Puzzle Solving
Submitted by evilstwin on Fri, 12/11/2009 - 04:06.
Who: Ian and Sam
Where: The Drake
When: lunch time
Delores, the girl who worked the front desk, was on her lunch hour and Ian was minding her place while she was gone. It had been a quiet day for the most part, and he'd just spent the past half hour pouring over the sequence of letters from the wall in the library. He still hadn't figured out what they meant, but he had put together a few different words with the letters.
Absentmindedly he rubbed the side of his temple with the eraser end of the pencil, still puzzled, but at least it was helping alleviate the boredom. Every so often someone would cross through the hotel lobby and he'd look up, but mostly it was just people headed for the restaurant.
Tagged:
Sam had been questioning
Sam had been questioning people for the past three hours and wasn't exactly getting anywhere. People weren't talking, clearly too scared to say a damn thing. She didn't blame them. It was starting to get pretty clear that the Syndicate was head over heels in chaos. Three of the five men she'd seen that day had clear O'Malley ties.
Papa G must be singing the Lord's praises on the roof of the Old House at the turn of the good fortune.
But Sam needed a break and so she had stopped at the deli around the corner for some sandwiches and headed to the Drake. Ian would be around and it had been awhile since she'd properly seen her cousin. Not that it was clear if they were actually blood cousins, but Mom had always called Ian her cousin.
The Drake wasn't too busy when she went in. She got a few strange and haughty looks from the more well-dressed women in the lobby but Sam ignored them. She spied Ian behind the front desk looking bored to tears and grinned, coming up to the desk and settling her purchases on the counter and ringing the little bell. "Coca-Cola and Julio's very best lunch-meat sandwich, just for you. I thought about a beer but you're working."
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The world just hated him didn't it? He'd spent the morning listening to the half wit he hired prattle on about his supposed relationship and now that she was gone he had to deal with her, his cousin the chic cop. The one who'd always acted like she was better than him, like she'd make his life miserable if he ever crossed the wrong lines.
Lucky for him he never did.
"Samantha," he greeted her, refusing to call her by her nickname. His face showed none of his disgust, but delight at the sight of her. "You didn't have to do this." In order to prove his excitement he dug into the lunch right away. "So what did I do to earn lunch? And from Julio's..." Ian raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously. "What do you want now?" His tone stayed teasing even if he really was curious.
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Sam shrugged, leaning against the counter. She was tired of haggling people for any kind of lead, any kidn of tip, and Ian was fairly easy to deal with most of the time. "There's cannoli in there too," she said more wearily, not answering his question and took a sip of her lukewarm coffee. "I'm sure you've read today's paper?" Because Ian could certainly afford a paper, unlike some people in this city.
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"Cannoli?" Ian looked pleased and dug around in the bag more to find the treasure at the bottom. She was a pain in the ass, but the lunch she'd brought was outstanding and thus he'd let her talk. "Of course I have," he told her giving her a look that said to keep her voice down. "It's the reason why things are so slow here today. Most people have canceled everything and now are staying out of any major named places. Just in case." He wasn't giving her any useful information, just stuff she should have either assumed or gathered from the ghost town feel of the hotel.
Sam rolled her eyes tiredly,
Sam rolled her eyes tiredly, not from what he said, just out of tiredness and frustration and looked around the lobby. A few women standing around, a bored bellhop or two but it was pretty unlively. "In case of what? Those O'Malley jerks decide to shoot up the rest of the city because one of their own fucked up?" She took a sip of her coffee. "No, they're just trying to be over dramatic. It's annoying." Everything felt annoying. She looked at Ian. "Food good?" She may be a bitch to her cousin a lot of the time, but it didn't mean she didn't care. Ian was... odd and she never truly knew if he meant what he was saying, but family was family and in this city, it's really all you had.
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"Does that surprise you?" Ian answered with his mouth full. "When have they not been full of drama?" Swallowing hard he looked at her. "I imagine the idea is that when bodies of their enemies start showing up they want good, clean alibis, or something. Who knows." Ian wasn't really interested. The O'Malleys running about killing each other was just another kink in his plan and when it all blew over he'd have to sort everything out. "Food's excellent, you wanna bite?" He offered the sandwich over, holding it up to her face.
