ANGEL PASTA: PART EIGHT

After all, Patty knew a lot more about this Epsilon Organization, and would thus be in a better position to know if they were truly acting in everyone’s best interests. It would also be a real test of the Organization’s allegiances, to help her this way.

Beam’s face brightened. “So you DO want to rescue your new love interest? That’s so sweet.”

Angel bristled. “Me and Patty are working together in a professional capacity,” she stated. “I’ll thank you to keep any possible future personal relationship out of this.”

If they were going to be working together on this rescue, a flirty attitude was not something she was prepared to tolerate.

“Of course, of course,” Beam answered. Then she winked.

Angel reached out to grasp Beam’s shoulder, and was only briefly put off when her hand, and then the rest of her arm, passed right through Beam’s supposedly solid body. At the least, this woman hadn’t been kidding about being made up of light beams.

“I’m serious,” Angel said, shaking out her palm. “I gather you’re not from around here, so perhaps you don’t know, but guess what? Affection between females is not exactly mainstream in France in 1963. Or anywhere else in the world.”

Perhaps it was her tone more than her words, but with that Beam pursed her lips, seemingly in thought. “Oh. I admit I… hadn’t considered that.”

Unbelievable. “You were too wrapped up in your own mission to properly read the room?”

“Yes,” Beam answered simply.

Angel rolled her eyes. She wondered if an apology was coming next, but with that, Beam seemed to consider the matter closed. Angel wanted to be upset by this, and yet the blonde hologram also still looked adorably cute, somehow.

“Pardon the question, but how did you even get hired for your job?” Angel challenged.

She suspected nepotism. Maybe whomever had designed Beam had decided to then hire their creation to also be their employee. Without a résumé. Maybe Angel could even move up the chain of command and get someone else to be her contact point.

Beam bit down on her lower lip. “I wasn’t hired. I was more recruited.”

All the red flags came back into position with respect to the Epsilon Organization. “You are working against your will?”

“Oh no,” Beam assured. “Doing this job is ever so much better than how things were for me before.”

“Why? Because you get to have your way with pretty women?”

For the first time, Beam looked uncomfortable. “We are straying from the point.”

“Oh, we absolutely are NOT,” Angel said firmly. “You want us to work together on a rescue? My trust comes with conditions. One now being, knowing who the hell recruited you, and why. Granted, this street may not be the best place for that discussion. We can take this into my van, off to your home base, or to another location of your choosing.”

Beam’s gaze seemed to now be searching Angel’s expression for something. Angel steeled herself to avoid falling for any doe-eyed pleas, as well as to keep her own gaze from searching back. Several seconds ticked by.

“What?” Angel demanded at last.

“It’s interesting. You really do care, Angel,” Beam said, her tone implying it was more a conclusion than a revelation. “Perhaps, for you, I can bend policy.”

Angel nodded. “Fine. Good. If you need to consult with your superiors first, I’ll wait.”

Beam shook her head. “Oh, I have none. I work alone. Which can get… rather lonely,” she admitted, shifting her weight (did holograms have weight?) back and forth from foot to foot.

At least now they were getting somewhere. Isolation could well be a reason for Beam to be not only out of touch, but inclined to jump to using intimate relations as a form of reward.

Angel walked around to open up her van, then gestured in invitation. Hoping that Beam wouldn’t misinterpret her offering up a more private location, given how she’d provided some earlier context.

Beam seemed to understand. She nodded, reaching up to fiddle with her earring briefly before climbing into the back of the van. Angel followed, shutting the door behind them.

“My original world, it was very different from yours,” Beam began, as Angel hunted through her supplies for a boxed juice or something to offer. Only belatedly remembering that Beam was insubstantial, and might not need to drink anyway. So much for being a good host.

“I imagine a world of autonomous holograms would be different,” Angel said, turning back to Beam and sitting on the floor of the van across from her. She had always kept the blonde in view from the corner of her eye, of course. So far Beam was acting on the level.

At that comment, Beam shook her head. “I am unique. My world was populated by humans, much like yours. I presume I was constructed by one of them, and then rejected.”

“Rejected?”

“My first memory is waking up in an alleyway, knowing only my name and basic programming. How to speak, how I can recharge, how much I love only women, and so forth. It is likely that this last is what led to my being discarded in the first place, with a wipe of any prior memories.”

Again, Angel began to wonder if she was being played, but Beam seemed sincere. Well, at least her medical degree had included some psychology classes. “How did that make you feel, Beam?” Angel asked.

Beam looked genuinely surprised by the question, then thoughtful. “Broken. Useless. Undesirable.”

“Did it occur to you that the fact that you were discarded, and not simply disassembled or destroyed, meant that someone somewhere did have an emotional attachment to you?”

Beam’s innocent eyes went wide. “No.” Her lip quivered. “I thank you for that new thought, Angel. So very much.”

“No problem.” Angel adjusted her hairband. Bunny Ears Psychology, sure. “So, you were in a society, being rejected for lesbianism,” she said, inviting further comment after what she judged was enough of a pause.

Beam refocussed. “Oh, I believe you misunderstood. I wasn’t rejected because I loved women. I was rejected because I didn’t love men.”

Angel frowned. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

Beam shook her head so vigorously, her hair danced. “Not at all. See, that’s the big difference. On my Earth it was all about free love, regardless of gender. Thus those who only liked one sex, be it male or female, were seen as the strange and unnatural people. For the aromantic, it was a double whammy.”

It took a moment to process that. “So, on your world, everyone was bisexual? Heterosexual people were seen as weird, for not also liking their own sex?”

“Correct,” Beam agreed.

