4 - "Comparing Notes"

[The Dispatcher]

[ Continued from thread: 3B - "Body of Evidence" ]


As Roanoke looks down into the dark depths of the elevator shaft he realizes now, for the first time, just how fatigued the elevator sounds as it goes through its onerous procedure of trundling along on its squeaky pulleys from one floor to the next.

Unswallowing himself from his own distraction, Roanoke looks back up to find Dr. Everitt gazing at him with a look of uncertainty on her face. Feeling uncharacteristically conscientious, Roanoke remarks, "It's nothing, really. It just sounds like this elevator could use a vacation. But then, I suppose everyone here could use a little R & R in light of the recent events. If you'll pardon me for saying so, Dr. Everitt, you especially seem as though you could use some time away from things. You seem exhausted, somehow."

The question hung in the air for moments. The sound of the gears clunking out that muted grind.

Was the silence from Dr. Allison Everitt just due to lack of sleep, or was there something deeper--

When she finally answered it was brief, and barely audible.

"Yeah."



The elevator came to a halt before the twin doors opened again.

This level's floor, as were the others Roanoke had seen was grated,and not being designated for sleeping, was much brighter than the Residential Levels.

Dr. Allison Everitt stepped out of the elevator, and began to lead the way, Roanoke presumed, to the Facility's Cantina.

[Roanoke]

Upon exiting the elevator, Roanoke takes in the layout of the area. The hallway leading from the passenger elevator is about 40 feet long and opens out into a much larger room. This room, Roanoke presumes, is about 75 by 125 feet. He cannot be entirely sure though because off to the west (his right), beyond a makeshift storage area of various crates and barrels, the passage seems hazy and stretches on out of sight.

Roanoke's visual sweep takes in the rather large freight elevator situated near the center of the atrium-like room. Off east some 120 feet he sees a doorway that would seem to lead into a hallway. Though he can't be sure, Roanoke thinks he might be hearing music emanating from that area. He guesses that they will be heading in that general direction.

Realizing that he has neglected his female escort, he picks up his pace to catch up with her. When he does, he makes the observation, "It would seem the prospect of social interaction has tapped a reserve well of energy within you, Dr Everitt."

[The Dispatcher]

Dr. Everitt leads the way into a large cafeteria looking room-- Hewn from rock, and floored with rubber mats.

A few dozen tables with dozens more chairs set up around them. Rows of flourescent lights hang from chains rotted in the rock ceiling. Though spacious in it's width and length, it's the rooms height was held at a 9 foot ceiling.


To the left (North), Roanoke observes the kitchen and the buffet tables. Everette leads him to the right (South) all the way to the end of the room, into a small area that links the cafeteria with a cantina. (That much Roanoke remembers from seeing a directional sign on the way in.) Male and Female restrooms are located at this spot, as well as a handful of soda and snack machines.

She leads the way into a somewhat dimmer lounge area. A number of people look up from their drinks at the new arrivals. Some give longer glances than others.

There are a number of booths that were built into the natural rock wall top the south, directly ahead of Roanoke.

Tables have a laminated menu of drinks and appetizers. As well as an ashtray.

"Do you mind where we sit?" Dr. Everitt asks looking around the cantina as if searching...

[Roanoke]

Roanoke glances back and forth, his dark eyes scanning the room for any available tables. He takes in the scene and is somewhat surprised by how busy it is. After a few moments it dawns on Roanoke that a place like this would be hopping, with the facility's workers chomping at the bit because of the facility's complete lockdown. After all, no one likes to be cooped up, now do they?

He shifts his gaze to Dr. Everitt and responds, "Not at all. After all, this is your haunt, is it not? I'll be happy sitting anywhere, so long as I have something good to eat. I'm starved. Would you like smoking or non?"

[The Dispatcher]

"Allison!" The bartender calls torwards the doctor. "Haven't seen you in a while, though I swear you've only gotten cuter-- Can I get you anything? One sec--" He motions to Allison before returning his focus on his previous patron.

Halo.

The bartender asks her something with a roguish grin. It's at that moment that she locks gazes with Roanoke, followed by the nod of recognition.

[Halo]

Halo gingerly lifts the condensation covered glass.
"Nope, I am good for now."
She tosses the bartender a wink and a smile and walks toward Roanoke and this stranger that he is with. She sets the glass down on a nearby table and addresses Roanoke with a smile.
"Now Roanoke, I could have sworn you made a comment about me keeping it professional while we are down here and here you met yourself a pretty lady." She smiles and turns her attention towards the woman, letting her comment soak in. "Hello I am Halo, one of Roanoke's teammates." She bats her eyes lazily before asking: "Are you the killer?"

[Roanoke]

Roanoke flashes Halo a cold, emotionless stare and replies with a plastered-on smile, "It's good to see you, Halo. I trust you've left your companion in one piece?" He looks around the cantina once more before continuing, "I wouldn't have imagined this to be your type of hangout, Halo. Please allow me to introduce to you Dr. Allison Everitt. And in answer to your question, Halo, no Dr. Everitt didn't kill Hadley; her incisions were inflicted on Dr. Hadley postmortem, thank you very much. Actually, as it turns out, Dr. Everitt knew Dr. Hadley pretty well. Were you not friends with the deceased, Dr. Everitt?"

