2019-10-12 - Murders Past and Present (and Breakfast)

Sitting in a booth, alone, in the section of the diner that cops usually frequent is Cassidy. She is a blonde woman with perfectly styled hair framing delicate features. She is well dressed with a buttoned up white blouse and heather gray slacks. On the table before her is a mostly untouched omelette with a bite that was spit out resting on top. A small playe of toast. Water, Oj and Coffee. She is occupying herself with idle scrolling on her phone and her other hand fiddles with a lighter.

Has Jessica been stalking the Assistant D.A.? Not at all! She merely made sure that if any of her contacts spotted her, to let the reporter know. And, thus, Jessica arrives at the 'Den of Good Service' that this diner has never been known as, and makes her way straight for Cassidy's table.

"Ms Cassidy, mind if I join you?" Jessica asks brightly before sitting herself down. No need to wait for an answer. "Jessica Flores, reporter for the Gray Harbor Gazette. For some reason I missed your press conference but I was wondering if you'd be open to some follow up questions." She takes out her phone, holding it up for Cassidy to see. "Mind if I record? Would hate to get something wrong."

Alison saunters over to the table in a t-shirt and jeans, her long red hair pulled back over her shoulders into a neat ponytail. She's carrying a small notepad and a pen with her. She puts on one of those waitressing smiles that's really fake as hell if you probe into it whatsoever. Her face looks a little tired, eyes a bit puffy. Maybe she had a long day yesterday? Who knows.

She hardly gives Jessica the opportunity to sit down and get situated at the table before greeting her, getting out the customary, "Hi! Can I get you anything?" No mind paid to the extended phone until she's done speaking, anyways, but she just stands there regardless.

Cassidy lifts eyes only to Jessica. Then when she introduces herself and her job, the DA turns the phone down toward the table and sllliiiidddesss it into her purse. Which she then latches. Then pulls close to her side. She gives her golden locks a little shake to provide some clearance for her face and she says, "Sure."

Cassidy's hands come together on the table and she waits patiently, looking expectantly at the reporter with a placid face that just screams 'vague answers and no comments to come'.

First hurdle passed...Jessica wasn't told to do something interesting, and physically impossible, with her phone. She places it carefully on the table surface. Did she notice Cassidy's eagerness to hide her own phone? Yes, indeed. Jessica smiles sweetly up at Alison. "I'll have a coffee, thanks. Black. And whatever Ms. Cassidy would like. Oh, do you still do those apple pastries? If you do, a plate of those would be great. Thanks." She takes in the redhead's appearance. "Working you hard?"

But back to business. Jessica has seen that expression far too much in her time at the Gazette. Though there is less mockery in Cassidy's eyes than she gets from the local police force. "You mentioned that the murders were unrelated. Not sure if there being two murderers out there is better than one. The Kruger murders were related to an environmental report? The other murders are related to...?"

Alison nods politely at the order, bringing the notepad up as if she's going to write it down, but then doesn't actually. She just looks upwards for a moment as if she's making a mental note. "Sure, I'll bring those over in a minute. Oh, I just had a long night, no worries!" Alison steps away with another plastic smile and sets about filling that order.

"The detectives who worked the crime scene and interviewed those close to the victims made a determination that Pam and Karl Kruger's slayings were unlikely to be related to the other spate of murders." Cassidy paraphrases her press release, basically. "When their initial investigative findings were presented to the District Attorney the decision was made to open a separate investigation into Mr. and Mrs. Kruger's murder."

The state's attorney then reaches for coffee and pulls it close, but doesn't lift it off the table yet. "I am insufficiently briefed to answer any questions about the others. You'll have to try your luck with the Police Chief on those."

Jessica smiles politely at the rote, professional answers. "They're keeping you in the dark?" She nods slowly to this. "The police have a habit of doing that in this town. The Chief in particular." There is disappointment in the reporter's eyes, she was hoping Cassidy would be better, but no surprise at the lack of information.

"You decline to confirm or deny that the Kruger's were murdered due to evidence they were to present to an environmental hearing about the construction of a..." Her brow furrows as she thinks. "The casino, wasn't it? Are the others who were going to give evidence at that hearing under police protection? You would think they should be, don't you?"