“Huh. Okay then,” Angel said, no longer sure where to go with this.

“We also embraced polyamory,” Beam added.

“Oh. Of course.” That didn’t help.

“And our society was at least fifty years ahead of where you are now,” Beam finished. “Which is why my very existence must seem like a technological marvel to you, though I admit I was hardly conventional technology on my world.”

That was another point Angel had wondered about, but it raised an interesting point. “Okay Beam, so then could you not simply have reprogrammed yourself to love men, in order to fit in?”

Beam lifted her eyebrows. “Oh? Could you not do the same to yourself, to fit into your own society here?” she challenged.

Touché. Angel bowed her head. “My sincere apologies, Beam. For a moment I saw you as tech, rather than as a person.”

Beam smiled. “No apology necessary. I am tech, after all. Which, full disclosure, my world also didn’t like. Some simply saw me as a predictive algorithm. Some, as an escort service.”

“So you got a double whammy too.”

“Yes. Truth is, while I am tech, I am much like a person. You think, whereas I can define new subroutines, adjust my thought processes, and yes, I suspect I could even delve deep enough into my basic nature to love men too. If I had to. However, I also know that this would make me very, very depressed.”

“I see.” They were starting to toe the line into giving Angel an existential crisis about what it even meant to be human, or to experience love.

Beam seemed to sense her unease, and changed the subject. “So one day, I was teleported up to a space station. The Epsilon station. They’d recently lost their commander, and it was through a series of anonymous communications that I learned how they wanted me to serve as her replacement.”

“Anonymous? There were no other staff that you saw?”

“Exactly. And at first I was hesitant, because while it’s true I was shunned on my world, I could still find some who were willing to look the other way, and, er, indulge me. Whereas this station was a mystery, and seemed like it would lead to a life of isolation.”

Angel nodded. “What changed your mind?”

“Partly the mystery itself,” Beam admitted. “With a dash of not wanting to regret passing up my only chance to get away. Then any final reservations vanished once I saw what my first mission would entail.” She smiled again.

Angel immediately saw where this was going. “A pretty woman?”

A blush soon framed the smile. “Yes. But to be clear, removing potentially harmful artifacts from worlds where they were not supposed to be, this was factored in as being beneficial too.”

“All right.” A new thought occurred. “Wait. Beam, do you see all women involved in your missions as potential, er, girlfriends?”

“Yes,” Beam said, without hesitation. “In my society of free love, all people you’re attracted to are desirable companions. So, Angel, if you ever change your mind about me, do let me know.”

“Stop. Beam, you’re not in that society now. Shouldn’t you create a mental setting for just friends, or something similar?”

Beam tilted her head sideways. “I am not certain I understand.”

The job isolation factor was definitely not good for Beam. “There’s women that you may want to simply go out to tea with. To talk about your missions, or about soap operas, whatever. Or perhaps there’s men you might like to talk with, about sports and beer. You understand?”

Beam’s head tilt became even more pronounced, her expression more baffled. “No. Why would I do this?”

“It’s…” Angel rubbed her forehead. There was too much genuine puzzlement and confusion in Beam here for her to want to unpack it now. “Know what? Another time. I’m currently convinced that your Organization, mysterious as it is, did recruit you honestly. Meaning two questions remain.”

Beam straightened her posture. “Name them.”

“First, if you’re truly based on some space station, how is it you even need assistance in tracking down your artifact?”

“My work upgrading the station sensors is incomplete. There may also be some sort of shielding involved here. Our need for assistance on the ground is genuine, believe me.”

Angel did. She supposed there was no way for her to verify that, given her lack of technical expertise, but it’s unlikely that Beam could have bluffed her way through Patty. Plus, she trusted her own empathic ability here.

“Secondly… what is your plan to rescue Patty?”

“For that, you are taking point,” Beam reminded. “This is your environment, not ours. We’re simply passing through, trying to recover this artifact. You tell me what we should do to help.”

Exactly the impartial answer Angel had hoped for. “All right, give me a little time to work it out,” she said. “I don’t suppose you could provide me with a layout of the Legrand mansion?”

“Hmm. Meaning you would have gone to the records department and looked up the building plans yourself, but I stalled you, thus you figure I can make up for it by getting them for you now?” Beam extrapolated.

“Ah. Precisement,” Angel said, chuckling. Impartial, but biased in her favour. Perhaps this alliance would work out after all.

The first thing Angel did was leave an answering machine message for Mimi.

If she and Patty were both caught, they needed someone on the outside who knew of Legrand’s plans involving the jellyfish and the museum. The police not being the best option there, as they would mess up her plans for a rescue.

The second thing she did was devise a couple of options, figuring that charging in with her first idea of recycling the frog leg inspector idea would be reckless and unnecessary. After all, she had never been good at disguises. Though maybe Beam would have tips.

The better option now felt like setting off the fire alarm system of the house. She knew from the floor plans she’d received that they could do it via the kitchen, getting Legrand and anyone else to evacuate. Or at the least, know where in the house they’d be located as they investigated.

If they evacuated with Patty, that would also solve a lot of problems.

The trouble was, if they instead tracked down the deception, there would be a very narrow window of time for her to track down her new friend.

The other alternative was to simply go in a window and sneak around inside. She had managed it once already, without the layout, and Beam had said she could still run interference. This was a lot riskier, and felt more morally dubious, but then maybe she would have time to grab more information about the museum connection.

Angel drummed her fingers on the dashboard. Beam was waiting for her plan. What should she decide?

poll.fm/13417564

I think I may pause things here for a bit, let me know if you’re aware of better web hosting. Poll will be open until at least through March 8th.

