Medium Dreams

88 opinions for Group Medium Episode

• Betty
  May 23, 2007 at 2:03 pm

  Just then, Ariel came bouncing in with Bridgette close behind and making a ruckus. Ariel was dressed in her school clothes as usual and Bridgette was still in her pajamas. Ariel started first with , “Mom would you PLEASE tell her to give me my scrunchies back!!!!” Followed by Bridgette, “I’m not giving them back until she takes back what she said last night!”

  Horrified that her children don’t notice Abe laying next to her, Allison was just about to ask them if they noticed anything different when the phone started ringing. Allison was reaching for the phone when the door bell started to ring!

  Looking first at Abe, then at the girls, while trying to decide if she should answer the door or the phone first, Marie came in with the phone, ” Mommy, it’s for you, it’s dective Scan on”.

• Luke
  May 23, 2007 at 3:54 pm

  ((O.C: I didn’t know that Marie could talk ha))

  Allison thought to herself, how she was able to manage such a hectic life with a morning like this, which was ‘normal’. Allison talked to Scanlon,
  “We need you here Allison, I think there’s something you should see. A man was shot dead straight through the head, dead on. I will explain things later when you get here.”
  Joe slowly started to wake up,
  “Mm… what is it? …” Joe said sluggishly, as his crinkled eyes looked at Allison.
  Bridgette and Ariel left the room, fighting over their scrunchies and what not,
  “Ok, I will be there.”
  Allison looked at Joe with an innocent look,
  “Can you please take the girls to school?”
  “Ugh…”
  “Thanks!”
  Allison jumped too quickly, ready for work within minutes. She hung up the phone, and looked at her watch, kissing Marie, Bridgette, and Ariel on the forehead,
  “I’ll bring home take-out for dinner!” Allison yelled,
  leaving the house.

• Betty
  May 23, 2007 at 4:12 pm

  Luke, one small detail, you forgot that Joe looks like Abe Lincoln! BTW, Marie started having lines this season and even answering the phone on occasion!

• Katelyn
  May 23, 2007 at 4:16 pm

  I guess Allison would trust Honest Abe to take the kids safely to school, but who does she meet as she leaves the house? Noone answered the door when the doorbell was ringing earlier.

• Dawn
  May 23, 2007 at 6:45 pm

  Tugging on her jacket, her purse flailing from her arm, Allison groped for her keys as she opened the door. She stopped dead-still, her mouth hanging open, and stared as Joe’s Dad stood lounging casually against the doorjamb. Composing herself, she let out a sigh and glared at him.

  “Since when do you ring the doorbell?” She snapped. He studied her with his usual smirk, chewing his cigar.

  “Happy to see me, as always, huh, Andrea?” He said sardonically. Allison gritted her teeth, her nails biting into her clenched palms.

  “Allison.” She said with exasperation. “What do you want?”

  “Who says I want anything?” He said, waving his cigar. “Can’t I just drop by to see my son and his family?”

  “No, not without an ulterior motive.” She replied, growing testy. “I’m in a hurry, so just tell me what you want so I can go.”

  “Alright, alright,” He said, placating her, “don’t get your panties in a wad. I came to give you a message.”

  “What?” She sighed, her patience quickly wearing thin.

  “Gossamer is going bust.”

  “What?” She was, as usual, confused by his infuriatingly cryptic messages. “What does that mean? I don’t understand.”

  “Al? Al?” Joe called. She felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw him propped on one elbow, leaning over her. “The phone’s for you. It’s Scanlon.”

  Taking the phone, she murmured sleepily, “Hello.”

  “Allison, it’s Lee.” His tone was efficient and business-like, which told her this wasn’t a social call. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up as he continued. “I’m sorry to bother you at this ungodly hour, but we’ve got something here I think you should see. Some guy got himself shot dead, straight through the head. I’ll explain when you get here. Can you come over?”

  Just then, Ariel burst into the room, Bridget trailing close behind, both of them clamoring loudly for her attention.

  “Mom, tell Bridget to give back my scrunchies. She’s being totally obnoxious.” Ariel demanded.

  “Am not.” Bridget retorted in her typical eight-year-old fashion. “And I’m not givin’ ‘em back till you take back what you said last night!”

  “Mom!” Ariel pleaded.

  Allison stared at her two oldest daughters, feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu. Scanlon’s voice drifted through the phone again, and she suddenly remembered the receiver in her hand.

  “Hold on a minute, Lee.” She murmured distractedly. Nudging Joe, who had rolled back over and was obliviously snoring through their daughters’ antics, she poked him awake. “Joe. Joe, can you take the girls to school?”

  Peering over his shoulder through half-closed lids, he grunted, “Mmm, yeah, I guess so. What’s up?”

  Ignoring him for a moment, she assured Scanlon that she would meet him and got the address. Hanging up the phone, she turned back to Joe.

  “Scanlon wants me to meet him. He’s got something for me to see.” She told him.

  “Mmm, big surprise.” Joe murmured sarcastically. Suddenly, Allison had a flash of his father saying something in the same tone of voice, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Climbing out of bed, she hurriedly got dressed and rushed to meet Scanlon, the remnants of deja vu quickly fading.

• Luke
  May 23, 2007 at 8:31 pm

  ((O.C Woops, sorry I was a bit confused about the Able lincoln thing. I thought Allison just saw Abe sleeping on the floor or something, haha ))

• Dorothy
  May 23, 2007 at 8:32 pm

  Wow, this is so good, I actually got so involved that I began to think it was a real episode! You guys should get paid!

• Tom
  May 24, 2007 at 9:37 am

  Dawn,

  I knew you were good but you should really consider taking up writing. When I read the first comment and Abe Lincoln, I pondered and pondered and was having trouble picking up the baton and running with it. But you did a super job, congratulations

• Katelyn
  May 25, 2007 at 4:12 am

  Hours later, Allison walked into the house, exhausted and discouraged. The man who’d been shot had nothing to do with Abe Lincoln and she hadn’t been any help to Lee at all. “I remember hearing Gossamer somewhere recently, Lee,” she muttered to herself. “That was so useful.”

  For once, she didn’t have to try to figure out where anyone was. There was an uproar in the kitchen and calm, practical Joe was right in the middle of it.
  “Absolutely not. I look nothing like the man,” he said.
  Allison stepped through the kitchen doorway, still trying to remember why Gossamer sounded so familiar. “What’s going on, guys?” she asked.
  Ariel rolled her eyes and pointed at Bridgette. “She told her teacher that Dad was honest and tall and would…”
  Allison interupted. “You told your teacher that Daddy would dress up like President Lincoln?”
  “How did you know that?” Joe demanded. “Never mind. Forget I asked. Bridgette, Daddy looks nothing like President Lincoln.”
  Bridgette’s usually bubbly personality was gone and her eyes were brimming with tears. She stared up at Joe in disappointment.
  “Alright, alright. I’ll do it.” Joe threw an arm out dramatically. “Fourscore and seven years ago, our…”
  Allison started laughing.

• Dawn
  Jun 4, 2007 at 7:42 pm

  “I just don’t understand why Lee wanted me to see that crime scene.” Allison wondered aloud as she cleared dishes from the table. “It had nothing to do with me. I hadn’t had any dreams about it, so why did he want me to see it?”

  “Maybe he was hoping it might trigger something.” Joe posited, following her to the sink with both hands full of dishes. “Maybe he thought that if you saw it, you would have a dream, or get a vision, or something. You know, that thing you do.”

  “No, it makes no sense.” She argued, her frustration growing. Taking it out on the dishes, she scrubbed them briskly before placing them in the open dishwasher. “If I saw the crime scene before I had a dream about it, I wouldn’t know how much of it was a vision and how much was retained memory. No, I just don’t buy it.”

  “I don’t know. Beats me.” Joe said. Slipping behind her, he eased his arms around her waist while she was up to her elbows in dishwater. Dipping his head, he nuzzled the nape of her neck, causing her to squirm in his arms and grin impishly.

  “Joe, I’m trying to work here.” She protested, though only mildly.

  “Mmmm, so am I.” He murmured, trailing kisses along the base of her neck. Her hands dripping with soapy water, she turned in his arms and melted into him. “Finish the dishes later.” He murmured suggestively.

  When he pulled her toward the bedroom, she followed willingly.

  The persistent ringing of the telephone jostled Allison from a sound sleep. Eyes half-open, she groped on the bedside table for her cellphone. Squinting in the dim glow of moonlight, she tried to read the caller ID.

  “Unknown?” She murmured to herself, wondering who would be calling anyone at this hour.
  “-Lo.” Her voice was husky with sleep. For a long moment, there was only silence on the other end. “Hello?” She said again, more awake now and growing agitated at being awakened by someone playing a joke at this hour. “Is anyone there?”

  “Hello, Allison.” A voice spoke finally, though it was hardly recognizable as human. It was low and whispered, with an eerie tone that caused the hairs on her nape to stand on end. “We need to talk.”

  “Who is this?” She replied, fighting the sense of alarm that was creeping up her spine. “What do you want?”

  “Don’t you remember me, Allison?” The voice said. “We met yesterday. You stood over my body. You looked at me. Looked right at me, and you still didn’t see me.”

  “What are you talking about?” She demanded, her alarm turning to fear. “I don’t understand. Where? When did we meet?”

  “You’re the psychic. You figure it out.” The voice replied before the line went dead.

  Allison woke with a start, bolting upright in the bed, the covers pooling about her waist. Her heart pounding, she scanned the dimly lit room, the last vestiges of the dream fading as consciousness swept away the cobwebs of sleep. An unnamed fear wrapped its icy fingers around her spine, sending chills through her body. Resisting the urge to wrap herself in the blankets and hide, she looked at the other side of the bed where Joe lay snoring, his sleep blissfully undisturbed. She felt a twinge of resentment towards him. Sliding back under the covers, she lay in the dark, willing the fear away, as she always did when she awoke from one of her dreams.

