The Offices of Thalia Trimble, Private Eye - vol 1

Looking at Isabel's ankle, Thalia nods. "Between the two of us, I think we can get you up that ladder."

When Isabel nods, Thalia begins to carefully cut through the tape. "Yes, I took Ivanovich down, Arthur's safe, and the tweakers are also neutralized. For the moment, at least." She grabs one of the woman's newly-freed wrists and squeezes lightly. "And don't apologize for that. I don't look like someone who can do the things I do. That's part of what makes me so effective. As for jail... yeah, you'll probably do some time. But I've got someone building a case. There's definitely room for another cooperative witness. I think Arthur was kind of counting on you."

Radinka's question about calling the cops prompts Thalia to review the situation upstairs. She can feel one of her eyes starting to swell, though not shut, and she's now starting to feel the effects of the blows the Russian had landed on her face and chest while she was blinded. "I think you could probably consider calling on a few of your fellow immigrants to deal with one of our friends up top. If that's okay with you."

Looking back to Isabel, she frowns thoughtfully and gets an arm around her, under Izzy's arm, to help her stand up. "How deeply involved are the SEPD in all of this? The investigation of the triple-homicide was obviously rigged by them, and that must have also involved the DA's office as well. If I call a uniform that I know is clean, how likely is it that everyone will still end up being cleared and sprung within a few hours?"

Nov 16, 2020 12:08 am

Radinka gives you a surprised look but nods her head.

Isabel winces after putting even a small amount of weight on her ankle. For the rest of the trip to the ladder, she leans heavily on you. "That kind of thing is the department of people like Martha and Kate. Way beyond my paygrade. Martha is already on very thin ice at Lloyd. She has a lot of eyes watching her and I wouldn't be surprised if the board counters anything she tries to pull. They are going to want this to go down as quietly as possible. The most quick and painless way to do that is to let Martha fall on her sword."

Radinka heads up first and the two of you manage to lift Isabel back up to the surface. Radinka excuses herself to use the payphone outside. Isabel starts looking around the bar for any long forgotten bottles of booze to help with the pain, but comes up empty. She sits on the ground with her back against the bar and sighs.

"A guy will be here in 20 minutes to pick up ol' Christov," Radinka announces when she walks back through he front door. "Probably a good idea if we don't ask why they already had someone out in the middle of the desert."

Nov 16, 2020 12:38 am

Carson, unconscious from the punch Thalia had delivered, is clearly not climbing any ladders, so Thalia uses a zip-tie to secure his wrists to a shelving unit built into the basement wall, then searches him thoroughly for any surprises he might have on him that he could use to hurt himself. She even looks inside his mouth for signs that he might have rigged up a cyanide capsule or something.

Finding nothing, she grabs up the bag of chemical tricks he'd brought down with him, after making sure the spent hypodermic is well out of his reach from his position.

Upstairs, Thalia is relieved by Isabel's take on the situation regarding Lloyd's likely response. It's not ideal, of course, but she'd much prefer to involve the cops and get all of this into the law enforcement system now than to try to keep Carson and Isabel under wraps until they could finish making the case.

Taking Radinka aside, out of Isabel's earshot, she says, "Let's keep the guy coming for Ivanovich on the Q-T, okay? The less Isabel knows about it, the better." She takes a deep breath. "To be honest, I've gone back and forth on this decision, because I've been pondering what to do with him since I found out he was involved. But when I found Arthur in that closet, I saw more than just fresh bloodstains on the floor. There were signs that he'd kept lots of prisoners in that closet."

She looks up at Radinka. "He's a monster. If he's sent to prison, he'll just become the kind of monster who gets to continue victimizing people in a system designed to let things slide under the radar. And if he manages not to go to prison, then he'll likely disappear to some other city and start in with a fresh closet. I... would rather know that he's just done. For good."

She grabs the first aid kit from her car (her poor, poor car) and spends some time wrapping Isabel's ankle with an elastic bandage while Radinka waits for the Ivanovich pickup. Only when her friend signals that he's come and gone does Thalia then make use of the payphone.

After ensuring that the line isn't tapped, she calls her safe house to tell Dylan that she's all right and that Isabel has been rescued. Then she calls the SEPD and asks for Officer Greeley. Assuming that he's working and she reaches him, she identifies herself and briefly describes the scene. She also indicates that there are multiple injuries, multiple suspects, and that her car has been completely disabled.