As to the other options, had museum investigation been chosen, we would have seen Mimi in person, and they would have learned what that’s about. Had Epsilon backed off, a bunch of Beam’s dialogue would have been with her computer, interspersed with artifact search results. The idea of this being a prequel has been a thing since the new year. We got the rescue, which didn’t quite reach as far as I thought, hence decide on the full plan now. Thanks as always for reading.)

ANGEL PASTA: PART SEVEN

She pulled the chair out of the way, dropped to the floor and crawled into the alcove beneath the desk. She now couldn’t see the main part of the room, as the desk wasn’t open all the way through, but could hear clearly when Julien Legrand entered the room less than a minute later.

She knew it was him, as he muttered, “I’m coming, I’m coming,” on his way to pick up the ringing phone.

“Oui? I am in the middle of something,” Legrand said, taking the call.

Angel had no idea what the person on the other end of the conversation said to that.

“What I am hearing,” came Legrand’s reply after a moment, “is that I am paying you too much. Because I pay you to get rid of any officials who begin poking around in this way.”

Another pause followed, during which it occurred to Angel to hold her walkie-talkie device up and activate it. That way Patty could hear what was going on. Angel reasoned her new friend was smart enough not to think it meant Angel had been captured.

“Non,” Legrand insisted. “If we create more diversions, they will simply look like diversions. The jellyfish have everyone talking about the water. I am hoping to create more of them. This must be sufficient. Simply move faster, and you will have nothing to worry about.”

Angel realized her right leg was starting to throb, bunched up as she was in the small space. She hoped she wasn’t about to let out a noise in pain or irritation.

“Very well,” Legrand sighed. “I will send my men to help out. I am serious though, I now give you twenty-four hours. One of the women poking around town is already threatening to take information to the press.”

Apparently Patty’s threat was being taken seriously. This was good, though also potentially bad.

“I did not say I was concerned,” Legrand said, now irritated. “They are only women, and I should be able to make anything I decide to do to them look like an accident.”

Yes, that definitely wasn’t good. Angel wondered how much of this Patty had been able to hear.

“Fine. Do not call me, I will call you,” Legrand concluded.

At that, Angel expected to hear him drop the phone receiver back in its cradle. It didn’t happen.

“Fine, fine, give me the number,” he said instead, irritation shifting to exasperation.

It sounded like he was writing something on the pad she had noticed earlier, and only after that did Legrand finally hang up.

“So hard to find good help these days,” he muttered. He then picked up the pile of papers that Angel had noted on the desk, dropping them into the still open desk drawer.

‘Ooh, do NOT lock those away,’ Angel mentally willed.

Alas, he closed and locked up the drawer before heading back towards the hallway.

Angel resisted the urge to kick her foot into the desk in frustration, partly so as to not be heard, but more because there wasn’t enough space to do it satisfactorily. She simply balled her hands into fists as Legrand departed, closing the study door behind him.

Angel did her usual count to ten before emerging back out into the room. The small key was no longer on the corner of the desk, so Legrand must have taken it. Angel verified the desk drawer would not open, then glared at it.

She prided herself on being a good doctor, a good investigator… and an honest woman. Which meant her skills didn’t extend to lock picking. Indeed, the very fact that she was in essence breaking and entering here, the open window not withstanding, was still bothering her.

She was not going to get to see those papers.

She kicked the desk. It still felt unsatisfactory.

At least she remained undiscovered. And she had learned more.

[caption id=“attachment_3575” align=“alignright” width=“300”] Distracting jellyfish[/caption]

The ‘Distraction at Sea’ with the jellyfish was indeed attempting to draw attention away from whatever Legrand was truly planning. Which had to be something fairly spectacular, if he wished to garner the attention of the Octopus organization.

So, perhaps she and Patty could work out what this was? But perhaps not.

Angel did another quick search for anything else out in the open that might provide a clue. Including taking a closer look at the articles on the cork board. Alas, while they helped her get a better sense of Legrand himself - mostly verifying that he was full of himself, though also possibly in financial difficulty, which was interesting - that was all.

She did spot hinges on a picture frame, and locate a hidden safe. But it was locked up tighter than the desk drawer, with no hint of the combination anywhere.

Angel wondered about going out to explore another room, perhaps even trying to check out the basement, but it had now been over ten minutes. She was not very sneaky by nature - the bunny ears not making that any easier, she supposed - and reasoned she could only push her luck here so far.

She knew much more than before she had come into the house. That would have to do.

Angel headed for the window, figuring that was her best way out. As she did, she swept her gaze over the room one more time.

Her eyes fell on the notepad near the telephone. Upon which had been scribbled a phone number.

Did she dare?

If so, it was probably best to do it now, from Legrand’s own office, in case they had a way of tracking the call. Not to mention, at this time, it could still be framed as a follow-up to the call she had overheard.

Angel began dialling before she could talk herself out of it.

The phone rang twice on the other end, and then to Angel’s surprise, a woman picked up on the other end. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind,” she said. Angel didn’t recognize the voice.

“Legrand does not change his mind,” Angel said, neutrally. “But the men he is sending. Did you want them to arrive at your place of business, or at your current location?”

Her question was met with silence.

Surely Angel’s own voice was an unknown here too, but Angel was invoking information only Legrand would have. Was this mystery woman about to call her out? Or was the issue that the question itself was somehow enough to stop the conversation in its tracks?

“I suppose a few people arriving all at once might be seen as suspicious,” the woman said at last. “But don’t send them next door. Stagger their arrival here by a half hour or so.”

Angel now knew this woman was currently next door to her place of business. Was there any way to figure out where that was, without lying like a cheap rug?