• Betty
  Jun 5, 2007 at 2:29 pm

  It was a good thing she was already awake, because when the phone rang, she was able to pick it up right away before it woke Joe or the kids - seeing as the clock said 2:10 AM, she pretty much figured it was Scanlon before hearing his voice.
  Scanlon: Allison, it’s Lee. I hate to wake you….

  Allison: It just so happens I was already awake, what’s up?

  Scanlon: Yea, that seems to be going around. We’ve got another body. This time, it’s a woman. She’s been shot just like the man we found yesterday. Seems like I remember when you were at the crime scene yesterday, you said something about “Gossamer” didn’t you?

  Allison: Yes, but I don’t see how that…

  Scanlon: This woman was clutching a card in her hand - after we pried her fingers open - she was holding a business card that said, “Gossamer” on it.

  Allison: OK, but what does that have to do with the man….

  Scanlon: After we found this card and noticed some other similarities in yesterday’s crime scene, I sent a uniform over to the man’s place and I guess in the confusion with the person who found the man and the paramedics, well, anyway, apparently our guys missed it - I guess it must have somehow fallen out of his hands when his body was moved, but we found a crumbled business card with “Gossamer” on it. Since you were the one to mention “Gossamer” first, I think you need to come over her and have a look.”

  Allison: “OK, I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I will be glad to take a look.”

  Scanlon: “Just FYI, apparently this woman and her husband were big contributors to the mayor’s last campaign, and I’ve already had my ass chewed to solve this ASAP.”

  Allison hurriedly got dressed, looked in on the girls, and pinned a note to her pillow for Joe, just in case she wasn’t back by time to take the girls to school.

  A big yawn struck just as Allison approached the first stop sign from her house. Just then a flicker caught in her right eye. HUH! Allison hoped no one heard her scream! “What in the hell are you doing here? It’s a good thing I was stopped, because I would have run off the road!”

  Sitting next to her and chomping on a cigar was Joe’s Dad. “Andrea, is that any kind of a greeting for your only father-in-law?”

  Allison: “It’s Allison and YOU’RE DEAD.”

  Joe’s Dad: It’s a good thing a cop wasn’t anywhere near, because I think he would call that a rolling stop…”

  Allison: “Look, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s 2:20 in the morning. I’m tired. I’m on my way to look at yet another dead body, so you can take your critique of my driving skills and stick it …”

  Joe’s Dad: “Andrea! Is that any way to talk to the grandfather of your children? Besides, if you’re going to help your boyfriend solve these murders, you’ll want to stay on MY good side.”

  Allison: “How many times do I have to tell you, Detective Scanlon and I are just…….wait a minute….what do you know about these murders?”

  Joe’s Dad: “Now she wants to talk to me.”

• Betty
  Jun 6, 2007 at 1:56 pm

  Bump - c’mon you guys, help us continue the story….

• Dawn
  Jul 3, 2007 at 7:52 pm

  Allison parked as close as she dared to the crime scene. Climbing out into the chill of the early morning air, she pulled her jacket tighter around her. An eerie glow lit up the night as the red and blue lights flashed in the misty morning air. She felt a chill creep up her spine and shuddered inwardly, though she wasn’t sure exactly what it was from.
  Could it be the cool night air? Or the ominous dream about the mysterious phone call? Or perhaps it was the conversation she had had with her dead father-in-law on the way over here. It seemed there was no end to the possibilities for the sense of dread, or fear, that clung to her like a shroud.

  Winding her way through the mass of bodies and flashing lights, she made sure her ID was visible as she passed one police officer, then another, before making her way into the house. What would normally be a beautiful Tudor-style home, with bay windows on the front, and exquisite landscaping that would have assured it a regular berth in the Beautiful Homes Parade, was now a dark, hulking shadow looming in the darkness, its windows glowing like eyes in the dark. Allison wondered what secrets this house would tell if it could talk.

  Inside she found Lee, notepad in hand, standing over a body draped with a blood-stained sheet. Allison focused her attention on Lee, and tried to ignore the body on the floor. She had a feeling that, if things stayed true to form, she would be meeting the former resident of that body soon enough.

  “Hey,” Lee said, looking up from his notes. “Sorry to drag you out in the middle of the night. Thanks for coming over though. You up for this?”
  Allison shrugged, unsure of how to answer him. She was never really “up” for seeing dead people, or having conversations with them.
  “Sure.” She replied simply.
  ” I just thought you ought to see this, since you were the one who mentioned Gossamer to me.” He went on, picking up an evidence bag and handing it to her. Inside was a crumpled business card. Straightening it as best she could, she flipped it over and studied it. Instantly, something went off inside, setting alarms ringing in her head. There was definitely something familiar about the card, or the logo, a bird flying through a circle, perhaps meant to signify a sunset or sun of some sort. But she couldn’t recall where she had seen it before, or where she had heard the name Gossamer.
  Pushing the nagging sense of deja vu aside, she decided to save that conundrum for later, instead focusing on the situation in front of her.

  “What else have you got?” She asked Lee. Motioning her to follow him, he knelt beside the corpse. Allison chose to remain standing, never too keen on getting too close to them. Lee pulled back the sheet to reveal a woman in her mid-forties who was probably considered a knockout when she was alive. Judging by her hair and nails, and the youthful appearance of her face, she was a woman who put a lot of time, and money, into her appearance. Allison bet she had had at least one facelift in her short life, and probably whatever other treatments she could avail herself of in her plastic surgeon’s office. Her otherwise beautiful features were marred by a dark, bloody, pencil-sized hole in the middle of her forehead. Allison cringed as she forced herself to study the body. After a few seconds, she looked away, focusing her attention elsewhere.
  Drawing the sheet back over the corpse, Scanlon stood and scanned the room. He had noticed Allison turning her attention elsewhere.
  “See anything that jumps out at you?” He asked.

  “Nothing that’s gonna yell ‘boo’, if that’s what you mean.” She replied. As she scanned the room, looking for anything that set off bells in her head, she saw nothing. Just like the crime scene the day before.

  “I don’t get it, Lee.” She said finally. “What am I doing here? I know nothing about these two crime scenes. And apart from the word ‘Gossamer’, I’ve seen nothing that connects the two, or me. So why am I here?”

  “I don’t know, Allison.”He replied. “I guess because my gut is telling me there’s something here that we’re not seeing. Something that maybe you can see. I guess I’m an old dog that picked up a new trick. I just thought maybe you could pick up on something.” He paused.

  “Maybe I was wrong.” He added. “Or maybe this is one time you’re just not in tune to whatever’s happening here. Maybe this time you’re not supposed to know. I don’t know.”

  Looking back down at the body, he sighed. “Looks like we’re gonna have to solve this one the old-fashioned way.” Allison could almost hear the unspoken “Damn” at the end of that sentence. A sense of failure filled her. She felt as if she had let him down, and the DA, as if she were somehow now doing her job. But, she rationalized, she couldn’t very well conjure visions or ghosts. She could only see what she could see. Silently, she made a determined vow to help Lee solve this one, even if only to convince herself that she wasn’t entirely useless without her “gift”.

  Apologizing to Lee for her inability to provide any insight into the crime scene, she excused herself and promised she would call him later in the day. She was almost home when she remembered her conversation with Joe’s dad and what he had told her about Gossamer. She kicked herself for not remembering to tell Lee, and made a mental note to tell him later. Right now, she just wanted to get home and crawl back into her bed and try to forget what she had seen tonight.

• Katelyn
  Jul 4, 2007 at 4:34 am

  Dawn,
  I got all into the episode and then it stopped. If NBC asks for fans to write an episode the way they say they are going to, I hope you give them some input!

• Dawn
  Jul 4, 2007 at 11:22 am

  Sorry to leave you hanging, Katelyn, but I didn’t want to do it all myself. I’m hoping someone else will contribute. This is fun.

  Thanks for your input, though. I’ll keep that in mind if the net does do that.

• Dawn
  Jul 6, 2007 at 5:00 pm

  (Since you guys asked, and no one else is helping, here goes.)

  Allison typed in the word “Gossamer” in the search engine’s vacant bar and sat back, waiting for the results to appear on the screen. As she waited for the results to display, she picked up the case folder from the first crime scene and flipped it open, scanning the contents for the hundredth time in the hope that something, anything, would give her a clue of some kind. Something to point her in the right direction. Finally the results page appeared on the screen and she put the folder down as she began to concentrate on her search. She had no clue what Gossamer meant or what it had to do with this case, or why her dead father-in-law kept mentioning it to her. But she was determined to find out. The first few results were, as she expected, fairly generic, focusing on generally descriptive topics like birds and poetry, and literature. Scrolling down, she was dismayed to see that there were several hundred results displayed.

  “I’ve got to narrow this down somehow.” She thought to herself. Picking up the business card, she studied it briefly before discarding it once more. Turning back to the keyboard, she added the word ‘business’ to the keywords in the bar and hit ‘enter’ again. Seconds later, a new results screen popped up, this one with far fewer results. Scrolling down, she saw that there were only a couple hundred items in the search. Clicking on the first one, she waited while it flipped over to the listed site. It was a mattress company in Michigan.
  Clicking back, Allison began to sort through them one by one, ruling them out slowly as she searched for anything familiar about any of them. After what seemed like hours, she was near the end of the list, and was beginning to despair of finding anything when she clicked on the next one. When the page opened up , the first thing she noticed was the logo in the upper left corner of the screen. It was a bird flying through a circle.
  Allison sat up straighter, her heart beating a little faster as she began to see a glimmer of hope. Scrolling down, she found the menu and clicked on the “About Us” link. Immediately another page opened up and Allison felt her heart race a little faster as she read the company profile.

  It was an aerospace design firm, headquartered in Avondale, just outside of Phoenix, and had been in business little more than a year. Reading further, Allison suddenly heard those alarm bells ringing in her head again.
  Slumping back into her chair, she stared at the screen in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
  It can’t be, she thought. It just can’t be. Joe’s dad never said anything about this. Why wouldn’t he have told me this? Could he be wrong? Could he have made a mistake?
  No, she told herself. Maybe he doesn’t know. Or is he trying to protect us? Or Joe?
  Faced with a new conundrum, she sat and stared morosely at the screen, pondering what she should do. Should she tell Scanlon and Devalos? Or should she talk to Joe first?

