..:ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND CRIME:..

"I know we've been put on some kind of hit list. It's the only thing that makes sense! People don't come by like they used to."

This forceful claim was made by one Didi Cavenaugh, who slammed her palm against the slick surface of the diner counter afterward. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my last date was one strange fellow. Handsome, but strange. I think he's pulling the strings behind some kind of gang or somethin'."

The owner of the small restaurant was a man named Ollie, who opened his doors to Didi and her brother every Saturday morning for the past ten years. He'd gotten to know the small family well, particularly the older sister, who was presently having a spirited debate with herself. Ollie rolled his eyes as he partially listened to her words, with him more focused on cooking the sausage links she ordered. He had lost count of how many woeful recollections Didi had shared about her love life, but her developing a theory that her past date was some kind of criminal mastermind was one he hadn't heard before.

He briefly put his attention to her as he replied. "If you're so worried about something happening to the garage, maybe it's time to invest in a new security measure, like a camera."

An offended scowl flickered on Didi's round face. She was a woman of unique features, with intense, but small, dark brown eyes and shortly cut red hair that matched her personal fire. She was noticeably short, but somehow that managed to only add to her powerhouse energy. Her shoulders slumped dejectedly following Ollie's words. "Charlie and I don't have the money for that right now," she responded, and quickly went back to her previous, impassioned tone. "I just know that guy thought he was gonna get something out of our garage, but I don't know who he was fooling if he thought he was going to make some kind of big score from us."

The man finished plating up her breakfast and then handed the meal to her. He spoke as he looked into her eyes, with a vague sympathy within his own. "Didi, if you want my honest opinion, I think you're seeing something bigger than what actually happened."

Didi could only look at him with a furthered frown as she grabbed the plate from him. "Thanks." She muttered before taking a generous bite of the first sausage, and then began to mull over her luck quietly.

The door of the small diner swung open, catching Ollie's attention. "Welcome, can I get ya something?"

Inspector Zenigata shuffled into the establishment, who looked half awake as his gaze met the man behind the counter. Zenigata had been a city boy all his life, but never considered what it would be like to sleep in an unfamiliar one. The dueling neon lights shined onto his bed, creating a constant distraction until the early morning hours. It was a fitful rest, and while it took a great effort to get out of bed after such a night, he figured if he refueled with some good food he'd be ready for the day. Besides, he was developing an increasing interest in American cuisine, and espied this little diner from his hotel window.

He answered with a loud yawn, "Coffee, thanks." He then sat on the stool that was presently closest to the head chef.

Didi, as she munched on her meal with great gusto, sensed someone sitting beside her. She looked at him briefly, then back at her meal, then swiveled her head towards him once more after a passing thought about his unique appearence. Zenigata, in his dazed state, did not pick up on her staring.

Ollie handed the inspector a piping hot cup of coffee. "Is that all, or would you like a menu?"

Zenigata graciously took the mug, and answered tiredly before blowing on his drink."Sure."

Ollie, before grabbing a menu, looked at Didi with a small glare as if he knew exactly what was racing through her head. This went unnoticed, as her attention was fully on the new customer. As the man received the list and began skimming through the available breakfast options, he began to sense eyes were on him at an alarming rate. Shifting in his seat, Zenigata glanced at her, then returned his gaze back onto the menu.

"Are you a cop?" She asked after an extended silence.

The inspector looked back at her and blinked slowly. Unsure why this random woman was looking at him as if he was from another planet, he answered cautiously, "Yes, I am."

Didi smiled excitedly and promptly snapped her fingers. "I knew there was something different about you!" She exclaimed as she hopped off of her seat and examined the man. "You look like you'd team up with the likes of Humphrey Bogart."

A sheepish, but puzzled, grin began to form on Zenigata's lips. He began to thank her, but was soon interrupted. "And, you also don't look like the type that would eat at a place like this," she then drew closer to him as she began to whisper. "You're not in the middle of anything, are you? I could use some help..."

