Chapter 39
I woke up feeling very refreshed, in spite of the fact that I had slept on my camp bed in my tent, near the battle scene. I felt 'ready to take on the world'. It's amazing what a good nights sleep will do for you. I definitely had to get back to the hospital, though, and make sure I was there for Mirwanna.
I ate a camp breakfast, and decided to dress in some appropriate Earth clothing. I teleported my old clothes from the palace, and put them on. They were clean, but a little wrinkled. Well, the wrinkles would smooth out, over a bit of time. Besides, a few wrinkles didn't worry me, compared to incongruity of this world's clothes.
I supposed I could do something about the wrinkles with magic, but that seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. After making sure I had my wallet and hotel card, I decided to make a portal directly to my hotel room on Earth.
It took only a moment to make the portal, and to step through it into my room. The first thing I noticed, was that 'maid service' had cleaned the room. The second, was that the light on the phone was blinking, meaning I had at least one message.
I released the portal, and went to the phone. I had two messages from the hospital, and one from the local office of Homeland Security. HS was asking me to call back. Well, I was not going to phone HS. I was more interested in the hospital's calls.
The hospital was relaying a request from my sister to come and see her, as soon as visiting hours started. I quickly left the hotel, and started out for the hospital. It was a short walk. While it had been a bit since I had practiced my art of being a private investigator, I quickly noted that I was being followed.
I guess it's just instinct, after a while. I had not one, but two people on my ass. I shook off a feeling of aggravation, and entered the hospital. I made my way upstairs, and was soon visiting my sister.
She was sitting up in bed. The dialysis machine was not in evidence, and her skin color was looking much better. She looked nearly normal.
"Paul! This place is amazing! You have to give me a tour of this world, when I get out of here. They say I am making a good recovery. I am learning so much here! And television! What a wonderful concept! I have a lot of plans for when I get out of this hospital," Mirwanna said.
We talked for a while. I told her about the phone call from Homeland Security. I had to fill her in on that, and I also told her about being followed from my hotel to the hospital.
She frowned a bit, but then her face cleared as she told me to contact this homeland thing, and find out what they want. If it could be settled simply, then there would be no problem. If it was something more serious, she told me: "Handle it."
So the day passed. I spotted one of my tails out in the corridor, and decided to find out what this was about. I left my sister and went to the bathroom. Sure enough, I was followed into the bathroom. I now had this guy just where I wanted him.
It took only a moment to get control of his mind. I asked him questions, and he was very cooperative. He was one of two agents that were assigned by Homeland Security, to follow me, until the status of three missing NSA agents was resolved. While they did not think I was actually responsible for the disappearance of the agents, they were investigating me, which put me squarely in the spotlight.
The agents in question were, of course, Melissa and the two agents I had blasted. I rolled my eyes. Would I never be done with this? I told the agent to forget he had talked to me, and left him to figure out his own excuse for being in the bathroom, with me not there.
I went back to Mirwanna, and explained what I had found out. I told her I was going to have to nip this thing in the bud. I told her I should be back in a few hours, and that we would sign her out, then.
I went back to my hotel, and called the number Homeland Security had left to contact them. The conversation was short. They asked if I would come down to their offices and answer some questions.
I countered with them coming with me to a restaurant of my choice. They tried to play the 'if you have nothing to fear' card on me. I interrupted him.
"Excuse me. I have been on the edge of law enforcement for a number of years, now. I have already agreed to meet with you or your representative. I am very familiar with the tactics you are trying on me. You are about to loose my cooperation.
"Now, if you want to meet with me in my room, or at a dining room, feel free to join me. Otherwise stop following me, and harassing me. So, what is your decision?" I asked the person on the phone.
We decided to meet in my room, in forty-five minutes. I ordered room service. I also bought a video camera from the gift shop via 'room service', and had them send it to me. I set it up, and cast a glamour on it. No one but I would know it was there.
I had just finished eating when there was a knock on my door. It even had an 'official knock' sound to it. Police, everywhere, seem to have the same 'official knock'. They try to make it authoritative. I find it amusing, myself.
I turned on the camera, and made sure it was recording. Everything was fine. I opened the door, and two people barged in.
"Please, don't let me stop you from running rough shod right over my ass," I said sarcastically.
As I was closing the door a third man stopped me.
"Pardon me. I was held up outside. I am with the two other gentleman who entered," he said.
I waved him in, and stuck my head outside the door. I knew there were no other people coming, but I wanted to show them I was an aware person. I waved them to the chairs, and I took the bed. This still left one guy up and roaming. I was not worried about him finding the camera.