  The question was almost made moot as a familiar voice came from over her shoulder.

  “Tell me you’ve seen something that’s gonna break this case open for us.” Lee said, only half-joking.
  Allison jumped, startled, and quickly clicked the exit button, hoping he hadn’t seen what was on the screen. Glancing guiltily around, she checked to make sure no one was close enough to have heard his comment.

  “No, I haven’t,” she said in a hushed voice, trying to cover her own guilt by pretending she was nervous about someone overhearing his offhand remark about her “gift”. Which was partially true, but at this particular moment, it wasn’t her main concern.

  Motioning with his ever-present coffee cup, he gestured around the office. Everyone seemed to be involved in their own affairs and cases, and seemed not to have noticed his remark.
  “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, ” He said casually. Almost too casually. Allison found herself a bit ruffled at his almost flippant attitude toward her secret. Picking up the case files, she nodded toward the conference room, motioning for him to follow her.
  Poking her head inside, she scanned the room quickly to see if anyone was using it. It was empty. Hurrying inside, she dropped the files on the table and waited for him to join her. When he strolled into the room, she had to resist the urge to light into him.
  “Dammit, Lee,” She said sharply, perhaps a little moreso than she intended. “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t just toss out comments like that in the middle of the office. You never know when someone might be listening. And the last thing I need is for anyone to find out exactly what I do here, and how I do it.”
  Lee had the good grace to look chagrined. Properly chastised, he nodded and apologized.
  “You’re right,” He replied. “I wasn’t thinking, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
  There was a brief uncomfortable silence as the air cleared between them, then he spoke again.
  “So, any luck? Any dreams? Visions? Late night visitors?” He waited expectantly. Allison mentally ran through what she knew and debated just how much to tell him. She decided to go with the abridged version for now.
  “A couple of nights ago, I got a “visit” from my late father-in-law,” She began. “He’s the one who first mentioned Gossamer to me. He told me that Gossamer was going bust. At first, it didn’t mean anything. Then I saw him again last night, before I got to the second crime scene. And he told me that these two victims were connected, and that they were connected to Gossamer. He didn’t tell me how, just that they were, and that their deaths weren’t random. That there was a connection besides Gossamer.” She waited expectantly as Lee digested this, though there was hardly anything new or revelatory about it.
  Guilt began to gnaw at her conscience. She had never deliberately withheld information from Lee or Devalos before, and especially information regarding a case, but, she rationalized, she couldn’t risk involving her family needlessly. So, she told herself, as soon as she talked to Joe, she would get it all cleared up and then she would tell them everything. Besides, she thought, it’s only a matter of time before Lee finds out himself. He doesn’t have to know that I know right now. She promised herself that she would talk to Joe and tell Lee before he had a chance to find out on his own. She couldn’t bear the thought of deceiving him, but, she told herself, she had to protect her family first.

• Dawn
  Sep 1, 2007 at 11:01 pm

  Allison glanced up at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes, then went back to chopping vegetables, only half-heartedly paying attention to what she was doing. In her mind she kept replaying the events of the afternoon and what she had learned about Gossamer. Her stomach was tied in knots, though she couldn’t be sure if it was guilt over lying to Scanlon, or if it was fear about what she now knew.
  The front door opened and she heard Joe’s cheery greeting.
  “Daddy’s home!” he called. Almost immediately, his paternal cry was met with a chorus of youthful voices and the sound of running feet. Normally, this would cause Allison’s heart to leap with joy at this display of affection and devotion between father and daughters, for there was nothing that filled her heart more than the love she felt for her husband and children. But today, even that could not penetrate the cloud of gloom that surrounded her. She didn’t turn as Joe entered the kitchen, his footsteps approaching behind her. She barely flinched as he kissed the back of her neck in greeting, as he often did. Immediately, she could feel the tension in the room rise as he sensed her dark mood.
  Stepping around her, he studied her features closely and asked bluntly. “Okay, what happened?”
  She barely looked up from the vegetables she was steadily chopping, pausing only to glance over her shoulder to see if the girls were within earshot. Seeing that they weren’t, she stopped chopping and laid the knife down before meeting Joe’s worried gaze head-on.
  “Tell me what you know about Gossamer.” She said suddenly, and Joe’s worry turned to puzzlement.
  “Gossamer?” He asked. “Why do you want to know about that? What brought that up?”
  “Just-..tell me.” She replied, her tone sharper than she intended.
  “Well,” He began, “Gossamer is the name that my old boss and I came up with for the company that we were going to start together. Why?” Pausing, he studied her closely. “What’s this about, Al?”
  “This investigation I’ve been working on with Scanlon,..there is a connection between the two victims and a company called Gossamer.” She paused, taking a breath.”I looked it up, and the company is headquartered here in Phoenix, actually in Avondale. It’s an aerospace design firm, founded by-..”
  “My old boss.” Joe finished, his tone suggesting that he had already known what she was going to say. She studied him for a moment in silence, surprised by this, given the fact that he had never mentioned the firm or the deal that had almost gone through with his former employer.
  “You knew.” She said in a slightly accusing tone.
  “Yes.” He admitted. “I’ve talked to him a couple of times in the past year. I knew he had gone ahead with the company, with a new partner. Apparently, he found another backer after Versailles fell through.”
  Allison felt a twinge of guilt as she remembered how close he had come to realizing his dream, and how giddy he had been at the prospect, and how her visions of his father had dashed those dreams. And the last thing his father had said to her about Gossamer. That was the part that really ate at her. She had told Joe everything about the company, except that.
  “Why didn’t you say anything?” She asked. “If you knew, why didn’t you tell me?”
  “There was really no point.”He replied with a shrug. “It’s all in the past. What would be the point of bringing it up again?” His tone was matter-of-fact, with no hint of regret or remorse. Allison breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings about losing his dream.
  “So you don’t know anything else about the company, or anyone else involved with it?” She asked, changing the subject slightly.
  “No, not really.” Joe shrugged nonchalantly. “Like I said, I’ve spoken to Glen a couple of times, but I don’t know anything about his partners, or what’s going on with the company.”
  Breathing a sigh of relief, she cradled his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly. Pulling back, she met his gaze and returned his smile. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”she asked.
  “Nope.” He said, his grin impish. “Why don’t you show me?”
  “Later,”she said as she pulled away from him. “right now I’ve got to finish dinner.” And with that, she went back to chopping the vegetables, the cloud of gloom dissipating.

  The doorbell rang and the woman looked up from her desktop, puzzling over who could be visiting at this hour. Glancing at her wristwatch, she saw that it was after ten o’clock. Definitely an odd time to be out socializing. She could feel her nerves tauten as she approached the door. She peered through the spyhole before opening the door to see a man standing on her front stoop. She wasn’t surprised to see him, even at this hour, with his briefcase in hand.
  “You’re wasting your time.” She said drily, stepping aside and motioning him in. He followed her arm, brushing past her. “I’ve already given you my decision. There’s no changing my mind.”
  “I was hoping that you would give me one more opportunity to argue my case before you said no.”
  She moved ahead of him, leading the way into her library with him close behind.
  “That would be hard to do since I’ve already said no. I’ve given you my final answer. There’s nothing more to argue.”
  “I know that you have, but I’ve reworked the prospectus, and I think if you’ll take another look at it, you’ll see that there are some major improvements. Improvements that could be very beneficial to all of us. Financially speaking, that is.”
  “My answer is still no.” She replied flatly, her eyes cold as she met his gaze. “And before you start begging, let me save you the trouble. It really doesn’t become you.”
  His expression hardened as he stared at her, hatred pouring off of him. In a flash, his hand disappeared inside his pocket, then reappeared, clutching a small handgun. Before she could react, the barrel exploded with a flash of lightning and bolt of thunder.

  Allison jerked awake, her heart pounding so hard her chest ached. Her breath came in short, labored gasps. She felt the mattress dip as Joe rolled over. Turning, she saw the concern in his eyes.
  “Al? You okay?” He asked gently, worry evident in his face. She tried to speak, but could only manage a nod. Reaching out for him, she took his hand, holding onto it like a lifeline. Joe sat beside her, one hand holding hers, the other gently rubbing her back, comforting her. At last, she was able to lay back and close her eyes, though she was afraid of what new horrors sleep might bring.

• Katelyn
  Sep 2, 2007 at 6:29 am

  Wow. I loved this. I actually saw the gun shot.

• Group Medium Episode Reminder
  Sep 2, 2007 at 6:39 am

  […] forget to check out the group Medium episode. Dawn has created some fantastic scenes. Her latest brings us some background on Gossamer and […]

• Betty
  Sep 6, 2007 at 2:45 pm

  Late afternoon the next day, Detective Lee Scanlon sat at his desk studying the murder files for what seemed like the hundredth time. He’d been a homicide detective long enough to know what seemed like an obscure clue could break the case. But just what was it that these murder victims had in common besides the business card for “Gossamer”? He must be missing something. He’d spoken with the head of the Gossamer Company who disavowed any knowledge of the murder victims. Merely being in possession of a business card certainly wasn’t a smoking gun. Scanlon didn’t like the guy, but you couldn’t take that to court. There HAD to be another connection. Once again, he started pouring over every word in every file, looking for a link, a clue. He carefully examined the crime scene photographs of each murder – first separately and then together. With each passing minute, his frustration level grew.

  Had he gotten soft? Lost his edge? Gotten lazy since he had been working with Allison DuBois? Had he come to rely on her more than he was willing to admit? He loved Allison and her family as much as if they were related by blood. Since his sister and brother-in-law’s deaths, he’d really come to feel like a member of the Dubois family. After all, after the time he spent with them, he’d decided he needed to make a change in his life. He was ready to settle down and wanted all of the things the Dubois’ shared. Unfortunately, he realized that Lynn wasn’t “Miss Right” after all, but “Miss Right Now.” He really wanted to be with someone who needed him and would support him as much as he planned to support her. Lynn was too involved with her political aspirations and expected him to change too much. He hadn’t meant to hurt Lynn, but he finally realized he was the only one making any compromises in the relationship, and it had to be a two-way street. These thoughts only added to his ever-growing frustration.

