Chapter Fifteen
Kimball Cho
I said that I'd drive, even though it's Rigsby's car. He doesn't have a clue where we're meant to go. Jane, Boss and I had been over there already once this morning to sort out this plan he's got. I don't really understand why we have to do it. All I know is that Rigsby and I have to go undercover. I normally quite enjoy it, I never show it though. But I'm dreading it this time. It's going to damage my self pride.
'Where are we going?' He asks.
'Some roughed up town half an hour away.'
'Oh...'
'You'll need to change,' I add after about thirty seconds silence.
'My clothes? Into what?'
'Casual.'
'I don't have any.'
'There's some in the back,' I give a brief glance over my shoulder. I see he's confused as to how I got them, I can't really be bothered to explain.
We pull up alongside the sidewalk in the middle of a town. We have ages to go until we have to go undercover. It needs to be this evening for it to be believable.
'Shall I change now?' He asks.
'No. Boss wants to see you first.' He sighs and shakes his head.
I get out and he copies. I walk into the greasy spoon Jane said he'd meet us in. The bell gives a cheesy jingle as we enter through the door. I see Jane sat at a table in the corner and Lisbon sat opposite, her back to us. He sees us and gives a small wave, Lisbon turns round and gets up.
'Where were you?' She asks Rigsby.
'Sorry Boss I got caught in traffic.' He flicks Jane a warning glance.
'Right well don't be late again.' She walks over to me and he goes to Jane.
'What are we doing?' Is all I hear before Lisbon starts going over what I have to do again.
It's finally lunch time and we head out in search of Kloë Oscar. We'd done plenty of research and have tracked her down to her home. Lisbon and Jane go to her flat. They're not suppose to mention that they're from the CBI, just the police. And they're supposed to tell her the made up story we had created, that they're there to tell her that Jack Johnson was caught with a gun and is in prison... We don't want her to know that we know about her affair with James Anderson. Rigsby and I are to stay outside and we aren't to be seen by her.
'You know the plan?' I ask him.
'Yep.'
'I'd get changed now.' I lean back and grab the clothes then throw them on his lap. He picks them up and gets out of the car. He holds them out and looks at them. He leans down and talks through the open window.
'What are these?' He shows me the dodgy trousers. With rips and wholes.
'Trousers,' I reply. He rolls his eyes at my answer.
'And you expect me to wear this?!' He holds out the worn leather jacket with studs on.
'Yes.'
He rolls his eyes again and puts on his top outside then climbs in the back to struggle on his trousers. I sit and look out the window the whole time watching the apartment door. I'd been in my casual clothes this morning as Lisbon had let me know before I'd left for work.
About ten minutes later Jane comes out to us and hops in the back then Lisbon sits next to him. Rigsby had joined me a while ago in his casual clothes.
'Okay guys your set. She's been told to carry on with her life as normal and we'd just swung by to tell her,' Lisbon tells us.
'She couldn't really give it a flying sheep dip,' Jane adds.
'So she's sure to carry on as normal?' Rigsby asks.
'Yep.'
'Okay. Do we just sit here and wait now?' I say.
'Yep... We just sit here and wait...'
Three hours had passed when there was finally sign of movement. Rigsby was asleep, Lisbon was sat drinking a coffee she had brought in a flask type thing and Jane was reading.
Kloë struts out of her apartment then disappears down a set of stairs then she gets in her car. I sit up ready for action and the others are all alert again. I watch her through the rear view mirror, I catch Lisbon roll her eyes at what Kloë is wearing.
'She's definitely a woman of the streets,' is all she says. Kloë's wearing a very low black strapless top and a very mini leather skirt with very high red heels. Personally not my type of thing, she's too 'very'. But she's a prostitute, she's paid for wearing this stuff.
She pulls off at let's say, over the speed limit and I pursuit. We're all sat looking around and very alert. I stay at a safe distance not wanting to be seen but close enough to keep up.