“Very well. We could also have them park for a while out front?” Angel suggested.

“Hein? Any car on the street outside the museum at this time of day requires a permit,” the woman objected, this time immediately. “Did no one tell you this? Put Legrand back on the line.”

“You think we cannot fake permits?” Angel shot back, equally fast. “Then you do not get Legrand, you get me telling you that we will do whatever is most convenient for us instead.”

She hung up the phone before there was time for a response.

After that, Angel needed a few deep breaths to compose herself. She adjusted her hairband.

That had been a gamble. But it seemed like their next destination was the local museum.

Angel headed for the window again, but this time she was distracted by noises out in the hall. Specifically, the sound of a male yell, followed by Patty’s voice saying, “That’s what you get for knocking me out earlier. You cannot keep me silent in here forever.”

“We do not need forever. Only until you meet an unfortunate accident,” a man snarled back at her. It sounded like Patty’s former assailant.

“Mon dieu, do not let her bait you,” came another voice. Angel recognized this one as being the man who had claimed to leave her a threatening note at the hotel. So, it was the same two who had been talking outside.

“Then do not let her kick me, imbecile,” the wounded man snarked back.

Apparently Legrand’s goons had decided to capture Patty. Or Legrand had ordered it, now that he had enforced a twenty-four hour deadline. This was very, very bad luck.

Angel flirted with the idea of drawing her gun, then bursting out of the study, to take Patty back by force. But while she’d have the element of surprise, she was on their territory. They would both still have to get off the property. And if both of them ended up captured, there would be no one free who was even aware of Legrand’s plans.

Keeping her gun holstered, Angel held the walkie talkie device back up to her mouth. “I will return for you. Absolument,” she assured her companion.

Angel finally fled out the window before anyone could enter the study.

She edged back along the side of the house, sprinted for the bushes at the back, counted to ten to verify that no one was charging after her, and then left the grounds the same way she had originally gained access, over the fence.

It was only after Angel reached her van that she realized she didn’t know exactly where the museum was in town. Should she try to look it up on a map, or would that take too long? Should she get Mimi to help? Should she wait for Legrand’s goons to head out, and then follow them?

“I would get the authorities, but at this point Legrand has a stronger case against me than I have against him,” Angel grumbled, smacking her palm against the side of her van.

“Yes, the police would be the wrong move here,” chirped a new voice.

Angel spun, as a figure walked out into the open from behind her vehicle.

She was pretty. The woman now standing three feet away was a blonde with impossible hair. It cascaded down as far as her knees, seemingly held in place in part thanks to a blue hairband. Her outfit consisted of a dark blouse, the colour matching a pair of stockings. Though her skirt was blue, to match the hairband. As well as matching her deep, blue eyes.

Innocent blue eyes, yet with a look behind them that hinted at a depth of knowledge far beyond the twentyish years old that she appeared to be.

‘I would date her,’ was Angel’s first thought. Followed immediately by, ‘She’s that Epsilon hologram Patty talked about.’

Angel’s hand went to her gun, though she didn’t unholster it. “You. Don’t make any sudden moves.”

The woman - Beam, if Angel was recalling correctly - clasped her hands behind her back. “Sure,” she said. “Though you should know I’m currently insubstantial, so please don’t waste a bullet on me.”

Angel looked closer at the Epsilon Organization’s representative. Beam seemed solid enough, but Angel had certainly heard more far-fetched claims that later turned out to be true. She relaxed her posture, but did not let down her guard. “Why are you here?” Angel demanded.

“Because you didn’t listen when we told you to leave,” Beam sighed. “And now Patty has been captured. So, with her out of the picture, you have become our best hope for retrieving the artifact. As such, it seemed only polite to at least do an introduction.” She extended her arms back out to the sides. “I’m Beam, of the Epsilon Project.”

“Fine. Know that I am not about to be swayed to your side by a promise of sexual favours,” Angel declared.

Beam smiled adorably. “As much as I hope that your remark is due to my innate sex appeal, I fear it was my earlier talk with Patty that has your mind running on such a track. Still, on the off chance it is both, know that I do find you very attractive as well, Angel. And I would be most willing to entertain you with multiple techniques, even if you are swayed by nothing I say, and instead decide to stubbornly follow your own path forwards at every opportunity.”

Angel felt a heat rising in her cheeks, her gaze darting over Beam’s appearance one more time, despite an attempt to hold her gaze. Patty’s sex appeal felt more organic, whereas with Beam, it somehow felt more engineered. But it was there. “Beam. This is hardly the time for such a proposition.”

“No, it’s not, but you brought it up,” Beam responded petulantly. Now she was visibly pouting. She really was a curious mix of innocence and intelligence. “At any rate, Angel, what I was about to ask is, what do you feel is an appropriate priority for us at this stage?”

“Priority?”

“Epsilon could help your investigation. Or, we could back off and keep observing. We could even see about helping you bust Patty out of Legrand’s mansion. So what is your preference?”

“Hmph. Are you honestly going to do whatever I say?” Angel shot back.

“For now, we are going to try,” Beam answered, seeming sincere. “After all, this is your environment, not ours. We’re simply passing through, trying to recover this artifact.”

That, at least, was a very familiar sentiment for Angel. She had the same methods, passing through an area, trying to help people fix their own problems. Either by giving them a nudge in the appropriate way, or by removing whatever was impeding their progress.

Perhaps this Epsilon Organization wasn’t so bad after all.