[Halo]

Halo lets out a small sigh of frustration and looks toward Dr. Everitt.
"My apologies madam. A little alcohol and I sometimes feel that I am the master of sarcasm. My name is Veronica, but you and the rest of my teammates may refer to me as Halo." She redirects her attention to Roanoke with a sidelong glance.
"No this is not my usual choice to be in my free time. As it were, I am on the clock so that means going to places I do not prefer to be." She twists herself slightly towards Constantine and gives him a mock smile and points at his glass before looking back at her teammate and the doctor.
"So far I have found out a few interesting facts, none of them directly pertaining to Dr. Hadley's death, but facts none-the-less"

[Roanoke]

Roanoke's plastic smile gradually gives way to a more appealing and befitting smirk as he watches Halo squirm at the filthiness of being seen in such an establishment. To Halo, he replies, "Maybe someday you'll tell me what kind of a place is more to your liking. Seriously, though, Dr. Everitt and I were just going to have a nice Q & A session and there seemed no better place to do that than over dinner, seeing as I'm so hungry my stomach is speaking in strange tongues. Did you want to join in, or are you still tied up with Mr. Constantine over there?" Roanoke makes eye contact with the man Halo had just acknowledged moments earlier and nods his head at him in greeting.

[The Dispatcher]

"I wasn't sure if what you had said to me was a joke or not-- That is why my delay in answering." Dr. Allison Everitt responds.

"Did I kill James Hadley? Of course not-- He had his flaws as any other, but he was a dedicated man when it came to this company." She has a strange pained expression cross her face for a moment before she pushed it back down and continued. "James and I... dated. For approximately a month. When we split it was basically mutual, and we maintained a professional friendship..." She trails off as tears are visible in her eyes.

"I need to use the ladies room." She said quickly, then headed back through the opening Roanoke and she had just entered. Presumably to use the bathroom that was found in the snack niche--

[Halo]

Halo watches the doctor leave, pang of guilt caught in her throat. She looks back to Roanoke and swallows it down like a wad of bubblegum covered in bees. "I will join you shortly if you do not mind. Mr. Constantine has invested some time in speaking with me and I would rather not him feel that I am wasting it." She switches the glass from her left hand to her right. "Then we will catch up and see if we can come up with anything useful."
Halo turns and walks to Constantine and sets the glass on the table before having a seat herself.
"My apologies Mr. Constantine, that is one of my teammates with Dr. Everitt." She has a quick sip from her warming drink. "Do you know anything about her?"

[The Dispatcher]

"She's the Lair's acting Medical Doctor-- Seems like a good kid. She and Hadley had a thing going a little while back... " Constantine trails off for a second and motions in Roanoke's direction for him to come over.

"This guy's working with you? Then I'd better make an introduction."

Constantine stands to face Roanoke-- His right hand offered in greeting.

[Roanoke]

Having just turned his attention back from the departure of the emotionally distraught Dr. Everitt, Roanoke only just catches Constantine's gesture from his periphery. But his well-trained eyes respond to the gesture before his head has returned to its forward-facing position.

Roanoke proceeds with stealthy confidence in his apparition-like strides. He comes to a stop in front of Constantine and considers him for a moment before extending his own hand and replying, "Mr. Constantine, I presume? It's a pleasure finally to meet, face-to-face, with the man whom I've heard so much about."

While shaking Constantine's strength-of-granite hand, Roanoke adds as an aside, more quietly, "I do hope you've been able to keep Halo in check; she can be a tad much at times. Though, I think today is one of her more lucid days."

After the two men unclench hands, Roanoke asks, "How is business going for you these days...with exception, of course, to the current events of the here and now?"

[Halo]

Halo pouts her lips and widens her eyes as far as her asian background will allow in mock surprise.
"Lucid? My dear Roanoke, I am not an old lady that loses track of time or place. Nor do I sit on my doorstep and shout curses at the children for chasing the cats with sticks." She has a sip from her lukewarm drink. Her face becomeing one of lax disgust she pushes it away and reaches for a cigarette.
"I just have a different way of doing things." She smiles and lights her cigarette with her Zippo.

[Roanoke]

Roanoke listens to Halo while continuing to observe the scenery of the cantina; taking in the interactions of the various patrons enthralled by their own inebriated discussions. The foul smell of alcohol saturated human flesh that is carried through the air by roiling waves of cigarette smoke is enough to make the sardonic smile vacate his face. And though he has been listening to everything she says, Roanoke only now fixates his eyes on Halo. He returns her look of mock astonishment with body language that denotes a sense of false deference.

"Honestly Halo," he replies, "Are you so easily offended? My original statement was only meant to convey the idea that that brain of yours sometimes has tendency to kick itself into overdrive. And when it does, it propels you a step or two ahead of yourself. But to tell you the truth, I wouldn't have it any other way. It suits you. There's no doubt in my mind that that innate ability of yours has gotten you out of more than one jam in your very storied past. But please do try not to let that trait offend people at inopportune moments. It has a way of closing people up like clams when we need them to talk."

"I guess I should let this be a lesson to me not to speak concisely when I'm in your midst," Roanoke adds with a wry smirk.