  He did appreciate all the times Allison had given him what he needed to nail a perp. Allison hadn’t given him anything on this case. Now he was growing angry. Angry with Allison, and more to the point, himself. He didn’t need Allison Dubois to help him solve a murder! Nope. He’d been a cop a long time and relied heavily on instinct. He’d solved many cases before he’d ever heard of an Allison DuBois. This was his job and he was good at it. Damn good at it! He didn’t need an Allison DuBois to hold his hand and show him the way to go. He was going to solve this case – PERIOD!

  Maybe he wasn’t husband material after all. That is if he believed one of the accusations Lynn threw at him a couple of weeks ago. Maybe he’d never have children of his own. Now he felt that emptiness gnawing at his insides. He also felt the loneliness of not having anyone at home to bounce ideas off of and to encourage him.

  While this conversation was going on in his head, Lee became aware of a small presence moving closer to his desk. Being a seasoned cop, he prided himself on always being aware of his surroundings. Using those eyes in the back of his head. This is what kept you alive as a cop. Letting your guard down could cost you your life. No matter where you were, you couldn’t afford to become too comfortable. What was a child doing in the homicide department? Dammit, was it Girl Scout cookie time again? Hadn’t he just gotten a half dozen boxes from Bridgett last month? How often did they have these cookie sales anyway? Or was it gift-wrap, candy, calendars, or cookie dough? He found it very hard to ever say no to Allison’s girls. Geese – Had kids peddled this much stuff when he was a kid? He was in no mood to buy Girl Scout cookies today, or anything else for that matter. Without even thinking, Scanlon slammed the files on his desk in frustration.

  “Pardon, Monsieur. Are you Scan Lon?” Taken aback by the soft French accent that made his last name sound like two words, and realizing this was no child, Scanlon quickly stood up as good manners dictated when a woman entered. He was surprised at how he towered over the visitor. Immediately thunderstruck by her beauty, Scanlon was suddenly at a loss for words. Finally, he heard himself sputter, “Detective…..Lee….Scanlon. And you are?”

  Enthralled, Lee quickly assessed the woman who stood looking up at him. She was tiny. Strikingly beautiful – so much so that he felt dumbstruck. If someone were to create a china doll of the perfect woman, surely, it was now standing before him – living and breathing. She was well under five feet tall – she was most assuredly a woman. She had the most beautiful green eyes with just a hint of blue to them. He detected sadness in her eyes, but her expression was all business. He felt her eyes piercing him, beseeching him to help her. She had a straight, but narrow nose, high cheekbones, and a narrow chin. Her hair was like something out of a magazine ad - so shiny and thick – auburn in color – falling in soft waves around her shoulders and past the middle of her back with golden strands throughout. Her complexion was flawless. He couldn’t get over how petite she was. She definitely had the body of a woman – a very shapely woman. She wore an enormous but tasteful diamond ring set in white and yellow gold on her right hand, diamond stud earrings and an ornate locket on a long white gold chain around her neck. She wore a copper colored halter dress that complimented her tanned skin and hugged the womanly curves of her tiny body and stopped just above her knees. Her tiny little feet were in tan strappy high-heeled sandals. The nails on her hands and feet were colored in a complimentary shade of nail polish.

  Scanlon became aware of an extended hand and reciprocated by wrapping his much larger hand around her soft, delicate fingers. She had a good grip for a woman, but he was almost afraid to grip her hand as he usually did for fear of crushing her tiny bones. Speaking in a soft voice with a French accent (much like Leslie Caron), the woman spoke, breaking the silence between them. “I was told you could help me. I am Dr. Isabel Chevalier. I’m afraid something terrible has happened to my friend and business associate.”

  Intrigued – “Doctor Chevalier” he thought, “She doesn’t look old enough to be a doctor”. Snapping back to reality, Scanlon detected the slightest quiver in her voice. The look in her eyes suggested she was about to become unraveled, despite her calm exterior. “Look, it’s rather noisy in here. Would you mind if we went into an interrogation room where it is quiet and you can tell me your story undisturbed?” Scanlon queried.

  “Of course”, she spoke softly and seemed grateful to be leaving the den of the Homicide Department. Stopping briefly to pick up his notebook and a pen, Scanlon motioned in the general direction of the interrogation room and gently placed his hand on the small of her back to usher her in the room. Scanlon pulled a chair out for Dr. Chevalier. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Scanlon asked.

  “Merci, but no.” Dr. Chevalier spoke softly as her eyes scanned the room. “Please get a cup for yourself if you would like.”

  “Could I bring you some tea, a soda, or some water instead?” Scanlon asked.

  “Oui. Water would be very nice, Monsieur.” She replied reaching into her leather shoulder bag.

  Scanlon excused himself as he left the room to fetch the coffee and water.

  Isabel Chevalier retrieved a well-used and worn day planner from her oversized handbag. She was nothing if not organized. Opening her day planner, she felt her face flush and her eyes sting with tears as she noted the anniversary that had just passed. She sighed heavily and willed herself to forget the emotion and get back to business, just like she would be with her patients. She rubbed her forehead and eyes, suddenly realizing how tired she was. She felt so completely alone at this moment; she couldn’t help but play out the events of the last two years in her mind and wonder what else fate had in store for her. The opening of the door snapped her back to the present.

  As Detective Lee Scanlon re-entered the room with coffee and water in hand and a warm smile on his face, Isabel Chevalier thought to herself, “This man has kind eyes.” “Merci,” she replied as he placed the water in front of her.

  Scanlon sat down, adjusting his gun and jacket. He couldn’t help but notice her day planner had seen better days. It was certainly at odds with her otherwise impeccably put together self. “OK, let’s start with some basics,” Lee said.

  “Oui, ah, yes”, Isabel caught herself and produced her passport and driver’s license before even being asked.

  continued in part 2

• Betty
  Sep 6, 2007 at 3:40 pm

  continued part 2

  Scanlon studied both documents quickly jotting down some notes. He was surprised to see her country of citizenship as the United States. Her birth date confirmed she was young - 28 - he would have guessed even younger. Her address was listed as New Orleans, La. Her passport indicated extensive travel, most recently to Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Darfur, and finally France. He thought to himself, “Wow, she’s even gorgeous in her dirver’s license and passport photos.” Her full name as listed as Dr. Isabel Marie Chevalier Levosier. “What type of doctor are you?”

  Dr. Chevalier responded, I’m a surgeon. Trauma is my specialty.” With her French accent, she pronounced the word spc-ci-al-i-ty.

  “If you don’t mind my asking, aren’t you too young to be a doctor - shouldn’t you still be in Medical School?” Scanlon asked.

  In her life, she’d grown accustomed to people questioning her because of her slight build. A bit amused since no one had questioned her credentials over the last two years. They were merely grateful for the help. “I was something of a, how would you say, a, um, a child prodigy, “she replied. Although fluent in several languages, when she was tired or upset, she thought better in French. “That all seemed so distant - surreal” she thought. She went on, ” I entered college at 12 and Medical School at 14. I will not bore you with further details. My past is not important. I’m here about Jean Marc Godeaux, my friend and business associate.”

  “Why do you think something has happened to Mr. Godeaux?” Scanlon questioned as he wrote down the name.

  “I last spoke with him on Tuesday one week ago,” scanning her day planner before her that included numerous notations on dates. “He was supposed to have met me at the airport when I arrived two days ago, but he was not there,” Dr. Chevalier replied. “I was not alarmed at first, thinking he had been delayed and he would catch up to me at my hotel, but I had no messages from him. I have called his cell phone and only gotten his voice mail. This is not like him at all, ” she added.

  “Have you spoken to his family?” Scanlon knew this was a loaded question.

  “Mr. Godeaux’s wife passed away three years ago - cancer - they were not able to have children. His parents are quite elderly and living in an assisted living facility out of state. I have inquired as to their health, and they are fine and have had no visitors in the last week,” Dr. Chevalier replied. ” I believe there was an uncle, but they were not in touch with each other for some time.”

  “And you and Mr. Godeaux are…”Scanlon started.

  Indignantly, Dr. Chevalier cut him off, “Certainly NOT! Mr. Godeaux has been a FAMILY friend and business associate for many years. He took over the running of my husband’s, ” catching herself before she completed the prase and continuing, “my company and other business affairs while I was out of the country.”

  “Please don’t be offended,” Scanlon continued, “I must find out as much information as possible so I know what I might be coming up against here in my investigation. Do you have a photo of Mr. Godeaux?”

  “Oui,” Dr. Chevalier replied. Unzipping the pocket on her day planner, she reached in and removed a photo that had many creases. Obviously handled repeatedly. She paused for a moment studying the photo, gently touching the picture as if to connect with the subjects. A tear escaped her left eye and gently, slowly, slowly rolled off her cheek.

  Obviously sparking an emotional reaction in her, Scanlon suddenly suddenly felt very deeply for this stranger who sat before him. She seemed so small and helpless. He usually kept himself very detached, but there was something about her that struck a cord deep inside of him. He actually wanted to reach out to her and comfort her. Instead, he reached in his front jacket pocket and pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her.

  “Merci,” Dr. Chevalier replied handing him the treasured photo.

  The photo contained four adults and two small babies that appeared to be twins dressed in elaborate, long, white chirstening dresses trimmed in ribbons and lace with a lush and colorful garden in the background. All the subjects were smiling happily. Dr. Chevalier was holding one of the babies and a tall handsome man with short wavy blonde hair was holding the other. Scanlon assumed that must be her husband and children, and his heart fell a little at the thought, this reaction surprised him, but there was something about this woman. Next to them stood another handsome couple, both with darker hair, who appeared to be holding two white rosaries and two small white bibles. Although an attractive woman, she seemed a bit pale next to the other three adults. Dr. Chevalier pointed to the man with the darker hair and said, “This is Jean Marc Godeaux and the woman next to him is his late wife, Gabriella.”

