep the image of Seven men playing softball out of her mind. Well actually any kind of sport, because she wasn't really sure what softball was. She was sure she didn't want anything to do with playing it, because she and ball sports didn't go together very well. Or to well, it usually leaves bruises.

But to watch the Seven men playing it, now that might be fun! First though, J.D., if he knew anything, he would tell.

"All right," Kim said. "I think we should split up. Two go for Ashley and that softball game, and two go for J.D. and finding out what Heather and Ez are up to."

"All right" Selene said, "I'll go with Ann to Ashley." Selene hooked her arm into Ann's and started to move away.

"This is going to be fun!" Ann said. "How do you want..."

"Oooooh, no you don't!" Lisa broke in while hauling Selene back with the hood on her sweater. "Two crazy Dutch girls like you together? I don't think so! I'll go with Ann to Ashley, that way we can be sure that Selene keeps pure thoughts, and Selene goes with Kim to J.D."

"Hey! Why is everybody on my case all of a sudden!? Lisa, if I�m not mistaken, you are one of the founding members of The Sisterhood of the Asylum in the Alley Gutter! And you're on my case for playing there every once in a while?"

As one all three girls turned to Selene with skepticism written all over their faces.

"All right, a lot. Fine, have it your way," Selene grumbled.

"Actually," Kim broke in. "I think it might be a good idea to have Ann and Lisa together going to Ashley. You two might be crazy, but she won't ask as much questions about you two planning something for charity then she would if Selene or me went to her. We all know now that Ann is not the one to turn to for stealth, devious yes, stealth no," Kim said, while looking at Selene strangely, who was laughing having just remembered the look on Ann's face while she had to make up a excuse to Vin and Chris. "Which means Ashley probably knows that to and won't suspect a thing," Kim continued, having decided that ignoring Selene's strange outbursts was probably best when she was in this sort of mood.

The leader had spoken. So decided the four split up to their intended victims.

***

Heather (Feb. 28, 2003)

Heather rang the doorbell to Ezra's townhouse and waited patiently. A moment later, the door was opened by one rather sleepy southerner. A smile came to her lips, as she looked him up and down. "Hi, Ezra," she said softly.

Standish's eyes opened fully in surprise. "Why, Miss Heather," he stammered, now fully awake. "What � what are you doin' here?"

Heather shrugged. "I figured they were getting suspicious about us meeting at the office, so I'd stop here," she explained. Smiling again, she added, "I like the pajamas, Ezra."

The southerner blushed slightly and, motioning her inside, said, "Well, I just woke up. What did you expect?"

"I don't know," Heather said honestly. Eying his loose cotton pajamas, in burgundy with black piping, she added, "That about fits it."

Ezra shrugged and walked over to the kitchen area. "Coffee?" he asked, holding up a cup.

Heather shook her head. "Had mine already," she answered. "I've been up since six this morning."

Ezra shuttered and said, "Was there a purpose to this meetin' or did you just want to see me in my bedclothes?"

"Both," Heather replied grinning. When Ezra rolled his eyes, she went on, saying, "Things are coming together on my end, what about yours?"

Ezra smiled and nodded. "They are coming along beautifully," he said. "Soon everything will be ready and the others won't even know whom to be angry at."

Heather nodded. "Watch the other ladies though," she warned. "They definitely suspect something."

Ezra nodded, then frowned. "You don't suppose they'd try some form of pre-emptive strike, do you?"

Scowling, Heather replied, "They may, but I can't say for sure."

The southerner nodded and said, "I have to get ready for work."

Taking the hint, Heather headed for the door. "Watch yourself," she said, as she slipped out. Ezra nodded and set his coffee back on the counter. So long as the ladies that frequently visited the office, didn't let anything slip to any of the LAW men, everything would go as planned. Smiling to himself, Ezra headed back into the bedroom area.

***

�Ashley� (Feb. 28, 2003)

Ashley turned her head from the computer screen long enough to take stock of who was in the kitchen. So much for a quiet day in the Boarding House, she thought as she turned to her left to address the younger of the Simon brothers.

"Somehow I get the feeling we're not alone anymore," she mumbled.

AJ nodded as he put the case files he'd been working on back in a drawer.

Bleeps and whistles from JDs workstation stopped suddenly too.

"Hey there," the over-friendly Rick Simon piped in as he saw Lisa and Ann strolled into the makeshift office.

Lisa and Ann nodded their greetings to the taller Simon brother whose mustache twitched happily as he rose.

"Slow day at the office?"

"You could say that." Ann replied honestly. "Um...Ashley can we talk to you a minute?"
Ashley's lips puckered in a question. She took a look around the desk and sighed.

"Wasn't getting much done here anyway."

Sensing they were intruding, AJ glanced a look from the gals to Ashley. "You uh...you want us to go?"

"Naw," answered Ashley.

"Yes," chorused Ann and Lisa.

AJ's brow furrowed in confusion as did Rick's. Ashley cocked an eyebrow of suspicion to the LAW gals. "Larabee up to something over there? Cause if he is..." she warned, already wondering what the Senior PI had done to the gals from LAW.

Rick grabbed his coat from the couch. "Larabee hell, my money's on Buck."

"Whatever it is," AJ followed Rick's lead, "if you need us, just holler."

"Before or after we get the call from Brown to bail out the guilty party?"

