Investigations
Cynthia looked over the top of the paper she was reading and glanced at her friend. The normally tall Hitomi was slouched down in the chair across from her, the stack of newspapers she took ignored in front of her.
They were in Atlanta, looking into a bunch of strange robberies in the area. They grabbed as many different newspapers as they could, though they haven’t found much. Her friend, however had abandoned the search ad was staring into space.
“I think I’m supposed to be the quiet one, Omi. You’re upsetting the universal balance.”
Hitomi jumped slightly, and looked back at her blankly. A few slow blinks later, “What?”
The paper hid the smile that threatened to break CJ’s normally impassive expression, and she watched her friend come back from wherever she was. Most likely, Alana was there with her. “You’ve been staring into space for the last hour. These papers aren’t going to read themselves, you know.” The obvious amusement in her voice made Hitomi raise an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” She blew out a breath and shook her head. “Sorry, partner. I don’t know where my brain was.”
Now CJ did smirk. “Oh, I think I could give you a guess.” Her rather furious blush confirming her suspicions, she shook her head at her friend. “Oh just call her. She’s probably down at the new Institute with Buck and Mitchell checking with the construction crew. She could probably use the break.”
Hitomi muttered something about meddlers under her breath before stabbing an annoyed finger in CJ’s direction. “I could say the same thing about Mitchell you know.”
She grabbed her soda can and took a long drink, her eyes dancing with mirth, “I did. This morning when you went to get the stack of newspapers you’ve been ignoring. He said Alana says ‘hi’ by the way.”
“You suck. You know that, right?”
CJ laughed. “Sure.” She tossed her paper aside. “Nothing wrong with missing her you know. It’s perfectly natural.”
Hitomi just glowered and grabbed a paper and opened it with such force that it tore down the middle.
CJ smirked and picked up her paper.
< ——— >
“Here’s a story. I think it might be what we want.”
“What’s it say?”
“Three hurt in strange robbery. Thief dressed in bizarre animal costume. Exhibited greater than average strength.” Hitomi looked up from the paper. “That was last week. Strange that this is the only reference.”
CJ shrugged. “I’m not sure if it’s strange. It’s not like there hasn’t been other weirdness over the years. Some criminals just prefer theatrics.”
“I guess. The rest of the article plays the whole thing down. It almost feels like an attempt to get people to ignore it. Plus it’s almost buried on page seven.”
“Oh come one. How many times did the local authorities ask us to play things down to the media. Just look at what happened after those robots attacked the old institute.”
Hitomi nodded, looking sour. “How anyone could think that was a gas explosion is beyond me.”
CJ raised a brow, “Omi, people believe what they want. They see what they want to see. You could wave an alien corpse in front of some people and they’d block it out.”
Hitomi chuckled, “Nice imagery, partner.”
“You get my point. We both know the world is stranger than anyone is willing to admit. Including us, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, I get it.” She grabbed a hotel notepad and scribbled the name of the jewelry store that was mentioned in the article. “Still, you’d think it would merit more than one story.”
CJ shrugged again. “I guess we’ll see. Write down the name in the byline, too. Maybe we can ask them about it.”
Hitomi nodded and scribbled again. “Sound like a plan. Ready?”
“Always.”
They were in Atlanta, looking into a bunch of strange robberies in the area. They grabbed as many different newspapers as they could, though they haven’t found much. Her friend, however had abandoned the search ad was staring into space.
“I think I’m supposed to be the quiet one, Omi. You’re upsetting the universal balance.”
Hitomi jumped slightly, and looked back at her blankly. A few slow blinks later, “What?”
The paper hid the smile that threatened to break CJ’s normally impassive expression, and she watched her friend come back from wherever she was. Most likely, Alana was there with her. “You’ve been staring into space for the last hour. These papers aren’t going to read themselves, you know.” The obvious amusement in her voice made Hitomi raise an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” She blew out a breath and shook her head. “Sorry, partner. I don’t know where my brain was.”
Now CJ did smirk. “Oh, I think I could give you a guess.” Her rather furious blush confirming her suspicions, she shook her head at her friend. “Oh just call her. She’s probably down at the new Institute with Buck and Mitchell checking with the construction crew. She could probably use the break.”
Hitomi muttered something about meddlers under her breath before stabbing an annoyed finger in CJ’s direction. “I could say the same thing about Mitchell you know.”
She grabbed her soda can and took a long drink, her eyes dancing with mirth, “I did. This morning when you went to get the stack of newspapers you’ve been ignoring. He said Alana says ‘hi’ by the way.”
“You suck. You know that, right?”
CJ laughed. “Sure.” She tossed her paper aside. “Nothing wrong with missing her you know. It’s perfectly natural.”
Hitomi just glowered and grabbed a paper and opened it with such force that it tore down the middle.
CJ smirked and picked up her paper.
< ——— >
“Here’s a story. I think it might be what we want.”
“What’s it say?”
“Three hurt in strange robbery. Thief dressed in bizarre animal costume. Exhibited greater than average strength.” Hitomi looked up from the paper. “That was last week. Strange that this is the only reference.”
CJ shrugged. “I’m not sure if it’s strange. It’s not like there hasn’t been other weirdness over the years. Some criminals just prefer theatrics.”
“I guess. The rest of the article plays the whole thing down. It almost feels like an attempt to get people to ignore it. Plus it’s almost buried on page seven.”
“Oh come one. How many times did the local authorities ask us to play things down to the media. Just look at what happened after those robots attacked the old institute.”
Hitomi nodded, looking sour. “How anyone could think that was a gas explosion is beyond me.”
CJ raised a brow, “Omi, people believe what they want. They see what they want to see. You could wave an alien corpse in front of some people and they’d block it out.”
Hitomi chuckled, “Nice imagery, partner.”
“You get my point. We both know the world is stranger than anyone is willing to admit. Including us, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, I get it.” She grabbed a hotel notepad and scribbled the name of the jewelry store that was mentioned in the article. “Still, you’d think it would merit more than one story.”
CJ shrugged again. “I guess we’ll see. Write down the name in the byline, too. Maybe we can ask them about it.”
Hitomi nodded and scribbled again. “Sound like a plan. Ready?”
“Always.”
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