Zenigata began to lean away from her, with him not awake enough to process everything that was happening so fast. Ollie looked back at his two customers, and approached hurriedly when he saw the woman in the inspector's face. "Didi, knock it off." He said severely.

With her fork in hand -- which happened to have a half-eaten sausage in its slots -- she used the utensil to put visual emphasis on her words. "There's been strange characters around my place of business. I'm wondering if you maybe have a clue about what's going on."

A hint of curiosity sparkled in Zenigata's eyes, who was never one to ignore a citizen asking for help. He pulled a well-used notepad from one of the inner pockets of his trenchcoat, and asked, "What do you mean by 'strange'?"

Ollie sighed and rolled his eyes once more, with the man excusing himself to attend to another customer afterward. Didi frowned at him as she witnessed this, but quickly redirected her attention back onto the inspector. "Well, actually," she began as she fumbled with one of the front pockets of her overalls, "It all began with this fellow." She then handed him a photograph.

Zenigata's confusion only grew as he took the photo from her. It depicted a handsome young man, with pale skin and delicate blonde hair, posing for what appeared to be a headshot for an acting gig. He looked at her as one of his eyebrows quirked questioningly. "How come you have a photo of him?"

Didi paused as a look of hurt flashed in her eyes. For the first time in this chance encounter, the woman became quiet, if not shy or embarrassed. "It's a long story, but I can give you the highlights..."

Bowman parked the car outside an eerily quiet, abandoned tourist trap. The location was nestled away in the outskirts of Long Beach, with it seemingly untouched since the days of the Second World War. A few rides and small game stalls were scattered around the area, with their paint chipped and damaged components exposed from years of neglect. Berry found that it was an unusually cold night as he stepped out, shivering and holding his suit jacket close to him.

He watched as his partner approached the theater at the end of the paved strip of land. "Tell me again why the boss chose this place as his hideout?" he asked in a hushed whisper while he eyed the location suspiciously.

The taller of the two men gently shrugged his shoulders and then knocked on the heavy doors. He looked back at Berry, "Must be a personal preference." He answered uninterestingly.

A muffled voice came through the closed entrance. "Password?"

Berry removed the cigarette from his mouth and promptly stomped on it, providing his answer during the process. "Leave the forest and fall to the bear."

Following shortly afterward, the sound of a long unlocking process echoed faintly before the doors were opened. The two were greeted by a bald, shriveled man, who looked as if he used all his strength to let them in. He promptly scurried to the back of the left door as the partners in crime entered the theater officially, though his gaze remained fixed on them. Bowman briskly stepped inside, with Berry following suit, though the latter couldn't resist sneering at the meek porter as they passed by. The interior of the abandoned theater perfectly matched the environment that surrounded it. With its dark lighting, the torn carpeted floor and miscellaneous rubbish created a massive tripping hazard -- Bowman glided by the problem areas, whereas the younger of the two preferred to kick the trash, which would only lead to future obstacles.

Bowman approached the stage, which was the only location that was in decent condition when compared to the rest -- at the very least, the stage lights continued to work, with them illuminating their boss' workplace. They found the man invested in the local papers, unaware that two of his hired hands had returned.

The two partners were unsure of what mood he was going to be in, and were advised before taking up this job to tread carefully when interacting with him, but Berry was itching to tell their employer the news. "Hey, boss?" He started, with his voice composed of a confused mixture of caution and excitement. "Is now a good time?"

The man turned his head towards the direction he heard the question, then grinned eagerly. "Boys!" His gruff voice exclaimed as he rose and happily raised his hands.