  Scanlon felt a bit awkward, but knew he had to go there as he asked, “This is your husband and children? Are they with you here in Phoenix?”

  Struggling for control that was becoming more and more difficult as the exhaustion set in, Dr. Chevalier tried to keep the emotion from her voice, but quickly realized it was a losing battle, as she shakily replied, “No. My husband and babies were killed two years ago during Hurricane Katrina.” Diverting her eyes and trying to blink back the tears in this losing batle, Dr. Chevalier was surprised to feel Detective Scanlon reach across the table and grasp both of her hand in his. His hands felt so warm and strong. For once she wanted to let go of her steely facade and give in to her emotions and dissolve in his arms, but as usual, she wrestled with herself to regain control.

  “I’m so sorry. I can only imagine how difficult your loss has been for your, “Scanlon said sincerely and compassionately. Shocked by his own actions of wrapping his hands around hers, he quickly replease his grasp when she pulled back and asked to be directed to the ladies’ room. Dr. Chevalier grabbed her handbag as she made a quick exit to gather her composure.

  Scanlon took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He noticed the date in Dr. Chevalier’s open day planner - the two year anniversary of Katrina had just passed last week. He had a difficult time himself each year on the anniversary of his sister and brother-in-law’s murders. He could only imagine how awful it would be to lose your spouse AND children - those precious babies! Although they’d only met, he felt so much genuine compasson for Dr. Chevalier. He’d never felt like this before toward someone he was questioning, but he wanted so much to reach out and hold her and protect her and make her feel safe and happy again. What was it about this woman that had gotten to him? It was the way she looked at him with those beautiful green eyes - he’d never seen eyes quite like hers before - the color, the way she looked so directly into his eyes - she was so small and helpless looking and so completely alone now - most probably, she was the only one still alive of everyone in that photo. He wanted to help her, but more than that, he wanted to be with her. Scanlon sighed deeply, placed his elbows on the table, cupped his head in his hands and ran his fingers across his head and started to stratch his scalp as he often did when he was trying to think. “Snap out of it Scanlon,” he thought to himself.

  As the door opened, Dr. Chevalier stepped back into the room with her make-up flawless once again and her composure regained. “I’m so sorry Monsieur, er, Detective Scanlon. I’m afraid I did not quite realize how tired I was from travelling. Please forgive me. I’m ready to continue now.”

  “Look, you have nothing to apologize for. I’ve been told I can be an ass on occasion, I’ll try to be more sensitive to your situation,” Scanlon said ending with a smile.

  Dr. Chevalier was surprised at the giggle that escaped her lips at his admission. The mood was now lifted in the room. She felt she should continue with Scanlon listening intentlyu, “Jean Marc Godeaux is a close family friend and worked with my husband for many years. He and his lovely wife were Godparents to our babies. We have both faced great tragedies in the last few years. Jean Marc chose to stay and step into the Chief Operating Officer’s position of the Levosier International Investment Banking Firm, my husband’s business, as well as taking charge of the other business affairs of our family. I chose to leave the country for a time and do humanitarian work. We both decided to re-locate the headquarters for our business affairs to Phoenix. I could not - cannot - go back to New Orleans - too many memories and too much sadness, I’m afraid. Everything there I loved was destroyed. I have just recently accepted a position as a department head at St. Joseph Hospital & Medical Center here. Jean Marc spoke to me last Tuesday and was to meet me at the airport as I have said. It was unusual for him not to contact me. We kept in touch through email, cell phone, telegrams, or messages. I realized some of the messages may not have kept up with my travel, so I was not alarmed at first. I was a bit alarmed when he did not meet me at the airport, but he is quite busy. Only after I arrived at the Hyatt where he had arranged for me to stay did I become somewhat alarmed. I had no messages from him and I just got his voice mail each time I called his cell phone. I waited until Monday morning, yesterday, and went to our company headquarters at 1825 E, Northern Avenue here in Phoenix. His secretary had not had contact with him since Wednesday, but she was out sick on Thursday. She suggested perhaps he had taken a long weekend as he had been upset about some problem recently. She let me in his office to look around. I thought perhaps I could find something that indicated where he was. The only thing I found was a notation on his desk calendar on Friday that said, “Gossamer?” and my flight information for Sunday.

  Diligently taking notes as she talked, Scanlon’s head suddenly snapped up when he heard the word, Gossamer. “Excuse me?” Almost in disbelief, he said, “Did you say, ‘Gossamer’?”

  (end part 2)

• Betty
  Sep 6, 2007 at 3:44 pm

  Hold on folks, looks like part 2 got stuck in the spam filter - I’ve emailed Katelyn to rescue it.

• Katelyn
  Sep 7, 2007 at 12:35 pm

  Ooh, now Deputy Doll is out of the picture and Scanlon has a family. (You know, I was beginning to wonder if he was hatched.) Gossamer is popping up everywhere…

• Betty
  Sep 7, 2007 at 2:22 pm

  Katelyn, thanks for rescuing it from the spam filter!

  BTW, When we were first introduced to Scanlon in “A Couple of Choices” Season 1, 3rd episode to air, Allison helped him prove his sister and her husband had been murdered and it was not a murder/suicide as the police had tagged it. There were several similar murders Allison had been dreaming about. Sadly, his sister was 3 months pregnant at the time of the murders.

  Ya’ll should’ve known I’d find a way to get rid of Deputy Doll! Ha! If only the show would do the same for real! (I mean no disrespect to the actress, Tina DiJoseph who plays her - I’m sure she is a lovely woman - she’s just not a good actress. I’m sure she has many other fine qualities.)

• Betty
  Sep 7, 2007 at 2:25 pm

  Uh-Oh, looks like I’m stuck in the spam filter again. This wasn’t even a long post! Sniff, sniff - this site doesn’t like me anymore!

• Katelyn
  Sep 7, 2007 at 3:16 pm

  Betty,
  That’s right! I am so used to not knowing stuff about Scanlon that I forgot the one thing I did know.

• Betty
  Sep 7, 2007 at 3:44 pm

  Katelyn, as far as I know, we have never had any other inkling about Scanlon’s family - I don’t ever recall a mention of his parents, any other brothers and sisters or anything. We know he was madly in love with Elena - of course he was doing drugs while doing the undercover thing at the time, so that could account for that. The only other hint of his aspirations as a family man was that hysterical dream he had of the “rent-a-kid” in Four Dreams, and talking with Allison telling her he didn’t think his lifestyle was working anymore.

  Then there was that bone-headed move he made in “We Had a Dream” hooking back up with Deputy Doll. Yep, that was my scream you heard.

  If GGC will just break them up for season 4, I’ll never complain again about it not starting until January 7 - promise!

• Dawn
  Oct 8, 2007 at 10:55 pm

  Allison studied the computer screen, carefully absorbing every detail she could about the latest victim of the “Gossamer” murders. She was hesitant to use that name, but since that was what the police were calling them, it made it less confusing. She studied the information on the screen and made notes. The victim was Diane Elizabeth Harding, age 46, from Scottsdale. Divorced with no children, she was apparently extremely wealthy on her own, having made a name for herself as a successful businesswoman. Her specialty was acquisitions and mergers, and she was, by all accounts, very good at it. She was a senior partner in a company called Hough and Associates in Scottsdale.
  Intent on the screen, Allison wasn’t aware of a presence near her desk until a soft sound startled her. With a jerk, she turned to see Lee standing over her with an apologetic half-grin on his face.
  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but you seemed to be pretty involved in whatever you were reading there.”
  “It’s okay,” she assured him, motioning him toward a chair at the corner of her desk. “I was just reading about victim #2.”
  “Oh. You two getting acquainted, are you?” He asked with a half-smirk.
  Allison glanced around furtively to make sure no one was within earshot, before she spoke softly.
  “You might say we already are acquainted.”
  “You mean-..you had a -..?” He asked, his hopes beginning to rise quickly. His hand automatically dove into his jacket for his notepad and pen. “What’d you see?”
  Allison glanced around again, then shook her head slightly. Nodding toward the conference room, she picked up an armful of files and rose from her seat. Scanlon waited a scant heartbeat before following her. Once inside the conference room, Allison took a seat at the end of the table and Scanlon took one at a right angle to her, before he took out his notepad again.
  “What’d you see?” He asked again, pen poised over paper.
  “I saw the murder of Diane Harding.” She began. “She was at home alone, working. There was a knock on the door. She opened it and there was a man there.”
  “Can you describe this man?” Lee asked, barely able to contain his anticipation. For the first time, he felt as if they were about to make a major break in the case.
  “He was tall. Dressed in a business suit and coat, expensive. Dark hair, thinning at the front, pale, piercing eyes. Medium build, though more on the slender side. Pale skin. There was something, I don’t know,.. cold about him. The way he just,-.. shot her, as if he went there with the intention of doing that. But it didn’t seem that way at first.”
  Scanlon was busily taking notes. Pausing, he glanced up at her.”What do you mean?”
  “Well, when he showed up, it seemed like at first, that they were going to talk about business.” She began, replaying the dream in her mind as she recounted it for him. “He said something about a business deal, or a-..prospectus, or something like that. Something to the effect of, ‘I’ve reworked the prospectus’ or something. But she wasn’t interested. She refused him and wouldn’t listen. That’s when he just reached into his coat and pulled out the gun and shot her. There was no hesitation. It was almost as if he had made up his mind beforehand that that was what he was going to do.”
  “Would you mind sitting with a sketch artist, seeing if you can come up with a composite of this guy?” He asked.
  “Of course.” She nodded, already trying to figure out what they were going to tell the artist to prevent arousing suspicion.
  Lee sat back in his chair, dropping his notepad on the table.
  “You got anything else?” He added.
  Allison thought for a moment about Gossamer, and after a brief hesitation, she decided to tell him everything she knew.
  “I’ve been doing some research into Gossamer.”She began. ‘It’s an aerospace design firm based in Avondale. They’ve only been in business for a little over a year. It’s headed by a man named Glen Starkey.”
  “Aerospace design?” Lee interjected, looking up from his notes. “Isn’t that what your husband does?”
  “Yes, it is.” She replied, before continuing. “Actually, Glen Starkey and my husband used to be co-workers, before he left to start his own company. Anyway, I haven’t been able to find the connection between the two victims and Gossamer yer, besides the business cards found at the scene of each crime.”
  “Okay, well, at least that’s a start.” Scanlon said. ” Now, I’ll tell you what I’ve got. We finally got a positive ID on the first vic. His name is Jean-Marc Godeaux, and he’s from Vancouver. He was the head of a company called Levosier International Investments. It’s a banking firm. BIG business, apparently. Went missing three or four days ago,- we’re still not clear on that,- and his secretary was home sick, so no one noticed right away. Then on Friday, a friend of his arrived in town and reported him missing. She’s a doctor named Isabel Chevalier. Quite a looker too. Tragic, though. She lost her family in Hurricane Katrina, and his wife died of cancer. Apparently, they were all the family that each of them had left. Anyway, the company belonged to her and her husband. Godeaux ran it for her while she was out of the country. She just relocated here to Phoenix, and arrived to find him missing. When she reported it, I had a hunch. So I took her down to the morgue, and she made a positive ID. Too bad, really. She took it pretty hard.”
  Allison listened intently as he described the first victim and his friend, and again wondered why she had not had any dreams about him. Suddenly, she remembered the dream about the phone call. A chill raced up her spine. But why would he send her a dream like that, instead of contacting her directly? she wondered.