Oh, and that one of the suspects, Christov Ivanovich, had managed to escape while they were trying to negotiate the release of the hostage with the head of the kidnapping scheme. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Nov 16, 2020 1:19 am

Radinka almost laughs, but out of respect for you she holds it to a small smile. "Thalia, dear, do you know what one of the most shocking things about America was when I first came here? Your so called death row. Keeping heinous prisoners in cells for years, decades even, while they get fat on taxpayer dollars. Do you know how we did it in the Soviet Union? After the verdict is read we take them behind a shed, do what has to be done, and are having drinks to celebrate within the hour. This man deserves no sympathy. Do not feel guilt over this decision."

When Greeley arrives it is with scores of backup and more then a few ambulances in tow. "Jesus Christ, Thalia. How in the hell did you manage to pull this off alone?" Radinka is long gone. She took Christov’s car and went back to town after he was picked up by the Russians. Her being at the scene might make things a little more complicated for everyone.

The paramedics get to work while you speak with Greeley. "I don’t want to sour the victory you earned here, but things didn’t go so well when we went to pick up Martha Bradford. Both she and her men were gone. The van was still there with the hood up and some jumper cables attached. She must have had backup in the area that was able to find her and get her out of there before we got to the scene. I radioed back to HQ and we got a bird in the air looking for another van like that one. I don’t know how likely it is we are going to find her though."

Nov 16, 2020 2:40 am

Thalia chuckles at Radinka's response. There's not much actual mirth in the sound. "I sometimes envy your moral clarity, Dink. For me, it's a little more of a winding road."

While she's waiting for the cops, Thalia explores the interior of the bus, looking for any interesting evidence and for information on what, exactly, Carson had been pumping into the bar. She also retrieves the stun baton from where she'd tossed it earlier, as well as the cigarette Ivanovich had thrown at her before the fight had begun. She puts this into a small plastic evidence bag and pockets it. When she's done, she rejoins Isabel and offers her a bottle of water from her car. Her poor car.

When Greeley and the rest of them arrive, Thalia lets them know that everyone here is a suspect, but that Isabel should be treated as a victim, as well, having been held here as a hostage, beaten, and drugged against her will. She also tells them where to find Carson and to be careful if he's conscious, since there's no telling what drugs are coursing in those elderly veins.

She grins tiredly at Greeley's question. "I'm a lot bigger than I look. Also, I did have a little help from a surprisingly competent passing stranger. She took off before I could get her name."

A paramedic has badgered Thalia into sitting on the open back of one of the ambulances while he checks her over. She knows she's got a bunch of cuts, welts, and a budding shiner, but she doesn't think there's much more than that. At Greeley's news about Martha's escape, her face falls, and she slaps away the paramedic's hands and slides down off the ambulance to pace in anger, her hands on her hips.

She kicks a piece of gravel. "Crap! I did everything I could to keep them immobilized." She runs her hands through her hair, noticing remotely that it could really stand to have a brush run through it. "I... I screwed up. I should've stopped and called in a tip about the van before I came here. If she gets away, it's on me."

Last edited November 16, 2020 8:17 am

Nov 18, 2020 12:58 am

Inside the bus you find two large steel drums containing some sort of chemical liquid. It is rigged up to a compressor that was pumping it out as a gas. There is no clear indication of what the substance is.

Isabel accepts the water but is otherwise very quiet. You have no doubt she is working over what she plans to say to the police. You get the feeling you can count on her to tell the truth, but that she would still like to frame it so she is perceived in the most positive light possible. Even after being drugged and put through a traumatic event, it is hard to turn off that Lloyd Laboratories way of thinking.

Greeley gives you a questioning rise of the eyebrow when you mention a good samaritan stopping by to help, but he doesn’t press it.

He puts a hand on your shoulder when you blame yourself for letting Martha get away. "Alright, Atlas. Why not take a break from holding the entire world upon your shoulders and celebrate the win? You did good. You walked into a deadly situation and not only came out alive, but took down a vast conspiracy. Martha Bradford can’t run forever. We'll bring her justice."

A sudden vibration from your pager brings you out of the conversation. You glance at the display and see it is the same number from earlier today. The one used by Kate Lawson’s security team when they told you everyone was taken into hiding.

While you were looking at the pager, Greeley took a few steps toward what is left of your car. He lets out an impressed sounding whistle. "I take it you are going to need a ride back to town? I can get someone to drive you back to the precinct if you want to give a formal statement now. If you’d rather do it tomorrow, just have them drop you off anywhere. You’ve earned the break and we can get the fine details tomorrow. I have a feeling we'll be plenty busy tonight talking to all these fine folks you handed over to us."