Alison returns with the black coffee, drops it off reasonably close to Jessica. It's hot, black, and coffee! She also sets down a large plate with several bear claws on it, which are indeed pastries, but are most definitely not apple flavored. They tend to be a favorite amongst the cops that frequent the diner, however, so this must've been what Jessica was asking for! "Let me know if there's anything else that you'd like." One more of those fake smiles and she's gone again, not waiting for any possible response, the short redhead off to another table on the other side of the diner.

Cassidy gives Jessica the 'oh, honey' look and titters. "Nice try." She shakes her head. "I am insufficiently briefed because it is not the investigation I am assigned to. I work for the County and I represent the people. The PD has an obligation to share details of their investigation and investigative procedure with the DA's office. I am simply not working those cases."

"I cannot comment on the facts of a case, Ms Flores, but generally speaking I would consider it silly and presumptive for any detective to decide at this stage what the motive of the crime was." She shakes her head, "As I told the blogger at the press conference yesterday, we can't comment on rumors except to discourage them and allow the GHPD to conduct their investigation."

Jessica says, "You think that the press should stay quiet until the police decide when and what can be told? In the interest of public safey of course" Jessica replies with a faint smile before bearclaws are delivered. She stares at them a moment. "Umm...miss?" Alison's gone and the reporter turns back to Cassidy with a sigh. "Once you've had the service here, you never forget it. Not that I've ever had service here. Care for a bearclaw?"

"Which cases are you working on? I thought you were working on the Kruger case. Protecting prospective witnesses and potential victims would seem to be associated. We're certainly beyond the first forty-eight hours on these cases. You're confident that they will be resolved?" She sips at her black coffee and winces. "Black and bitter, just like my relationships" Jessica mutters to herself. "Here's the thing, Ms Cassidy. Society is a two way street but if the law blocks off the street, people will find their own ways to get where they need to be. I only report facts, not supposition, but I don't stay quiet either. The people deserve to know what is going on, good and bad in the world, to inform their lives. We've seen far too often what people will do when told bullshit or nothing at all. I get you have your job to do. You have your rules. I understand and respect that but I have my job to do too. I won't work for you but happy to work with you." She takes a bite of the bearclaw. "So not apple. Sorry for the soapbox speech, but I wanted to make my position clear.""

"The DA's Office won't comment on rumors except to discourage them." Cassidy repeats simply, now lifting her mug and taking a sip. She settles the mug down. "That is neither controversial, nor adversarial to the duty of the press." She smiles faintly, professional. "And I -can't- make extrajudicial comments about the facts of the case. You'll need to request comments from the PD if you want details about leads and so forth."

"You're good, I'll give you that" Jessica smiles across the booth. "Sure you don't want a bearclaw? It's not a bribe, honest." She leans back in her seat, studying the blonde, before reaching over to her phone and hovering her thumb over the record button. "Anything you can tell me off the record? You're right, you can't officially say anything that your job doesn't allow you to say, but 'sources' could always give out information that will stop more people being killed. That will show a transparency of the legal process in this town so the citizens can trust you. I mean, the local PD does not have a good reputation at the moment...or for years. Bullying. Corruption. Silencing those they disagree with." She hits the record button to stop it. "I was hoping you would be someone who, not having that taint, could help out the town." Jessica shows Cassidy that the phnone is not recording. "Up to you."

Alison is nowhere to be seen, for the most part. At one point, her voice can be heard from the kitchen, yelling at someone with colorful language. Maybe the cook, maybe someone else. Eventually, she pops back out with a fresh pot of coffee, steaming away, and makes her way over to Cassidy and Jessica's table after filling up a few mugs on the way. "Refills, ladies?"

Only after saying this does she notice the phone extended once again and internally curses her poor timing. "Uh, I can come back?"

Cassidy smiles up at Alison, "I'll have a large chocolate milkshake with three strawberries cut into hearts and blended in. Thanks." And she watches Alison.

"It's okay" Jessica smirks to Alison. "Nothing to hear here." Recording is resumed as she places the phone back on the counter. "Can I have a caramel thickshake? And I think one of those hearts being blended is mine." It's not often that a journalist does most of the talking in an interview. "So you have nothing to do with the Addington murders, Ms Cassidy?"

Cassidy looks at the recording being turned back on. "I think your finger slipped, Ms. Flores."

