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Lunna Dea
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#1
Old 07-10-2012, 10:13 PM

the papers lay acrossed the table, the last few pennies spent on picking them up in hopes of finding that job that you know is out there. Somewhere nearby a sax player practices before he heads into work at the club down the street owned by Gentlemen John, hoping this is not his last day there. A car rolls by the dust covered window loaded down as much as possible, the children crying as they head out trying to find a new life in the west where the world flows with honey. The fan sputters and dies as it squeaks to death in the heat, its bolts holding it to the dresser as the owner fears its loss. You have one more day in this hole in a wall hotel, its better then what you have known but not the best.

Your eyes scan the papers again, all the little boxes seem to blear together as you look through them hoping for something new to pop at you. Not much is in offer for a job anymore, those that are in the paper you are not yet ready to risk. Then your eye catches it at the bottom of the page, you hand had been over it. Its length the first thing that draws you in, at a penny a word this one must have cost the writer a bit.

“Wanted: looking for a dark hair person, must be shoulder length or longer with slight curled in it.” The ad went on in detail of how the person should look and dress. Although it did state that if clothing were a problem that it could be arranged. “if this seem to speak of you and your looking for a life of adventure, getting into and out of tight spaces, enjoy finding things that others can not find and to aid those that are lost in the sea of life and time. Inquire after sunset at the Dukes Gin you will know me when you see me.”


Last edited by Lunna Dea; 07-10-2012 at 10:15 PM..

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#2
Old 07-10-2012, 11:09 PM

Blaire Demuliar looked down at the newspaper with a soft sigh, once again she was striking out. Was there any job out there that a person could hold. She looked down at her clothing, even a man couldn’t find work. She had been looking for the past six months but to no avail. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a measly 10 cents. Wasn’t gonna get her a whole lotta far, but at least it would buy her a drink.

She started to raise to head to the local speakeasy, if she was gonna be homeless at least she could be drunk while in it. It was a lengthy article which at a penny a word was quite the pretty penny and that to her seemed promising. She read into the article and found it quite unusual that the article called out for curly dark hair. She ran her fingers through her hair. It certainly had the color, but it was slightly longer then the article called out for.

“Well” she said out loud to herself, “I’ll just have to cut it, after all I’m already wearing pants for the chance at a job, whats lobbing off a foot of hair”

She continued to read further into the article. The clothing was going to be an issue but the article had said that could be worked with. She nodded and decided, she was gonna try for it. She pulled a tiny knife she had kept from her mother and used it to delicately cut her hair to just below the shoulders. She spent the rest of the day preparing herself for one more ditch effort at a job. She looked at the ceiling as she thought to herself, Is this all too good to be true?

At just before Twilight she found herself leaving the room towards the city streets below. It was about a twenty minute walk to the Dukes Gin and she wanted to be there with plenty of time. It was about twenty minutes later that she found herself outside the dark looking speakeasy called the Dukes Gin.

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#3
Old 07-11-2012, 06:09 AM

The sign on the Dukes Gin twinkled on, the sound of the gas inside of the glass buzzed a counter point to the crickets. The place was new, the owner had tore down the old place to build this swank new place when they repealed prohibition. He had gone all out for the place but it still was not a five star joint. This was the home of Mack the knife, a low level boss on the rise in town. He had taken over the joint and the owner said nothing as long as the protection fee did not have to be paid. There were rooms for rent above the joint a few of them were business that were trying to be a bit respectable. The lights flicked out in them as the sign came on. No one was going to be getting business with the leading lady singing down below.

Vincent Maroni rubbed his eyes and pulled his hair back into a tight braid. He hoped his ad would get him somewhere tonight. Mack was looking to rent out his office soon if a new face did not appear. It had been easy to get this place, a few blood stains were easy to get out when you delt with blood all your life, but now Mack was looking to meet the new guy. But not during the night, oh no had to meet in the broad light of day. Vincent sighed, this was ether going to be a short stay and move on or he was going to find his double soon. He would give it two nights if he did not get a biter tonight.

He slipped down the back stairs and out into the alley way, he was hungry. He would have to feed before he went in. to many bodies meant too much temptation and most of those ones did not deserve a few nibbles here and there. He debated whether he was going to admit what he was to the new one so quickly. Lewis had been a completely different cattle of fish then the kids these days.

Thinking about Lewis he raised his hand to his hair involuntarily. Tonight was the first night in a long while that he had not first put on the gray wig, and makeup. He had gotten rather good at putting on the disguise’s. he wondered now if he should go west and find a job in the film business. They could use his talents’ but then there was a higher chance that someone would notice he did not age as the time went on. Lewis had said he would do rather well in the makeup department, he had a son there that would have gotten Vincent a job had he asked.

The smell pens behind butchers row drew him. There he would find what he needed and then it was a quick run back to Dukes Gin. The cows quite as he came closer to them, they could smell him in the air. He only came here when he had to, he liked the tasted of human much better but one does not find obliging victims that often, and Lewis had left town only the day before.

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#4
Old 07-11-2012, 01:58 PM

She walked into the darkness of the alleyway without fear, perhaps not the smartest move for a girl of only 26 but she had in her times of moving from place to place seen much more than a dark alleyway and learned to cope with it as well. Yes, Blaire was more than capable of protecting herself from the things that went bump in the darkness. The light for Dukes Gin was on up ahead and a small smirk played her lips. This certainly was her kind of place. It was dark and bright at the same time, and certain to serve alcohol. Music, a woman’s voice, and from the sound of things a rather good songstress, was coming from the open door. It put her more at ease, more comfortable for the times that where coming ahead of her.

