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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-13-2008 12:54


“Mrs. Franks-”

“I hurt him so much.” Becky spoke unexpectedly, still crying. “I just never could let him go, whether I needed him or not... He was dear to me, I swear it. But I caused him so much trouble and so much misery. He was always there when I needed him... For heaven’s sake, Barry... Disappearance you say? Has he been kidnapped again?”

Clift pressed on. “It’s too early in the investigation to tell Mrs. Franks, tell me what were you doing in Shanghai at the time of your arrest?”

Becky attempted drying her tears with a twisted handkerchief in her hands, but they kept coming down her rosy cheeks. “I am innocent Mr. Garrett. I was framed. All these charges are baseless and untrue, I swear it and can prove it.”

Clift spoke with his eyes on his watch. “Mrs. Franks, please, we don’t have much time. Tell me what were you doing in Shanghai at the time of your arrest?”

“I was there to meet with Barry. He had invited me over to meet with him.”

“Can you elaborate on that?”

“I had heard that his Agency has run into financial difficulties. I wanted to help. I contacted him and he said he was fine and the agency was fine...” Becky was gasping for air as she spoke. “...that he just needed to get away from it all and go where he cannot be found ever... I told him this was crazy talk but he wouldn’t listen... You don’t know Barry: when his mind is made up no one can bring him around...” Becky broke down once more into tears.


Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Nov-13-2008 12:57


Clift felt sorry for her.

She was in a miserable state emotionally, he could tell. She needed a hug, but he wasn’t in a position to offer her any solace. “You were saying he wanted to get away. Did he tell you from what, or who, or why?”

Becky shut her eyes tight in an effort to either remember or stop crying. “No he didn’t. He was determined on leaving though. I knew I was the only person he would listen to. I went to Shanghai to stop him from making any rash decisions...”

“And?”

“He was already gone by the time I got there. And before I knew it, I was arrested and framed with several made up criminal and civil charges. Life has not been the same since. I’ve lost both my Barry and my freedom in the same month. How was I meant to go on?” Becky was getting more nervous and agitated as she spoke. “No one seems to understand me. The whole world doesn’t understand. I need him... badly... please find him Mr. Garrett.”

The guard at the door started to move towards Becky. Clift shouted some more questions quickly. “Did anyone meet with you concerning Barry? Do you know who else I could ask about him? Where would you expect him to be right now?”

Becky obediently got up from her chair and moved towards the guard. She spoke to Clift, keeping eye contact as she stepped towards the door. “Since my arrest, no one ever mentioned Barry to me until you came. I don’t know of anyone. I can’t think of anything... I... I’d expect him to be in Shanghai. He had a very strange connection and passion for that city. He enjoyed being there: loved the race track.” A smile escaped her as she said, “He enjoyed dating there as well.”

Becky suddenly resisted the guard and turned to Clift. “Please find him Mr. Garrett. Tell him I love him and miss him dearly. Please find him, tell him only he can get me out of this mess. I know no one else will care, not even you will.”

Clift looked down, as Becky continued to struggle and weep as she was being dragged out of sight.

yoyofoshow
yoyofoshow
Old Shoe

Nov-14-2008 07:20

Yoyo sat in his leather chair in Closers London HQ, in front of him he had a piece of paper, on it was written 'Aylesbury Women’s Prison'. It was the one place Yoyo knew where Clift was, normally he wouldn't be chasing another detective but this case hit close to home and he needed to know where it was going. With that he stood up and set out to find Clift.

Violet Parr
Violet Parr
Thespian

Nov-14-2008 12:42


The train had left Aylesbury railway station and was now moving at full speed on its way to London, Paddington.

Miss Violet Parr waited a few more minutes before getting up from her seat and making her way towards the first class carriage. As she entered, she felt quite at home and she recalled the days when first class treatment had always felt like home. With a smile on her lips, she quickly scanned the lavish carriage before finally locating Mr. Clift Garrett. Unfortunately, the seat opposite him was occupied and so was the seat next to him.

Miss Parr resigned herself to taking the seat right behind Clift’s, giving him her back. She cleared her throat, turned her head slightly and -though she felt like an utter ninny- spoke up. “Good evening Mr. Garrett.”

