Participants:
| Scene Title | Too Many Meetings |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Liz stops in to see her bodyguard. |
| Date | Nov 20, 2010 |
Red Hook, Lola's Apartment
Lola has tried to slow down on the drinking. Not that she's getting on the wagon or anything crazy like that. No, sir. But she has a sneaking suspicion that if Liz found out she was drinking 'on the job' as it were, the former/still(?) police officer thing might be a teensy weensy bit upset. And it's a good gig.
In fact, in her little Loft in Red Hook, Lola is doing something very unusual. She's sitting at the window, watching. Watching to see if anything is amiss. She does it quite a great deal, these days. She is protecting Liz, after all, so watching sort of helps. And in her hand, she holds a mobile phone. Her lips are turned in a downward sulk. Why, if no one knew her any better, they'd say she was sulking over a phone call that had not come. A boy's?
Elisabeth needed out of the base. She checks in every day with the woman who is backing her up, but the apartment isn't that far from the base, and instead of texting or calling today, she walked it. There's a knock on Lola's door — one of those 'it's the cops' kind of knocks. Lizzie hasn't trained that out of herself out. When the door opens on the weary-looking blonde in jeans and a brown leather jacket, she's leaning on the wall across from the entry. "Mornin'," she drawls in a voice roughened not by laryngitis this time but the head cold she seems to be sporting.
Lola looks over, really she snaps her head around and is reaching for her gun when she sees Liz's face. "Oh," she sighs, settling down in her chair again. "S'just you, sugar. Scared me. Ah didn' think ya were comin' over t'day." She sets the phone aside - almost as if it pained her to do so - and pushes to her feet. "Everythin' alright, dear?"
"Yep, fine," Elisabeth says quietly. "I'm loving being the new boss." There is a wealth of sarcasm involved in that statement. "I just wanted to check in." She shoves off the wall and enters the apartment. "Waiting on a call?" she asks.
Lola walks over, taking out a couple of beer bottles by their necks. She hands one to Elisabeth. "Have a seat, sugar. Ah spoze Ah ain'. Ain' no good waitin' fer a call from a dead man, is it." It's not really a question. Lola moves to perch her tushy on the edge of a living room chair, watching Liz. She cracks her own beer and takes a deep swig. She can drink with Liz. In her mind that's totally okay. "Ya should enjoy it, darlin. Bein' the king a shit mountain's better'n livin' in the shit on shit mountain."
Elisabeth takes the beer but she simply sets it on the table as she lowers herself to a seat. It's too early in the morning for alcohol. She tilts her head and asks quietly, "A literal dead man or one who's playing dead?" Her tone is gentle, but if Lola doesn't want to tell her, that's fine. "Let's just say that being the Queen of Shit Mountain is still living in the shit, Lola," she retorts easily.
Lola has no problem. Breakfast beer! "Who knows. Maybe got arrested, maybe got kilt. Ah know what yer thinkin - maybe he's just bein' a man an runnin' out like all of 'em do. An Ah'm sure he will - he's got man-parts an Ah kin swear ta that in court - but not yet. Not after last time Ah saw him. Nah, if he could, he'd call. Just…" She sighs, looking down at her beer. Lola is…geniuinely…god, is that worried? "Just sucks that he ain'."
"Do you want me to check into arrest logs?" Elisabeth asks. "I have to go down to 1PP today for a meeting, it would be easy enough to do. I know the booking guys pretty well." She tilts her head. "Who're we looking for?"
Lola shifts a little bit. "Ah dunno his full name. Sides, he…um…" She shifts a bit more, her discomfort becomming clear. "Well, ya know how Ah ain' the most wholesome of characters? Like, the type who'd prolly go to jail fer a long time if Ah ever got caught full 'n right? Well, he makes me look like a saint, pure 'n simple."
Elisabeth rolls her eyes. "Who'm I looking for, Lola? You think after falling in love with a career criminal — TWICE — I'm going to fault you for your choice in men?" She smirks faintly. "Granted that my career criminals tend not to kill people, but if it will ease your mind to find the guy, I can at least do that for the woman watching my back."
"Ash, name of Ash," she finally admits, albiet grudingly. "He's probobly pretty high up on yer 'shoot' lists. Much higher'n, say, me. But Ah'd appreciate it if ya don'. Leastways, not right now, what with me lookin' fer him." In fact, Ash would probably disapprove of Lola's associations. But that doesn't really matter. At least she's not theiving (as much) anymore, right?
There's a nod. "I'll see if I come up with any names that match when I hit the Plaza today," Elisabeth promises. Ash, Ashley, variations thereof. "If I come up with something I'll let you know." She pauses and says quietly, "Lola…. if he was picked up during the raids, there won't be a record of that. Several of my own people were picked up and are currently sitting in cells. I can't promise I'll find anything."
Lola finishes the beer, setting it aside with a nice, ladylike burp. "Ah don' 'spect ya ta find nothin, really, darlin. Like Ah done said, most folks a found him what he didn' wanna be found by? He'd prolly just a been shot." She sighs, looking down and swinging one of her legs. "He was real nice too, sugar. Ya'd probably have hated him, but he was real nice."
Elisabeth smirks a bit. "Lola… I have met exactly one man in my life that I actively hated. And my friend put a bullet in his brain for torturing me." Her tone is hard, the mental scars of that day a year ago still existant. "I'll look, though." It's all she can do, though it's not much. "You found out anything for me on the things we've talked about?"
Lola shakes her head. "Not really, just mostly that folks've been scattered about in all sorts a ways. But Ah guess that comes 'bout from the sort a shitstorm we've just had, hmm?" She bites her lower lip, thinking. "Gimme a couple a more days, hmm? Ah'll see what Ah kin do. Ah got a meetin' with a fellah - speakin' a which, ya need anythin? Shoppin-wise I mean." Under the table shopping wise.
Perhaps to Lola's surprise, Elisabeth seriously considers the query. "I could use a backup weapon, if you can get me an untraceable one," she admits quietly. Not because she plans on doing anything in particular right now, but … the paranoia is somewhat rampant right now.
"Silenced?" Yes, she can make that work. "That ain' no problem. Ah probably got a couple 'round here somewhere, but Ah'll get ya one a yer own." She smiles a little, looking at Liz in that mischevious way. "Look at you, behavin' bad. Why Ah'd think Ah were a bad influence on yer white-as-snow-soul if Ah didn' know no better."
"Good thing you fuckin' well know better," Elisabeth snorts. "And I won't have room to carry it as a backup if it has a silencer attached, so no." Just a burn weapon. For the just in case. She moves to stand up, her brows pulled together. "I've got a few things to do today out at 1 PP, so if you're tailing me out to the Financial District, you'll have a good couple hours out there. I'll text when I'm ready to leave the building." Her smile is faint and somewhat amused. "If someone in the fuckin' building there tries for me, well… they deserve whatever happens."
"Fair 'nuff, sugar," Lola pushes to her feet, tossing the beer bottle in the recycle bin. Yes, Lola recycles. We've only got one planet! "Just gimme a call when yer headin' over. Are ya gonna be doin' any lookin' with those peices Ah gave ya from the rifle?"
Elisabeth smiles faintly. "I'm heading over now. And yes, I did — there are no prints anywhere. I'll get the pieces back to you when we get back to Red Hook tonight." She wasn't really expecting to find anything, but it was worth a try. "Thanks, Lola." She's paying the woman to look out for her, but Liz is also appreciative.