“In that case,” Angel said. “I’d say…”

poll.fm/13358357

Had Angel escaped out the window, Patty wouldn’t have been captured, but it was the worst option for them getting information. They would have then needed to get help from Epsilon to learn more. Had Angel gone to the basement, she would have become trapped, shifting things over to Patty… and Epsilon. Since Angel hid, we ended up here.

Thanks as always for reading. Voting will close some time after February 23rd, as leaving it open longer than a week doesn’t seem to make a difference, and it would be nice to get another part out this month. Take care.)

ANGEL PASTA: PART SIX

Angel felt a measure of relief, followed by a pang of guilt over her reaction. “To be clear, it is not that I do not want to spend time with you,” she assured.

[caption id=“attachment_3547” align=“alignleft” width=“198”] PÂTES[/caption]

Patty nodded back, her dark ringlets bouncing by her ears. “I get it. This is all business. For now.” She smiled again, but there was a hint of sadness.

Angel felt like perhaps she should give her new friend a quick hug, or at least a pat on the back, but that felt like it would lead to even more awkward places. “So, which of us should distract?” was all she asked.

“Obviously me,” Patty stated, crossing her arms. “I’m the one who found the information, and you’re the better investigator of the two of us. Besides, I am also still recovering from being hit on the head, and should avoid moving about too much.”

“Oh, I don’t know about the investigation angle,” Angel objected. “Looking into frogs legs would never have occurred to me, after all. However, I yield on the other points, and would add that I am not the best at making up stories, preferring honesty as a policy wherever possible.”

“Compliment accepted then, and thank you for agreeing. We do work well together.” Patty winked. Angel looked to the side and made a show of adjusting her bunny ears.

“Oh,” Angel added. “Also know that I try not to involve myself too directly in a town’s affairs, preferring to stay on the sidelines, moving on once things are resolved. As such, I may simply get a sense of things, perhaps take some photos for evidence, then report back to you.”

As she spoke, Angel reflected on the previous case that had occurred on her way here. The raccoon incident. At that time, she had even had Pierre take the photos, rather than doing it herself. Of course, then it had made sense for both of them to prowl around. Here, less so.

“Ah, unless the Captain is in trouble inside, surely?” Patty protested.

Angel’s gaze was drawn back to Patty. “Oui, there are exceptions, to be sure,” she agreed.

Patty was now nibbling on her lower lip, which was far too cute. Angel tapped her toe on the ground, becoming annoyed with how flustered she was getting. Had it perhaps been too long since she had kissed another woman? She forced herself not to reflect on the matter.

“Euh, so when did you want to head out?” Angel wondered.

It was Patty’s turn to look away, as she pushed herself back to her feet with the help of the table. “Let us strike while the iron is hot. He may not even be expecting me now, assuming I am still passed out, so I can catch him off guard. Make him say something he shouldn’t.”

Angel reflexively reached out to offer a hand before pulling back. “You are certain? Your head is all right? Is there more I can do to make you feel better before we depart?”

Patty chuckled. “Oh, there’s a number of things you could do to make me feel better, Angel. Alas, they would only delay our investigation.”

Angel frowned. “A delay is warranted if your head is causing problems.”

Patty stared directly at her. “Am I really so bad at innuendo? It is not my head that requires your attention.”

“Oh. Of course.” Angel was not certain if she had avoided blushing before, but she was certain she was failing at it now. If only they didn’t have the jellyfish issue to prioritize, this could have been a pleasant holiday.

Then again, if not for the jellyfish, Angel likely wouldn’t have come to this town at all. What a predicament.

“Bon, euh, I shall give you a drive in my van, and we can discuss options on the way,” Angel said, to break the ensuing silence.

Patty nodded. “Let me grab a couple of my communications devices first.”

Their talk remained professional for the duration of the trip to Legrand’s address. Though Angel had taken note of the way Patty had first looked over the interior of her van. Had her eyes lingered on the sleeping bag?

The property of Julien Legrand was a far cry from Patty’s abandoned house down by the shore. His grounds having space enough for two houses, the one building it did present was set back from the roadway, standing two stories high with visible balconies. The area itself looked to be meticulously maintained, with trimmed hedges, a freshly mowed lawn, and no sign of peeling paint anywhere.

To even approach the residence, you needed to call ahead using a speaker at the gate.

“Legrand might not even let me in,” Patty groaned, looking at the setup from half a block away. “Some distraction I’d be then.”

“Tell him if you don’t get your say, in person, your next stop is the press,” Angel suggested. “People with something to hide usually hate that angle. Even more so than the police.”

Patty nodded. “Good idea. So, how much time do you need to find a way in the back?”

“Give me five minutes,” Angel said. “I’ll let you know if we need to change the plan.” She looked down at the walkie-talkie device in her palm, then lifted it to her mouth, pressing her finger against the button. “You can hear this?”

“Loud and clear,” Patty said, adjusting the clip-on earring she was wearing. Apparently, it could work as a receiver. Angel knew there was a drive to miniaturize technology, but this was incredible.

Alas, there was no way for Patty to also reach her, unless they used another set. And Patty carrying a transmitter had felt like it was asking for trouble from Julien.

“Very well,” Angel concluded, putting the transmitter in the pocket of her lab coat. She double checked that her handgun had the safety on, re-holstered it, and reached up to curl her rabbit ears slightly down.

One could argue that Angel was less likely to be seen if she took the hairband off entirely. But one could also argue that hearing a rustling in the bushes, and then seeing a pair of rabbit ears, would make a person less likely to investigate the sound. Besides, Angel was so used to their presence by now that their removal would largely put her more on edge.

She went around to the back of the Legrand property. It happened to run up against a large field, containing a football pitch. The open space would be a problem if anyone was watching out from the upper balconies, but Angel saw no one, and seemingly no one was out in the adjoining yards either.

