10-04-2019, 11:11 AM
In the couch in her head, Contessa Helena de San Finzione and Suzy-Q were continuing their discussion.
"Then who was Raymond Chen?" Helen asked.
"Nobody," Susy-Q said as she slid closer. "A name out of the Hong Kong phone book; there's probably a couple hundred Raymond Chens. Statistically speaking, with that many, one of them has to be a pedophile or something, so you can take some comfort in the thought that maybe they got the right one."
"That's not much. Also, if the Elders wanted to placate me badly enough to commit a random murder, why would they send an assassin a couple hours later, much less one that's deaf so he couldn't hear my command?"
"Wish that clue light was still here," Suzy-Q said, looking around. "So, it's not the Triad either. But SOMEONE set up the human trafficking stop in San Finzione. Someone who can and would manipulate both you and the Elders into thinking this Raymond Chen was responsible. And the next afternoon, a deaf assassin makes a suicide run for you? That's altogether too much coincidence for one 12-hour period."
Helen took in what Suzy-Q was saying. If she really was some part of Susan psychically reaching out to her, she was a damn smart one. And totally hot in the Lara Croft getup.
"Yes. Yes, it is. So, you're saying someone was smart enough to persuade a bunch of Triad goons to set up a human trafficking way-station in San Finzione and tipped La Policia off. They passed the matter up to me and the Ultimados and we raided the warehouse and shut them down. Then in half a day, they managed to track down a deaf assassin who also happens to be suicidal and got him into striking distance of me. Why do the first part? To frame the Elders for my death?"
Suzy-Q wrinkled her brow and asked a question.
"Wait, who's Umiwama?"
Helen gave a look of shock and was about to say something before she remembered that however this worked, Suzy-Q seemed to have some kind of access to her thoughts.
"A girl I met in Uongo. Igazi wanted a demonstration of 'my witchcraft,' so he made me..." A bolt of realization hit her. "That's why they went to all the trouble! They wanted a demonstration!"
Suzy-Q scooted close enough to touch and gave her an excited look.
"RIGHT! They've heard the stories about Contessa Helena de San Finzione being able to control the wills of men, but they needed to know for sure. So, they created a situation that you couldn't possibly ignore; one where you'd show up in person and definitely make use of The Thing so they could see it for themselves. Did you see any cameras?"
Helen thought about it for a moment. She usually had to do stuff like this herself, and withe the Whatever creatures out of the way, it was new and exciting to have a partner to bounce her thoughts off of; even if she was only an imaginary version of someone Helen wished were this good a friend in real life. She answered.
"No, but then again, I wasn't looking for any."
"Right! You were ALWAYS a better criminal than Wade." That got a smile from Helen. "Setting up a slavery ring and then recording your own evidence of it would be so UNBELIEVABLY stupid that YOU wouldn't even think of it! Even with La Policia watching the crime scene, people this clever probably managed to get rid of the cameras by now. They watch the video and figure out it's something to do with your voice, and luckily, they happen to know a deaf killer willing to throw his life away that they can call..."
Helen cut Suzy-Q off and leaned closer, their tone becoming more conspiratorial.
"Wait... no. They didn't go to all this, then 'just happen to remember where I put this guy's business card.' They'd need him on standby. Whoever could do all this would have also thought ahead of time 'If I'm right about this, my guy's gotta be ready to strike the next afternoon.' He'd have to have been part of the plan from the beginning."
Suzy-Q took hold of her hand excitedly.
"Ooh, yeah! So, HE; we can drop the 'they,' it's more than likely A MAN at the root of all this." Helena nodded agreement. "Maybe he's heard enough stories about you to believe them, but he has the thought 'With that kind of power, why doesn't she just go on TV and proclaim herself ruler of the world?'"
"I think proximity has something to do with it," Helen said, suddenly aware of how close she and Suzy-Q had moved. "I've done it to large crowds over a microphone, and suggestions can be triggered over the phone or video, but not commands. He'd have reasoned that out too, but this guy's gotta be sure of everything first. He needs to test it, test me! That's what the warehouse shit was all about!"
They hugged for a second, then broke it just as quickly before Suzy-Q spoke.
"Ok, so he's found out we've got a Kryptonite. But then, why send a guy with a glass shank to kill you?"
"I've been thinking about that. I thought at first that it might be some kind of 'I'm on to you' message. Then again, misdirection is what gets this guy hard; so maybe that's what I'm supposed to think. I mean, between the A&E Biography and fuckin' Barbara Walters; my 'tragic upbringing' and Wade's 'death in a prison riot he just decided to start' is not exactly Classified information. Well, except Troy and Julie; All-Powerful Athiesmo be praised that I've managed to keep them out of things!"
"Right," Suzy-Q said. "So, fuck you, Copperfield. It ain't 'the long-lost sister back from the grave,' let's just cut that shit right now."
"Yeah. It's just as likely that it was simply easier to slip past the pre-tour security screening and not get picked up when they ran the wand over him."
"And if it broke," Suzy-Q added. "He'd still have a sharp, thick piece of glass to kill you with. I keep coming back to the word 'clever' with this guy; but yeah, I see it now. Ok, that brings us back to 'why.' Why not use a sniper or a bomb? And why move so soon after the warehouse?"
