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GCPD: Rumours, Bargains & Pi
January 12th, 2000
<...Loren wrote...>
Evening falls on the Davenport Center, as its guests gather for the
annual Gotham Masquerade - a benefit ball full of several of the
city's wealthiest people, and the members of the GCPD who protect
them...
Pi: What more can one ask for? Women, wine, song... It's almost as
good as...
Sarina: If I were you, I'd just shut up and enjoy the dance. :)
Pi: Oh, I am! You're quite light on your feet, Miss Wade.
Sarina: Why, thank you, Pi. Just don't get carried away. All you're
getting out of me is a dance.
Pi: Why, Miss Wade! I hadn't thought of anything else!
Sarina: Sure...that's not what I've heard.
Pi: Oh...? From who, exactly?
Sarina: Well, no-one in particular, it's just what's going round in
the precinct.
Pi: And I'll bet I know just who started the whole thing, too...
<...Pi wrote...>
Pi: ...how *is* Mister Di Iorio?
Sarina: *Lieutenant* Di Iorio is just fine, thank you. A few carefully
chosen words, and I'm sure that everything will
be cleared up.
Pi smiles and nods, as his attention is caught by events taking place
behind Sarina's left ear.
Pi: If you'll excuse me, Miss Wayne...sorry, "Wade"...I'm afraid I'm
going to leave you alone now.
And with that, he abruptly releases her and walks across the room.
Sarina: Huh. He had two left feet anyway...
<...Loren wrote...>
Elsewhere in the expansive ballroom, standing against a cold,
marble pillar...
Loren: I wonder what Essen's gonna do about partner reassignments
tomorrow...
Chris: I dunno. Maybe Renee'll go back to work with Bullock.
Loren: Well, *I'm* certainly not on her list of favourite people right
now. Any chance you'd be willing to work with me
again in the SIU?
Chris: Hey, that's how we became one of the greatest teams on the force!
Sure, I'm up for it!
Loren: Thanks, Chris. I just hope Sarah agrees with you.
Lt. Essen, coincidentally, chooses that moment to walk toward the
gentlemen.
Chris: Hey...! Lookin' good tonight, el-tee.
Sarah: Detective Small, don't you know it's against protocol to
hit on the commissioner's wife? ;)
Chris: Believe me, I know. My hands are still shrivelled from the
*last* time I had to wash that car of yours. :)
Sarah: How'd you know it was me, anyway?
Chris: You kidding? Who *else* walks like that? ;)
Sarah: Enough with the compliments, Chris. It's almost like you're
softening me up to ask for some kind of favour...Di
Iorio, you
seem a little quiet. Normally, *you're* the one
kissing my feet
like a slave-boy. :)
Chris motions for the two of them to walk a bit away from Loren, so
he can't quite hear what they're saying.
Chris: Uh, Lieutenant... he's still sort of depressed about what
happened between him and Renee yesterday. He's not
really
been himself lately.
Sarah: I'll try not to make an issue out of it, then.
They return to the pillar, where Loren remains.
Sarah: Listen, Loren, I've got someone I'd like you and Chris to
meet. You two'll be working with her office quite a
bit over
the next while...and yes, that means I'm reassigning
Chris to
Special Investigations.
Chris: Alright! Thanks!
Sarah leads Chris away, but not before...
Chris: Hey, partner! Aren't you comin'?
Loren: Nah, you go on ahead, Chris. If it's all the same, Lieutenant
Essen, I think I'll just stay here for now.
They continue to distance themselves from Loren.
Sarah: You're not kidding about him. He usually jumps at the chance,
whenever a new woman's involved. :)
Chris: He's not thinking about scoring, after yesterday.
Sarah: Then what was that whole thing with that Italian woman...
What was her name? Something Bertinelli?
Chris: I don't know what's going on there, and frankly, I think it's
better that way.
Weaving their way through the partygoers, they finally stop under a
sparkling chandelier. And their target below the hanging ornament is
just as eye-catching...
Sarah: Detective Small, I'd like you to meet Gotham's new Assistant
District Attorney, Lennon Johnson...
<...Lennon wrote...>
Chris stares into the glittering green eyes before him for a few
awkward moments before Lennon finally speaks up...
