Small Town America

Participants:

dante_icon.gif flora_icon.gif isabella_icon.gif rebecca_icon.gif

Scene Title Small Town America
Synopsis Three Company Agents with Rebecca Nakano in tow, head out to Pleasantville New York to follow up on a lead.
Date June 23, 2010

Pleasantville, New York


Pleasanville New York. Population 7,172. Average family size, 3.2 persons per household. Average income, one hundred and fifteen grand. That three agents and a civilian consult have found themselves here is the result of two occupants of this town. Supposed occupant. Rmablings houses on streets lined with tree's, picket or stone fences, it looks like anytown america and not just forty five minutes drive from Manhattan.

The stack Family was supposedly residing here but last night it was discovered that the parents of the suspects in the blood stealing spree, had perished like many others in the explosion that took midtown four years ago. The elder Stack, Jacob seems to have become the guardian for the younger, Mary-Anne until she hit 18, after that, Social Services had no record of them.

What they do have, is the address for Roy's Auto shop. A mom and pop service station it seems, in the heart of the smalle village, gas pumps out front that lack the same self serve suffeciency that is the hallmark of city living. There's even a bell that rings when a vehicle pulls in to announce an arrival so someone can come pump the gas for you.

So when the black SUV pulls up this late morning, and the companya gents - and Rebecca - are disgorged, it's with a bit of surprise to the white haired, bushy brow'd older gentleman who's nametag proudly proclaims that his name is Steve, wiping his hands on a greasy rag and ambling over in his navy slacks that have seen many a day on the ground fixing vehicles.

"Welcome to pleasantville. How can I help you folks?"

Dante lingers in the SUV a bit longer than the rest, fingers hanging off the steering while as he peers out the windshield towards the store with that eternally-suspicious look he always seems to have when meeting new people. Stepping out of the car, he adjusts the suit jacket that sits casually on his broad shoulders, pulling off the sunglasses and looking around the area with a mild frown. Casing the joint, as per his modus operandi. Let someone else do the talking, for now. At the very least, Steve gets a curt nod of greeting.

Isabella, on the other hand, has been told she is to let someone…friendlier do the talking, so the diminutive woman steps out with the other two, tight-lipped. In her white ruffed blouse and black pencil skirt, she folds her arms over her torso and gives the man as restrained a baleful glare as she can manage. Ew, engine grease.

Rebecca Nakano has been rather quiet on the way there. Polite, as she always is, answering questions when asked of her, but she has asked nothing in return. The request from Veronica Sawyer came as a surprise, having only met the woman a time or two. Typically, her evolved ability is not part of her investigative service. At least, she should say it's not advertised. So as they pull into Pleasantville, she can't recall every being in a town so quaint, having lived in the city all her life. Her eyes are wide as she takes it all in.

Flora's out, sleeveless sillk blouse ruffled around the neck and a pencil skirt in navy, stiletto's and her badge clipped to her belt. Dante's the one taking the lead on this as the blonde gives a look around, craning head this way, that, elbowing Isabella and whispering something about Frankies say relax. Too bad there's no telepath to tell what she's really wanting to say.

Dante won't admit it, but being out away from the city is a little refreshing. He takes a deeper breath than usual, suppressing the curl to his lips. When Steve's greeting goes unanswered for the moment, Dante glances to the girls around him. Huh. Well, then… He offers a hand and a wan smile to Steve after hooking his sunglasses on his breast pocket. "We're actually looking for someone. Name of Jacob Stack. I've heard that he used to work here…" His eyes turn away from the man midsentence, sliding habitually over their surroundings. Here, clue clue clue…

Isabella shoots Flora a Look, whispering back something about piano key neckties and ballgags. Nothing too flattering. She looks back at Dante as he speaks, then takes a cursory look around herself, relying on police and forensics training to spot clues, rather than some namby-pamby Evolved ability. So there.

If Isabella wasn't so cranky all the time, she might find intereresting conversation in former NYPD Forensic Officer, Rebecca Nakano, but the woman's demeanor really keeps Rebecca at bay. She is wandering off away from the others, only because things make her curious. She's actually wandering towards the gas station lobby. She bends down and picks up a piece of trash and drops it in the wastecan nearby.

"You're here after Jake?" Surprise on his face. There's a shake of the old man's head. "Boy hasn't worked here since… Musta been just before February. Said he had to go, family stuff, took off with his last paycheck in cash. Hard worker that boy" Steve scratches at his forehead, looking at the motley group of agents. "Can I ask why for you want the boy? He done anything wrong?"

