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Investigating the Elusive Barry Grant
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Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Oct-28-2008 02:14


...

“He’s just gone!”

“What do you mean gone?”

“I mean gone, detective, disappeared without a trace.”

“Barry Grant? Gone?”

“…”

“And what do you expect out of me?”

“What should I expect out of you?”


Replies

Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Nov-5-2008 11:58


***

The waiter at the Golden Garden cleared the plates.

Clift felt recharged and reenergised having had possibly the most delectable and exotic meal in his life. Ran had altered the course of the conversation through dinner. They spoke candidly of Barry, especially the early days of his career: His quest for detective gear that was both gentlemanly and effective, the mishaps and mistakes every detective makes at the beginning of his career, his flirtations and many ‘innocent’ brushes with the many female detectives he worked with and many other stories of his bravery and chivalry in aiding his colleagues.

“Speaking of female co-workers,” Clift broke the casual talks steering the conversation back to business and looking to Yoyo with a serious nod “I will tell you why, Yoyo, I need any information I can get about Miss Andrea X. In order for me to uncover the mystery behind Barry Grant’s disappearance, I need to research his personal life.”

Yoyo looked to Ran, and Ran gave him a shrug. Clift spoke to defend himself against an unspoken objection. “I am sure that as a detective you will understand that sometimes it is very important to delve into the personal life of the subject of a case. Betty, Barry’s sister, is the wife of a friend of mine. She has handed me a huge responsibility. Barry Grant is not just a missing person: He is a legendary detective who led by manners and example that many will follow for years to come. I need to find him and bring him back to life.”

Yoyo looked at Clift neutrally and asked. “So what about his personal life do you want to know?”

Clift took out the list he made back in New York of the women in Barry’s life and passed it to Yoyo and then Ran. “Having searched Barry’s Office for eleven hours today, I can safely say that out of these six women, only one really matters in this investigation."

Ran smiled. Yoyo sighed. Clift asked. "What can you tell me about Miss X?”



yoyofoshow
yoyofoshow
Old Shoe

Nov-6-2008 06:11

‘She fell off the face of the planet with pretty much every other detective in existence. I dare say it, but you’ll have a harder time finding AndreaX than Barry Grant. Andrea was a tough lady, and Barry, well lets just say he needed a little more cushioning; but compared to Andrea who wouldn’t?’ Yoyo took a slow drink from his glass in between sentences. ‘Still; the point stands, you won’t find her unless you get some help, I don’t know where she is but I was never that close to her. Ran on the other hand may…’

Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Nov-6-2008 07:10


Clift turned to Ran.

Director Anstett was deep in thought, but he finally decided to comment. "Perhaps we should get going, Clift. I know you're planning on an early start tomorrow, and you have a full week of work ahead of you."

Clift Garrett emptied his wine glass and got up, as the three gentleman got ready to leave the Golden Garden Restaurant back to The Closers.

***

**Shanghai, The Closers Headquarters, 0716 hrs (local)**

Clift Garrett went into Barry's old office, again. It was his fifth day on the job.

'This place hasn't been touched in ages,' Clift thought as he noticed a few new cobwebs 'never mind, better get back to work.'

With that thought, Clift put on his gloves and started working Barry's old office. If there was anything to be found to help Clift further in his case it would be here: where it all started, where Barry found his way as a rookie and became a world-famed detective.

Clift was hesitant to go through the remnants of Barry's past and personal life, but he was on a case. He had to find Barry, and in order for him to find Barry he needed all the answers in the world and then some.


Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Nov-6-2008 07:19


***

Clift gathered his evidence and equipment. It was time to leave.

He had spent a good week sorting through the remnants of Barry's old articles and documentation: He did not come out of it with a clear direction of where to go next, but he now knew very clearly where Barry came from and how he started.

It was time to go.

The journey back to New York would be a long one, but Clift had so much reading he needed to do and so much information he had to sift through.

Clift looked back over his shoulders at Barry's first ever office. He smiled. "It was nice meeting your office Mr. Grant, perhaps one day I will have the pleasure of meeting you... perhaps not... In either case, no one will ever be able to say that I didn't try my hardest."


David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:27

Several days later, Clift's ship landed safely back home in New York. He scarcely took the time to unpack before he headed to his favorite spot for reflection, the Cacophony Conservatory. Angela cast a smile his way as he settled in his corner, opened his file of all the info he had on Barry when he first started out, and began examining it.

