Criminal Intent: Making things right

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap waits. It looks like his patience and watchfulness may yet pay off. As soon as the ghouls are gone, the coyote will cautiously approach Twist and do his best 'Lassie' impression, trying to lead her off into a dark and secluded spot where they will not be seen or overheard.

[Twist]

"Of course. Until then..." Twist said, making note of the provided number. Then pulling the phone away from her ear, she slipped out of the vehicle and held it out to return it to the ghoul, not bothering to see if Mr. Kowalsic remained on the line or if he had hung up upon her farewell.

About to take leave of the ghouls and their work, Twist noted the slow approach of the coyote. Frowning, she rolled a wrist, feeling the reassuring slickness of one of her knives ready to be pulled.

What in the name of the goddess was up with the animal? She had things to do, texting Dirt Nap for one and meeting up with Edward and Mable being another. Well, it just as clearly wasn't going away as much as it was waiting on her.

Stepping away from the gallery and the processes going on there, she moved in the direction of her vehicle, keeping the animal in sight even as she gave it what it seemed to want. Time with her.

It would be the last time it would experience if it thought that pulling her away from the ghouls would insure an easy kill.

[Dirt Nap]

For its part, the coyote is cautions and respectful, though it is just as obviously determined not to be completely left behind. It trails Twist at a distance, until she gets far enough away from the lights and any witnesses to ensure that no one else will observe or hear their interaction either in the present or on any recordings later.

Being absolutely sure there are no witnesses or cameras in sight, and it's dark and secluded enough that no mortal would be able to see anything anyway, Dirt Nap changes into his human seeming form forsaking the Shape of the Beast, complete with his rifle still over his shoulder on its strap.

"Evening, Ma'am." Dirt Nap says softly, certain Twist will have no trouble seeing or hearing him. "Sorry I wasn't able to tell you that I was there the whole time. First as a rat." He apologizes and explains at the same time.

[Twist]

The knife was in her hand without a second thought, her weight balanced lightly on the balls of her feet, her dark eyes fixed on the coyote morphing into ... Dirt Nap.

Exhaling she straightened.

"Good evening" she replied with a touch of wry in her voice. Sliding the blade back home, "I did not realize that that shape was one of the options. I will have to keep that in mind. And I understand why you were unable to explain."

Just as she had worked to avoid a breach, she appreciated that he had as well.

"I suppose now I do not need to text you. Mr. Heinrich and Miss Wood are at the farm along with the artist. I was planning on going there now myself."

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods. "Thank you for your understanding, Ma'am. I find it a mite easier to do what needs to be done without attracting too much attention that way." He says, unconsciously touching the rifle which hangs from his shoulder on a strap.

"I have to say...the rats around here are a bit more...enthusiastic, say, than I expected."

Dirt Nap looks to Twist and makes his request. "Ma'am, if you can spare a little time, I'd sorely like to fill you in on why I sent you that text, how it came to that, somewhere we could talk alone? It shouldn't take long, but...to my way of thinking, it should be in private, and sooner rather than later."

[Twist]

The rats. Of course. Once you thought about it, it made sense. She chuckled lightly, the memory of the final panicked escape of the mortals coming to mind, "Their enthusiasm likely worked to our benefit in the end."

Nodding down the street, "My vehicle is just up ahead. We can talk on the way to the farm."

[Dirt Nap]

"Yes, Ma'am." Dirt Nap says respectfully. He is silent during the walk to the car, and only speaks when they are inside the car with the doors and windows secured, and the motor running.

"I will try to spare you the whole, long thing, Ma'am. I will try to give you what seems to me to be the high points, and then answer any questions. First off, my former leader, 'Mr. H' and I were in the wild preserve, the barrens, and ran into Ms. M. She's the one you finished off back there, by the way. She was on her phone on the time, talking to a 'Simone' and saying some feller or another was vulnerable now, and they had to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak."

Dirt Nap pauses for questions.

"Mr. H and I gave her a ride into town, dropped her off at a hotel, and turned her down when she seemed to want to get us involved with something that she said would embarrass the "I" group. Pardon my talking around things, even here, Ma'am. I don't want to take any chances, but I will answer any questions."

Dirt Nap ponders and then says, "That was the end of it until I got a call from Mr. H. Edward, actually. He said there was a breach, and I and some others were bein' asked to help take care of it. He said to meet at a bar. I showed up, not as myself, you understand, and sniffed around. I picked up Ms. M's scent in the alleyway, and signs of a scuffle, including some of the special type of blood."

"When I got together with Mr. H, he told us that he was acting for someone else, who was concerned about a breach. He said someone got lost in their feed, and their food got done in, in that alley, and that a photographer had pictures. He said the one who lost control was a young woman with brown hair. He said it was told to him, that it looked like you, Ma'am."