In the end she pulls down a dingy alleyway and I drive past and park on the road close by. Rigsby and I get out nod to each other then to Jane and Lisbon who were both going to be camping out in the car. We have secret microphones on so they'll be listening in as well. We walk along towards the alleyway and peep round.
'You ready?' I ask.
'Yep.'
'This is embarrassing,' I add.
'How so?'
'We're going to practically beg her for paid intercourse. It's pride damaging,' I reply.
'We're going to be her clients?!' He says sounding surprised.
'Yeah. It's the plan.'
'He didn't tell me that part.'
Kloë gets out of her car.
'I just told you. Come on,' I walk round the corner we were hiding behind, he follows me and we casually walk after her. It's about seven and it's dusky. The alleyway has no source of light so we can just about see her. She turns round a bend at the end and Rigsby and I jog over to the corner. There's light up ahead and we can see her silhouette, we follow after her again and she knocks on a fire exit. Someone opens it and she looks around, we duck behind a pair of bins and look at each other. How are we going to get in now?
'She's gone inside a building Boss,' I say into my microphone attached to the collar of my shirt.
'Is there any way to get in?' She says into my ear.
'We can't see an entrance,' Rigsby replies.
'Try the side of the building I believe there is a window not so high up. You boys will be able to get in,' Jane butts in. Rigsby and I nod to each other then creep along the outside, past the fire exit. We reach the end of the wall meaning that it should go along the side. There's a metal fence about eight to ten foot high which Rigsby manages to clear easy. I hoist myself up using all my arm strength and swing over, thanks to a wheelie bin.
We continue walking along a wall constantly looking for this window Jane was on about. About half way down there's a single, rectangle window that's ajar. But it has some sort of netting or wiring over it. Rigsby jumps and can just about reach the window ledge and he hangs there. He inspects the cover and whispers into his mic.
'It's covered. We won't be able to get in.'
'If you look around Cho, there will be a newspaper,' Jane says to me. Whatever they say will come through both of our earpieces. I look around. Sure enough there's an old looking newspaper blowing against the fence, unable to escape.
'Got it,' I say.
'The headline will be about the Laura Collins murder.'
'Sure.'
'Look inside,' he orders. I follow his instructions and there's a set of pliers.
'Pliers?' I ask.
'Give them to Rigsby and voila!'
I throw them up to Rigsby who thankfully grabs them as they hit the window sill. He gets to work immediately, bending and breaking the wire cover.
He jumps down after about two minutes and looks at his hands.
'Agh.' It looks painful. He rubs the indents in his hands.
'Give me a leg up,' I request. He kneels on the floor and puts his knee out still looking at his hand. I stand on his leg and heave myself up. I sometimes hate being mini. I swing into the room after giving it a quick scan. I wait for Rigsby to join me.
'We're in,' I report.
It's pitch black inside so I get out my torch from my jacket pocket. I lead the way through the building my pistol resting on my arm.
We turn down a narrow corridor and there's a faint light ahead. We go towards it when we hear a door click shut behind us. Then heels tapping along the floor.
'Oh, can I help you boys?' A woman says attempting to be seductive. Rigsby and I lower our guns and hide them then turn to face the voice. 'Can I interest you in any work? You know...' She raises her plucked eyebrows and puckers her lips. God this woman is sex drived. Like most prostitutes...
Rigsby looks at me as if to say, 'showtime!'.
'Who's offering?' He says his voice growing husky.
'Well me of course.' She strutts up to him and runs a finger down his chest. 'And what about your little friend?' She comes over to me now and walks around me trailing her hand over my shoulders.
This is so pathetic.
Here goes. 'I'd be interested in Kloë Oscar please ma'am.' I try my very best to act.
'Kloë? Why your just in time. She's about to perform. You better get down there soon otherwise you might not get a chance. You know...' She walks towards a set of stairs then starts wiggling her fat ass in front of us. She's got a nice figure but she stores it all in her ass the poor woman. We follow after her and exchange a glance... This is going to be a long night...