89: Photogenic – Pt. 2

“What do you mean ‘who’s Mike?’ Seriously, Derrick? This is no time to be funny.”

“I know, Victoria, I can sense how upset you are, I know this is real, I just, I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“Mike, my partner, Michael Rizzitello. The guy who sits at that desk?” Derrick turned and looked over Mike’s desk before gazing back at Victoria with a shrug.

Retrieving her phone, she pulled up an image from her camera roll, but every photo she’d taken of Mike and every picture of them together was gone. “This doesn’t make sense. My pictures…how is this possible? What is going on?”

“I don’t know, Baby, but we’ll figure this out. I promise,” he said, pulling her into his arms as he swept her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want you to worry about anything.” Moving forward, he looked around the area in front of Mike’s desk and sighed. “You found the phone here?”

“Yeah, yes. It was on the floor beside his desk.”

“Ok. And did you hear anything else on the call. Any sounds, other voices, music, anything that could help us identify what may have happened here.”

Victoria started pacing and closed her eyes as she thought back. “No. Nothing. He barely said two words before the line cut out.” Her eyes popped open and she sighed. “I have no idea what…” Victoria froze in place as she looked at the painting on the wall. “What the hell?”

“What? What is it?”

“It’s Mike.”

“Mike?”

“Yeah, there!” Victoria said pointing toward an image of a man standing in the crowd of partiers. “Derrick, Mike’s in the painting!”

“What?” Derrick glanced at the person Victoria pointed to and shook his head. “How?”

“I don’t know. But we need to figure out how to get to him.”

“So, what’s it gonna be?” Paul asked, dropping onto the chair across from Mike. “Will you help me out?”

“I still have a ton of questions, but I don’t have any immediate plans right now so, why not?”

“Nifty! I knew youse was the guy! Alright, we can start investigating right away, but first you’re gonna need to sport some better glad rags. I can’t have the boys fingering you as the fuzz and they certainly will with you dressed as a bindlestiff.”

“A what?”

“A tramp, uh, hobo. Trust me, the G-men who go undercover around here always think dressing like…you—will get them better access. Never works. And the last thing I need are these guys thinking I’m worried.”

“Why? Is there a crime against worrying about being murdered.”

“There is if you knew my friends.”

Again, Mike looked at the man in front of him with an air of suspicion, but shook it off for the moment. Something was definitely not right here, but he didn’t have time to concern himself with the man’s vagueness. He was too busy worrying about how he’d get back home.

For now, Mike borrowed a suit from Paul’s closet and the two started off toward the Palmetto Club. It was a swanky nightspot uptown. It was a place known for its great music, buzzing atmosphere and, for those in the know, there was also an underground speakeasy which was not easily penetrated.

Once inside, Mike was amazed at what he saw. The interior of the place was exactly the same as the painting he’d recently acquired. Mike felt his head spin at the thought; he would be the one to buy a cursed painting. “What are we doing here?”

“Meeting a friend. I thought it was best you question him yourself about the rumor. I need to get to the bottom of the story one way or another.”

A man standing next to the stage nodded in Paul’s direction and Paul escorted Mike forward. “Hey, Charlie, how’s it shaking?”

“Pretty good. How’s things with you?” Charlie asked, his eyes moving toward Mike. “Who’s your friend?”

“Ah, this here is Mike. He uh, he wanted to ask you something.”

Taking his cue, Mike began questioning the man about the rumor surrounding Paul. “Look, I don’t want no trouble. I only told youse what I heard. I ain’t got nothing to do with it. You know me, E. We’ve been friends for years now.”

“Yeah, and the only way I can figure it, someone learned about my upcoming post and has decided to try and take me out before I can make the jump. You and I both know what’s at stake when I start.”

“I do. But I doubt anyone really thinks you can make a difference. I mean, look at the state of things. No one’s ever even come close!”

“That was before we had the full backing of this here United States. Change is coming and there are plenty of people who don’t like it.”

Mike stood listening to the back and forth. And what he was picking up was that Paul quite possibly knew or at least suspected where these threats originated. One thing was certain, he wasn’t getting the whole story from the man who summoned him for help.

“Look, I can’t help you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“It’s my neck here! What would you do?”

“I’d be honest! I’d try and help a friend or at the very least have some moral stand against the goons trying to corrupt the legal system. Your silence hurts a lot of people, Charlie. Do the right thing.”