Alison makes sure to write the milkshake order down! Cut into hearts? Uh, okay, someone in the back'll know what that means. She visibly underlines hearts a few times. "Okay, we can do that!" She looks over at Jessica, writes her caramel shake down as well. "Coming right up!" And she's gone to the back again.

"You do know that we'll end up with a strawberry thickshake and a chocolate donut, right?" Jessica offers Cassidy a wry smile. "Yeah, it's easy to slip up when distracted by so much important information. But, hey, no answer is just as interesting. Says quite a few things that people will find hard to forget."

Cassidy just looks disappointedly at the recorder and her enjoyment of sending Alison off to make an impossible shake to buy privacy time slowly fades as long as it is left on.

Jessica is a bit slow on the uptake. The disappointment on Cassidy's face makes her think a little. It's a wonder she doesn't face palm at her own stupidity. The recorder turned off again as she slips her phone back into her pocket. "Sorry about that. I tend to get a little too focussed sometimes."

"I know you think you need to be a tough girl with me, but..." Cassidy leans forward a bit, she puts her arms down so they are hidden by the table, hands still clasped and shoulder rotated in. She smiles a friendly smile with a little shake of her head, "...when's the last time you even got a press conference?" She winks.

"I don't know where that blogger got that idea. All I can say is we're pursuing all avenues of investigation until we get our big fish."

Alison is gone for a bit longer than she had been when fetching the previous orders, several minutes at least. No yelling from the back this time. She returns with the two shakes as requested. Sets down the caramel thickshake (with a healthy dollop of whipped cream on top) in front of Jessica, and the large chocolate shake milkshake with strawberries blended into it, the little pieces visible underneath whipped cream. There's also a very thin strawberry heart sitting at the top of the whipped cream, where a cherry or some such might usually be sitting, suggesting that either she or someone had gone to the effort of the requested task, or at least cared enough to make it look like they had.

"Enjoy!" she says, artificial smile and all, as she drops off some extra napkins, and the short little redhead is gone again.

"I'm not trying to be tough, honest, just trying to be...honest" Jessica replies softly with a little laugh at her incompetence with the language. "Ouch, that hurts" she smirks about the press conference. "Let's just say that the 'Gray Harbor Gazette' is often ignored because we say it like it is." A little frown. "When we're allowed to. Yours is not the only line of work where there is pressure from above. I think I have an idea who the Big Fish is too...but no proof. I hope you hook them."

It looks like Alison managed to get the order perfect. This is a momentous day for the 'Grizzly Den Diner'! "Thanks" Jessica offers to the waitress, a little hint of surprise in her voice. And then Alison is gone again and eyes back on Cassidy. "Are the murders really unrelated?"

Cassidy oogles the shake and looks at Alison like she's a goddess. No verbal praise needed. That gaping mouth and those shining blue eyes do all the talking.

Her attention turns back to Jessica. "It appears that way - enough so that we opened the second investigation. But honestly? You need to hoof it. If you want to protect people with the truth - or whatever your little rant was about - don't be waiting for picked bones you get tossed by the agencies. Bring the heat down on these bad guys with your own work. Make the bastards who did this feel like they have the whole town honing in on them."

It is a recorded moment in history the day Cassidy took that sip of strawberry shake that made her eyes roll back into her head. "Oh my god this is delicious. You have to try this." And Jessica soon finds Cassidy's straw right in her face.

Clarissa steps into the Grizzly Den Diner and instantly looks like she regrets every life choice that ever brought her to open the front door, never mind walk inside. "Well isn't this..." A hundred words flash through her mind, none of them all that nice, "...quaint." She appears to debate on whether or not she should just turn around, but steels herself and presses forward, heels loud against the tile. Hazel eyes drift over those already assembled and settle on Jessica, lips twisting into a slightly sour expression, "Miss Flores," she greets, then looks a bit surprised to see Cassidy. "ADA Bennet. You're here. In this...place." she looks around again. What even is with this decor? "I see you must have time to spare while waiting for the Gray Harbor police force to pull their attention away from donuts and actually give you something to do."

Alison is doing her waitress thing around the diner, at some point she passes by Clarissa near the three of them. Her memory jogs, and she flashes the well put together a more genuine smile that she might generally use, having met her at Espresso Yourself briefly some weeks ago. "Hi again! Grab a seat anywhere if you'd like. Someone will be with you shortly." She doesn't particularly seem to have noticed or perhaps didn't hear the woman's probably quite deserved disdain for the place. And she's gone again. Where is she even going? The diner isn't /that/ big..

