Huang wanders back in just a Arthur is heading out.
Arthur: I couldn't get anything out of him that we didn't know already. We might have to keep an eye on him- he's trying to keep it together but he might lose it at any time.
Richardson just called me- he's wants me on another case that's just cropped up. Something about a possessed dog. Guess the three of you will have to share the sedan.
Oh, and what the father heard: he flips through a notepad 'Someone, anyone, help. Please! I feel strange. I don't know what she's going to do to me'.
Once outside, Arthur jumps onto the goldwing and accelerates down the drive and out into the street.
Outside, Ming Shi is sitting in the sedan looking smug while the pumping beats of Trilithon drown out the revving engine.
Nic sees Benny to the estate's gate and watches him limp off the grounds, then walks back over to the fish pond, where he stands unmoving for a moment, eyes closed, head tilted upwards slightly. He seems to be concentrating intently on some thought.
After a minute, he hurries over to the car with Huang and Ming.
Nic: I'd originally wanted to...
Nic stops, then starts again, this time yelling more loudly over the stereo.
Nic: I'd wanted to go to where Mingxia disappeared, but I'm thinking now that we should go talk to her blue-haired friend first. Let's head there and she what she can tell us. It'd be best to get all the personal info we can on the missing girl from the people who know her before we go looking for her.
Nic slides into the passenger side front seat, and points to Ming in the driver's seat.
Ming gives Nic a jaunty salute, then puts the car in drive and pulls up alongside Huang. She leans over and pushes open the rear door for him. Head bouncing to the music, she turns to Nic ...
Ming: Every investigation needs a soundtrack, don't you think?
[i]Inspector Huang climbs into the back seat amid the pounding of the techno that Ming prefers. As he settles in his seat behind Ming and straps his belt on, he closes his eyes, Mingxia's words running through his mind:
"Someone, anyone, help. Please! I feel strange. I don't know what she's going to do to me."
Something ominous settles upon Huang's features.[/i]
Huang: I've got a bad feeling about this, guys. All I have right now are theories, and none of them are sitting well with me. Especially the possibility that we may be dealing with a sorcerer.
Ming gets a serious look on her face, and turns off the music.
Ming: All right, we have some decisions to make. So far we have:
Ming ticks off her fingers ...
Ming: A. The scene of the abduction to investigate ... which was just at the end of the street here.
B. The friend Sarah to question, who was mentioned in our briefing.
C. The phone records from the secret cell phone nobody knew Mingxia had, which should be arriving via my email soon.
D. The security video tapes to analyze ... the date of the disappearance has been taped over, but may be recoverable.
E. Mingxia's laptop to go through more thoroughly ... that's how we found out about the secret cell phone, but there may be more information to uncover.
F. The pendant with blue-flecked hair from the friend in the photo (Sarah?) led Nic to discover that Minxia's location is being shielded by magic ... She's in a dark room with a wooden floor. She's lying on a dirty pallet. The walls are bare concrete.
G. Mingxia's voice was heard by her father, saying: 'Someone, anyone, help. Please! I feel strange. I don't know what she's going to do to me'.
I suggest that we check out the scene of the abduction first, since it's just around the corner, then go visit Sarah. I know a courier service that's located nearby ... I'd like to stop there on the way to see Sarah, and have them deliver the laptop and security tapes to HQ. That way our squints can start working on them while we're out in the field.