Clift came down the front steps of the Conservatory several hours later to find two extremely large men blocking his path. The badge one man flashed said, "F.B.I.", on it, and looked genuine, and the gun peeking under the guy's left arm as he replaced it in his vest pocket certainly looked real enough.

The man smiled slightly, "Mr. Garrett. Nicholas Henderson, F.B.I. We need you to come with us."

Clift stared at him, "I don't understand. I haven't done anything wrong."

The agent waved a hand at a black Ford, his smile turning insistent, "If you'd be so kind, Mr. Garrett. This won't take long at all."

A few minutes later, Clift and the two agents were standing in front of a tall skyscraper that looked just like the rest of the buildings on the block. Only the sign in front was unusual, "U.S. War Department--New York Division--Operations Center." The agents guided Clift into the building, then across the Lobby and into an elevator. Several floors up, they stepped out to a floor of people busily scuttling about. The two men guided Clift through the chaos to an office on the far side of the floor.

Agent Henderson knocked twice softly, then opened the door on the summons within. The man standing behind the desk talking on the phone was an older man, tall and thin, dressed in a standard grey three-piece-suit, with regulation short sandy-blond hair. It was currently mussed as the man ran his hand through it worriedly.

“Yeah, okay, Charlie, lemme know when you’ve located her. Thanks. Talk to you soon.” He hung up and turned piercing blue eyes onto Clift, studying him intensely.

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:34

“Sir, here’s Mr. Garrett,” Agent Henderson told the man.

“That’s great, boys!” he exclaimed, “Tell Ollie I owe him one. You boys’ve been a big help. Thanks.” He dismissed them, leaving Clift alone with the man.

Clift extended his hand to the stranger, “I’m Clift Garrett, Private Investigator….”

“Brigadier General Doctor David Adams, U.S. War Department,” the man replied, “You’ve been looking for Barry Grant.”

Clift felt his mouth open slightly in surprise, “How…how did you know that?” he asked.

The man sat in his desk chair, not bothering to wave Clift to a visitor’s chair. He sat anyway. “Inspector Mulligan says you’ve got a bug in yer craw ‘bout finding Grant. Mind if I ask why?”

“Barry’s sister has hired me to find him. He’s been missing for more than a year.”

“Eighteen months and two weeks, to be precise,” the man replied.
Clift’s mouth opened in surprise again, “How’d you know that?” he asked alarmedly.

The doctor sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly, “Cause I know a lot about lots of things. The Inspector said you had some questions of me?” he asked.

Clift reached for his notebook, swiftly scanning his notes, “I’m trying to locate the whereabouts of several people. Perhaps you might be able to help me with that?”

Adams grimaced slightly, then nodded, “Possibly, yes. Who d’you wanna know about?”

Clift flipped a notebook page over, “Apparently Mr. Grant had several girlfriends? I’ve found a Mrs. Rebecca Franks, a Ms. Andrea X, a Miss Violet Parr, and a Miss Sahira Quadir? Would you know any of their whereabouts?”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:36

Dave snorted softly, “Apparently, Mr. Garrett, your info’s a bit flawed. Rebecca Franks was a former girlfriend who tried to reclaim her former beau; AndreaX was Mr. Grant’s current interest at the time of his disappearance, Miss Quadir was a woman assigned to protect Mr. Grant when he was seriously injured, and Miss Parr was a British citizen also trying to help Mr. Grant. Neither she nor Miss Quadir had any romantic affiliation with him.

He reached for a file folder on his desk, “Currently, Ms. X is semi-retired as a detective, living on a small estate in Surrey, England. I doubt she’s willing to receive many visitors these days. Miss Parr, similarly, has retired, and moved to Bombay, India with her family. Mrs. Franks, however, seems to have had a downturn of her luck. She was arrested in China shortly after Mr. Grant disappeared, extradited to England, and charged with various larceny, theft, and forgery charges, and two counts of assault against an Officer of the Realm. She’s currently serving a fifteen-year sentence in Aylesbury women’s prison in Buckinghamshire, England. Feel free to have a chat with Mrs. Franks there, and do send her my regards.”

Clift looked up from writing his notes at the doctor’s sarcastic tone, “Something wrong, Doctor?”