Jessica nods to Cassidy's words - not even minding the comment about the rant. It was a bit ranty. And that smile that comes with the idea of bringing heat on people shows she is more than willing to take up that Crusade. "Consider it done. Though, any bait you can throw me will only help with the catch." And then there is a straw in her face. "Umm...okay. Though you still haven't tried a bearclaw." But before she can take part in the peace straw sucking, there is a (suspected) murderer at their table. "Missus Robbins. What a pleasure to see you again. Oh, sorry, it must be Ms Robbins these days. Or are you married again?" A glance between the widow and the ADA; of course they would know each other. "I didn't think this was your kind of place, Ms Robbins. Times are tight? I'm sure you'll find another husband to support you if you need it. And then another one after that. Would you like to join us?" Because what could be better company than snark?

"Drink the shake, Flores." Cassidy says with a playful impatience, setting it down in front of the reporter. She turns her blue eyed gaze to Clarissa and gives the woman an up and down sweep and shrugs her shoulders, "I don't believe we've met. But yes, this is a typical hangout for us..." (meaning the cops) "...and it is 4 in the morning so I'll cut them some slack." Oh! "That reminds me, Jess..." Cassidy looks at her phone, "Captain de la Vega had a comment for you, 'It's four in the fucking morning...'" Cassidy giggles a devious sort of giggle as she puts her phone away again.

"It's Missus," Clarissa immediately bristles, giving Jessica the reaction she was likely looking for with a stiffening of her shoulders and a raising of her chin. Hmph. "I'm not divorced, I'm widowed. Clarissa Robbins," she introduces herself to Cassidy and seems a bit put out that the other woman didn't recognize her, "I'm chairwoman of the Gray Harbor historical society. And apparently not the only one in this town that suffers from bouts of insomnia." She looks surprised to see Alison, "Miss Summers, I see you've found a job." She makes 'job' sound like employment here might be a stretch. "Congratulations?" She moves over to sit at the bar across from the table where Cassidy and Jessica are, "No thank you," she says smoothly to the latter, "I'd hate to read about whatever we'd discuss in tomorrow's paper."

Alison pops back up from under the counter somewhere, almost as if she was hiding down there? But no, she's just short as heck and was doing an errand. She walks over near Clarissa and slides her a menu from a foot or two down the counter. "Do you know what you'd like already, or do you need a minute with the menu?" She's back into 'waitress mode' now, and the fake smile's plastered on her face as she pulls up her notepad.

Job done with the Clarissa poking, Jessica finally tries that shake. Yes...it is sublime. "Wow. I guess this is the right time of the day to order shakes. That is damn good." She offers the drink back before a smirk at the text. "Crime does not sleep. He should know that. And neither does the press." Jessica has own thickshake to enjoy.

"That's Clarissa Robbins" she explains with a nod towards the woman in question. "Her husband commited suicide..." The way she says 'suicide' makes it sound like 'murdered gorily', "...leaving Clarissa a large inheritance. Many people believed she killed him but, after extensive evaluation by our impeccable judicial system, she was found to be not guilty. Bit of a snob." Does she says this all softly at the table? Of course not, she says it loud enough for Clarissa to 'accidenteally' hear every word.

"Oh." Cassidy says as she listens to Jessica while looking at Clarissa.

"Well maybe she wants a milkshake." The DA snatches the drink from Jessica's vicinity and offers it forward toward where Clarissa sits at the bar.

"Rightfully cleared after months of being harassed by inept detectives of Gray Harbor," Clarissa corrects irritably from her place at the counter, picking up the menu very carefully as if she expects it will be sticky. "Are the eggs here free range?" She asks Alison as she peruses the menu. When Cassidy offers the milkshake over she gives her a look like, she's not serious. "Ah, no thank you. Do you know how many calories are in that?" And also cop and journalist germs, yuck!

Alison blinks at Clarissa's question, her mind churning for a few seconds, before sputtering out, "I don't believe so.. but I can check if you'd like?" The cadence of her voice towards the tail end of that sentence is such that would make it pretty clear that they're probably just whatever was on sale at Safeway, but telling someone no outright isn't exactly how you ensure a decent tip. I think the burgers use grass fed beef, though!" she volunteers, trying to be helpful, but burgers are not exactly eggs.