"Cute." Rick nodded his departing greeting as he headed for the door, leaving Ann and Lisa waiting impatiently to divulge their plan to Ashley.

***

Selene (March 11, 2003)

While Ann and Lisa where talking to Ashley, Kim and Selene strolled over to J.D.'s workstation.

"How do you want to go about this?" Selene asked Kim

"I think, if we make him nervous enough, he'll spill everything."

"Ooh, I know one sure way to make him nervous." Selene laughed and walked ahead to J.D.'s workstation. "Work with me." She threw over her shoulder to Kim, who was getting a bad feeling. Selene was in a weird mood and she had that smile on her face. That smile always meant trouble.

When she came to J.D.'s workstation, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Tell me I�m not seeing this..." She mumbled to herself. She rubbed her eyes and pinched her arm. "Ouch! Damn that means I am seeing this," she sighed. "Work with her, she says. Just because she's nuts, doesn't mean I am. Well, all right, I am, but that crazy? This is new, even for her." Kim continued to mumble while she made her way over to J.D. and Selene.

***

Ann (March 11, 2003)

Later that day�back at the LAW office�

�All discussion on the status of ongoing investigations had come to a screeching halt so that the five men present could dedicate themselves to the far more pressing matter of what to call a combined LAW/Simon & Simon ball club. Chris' rejection of "The Magnificent Seven, etc." � suggested by Nathan � had been swift and vehement�and Josiah's follow-up proposition of "The Seven Samurai, etc." had been neither accepted nor appreciated.

Any further debate had been forestalled when Buck suddenly shouted, "That's it!" and �
without bothering to inform his teammates as to what exactly "that" was � proceeded to pick up his phone and dial-up a T-shirt wholesaler.

Motioning Vin to follow, Chris made a hasty escape to his office. Given the nature of the charity involved, he was certain that Buck was going to find a way to work some variation of "Animal Magnetism" into the team name. He was equally certain that he did not want to know exactly how.

"What's up?" asked Vin, shutting the door behind him. Chris couldn't help but notice that the younger man had yet to lose the bemused grin he'd been wearing since their encounter with the LAW girls outside the Saloon.

"I was hoping you could tell me...What's this thing with Ezra and Heather that Buck mentioned earlier?"

"Ain't really much I can tell ya...Ann came in one afternoon a few weeks back and Nathan mentioned to her that � accordin' to Ezra � Heather had been in that very same morning. Ann thought it was pretty peculiar that Ezra was aware of a.m. comings-and-goings around the office."

"That's because it is peculiar � and any one of you highly trained professionals should have picked up on that before the girl from the office pool." Ha! That wiped the grin off his face! "So, you think Standish is up to something?"

"Seems reasonable to assume."

"And you think this girl Heather is involved?"

"Can't prove it � but it seems likely." Vin decided not to mention any suspicion of Nathan's involvement�Partially because he didn't actually believe Jackson was mixed up in this latest scheme but mostly because of the potential future payoff should their boss remain ignorant of Standish and Jackson's ability to forge an alliance. Vin smirked inwardly. Let his "highly trained professional" ass learn it for himself � preferably the hard way!

This uncharitable-yet-satisfying train of thought was interrupted by Larabee's next question. "You don't think they're seeing each other, do you?"

"Seein' each other...You mean dating?"

Chris nodded.

Vin shook his head. "No way."

"Why not? A lot of women fall for that hand-kissing southern-accent bulls---�Intelligent ones even."

Vin laughed. "Careful now�someone might accuse you of being jealous." Chris scowled (which didn't actually do anything to detract from Tanner's point) as Vin continued, "I just can't picture Ez sparkin' a girl at the office�He'd take her to Paris or...Istanbul or someplace."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Istanbul?"

"I dunno," Vin shrugged, "it sounded exotic."

Chris frowned in annoyance. Istanbul notwithstanding, Tanner had a solid point�so if it wasn't covert romance, then�what? It could be any number of things � all of them nameless and none of them good. And how did this alleged "charity softball game" fit in? And if there's no actual game, Buck's paying for those T-shirts his damn self! Vin may not think there was a connection, but it was all a little too coincidental to suit Larabee. Whatever else they may be, the LAW girls � as a rule � were not blithering idiots�and yet not two hours ago Ann had stood in front of the Saloon�blithering. Idiotically. Chris nodded, smiling � here was an angle he could work.

"Got an idea, cowboy?"

"About what Ez is up to? Not a one," Chris admitted. "And it's pointless to sit here trying to guess, so we're going to attack from another direction."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I want you to find out what those girls are really up to."

"Okay," Vin shrugged his assent. He didn't really see the point, but, hell, there were worse jobs.

"Oh�and Vin?"

Tanner halted in his movement to leave the office and looked back at his boss, who had �
in Vin's estimation � a particularly wicked grin on his face. "Yeah?"

"Start with Selene."

Vin looked puzzled (which only served to increase Chris's grin) and with a confused shake of his head he left the office, shutting the door behind him.

�But not before fragments of Buck Wilmington's ongoing phone conversation made their way to Larabee's unwilling ears.

"...mal magn..."

"�cursive?..."

"...gold edging � how much extra would that cost?�" Chris sighed.

Why do I always have to be right about these things? Although it would be worth it to see Standish decked out in whatever monstrosity Buck was conjuring up. After all � some how, some way � this was all his fault...

Click to go to the next part