"Then who was Raymond Chen?" Helen asked.
"Nobody," Susy-Q said as she slid closer. "A name out of the Hong Kong phone book; there's probably a couple hundred Raymond Chens. Statistically speaking, with that many, one of them has to be a pedophile or something, so you can take some comfort in the thought that maybe they got the right one."
"That's not much. Also, if the Elders wanted to placate me badly enough to commit a random murder, why would they send an assassin a couple hours later, much less one that's deaf so he couldn't hear my command?"
"Wish that clue light was still here," Suzy-Q said, looking around. "So, it's not the Triad either. But SOMEONE set up the human trafficking stop in San Finzione. Someone who can and would manipulate both you and the Elders into thinking this Raymond Chen was responsible. And the next afternoon, a deaf assassin makes a suicide run for you? That's altogether too much coincidence for one 12-hour period."
Helen took in what Suzy-Q was saying. If she really was some part of Susan psychically reaching out to her, she was a damn smart one. And totally hot in the Lara Croft getup.
"Yes. Yes, it is. So, you're saying someone was smart enough to persuade a bunch of Triad goons to set up a human trafficking way-station in San Finzione and tipped La Policia off. They passed the matter up to me and the Ultimados and we raided the warehouse and shut them down. Then in half a day, they managed to track down a deaf assassin who also happens to be suicidal and got him into striking distance of me. Why do the first part? To frame the Elders for my death?"
Suzy-Q wrinkled her brow and asked a question.
"Wait, who's Umiwama?"
Helen gave a look of shock and was about to say something before she remembered that however this worked, Suzy-Q seemed to have some kind of access to her thoughts.
"A girl I met in Uongo. Igazi wanted a demonstration of 'my witchcraft,' so he made me..." A bolt of realization hit her. "That's why they went to all the trouble! They wanted a demonstration!"
Suzy-Q scooted close enough to touch and gave her an excited look.
"RIGHT! They've heard the stories about Contessa Helena de San Finzione being able to control the wills of men, but they needed to know for sure. So, they created a situation that you couldn't possibly ignore; one where you'd show up in person and definitely make use of The Thing so they could see it for themselves. Did you see any cameras?"
Helen thought about it for a moment. She usually had to do stuff like this herself, and withe the Whatever creatures out of the way, it was new and exciting to have a partner to bounce her thoughts off of; even if she was only an imaginary version of someone Helen wished were this good a friend in real life. She answered.
"No, but then again, I wasn't looking for any."
"Right! You were ALWAYS a better criminal than Wade." That got a smile from Helen. "Setting up a slavery ring and then recording your own evidence of it would be so UNBELIEVABLY stupid that YOU wouldn't even think of it! Even with La Policia watching the crime scene, people this clever probably managed to get rid of the cameras by now. They watch the video and figure out it's something to do with your voice, and luckily, they happen to know a deaf killer willing to throw his life away that they can call..."
Helen cut Suzy-Q off and leaned closer, their tone becoming more conspiratorial.
"Wait... no. They didn't go to all this, then 'just happen to remember where I put this guy's business card.' They'd need him on standby. Whoever could do all this would have also thought ahead of time 'If I'm right about this, my guy's gotta be ready to strike the next afternoon.' He'd have to have been part of the plan from the beginning."
Suzy-Q took hold of her hand excitedly.
"Ooh, yeah! So, HE; we can drop the 'they,' it's more than likely A MAN at the root of all this." Helena nodded agreement. "Maybe he's heard enough stories about you to believe them, but he has the thought 'With that kind of power, why doesn't she just go on TV and proclaim herself ruler of the world?'"
"I think proximity has something to do with it," Helen said, suddenly aware of how close she and Suzy-Q had moved. "I've done it to large crowds over a microphone, and suggestions can be triggered over the phone or video, but not commands. He'd have reasoned that out too, but this guy's gotta be sure of everything first. He needs to test it, test me! That's what the warehouse shit was all about!"
They hugged for a second, then broke it just as quickly before Suzy-Q spoke.
"Ok, so he's found out we've got a Kryptonite. But then, why send a guy with a glass shank to kill you?"
"I've been thinking about that. I thought at first that it might be some kind of 'I'm on to you' message. Then again, misdirection is what gets this guy hard; so maybe that's what I'm supposed to think. I mean, between the A&E Biography and fuckin' Barbara Walters; my 'tragic upbringing' and Wade's 'death in a prison riot he just decided to start' is not exactly Classified information. Well, except Troy and Julie; All-Powerful Athiesmo be praised that I've managed to keep them out of things!"
"Right," Suzy-Q said. "So, fuck you, Copperfield. It ain't 'the long-lost sister back from the grave,' let's just cut that shit right now."
"Yeah. It's just as likely that it was simply easier to slip past the pre-tour security screening and not get picked up when they ran the wand over him."
"And if it broke," Suzy-Q added. "He'd still have a sharp, thick piece of glass to kill you with. I keep coming back to the word 'clever' with this guy; but yeah, I see it now. Ok, that brings us back to 'why.' Why not use a sniper or a bomb? And why move so soon after the warehouse?"
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