When she's not otherwise occupied, her attention darts between the three women sniping at eachother on and off, though the snark between the two at the table over their business seems to have subsided somewhat. Alison bites her lip slightly, pondering to herself, possibly considering a particular action that she might take to easy tensions somewhat.

Jessica has to hide a little giggle as Cassidy offers Clarissa a shake; she definitely doesn't know the woman. And it turns out as expected. Clarissa may have been cleared, maybe even correctly, but she does make it hard to like her. "Calories aren't all bad, Missus Robbins. You need them to live. You just need to do more activity. Like...go to diners at four in the morning." She glances towards the entrance. "Would you chauffeur like something?"

"Good point." Cassidy tells Clarissa with a light shrug. She reaches for her purse and hooks it into the crook of her arm and stands. She fishes out a pack of Kools as she prepares to depart. "Best of luck Flores."

The DA slides a stick into her mouth and finger waves to Alison as she departs.

Clarissa gives a little sigh at Alison's answer and then gives the waitress a reassuring smile, "It's fine. I'll just have a veggie omelette. "And I don't have a chauffeur this week. I do give him holidays every so often." She lifts a hand to wave to Cassidy as she departs but doesn't actually look over at the woman, instead sending a glare Flores' way, "What are you even doing here? Or do you catch all your stories from half asleep people before sunrise? That would explain a lot."

Alison smiles and nods at Clarissa, heading off to pass off the omelette order. Veggie omelette. Right. She waves back at Cassidy as she heads out. "Thanks for coming!" Just as Alison rounds the corner to the kitchen, she can be heard coughing quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Ms Cassidy" Jessica smiles to the DA as she leaves before turning towards the abuse from Clarissa. "I'm working, Ms Robbins. Though I suppose that's an alien concept to you. Work. Half-asleep people sometimes forget to hide the truth." A suck on the straw on her shake before she adds, "Don't suppose you feel the need to tell me anything while half-asleep? Look, a jury of your peers decided you were innocent. That's all there is to it. Case closed."

"And yet you people keep bringing it up," Clarissa replies with a sniff, pulling out a couple of napkins from a metal container with a bear on it and dabbing her nose. "If I were half-asleep I'd still be at home, that's the problem. I'm all the way awake, sorry to inform you. And while I might not have a job that you'd approve of, I do devote a lot of time and energy to trying to make this town better. Charity work is still work, Miss Flores."

Alison peeks around the corner while the omelette's being prepared, watching the two of them. After a short while, she decides that Jessica's the bigger 'threat' to the overall mood of the diner. Entirely neglecting how brightly she shimmers (she's not very well versed at this stuff), she attempts to project some calmer emotions to Jessica, ideally ones that might make her to relax. It's not a very great attempt, really. At least not against Jessica. It arrives with all the subtley of a freight train passing through town in the dead of night, her 'spell' fizzling away unbeknownst to her.

"I didn't bring anything up" Jessica is claiming innocence on this one. "I just explained the history. If people misinterpreted my words..." Change subject time. "Insomnia? And, yes, definitely, charity is a wonderful thing to do and very hard work." She doesn't even mention how good it is as guilt therapy...like if you murdered your husband. "Seriously, Missus Robbbins, if you ever want to get your side of the story out, just give me a call."

Jessica's brow furrows as she feels something trying to...she's not sure exactly, but she can feel it. Feel it trying to worm its way into her head for a moment before it dissipates. That was uncalled for. She glances around, trying to find the culprit, before considering if it is time to leave.

Clarissa shakes her head, tone indicating her distaste as if it were any secret, "I think I'm done with headlines and news stories for the rest of my life, thank you Miss Flores. If you could keep the focus on the causes and not my involvement in them in the future that would be much appreciated." If she's noticed anything weird going on she gives absolutely no indication, picking up a fork and examining it. Are those dishwasher spots or is that dirt?

Alison turns the corner from the kitchen, holding Clarissa's piping hot veggie omelette. It's probably accurate - the order was simple enough, but as to if the dish will be up to the socialite's standards is something of a mystery to her. She sets it and some extra napkins down in front of the woman. "Oh! I forgot to ask you if you'd like a drink. I'm sorry!"