Dirt Nap waits a few beats, though nobody around had a beating heart to count by.

"So we found the artist. You met him later. He was taken under the wink of Miss S. She said she knew Ms. M, but they weren't in this together. The photographer turned out to be an artist, and he had a sketch and a painting, not a photo, and when Mister E saw the sketch, he cursed. He let out later, and I saw with my own eyes anyway, that it wasn't a young woman at all in the picture, it was a man who looked a lot like Mister K."

Dirt Nap paused again and then says, "That was when he tried to talk me out of telling you, Ma'am. I don't believe Mr. E had anything against you, but I am not so sure about Mr. K, who I am sure is the one that put Mr. E up to this. He said from the beginning that the idea was to destroy all evidence. I think it wasn't only about stopping a breach, but about covering up who exactly did that breach."

"Well, then he got the address of the picture show, direct from Ms. M herself, who still seemed to think we were interested in causing an embarassment. Mr. E gave us the address, and I texted it to you right then and there, where he could see, and told him what I was doing. He didn't try to stop me."

"We were supposed to meet at the show, but I knew I would stand out no matter how I dressed, so I went in as a rat and chewed up the wires to the lights. Then I called in some others to make a mess and make what I did look natural. I believe you know as much as I do from then on, Ma'am. Except that along the way I brought Ms. H up to speed, and promised I'd mention any investigations to the P. I plan to do that next, before I get eliminated by a bunch of Mr K's friends as a witness."

Dirt Nap abruptly stops talking, presumably to entertain any questions, though he looks content to not say another word at all if there aren't any.

[Twist]

"I appreciate that," she said as she started the vehicle and began the route home. It did not take long before she realized that despite what he said though, that it was not going to be an easy tale to follow. Keeping her hands loose on the wheel she kept her brow smooth with a tiny effort.

"I appreciate your caution but please, it would be easier if you spoke simply."

Taking a breath, she did frown now, though it was in thought rather than frustration.

"So you and Mr. Heinrich found Melanie talking to Simone and gave her a ride. Few nights later you are asked to help Mr. Heinrich cover a breach. Not his, but another's. And yet it was implied it was my breach." The effort to keep her hands loose on the wheel this time took more than a tiny effort.

"Which one did not want to tell me? Mr. Heinrich or Mr. Kowalsic? Twist worked to keep her voice calm. It was very important to know who was responsible for the initial attempt on her.

To her, it was more important than the near breach. That was up to ... well, Ale at this point since they had no Reeve. Of course, Ale could call her in, she was the Prince's Hound after all. But until then, her involvement her was personal.

[Dirt Nap]

"Sorry, Ma'am." Dirt Nap says respectfully when Twist asks him to speak more clearly. "That's pretty much my meaning, Ma'am, 'cept it was Horatio with me when we first met Melanie, Ma'am." He explains.

Dirt Nap is silent for a full minute after she asks who it was that didn't want him to text her about the accusation made against her. "I never met Mr. Kowalsic, so I hate to accuse him based on hearsay...and at the same time, though it was Mister Heinrich who suggested I didn't need to text you, I am pretty certain it was because it was how Mr. kowalsic wanted things, and that Mr. Kowalsic was telling Mr. Heinrich how to handle things...." Dirt Nap says, obviously uncomfortable, even pained at having to speculate rather than report concrete facts he'd personally witnessed.

"I have to think Mister Heinrich had some choice about things, because I don't think Ms. Wood and me would have been the ones Mr. Kowalsic would have brought into the picture, so to speak."

After another silence, Dirt Nap says thoughtfully, "It was probably Mr. Kowalsic's idea to say it was you, to keep anyone from talking about it. Having to face you would make anyone think twice before they went around talking about it at all, I would think, Ma'am."

[Twist]

"Ah," Twist breaths, acknowledging the error but not apologizing for it.

Hearing the tone of unease in his voice, Twist glanced at him briefly, confirming visually what she heard audibly. Smiling she turned her gaze back to the road, "I understand. Do not worry, I do not plan to accuse either man based on this conversation alone."

She knew it wasn't as reassuring as saying that she wouldn't use his thoughts at all, but she was not in the business of lying. Both men had interest in setting her up. Mr. Kowalsic because of his status in the covenant and Edward for the fact that he no longer had any.

A soft chuckle sounded in the darkness of the vehicle, "I suppose they would at that." Despite her angerrage at the situation there was a thread of pleasure that slipped in at the compliment Dirt Nap pointed out.

"Is there anything else?" she asked after a moment. Anything else to add before they joined up with Edward and Mable. Before they heard what Edward had to say ... and if his words would direct the point of her knife to him. Or another.

Sorry Ruach and Seryna - this week killed me. If there isn't anything else that Dirt Nap has to add, I am good with moving to join up with Edward/Mable in their existing scene/starting a new one. Try to get this back rolling toward its conclusion.