As expected, there is no indication from your powers that Greeley is trying to deceive you. For once, this doesn't feel like the first step in a Lloyd coverup. You get the impression that he is genuinely impressed with what you have done here and wants to give you some time to recover if you feel you need it.

Nov 18, 2020 3:05 am

Thalia tries to see it from Greeley's perspective, but she can't shake the feeling that letting Martha get away deflates some of the "win" she's achieved tonight. But she listens to his pep talk with a sense of budding affection. It's always soothing to run into a true believer in justice and the inevitable triumph of good over evil. Without people like Greeley around, she doesn't think she could keep doing what she does.

She decides that the conversation with Kate's security team is one she'd prefer to have without a legion of cops milling around her. So she puts the pager back into her pocket and gazes forlornly at her car. "Yeah, I'm definitely going to need a ride. Jeez! I really loved that car. Now I'll have to find a new one and start all over. Hey, don't let them impound it, okay? There are some tricky customizations that could be accidentally triggered by someone not familiar with them. I have a guy who knows the vehicle - I'll send him over to tow it to his garage."

Glancing back at the bar, she says, "Hey, I'm going to go have one last word with Isabel before I go. Just to make sure she's okay." She smiles at Greeley and heads back inside the roadhouse. Now that the excitement is over, an air of methodical drudgery has taken over as the police are busy taking photos, marking off and cataloging evidence, and generally having an effect similar to translating an action movie into a spreadsheet.

As Thalia approaches, the paramedic who's been attending to Isabel is packing up his bag. "When the police are ready, they'll escort us to Bright Hope Hospital so the ER can run a tox screen and make sure you're not in any further danger from the drugs you've been exposed to. Just sit tight." He smiles at her, nods to Thalia, and heads back to one of the ambulances.

Thalia takes a chair and pulls it closer to the one Isabel is sitting in. "Look, I know that now that this terrifying ordeal is over, you're thinking ahead to the next one." She glances around at all the cops to make it clear she's talking about Isabel's impending entry into the justice system. "I'd like to ask you for just one thing, Isabel: your trust. You didn't trust me before, and so you wouldn't give me the help that I asked for. But even so, I came through for you tonight. Now, I'm not asking for a quid pro quo. I don't do what I do for what I can get out of it, I do it because it's the right thing. And right now, I think the right thing is to give you an option that can help you come out of this with your soul intact, and still owned by you."

She extracts her wallet from her bag and pulls Dylan's business card from it, offering it to Isabel. "He's working with Arthur right now, building a case. There's room for you, too. If we all work together, we can make sure that the real story gets told, and that the real villains pay."

Thalia stands up, giving Isabel's shoulder a light squeeze, and heads out to the squad car Greeley has assigned to take her home.

In front of her apartment building, she waves to the patrolman as the car drives away, then wearily walks a couple of blocks to the nearest clean payphone. She dials the number for Kate's security team. "It's Thalia Trimble. What's up?"

Nov 18, 2020 11:03 pm

The calculating look behind her eyes fades as you speak to Isabel. She looks like she is on the verge of tears but manages to hold it together. She takes the card but doesn’t say anything. Only when you start to walk away does she speak up. "Ivanovich may have pulled the proverbial trigger but Lloyd loaded the gun. Thank you, Thalia. I’ll play my part. But if you really want to make the villains pay you need to dismantle this god forsaken company. Next time you talk to Kate, tell her I quit."

"I was beginning to think Ivanovich killed you," Kate Lawson replies on the other end of the line using her usual smug tone. "You continually impress me, Ms. Trimble. I imagine it has been a long day already, but are you available for a meeting?"

Nov 19, 2020 12:53 am

Isabel's response gives Thalia the first real sense of "winning" she's had all night, other than the moment when they'd prevented Carson from injecting the woman with whatever was in that syringe. She gives Isabel a genuine smile and gets into the squad car feeling... almost good.

Kate's smug voice is all it takes to leach most of that out of her. Sagging tiredly against the side of the phone booth, Thalia rubs her face with one hand. "Well, I've overcome a power-mad executive and her team of armed commandos, singlehandedly defeated a Russian assassin in hand-to-hand combat, and saved a hostage from a crazed chemist, but hey, sure. Why not have a meeting? Where do you want to meet?"