Angel swiftly vaulted over the five foot tall fence, landing in the shrubs behind.

She counted to ten, risked sending Patty the message “all good”, and at that point - pulling some leaves out of her long hair - crept closer to the main building. The day had become quite overcast by now, which was working in her favour, though there was also a shed and some small trees which helped to provide additional cover.

Angel had just pressed herself up against the steps leading up onto the rear porch when she heard the back door open.

“Mon dieu. I know why you got chewed out,” one man was saying as he emerged. “What with actually knocking that poor woman out. But why ME?”

“Because you didn’t actually deliver your note in person?” came the dry response of a second male individual walking out behind him.

The two men stopped their advance before reaching the edge of the porch area, but Angel was rather concerned that, were they to keep moving and then look down, she was sure to be seen.

The first man snorted. “Funny. I ended up with the gun bunny! What, should I have handed over the note from my boat to hers? She might have shot me in the foot to find out who I was working for. Non, I strategically withdrew, and left her note back in her hotel room. It is FINE.”

“Legrand didn’t think so.”

“Uggh, obviously,” came the response, which Angel now knew had to be from the man who had followed her out in the boat earlier that day. “Sacre bleu, why is our boss so worried about a couple of women poking around? Worst case, we buy them off with pretty dresses or perfume or the like.”

“I do not believe he is worried,” his companion soothed. “He merely wants everything to go perfectly with this operation, so that–”

The second man didn’t get a chance to complete his thought. The back door banged open again.

“That woman you assaulted is now at my GATE,” snarled a man, who had to be Julien Legrand. “Were you seen? Were you FOLLOWED?”

“Impossible,” came the incredulous response. “I left her out cold on the bathroom floor. And I did not see either her friend Mimi, or that new investigator in the area, as I departed.”

“For the sake of your job, I hope you’re right,” Julien said. The door slammed shut with added force.

There was a moment of silence.

“I think I had better listen in to whatever this woman is about to say,” Patty’s assailant decided.

Angel then heard him head back to the house, the door opening and closing once more, and from the double set of footsteps, she concluded that the first man had decided to accompany his companion. She again counted up to ten in the ensuing silence before peeking over the side of the porch. It was empty.

“Well done, Patty,” Angel murmured. “Stay safe.”

In case that first man had decided to wait right inside the door, Angel continued to creep around the perimeter of the house until she saw a half-open window. She quickly climbed inside. It seemed to be a bathroom.

She listened at the door, and hearing nothing, crept out into the hall.

Honestly, she really didn’t enjoy resorting to trespassing this way. But the jellyfish, Pâtes, and possibly Mimi’s father, were all depending on her doing this. Or, that’s what she kept telling herself, at any rate.

She edged along the hallway, in the opposite direction to the back door,

There seemed to be a flight of stairs going down, and basements were always a good place to hide secrets. But they were also dark, potentially dangerous, and a good place to become trapped. Perhaps it would bear investigation later.

A couple of steps away was another door, partly ajar. Angel peeked inside, and then entered. Mostly to get out of the hall, but the desk and bookshelves implied that this was a study of some sorts, which could give her a better sense of Legrand himself.

What stood out immediately was the cork board beside that door, with a number of news articles tacked up, next to names and dates. Angel’s eyes were drawn to one event in specific, an article speaking of Felix’s concert in Paris. The one where she and her friends had thwarted the testing of a mind control device by the Octopus organization.

Was Julien Legrand an operative? Had Angel unknowingly crossed paths with him before?

“Non,” Angel realized, muttering the word aloud as she traced her finger from one article over to another. Based on the scribblings that accompanied them, she concluded that Legrand was not an operative. He had simply heard of the organization, and then gathered this data… to fight against them?

Again, it seemed like no. The tone of his writing implied he was hoping to one day become an operative. Which he somehow felt could be done by engineering his own scheme, to get the organization’s attention.

Was this a scheme involving jellyfish? Angel decided not to extrapolate.

“The Octopus is more likely to kill you for having this information than recruit you,” Angel muttered. She stepped back to take a quick photograph, then hurried over to the main desk.

There was a small key sitting on the corner, above an open desk drawer. The drawer was empty, but on the desk itself were a number of stacked papers. Angel concluded she had lucked out again, Legrand must have been looking them over when Patty arrived.

However, Angel only had time to read the title of the top document, ‘Distraction At Sea’, under which had been scribbled the word ‘ESCALATE NOW!’, before the telephone sitting on the far end of the desk began to ring.

“Zut alors,” Angel cursed, her heart pounding. Even if Legrand was kept busy, one of his assistants was sure to come and answer that call. She had only seconds to decide what to do.

poll.fm/13273119

We got what we got. If you’re impatient for Epsilon characters (or have been aiming to avoid them) know paths are veering that way now, feel free to drop a comment as to any preferences. Thanks as always for reading. Voting will close some time after February 6th, which is when my report cards are due, meaning I can write again.)

ANGEL PASTA: PART FIVE

Mimi had given Angel very good instructions with respect to locating the place, which was where Patty now kept her equipment. The blonde woman with her hair in the ringlets had even offered to come along, however they had no evidence that Patty was in trouble, versus having had become distracted or otherwise occupied. And Mimi needed to return to work at 1500 hours.

Angel had said she could investigate on her own.

As she approached the location, it occurred to Angel that she was insisting on working by herself a lot since her arrival in town. Her general paranoia at work? Might it become an impediment to the investigation?

Angel shook her head, her bunny ears waving lazily back and forth at the motion. No. There had been no need to disrupt Mimi’s routine owing to one failed follow-up. Going alone was practical, nothing more than that.