She saw the man come down an alleyway but did not look right at him, something about him was different. Maybe it was the hungry look in those his eyes. She shivered once, hoping in the darkness that this was not noticeable. When he had past her she took one look back at him as he left the alley. He had dark curly hair just past the shoulders, was he an applicant as well? Her face fell just a tad as she walked into the Dukes Gin.

As she walked inside she was greeted with warmth from the outside coolness. The place was rather well to do, she had thought in that moment, another potential plus to trying for this job opportunity. At that point in time she held no doubts that she was doing the right thing. A table stood empty in the far, and less lit, corner of the room. She made her way to it in a rather quiet fashion. She listened to the lead singer sing a ballad, a song of lost love and thought it was good. All the while her eyes scanned the room for this person whom she was supposed to meet. The article had said that she would know him.

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#5
Old 07-11-2012, 06:08 PM

Vincent stopped midfeeding as he realized that on his way out of the club he had seen some one familiar. So familiar in fact he should have seen him, but then he had been thinking about Lewis. His own face in a shadow, he smiled then finished his feeding. Someone had answered his ad and was at the club waiting. The cow wandered away into the crowed on the other side of the pen when he let her go. His mind racing over the hope that this one might understand and not go looking father then he asked.

Shaking his head at the thought that someone interested in being a privet investigator would never take him at his word. He was going to have to be careful with this one. This guy needed to know Vincent before he knew the vampire. With that thought Vincent walked out of the pen the human way and checked for followers. Not finding any he sighed, Good he must have thought I was just another applicant.

The trip back when faster or maybe it was just the blood now in his veins that made it seem to go faster. His amber eyes flinched as a car flashed its lights as it passed him in the street. Maybe that would be a good excuse this time for why he needed someone who looked like him to work days. He only hoped that the guys eye color was the same as his, that always was the hardist one to get to match. He could always buy wigs and makeup to hide or add things his partners had but the eyes just could not be done.

As he walked into the club the hat check boy seemed to wake up and look out to the room and back. His double was already there, sitting in a darkened corner but then the dimness of the light only seemed to be like day to him, his night vision being better than most anyone in the place. He was not to sure that could apply to a few of the bus boys but then they were a breed unto themselves. He moved from dark area to dark area. Avoiding the person at the table’s eye. He wanted to get a better look at him… no wait, something was not right. Looking closely he saw that the body build was all wrong for a man. But to any one not used to looking that closely at the neck they never would have noticed. I hope she dose not have a high voice that may mean trouble. But let’s not ruin this, I can’t always get a man that matches me now can I. He walked up to the table and waved at the chair acrossed from her.

“Is this seat taken?” his voice was pitched just loud enough that she could hear him but not to interrupt the people around them listening to the singer. “if you’re waiting for someone I could go some where else.”

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#6
Old 07-11-2012, 08:53 PM

She had ordered herself a drink while she waited in the small dark corner of the room. If she wasn't nervous about the interview she was about to face, and the impeding loss of house should she fail, she may have called the place comfortable. It certainly was inviting, more so then many of the places she had been known to visit in the past. It was with a certain lazy sort of manner that she drank from the glass in front of her and watched the glossy haired red head sing about some lost love.

[“Is this seat taken?”] it was a mans voice, but she hardly looked up from her glass as she spoke for a minute. She swirled the amber liquid around the short brandy glass before answering. “I’m waiting for….” her voice had a sultry rasp quality, that was not unattractive, it was low for a woman, as if it spent many years in disuse. For a man it would be considered on the high end, but it was not high enough to peg someone as being a woman. She had been about to say she was waiting for someone when she looked up at him from those amber eyes of hers, her most redeeming quality.

Her mouth nearly fell to the floor. She was not looking at some random stranger just looking for company. She was used to company, as a woman men had flocked to her for her beauty. As a man men flocked to her because she looked capable, intelligent, and mysterious. This was different. When she looked up it was like looking at a mirror, anyone who did not know either of them would swear they where twins. She looked up in agape, the only difference between them she could immediately discern was perhaps two, maybe three inches of height. This had to be the person whom made the ad she came to respond to.

“No” she said quietly, closing her half opened mouth. “the seat is empty, that is if you wish”

Last edited by Cora; 01-20-2014 at 12:26 AM..

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#7
Old 07-11-2012, 09:08 PM

Vincent tried not to smile as he watched her go from not seeing him to truly seeing him. Perfect. his eyes seemed to twinkle as he pulled out the chair to sit. Leaning back to catch the waiters eye he waved a finger in a jester and the man disappeared to get what he had ordered. The gods have smiled on me tonight. he thought as he looked her over more closely. With him sitting acrossed from her he could tell they had a slight height problem but that could be fixed with a good cobbler’s work.

“it is not often one gets to see ones self from acrossed the table, is it?” his voice was slightly deeper then hers and had a hint of a lilt to it. Leaning back in the chair he propped his head up on his hand, his elbow on the arm rest. There were so many questions he wanted to ask this young woman but those should wait. If they stayed here too long some one other then the hat check boy would notice the similarities. He should have picked a different place then this one. “you cut your hair before coming here.” His voice was softer now, barely heard over the singer. “why?”