“I’ve told you all I know. You and Mike have a good evening.” With that, Charlie turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Darn it! I was hoping he’d be more forthcoming with you here.”

“Why with me?”

“Because as I told you before, a lot of the cops around here are on the take. And if they’re aren’t they are without doubt easily bought. I thought with a fresh face, he’d open up more.”

“In my experience, new people always make a witness nervous. They have no connection to the new player and because of this, have no idea if they can be trusted.” Mike paused and sighed as he took in the scene once more. It was just as he’d seen it right before everything went dark. He’d watched this all play out before. “So, what now?”

“Now we find a new angle.”

“Sounds good, but first, I’d like to know more about what I’m getting myself into. From what I heard between you two, there’s more to this story you haven’t shared with me and I don’t go into an investigation without all the details, so if you want my help, I need the facts.”

“Yeah. You’re right. I was just kinda hoping since you’re only here temporarily, we could fast track this investigation.”

“How long have you been a LEO?”

“A what?”

“Sorry, law enforcement officer.”

“Why does that matter?”

“I was curious. Fast tracking investigations usually equates to sloppy policework. It’s always best to cover your bases and work every angle.”

“Got it. Let’s head back to my place and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

As Mike and Paul stepped out into the snowy, Chicago evening, heading toward the parking lot, they were greeted by the sound of screeching tires. With barely any time to react, Paul grabbed Mike by the collar and dragged him to the side of the building.

“What…” Mike started, but his words were cut off with the nearby blast of gunfire.

“It’s the fix!” Paul shouted as another explosion ripped through the air. Unholstering his Colt M1911 semi-automatic weapon, he took cover beside the driver’s side wheel and prepared to return fire while Mike took aim from the rear.

Several civilians ran screaming for cover as more deafening gunshots erupted around them, glancing off nearby cars and buildings or ricocheting off lampposts. It was difficult to make out the number of assailants as shots echoed in the alleyway. The car had stopped out of view but numerous muzzle flares were visible through the falling snow.

As the firefight continued, Mike readjusted his position for a better vantage and returned fire with his Glock. “What the hell is that thing?” Paul asked, hearing the thunderous clap of Mike’s sidearm.

“Our lifeline,” Mike responded, watching Paul reload for a second time while he was still working through his first magazine. “We can’t stay here taking fire much longer.”

“We won’t have to,” Paul shouted, to be heard over the gun blasts, “Listen.” Mike paused a moment, straining his ears against the roaring shots and heard the telltale signs of sirens. “We need to get out of here.”

“What? Why? It’s backup. They’re coming to help.”

“Yeah, but help who?” Paul motioned with his head at cessation of gunshots and the sound of peeling rubber. Quickly, the two hopped into his car and sped away from the scene.

“This kind of thing happen often around here?” Mike asked, as he watched the nightclub disappear into the background.

“It’s what I’ve been telling you. Someone is out to get me.”

“Well, in that case, we’d better get back to your place and figure this mess out.”

Paul led Mike back to his apartment and went over everything he’d learned about the conspiracy to kill not only him but his brother-in-law, whom he’d not mentioned previously.

“How did these men learn about your new posting?”

“That’s the thing, I have no idea. But, because I’ve refused every bribe they’ve thrown at me, they’re kicking it up a notch.”

“We can absolutely figure this out. I just think you should probably expect there to always be a threat. That’s the life of law enforcement. There is always a daily threat of danger. And trust me, I’ve had my share of near fatal accidents and some that were career ending. It just comes with the badge.”

With that last sentence, Paul glanced at Mike with a puzzled expression. “Where’s the bathroom?” Mike asked after they’d finished going over a new plan of action.

“Just down that hall, first door on the right.”

As Mike disappeared down the hallway, Paul took the opportunity to refill their glasses. Starting into the kitchen, he grabbed the water pitcher but stopped short of pouring. A loud clatter erupted from his living room, and he quickly turned as a bright burst of light exploded in the middle of the floor. When the light dissipated, a woman stood with her back to him and he checked her out, placing his hand on his service revolver before speaking.

“Hello, Nurse!” Paul whistled and cat-called at Victoria.

“Excuse me?” Victoria replied, looking over at a man near a long hallway.