Clift turned his head slightly, then pushed himself up on his chair, turned, tilted his head once more and looked down towards her. He smiled, sat back down and spoke. “Good evening, Miss Parr. And what are you up to this ‘good’ evening?”

“Well Mr. Garrett, I…” Violet stuttered a bit in reply. She did not expect Clift to be teasing her forwardness. On the contrary, she expected him to be intimidated by it. “I… actually need to speak with you, privately.”

“Miss Parr, this whispering back and forth on a loud, speeding train is as private as it gets. Especially since the elderly couples around us seem to be sleeping.”

Violet felt very awkward speaking to Mr. Garrett in a whisper over her shoulders. She felt quite absurd speaking to anyone at all without looking at them directly, but somehow she felt safe in her current situation -after all no seemed to take notice of them. She spoke clearly. “Mr. Garrett, I know what you’re up to.”

Clift amused himself. “What am I up to?”


Violet Parr
Violet Parr
Thespian

Nov-14-2008 12:46


“I have heard so much about you and your Barry Grant investigation through various friends and contacts. Though I am willing to help upon your request, I am actually here to warn you away from investigating Barry’s past rather than aid you in uncovering more information about it.”

“Miss Parr, I appreciate your worries and sentiments, but I assure you that I know exactly what I’m doing.” Clift’s tone included the vanity of a new detective, never broken before. “I come from a strong detective background and am a member of an influential agency, working under the tutelage of a powerful detective. I cannot envision any harm coming my way.”

‘The poor dear boy,’ Violet thought to herself, ‘who would ever send him on a mad hunt after Barry… after all this time, in spite of all these dangers.’ She took a breath then spoke. “Mr. Garrett, I do not doubt your abilities, nor do I doubt the experience and influence of your colleagues and affiliates. But matters always seem to get complicated around Barry.”

“You seem passionate about this, are you speaking from personal or professional experience Miss Parr?” Clift asked somewhat crudely. There was a hint in his question that she felt was distasteful.

Violet felt a little insulted by his insinuation, but she swallowed and answered his question. “Mr. Garrett, Barry and I were always good friends and colleagues. However, our friendship never crossed any lines, and neither did our professional comradeship. If you doubt all I say, I ask you not to doubt this truth.”

“I don’t know you Miss Parr,” Clift said, somewhat apologetically, “I don’t have any reason to doubt anything you say, but your warnings seem a bit melodramatic, I know we’re detectives, but Barry couldn’t have gotten himself into this much trouble.”


Violet Parr
Violet Parr
Thespian

Nov-14-2008 12:49

Miss Parr sighed. “Barry always found it hard to stay out of trouble... Though it would have been so much easier for him to make friends and keep them if he hadn’t.” Violet Parr cast her mind back. She then shook her head into the present. “I just do not believe you fully understand what you will be getting yourself into Mr. Garrett. A word of warning from someone who experienced more than you did in this world of detection: If Barry has disappeared out of his own accord, then -knowing him- he would not want to be found. If he disappeared out of someone else's accord, then there is no telling what would happen to someone on his trail.”

“Ticket please!”

Violet was suddenly startled by the passing conductor. “I beg your pardon?”

“Your train ticket, Madam.”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry.” She fumbled through her purse. “There you go.”

The conductor looked at the ticket and then his very suspicious gaze fell once again on Miss Parr. “This is not a first class ticket, Madam.”

Violet Parr realised she had, once again, overstayed her welcome in the first class carriage. There was only one course of action before her, as always. She attempted feigning surprise as realistically as possible: “Oh, really? But that’s absurd!”


Barry Grant
Barry Grant
Old Shoe

Nov-14-2008 19:16

Li Qin Gao, Barry Grant Associates' clerk, headed home after closing up the office. It was the end of another long and uneventful day. She lost track of how much time had gone by since she last saw any detective cross the threshold of BGA. She didn't care that much. Since the disappearance of all detectives, her job became much easier. She didn't have to straighten up or clean up after them. She stopped dusting awhile ago and only had to buy food for one, herself. She didn't have to keep track of who was borrowing what from either the locker or the cash box. Life was pretty good.