He would start small with the questions, then if he thought she could work out he would take her some place different soon. That way they would not be noticed to much. It was a good thing that Mack was not in yet, or this whole thing would go sideways.

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#8
Old 07-11-2012, 10:19 PM

She looked at him a bit more closely, you have no idea, she had thought but then retraced her own thoughts, well perhaps then you do. She thought about her answer for a moment, how does one tell their essential doppelganger that it was disconcerting. She kept her face rather neutral, not letting her emotions show in her eyes. “It is a new experience for me I must admit” she said coolly taking another sip from the glass before her, contemplating the situation, “but something I am not unable to get used to”

She was purposely keeping her answers informative enough, but still rather ambiguous and vague. He had asked her why she cut her hair. She found this question to be rather odd, how had this man known that she had cut her hair? She had been cutting her own hair long enough to know that the strands where not out of place and even if they where, how had he known she had just cut it? She kept her questions to herself, but the questioning look probably had seeped some into her eyes. She answered his question directly, however, “the ad, which I presume is yours, called for hair shorter then mine had been. I tend to like my hair a tad longer then the ad called for, but I wasn’t attached to it”

She lazily looked around the room. There where many people, in the place but for the moment they did not appear to be being watched. She looked at the stranger in front of her, he seemed to be rather ambiguous. Like he knew how to be no noticed, something he seemed to be rather in want of for the moment. She herself was forward, and direct, but also mysterious in nature. Years of moving from place to place kept her distanced from people. If you kept yourself an open book you where more likely to be hurt. She waited for him to ask the next question, rather then offering any more information.

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#9
Old 07-11-2012, 10:36 PM

Vincent watched her face, which in this light was easy to him. He watched her muscles clench and unclench each time she answered. While she was trying not to say to much he could tell she did not know what to make of him. The muscles around her eyes showed surprise when he asked her why she had cut her hair but only for a second. He had gotten used to seeing these little ticks in people over the years. The surprise only confirmed what he had suspected with the neat cut of the hair. It could have been a few days old but now he knew.

“yes the ad is mine, I am looking for a partner.” He took the drink that the waiter brought to him. It looked like it was a Dirty Sidecar. “as to the cutting of your hair, I do believe my ad called for hair shoulder length or longer, not shorter.” He undid the braid and showed her how long his hair was. “I am what some would call a Private investigator, I don’t do marriage cases, those are just to messy.”

Taking a sip he sighed and looked over at the singer. “what do you think of lindy?” the lady was a bottle blonde, but her hair did look natural not bleached beyond its life like some did. From this distance it was hard to see the roots of dark hair just coming in. her outfit while of a modern cut had been a remake from an older dress, the patterns did not completely match up but almost, only someone looking for it could tell. Her jewelry was paste not the real thing but a good copy, the settings on the other hand were real. She would have sold the stones before the settings if the person that got her the jewelry was still seeing her but not close as they once were. “not just her singing, she has a great voice but her.” He wanted to know how much this woman would see in a client who walked into the office and be able to tell him later.

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#10
Old 07-12-2012, 01:21 AM

She thought about what he had said before making a comment, “The ad had said shoulder length or longer. I had made the assumption that the shoulder length was of importance. Certainly I could have left a few inches longer but with the specification of the shoulder length I made the assumption that the mid-back length hair I had been wearing was probably too long” she watched as he pulled his hair out of the braid and almost smiled when she found she had cut hers to almost the perfect length. It seemed that today, for that rare lucky occasion, that fate had smiled upon her.

“Should I have left it a bit longer?” it was a question that she didn’t really care about the answer to. Yes in this case it was evident to her that the length of her hair was important, but it wasn’t the answer that intrigued her, it was the way in which it would be answered. It would show just a tiny glimpse into the man sitting before her, miniscule yes, but a tiny glimpse. He told her he was a private investigator which to her seemed to make sense, he was observant from what she had seen already.

His comment about marriage cases sent her mind ever so briefly into the past. The screaming, the fights, the long nights spent listening to her parents screaming. Her mother’s cheating. Her father’s jealously all lead to her leaving home at the bright young age of 15. Yes, she thought to herself, marriage cases could certainly get messy.

[“What do you think of lindy?”] he had asked her. She looked up at him, was this perhaps a test? She took a deep breath and looked at the singer who she had only looked at briefly before this point. She took in the appearance from head to toe before answering, really taking in the girl.

“I feel she is beautiful.” she started, but she didn’t stop there, “or rather I feel that beauty is extremely important. At one time she may have been a truly dazzling diamond to the crowd, but she is a shadow of her once magnificent beauty. Despite her falling income due to the terrible economy she fights very hard to keep up appearances. There is a look in her eyes that speaks to the lost glory of her past. Her jewels” she paused looking again for a moment, “The settings are the originals which are from a very expensive set in a past glory, but the Jewels have been replaced. They have a look of real, but they are crystals….not real diamonds, the shine on them is off”

She had an almost sad look in her eyes that may have been pity for the beautiful songstress, but then she looked back at the stranger sitting across from her. “She is still, however, beautiful”

Last edited by Cora; 01-20-2014 at 12:28 AM..