“I’m sorry, you seem to have the wrong apartment, Miss…”

“Victoria. And I’m sorry, but I was looking for a friend of mine. I followed his…”

“Eliot?” Derrick said, appearing suddenly beside Victoria.

“Derrick?” The man known as Paul replied, looking between the newcomers with a curious expression. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for…”

“Vik! How’d you…no, nope. Stupid question. I knew you’d find me,” Mike said with a smile as he rushed forward to give his longtime partner a hug. “I just thought you’d have gotten here sooner.”

“Sooner than what? It’s been like two hours!”

“Really? Is that all?”

“Yeah, as soon as the call dropped, I came looking for you,” Victoria said, looking over her partner. “Are you ok? I was so scared. You just vanished into thin air. I mean, you know you’re inside a painting, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I was worried about getting out of here, but that’s not a concern anymore. You have a plan, I’m sure.”

“I’m sorry, Mike, you know these two?” Paul asked, looking at his new guests.

“Great question,” Victoria said, turning toward Derrick. “Do you know him now?” Derrick looked over at Mike and nodded his head. “That’s a relief.”

“What’s that?” Mike asked.

“When you disappeared, I was the only one who remembered you. And honestly, I don’t know why. Maybe because I was on the phone with you when it happened or because of the other thing. But you removed yourself from a time you existed and, obviously, before you were born.”

“Damn. That could have gone much differently.”

“Yes. Hence my fear.”

“Yeah, I get that. And sorry about that, Paul, this is Victoria, my partner from our timeline.”

“‘Partner?’ You mean she’s a lady cop?”

“She is indeed. One of the best,” Mike said with a huge smile. “And this is Derrick, her…”

“I know Derrick. He and I are old friends.”

“Right, which begs the question, why did he call you Eliot?” Mike asked, glaring at the man beside him.

“Because that’s his name,” Derrick replied, looking at Mike’s new friend questioningly. “You didn’t tell him who you are?”

“No. I didn’t think it was important.”

“Not important?” Derrick nearly laughed. “He’s a big fan, trust me, he’s one you can trust.”

“Big fan?” Paul asked curiously. “You know I don’t quite understand how you know Derrick. If you’re supposedly from the future, how exactly do you know Derrick?”

“Uh…” Mike stammered.

“Wait, what’s going on here?” Victoria asked, interrupting the exchange. “Who are you exactly?”

Eliot sighed and ran a hand through his hair before looking over at Mike, the tone and cadence of his voice completely different. “The name’s Eliot. Eliot Paul Ness. I’m…”

“ELIOT NESS!?” Mike exclaimed, nearly falling over as he sized the man up again. “You’re Eliot Ness? THE Eliot Ness!?”

“I take it that means I’m a big deal from your time?”

“Are you kidding? The man that brought down Al Capone and the Chicago mafia?”

“MIKE!” Victoria shouted, “That doesn’t happen until the 1930s! We can’t…we shouldn’t…is it safe to discuss future events?” Victoria asked, looking over at Derrick who shrugged in response. 

“This is my first time, too, Victoria. There’s no way of knowing what effects this’ll have on the future,” Derrick responded.

“So, wait, the name, the accent, and all that ‘my guy’ stuff…” Mike started.

“It was all a ruse,” Eliot replied. “I wasn’t sure if I could exactly trust you.”

“You summoned me here for help!”

“I’m well aware of that, however, I couldn’t be sure what type of cop I would be getting. Anything could have happened. You have to understand. My life is being threatened here, I needed to be certain that I wasn’t trusting the wrong person who would deliver me to my death.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Mike sighed. “Trust me, Mr. Ness, I’m willing to help you with this investigation. You have my A game. We will get to the bottom of this thing.”

“Please, call me Eliot.”

“Eliot,” Mike replied with a large grin. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. Vik, I didn’t know we could time travel.”

“Neither did I. And it’s not something I’m too keen to try again,” Victoria replied, glancing around at Eliot’s cover apartment. “You know, this year isn’t exactly the best to those of my complexion. So, the sooner we can help you, Eliot, the safer I’ll feel.”

“Oh shit! Vik! I hadn’t even thought about that.”

“Well, to be completely honest, after listening to you folks, I’ve come to realize exactly where this threat is coming from and why. Al Capone wants me dead.”