Her face does not betray her misdeed from a moment ago. If she did something that she feels guilty about, she's not showing it in the normal manner that a non-Glimmer user would be able to notice

"If you reconsider, Missus Robbins, feel free to get in touch. It could work wonders on your profile in town. Maybe even better than any charity work" Jessica offers before leaving the socialite to her early, early breakfast. She has her own food and drink to deal with. And she's still concerned about who tried to poke her mind. Hopefully it wasn't them.

Clarissa gives the omelette Alison delivers a once over. That plate isn't doing it any favors. No sprinkle of parsley. Still, she forces a smile, "Thank you, Miss Summers. And I'd love a coffee, please. Just straight black. Do you have any..." She starts to ask then looks around, "...never mind." It's unlikely they have china cups here. "How are you finding our town?" She might say that overly loudly. An outsider sounding like she's a townie. Perish the thought. "If I was interested in raising my profile in the town, Miss Flores, I wouldn't do it through your newspaper," this time there's no mistaking the derision in her tone.

Four in the AM? That's a perfect time for one Sergeant Andy Géroux to get off duty and come into what he has been assured is the second shittiest place still open when everyone but the drunks are in bed. The official uniform has been traded out for a t-shirt advertising the most overnamed water park in Kepler, West Virginia, H2-Woah (That Was Fun!) over a pair of kahki slacks, his smart red suspendies hanging down from his waist and dangling to his knee. As he walks in he's applying a nicotine patch to his right bicep with one hand, swiping at his phone with the other, grumbling to himself as he tries to figure out how Xfinity Home is supposed to work so he can let the dogs out without even being there. "This app is a fucking mess." He stumbles into the counter and looks up, alarmed. "Oh. Hell. Good. Food." He glances down toward Clarissa, grimacing at her tone as he looks to Jessica. "You always make friends so easily, Missus Robbins."

Alison reaches underneath the counter, grabbing a mug from who knows where, but there's an audible sound of clinking against other ceramics, so it's a safe bet that there's other clean dishes down there too. Grabs a steaming pot of coffee from the burner, pours it, pushing it towards Clarissa, only spilling a tiny bit on the counter with the horizontal motion. "Not too bad! I got moved in to my new place, found a job, making friends.. can't complain. Seems like the people around here just click, y'know? Not like Seattle."

The short redhead spots Andy as he walks in, figures that it's 4am, and he looks like a cop. You can always tell, even if they're wearing red suspenders. She grabs another mug from under the counter and starts pouring him a coffee, sliding it down the counter with one seat's separation from Clarissa. "Hi! Can I grab you some bearclaws, or if you want a look at the menu.." she gestures towards the menu deposited near Clarissa earlier.

Jessica grins at the insult from Clarissa. "We can knock you down but we can't build you up? No hard feelings, Missus Robbins." She has bigger fish to fry at the moment but, hey, maybe Clarissa could be tied in with the Addington murders? Just a thought. Then she is distracted by...red suspenders. Undone suspenders at that. Hey, it's 4 am, it's the time for this kind of thing. "I still have some bearclaws" she points out to the new arrival. "I ordered apple danish so you can have them if you want."

Clarissa picks up the knife and fork and starts cutting up her omelette into little bit sized pieces. She looks up when she recognizes Andy's voice, then quickly down at her plate, "So, what the ADA said was true, this is a cop hangout?" She sniffs. This place just keeps getting worse and worse. "And it turns out you couldn't really do either, Miss Flores, although I know you tried your best." She just makes it sound like that wasn't good enough. The coffee is eyed with this same disdain, "Thank you."

Andy gives the menu a dubious glance, then shakes his head. How different could one diner be from any other diner? "I'll take three eggs, scrambled, home fries if you have 'em, hash browns if you don't, a side of smoked sausage if that's a thing you do or bacon if it isn't, two slices of white bread toast with butter aaaand a short stack of hotcakes. Regular ol', not buckwheat or granola or anything like that. The only GORP I like the P stands for pepperoni." He jerks a thumb toward Jessica, "And I'll have one of her bearclaws." He wanders over and takes one of the offered treats. So nice! To Clarissa he says, "Anything still open at this time of morning is either a cop hangout, a firefighter hangout or a criminal hangout. Usually they aren't rich white lady hangouts, so welcome to the nightlife."