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#11
Old 07-12-2012, 04:09 AM

“Yes my ad had said shoulder length, you see at shoulder length in you can easily add hair or tuck it up into a cap or wig. Had you left it long I would have asked you if it could be cut to just a little bit more then what you have now.” He took a strained of his own hair and pulled it strait so that she could see how long he was talking. “there are times that one needs to hide your looks and having hair that can be tucked up under a wig is best.”

A flash of some emotion crossed the young woman’s face as Vincent talked about marriage cases. There is something there, I may have to work that out of her as well. drinking down the last of his drink he listened to her description of Lindy. She had almost gotten everything right with the way she had read her. She is too good to let fall into the drink. If I don’t take her in someone else will and then she will be dead in the river if she is not watched. “yes Lindy is still beautiful, I feel her sadness improves her beauty.” His voice seemed to be coming from a far off place as he spoke. His eyes locked on Lindy as she walked acrossed the stage singing.

Turning back he smiled a cool smile, there was something predatory about it, something feral. “well then you know what I do and you know I am looking for someone like me. Yet you do not ask the questions most would have by now.” He stood and turned to go. “lets take a long walk, get out of the line of watchers.” Stopping at the hat check boy he picked up his hat and smiled at the boy. “my twin brother,” he pointed at her before looking the man in the eyes. “not like you need to remember that, he will be gone by tomorrow.” As they walked out he held out his hand. “I am Vincent Maroni what’s your name?”

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#12
Old 07-12-2012, 02:16 PM

Blaire thought about what he had said. So then, should she take this job, which at the moment she was very much inclined to do, she would need the ability to hide her own appearance. She supposed this went hand and hand with the private detective sort of work. You can learn so much more if nobody knows you are around. She was satisfied with that answer, but as she had suspected when she had asked the question, she did learn just a little bit. It seemed for the moment though a game of cat and mouse, each one trying just a little bit to find out about the other side. She was not about to tip her hand, though she feared he may indeed be the cat.

He had spoken about Lindy, the songstress with almost a sad compassion that caused Blaire to look at him fairly more closely perhaps, but not much. However when he turned back and grinned with a look that was hungry, wild almost she knew she had been correct in her previous statement. She was the mouse, not the Cat. Things flickered through her head as she knew something, though she could not place it, was different about the man sitting in front of her. Warnings fluttered through her mind, but the thought of excitement fluttered in also and in the end Excitement won out.

As they left she had thought to herself that her initial thoughts had been at least partially correct, he was trying to hide. But from what? Again the thoughts flooded through her mind, was he a criminal of some sort? What was her role in all of this? [“Well then you know what I do and you know I am looking for someone like me. Yet you do not ask the questions most would have by now.”] She looked up at him, thoughtful, yes she had thought the questions, dozens of them but a question was almost as telling in a person as an answer; however she needed to give, perhaps just a little bit.

As they walked outside she felt a chill that was in the air. Involuntarily she shuddered, just a bit, but still the cold air felt nice against her skin. He introduced himself as Vincent. It was an old fashioned sort of name, with a slight twist of dark and mysterious. She felt like it suited him. She thought of her own name, Helena Blaire Demuliar. She had dropped the Helena part of her name shortly after she left her home. Helena was too easy to peg, what sort of man would walk around with the name Helena. So instead she had gone by her middle name since that time. Blaire was more mysterious, and also closer to gender neutral. It suited her nature. She looked at him and then smiled a soft, but rather mischievous sort of grin, “Well Vincent, they call me Blaire, Blaire Demuliar.”

Last edited by Cora; 01-20-2014 at 12:28 AM..

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#13
Old 07-12-2012, 05:14 PM

Inclining his head in a slight bow he held out his gloved hand. “it is good to meet you Blaire. I had been wondering if I ever was going to find my double in this town.” His grip was strong but not to strong, he was not trying to prove that he was the stronger of the two with his grip. Turning he headed out into the crisp evening air. It was coming to the end of summer and soon the leaves would be falling again. Looking over at Blaire he smiled again, this time it was a friendly one. “I take it by you fallowing me you saying yes to being employed by me. That is good, I need someone like you.”

He looked her over wondering if he should tip his hat and let her know he knew that she was female. No that might scare her away, and she was to perfect a double for him. “did you know that because of the rise in population you can find in almost every large city some one that looks almost exactly like you?” he wanted to see how she took that bit of news. She had been startled but not completely scared, was she looking at him and thinking that he could take the blame for something she was running from. He had not ever considered that till now, and now he was leading her into his world. Whatever she brought into this life they together would have to deal with it.

“there is no one looking for you to harm you is there? Just like to know if I am going to have someone coming after me because of you.” His tone was friendly not accusing. The street they were on lead into a small park of trees, he could see perfectly under them but she would have trouble with the lack of light. Vincent stop just in front of the trees once he knew what she had to say he would show her to his place and he would start teaching her.

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#14
Old 07-12-2012, 11:36 PM

She took his hand and shook it, it was a nice strong handshake she noted. Still she wondered what could need the use of an exact mirror image could be. She held her questions back, just a bit. Soon, she thought to herself, she would ask the questions a few at a time, slowly taking in what the new job might bring. Her issues with trust would be guarding and not her downfall, or perhaps not, she knew her own short comings. He smiled again at her, without any of the fierce hunger she had seen before. Good, she thought, he has quite the charming side as well. Her feelings of fear backed off, just a tad. "I have," she thought of how to answer the question, "I am inclined to take the position, at this point in time"

She looked up at him as he told her about doubles in big cities. The information, those somewhat new to her, did not entirely shock her, "I have never found the need for another me" she said in a thoughtful manner. It wasn't like your average person went out walking the streets looking for someone to be their exact replica. It wasn't something she really had ever given much thought to.