• Katelyn
  Oct 9, 2007 at 10:59 am

  The plot thickens. I’m still sad about Isabel loosing everyone like that. I have a huge family and I couldn’t stand being all alone!

• Dawn
  Oct 9, 2007 at 12:42 pm

  Yeah, it’s sad, isn’t it? Sorry I cut it off so abruptly, but it was late and I was beat. I’ll pick it up again soon.

• Betty
  Oct 10, 2007 at 3:51 pm

  *correction on time line - Dr. Chevalier arrived in town on Sunday, not Friday.*

  Scanlon went back to his desk after talking with Allison. He wanted to kick himself for calling Dr. Chevalier, “quite a looker”. He’d really meant to broach the subject of Dr. Chevalier, not in that crass way, but then they got to talking about these murders and the frustration they were causing everyone. Scanlon thought back to that day and the hunch he’d had about that unidentified body they’d found with the bullet hole in the head. That was difficult for a lot of people, seeing their loved one or friend laid out like that in the morgue, but he expected Dr. Chevalier would handle it since she was a doctor.

  Standing in the morgue, Scanlon stood just to Dr. Chevalier’s side and the morgue attendant stood across from them with the body in front of them pulled out of it’s slot. Dr. Isabel Chevalier looked so small and helpless standing there next to him ready to identify this body. Scanlon motioned with a nod of his head for the morgue attendant to pull the sheet back from the victim’s face. Dr. Chevalier looked at the face and suddenly all the color drained from her face and she crumpled with Lee catching her as she started to fall. It was late in the day/early evening, so the morgue attendant was a part-timer, probably a medical student who remarked as Isabel crumpled into unconciousness, “Guess that’s a positive ID?”

  This angered Scanlon as he was holding an unconciousness Isabel Chevalier in his arms, and he sneered back at the attendant, “Show some respect ass hole.”

  Scanlon carried Isabel to a nearby bench, thinking how light she was to hold and that he bench pressed more than she weighed at the gym!

  Prepared for people having this type of reaction in the morgue, the attendant handed Scanlon an ammonia capsule. Saying, ” Dr. Chevalier, Dr. Chevalier” softly, Scanlon broke open the capsule and waved it under her nose. The capsule had the desired effect and Dr.Chevalier opened her eyes and coughed while trying to sit up. Gently touching her shoulders, Scanlon encouraged her to lay back down.

  “I’m so sorry”, Dr. Chevalier muttered as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Apparently her reaction had surprised even her.

  Scanlon spoke, “You have nothing to be sorry for. This is one of the most difficult things most people encounter in their lives. Are you OK? Should I call the paramedics?”

  Protesting, Dr. Chevalier said, “no, please do not call the paramedics, I’ll be fine. What time is it?”

  Replying, Lee said, “It’s about 6:45 PM”

  “I have just remembered, I haven’t eaten all day and I think that has just caught up to me along with the stress of the last few days. I guess we can never be prepared for a sight like this when it is someone we love. Would you mind getting me a cup of cold water?” Dr. Chevalier inquired.

  “Of course,” Scanlon replied. “I’ll be right back. Will you be OK if I leave you alone for a minute or two?”

  “Oui,” Dr.Chevalier squeeked out.

  As Lee exited to the hallway, Dr. Chevalier reached for her purse, searching the contents, popped a couple of tablets into her mouth, and returned to her prone position as Lee reentered the room, cup in hand.

  Being the gentleman he always strived to be, Lee Scanlon helped Dr. Chevalier to sit up while asking her, “Are you OK? Is there someone I can call for you?”

  “Oui, I’ll be fine. There is no one here to call. Really, I’ll be fine, I just need to eat something,” she replied as she took a sip of the cold water.

  Scanlon noticed some color seemed to be returning to her face. He was expecting some tears. He could handle tears. He didn’t quite understand why most men couldn’t handle a woman crying. Crying he could handle. When a woman cried, it meant she was upset about something, or happy about something. Dr. Chevalier had every reason to be upset right now. There really wasn’t much a man could do when a woman cried, other then be there for her. Crying he understood.

  Instead of crying, Dr. Chevalier, sipped some more water and set the cup down. She picked up her oversized handbag and pulled out her well worn day planner. Thumbing through a section that had several pages with lists on them, she turned to an empty page and started making a new list of things to do for Jean-Marc Godeaux’s memorial and what needed to happen in the next few days.

  Calmly, Dr. Chevalier inquired, “When will Jean-Marc’s body be released?”

  Scanlon replied, “Now that we have a positive ID, we’ll complete the autopsy, once I have the final report, we’ll release the body. It shouldn’t take more then a couple of days.”

  Isabel continued making her list and remained calm and collected as her color continued to improve. “I should go now,” Isabel said as she started to stand a little unsteady on her feet. “Could you call me a taxi? I don’t yet have my own transportation.”

  Lee grabbed for her arm to steady her and without thinking, blurted, “Look, why don’t you let me take you to dinner, and then I’ll take you back to your hotel.”

  Regaining her balance, Isabel protested, “Detetctive Scanlon, I would not think of imposing on your family time. I’m feeling much better, I’ll be fine, and you should go home to your family. A taxi will get me safely back to my hotel.”

  Still holding on to her arm, Scanlon replied, “There’s no family for me to go home to. I’m happily single, not even a pet to go home to. Besides, I’m hungry myself, you haven’t eaten all day, and I’d never forgive myself if I let you leave here and something happened to you.” Using his considerable charm, he added, “If I let something happen to you, I’d never finish the paperwork!”

  This remark elicited a slight grin from Dr. Chevalier. It felt nice to have his strong hand on her arm to steady her. If she didn’t take him up on his offer, she would eat alone in her hotel room. Right now she didn’t want to think about how alone she was in this new city. “All right, if you insist Detective,” Dr. Chevalier replied after thinking over the proposition for a moment.

  “Have a seat for just a moment,” Scanlon said to Dr. Chevalier as he went to find the morgue attendant who managed to make himself scarce. Finding the morgue attendant, he said, “We have a positive ID, the man is Jean-Marc Godeaux. Make sure I have the full autopsy results as soon as possible. Get any trace you find to the lab immediately. Call me if anything pops up.” Handing him his business card, Scanlon went back to the bench where Dr. Chevalier sat calmly working on her list. Her demeanor seemed to have reverted to the professional and calm exterior with which she had entered the homicide department earlier that afternoon.

  “This isn’t good,” Scanlon thought to himself as he returned to Dr. Chevalier’s side and gently took her arm to guide her to a standing position. He expected tears, anger, something, besides this calm control. “Are you sure you’re OK?” he inquired as they started on their way to the parking garage.

  “Oui, ah, Yes. Are you sure this is no inconvenience for you Detective? I can manage on my own. Please do not feel as if you must, ah, babysit me,” Isabel replied.

  “No trouble at all. I don’t think you should be alone right now. You shouldn’t have to handle this by yourself. (pause) Besides, I’m not crazy about eating alone,” Scanlon charmingly added.

  It was at this point Scanlon discovered that Isabel Chevalier walked full speed ahead, wherever she went, much like she approached life. He loved the way her cute little butt wiggled from side to side.

  Reflecting back on that evening, as Scanlon sat at his computer terminal searching financial and property records trying to find a connection between these murder victims, Scanlon vowed he would solve this crime for Isabel Chevalier if it was the last thing he ever did.

  (to be continued tomorrow)

• Betty
  Oct 10, 2007 at 3:52 pm

  Katelyn, HELP! I just added a chapter and it’s stuck in the spam filter!

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 1:26 pm

  continued

  As they walked through the building to the parking structure, heads turned. Dr. Chevalier was the type of woman that people noticed wherever she went. she had a way of filling up whatever space she was in with her presence - ironic, since she was so tiny physically at only four feet eight and three quarters inches tall and about eighty-five pounds. The memory of her presence lasted long after she left a room.

  Arriving at his car, Scanlon took his car keys from his pocket with his right hand as he gently guided Dr. Chevalier’s elbow with his left hand. Quickly changing his car keys to his left hand, gentleman that he was, Scanlon opened the car door for her and took her right hand in his as she gracefully sat on the car seat facing him and then just as gracefully placed her knees together and drawing her legs up slightly, pivoted on the car seat to her left turning her body in that direction so she now faced the front of the car. Scanlon thought to himself how soft her hands felt - like rose petals - as he closed her car door and walked around to the driver’s side.

  Once they were both inside the car, Dr. Chevalier thought for a moment after taking her day planner out of her handbag and continued with her list of things to do, and turned to Detective Scanlon saying, “Detective, would it be too much trouble to stop by my hotel first?”

