Participants:
| Scene Title | Phone Calls From The Edge |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Someone calls Cardinal for help. He, in turn, calls the person who theoretically wants to kill her. |
| Date | Oct 6, 2009 |
The afternoon has been ticking by. Tick tick tick. There's a flurid movement of the curtains, and Lola looks up. Before she can even move, before she can even speak, Diogenes is on her like a cat pouncing on it's prey, his hands around her throat, chocking the air out of her. Beyond the curtain, the movement of people doesn't cease. Lola coughs, suppters, kicks, but it's like no one can hear her. They just keep walking by. Finally, she lets out a gasp.
And sits bolt upright in bed, which causes another gasp of pain. Slowly, she eases herself down onto the cot once more, breathing heavily, sweat on her brow. A dream. Just a dream.
But it's enough to kick her ass into gear. The Cajun reaches over, plucking up the phone and picking up a card. She sighs, dials the number, and waits.
It rings three times.
Click. "This is Redbird. Talk to me."
Redbird? "Ughm….I'm trying to reach ah…I dunno. Some fellah called Richard I fink. Richard Robin or somethin, some sorta bird. Maybe it was Redbird after all, I ain sure. I got so much morphin gettin' pumped inta my veins right now it's a wonder I ain' droolin. This the right number, sugar?"
No, this is not a prank call.
"Cardinal." A faint chuckle stirs on the voice of the man on the other side, "Speaking. You must be… the woman that my friend at the bar mentioned, although he didn't give a name."
Lola sighs. At least she's got the right number. A hand comes up, wiping the sweat from her brow as she remembers what it felt like, moments ago, to have Diogenes in here, about to kill her. Even if it was only a dream. "I…gotta lotta names, sugar. Ain' sure which one's best ta be givin' away. Andrew said ya could help me? Help…keep me from gettin' killed, yeah?"
Cardinal makes a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat, admitting, "Depending on the situation, it's entirely possible. What got Monroe on your tail in the first place? Did you steal something of his, or…?"
Lola giggles a bit. "I stole lots a his, sugar, thing was he didn' mind." She sighs, going quet for a moment, waiting for a volunteer nurse to pass by. "Couple years back I got in some trouble, wound up in prison, ya know? Got out real early on account a some fellah named Linderman, he asked me ta do some pickpocketin' work for him in return. I did. Then he brought me up to New York, set me up as old English's girlfriend - or took advantage of it, whatever ya wanna see it as. Was supposed ta just keep tabs, ya know? Well somebody from Linderman wound round English an told him all 'bout me so I ran far away as I could from both of 'em. Then I got strangled. Then I got shot."
"Ah." Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, why is your hand in so many cookie jars of late? Cardinal's fingers rub against his temples briefly, his eyes closed, "…so I'm guessing that you're on the run from Linderman and Monroe? Who was it that strangled and shot you in the first place?"
Lola rubs her own temples. HEadaches all around. "Well it was two different folks. First I was strangled by this mass hobo killer - tried callin in this lady I know at NYPD but she ain' gonna do shit on STaten, apparenlty. Then I got shot by…well fuck if I know, sugar. Some crazy bitch. All I was tryin ta do was get some fool to stop shootin' this other fool and them BAM! LAdy turns around and puts two in me. Did I mention I'm goin' through withdrawal? Soon as they unplug me from this morphine machine I'mma be pukin up my life again." Good times.
"Staten's a no man's land… the cops aren't allowed to set a damn foot on it," Cardinal says with a derisive snort of breath, directed towards the police rather than her, "So, it's your cop friend's fault. The hobo killer— nngh. You know who that piece of shit is, then? Got a description at least?"
"Sugar, I got a drawin' of him, a picture of him, and a print of his hand marks in bruises from 'round my throat. He basically admitted ta doin' it all. Course I didn' get his name, an' never got close enough ta get his wallet. He's Evolved, too, got a nasty sorta power. An he's come back - he found me here, at the hospital."
"Ah, hell. We'll probably have to move you…" Cardinal exhales a sigh of breath, "Alright, I've got business on Staten tonight. Where are you? I'll bring some people by tomorrow and we'll see what we can do."
Lola nods a bit. "He sent me flowers, too. I'm at the Old Best Western. Buncha dogooders done came in an made it inta a hospital. Stumbled my dumb ass in here after I got shot, an they been keepin' me tied up with needles an machines an bandages ever since. Least they keep stocked on ginger ale. Ever since I started goin' through withdrawal, ginger ale's my only comfort. I mean, morphine helps too, I reckon."
Cardinal exhales a quiet, wry chuckle. "Shard's hospital. I'll call ahead and ask them to put some extra security on your room, what little they can spare…" A pause, "So how determined is Monroe about you, do you know?"
Lola shakes her head. "I don' know, ta be honest. After I told him everythin' I knew, or most of it, anyway, he asked me ta stay with him. But this was just after he done told me 'bout stranglin' his last wife to death an I just…if I stayed with him, whoever turned coat on Mistah Daniel might come after me too cause…I know it's gotta be one a two people, an I already got one well outta the runnin. So I just ran. Truth be told I'm more worried bout this psyco killer now than anythin."
"I'll have to move you to a more secure location," Cardinal affirms, "And then we'll see about dealing with that sonuvabitch— alright. I still need a name, you know, I can't just handle all of this by going 'some unnamed woman I've never seen'."