Viewing their boss' boisterous greeting as a friendly invitation, the hired hands walked up the small set of stairs that lead to the stage. Berry stumbled on the last step, but broke his fall just in time to avoid bumping into their employer. The close call made the man slightly cower as he moved closer to Bowman, likely viewing his partner as some sort of shield. He had good reason to be fearful, as this was the most infamous criminal the two had ever worked for. The Bear stood before them, assessing the two men with eyes that burned an eternal flame regardless of his mood. He greatly resembled his nickname, with his tall, stocky build and his head adorned with thick curls of dark brown hair and a beard to match. It wasn't just his appearance that led to him to be known as the Bear -- he had a preference for solving his problems in a particularly gruesome fashion, as if they had been mauled by a wild animal. It was a rumor among other Coney Island crooks that some of his former employees had fallen to a similar fate, but Berry was not eager to solve that mystery for himself.

The Bear turned his head briefly to expel the tobacco he had been chewing. "So?" He asked expectantly.

Bowman removed his fedora respectfully as he drew closer. "We believe we've found the target." Berry, as he peeked over his associate's shoulders, brashly joined the conversation. "The punk's been going to some ritzy club."

Letting out a quiet growl, the Bear's eyebrows lowered while he sharply looked at the two with a leery gaze. Berry caught his eyes, and promptly went back to hiding behind his partner. Bowman glanced at him, then returned his attention to their employer. "The name of the establishment was the 'Moura Encantada'."

"I've heard of it." The brute grumbled as he sat back down on his chair, which was positioned next to a comically small desk when compared to its owner. He appeared lost in thought following Bowman's words, which made the two hired hands exchange curious looks.

After a passing silence, Berry reluctantly began to speak. "But, we didn't see him enter the place with any women."

The Bear urgently rose from his seat at the opening of the man's response, with anger flickering in his eyes, but the rage dimmed quickly after hearing the rest of his comment. Regardless, Berry's voice wavered anxiously mid-sentence while witnessing his boss' response. He and Bowman stayed still, quietly allowing their employer to come to his own conclusion. The Bear sat back down in his chair, with it creaking underneath his sturdy frame. He cracked his knuckles loudly as he sighed, with the two partners watching him gaze into a framed photo that was on the desk.

He picked it up to get a closer look. "I hope your head is on straight." He muttered before he realized the two men's eyes were stuck on him. The Bear put down the frame, with it resting on the side that exposed the image, and looked upon his hired hands with a glare that could strike fear into anyone. "Keep investigating that man -- storm the club if you have to. 'We think we saw him' isn't good enough."

Bowman nodded solemnly as he returned his fedora to his head. Berry flashed an eager smile, "Can do, boss."

The two turned away to make their exit, but stopped the moment they heard the Bear's fist slamming against the wooden surface of the desk. They looked back at the man, with the duo greeted by the sight of their boss pointing aggressively at them. "Don't forget, you two are personally responsible if something bad happens -- you hear?"

Without any hesitation, Bowman promptly replied, "Of course, boss," then turned away from the man once more. Berry's eyes grew wide with concern as he followed in the footsteps of his partner, glancing at their threatening employer one last time before their departure.

Inspector Zenigata found himself poking around a dive garage, wondering endlessly how he ended up here. Somehow, a simple visit to a local diner to get himself a quick meal somehow roped him into a potential investigation. His stomach growled in protest, as Didi's insistance made him skip his desired breakfast. The garage was the woman's family business, the Purple Car, which she explained on the way that it was named after her father's first successful customization job. While Zenigata knew that the location was still in business, it was unusually quiet, with beater cars and parts scattered around the space, in addition to her brother being nowhere in sight. Despite this, he remained unconvinced by Didi's assertion that the garage was under criminal watch.

Didi was presently tearing through their jumbled cabinets, with her resting on the counterspace below them. Sensing the inspector's doubt, she spoke impetuously. "Hold on, I think it's..." She extended the final word as she pulled another photo out. "Here!"

This snapped the man out of his rumination, with him looking over her shoulders before she hopped off of the surface. "I have another photo of Nicky." She said as she handed it to him.

The image was similar to the one she had shared back in the restaurant, but this time it was a full-body shot. The man frowned as he mentally recalled other info that the woman provided him, that this individual went by Nicky, with his full name presumably being Nicholas, and when the two first met he expressed great interest in the garage. But, once she confided in him that business was waning, he distanced himself from Didi before disappearing from her life all together.