Last edited November 19, 2020 12:54 am

Nov 20, 2020 12:27 am

"Splendid. I’ll send a car to pick you up at--" and she lists off the address. The by now familiar procedure plays out. You are picked up and driven around until another luxury sedan pulls up next to you and you are told to get into the other car. As with the previous times, Kate Lawson is there waiting for you, but for once she does not seem the least bit distracted by other business. She looks happy. Almost approachable. She gives you a smile when you enter the car and sit down.

"When he gets out of prison, remind me to thank Andrew for getting you involved. Never in a million years could I have foreseen things unfolding as they did. Rest assured, Ms. Trimble, I will be keeping you in mind for future projects."

She gives you a brief moment to respond before continuing. "I now assume you are responsible for the chaos at Lloyd Laboratories earlier today. I assume your investigation led to the conclusion that they could be used to clear Andrew?" She holds up a hand. "Don’t answer. It is best if I do not know any specific details. It is good to know that you did not trust me enough to simply ask for them." Kate smirks.

The car pulls into a storage locker facility. "I’d like to change that, Thalia. I want you to trust me. It will make our working relationship much stronger going forward. We can accomplish a lot if we work together. That is why I brought you here." A guard opens each of your doors. Kate gives a signal and one of the guards opens the locker and walks in to turn on the light. The room is empty except for a chair in the very center. Gagged and bound to the chair is Martha Bradford.

Kate walks into the storage locker and motions for you to follow. Once you do, the bodyguard closes the door to leave the three of you alone. "It is an extremely rare occurrence that I bring in an outsider to assist me in making a decision of this magnitude. You’ve earned it, Thalia. And I want to earn your trust. What are we going to do with her?"

Nov 20, 2020 2:23 am

After hanging up the payphone, Thalia hurries back to her apartment, where she takes a deeply unsatisfying brief shower - just enough to knock off the blood, dirt, and sweat - and changes into clothes that don't look as though she'd been wearing them while an enormous man pummeled her and killed her car.

Kate's good mood when Thalia enters her makes her nervous. Thalia has learned quite a few things about Kate Lawson in the course of this investigation, and few of them are what she'd consider positive.

When Kate holds up her hand and tells her not to answer the question about the theft of the prototypes at Lloyd Labs, it's all Thalia can do not to laugh. The list of people Thalia would trust with that information is extremely short, and Kate Lawson's name isn't on it. Thalia just sits impassively as Kate talks her way through it, giving nothing away.

The talk turns to future accomplishments through an ongoing relationship built on trust, which instantly makes Thalia more uneasy. Frankly, she wants nothing to do with Kate once Andrew is exonerated and released, and she knows that Kate is not one to enjoy being told no. Driving up to a storage locker in the middle of the night does nothing to reassure her, and her mind starts to race through some pretty outlandish and horrifying possibilities of what Kate has planned for her in that unit.

When she sees the captive Martha, it should bring a split second of relief, she supposes, but it just diverts her uneasiness away from her own well-being. Thalia hesitates to walk into the unit, but Martha's goons have her outnumbered, and after the evening she's had, they most definitely have her beat in terms of energy reserves. She walks in.

The way Kate has worded the situation is key; Thalia is being given a chance to give input, but ultimately, Martha's disposition will be decided by Kate Lawson. That one woman, by virtue of her personal wealth and position in an obscenely powerful corporation, can hold another woman's life in her hands, outside of any legal or law enforcement authority, makes Thalia's stomach flutter in revulsion.

She tries to keep all of that off her face. She looks at Martha, then turns to Kate. "Kate, I'm not a vigilante, and I'm not a fixer. I investigate cases on behalf of my clients, and I do my best to protect them. Everything I've done on this case has been with the intent to prove that your brother didn't commit those murders. Along the way, I've saved two other lives, and a legal case is well underway, detailing and documenting the conspiracy that Martha and Carson engineered. Carson's in custody. The other co-conspirators will do what is necessary to cleanse their consciences and regain their self-respect."

She glances at Martha and says, "This woman needs to stand trial. Let me call Officer Greeley to come and take her in."

Nov 20, 2020 11:25 pm

Kate’s smile does not fade. She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a miniature tape recorder, which she tosses to you. It has not been recording anything that was said so far. The tape is still at the beginning and the record button is not depressed. Kate walks over to Martha and removes her gag. She stares daggers through Kate but says nothing.

"This arrangement is acceptable," Kate responds. She stands behind Martha and puts her hands on her shoulders. "Does it work for you?" There is no immediate response. Kate walks back around so she can look Martha in the eyes. "We both know that this is a best case scenario under the current circumstances. You know how far the board is willing to go to keep things quiet. Tell her everything and I’ll tell the board that a copy of the tape was given to me by my brother’s PI and the original is already in the hands of the police."