[“there is no one looking for you to harm you is there? Just like to know if I am going to have someone coming after me because of you.”] She looked up at the question. She hadn't really expected it and so she was taken slightly aback. Perhaps she had to learn to expect the unexpected, then she would never be surprised. But surprises where not always a bad thing, they kept life moving forward. She thought about the question, it was simple enough in its fundamentals.

"I suppose the real question you want to ask is not who is out to get me, but rather why am I running?" she hadn't said it in an offended way. She wasn't stupid, anyone with a set of eyes could tell she was running from something in her past. She looked thoughtful at the question, pondering the best way in which to answer it. , "Its a question without a simple answer. More complex then I'm willing to give time for. My past is something I generally keep my silence about and for the moment, I'll leave things at that. To answer your question simply, I run from a good deal many things, for a good deal of reasons. Nothing, however, would cause harm to you."

Last edited by Cora; 01-20-2014 at 12:30 AM..

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#15
Old 07-13-2012, 12:23 AM

Vincent laughed a hearty laugh at her comment about causing harm to him. There were few things that would cause harm to him but he did not think he would be telling her that any time soon. He had wanted to know weather she was being hunting because he did not want to have to replace her soon after getting her.

“I have what some might call a sun sickness. I can not be out in it because of my skin, there for I work most nights and I had a partner who worked days. Each morning and evening we would meet up and trade off the information needed. Well I am now without a partner and am looking to train a new one.” He pulled his hat down over his eyes a bit as a man walked past them. The man looked closely at her then moved on.

“at the moment no one is hunting for me. I am without a case and I have a land lord looking to rent out my office as he needs me to sign the papers to the place during the day.” Enough to have her make her decision on. She could go to the cop’s and hope that they might take her seriously enough to arrest him on entrapment to commit fraud or she could trust him and go with it.

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#16
Old 07-13-2012, 02:06 PM

He had laughed at her when she had mentioned that nothing was going to hurt him, which caused her to briefly wonder why he found that simple statement so humorous. Was it the way she had said it? The fact that she was so secretive, or the fact that she was running. She looked at him for a moment in contemplation but eventually put the thought out of her mind. The fact that he had laughed at that did make her put her guard up again, but just ever so slightly more. It was a game of teetering back and forth. Would she eventually fall over that edge?

She listened as he told her the details of what he needed her for. Sun sickness? It was the part of his story that struck a slightly funny cord with her. This was mostly because it was not something that she had ever heard of before. She wondered briefly also what had happened to the old partner both of these inquiry’s she kept to herself for the moment but filed them away in the back of her mind. No one was hunting him? Well at least there was that to be thankful for, she herself did not want to get messed up in some crime spree or anything that could get her killed.

But signing papers for a landlord though, that she could handle. Private detective work would also not be a problem for her. For the moment at least she was willing to look past the details to which she was still unsure of. She looked up at him after a moment, “Well, I think then, that you have your man”

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#17
Old 07-13-2012, 05:44 PM

“I had hoped you would be saying that.” he stepped into the shadows under the trees in the park and seemed to disappear. You mean I have my woman, but then your not going to tell me that now are you? He thought as he watched her and her reaction to his disappearing act. It was not that hard for him to let himself go partly transparent againted a tree. “you will find at the hotel on 6th and elm a room rented to Vincent Maroni, the night clerk will give you the key if you ask for it. In the room you will find some money and the instructions you need to sign the papers. I will make sure the appointment is set up so you can go in and sign the papers.”

Taking his hat off he tossed it to her. “you will want that, the night clerk will recognize it more then you. There is also money and a list of the clothes you will need and where to get them in the room. Buy them.” This was the hard part for him, because business closed early most of the time with the sun now a days he was unable to go with her and make sure she got the right ones. For all he knew he would wake the next night and find her gone with all his money that he had left her.

“your first nights pay will come tomorrow when you meet me outside you hotel half an hour after sunset. What you do with your time tonight is your own affair but from tomorrow till I say your ready you will be training with me in the field. I don’t want to hear you complain about the hours, the time, or any such like that. you will be paid each night for the work you did the previous night.” Sighing he let himself slip farther into mist. His voice fading as if he spoke as he walked away from her. “if at any time you wish to end this contract just tell me, I will pay you for the night before and then we will be out of each other’s lives for good.” Reaching out he wrapped a tendril of his misty self around her, it was cool at first then warmed to her skin.

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#18
Old 07-13-2012, 07:07 PM

He disappeared into the darkness of the trees and she looked out among them as if trying to decide where he had gone. She had always prided herself on her astute way of seeing the world, most of which she attributed to her fantastic eyesight. Even so she could not see where he had gone, it was in a way like speaking with a bodiless voice. He is just in the darkness, she scolded herself, it’s not like he could really disappear.

He had given her directions. Go to a hotel, get the key from the night clerk, find the note and the money, buy clothes, and meet the man about the papers. She recited the list of things he had given her in her head careful to remember it all. It seemed complicated, but really when she thought about it, it wasn’t all that bad. She could easily find the hotel, she knew where elm was. If she followed that it should take her to the hotel at 6th. At least, she thought to herself, she would have somewhere warm to stay that night.