It was only recently that she started feeling a little lonely and wondered if it was even worth coming back anymore. Her boss had made a provision for her that she should keep working until the money in the safe ran out. She knew she had a job for a long time to come but she started to wonder if it was worth showing up everyday. After all, no one had been by in a very, very long time.

As Li Qin was walking home trying to decide whether she should go back and just clean out the safe or not, she decided to head over to the toy emporium to see what toys she might be able to buy her nieces and nephews with all the cash she knew was in the safe.

As she neared the store she passed an alley. It was deep, dark, and the parts she could see were dirty and piled with garbage. She could just make out some other shapes that resembled legs lying on the ground but didn't feel it was necessary to stop to confirm that assumption. Just as she passed, she thought she heard a faint moan from deep within that alley.

*more*

Barry Grant
Barry Grant
Old Shoe

Nov-14-2008 19:17


Li Qin stopped dead in her tracks. That moan was of a certain masculine register that she had not heard in a long time. It was similar to the masculine register that she enjoyed hearing so long ago. She turned slowly and headed back to the alley and looked into it. She waited a few moments to let her eyes get used to the darkness and then she was able to make out human torsos attached to some of those legs.

Then she let out a gasp. At the end of one pair of legs, she recognized the pair of High Class Two Tones she use to shine everyday despite the dirt and grime that covered them. As she ran over to those feet she heard another identical moan and saw it came from the man attached to the Two Tones.

"MR. BARRY!....."

Clift Garrett
Clift Garrett
Thespian

Nov-15-2008 01:09


“She’s with me.” Clift got up from his seat and stood between Miss Parr and the ticket man, taking hold of Violet’s hand.

He turned to Violet and winked. “Sorry darling, my mind must have been pre-occupied when I purchased your ticket.” He paid the difference to keep Miss Parr in the first class carriage, and a further fine for 'his own carelessness'.

He sat opposite Violet Parr and let go of her hand. His soft features hardened a bit and his facial expressions went dead serious. “Miss Parr, you have spoken a lot in the past few minutes. Yet you managed to give me nothing but answerless answers all along. If you are indeed willing to cooperate like you claim, then I need some information: clear, direct and open.”

Violet shifted in her seat with certain unease. She realized that Clift had just saved her from humiliation and that she was now trapped. “What exactly do you want to know Mr. Garrett?” she said plainly.

“I want to know who told you about my investigation, and why have you followed me from London to Aylesbury. I need to know where Barry Grant is right now, and what you know exactly about his disappearance.”

“Well, I just had to-”

Clift cut her sentence. “Don’t tell me it’s to warn me, Miss Parr. You and I both know you’re here because you know something. Now, what is it that you know?”


Violet Parr
Violet Parr
Thespian

Nov-15-2008 05:14


Miss Violet Parr recomposed herself, having been caught off guard by Mr. Garrett’s sudden dryness in speaking with her. She was not used to dealing with the more direct type of detectives. Though Miss Parr has been assertive and even aggressive herself in the past, she always felt more comfortable when charm was being used.

Nevertheless, she smiled politely. “Mr. Garrett, please let me thank you first, for being such a gentleman during the conductor incident.” She sighed. “There was a time where I could travel first class legitimately all the time.”

“Was that the time when you knew Barry Grant?”

“Oh yes it was.” Violet looked Mr. Garrett’s anticipating eyes. She recalled what it felt like to be a new detective on a case. She maintained her smile throughout her speech. “I have given you my warning and I will now answer all your questions, as promised. Yes it was during the time I knew Barry Grant. He was a gentleman and most definitely a charmer. He always felt like a brother to me and although we met only once during our careers as detectives…” Violet Parr stopped.

She could not believe that fact: Violet has indeed only met Mr. Grant once throughout her career as a detective, in that hospital room where she introduced herself to him in the few minutes she had before leaving. The rest of her communications with Mr. Grant took place over letters, telegrams and various notes and parcels. Miss Parr could not believe that someone she considered so close and dear only saw her once.

“Continue please, Miss Parr.”


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