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Sam shook her head in polite refusal. "I've been looking at dead bodies all day. Sort of lost the appetite." She ran a hand through her hair and spied a tablet on the desk, where Ian had been scribbling. Her eidetic memory already started committing words to memory, in case they meant something. "Whatcha working on there?"
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Ian scowled at that attempt to ruin his appetite, but took the sandwich back and took another bite. Not that he cared but her job was making her older by the day. If she really cared she'd quit and settle down or something logical. When she asked he handed her the notepad. "Anagram or something. Found the letters on the wall in the library. Not sure what the point was but it's something to do."
Sam looked at what he had
Sam looked at what he had briefly before pulling out her own notebook and started jotting down her own ideas. "Well, it looks like part of the name of a street," she said, noting several streets that contained the same letters with a few left over. She tore out the piece of paper and handed it to him. "Any of those seem familiar to you?" Well, they'd be familiar because they lived in Eidolon after all, but she meant if he had any connection to them.
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Ian scanned the list, a few street names sounding mildly important, but nothing that really jumped out on at him. "No," he told her, not interested in sharing with her. "Maybe it's meant for someone else? I mean I just happened upon it, I wasn't looking for it or anything."
"Yeah, maybe. The left over
"Yeah, maybe. The left over letters could stand for numbers, so if it is a street, it might be an exact address." She shrugged, used to Ian not expanding on things. She knew he never said everything on his mind. She's was a cop after all. "But yeah. Who knows what it really is." Sam took a gulp of her coffee. "If you do decide to get outta this place and investigate, be careful, okay?" Her voice was serious. She didn't want to find her cousin dead in an alley somewhere.
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"Huh," he said looking over, polishing off the last bit of the sandwich. "I never even thought of that." It was helpful to play a little dumber than he was. "See, this is why you're the detective and I'm the hotel manager." Her concern for him he always found amusing. Sure they were family, but he didn't give her a great reason to care for him like she did. Then again he didn't understand why anyone cared for anyone else. Seemed like such a waste of time and energy. "Of course I'll be careful. Always am." His smile came across as genuine as he touched her hand lightly, a friendly familiar touch.
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"What can I say? I have a soft spot for hotel managers that let me bug them when I'm bored," she said with a grin and a twitch of her nose. Sam scanned the lobby again. "So do you have any other plans for this joint? Heard your New Year's party went well." She wasn't there, she got stuck on duty.
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Ian let his eyes shine when she asked about the hotel. The family knew him to be proud of his position and he loved the hotel more than anyone else they'd ever brought in to run it, they just had no idea he was planning on using it to bring them down. "You should have been here, I know I sent you an invite. You were working again weren't you?" Ian gave her a stern look that lacked the strength behind it, so it ended up coming across as concerned. "I'm not sure. I was considering a masquerade ball. Obviously it would have to wait, but i think it might be fun."
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"Wonder how the "elite" would feel about that," Sam with a chuckle, referring to the rich of the rich in the city. "Big scandal or has Ian started a new trend." She sobered up a bit. "I am sorry I couldn't come but with this promotion, I should be able to make it. More regular hours at least." It was implied though, that her life still had unexpected turns, that day being an example. "Which is probably my cue to leave you to your exciting task of manning the front desk."
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"They would probably enjoy it more than most. A chance to slum with no one knowing who they are." Ian quirked a smile giving her his best trouble maker with a heart of gold look. "You need to have some real fun in your life Samantha," Ian told her. "And this job is so very exciting." He pulled a pocket watch from the vest of his suit, popping it open to check the time. "Yes, Delores should be back any minute now."
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Sam laughed. "Oh, c'mon, Ian. You can't compare to the loads of fun I'm having." She buttoned up her jacket and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. That pocket watch of his... maybe she should get one for herself. "Take care, Ian. If you see dear old Dad around today, tell him I'll give him a call tonight?"
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"No, never could compare dear." The look on his face said he was sad to see her go, although inside he was relieved. She hadn't come looking for anything in particular which was always a safe bet. "Of course I'll tell him. Thanks for lunch Samantha."
Sam, of course, did not know
Sam, of course, did not know of his inner relief or anything of that nature and gave him a small wave. "Any time. Take care." And with that she left back for the station.
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