NOVEL WEB ~5~
Meanwhile, Jervis and Alpha Crucis talked about their ongoing case at a nearby closed restaurant.
Jervis was looking at the window through the blinds, “Halberstam have always been an asshole, and now the uncrowned princess is learning from him.”
“I can’t get a hold of Bennett, possibly traveling back home and sulking. But she did leave us with a lot of notes and web of connections.” Alpha Crucis informed.
“That’s amazing, but that will be days to sort this out. I know Lord Caliber’s operation is close. I checked with the C.P. yesterday about a substantial increase in missing person cases in the past month.” Jervis insisted.
"The reason is that young females from rural areas usually come here to do modeling here in London. Coming from broken homes and orphanages. Too many teenagers just lost with no one caring about them..." Alpha Crucis ranted.
Alpha Crucis spoke from experience, but Jervis didn't want to say, "We did discover something..." He then walked to a table, picked up a folder, and looked through it. "Forensics found a truck with numerous blood stains inside. Tested all females, non-human. The truck was impounded because it was in a no-parking zone in Essex. It was brought to their lot two weeks ago. No registration, of course."
“Non-human as in several types of nephalem that are not classified in their D.N.A. database," Alpha Crucis concluded.
"Don't be discouraged. I wouldn't have called you here if I didn't have any good news." Jervis said as he showed a photograph of a small brown-haired, blue-eyed man wearing a purple and blue robe. "I recognized one of the picture on one of Marco’s boards. This was taken a few days ago! That is Cardinal Marley! Lord Caliber's attorney. We checked his old law firm, Hammer Hann and Sullivan. He worked for a couple of decades ago and defended the worst. He is not so innocent himself. He was disbarred back in 1989. Got his license back, but the firm folded in 2006. Over a year later, he built his private practice, and guess who his first client was? Our law division has just discovered he was named power of attorney as a security countermeasure.”
"More like his psyche is unraveling, and the Holy Mother sees that," Alpha Crucis said. "So, where is the cardinal?"
"Cardinal Marley never shows holy robe out in public, but Geoffrey Marlo will be putting on his best suit while presenting the A.S.A. Award tonight at the Novello Theatre," Jervis said with a smile.
Later that night, the Novello Theatre was packed with celebrities, doctors, and crown prosecutors. During the event, many people were honored by their peers. One was Dr. Geoffrey Marlo's pro bono work providing free legal representation for assault victims. He was sitting at the table with his esteemed colleagues.
His wife, Meghan, gently nudged her husband, “Geoffrey, I can hear you snoring.”
The bored Geoffrey looked at his beautiful redhead wife with an unamused expression, "Please, Meghan... They could have given me the award an hour ago. They want to drag this out because of ad revenue."
With her smoldering dark eyes, Meghan longing looks at him with a smile.
Then, a waitress poured him a glass with a pitcher of water. He accepted the drink and took a few sips.
Meghan rubbed his back to comfort him, “I know you don’t like all of the ass kissings, but it’s only once a year.”
A few moments later, they called for his name.
Meghan giggled, “Speaking of which, you won again!”
“Finally...” Geoffrey finished his glass of water and went up the stage with applause. He stepped onto the podium and spoke into the mic, "Thank you! Today, I want to say that the A.S.A. Foundation built ten years ago had one goal: to give those abused a choice."
A peal of sudden girlish laughter was in the audience. But no one was laughing. Geoffrey was wondering where it came from.
Steadfastly, he continued, “My mother... My mother used to tell me this powerful quote. There is no life to be found in violence. Every act of violence brings us closer to death. Whether it's the mundane violence we do to our bodies by overeating toxic food or drink or the extreme violence of child abuse, domestic warfare, life-threatening poverty, addiction, or state terrorism--”
The girlish laughter that was in the audience intensified. Still, it wasn't the audience they began to worry about Geoffrey.
Geoffrey cleared his throat as he pushed forward, “and as we move forward to women’s and racial tolerance--!”
The sound of girls laughing hysterically was deafening as it bounced through walls.
Geoffrey started to fidget and sweat profusely. Adjusting his collar, he tries to keep calm.
He tried laughing it off, but it didn't help, "okay, enough! You can stop now..."
Still, he could hear the laughter.
"No, stop it! This isn't funny!" Geoffrey demanded.
Meghan was concerned as she stood up, “Geoffrey, what’s wrong?!”
Then the sound turned to blood-curdling screams and loud gasping moans of pleasure.
He tried covering his ears, but it didn’t work, “STOP IT!” he yelled as he staggered off the stage and onto the floor on his back.
He coughed, knocking the wind out of him and rolling around in pain.
He opened his eyes to see an empty theater. No people, no tables, no lights.