FanStory.com - Flies, Amazons & Ghostwritersby michaelcahill

Background
The story becomes more complex as Detective Adrian finds motive everywhere she looks. The Bard has a lot of information, most of it crazy!

Previously, Tenaya followed the Bard to his home which turned out to be a clubhouse long abandoned by the Blackwell children. It is rather well appointed being a clubhouse for wealthy children and a nice dwelling for the Bard. The Bard appear to have quite a few talents to go with his off the cuff poetry. We join the story as he gives Tenaya a tour and shows her a special lookout point that will be of great interest to her.

The Bard spent many an evening gathering material for his book from his vantage point in that tree house. "The Trees Have Eyes" would be a helluva read if The Bard could ever get it in front of a publisher. Morality did not have prominence on the list of Blackwell priorities. One could look at the record charts and get an accurate picture of who went along with the Blackwell's social agenda and who didn't.

This certainly had the perfect look into the private life of Johnathon Blackwell Senior's private and intimate life. A completly see through wall and The Bard here with a front row ticket to watch without a soul knowing a thing about it. I gazed into that window. Even now, Lincoln and Isabela conversed in the study.

A fly on the outside wall. Too bad The bard here wasn't a fly on the inside wall. Seeing is one thing hearing is another. Tenaya had her cell phone out and flipped it open. She hadn't upgraded it in about seven years. What the hell, it worked. To her a phone called people and received calls, anything else wasted her time. "Lucy, get a hold of Brainiac. I might have a little super-hero work for him."

Lucy Smaldino was Tenaya's partner. They called her "The Amazon Warrior" back at the precinct mostly out of disrespect. She stood 5' 9" tall at 165 lbs, fit and trim. She did tower over Tenaya though. She had beaten a couple of the men at arm wrestling and the threat to their manhood was real as far as they were concerned. Only Officer Barnes took it with good humor due to a decided crush on her.

Lucy replied, "Check. He'll be glad to be haunting the streets of Gotham again." She hung up. They had been partners for five years and knew each other's minds completely. Brainiac had the electronic surveillance skills that Tenaya needed from time to time. He also owed Tenaya big time. She wasn't crooked, but she was obsessed with finding out the truth. She wanted the real truth though. She wasn't out simply to close a case. She wanted to know above all else, what truly happened.

Tenaya turned her attention back to the Bard. He stared intently at the two figures in the study engaged in conversation. She had a question on the tip of her tongue, when he spoke.

"Ah ha! They're manipulating the stock market. Pork bellies. That's your play. Buy low, sell high. BLTs 12.95 at Coolio's Bar and Girdle Fry. They didn't do it. She knows nothing. He knows what he knows and they know it. Keep your eye on the boatload of cash; you're getting very sleepy, very sleepy…you are innocent too. When I snap my fingers you will awaken cause Baby you're a rich man tooooooo ooooh."

"Bard, Common now. What are you saying? Lincoln knows what happened and they paid him off? Bought his silence? Please just tell me straight up. I'm not good at riddles."

"Lincoln knows. What does he win? He knows." The Bard swiftly extended his hand towards Tenaya's face and pulled it back. Such was her astonishment that he retained use of his arm. Normally she would've grabbed it and arm locked him, but this time he got away with it. "I've got your nose."

He had his thumb between his fingers. It was the prototypical "Grandpa" trick played on many a guileless toddler. Detective Adrian was neither a toddler nor guileless. "Frustrated", that would be an accurate description of her current state. Getting through to the Bard and keeping him on point would be the challenge. Still, she had no reason to believe that his information came from thin air. Even his delusions had a basis in actual events. He didn't tour with the Stones, but the Stones did tour.

Lincoln did know something, of that she was certain. She needed to corroborate that. She needed to talk to Lincoln. But, it was imperative that no one was tipped off that an investigation was even going on. At this point, only The Bard knew she had any clue there was anything investigated. She had to rely on his lack of credibility. She needed an undercover.

With the chief's lips firmly planted on Johnathon Blackwell Juniors posterior it would have to be a completely rogue operation. Lucy Smaldino was about to volunteer for some unpaid overtime. Tenaya smiled to herself. It certainly would not be the first time for either of them.

They had captured the Bel Air Bunny Ears Rapist completely on their own and off the clock under the same circumstances. Chief Sandoval had no problem taking full credit for that arrest and conviction. Him forbidding his two detectives from going anywhere near Lattimore Daniel DuPont somehow forgotten in the glory that fell at his feet.

"Bard, I need your help. I'm investigating the death of your friend, Mr…"

"Murder, murder most foul and egregious! Is this a dagger I see before me or an icy cold can of Bud Light? Hamm's a beer refreshin' Hamm's a beer resfreshin'" Haaaaaamms!"

"Right, exactly. Can we keep this between ourselves?" Tenaya was exasperated.

"Why of course, Tenaya, I wouldn't dream of jeopardizing your investigation in any way. I want to know what happened to my friend. He may not have been the best guy, but he was good to me. He treated me human. That makes two of you." He smiled and made his eyes cross.

Tenaya found that to be crazier than anything he had done to date. Sane did not suit him at all. "Oh…okay…then. Well, thank you then. I appreciate it. Do you know who did it?"

People with agendas
                Slither and squirm as though legs
                                gave clues
limbs can be grasped and held on to
                they form commitments
                                they show concern
                and we don't have that

                                many slip in on their glistening trails
                                their aims congealing together
in a conspiratorial pool

but, who…who
the night owl questions
but, the early bird only seeks

several trails to follow

no one leads
a circle forms
on one long journey
the destination is clear
but, the steps cannot be navigated

It could be one of many, Tenaya. Some I suspect. Others would surprise. None can be discounted. He didn't die without help. That is what I know. I have to make rounds now. Keep it normal. Make a showing. Show my face. Be seen. Make a splash. My public awaits. The Bard of Bel Air is in great demand. You can hang out here if you wish. Don't lock it, I have no key…I have no sea to sail…I see no lock within a tear that's shed, but I confine it in blindness. Perhaps that is the price of failing to cry."

The Bard left Tenaya standing in his home. She felt the polite thing to do would be to leave. She felt the detective thing to do would be to detect.

What are the odds of this book being something sane? She sat on the nice office chair and grabbed a stack of papers. The top sheet spoke of aliens playing chess with an infant in a floating tree house. The aliens won, but the infant played a hell of a game impressing the aliens enough to gain passage on their spaceship to Jack in the Galaxy, their home planet.

Farther down in the pile, she came to "The Trees Have Eyes". A handwritten note on the front page indicated that it would be a good idea to "use fictitious names to keep the goodies coming and not make enemies". It was written with great style and if it were all true it would be an earth shaking scandal fest indeed. Could all of this be true? Who isn't in this book?

This Blackwell had no problem cashing in on the power he wielded. A real slime. But, she had to admit looking at a list of the records he had produced astonished her. Hit after hit that went on for pages covering decades of pop music. Country, Rap, Alternative, Jazz, classical and any other recorded music or spoken word you could name of note could be found on the pages of his production credits.