Kate leans over so she can get her face close to Martha’s. "You’re going to rot in a cell until the end of time. Do you know what I’m going to be doing while you're fending off the advances of Big Betty? Flourishing. I am going to destroy any trace of your misguided mad science projects. I am going to stop being obstructed by your petty schemes and make sure every one of your cronies follows you right into the slammer. I am going to bankrupt your entire family and any poor sap that ever thought they were your friend. The name Martha Bradford will be analogous to Benedict Arnold in this town. And I am going to visit you every single weekend and give you all the details on my progress. Rot in hell, Martha."

Kate gives her a moment to speak but Marth says nothing. Kate looks disappointed and gags her. She turns and walks over to you. "Get as much out of her as you can and I’ll present it to the board ASAP. Until then, tell this Greeley to keep extra security on her. Only people he trusts. If you’d rather leave her here until I give the all clear, that is fine by me."

She gives you a look to make it clear that now is the time for any questions, if you have them. Otherwise, she will exit the storage locker and leave you alone with Martha.

Nov 21, 2020 12:10 am

Thalia tries really hard not to gape at Kate, because gaping is not a good look for a hotshot private investigator. She looks from Kate to Martha to the tape recorder and back again. "I... excuse me," she says to Martha, foolishly, then addresses Kate. "Can we step outside a sec?"

At the door, Kate gives a double knock and one of her henchmen opens it. Once outside, Thalia takes a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts.

"Look, I do believe you're trying to do the right thing here, but I think I'm too far out of the loop to understand it all. Bear in mind that I've been in two big fights with multiple attackers tonight and... actually, I don't remember the last time I ate, so maybe I'm just slower than usual. Why are you asking me to interrogate a woman being illegally held against her will instead of simply handing her over to the police? The tape isn't legally actionable, and turning it over to the cops could actually work against the prosecution. I know you're a brilliant strategist, so clearly there's an angle here I'm not seeing."

Nov 21, 2020 12:32 am

Kate's smirk grows even wider. "The right thing. That's cute. I believe you know a thing or two about illegally holding people against their will. When my men found her she was left tied up in the middle of a corn field with an inoperable vehicle. You wouldn't happen to know how she ended up like that, would you? Don't get all high and mighty with me about this. The goal here is not to do the right thing. This is about survival.

"Try and remember when dealing with Lloyd Laboratories that there is no right or wrong. If you want Martha to stand trial, she has to live long enough to make it to the trial. That means that we need to make it clear to the Lloyd Board of Directors that they are no longer able to stop this story from getting out. If they think they can quiet this by putting Bradford, and you for that matter, into a body bag then they will not hesitate to do so.

"Get her confession, and if you can, lead her along so it is clear she was acting outside of the company's best interests when she came up with this outrageous plan. The board will like it if the papers can portray her as some rogue nut bag. Is your objective clear, Ms. Trimble?"

Nov 21, 2020 12:55 am

Thalia gives Kate a cold, flat look. "The reason I left Martha tied up in the cornfield is because she and her goons had planned to ambush me and either kidnap or kill Arthur, whom she expected would be with me. I was on a deadline to rescue a kidnapped woman, so I didn't exactly have time to call anyone to come deal with Martha and Friends. I might have called you, if I'd trusted you.

"Look, I get it - right and wrong doesn't mean anything to you, or to Lloyd Labs. But it definitely plays a role in my actions and decision-making, so if you want to earn my trust - as you've said - then you need to communicate things a little more thoroughly. I'm not your pet investigator, bound to blindly follow obscure instructions. But if you explain things to me, the way you just did, that shows a respect for our relationship, and gives me reasons that I need in order to be able to comply."

She's probably pushed the assertiveness part of the program as far as she can without unduly annoying the woman, so Thalia moves on. "Okay, if I'm going to get a confession, here's what I need: Food and water, for both Martha and me. A chair for me, and a folding table. Handcuffs for her wrists and ankles; she's been tied up way too long and she's going to lose circulation. She'll be more cooperative if we show her some concern for her well-being. Can we do all that?"

Last edited November 21, 2020 12:56 am

Nov 21, 2020 5:10 pm

The smirk slowly fades from Kate's face. It is clear from your speech that the type of trusting relationship she desires is not going to develop between the two of you. She wants a capable individual who can read through the lines to carry out her unstated wishes. After all, if she never gives an explicit order, she cannot be held accountable for any actions that are carried out for her. You check the box for capable, but it is now clear to Kate that you will never be the type of lackey she wants you to be. Nevertheless, you are needed for this specific task.