  “No, no trouble at all. In fact, I know this place very close to the Hyatt that I think you would like,” Scanlon replied.

  “Grandmama would never forgive me if I did not change from a day dress to a dress more suitable for dinner. Our family is very tradtitional in that way. Besides, my lap top is there and I should send a message to our people in France and elsewhere so they have the information regarding Mr. Godeaux at the start of the business day. It should not take me more than ten minutes to change and send the message,” Isabel finished.

  Scanlon smiled warmly at her as he added, “I’d be happy to stop by your hotel or anywhere else you may need to go.”

  continued

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 1:38 pm

  continued

  “You are most kind. Would it be possible to withhold Mr. Godeaux’s name from the media? I need time to notify our employees. We have interests around the world and I would not want them to hear this news from another source.” Isabels’s demeanor was calm, cool, and very businesslike as she continued adding things to her to do list.

  This absence of emotion worried Scanlon a great deal. In a suspect, he would consider it a sign of guilt, however, since Dr. Chevalier wasn’t even in the country when Godeaux was likely killed, he was certain she had no part in his demise. He’d checked out her travel itenerary himself and everything was documented. It was as if she had an off switch for her emotions and she’d flipped it. He would expect tears, maybe even anger. This lack of emotion was unsettling. It didn’t hint at what was going on inside. Kind if like the lava bubbling underground while the top of the volcano looks fine, but once the rumbling started, and the cracks appeared, watch out!

  Scanlon turned to Dr. Chevalier and said, ” I think I can manage to keep his name on a need to know basis only.” Now changing his expression to one of concern, Scanlon asked, “Are you OK?”

  Looking up for a moment and turning to face Lee, Isabel smiled slightly and said, “Yes, I’m fine. I promise I do not plan on fainting on you any more today.” Looking back down at her ever increasing list of things to do in the next few days, Isabel sat pensively for a few moments. “Detective, can I ask you a questions?”

  “Of course, an, er, of course,” replied Lee, catching himself before adding, ‘anything.’

  continued

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 1:41 pm

  Katelyn, the next part is stuck in the spam filter again! It starts with “Grandmama”

  I am continuing more next….

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 1:52 pm

  continued - the section just before this (stuck in the spam filter - starts with Grandmama and ends with “anything”.

  now continue with this part..

  Isabel turned to look at Detective Scanlon. “He has such a kind face” she thought to herself before posing this troubling questions. “Detective, would I be an awful person if I did not inform Jean-Marc’s parents of his death? His Papa is 95 and his Mama is 92. They are in very poor health. I just do not see the merit of telling them at this point in their lives that their son was murdered. I would like to protect them from living their last days knowing their son died in this way. All of their needs are being met, and I will make sure they receive the BEST care for however long they may live. I will visit them and make excuses for Jean-Marc. I will take the blame and tell them I am keeping his too busy handling businesss affairs for me. Do you think God would forgive me for protecting them?”

  Her intense green eyes were wordlessly pleading for understanding. Scanlon didn’t hesitate to answer as he softly replied saying, “No, I don’t think you’re an awful person for wanting to protect his elderly parents. I think God would be very happy that you care so much for Jean-Marc and his parents.” As he said the last part, he reached over and squeezed her hand.

  The car fell silent for the rest of the drive to the Hyatt as Lee forced himself to concentrate on the road and the traffic as Isabel stared out of the car window.

  Lee parked in the circular drive in front of the Hyatt where passengers were normally dropped off and picked up. He’d decided to flash his badge so no one would have a problem with him leaving his car there. He told the attendant they would only be there for a short time. Quickly walking to the passenger side of the car, he opened the door fro Dr. Chevalier and offered his hand to assist her in getting out of the car.

  continued with “As they strode into the lobby…”

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 2:02 pm

  continued from …getting out of the car

  As they strode into the lobby, a desk attendant called out to Dr. Chevalier, “Mrs. Levosier, I have those magazines and newspapers you asked me to locate.” Pulling out quite a stack, the clerk set them on the counter. Isabel smiled warmly at him as she walked over to the counter.

  “Charles! You are simply the BEST. I do not know how I would do without you, cherie!” Isabel said nonchalantly reacing into her handbag and pressing a $100 bill into the clerk’s hand.

  Scanlon stepped up and offered to carry the magazines and newspapers, also smiling warmly at Charles. “Mr. Levosier, I hope you had a good flight in to Phoenix”, the clerk spoke earnestly to Scanlon.

  Isabel immediately raised her hand slightly to Scanlong to stop him from saying anything and said to Charles, “Everything was fine. I’m sorry, we have an engagement we are already late for cherie, so we must hurry. Keep up the good work.”

  “Yes M’am!” Charles replied enthusiastically.

  Another hotel employee greeted the couple as they headed toward the elevator reserved for the top floor where the suites were located. “Good evening. It’s so nice to see you again, Mrs. Levosier, and Mr. Levosier, I’m glad you were able to get a flight out today. Have a wonderful evening,” he added as they enterd the elevator.

  continued with Isabel retrieved the key card…

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 2:21 pm

  continued from ….elevator.

  Isabel retrieved the key card from the compartment in her purse. Lee juggled the stack of reading material to balance it on one arm and took the key card from Isabel and opened the suite door for her.

  Isabel offered a , “Merci” as she entered the beautiful suite. “You may put those down here on the coffee table. I know you must be wondering why they think you are my husband. Out of respect for my late husband, I have used his name unless I was attending to my professional business as a physician. Whenever I travel, I always register the hotel room and the airline reservations for ‘Mr and Mrs’. It is for my protection. I usually cover for the absence of my husband by saying he was delayed but will be joining me as soon as he finishes his business. They assume a well-dressed and handsome man as yourself must be my husband when he is in my company, so I let them think that.”

  Smiling as he looked down at her, Scanlon offered, “Actually, I think that is a very smart thing for a woman to do when travelling.”

  “Please, make yourself comfortable. There is a fully stocked bar if you would like to make yourself a drink while you wait. I shouldn’t be more than five or ten minutes,” Isabel said as she quickly disappeared into one of the two bedrooms this suite offered.

  Walking around with his hands in his pants pockets as he checked out his surroundings, Scanlon couldn’t help but notice the fantastic view the suite offered of the nearby mountains. The room was very well appointed in rich golds, greens, and creams, with the look of a home more than a hotel room. As he walked around thinking about the possibility of fixing himself a drink, he heard the hum of a fax machine on the desk. It was a good thing it sat up on a shelf because the basket beneath it was quickly approaching capacity with faxes. Lee decided to call ahead to the restaurant for a special table. Retrieving his cell phone, Lee dialed and listened for an answer, “Hello, Marco? Yea, Lee Scanlon. I know this is last minute, but what? Fine, fine. I know it’s been a long time. Look, I’m only a few minutes away - what? Oh, that’s great! Thanks, Marco! I owe you buddy.” He walked over to the bar and poured himself a scotch and wondered how much a fully stocked bar in a hotel set you back. He expected he would have a while to wait, so he walked over to the couch and sat down and started looking through the newspapers and magazines he’d carried up to the room. “The Wall Street Journal”, “The New York Times”, “Newsweek”, several issues of each and a number of medical journals, and an interesting mix of business publications pretty much covering the gamut of A to Z. “Quite an ecclectic mix,” Lee thought to himself.

  continued with …Just them the bedroom door opened…..

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 2:45 pm

  continued from …..thought to himself

  Just then the bedroom door opened and Isabel came dashing out wearing a figure hugging black and green print silk dress that stopped just above her knees and was supported with spaghetti straps. The dress showed a tasteful amount of cleavage. Wearing an emerald and diamond earring on her left ear and fastening the right earring as she walked, Lee noticed the earrings matched a bracelet she wore on her left wrist. Her tiny feet sported black stilettos with red soles. Lee wasn’t sure what the red soles signified other than a pretty big price tag. Isabel turned, running back to the bedroom and came back carrying a smaller handbag in silver that replaced the brown leather oversized bag she’d had earlier. Scanlon thought to himself, “She’s stunning!” The green and black dress nicely complimented her long wavy auburn hair. Isabel took a moment to survey the basket full of faxes. “Is everything OK?” Scanlon aksed.

  “Oh, yes, I will attend to these later. Nothing here is urgent. Are you sure I am not keeping you from attending to something of your own tongiht?” Isabel asked Scanlon as she sat down at the desk and opened her lap top to send her message.

  “I assure you, I don’t have anything more important to do tonight,” Scanlon replied. He waited for a few minutes as she typed away her brief message. Standing and walking toward Isabel, Scanlon began, “Can we do something?” Flashing that great smile of his. Isabel stood to face him. “Yes, of course,” she replied tentatively.

  At that point, Scanlon extended his right hand toward Isabel, who almost as a reflex grasped his hand with hers and they shook hands. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Leeland Scanlon, you can call me ‘Lee’. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to be ‘Lee Scanlon’ friend, not police detective tonight at dinner. I’d like you to consider me a friend who is happy to help you in any way he can, at least for tonight.”

  Smiling up at him, Isabel replied, “Merci, merci. Please let me introduce myself, I am Isabel Marie Chevalier Levosier. I would be honored to consider you my friend. Please call me Isabel.”

  “Please, call me Lee.”

  The two were out the door and on the way down the elevator. They made a striking couple. Lee, dressed in his black pin-striped suit with a black shirt opened at the collar. His chisled good looks and reddish blonde hair were a nice compliment to the tiny auburn haired Isabel in her black and green silk dress and black stilettos. Her head barely came up to his shoulder, even with her stilettos on. Although tiny, she was very womanly and always carried herself with grace. Despite their outward appearance of any couple going out for a night on the town, Lee was worried about Isabel and the lack of emotion she had displayed since seeing Mr. Godeaux’s body. He knew it had to be churning under the surface and would eventually make it’s way out - just when that would happen and how is what worried him the most. He hoped he would be there for her when that happened so he could help pick up the pieces. In only a couple of days and a few short hours, this tiny woman had gotten to him. His subconcious kept telling him, “She’s way out of your league, buddy.” That didn’t stop him from wondering what would have happened if they’d met under different circumstances.

  continued tomorrow!