She looked in the direction she thought he must be, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him, “I understand” she said lightly, repeating it back to be sure she remembered it all, “Go to the hotel, with the hat and meet the night clerk and have him give me the key, to a room which will have money and directions, both for clothing and signing the papers. Tomorrow I am to meet you outside the hotel at half hour after sundown. Am I forgetting anything?”

She listened as he made the statement that she was not to complain about the hours. She had rather thought that the hours would be rather all over the place with the fact that Vincent could not go into the sun, but there was one thing that this meant for her, it was time to adapt. Blaire had spent her life running from the things in her life that caused her grief, but that didn’t mean that she complained about them, she adapted to the surroundings and she changed to fit them. This would be nothing more then that she had thought in that moment. “I feel at this point in time nothing you have said is unreasonable. I see no reason to complain”

Coldness swept over her in such a way that it caused her to shiver involuntarily. Suddenly however the cold turned to warmth and she looked once more in the direction she thought he must be and knew that it was time to leave, She said to the darkness, not knowing whether or not he was still there, “until tomorrow then” and headed down the dirt path back towards elm street, which she knew was not that far from where they were. Finding her way in the darkness however proved a far deal more difficult then she had expected.

By the time she reached the Hotel and hour had passed and she was slightly more irritable then she had been in the park. Whatever irritation she may be feeling, now was not the time to show it. Time to adapt she told herself and then made a mental note to learn how to make her way around in the darkness. She took a deep breath however and walked into the hotel and rang the bell waiting for the night clerk.

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#19
Old 07-13-2012, 10:08 PM

As she walked through the streets Vincent held onto her keeping close. She would not notice him as he floated there bearly able to see where she was and who passed her. But now she was his to protect, he remembered doing this with his last partner for over a year. Each night clinging to him as he walked home and then meeting him before sun rise to make sure he was safe for what little was left of the night. Some days he wished that he did not have to protect those that he hired but there were things out in the night that looked to kill him. He did not plan on telling her that anytime soon but maybe she would prove to be better at protection herself because of what she had to face as a woman.

As she got lost he wanted to tell her what way to go to get her there yet he knew that he could not do that. she would not trust him if he showed that he did not trust her in the night. All he could do for her at this time was keep her warm in the night air, it would take more from him but there was always someone out there that would not be missed to much. He always made sure of that when he had to take a victim. He listened to her heart beat in worry and anger as the emotions flowed through her. His hands itched, if you could say mist could itched, to hold her and tell her all would be well. It would have been a lie but it always unnerved him the first few years getting to know his shadow when that shadow had problems he could not fix.

As she walked into the hotel he let her go and just floated on the breeze for a while, there was no need to reform or to go somewhere important. The wind picked up off the river and pulled him down river, the sounds of the clubs filled his incorporeal ears and made him wonder what would have become of all his shadows if he had not needed them? Would they have lived unimportant lives, never once knowing what greatness they could attain if they but tried? He floted like this for some time untill he felt the draw of earth on him as the sun started to rise above the world. He formed back into his body in an alley near the hotel he had sent her to. It was the closes of his bolt holes at this time. Slipping in past the back door he found the room next to hers quickly. He would have to feed soon, he could tell by how slowly he moved. The room was a simple one, exactly like hers but for the large trunk and clothes in the closet. The bed was just large enough that two people could fit on it but they would not be that comfortable with it. A dresser table which in his room was empty but hers would have two envelops on it, one with the money and instructions on where to shop for clothes in it the other with the instructions on it on where to go to sign for the office. There was an adjoining room to hers which was a bathing room with a actual tub in it. Slipping into the trunk he felt the sun touch the building, then knew nothing else till sun down.

* * * * * *

The bell hop looked up at her and smiled. “good ev’n Mister Maroni, got ya key right here.” He held out the key that he lifted off the back wall. The room number clear on the wood chip attached to it. “will ya be wanting the paper in the evening again?” the boy looked hopefully at her, he had gotten a nice tip before and now was hoping that he would get the tip again.

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#20
Old 07-14-2012, 12:22 AM

She smiled warmly at the bell hop as he handed her the key off the back wall. It was a small key, not unlike the many keys she had seen in her experience of the past. It had a small wooden chip on it with the number 12 written clearly in golden lettering. He had asked her if she had wanted the paper that evening and she thought of the two pennies she had left in her pocket, certainly not much by way of a tip. Vincent had said he would be leaving money in the room but that was to be used to by specific clothing. She turned an politely smiled at the Bell Hop, “not this evening, but thank you”

She headed in the direction of the rooms, knowing it wasn’t really a smart idea to ask which way the room was. It didn’t take her long to reach room number 12. When she entered the room she immediately felt that despite what may have looked like simplicity to some it looked to her like miles above anything she had stayed in, even before running away from home. The bed was big and comfortable looking. A dresser table stood against the wall and her eyes where drawn to it. Making her way across the room she picked up the two envelopes off the dresser and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed.