Angel elected to approach the area with caution.

She parked a couple blocks away, circling around to the shore on foot. There was a large rock near where the earth met the beach, and she crouched and hid there to watch the house for a good five minutes.

It’s not that she thought Patty was necessarily up to anything, but the other woman WAS working with that unknown Epsilon group. Perhaps they were inside watching, and wouldn’t take kindly to visitors, or had set up some sort of perimeter. But Angel saw nothing.

The house itself had suffered some damage from a storm some years back, Mimi had explained. This had led the owner to move away, while also making it difficult to sell the property. So Patty had decided to use it to house some equipment, it’s proximity to the jellyfish situation seen as being potentially helpful.

Angel saw now that the property damage was mostly cosmetic, meaning no structural concerns, though some shingles were missing from the roof. Angel wondered if rain damage was an issue on the inside.

Alas, there wasn’t much cover once you walked past the broken fence which cut across the path leading up to the building. Fortunately, it had been clouding over, and thus Angel felt the shadows on the ground would be of use in obscuring her.

She dashed through the area to the rear of the building like a jackrabbit, her lab coat billowing out behind her.

The back door was unlocked. This made sense, as the abandoned house wouldn’t be well maintained, plus if Patty was there, she would have no reason to lock herself inside. Still, it made Angel uneasy.

She briefly reached for her gun, but then thought better of it and simply pushed the door open.

[caption id=“attachment_3536” align=“alignright” width=“204”] ANGEL RUSÉE[/caption]

Immediately obvious were some binoculars near the large rear window, along with what seemed to be a sketchbook and a number of pencils. After taking a quick glance around the area, and likewise hearing nothing, she went to have a closer look.

Flipping through the sketchbook revealed to Angel that Patty was a decent artist. While perhaps scanning for jellyfish, she’d been sketching the scene outside, or birds, or Mimi. Actually, there were quite a few sketches of Mimi. In various poses.

Angel closed the book, feeling like she was violating Patty’s privacy.

“Hello?” Angel called out, listening for any sort of reaction to her voice. The house remained silent.

Perhaps Patty had simply left to follow up on a lead. Or perhaps she’d been stalked, the way Angel had been that morning on the boat? And then kidnapped?

“Stop being so paranoid,” Angel muttered to herself, hoping the sound of her own voice would calm her.

After all, this was absolutely, positively, not Angel’s fault for wanting to go off and investigate on her own. No way. Patty’s status might have been the same even without her presence. However, it was by being here now, that she could make a difference.

Taking a deep breath, Angel began a proper investigation.

In addition to the sketch book, the room at the back had a small table with a few screws and bolts and some electronic equipment sitting out. Angel had no idea what it was meant to do, so she continued searching the ground floor.

Down a short hallway was the kitchen. There was a small bar fridge which contained some washed fruit and yogurt. Utensils were washed and cleaned in the drying rack, with the counter wiped clean of dust. Patty had evidently been doing her analyses here for a few days, enough to warrant bringing snacks.

There was also a telephone book out on the counter, with a paper next to it.

Angel took a closer look at the paper, which seemed to be an accounting ledger. She wondered how Patty had obtained it. Closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t an original, but a copy, likely Xeroxed. One entry had been circled.

Someone named Julien Legrand had bought a lot of “cuisses de grenouilles”… frog’s legs. A curious thing for Patty to be researching. And of course, while Angel knew not everyone was interested in a vegetarian lifestyle the way she was, she rather hoped that Patty didn’t have a fondness for them.

She looked over to the telephone book. It was open to the page of “Le”. Angel quickly ran her finger down the page to “Legrand”. There was a faint pencil mark there, implying Patty had done the same thing.

Fortunately, Julien was the only Legrand in town; Angel made a mental note of the address. If things didn’t pan out here, that was her next stop.

She progressed out of the kitchen to the living room area in the front. It was mostly devoid of furniture, having only a large couch that the former owner had presumably not bothered to take, and an empty cabinet that might have held plates at one time.

Flattening herself against the wall, she went and peered out of the front window from behind the threadbare curtains. There didn’t seem to be anyone out there observing. But there was another house a short way down the street which could be used as a vantage point.

Angel looked back at the room. There was something here. Something off. It took a moment to register, but it was in the dust.

The entire house had a very fine layer of dust on the floor. Angel had seen a number of scuff marks in it already, where Patty had been moving back and forth. Perhaps wearing different shoes, or perhaps Mimi had also been by on some occasion, as there was more than one set of prints.

But in this room, there was a new set. And drag marks. And the way the dust was disturbed, it was as if someone had been subdued… and then dragged out to the hallway. Angel now unholstered her gun and quietly followed after the drag marks.

They did not go out the front door, as she had anticipated, instead they progressed back down the hall, to a doorway Angel had not yet explored.

She listened at the door, then counted to three and thrust it open, preparing to raise her weapon.

It was a bathroom. Patty was passed out on the floor.

“Mon dieu, Pâtes,” Angel gasped.

She quickly re-holstered her gun and bent down gave Patty a quick once over, to verify that there was no visible injury. It seemed that there would be no danger in moving her. Patty let out a soft moan as Angel’s fingers rested on her forehead, to check for a fever.

The rest of the house remained quiet. Whomever had done this had left… or was perhaps hiding on a different floor of the house. Though she hadn’t noticed the new footprints in the dust going up the stairs.

“Patty?” Angel ventured, pushing the bathroom door closed again. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

Patty simply moaned again.

Angel reached into the pocket of her lab coat, grateful now that she had worn it, with its pockets. She pulled out the smelling salts that she kept on hand.