• Betty
  Oct 11, 2007 at 2:47 pm

  Darn it all! Another chapter is stuck in the spam filter! HELP! Katelyn!

• Katelyn
  Oct 12, 2007 at 2:01 pm

  Betty,
  This was great. I don’t think she’s way out of his league, though! Maybe his subconscious needs to take a look at his character if it thinks that.

• Betty
  Oct 12, 2007 at 3:06 pm

  continued from …….different circumstances.

  Back to the present with Scanlon sitting at his desk thinking of the night before and his dinner with Isabel, he’s snapped back to the present as his phone rings.

  “Detective Scanlon.”

  “Lee, this is Lynn,” greeted Lynn Di Novi, Deputy Mayor of Phoenix, and until recently, Lee Scanlon’s almost fiancee.

  “I really don’t have time for this now, Lynn,” Lee said in an exasperated tone.

  “Really? What EXACTLY are you doing with your time these days. It sure isn’t being used to solve any murders,” snarked Lynn.

  “Solving murders takes time - especially if you want the charges to stick. I have to have all my ducks in a row first so when Manny goes to court there aren’t any surprises. So far, these ducks just aren’t lining up. Unlike you, I can’t just snap my fingers at someone and get results,” Lee tossed back.

  In a sacrcastic tone, Lynn responded by saying, “From what I hear, you’re spending so much time swimming with the ducks that you’re in danger of drowning.”

  “WHAT is that supposed to mean?” Lee responded in a loud and angry tone, causing the others in the homicide department to turn their heads and look.

  “Perhaps if you were spending more time actually working on the case instead of taking possible suspects out to dinner at a restaurant you kept telling me we couldn’t ever get a table at, you might solve this case. The mayor’s not real happy with your performance right now and I have to agree,” shot back Lynn.

  “Where did you hear……uh……this has NOTHING to do with you and me. You are being completely unfair. First of all, Dr. Chevalier is NOT a suspect and never has been. When, where, and who I go to dinner with is no longer your concern. I can’t believe you are being this petty. Just because we are not compatible in our private life is NO REASON to attack me professionally. I never have, nor will I ever attack the job you do as Deputy Mayor. I get that I hurt you, and I’m sorry, but don’t accuse me of not doing my job!”

  “Oh, don’t flatter yourself. We’ve both moved on. I’m not the only one who thinks you’ve lost your edge. There’s talk about your, um, relationship, with Allison. Now this Barbie Doll seems to have you all tied up in knots. There are those who thought you learned your lesson with Elena. Apparently not. Go ahead, flush your carreer down the toilet for some rich Barbie Doll,” came the angry reply from Lynn.

  Scanlon shot back, “I’m not listenting to this crap any more. What’s that crack about my relationship with Allison supposed to mean? How dare you bring up Elena! Was there a point to this call other than to bust my balls for fun?”

  “Yes. The mayor wants results by Friday or he’s assigning the case to someone else,” Lynn spit out as she slammed the phone down.

  continued

• Betty
  Oct 12, 2007 at 3:09 pm

  Oops, stuck in the spam filter yet again!

  Everyone doubts themselves at times - Of course, Lee Scanlon is NOT out of her league, but it’s nice to have a little humble pie - this story is only getting started! Way more to come, including the next chapter which is stuck in the spam filter again! Darn it all.

• Betty
  Oct 12, 2007 at 4:34 pm

  continued from ……..slammed the phone down.

  With his face fully flushed from his angry phone call with Lynn Di Novi, Detective Lee Scanlon sat at his desk frowning, rubbing his face and scratching his head while trying to calm himself. Lee reared back in his desk chair contemplating their angry exchange. His head was spinning. He probably wouldn’t be nearly as angry if he hadn’t been doubting himself lately over his inability to put anything together on these so-called “Gossamer Murders.” How dare Lynn to insinuate there was something inappropriate about his relationship with Allison Dubois! Running into the mayor the night before while he and Dr. Chevalier were having dinner was such a fluke. Apparently the mayor knew of Dr. Chevalier because of her extensive charity work and her affiliation with St. Joseph Medical Center. He could hardly contain himself as he gushed over her last night - knowing the mayor, he will likely take credit for having brought Dr. Chevalier to Phoenix. He must have blabbed to Lynn about her - where did that “suspect” stuff come from? How dare Lynn say those things to him and throwing Elena in his face was just a low blow.

  Just then the phone rang. Expecting it was Lynn ready for round 2, Scanlon barked into the phone, “WHAT!”

  “Detective Scanlon?” Muttered tentatively in the familiar soft voice and French accent of Dr. Isabel Chevalier.

  Apologetically, Lee replied, “Dr. Chevalier, please forgive me for answering the phone like that. I know it’s no excuse, but I just had a rather heated discussion with a, um, collegue. Please, let’s start over. Hello, this is Detective Lee Scanlon. Is there something I can help you with? Are you allright?”

  Replying in her soft voice, “I am sorry for taking so much of your time last night. Thank you again for everything you have done - are doing for me. I cannot tell you how much your kindness means to me. You will always have a special place in my heart Detective. Please forgive me for disturbing you. You are a very busy man, perhaps I should call you some other time?”

  “Absolutely not! I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be talking to right now. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, as I was working on the arrangements for Mr. Godeaux’s memorial, a thought struck me, and I know you must have so many important things to do, I really feel silly now that I have you on the phone to ask for your help,” Isabel said, adding, “I should not bother you with this.”

  Scanlon had secretly wanted to call her all day long, but kept putting it off. “I told you, anything I could help you with, I’d be happy to. What do you need?”

  “All right, if you are sure you have the time,” Isabel said.

  “Of course,”

  “I was remembering the conversations Jean-Marc and I had had in recent weeks, and I remembered that he told me he had begun seeing someone. I was so pleased to hear this news! He couldn’t wait until I came to Phoenix so he could introduce us. He was very serious about her” Isabael continued, “As I was planning his memorial, I thought of her and how frantic she must be, not knowing where he was or what happened to him. I wanted to reach out to her, but I do not know how to contact her, she is not listed, I do not have an address or phone number for her. If you cannot use your skills to do this because it would be unethical, I will understand.”

  In a soft and understanding voice, Scanlon said, “You say they were pretty serious?”

  “Yes, they appeared to be,” Isabel responded.

  “I think she has a right to know why he just disappeared. Do you have a first and last name?” Scanlon queried.

  “Yes, let me find it. Oh, yes, here it is - her name is Diane Harding.”

  Suddenly sitting bolt upright in his chair, Detective Scanlon, thinking his ears must be playing tricks on him, said incredulously, “EXCUSE ME?”

  “I said her name is Diane Harding,” came the reply from Dr. Chevalier.

  There was silence on the other end of the phone as the wheels were turning in Lee Scanlon’s head. Surely this was by no means a conincidence - there couldn’t be two Diane Hardings in the Phoenix area, correction, that would be down to one now that he definitely knew one was on a slab in the morgue. THIS was the connection he’d been trying to find all along that wasn’t to be found anywhere in his files. How this added up to their killer was yet to be determined, but with Diane Harding and Jean-Marc Godeaux both in the morgue and both having something to do with ‘Gossamer’, things might start to come together.

  “Oh crap. How am I going to break this news to Isabel?” Lee thought to himself.

  “Hello, are you still there? Lee?” Isabel inquired into the silence.

  Finally, Lee responded with, “I’m sorry. Um, uh, someone just handed me something urgent I have to take care of, but I promise, I will give you the information when I have sorted, um, I mean when I have it. I hate to do this to you, but I must take care of this right away.”

  “All right, very well then. Au revoir until we speak again,” Isabel said as she prepared to hang up the phone.

  “Isabel - I’m really glad you called,” Scanlon said hanging up the phone.

  to be continued Monday!

• Betty
  Oct 15, 2007 at 1:42 pm

  continued after ……hanging up the phone.

  Scanlon’s head was buzzing with thoughts now that he had a connection at least to the two dead bodies. He picked up the phone and started dialing. Tapping his pen impatiently on his desk as he waited for the call to be answered, Scanlon was hoping he could finally start to connect the dots.

  “Hello,” Allison Dubois answered as she was trying to juggle preparing dinner with loading the diswasher from the kids after school snacks.

  “Allison, this is Lee,” Detective Scanlon greeted Allison. “I think I’ve got something that might help you with this case. I just found out that our two victims knew each other socially and were apparently pretty tight. You think this will help you to clarify your dreams or whatever it is you do?”

  Allison replied, “OK, a connection between the two victims. I don’t know. It might make a difference, but you know I don’t really have any control over what I dream, what they send to me. This could help clarify some of the information knowing these two had a connection.”

  “Allison, I really hate to put the pressure on you like this, but I’m getting a lot of heat here. People in higher places are wanting answers and they’re not very patient. In fact, I was warned today that if I don’t have answers by Friday, they’re taking me off the case,” Lee glumly noted.

  “I’m sorry Lee. I know you’re frustrated, and so am I. If there was anything else I could do, believe me, I’d be doing it. You know, it’s not like I can just dial 1-900-DEAD GUY and get the answers,” Allison replied as she noticed her pot was boiling over on the stuff. “Oh no!”

  “Allison, everything OK?”

  “Yes, just a little clean up job,” came the frustrated reply from Allison.

  “Look, I have an idea. If you don’t have any ‘visitors’ in your dreams tonight, do you think you could meet me tomorrow downtown?” Lee queried.

  “Yea, sure. What time?” Allison answered making a mental note to rearrange her morning errands after dropping the girls off at school.

  “Let me get back to you on that, I’ll have to make some calls, maybe get a search warrant. I’m thinking, if you don’t have any luck tonight, we could go to the offices of our victims and you could sit in their chairs, touch some of their things, and maybe you’d get something from them,” Lee said, hoping now that he was armed with this new information, he would finally get a brea