Participants:
| Scene Title | Heh, Cop Movie Indeed |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Det. Harrison stops by to follow up on the Humanis First attack. |
| Date | July 27, 2009 |
Warehouse used as movie set!
The production of Multiple Man have scaled down production to keep off Humanis First's radar, but it's still going on. The soundstage is buzzing with activity as various assistants start striking parts of the set and put together parts of others. There is a sense of tension in the air. It may be because they're running behind schedule, or it could have something to do with the six people killed only a few weeks ago. Makeup artists never thought they'd be given hazard pay.
Security's been clamped down, but a background check doesn't always tell you someones' intentions or where their sympathies lie. No one currently on staff has a criminal record or has actively protested the Evolved, but that's really all they can do. It's very likely that Humanis First knows the movie isn't really shut down like it's being reported in the magazine. After all, all they have to do is hear what movie is being shot from someone working catering or coiling cable.
Max Quinn, the star of the movie, emerges from a trailer parked towards the back of the soundstage. His hair is damp and he's clad in jeans and a t-shirt. He stops to exchange words with a bespectacled and bearded man.
At the door to the warehouse that the movie's shooting in today, Elisabeth Harrison flashes her badge at the door, signs in, gets a pass, all that kind of stuff. She's mainly at this point following up on the attacks, to see if anything else has cropped up. Asking who she should talk to, she's pointed in a direction and starts to walk in it. Wearing a pair of chocolate slacks with an ivory top, her badge hangs around her neck and she's wearing a hip holster. She doesn't quite look like she belongs, but she doesn't quite look like she doesn't belong either, given the kind of movie it is.
Especially since one of the other main characters in the movie is a cop. A woman with red hair wearing a blue tank top with a shield on her belt stops at Elisabeth, gives her a once-over then, "They told me there weren't going to be any blonde cops. And you're here on the wrong day. We're not doing the station scene until tomorrow."
Elisabeth chuckles quietly. "Not a problem, since I'm not in the station scene. Real deal. Can you tell me where I can find the director?"
The woman rolls her eyes, pulls fingers back through her hair and shifts her weight from one high heeled foot to the other. "Mitch!" she bellows out with surprising strength.
A small man with curly hair winces and turns. "Jasika."
"Cop here to see you." And with that, the diva redhead stomps off.
The bellowing brings the attention of Max, who glances her way. He murmurs something to the man standing beside him.
Elisabeth watches the woman flounce and smothers a hysterical laugh. Cuz you know? Heels? On the job? Likely to get you killed. Really. She turns her blue eyes to 'Mitch' and says, "Detective Harrison, SCOUT. I'm just here to follow up with you, make sure things have been staying quiet." Her eyes are skimming the set even as she talks to the director. "Hoping to help you keep things quiet," she admits, and she looks at him. "We're still running background checks on everyone associated with the movie." But it'll take a LONG time.
No one has ever pretended this was a quality production. Heels on a cop is as likely as a woman actually being named any of the Bond Girl names. That's just the genre. The jeans are pretty much painted on. At least she's not showing a ton of cleavage. That'll come later in the movie no doubt.
Mitch looks a bit distracted. He greets her with a flash of veneered teeth and shakes her hand. "Pleasure, detective. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to defer you to my producer. I've got a scene to shoot in half an hour and I've got to approve some script changes. Joe!" The director lets out a sharp whistle and points at Liz.
The man standing beside Max perks up, rubs at his beard and then moves towards the director like a dog to his master. Max follows behind out of curiosity, hands dug in his pockets.
"Detective, this is Joe Stetzman, the producer. And our star, Mister Max Quinn. I'll leave you kids to it." And before anyone has a chance to protest, the director stalks off.
There's a moment of surprise and then Elisabeth just shrugs mildly and turns toward the producer and the 'star' of the show. "Pleased to meet you both," she greets them. "Detective Harrison, NYPD SCOUT team. I'm just following up on the attack on the set."
"Don't mind Mitch, detective. I'm supposed to be the star of this thing and I think I've talked to him a grand total of a half an hour. He's a lot more concerned with stuff blowing up than he is about coaching me on my motivation," Max flashes a crooked grin and offers his hand to her to shake.
Joe crosses his arms over his chest and hugs a clipboard against it in the process. "Do you believe Humanis First'll attack us again, Detective Harrison? We get attacked again and this production gets shut down. A lot of people lose jobs and there won't be another production back in New York for a long time."
Elisabeth takes the proffered hand and shakes it, offering the man a smile in return. "Pleasure, Mr. Quinn." She's very professional, though she can't help the fact that her eyes note he's a good-looking man. Hey, she's on the job, not freakin' BLIND. But none of that shows in her expression as she turns to look at Joe. "I sure hope not, Mr. Setzman, but we don't want to take any chances either. Humanis First has attacked police headquarters, we wouldn't put anything past them. So since you've already been a target once and you're a visible one, we want to make sure we're still keeping all the bases covered, that's all. You haven't had anything unusual going on lately, have you? Anything you feel would warrant additional attention?"
Joe puffs up his cheeks and scratches his temple. "It's hard to say. This is the movie business, Detective. Weird shit happens here every day. I'm pretty sure that's why so many people got hurt. We're used to explosions, but purposeful ones." He pales a little."Everyone's pretty on-edge, but it's safer being on a soundstage. But sooner or later we have to get out and on location again. And that means security becomes a problem again. It's hard to block off any part of Midtown."
Max shifts his weight and nods towards the craft cart. "Can I get you a coffee, detective? We have a whole espresso bar set up. Killer chocolate croissants." Hey, at least he didn't offer her a donut.
At that, the blonde cop laughs. "Sounds to me like you either know me far too well already or someone called ahead," Liz quips. "But no, thank you, Mr. Quinn." She looks at Joe. "Mostly I'm interested in whether you've had any new hires or if anyone has LEFT the shoot since the attack that might stick out in your mind as being …. of a mindset that might send up red flags in hindsight, Mr. Setzman."
"You sure? Anything? They spoil us here," Max gives her a grin he means to be charming and thumbs over his shoulder towards craft service. He really doesn't have anything to contribute to this conversation, but he lingers anyway.
"We get people finishing all the time, detective. Some people are only hired on for a few days And new people get hired on. Especially extras. And we don't really talk to them. If I'm talking to them, they're not doing their jobs," says Joe. He has a look at his clipboard. "I can give you a list of all the people who came and went, and you're welcome to ask around. But frankly I've been up to my ears trying to keep the press from knowing we're still shooting."
Liz nods to the director, "That's really all I need. Like I told your director — we're still doing all the background checks, but it's always better to get people's actual impressions."
"If you can stick around for fifteen minutes or so, I'll get the list to you. Or I can fax it over. Jeanne," says Joe into the radio that he pulls from his hip. A woman's voice crackles on the other end. "Can you pull up the list of hires since we moved venues please? And have it copied."
With a smile, Elisabeth says, "Fax would be fine." She rummages and hands the producer a card from the pocket of her slacks. "That's the SCOUT squad's fax line, and if you need anything you're welcome to use the cell number. I'll keep working on it and check back in regularly if I can."
Joe takes the card from Elisabeth and gives it to the woman on the other end of the line. "If you need anything else, just give the production office a call. Jeanne will help you out. If you'll excuse me, detective." And Joe's off to put out some fires.
Max lingers for a moment, then rocks back. "I'd better get to makeup. Nice to meet you." Another smile flashes and the actor turns to go.
Elisabeth watches the two men get ready to leave, and she calls after them, "Nice to meet you both." And well, you know, if she admires a cute behind as it heads the other way, what makes her any different than any other red-blooded woman in Manhattan?