Didi watched the inspector closely, and quietly added, "I think he gave that to me after our first or second date. My brother told me he has seen him around town, with some 'old money' broad."

Zenigata let out a frustrated sigh as he scratched the back of his head, with him handing her back the image afterward. Feeling he had wasted an entire morning, he attempted to phrase his thoughts carefully. "I understand why you're hurt, but I'm under the impression that this man only chases after women who have money. Unless he stole something, or you gave him money unwillingly, I can't intervene if he didn't do anything illegal."

Didi's eyebrows furrowed. "I thought out of all people, you'd be the one that would know how sneaky crooks can be!" She exclaimed. "Think about the poor girl he's with now, he's gonna drain her dry, and you know there's been others!"

The inspector mirrored the woman's look of anger, and as he was preparing to match her tone, he suddenly moved back as the door she was standing close to swung open. A man who appeared around Didi's age barreled through the entrance with a baseball bat firmly in hand. "What's going on?" He yelled urgently, holding the makeshift weapon in a defensive pose.

Similar to Zenigata, Didi jumped back once she heard the rattle of the metal door opening unexpectedly. She shot daggers at her brother as she lowered his hand that was holding the bat. "Relax, Charlie," She frowned. "He's a cop."

Charlie let out a sigh of relief, and then explained himself. "I'm sorry, sis, I really didn't know. I heard yelling and figured something bad was happening, y'know, with all these suspicious characters walking around town anymore."

Frustration burned Inspector Zenigata's skin as he listened to his apology. For the majority of the day so far, he had listened to every story that tumbled out of Didi's mouth, and still had no idea why she, and now, the brother, had convinced themselves that something was wrong with their business. Assuming her recollections were truthful, it all seemed like an elaborate attempt at revenge from a bitter past lover. Closing his fists tightly, he asked through clenched teeth, "Who are the suspicious characters?"

Charlie looked at him, assessing the visibly irritated man before answering his question. "I'm guessing my big sis told you all about Nicky." He began, with Didi confirming by nodding her head, and then he continued. "Anyway, after their last date the guy vanished like he never even existed. What made it even weirder is that we got an uptick in activity afterward. Some strange-looking men visited once or twice -- but none of them had car problems, or wanted to buy any parts. They looked around the garage as if they were trying to find something." He paused, and then added, "I have seen Nicky since then though, but I wasn't able to approach him in time. I don't know if he's connected to those other guys, but we haven't had any business -- from anyone -- since."

Intrigued and relieved this was finally getting somewhere, Zenigata brought out his notepad again. "What did these men look like? Was there anything else about them that made them strange?"

The brother rubbed his chin and then shrugged. "I don't know. They looked like mob types, fancy, but kind of scary at the same time too. One was real tall, the other was short." He then looked at the inspector directly as he said, "You know how sneaky crooks can be."

Zenigata's eyebrows lowered in vague annoyance as he heard the all-too-familiar phrase. "I'm well aware."

Didi jumped back into the conversation. And that's why I suspect Nicky of being responsible for these visits. This is a family business, and I know Dad would have told us if Al Capone or whoever visited our garage." She pleaded sincerely. "I know this is more than a coincidence."

The inspector fell silent as he took a moment to think over all the information that was given. A frown formed on his long face as he pondered, with him now fearing that he might've stumbled onto something completely irrelevant to why he was in New York City in the first place. As he looked up, his gaze met the two siblings. With a soulful look, Charlie spoke. "At the very least, please look into it, for my sister's sake."

Zenigata nodded his head as he finished writing his notes, promptly putting them back into his coat once they were completed. "I'll see what I can do." Then, with a salute, he excused himself to finally return to the 60th Precinct. He was unsure if he could keep his promise, but perhaps there was something in the station's files about a criminal duo of clashing heights.