Stacks of used tires on the side of the main building, a well built older man working beneath a chevy that doens't match who they're looking for. Otherwise, it's a quiet day at the garage, the odd vehicle driving by.

"I'm sorry to be the first person to bring you this news, sir," Dante says, pulling his badge out from his inside pocket, flashing it briefly to the older man. "I'm Agent Lupinetti with Homeland Security. Jacob has been at the center of a small rash thefts from hospitals and blood banks. In the last theft, the local hospital was left with no useable blood. We're trying to track him down and bring him in for questioning. Any help you can provide for us to determine his whereabouts will be greatly appreciated." That script just rolls off the tongue, and Dante doesn't even have to stop his perusal of the area, taking note of the wanderings of each of his fellow agents. And Rebecca.

Isa cocks her hip, and before she speaks she manages to look semi-professional, at least. "Did he say anything about the 'family stuff' he had to leave for? Something to do with his parents, his sister Mary-Ann, maybe?" She too flashes her badge, in case credentials are needed. Wow the yokels, and all.

Rebecca doesn't have any special hearing or anything like that, though she takes in a bit here and there about what they're talking about. Her role here is entirely different, though she has taken a somewhat of a fascination with this place. She looks at the gas pumps, old school style with the rotary numbers that spin around rather than the digital readouts. She'll wait for the agents to finish their questioning.

"Well now that's a crying shame. He never struck me as the kind. They don't have any parents. Their parents died in the explosion that went on in the city. He wasn't quite the same after that, he had to take care of his little sister, I gave him more hours here at the Garage. Bout.. little more than half a year ago though, he asked for some days off. Can't quite rememeber what for" Steve takes off his hat, scratching at his balding head.

Old, very old, well cared for. No spots of rust, fresh paint covering the metal and obvious care taken to keep it in conformity with the age of the town. Preserve the small town look. "Think his sister was sick. Said something about taking her to the doctor, but then a few days later he just up and quit. Asked for his pay in cash. We seem him now and then, when he needs to gas up his truck, but he doens't talk much anymore. Think his sister… went to live with some relatives out there in Nebraska. I never see her anymore. Pretty little thing, all blonde and curls. Skinny whip of a lass, was always pale looking the last bit"

Dante's brows furrow at the story, a passable expression of sympathy. On that naturally stoic face, it's easy to assume any uneasiness in the emotion is just due to lack of practice. "It's not uncommon for victims of the bomb to go a little off. They have our sympathies." At the mention of getting gas, Dante glances over to the pumps and starts to head that way. "He got gas here? Which pump and how long ago?" Isa can take care of the more general questions.

Straightening a little, Isabella regards the man with a crisp nod. "Were there any signs you saw of Jake or his sister being Evolved?" she inquires. She glances to her compatriots a moment then back to the man.

'Well now, It was the one that yer young Asian companion is standing at. Musta been last Tuesday. Filled up his tank full, paid me and took off. Dunno where too. Nothing but short words, and in a hurry." He starts shuffling over towards the aforementioned gas pump, a querying look in his eyes as her question. "None that I know of. We got a few of em mutated fellows in town, but they keep to themselves. Old Man parsons, turns out he's one. Now we know why his wife always wins the biggest pumpkin at the fair. They called her the plant whisperer till she came home from the city one day with one of them registration cards. Said she'd found out she was e-volved. But I didn't ever see signs of the stack boy being one."

He leans against the pump, patting it gently. "Now then, his sister, she has this canny knack, now that I think of it, of jsut showing up quiet as a mouse. One minute nothing, next minute, she'd be there. As if she walked on air!"

Reaching in the bag at her shoulder upon hearing that the man they are looking for was here recently, she pulls out her mirror and lifts it up so she can see it. Almost immediately she scans backwards in time, watching the slow and steady pace of his ancient town whiz by her until she finds about where she wants to start watching. She occasionally wishes she were able to haul around a bigger mirror, but this will have to do.

In the reflection, she sees several cars come in and out and then the car they're looking for. She knows from the photo she was shown earlier. This is their guy. In the reflection, none of the agents are represented, but just Jake, pumping his gas and talking into a cell phone. Steve comes out and they chat briefly, but it's well apparent that Jake is in some kind of hurry. Rebecca is able to manuever her mirror around to look inside the vehicle and see a pair of rubber boots, overalls and some additional farming gear. Nothing extraordinary for a town like this. Jake pays off Steve for the gas and climbs in and roars out the opposite way that the agents drove in on today.

She breaks the vision and tucks her mirror back into her bag and walks back over to the agents and relays the information she witnessed, which really doesn't help all that much, she'd imagine.

