[006]

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies arrives lying on the ground somewhere in the middle of the Plane. she's breathing hard, looking rather horrified and a little pale. she quickly sits up, looking down at herself in apparent confusion. then she starts to pat herself down, as though checking for injuries] All right... No gunshot. Fine now, then. Sure.

[taking a deep breath, she pulls herself to her feet, still looking completely frazzled. after a moment's thought, she takes hold of the ID badge that hangs around her neck. pulling it out, she briskly runs the edge of it along the back of one her hands, creating a small cut. she winces but watches with apparent interest as the cut bleeds red] And not dead. [she breathes a sigh of relief] First thing that's gone right all day... [she replaces her ID card before looking around, her expression uncharacteristically uncertain. she still looks pale and out of breath, and she clearly has no idea what to do now] Maybe this is payback for pissing off Ray.

[ooc: Menzies is in the middle of major trouble back home! See my OOC post for details.]

Comments

[grip_on_reality]

[for her part, she looks quite as cross] You'd think it'd be more effective if I actually remembered it.

[holmes_fanatic]

Do you think that could be the point? To make sure you don't remember?

[grip_on_reality]

Then why kill me at all? Seems a bit much just to keep me from knowing who's doing it! Why not just actually kill me?

[holmes_fanatic]

Maybe they can't. Maybe they need you -- but they need you to not be you ...

Could they be trying to programme you? So -- you're afraid to get involved in a case?

[grip_on_reality]

[she snorts] If that's what they want, it's not going to work. But I suppose that's plausible. And considering the circumstances, I'd say it's a bit more likely our criminal is non-terrestrial. Question is...who? And how?

[thoughtfully] What do we know? For one, it must be focused on me. There'd be something in the paper otherwise--and I wouldn't 'ave been missing for five days.

[she still doesn't really want to believe that, but at least it means her city is safe for now, which ranks rather higher on her priority list than her own safety]

And it must've started Monday night--or Tuesday morning. I would've made it to work on Tuesday otherwise.

[holmes_fanatic]

[Conan nods. Menzies is thinking logically, and her reasoning seems sound to him.]

What about this 'new bloke' -- do you remember much about him?

[grip_on_reality]

[she thinks about that] Said his name was Frank. Not really unusual--most of 'em pick names to help them blend in. He was supposed to be at this café, but... I think the robbery happened first. We got gassed. [she pauses, concentrating hard. she's missing something here--she can feel it] I think I talked to 'im after that. I remember hearing his voice in person, not just the phone call...

[holmes_fanatic]

[Conan paused. Maybe he'd misunderstood but--]

Frank was another common element? In more than one -- scenario?

[grip_on_reality]

[she blinks, surprised] ...yes. [and her eyes widen with realisation] Oh, very good! No wonder I didn't notice. He looked different, but it was him!

[holmes_fanatic]

That's pretty suspicious, right? And if Frank is an alien then there's the chance that he has access to technology of the sort that could do this--

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies is scowling now, the pieces starting to fall together] Oh yeah, definitely suspicious. It's not every day you meet an alien who shows up as several different species and as a new police recruit. Whatever this game is, I think we know whose it is.

[holmes_fanatic]

Definite progress. Ne -- this is the first time you've met him, right? Could he be known to someone else from your world?

[grip_on_reality]

If we're lucky, the Doctor will do. I met...no... [she trails off, sighing] Oddly enough, I remember meeting him at the café--but I also remember getting gassed before he arrived. Just what is he up to?

[holmes_fanatic]

The Doctor then -- I guess that's our next step!

[grip_on_reality]

[she nods, smirking faintly. it's good to have a next step, considering everything. she moves to slide the paper she has back onto the stack--and a headline catches her eye]

[she raises an eyebrow at Conan] Looks like I'm not the only one who's been abducted.

[holmes_fanatic]

[... he didn't even think to remove the International Pages before putting the papers down.]

-- ah ...

[grip_on_reality]

[she starts to read the article] You're right; you were busy. [do you have anything to say for yourself, Conan?]

[holmes_fanatic]

Well, you have to admit it was a very involved case.

[grip_on_reality]

Yeah? [she looks up from the article] So what really happened--from your point of view?

[holmes_fanatic]

Ah -- well, Mouri-ojichan's client called us to meet at Colombo instead of the Agency, but when they didn't turn up, we went home. When Amuro-san suggested that the real client was actually inside the Agency, I wasn't surprised -- it seemed pretty odd! But none of us expected the gun shot or what we found ...

[grip_on_reality]

[wow, kid--you weren't kidding when you said trouble tends to happen with you around] Someone broke into your agency with a gun?

[holmes_fanatic]

Well ... two people, actually ... the article didn't say?

[grip_on_reality]

[she smiles wryly] They probably ran out of words to explain it properly. I take it you mean the bloke that woman killed and tried to pass off as a suicide/kidnapping?

[holmes_fanatic]

A-ah ... she was impersonating a member of Uncle's staff and knocked him out with a taser ... Not that Uncle has staff besides me and Ran-neechan, but they didn't know that!

[grip_on_reality]

[that's rather alarming, actually] And what'd you do after he got knocked out?