The Collectable Car Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, only to Pet Fly Productions. These characters are mine:
Category: Case, awr Summary: Car show, robbery and a lot more.
March 10, 1999 Complex "Oh man, look at this!"
"What is that Frankie?" Joe asked him looking over the morning paper.
"Huh? Oh nothing, it's just an antique car show this weekend that's all."
"I didn't know you liked old cars?"
"Well for your information, how do you think I came across the car I have now?"
"Well I have no idea Frankie, why don't you enlighten me."
"Okay fine Joe, you don't have to be mean about it. I went to an antique car show a few years back with a friend, and came across this car that was for sale. I took to it right away, and bought it. The rest is history."
Joe just sipped his coffee and went on reading the paper.
"So Joe do you want to go with me this weekend? I know this is a traveling show, they go all over the country and world, I'd love to see what new additions they have this year?"
"Um, sure Frankie, just let me know when and where."
"Great! Man I can't wait this is going to be a lot of fun."
"Yeah and then we can grab a bite to eat and a beer or something."
"Sounds great Joe."
As if on cue Westlake walks in, carrying coffee.
"Morning Frankie", she looks right a Joe "Morning Joe". He just looks and nods his head.
"Did you guys read the morning paper yet?"
Joe holds up the sports section and Frankie the Life and Entertainment sections.
"Figures" she states to no one in particular.
"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Frankie asks her.
"Nothing, did you read about the classic cars that are being stolen from the..what is the name of it? Oh the McFerry Care Show?"
"You mean antique cars, Westlake. And no I didn't, what is going on?"
Frankie asked.
"The story is right there on page A4, but then again you don't read that section."
"HAHAHA" Joe replied "Boy you are in a cheerful mood today. Anything we should know about?"
"Well the article says that possible a team of people, about four or five, are coming into these shows, searching for a car they are interested in and then later that night, staging this elaborate plan to steal the car."
"Figures the one thing that I really want to go to is just a plot for car thieves." Frankie says "Yeah just your luck"
"You know Westlake, we are lucky Catlett hasn't come across this, we might actually have a case, instead of going to the game this weekend."
"Oh Joe please don't jinx this weekend will you? I really need just a few hours of a break." Westlake says as she gets up from the table.
"Joe you have a date with Westlake this weekend?" Frankie whispers "It's not a date Frankie.. it's a.. it's a few friends going out together to a basketball game, nothing more."
"Yeah right."
30 Minutes Later "Hi Frankie."
"OH hello Catlett, whats up?"
"Did you guys hear about the car thieves that are planning on robbing the car show this weekend at the Arena?"
"Yes we did"
"Well it fell into my lap and we have been asked to go under cover and find these guys and stop them."
Frankie looks over to Westlake and Joe who are sitting at the other computer station doing some research on a past case.
"What's up Frankie?" Westlake asks him.
"Catlett is on the phone, you guys want to come over here."
Westlake comes over and stand behind Frankie. Joe follows suit and invades Westlake's personal space a little to much. She turns around and looks at him, and gives him a wide smile. He takes this in a good way and reaches around her to put his coffee down.
"Morning Catlett what's up?"
"As I was just explaining to Frankie, the car show this weekend that is supposed to be robbed."
"Yes"
"You guys are going to go under cover. Come down here and I will give you the details."
"Alright we will be right there."
Joe and Westlake got up and said their good-byes to Frankie.
"I have this feeling that this case is going to involve a lot more then we expect."
"What do you mean by that Westlake?"
"Oh I don't know call it woman's intuition. I just get this funny feeling that's all."
"Oh I get it, I think. Westlake are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am alright."
They rode like that until they reached Catlett's office.
"Hey guys, thank you for coming so quickly. I have a new case for you."
"What are the details?"
"Okay, well there are four people involved in this ring. They follow auto shows around the world, specializing in sport cars, old and new.
From what our people tell us, it is a husband and wife team and two friends of theirs."
"Okay and how do we fit in?"
"Well the last few cars that were stolen were older, but all Vipers. You two are going to go undercover as married auto thieves. You are going to use the Viper, but are to say that is was a gift from your boss due to good work. I want you to try to infiltrate their business, befriend them, and then bust them. You can do this any way you can, but you both know the limits and the rules. Do not let the Viper out of your site. If matter get worse we will send in a decoy."
"But Catlett, is this the best way to go about this? Couldn't we enter the Viper in the show and do it that way?" Westlake asked. Joe was pacing behind her, trying to figure something out.
"Okay lets say we enter it in the show, that way we can be there to watch the Viper and the people. If we spot who we are looking for, we take your plan into action and go in that direction?" Joe stopped and asked Catlett.
"We could do it that way as well. How ever is fine, just catch them."
"Is that all?" Westlake asks "Just keep me informed when you can."
Joe and Westlake head out to her office after the meeting with Catlett.
"So you and I get to play husband and wife. This could be fun."
"Yeah I guess, it could have its possibilities." Joe says to me as he leans in to me.
"So where do you want to start?" I ask him.
Joe dumps a big yellow envelope on my desk that Catlett gave him. "Well we could start by looks at all the advantages that Catlett gave us."
"And I hope there are back notes and case files on this case in there as well."
"Why yes there is Westlake. But look at this, a apartment, new ids,
passes to get into the show and to enter the Viper."
"A apartment?"
"You get to actually share a place with me."
I groan. I am not sure if this is a good thing.
"Oh joy, I am thrilled. Can't you tell?"
"Okay Westlake okay, rub it in why don't you. No worries everything is going to work out."
We head back to the Complex so we can do further research on this case.
"Hey Frankie"
"Hey what's going on with this case?"
"We get to go undercover as a husband and wife team of auto thieves. Oh and get this we have to share an apartment. I just want this on record,
I want to solve this case in record time, the more time I have to share an apartment with Joe the worse I am going to be."
"Oh very funny Westlake. That hurt."
I shrug it off and go over to the computer.
"I am going to do some research on the Baird's" I say as I sit down.
"I am going for lunch, and requests?" Joe asks.
I don't answer him hopefully he will surprise me.
"What I find attached to the Baird name is not all that uncommon for auto thieves.
Sharon and Bill, married six years, both did time before that and after being married for robbery, assault, and drug possession. Quite a marriage let me tell you. I have no idea how they stayed together for so long. No kids, no family, no house, suprisingly no car; but that doesn't mean anything. They have reportabily hit twelve other car shows all over the world. The last four have been all Vipers. But other than that there is nothing on the surface. I am going to have Frankie run them through and see what he can find out.
"Frankie?"
"Yeah Westlake?"
"Can you run the Baird's through and see what you can dig up on them?"
"Yeah sure thing."
"Look Frankie I have to go out and do some errands before this whole thing gets underway. I'll be back a little later."
"Okay Westlake. See you later. What should I tell Joe when he come back?"
"Just tell him I'll be back."
I have to get out of here. I need to get some air and get my stuff together. Catlett did say it could last a week or so considering the show was in town for three weeks. Okay I am fine with the idea of spending three weeks with Joe, practically living together, but at the same time I am scared to death. But about the case, I am sure we will be fine. We are going to enter the Viper in the car show and Frankie will be joining us there as well for crowd surveillance.
I make it home to pack, and get my stuff together that we will need for this, then I decide that I have wasted enough time .