“Absolutely nothing, now,” he replied, “Let’s just say I wasn’t impressed with Mrs. Franks. Especially since she jeopardized the lives of my people, and my family numerous times.”

He went on, “As for Miss Quadir, she’s currently in New York. Still doing protective detail. I doubt she’ll have anything relevant about Grant.”

“Any idea where, exactly, I can find her in the city?” Clift asked him.

Dave glanced at his watch, “Oh, bout this time, she and Breit are prob’ly hitting Macy’s by now. I’m guessing they’ve been through Babcock’s and Bloomie’s by now.”

“Breit? As in Breitkat Pfeiffer? I had wanted to speak to her about her articles on Mr. Grant that she did for the Herald.”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:38

Dr. Adams’ eyes turned a shade icier, “Breit happens to be my wife, Mr. Garrett. She and the people at her agency spent more than a year looking for Mr. Grant. Anything you need to know about their investigation, you can ask me. You don’t need to bother Breit or Sahira.”

Clift gulped slightly at the icy anger in the man’s eyes, then summoned up his courage, “Very well, Doctor. Can you tell me where your investigation has led?”

Dave studied Clift again, then calmed somewhat. His voice was low, with an edge of pain to it, “How much do you know about a group called HYDRA, Mr. Garrett?”

Clift blinked, then admitted he didn’t know much about it.

Dave nodded, “HYDRA’s an ultraviolent faction of the Irish Republican Army, a terrorist group of unparalleled brutality. Mr. Grant was working for us trying to get information about HYDRA when he disappeared. His colleagues, both at his own agency and his former group, the Closers, were thoroughly vetted.”

“We know where Mr. Grant’s last whereabouts were,” Dave continued, “We’ve conducted extensive searches of the area, and interviews of the residents. We’ve found nothing.”

Clift leaned forward in his chair excitedly, “You know where Mr. Grant was last seen?”

Dave nodded.

“How d’you know this?” Clift demanded.

Adams leaned back in his chair, watching the younger man thoughtfully, “Because I was the one who sent him there.”

Clift gulped, “’Scuse me?”

Adams stared at him evenly, “You heard me. I was the one who sent him off on his last mission.”

“But!! But!! But why didn’t you tell me this?” Clift said angrily, “Do you have ANY idea how much time I’ve wasted?”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:43

Adams leaned forward over his desk, nailing Clift with his stare, “Did YOU stop to think you might be delving into territory that’s better left alone?” Dave looked away, studying a map on the wall for a moment. He continued quietly, “Grant’s mission was Classified. Top Secret. Need to know status.” He turned back to Clift, “And you didn’t need to know!” He rubbed his jaw wearily, “Now you’ve gone and lit up half the city’s underworld with your hunt about Grant.” He turned back to Clift, staring at him morosely, “Just what we didn’t need. Thank you so much.”

Adams sighed softly, seeing the determination in the other man’s eyes, “You wanna know where Grant was last seen? Simple. I sent him to Shangri-la. He hasn’t been seen alive since.”

Clift stared at the doctor, digesting what he’d just been told. Shangri-la. He’d heard about the place, but knew very little about it. He was told it was a strange, mysterious place, but why had Barry Grant been lost there? Was he still alive, or had he met up with foul play? He knew he had no choice but to go there and conduct an inquiry.

He rose slowly from his chair, grudgingly thanking the doctor for his time. He turned and left, lost in thought, contemplating all he’d been told.

Dave watched the young man leave, studying him thoughtfully. Several moments after he’d left, he nodded at the man who knocked quietly at his door, “Come.”

Adam Adami, one of his agents, peeked his head through, “Hey, Boss. You want us to stay on this guy?”

David Adams
David Adams
Red-Nosed

Nov-6-2008 12:44

Dave looked at him and nodded, “Twenty-four, seven, Adam. Don’t let the guy outta yer sight.” He saw Adam and Nicholas and several other agents head for the stairs, all ready to take turns surveilling Mr. Garrett. He reached for a bottle of bourbon and a glass he kept in a bottom drawer of his desk, pouring a not-so-small glass. He turned and stared out the office window at the city beyond. He wondered how long it would take Garrett before he continued his hunt for Grant. He’d seemed an earnest, yet somewhat unworldly young man. The guy was prob’ly dogged enough to keep looking ‘til he came up with a body. No telling whose it’d be....

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