Dante crouches down by the gas pump, nodding slowly to Steve's recollection of the meeting, his expression made of stone and his brows pulled tightly together. His eyes scan over the ground and the pump, searching for anything notable. Tire tracks, pieces or articles left behind. When Rebecca gives her announcement, Dante looks up at her in mild surprise. "Really? Well, that's helpful, actually. What was the make and model of the car, the license plate, and any notable characteristics of the vehicle? Dents, scratches, decals?"

Isabella listens, a faint scrunch of distaste on her brow for whatever reason. But she nods to Rebecca. "Good work." It's business-mandatory praise, not really from the heart. And in the same vein, she looks to Steve. "Did Jake have any hobbies to speak of?"

"Boy had no life outside of working and taking care of his sister. Best I can recall." A truck is pulling up, another customer who is not the one their looking for and the baseball cap is put back on Steve's head with a firm tug down. "There's Jimmy. You'll pardon me, He's my new employee. Not as good as Jacob. I hope for his sake that y'all got the wrong person. I can't see that boy doing anything of the sort that you say he's done.

To Dante, Rebecca begins to rattle off from memory, "Blue Ford. It was very old, though I couldn't tell you the year. There were only three characters visible on the license plate and those would be '3J5'. It did have a broken tail light, and it looks like registration expired in '06, according the decal on the back." She smiles politely to Isabella, "Thanks." Hearfelt or not, praise or not, she's getting paid, which is really all that matters at the moment.

Dante grimaces as they only get a partial plate, but he still pulls out a notepad and jots down the information. "More than we had before. I'll pull his information from the DOT to get the full plate and doublecheck it. Then, a bulletin to the jurisdictions in…" He pauses, thinking. "If it was last Tuesday, that would be 8 days ago? Could be across the country by now, though it's more likely he's still in the New England area."

There's the new arrival, causing Dante to look up and narrow his eyes in a brief, searching look at Jimmy. Steve gets another inexperienced smile. "Your help is greatly appreciated. When you're not busy, we may like to come around and ask you a few more questions about Jacob. Also, is there anyone else in the town we should speak to who might know more about where he went? You mentioned Mary-Anne had family?" Dante wipes his sleeve slowly across his forehead, his sweat gathering in droplets on the waterproof fabric of his trenchcoat.

Isabella lets Dante take the reins now, also taking notes on the car's make and model. "Farming gear. What would he have wanted with farming gear…" she wonders to herself. Hmmm.

"Ain't no one else in town, that boy only has that girl and that girl has that boy. They got family in Nebraska though. I don't know their names though. I'm sorry" A tip of the hat to the accumulation of Agents, he leaves them to themselves, flora leaning against the SUV and fanning herself while they all worked.

"Thank you for your time, sir. If you don't mind, we may return later in the evening if we have more questions." One last smile and farewell to the gas station owner, and Dante heads over to where Flora is, leaning up against the SUV beside her. He looks to Isabella and Rebecca still, gears clearly working in his head. "What do you all think?"

Isabella looks to Dante and Rebecca, arms folded in thought. "We track the truck, see what we can find about Mary-Anne. Farming gear. Dante, why would he have farming gear in his truck?"

"Cause he's on a farm" Flora points out the obvious. "Farmers sometimes take in day laborers. Cash under the table for some hard work. Guy had cash to pay for the gas, when we know that he's not had a job for a bit since he quit here" Flora points out, a glance to Rebecca and keeping an eye on her.

Rebecca was about to suggest what Flora suggest just moments before. Big farming community, not necessarily uncommon for folks to be carrying around farm equipment. So, instead of voicing anything, she nods at Flora's suggestion that it's not so far fetched. As it is, her duty here has been completed and it'll be up to the others to take it from here.

"Could also be they were his only possessions. Pawning them piecemeal for gas and food, though that's less likely, considering how long he's been out and on the run." Dante frowns down at his notebook. "If he is doing odd jobs on the side, it would be worth it to track down any under-the-table employers and show them Jacob's sketch. Or a photo, if we can manage it. After we get the info about his truck spread around, we should put finding their family in Nebraska as the nexxt priority."

There's another Look cast Flora's way as she answers Isabella's question. But it's followed up by begrudging acceptance. Okay, okay. Fine. She also nods slightly to Dante. "Yes, that's what I was thinking."

"Then we have a jumping point. I say we head back, drop off the lovely Ms Nakano so that Sawyer can utilize ehr services on her case and get cracking on our few leads. At least we know nebraska is a point to narrow down relatives" Flora's pulling open a back door, getting into the vehicle even as the old man manning the station is moving to another vehicle that's pulled up so he can start pumping gas.

Small town america. Who could have guessed.


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