Kate eyes the guard by the door and he gives a nod without question. Kate moves toward the car and another bodyguard opens the door for her. She calls back without looking over her shoulder, "Hand the tape over to any of my security detail when you are finished and they will take care of the rest. Send an invoice detailing your fees and any expenses incurred during the investigation to Andrew's lawyer. I have informed them I will be handing the costs of the investigations. Good night, Ms. Trimble."

Within 30 minutes you have everything that was requested and you are back inside the storage locker with Martha. "You should have told me who you really were back at the gas station. I bet you had a real good laugh over that." She sounds resigned. Defeated. But you still pick up on a hint of danger somewhere inside her. As long as she can talk, she will always maintain some power. It might take some time before she regains the confidence to exercise that power. For now, you feel like she is willing to cooperate in order to save her own life.

Nov 21, 2020 5:51 pm

It's actually a relief when Kate decides Thalia's not going to be her minion. Saying no to a person like her is always a risky act; far better for Kate to decide against making an offer in the first place.

Once the food and shackles arrive and Martha is properly set up for a civil and two-way conversation, Thalia begins serving each of them from the various containers of Chinese food, doling out rice and entree selections onto foam plates. She slides a plastic spoon to Martha and uses the crude takeout chopsticks herself. She takes out her pen and notebook and starts the tape recorder, which captures Martha's first statements.

Thalia laughs good-naturedly. "Well, you sent Arthur to tell Ivanovich to kill me. You were staking out that road with the intention of ambushing me, and I presume the plan was to kill me then. Gee, can't imagine why I wasn't keen to make formal introductions on the spot. 'Good to meet you in person. I've heard so much about you' doesn't seem like the right way to begin our acquaintance, under the circumstances."

She leans forward, her expression earnest and open. "Look, it really is all over at this point. Arthur's turning state's evidence, and Isabel, too. Carson's in custody. The roadhouse crime scene is under the control of a cop who's not on Lloyd's payroll. Ivanovich is in the wind. You can't avoid prison, but you can explain what happened. I don't think you set out to do all of the heinous things that ended up happening. That doesn't make you less responsible, but it will certainly help your case if you can tell us how we ended up with a murdered family of three, an innocent man in prison for it, and at least two brutal kidnappings that would have ended up in murder if I hadn't gotten lucky."

Nov 21, 2020 9:48 pm

Martha holds back a laugh. "First things first: I never actually wanted to kill you. Sending Arthur to Ivanovich was purely a stall tactic and I had no idea you were going to be coming down that road today. I was there to stop Arthur from doing something stupid. You only just started to dip your toes into Lloyd Laboratories scheming and immediately start thinking everything revolves around you? Maybe you should apply. I think you’d fit right in."

From there on out, Martha does not offer much resistance. She fills you in on the conspiracy from the start and answers your questions. She is not always 100% honest, but never outright lies either. Her lies, oddly enough, don’t paint herself in a more favorable light. You get the impression that she is delivering the story that best fits the narrative that Kate wants to tell. Martha takes full responsibility for manipulating any other Lloyd employees that were involved and makes it clear that she was acting on her own accord against the best interest of the company. Your powers let you see through the act. In her mind, the only thing she did that Lloyd wouldn't approve of is getting caught.

The one thing she does not take responsibility for is the actual murders. She truthfully says that Ivanovich acted on his own, against orders, when this was done and then she had to spearhead the coverup.

You are exhausted by the time she finishes and the work is still far from over. You meet with Greeley and turn Martha and a copy of the tape over. It is made clear that she is to be watched by only trusted officers and Greeley doesn’t ask for a lot of clarification on why. You part ways knowing she is in good hands.

When a cab drops you off outside the prison the sun has already been up for hours and you are barely winning the fight to stay awake. You feel like you owe it to Andrew to visit him in person and fill him in on what has happened. You know that a prisoner's psyche can go downhill real fast and news like this should be enough to keep his spirits up while Dylan works on the case.

You sit down in front of the glass separator, desperately fighting against your increasingly heavy eyelids. Andrew comes bumbling through the doorway and his eyes light up when he sees you. He rushes to his seat and picks up the phone.

"Thalia! Yikes. You’re looking pretty rough. Did you manage to get in touch with Carson? It would be such a boost to my spirits if he could come and visit."

I hope helping out this man was worth all the effort.

Nov 21, 2020 9:57 pm