The first envelope contained money, around twenty five dollars which made her mouth open a bit in shock, it was a lot of money, more then she had ever seen in one place at one time. Vincent was a very trusting man to leave someone he hardly knew with that much money. How did he know she wouldn’t take the money and run? It was a thought, but not one that ran seriously through her mind, she wasn’t the type of person to live a life of crime, too….messy? Yes messy was the word for it. A life of crime would be far too messy.

The envelope also contained an a list of clothing items that she would need to buy the next day. Looking over the list she knew it would take her a few hours of shopping to get all the items listed. She would need to keep to a tight schedule the next day. Thinking on this she opened the second envelope which told her the details of when she was supposed to meet the landlord of the building and where. Noting in the instructions that she didn’t have to meet him until the next afternoon she made the decision to spend the morning hours doing her shopping.

She found the bath shortly afterwards and couldn’t resist the temptation to completely sink herself into a bath, a luxury that was foreign to her, but it felt nice. After the bath she went to bed for a nice night of dreamless sleep.

****

The sun was in her eyes, but only just when she woke the next morning. She wasted no time in getting up, dressing quickly and then hitting the streets on her shopping excursion. She spent the morning trying on many things, and buying a good deal many more things. It was well after noon time that she finally thought that she had everything that was on her list. She headed back to the hotel room to change her clothing before heading in the direction of her appointment.

It was a tall building with three floors that she stood looking up at before taking a deep breath and heading in. At the front desk she said to the woman behind the counter, who had to be the secretary of sorts. “I’ve an appointment with Mr. Clestorn”

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#21
Old 07-14-2012, 07:48 AM

The woman looked Blaire over and seemed to like what she saw of Blaire. “you would be mister Vincent Marconi? He is running a bit late so why don’t you put your dogs up and rest a bit.” She smiled and nodded to some chairs next to the front door. “I will let him know you’re here when he gets done. It should not be to much longer.” Though she was putting on a brave front there was a slight shake of fear to her voice. Something had upset this woman and she was starting to come apart at the seams. Her nails clicked as she typed up a report on the typewriter. The keys snapping a bit louder then needed in the silence in the room. The clock on the wall, simple and bold, clicked in counter point to her typing as the seconds and minuets passed.

The sound of something crashing overhead made the lady jump and glance nervously over at Blaire before trying to go back to her typing. Her eyes darting up to the ceiling as if she was trying to see into the room above them over and over again. Every few moments she wrung her hands.

“and do not go asking for me to cut my lines. That be my club your toying with and no one, and I mean no one messes with me!” the man that yelled that came down the stairs. He was a tall man well built. His suit was cut in the latest fashions from Paris. His hair trimmed to make him look like Clark Gable, his face was almost a block with scars that ran from the corner of his left eye to the corner of his mouth. His hair looked like it could be black but if he was putting Palmaid on it, it could be dark brown for all she could tell. He walked with a confident step, like someone who knew he owned the joint but did not care what others thought of it. He glanced over at Blaine as he thrust his hat, a sensible fedora, on his head and walked to the door. He had muscles under that suit, and he knew how to use them. Where Vincent was like a cat hunting this man was a wolf on the prowl. His eyes taking in everything and locking it away for latter information.

The secretary let out a breath as he disappeared around the corner of the door. The fear and tension seemed to flow out of her as she flopped in her chair. Reaching out she tapped the buzzer on the desk, the speaker crackled as it came alive. “WHAT IS IT JUNE?!” his voice was filled with anger and frustration as he yelled into the intercom. Who ever this man was he was not happy to have just dealt with the man before.

“Mr. Clestorn?” she looked over at Blaire before talking. “There is a mister Maroni here to see you, it’s about the office in the Dukes Gin?” her statement was more of a question, the quiver in her voice now more pronounced. “Should I send him up?” The man on the other end grumbled a few words before telling her yes send up Vincent. She looked over at Blaine and tried to smile but this time it did not go to her eyes. “go right on up, its office 225, that’s on the second floor.” She nodded her head then started neatening up the papers on the desk.

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#22
Old 07-14-2012, 02:36 PM

Blaire walked over to the sitting area that the woman had motioned to just moments before. After a moments thought she chose the chair that gave her the best view of the room. It was a black chair that had the look of being quite a nice set at one point but then through years of use found itself a bit shabby around the edges. She leaned back into the chair, one arm draped over the side of the chair, the other used to prop her head up.

She took in the room. Tension it seemed was high, and something clearly had the young secretary completely on edge. Watching as the woman fought not to let the fear that even a blind man would notice, she also noticed other things about the room. The simple yet bold clock, the white blinds, open at the moment, that covers the windows, the grey toned walls. Even the floor, a tiled floor pattern of black and white, was completely simple and yet definitely designed by a man, she decided.

A crash overhead made the woman at the counter jump, and stall in progress. The thought of whatever was upstairs clearly had the woman scared shitless. Blaire wondered what could have caused such fear to be instilled in the young, yet competent looking woman. Her moments of guesswork where soon brought to an end when a man’s voice came growling down the stairs. This was soon followed by the man himself. She took in his appearance, making mental notes that she filed away in her head. Something about the man looked tough, dangerous. He was like the villain in a cinema show. He also looked extremely confidant that he owned whatever person crossed his path. Blaire didn’t like him from the moment she saw him, and thought in that moment that she hoped to never cross path’s with the man.