Lennon: Nice to meet you, Detective. I hear I'll be seeing a lot of
you and your partner.
She extends a graceful hand which Chris gently shakes.
Chris: Yeah, nice to meet you, too.
Lennon: And where is your partner? Didn't he want to meet me?
Chris: Sorry, what was that?
Lennon: Your partner, where is he?
Chris: Oh. Sulking in the corner over there.
He gestures toward the pillar that he and Sarah had just come from.
Lennon is immediately intrigued by the almost-scowling figure half-
blanketed in shadow. She unconsciously brushes her long, mahogany hair
from her face.
<...Pi wrote...>
Pi watches as Chris, Sarah, and Lennon make small-talk. A half-scowl
comes to his face as he stares at Lennon, immediately flicking back to
his previous absent look when a guest passes him.
<...Lennon wrote...>
Sarah: His name is Lt. Di Iorio. He's been having a bad couple of days
and doesn't really feel in the mood to party.
Lennon: I'm sorry to hear that. Well, I'll leave him alone then. We'll
get acquainted soon enough with the case we'll
be working on.
<...Pi wrote...>
As the three part, Pi sidles up to Lennon...
Pi: Charming little get-together, wot-wot?
Lennon: Hm? Oh, yes, charming. I'm sorry, what was that you said
just then?
Pi: Er... Oh never mind. You're the new ADA, yes? Ms. Johnson?
Lennon: Yes, and you? Oh, wait, I know you...the new English guy.
Funny, your file didn't quite make your name
clear. It looked
like Sally or something...
Pi: <loudly> YES, right, well, I'm sure you'll settle in just fine,
everyone at the GCPD seems very friendly, it won't be difficult to get
along. Naturally, you won't be getting into the same sorts of
scrapes
as some newbies. You know about the Frankie Black/Mason case,
along
with all the others?
Lennon: Come again?
Pi: <quietly> Few months back or so, newbie cop by the name of Mason,
killed an undercover cop. Went nuts when the GCPD got on to him,
shot
another cop, tried to kill Frankie Black. Story goes that a
couple of
the Vigilantes took him down, Bat-Boy and Hunter-girl or some such
stuff. Practically no follow-up took place, incredible isn't it.
And
then of course, there was the shambles with the near-execution of the
Joker before that, and then that thing with poor Detective Montoya
getting kidnapped by a political faction...
Loren: AHEM.
Loren walks up to the pair, noticing that Pi has been talking for
some time. Lennon and Pi turn.
Loren: Everything alright here, Pi?
Lennon: Your name's "Pie"?
Pi: <ignoring her> Ah, Lieutenant, I was just about to talk about
you. I don't believe you've met our new ADA. Lennon Johnson, meet
Loren Di Iorio. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I should go and
apologise to Miss Wade for stepping on her toes and mispronouncing
her name.
Pi: <quietly to Lennon> We must talk again, in more detail...
Pi wanders off in the opposite direction to Sarina, muttering under
his breath about the "incredible comic timing of Gothamites", leaving
Loren and Lennon alone.
<...Loren wrote...>
Loren: Excuse me, Miss Johnson...
Loren strides away before Lennon can reply.
Lennon: That's strange... Why'd he even bother to come over here?
Didn't even acknowledge me.
The detective with the SIU catches up with Pi, to have a word with
him, before he can get to Sarina.
Loren: I thought I told you to watch who you talk to!
Pi: Jealous that I got to her before you did, are you?
Loren: You *know* that's not what I meant... Why do you hafta bring
up stuff about the force that you shouldn't even know
about
in the first place? You could get a lot of us in
serious crap!
Pi: How and who I associate with is my own affair. I don't need you
to chaperone me like some silly night owl.
Loren: Look, all I'm saying is, you haven't been in the department
that long at all, so try not to screw yourself, or
the rest
of us.
Pi: Why don't you go water the plants, or something, Lieutenant.
I hear a lot of fertilizer's good for them. ;I
And with that, their conversation ends, adding some more tension to
Loren's already rough night.
<...Lennon wrote...>
Chris: What is this mysterious case we'll be working on anyway, el-tee?
Sarah: Let's leave business at the office for now, Detective. You'll
learn soon enough.
Chris wasn't completely satisfied with the answer, but knew he had to
let it be for now...
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