She's quiet a few moments. "Lola, I spoze. I reckon I gotta come up with a new one though, soon enough." Marie is her FBI agent persona, she won't need that now. Of course she might need it, sooner or later. But not right now. It's a good ace to have.
"Lola it is. I'll be by tomorrow, or tonight if possible. Assuming the island's still there in the morning." It's not said as lightly as it could be. It really should be spoken more… flippantly. "Just get some sleep, relax, and recover until then."
"Will do, sugar. Trust me, this is the last place I wanna be. Least I know if I'm ever shot, strangled an pukin' I can still pick a pocket with the best of 'em. Sorta like…professional pride." Yeah, she nixed Peyton's ugly ass cell phone - and gave it back!
Just a hint of amusement threads itself through Cardinal's voice at that bit of professional pride. "Everyone likes to know they're good at their own job. I'll see you soon, Lola."
The contacts section of Cardinal's phone is scrolled through, the name 'MONROE' highlighted and clicked upon, the digits scrolling out through the digital aether and bouncing off towers to make a call.
Adam eventually picks up after a ring or two. He's a bit out of breath but pauses long enough to check the screen of the phone, "Ah, hello Richard."
"Adam," Cardinal greets easily, "How're things going? I didn't interrupt anything important, I hope?"
Adam considers that for a moment, "Well, that depends on your definition of important, I suppose. What can I do for you?"
That response draws a wryness to Cardinal's voice, "Well, then I'll go straight to business. There's a former employee of yours, I believe her name is Lola… are you actually trying to kill her, by any chance?"
Adam frowns, apparently a bit disturbed by the question. "I believe your information is incorrect…on several counts."
Cardinal makes a thoughtful sound in his throat, "Do correct me, then, if you see fit? Otherwise I'll have to go through all sorts of other people that only know a quarter of the story, and inevitably I'll end up with something just as confused."
Adam is quiet, perhaps even to the point that it's not clear that he's going to answer, but finally, he asks, "Why do you want to know?"
"She has some information that I was looking for on an… unrelated case," Cardinal replies with aplomb, "A serial killer on Staten, nothing you'd probably be interested in— but as she seems to think you're going to pop out of a closet and shoot her in the head, she's being a bit paranoid about offering it. I was hoping that you weren't too attached to the idea of killing her."
Adam is quiet for just a spot before he says, "Did she call herself my employee?"
Cardinal clears his throat, "Well, more specifically she said that she'd been inserted as your 'girlfriend' by Daniel's people, and her cover had been blown, but— " False cheer to his voice, "— it sounded less rough my way."
There's a brush of air as the phone sounds to be removed from his ear. There's quiet on the other end before he puts the phone back to his ear, "I don't have any assassins out on the prowl, Richard. I'm not that kind of person."
At that, Cardinal's response is rather dry. "Yes you are. Don't lie to me, Adam. If you say you're not out for blood, though, I'll believe you and leave it at that. I also have another interesting bit of information you might find useful, assuming you aren't out for blood."
"Richard, there is more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy." he sighs, "Well, information is always appreciated, what is that?"
"That wasn't an answer either way, but I suppose that it'll have to do…" A faint chuckle, "…in any case, I imagine you remember Jennifer Chesterfield, from your days at Pinehearst?"
Adam mms, "I know of a Jennifer Chesterfield that's running for mayor, if that's who you mean." apparently not going to refer to Pinehearst.
"Yes… her daughter's with the kids that like to play hero," Cardinal notes mildly, "It appears that certain people, such as the Widow Chesterfield, have noticed the… decreasing number of living Founders, and seem to recall your sudden leave of employment as akin to betrayal. You might want to watch your back there."
Adam is quiet, it's as if he has a question but isn't sure how to ask it. He's quiet, "So she thinks I'm the one who's killed them all?" his statement seems carefully worded.
Cardinal admits, "I'd rather assumed you had myself, but my position on it was rather 'stand back and politely applaud'. I don't know what she assumes specifically, but I know your name's been bandied about."
Adam hmms to himself after that, "Well, thank you for the advice, Richard. It's good to know that people are thinking of me." there is a momentary sound of distraction in his voice. "I wish I had some information to offer you, but unfortunately, there's nothing I've learned that would interest you in anything other than a morbid way."
"I've always been a believer in banked credit," Cardinal replies easily, "Always a pleasure, Adam. I'll let you get back to whatever it is you're doing, then…"
Adam interupts, "Who does he kill?"
At that, Cardinal pauses, "— hm? Who does who kill?"
"Your serial killer…they have…types of victims, yeah? Who does he kill.
"Oh," the shadowman replies, "Homeless people, apparently… I suppose he's really more've a spree killer, cleaned out a whole building of them from what I heard."
Adam pauses for a spot, "Why would he do that?" he questions. "I mean..like…he went to a building of homeless people and just wiped them all out?" he pauses again, "Was hje going to buy the building?" as if that might make it more understandable.
Cardinal exhales a snort of breath, "No. He just… killed them. I'll ask him why when I have someone kneeling on his back with a barrel to his head, if I even bother then."
Adam considers, "Alright then, I'll let you get to work. If you might keep me informed, yeah? I'm curious about who this guy is."
"I'll let you know if anything interesting pops up," Cardinal promises, before hanging up.