I was asked the normal questions at first. They re-asked them in several different ways. I answered them again, and told them I was familiar with their method of trying to trip up people with the same question worded differently.
"Mr. Lindsy, you admit that the three agents in question had come here to see you. They were not heard from again after supposing to have left your room. How do you explain that?" Windel asked me. He seemed to be the lead questioner.
"I don't. If you think I killed all three of them here, feel free to look around. Oh wait, you people have been looking," I said grinning at him.
"Look, if you really thought I had killed these people, I would have been arrested by now. From what I understand from a fellow guest, a bunch of forensic people have already been all over this room, with every modern device known to man. Which means you know I didn't kill these three people," I finished a bit smugly.
The problem with being smug with law enforcement officials, is that they resent smug people, other than themselves.
The roaming guy hit me on the back of my head. I started to rise, but he grabbed my hair and held me down. This was even better than I had hoped for! When this tape was viewed, there would be a severe shake up!
"Ok, Lindsy. Here is my take on it. You either killed them, or had them killed. We think you should just admit your guilt, and tell us what you did with the bodies," hair grabber said.
"I think you better back off and let me go, or I am going to sue your ass," I shouted at them.
"This is a new day and age my friend. The Patriot act makes it hard for people like you to perform these little acts of terrorism and get away with it. Also, no one here is breaking the law. Windel, you see anything? How about you Royce? No? See Lindsy? You have no legal leg to stand on," Mr. Hair grabber said.
For another twenty minutes they went at me, little slaps on the back of my head. While I still played the tough, I did tone it down a bit. Finally they left, with a do not leave town or else threat.
I went over and turned off the camera, and hit rewind. I then played it in its entirety. I had gotten it all. It was almost like watching a grade B movie. I grinned and called New York and asked the NSA there, who was in charge of the field office, here.
I then made several copies of the tape, and took a copy with me to a meeting with the field office director of the local Homeland Security Agency. The New York office made the appointment for me, so the local director was there.
He was a little disappointed with me. I was making a complaint about his pristine troops. He was about to dismiss me, and send me to a lower echelon flunky, when I produced the tape. I told him to look it over before he sent me away, because if he did, my next stop was the news agencies and this would play big in "liberal land".
He watched the tape. He had gone white when Hair Grabber started in on me. He was grim when all agents said they would swear nothing untoward had happened. He sighed and turned off the video player when it was finished.
"Welcome to the land of freedom. Oh wait, that was the 'Old America'," I said sarcastically.
"What do you want Mr. Lindsy," director Arthur Mansfield asked me.
"Ok. You people have already gone over my room with a fine toothed comb. You come back and beat me up a little in my own room, trying to coerce a confession out of me. I don't know where the people you want to find are. I suggest you leave me alone, and go find them elsewhere," I said.
"That's it? No Publicity? No lawsuit? Just look somewhere else for the missing agents?" He asked.
"That's it in spades. I also want an apology from the three agents who did this to me. Now, immediately, would be nice," I said sitting back.
The director picked up the phone and asked that the three agents in question come to his office.
"I want to apologize to you Mr. Lindsy. This is not how the government works," he said.
"Really? I have a tape that shows agents of this government doing illegal things, and conspiring to conceal a criminal act, I can go on," I told him firmly.
Ten minutes later the three agents were knocking on their ultimate supervisors door. The knock was definitely different. I grinned at that. They entered and looked surprised to see me.
"Mr. Lindsy has come with some serious accusations. Do you people have anything to say in your defense?" the director asked.
They all basically denied doing anything that was worthy of the director's interest. So the director played the tape. All three of them were stunned. They said it was a hoax as they did not see or notice a video camera in the room.
"Well, maybe the little recording light was burnt out. Shameful. I shall take it back to the gift shop in the hotel where I ordered it from," I said smugly.
The director was not amused. He immediately suspended the three, and placed them on administrative leave pending an investigation. He also demanded they apologize to me again. Reluctantly, they did.
"Well, boys, I accept your apology as sincerely as you gave it. Director? I want action taken against these men, or I go public, and to court. Your choice," I said as I got up and left.
I went back to the hospital. While it was now getting late, I was able to get in to see my sister with no problems. She was very excited about something she saw on TV.
"It was wonderful, Paul! It is a place of amusement and fun for adults and children. Can we go? Can we go to this 'Disney Land'?" she asked excitedly.
Edited By TeNderLoin