She heard the conversation over the intercom had caused the secretary, whose name Blaire now knew was June, to shut down even further, but she told Blaire where to go none the less. Blaire thanked the woman now shuffling through papers with a rather drained look in her eyes before heading up the staircase. The second floor was more of the same grey walls with a few of the same black chairs dotted along in area’s along the long hall. She read the numbers as she passed them, finally reaching office 225 without much trouble. The door in front of her had a glass window with the name Jeffery Clestorn written in block letters across it.

She knocked on the door once before coming into the inner office. She immediately took in the look of the inner office. It was clear from a moments glance what the crash had been. The lamp which was on the desk was currently turned off, but it had a sort of broken feel to it, and bits of broken glass still littered the dust colors carpet floor. Looking at the man she spoke to him in a strong business like manner, “Mr. Clestorn, I am Vincent Maroni, I’m here to sign the papers for the office space in the Dukes Gin”

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#23
Old 07-14-2012, 05:37 PM

Mr. Clestorn was a worried man. It was clear in his every move that he expected her to attack him as his last visitor had. His hand shook as he waved at the one chair acrossed from his desk not laying on its side. He hurried around to pick up the other chair. The chairs in the room showed that they had seen better days and once had been fine chairs now each of them showed damage in one way or another. His chair behind his desk looked like he or some one who did not know how to sew to well had patched up a knife cut. The arms of the two chairs on this side of the desk showed signs of where knives had dug into the wood of the arms before being cut away. The fabric was warn and picked at, tiny holes from cigar ashes littered them. There was a cigar nub burning away in the holder on the desk set just so a visitor could us it not Mr. Clestorn.

“I would offer you coffee mister Maroni but at the moment I don’t think June could make a descent cup of the stuff.” His voice quivered as he hurried to open a window to air the room out. “and sorry about the noise and mess, just a small dispute, nothing to worry about.” He laughed nervously trying to seem relaxed. Scuttling back to his seat he pulled out a file from the desk drawer, it rattled as he pulled the drawer. “now I got your first payment and it was a good payment. When can I be exspecting the next one?”

there had been instructions on what to say to this man about how often the payments would be coming in and how much they would be. The note had said he was to get his next payment in two months time for the first one has been the two months Mr. clestorn has asked for. And then the next ones would come at monthly intervals after that.

“I know when we met on the train we had talked bout payments size but I seem to be needed to up my price on that office.” His eyes darted in the lie’s tell. “I am having to pay a bit more for the space then I though and now I have to raise your rent.” He did not look Blaine in the eye nor anywhere near her as he spoke. His hands wringing hurriedly as if he was trying to get a stain off them.

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#24
Old 07-14-2012, 06:57 PM

Blaire took the seat in the worn but not uncomfortable chair. She sat across from the man whose office was still a mess from the previous visitor. He was a small man with small worried looking eyes. He looked at the moment as if she, like the man who had just torn the office to pieces, was going to attack him, be it verbal or else physical. She noted that he didn’t look that strong, unlike the man who had just left the office, this man looked like he got to his position by brainpower alone. She looked him over, taking him in, looking for weakness of which she seemed to have an aptitude of choice.

He made some off handed comment about coffee. Blaire smiled, trying to seem at the moment warm, inviting. “She did seem to be a bit frazzled to say the least,” she sat across from him and watched him some more, not offering any information about herself, not offering to fill the silence that ensued because of it. She was going to wait until he brought to the table the reason why he thought she was going to hurt him. He asked her about the payment schedule, and like the instructions left to her had said she answered, “The first payment which you received on the first, was for the first two months, therefore you will receive the next payment in two months time”

A twitch, a tell tale sign that it was coming, the reason for the fear. “I am having to pay a bit more for the space then I though and now I have to raise your rent.” his eyes curled in that tell of a lie she learned from her father so many years ago. Did he think she wasn’t going to figure it out? The screaming match, the broken office, the fear. Her heart beat in her chest in such a way that she was afraid the whole room would hear. She could see it all falling into place, but she needed to take it in that moment. She turned her amber eyes on him and spoke with a cool softness, “You don’t really expect me to believe that. Do you mister Clestorn? Why don't you tell me the real reason you are raising my rent?”

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#25
Old 07-14-2012, 07:21 PM

He sputtered and hemmed and hawed till finely he sighed and seemed to melt in the chair. “its not like you could not find out for your self if you wanted to.” He looked defeated and tired. His hand twitched as he thought of the cigarette he would love to be smoking right now but did not have. He was trying to give them up, for his wife’s state of mind, but it was hard.

“if you don’t know already, which you should that man was Jack the Knife. He seems to think that the club below your office is his to do with as he likes and he wants me to ether give him that office as his own or pay protection.” He did not want to have to admit to this young man that he had to do this but now it was out he felt a bit better. Maybe it was the way the youngmans eyes were that made him want to tell the whole truth about it. “I wont ask for more to what you have already paid me and I will understand that you will leave at the end of those two months because of the rent.”

He lifted up the folder he had layer on his desk and opened it. Taking the pen from the inkwell he crossed out a line in the contract and wrote in a new one. He turned the paper around for her to see. “every thing is as we agreed on before but for what I just changed.” The line struck out said something to the effect that he Vincent would pay a fee if he left before the contract ended. Now it said that at the end of the two months they would revisit the contract. The rest of the contract matched with what was on the note from Vincent about the contract. “Will that suit you?” his voice was small and worried. He held out the pen hoping that Vincent would just sign.

 



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