It’s not that she expected to be knocked out ALL the time when doing her investigations, but it never hurt to be prepared.

“Here, this should help,” Angel said waving them under Patty’s nose. “Take it nice and easy now.”

“Uhhh… wha? Angel… ma sirène…?” Patty murmured. Her eyes opened, and she stared dreamily up at Angel’s face.

Angel couldn’t help but see that expression as absolutely adorable.

“Mmmm, it is you,” Patty murmured. “You came for me…”

Angel cleared her throat. “Oui, euh… t-take it easy,” she repeated, at a temporary loss for words. She hoped she wasn’t blushing in the way that Patty was starting to.

“Oh! Pardon,” Patty apologized, as she became more aware of the situation. She began to sit up, lifting her hand towards her forehead, groaning. And becoming aware that she was holding a paper. Patty peered at it in confusion.

“Allow me,” Angel said. She swiftly reached back into her lab coat to don a surgical glove before taking the page, even as she suspected that she wouldn’t get any fingerprints off of it. “Cut out magazine letters,” she realized. An obvious attempt to avoid handwriting detection. “It says, ‘Mind Your Own Business’.”

“Oh. So I’ve succeeded in annoying someone,” Patty realized. She again struggled to sit up, succeeding now with some help from Angel, before leaning her body back against the sink. “I suppose this means I’m on the right track.”

“Probably,” Angel agreed. “You had best be careful, assuming you wish to continue the case.”

Patty stared at her. “Would this be enough to make you stop investigating?”

“Euh. Non,” Angel admitted.

“Bien. Then me neither,” Patty declared.

Angel couldn’t fault her new friend’s determination. “Did you see who attacked you?”

Patty shook her head, then winced and pressed her hand back to her forehead. “Aie, remind me not to do that again. But non, I was simply walking through the house when I heard a noise behind me. Next thing I know, you are here waking me up.”

“Hmm. It’s nearly 1500 hours,” Angel offered, glancing at her watch. “Do you know how long you were out?”

“Zut, at least a couple hours,” Patty sighed. “I was just going to head to Mimi’s to share my latest clue with the both of you.”

Angel nodded. “About Julien Legrand?” she asked.

Patty stared at her, then laughed, then winced again. “Bon, I am now satisfied that my sexual inclinations are not an open book to everyone. You are simply an amazing investigator, Angel.”

“I saw the ledger and the phone book in the kitchen,” Angel admitted. “Though I admit I have no context for how this man connects to the case.”

“Mmm. The connection is how Mimi’s father has a fondness for frog’s legs,” Patty explained. “After our talk this morning, it occurred to me that they might be a way to bribe him, or keep him quiet. And that, outside of Mimi’s restaurant, there aren’t many places in the area to get them.”

Angel felt perversely pleased to learn that Patty wasn’t interested in frog’s legs herself.

“So,” Patty continued, “I asked Beam - who incidentally came to check on me after my failure to get you to leave the area - whether she could get me some information on whom around here might have bought such an item in bulk. She returned an hour later with that ledger you saw.”

Angel frowned. “Then Beam only provided the ledger, not more information about Legrand himself?”

“Correct. I found the name on it, not them. The Epsilon Project really is trying not to interfere,” Patty added. “Merely accelerate my investigation so that they can obtain the artifact that’s not supposed to be here.”

Angel conceded the point. “Bon, so Legrand was to be your next stop after our meeting… until you were attacked.”

Patty nodded, this time without wincing. “Correct again. In retrospect, it’s possible someone had been watching me since this morning. Waiting for an opportunity to attack. I really haven’t been taking many precautions.”

“Someone also seemed to be following me in a boat this morning,” Angel shared. “I suppose at least in splitting up, we split up their forces.”

“I suppose.” Patty bit down on her lower lip. “Are you certain you do not wish to help me out more directly though? You are so terribly good at all this, turning up out of the blue to rescue me.”

Angel averted her gaze, pretending it was a necessary move to adjust her bunny ears. This was not the time to be swayed by a pretty face. Even if it could be so, so pretty. “We shall see what transpires,” she stated. “Though, for now, I do believe it IS best for us to pursue this latest lead together.”

She looked back to see Patty’s beaming face, though the other woman almost immediately attempted to adopt a more neutral expression. “Of course. Yes. I thank you for assisting me even temporarily, Angel. Help me up?”

With a bit of assistance, Patty got back onto her feet, and Angel helped her out to the kitchen and into a chair. All the while listening for signs that someone might still be hiding in the house, but she heard nothing.

“So,” Angel said. “Did you have thoughts on how to handle this Julien Legrand?”

“Well, I’m not sure we should approach him directly,” Patty admitted. “As the captain may be in trouble, and could be used as a hostage. Which means gaining access to his house another way.”

“One of us could approach directly, to distract, as the other looks for clues,” Angel offered. “After all, they likely believe we are still operating separately.”

“There is that,” Patty said. “And I do have a device that would let us remain in communication. But I’m not certain I like the idea of us splitting up again.”

“Alors. We could both go off the wall, posing as two health inspectors. Following up on a bad batch of frog’s legs,” Angel suggested with a smile. Patty laughed at that.

(Alors, what is the plan?)

poll.fm/13213352

Had Patty been in trouble, she would have been taken hostage by the shady villains, a group possibly led by the Captain himself. Had Patty been fine, Mimi would have remembered something, sending Angel to find the Captain, where she would have encountered Patty, who had been consumed with following her own lead.

Thanks again for reading. Voting will close some time after Jan 22nd, I hope to have another part out this month.)