Alison grabs her notepad with a quickness upon Andy giving her order. Eggs! Scrambled! Hash browns! Bacon! Toast! Butter! Pancakes! "Okay, got it. That'll take a few minutes, let me know if you'd like anything else." She passes the order to the kitchen, and then attends to a few of the other patrons of the diner, though there aren't too many besides the three at this time of day.

"I was only reporting on the facts, Missus Robbins. It's not as if you were very forthcoming" Jessica replies, though she keeps the 'or barely human' to herself. Still, no point in arguing with a (suspected) killer all night. Andy's order goes on and on...poor Alison. Though when he comes for the bearclaw, she pushes the whole plate his way. "Take them. I'm not a cop, firefighter, or criminal. Definitely not a rich white lady." Should she go and find a Latina hangout?

"I wasn't forthcoming with things you wanted to hear," Clarissa snaps, casting a glare over at Jessica before she takes a dainty bite of her omelette. She gives Andy a double take at his order, "Are you bringing some food back to your employees?" She asks dubiously. "Don't overwhelm Miss Summers, she's new here." She then makes the mistake of having a sip of coffee. She does not spit it out or anything else that might be gross, but she does let it sit in her mouth for a moment before she swallows. Ugh.

"I'm hungry, Missus Robbins. I have to carboload before I go home and go to sleep so I have energy in the morning." That's 100% how that works. A criminal justice degree doesn't require any biology classes, and the science requirement was easily filled with Dog Psychology, which was actually a great class and involved a report where he brought in a corgi and everyone had to hug it and he got an A+ THANK YOU so yes he's a science genius. As he takes one of the offered bearclaws he says to Jessica, "Just because it's a cop hangout doesn't mean only cops are allowed. Though I guess that is how it works for biker bars, but that's a completely different Village Person, so they don't count."

Alison pokes her head out from the kitchen, hearing her surname mentioned. "Hey, I might be new /here/, but I've done this before!" And gone again, only missing the Bugs Bunny-esque sound effect. Cooking sounds and smells abound! The order takes a bit longer, given the size of it and the sole person working in the kitchen, but before too long Alison's coming around the corner carrying a bunch of dishes full of food. She drops them off by Andy, including some extra napkins.

They're the simpler options given, but they're all made fresh to order. The redhead very narrowly avoids spilling the tray, sending the eggs and the pancakes sliding on their respective plates to the edge, righting it just before disaster strikes. "Fuck! Uh, I mean oops. Sorry." She puts the tray back in its proper place, then asks Andy, "Let me know if there's anything else you want."

Alison passes by Jessica, asking her if there's anything else that she wants either. She peers at her, not sure if her earlier attempt really worked. The journalist looks a little worse off, really, seemingly in something of a foul mood rather than the earlier joking one, despite the undertones of hostility.

Nope. No point in arguing facts with Clarissa. Jessica will be the better woman, again, and leave it be. A smirk about the Village People. "I should go to the construction worker hangout? Hmm, I think that band really missed out not having a journalist. You know, some guy in glasses and a cardigan. Or is that librarian?" She finds a smile for Alison. "I'm good, thanks. I doubt you have anything left in your kitchen after that." A nod towards Andy's plates...plural. "I should probably get going. Wouldn't want to put your customers off their food." She will leave a hefty tip for the waitress after all she's had to put up with.

Clarissa stares at teh things on Andy's plate while eating her omelette which is totally fine. It's fine that it doesn't have pancakes or bacon in it. Those things are unhealthy. And so delicious. But so bad! She puts another piece of egg in her mouth and chews it with more of a sour expression than usual. "Could I get the check please?" She asks Alison as she forgets what happened just a few moments ago and has another sip of her coffee, instantly regretting it. "Off to ruin someone else's life, Miss Flores?"

"Ma'am," offers Andy to Jessica by way of a have a good day. "Obey traffic laws and avoid speeding tickets." Smile smile. Then he turns back to Alison, grateful expression on his face as she serves up his breakfast(s). "Thank you very much. Your tip will be a thing of legends. Oh, I'll take a glass of OJ, too. If you have that. Milk if you don't." Does a body good. Andy looks back to Clarissa, considers the rich lady, then reaches down, takes a strip of bacon and leans over to set it on the corner of her plate. "Live a little, Missus Robbins."

Alison slips an already printed check out of her pocket and hands it over to Jessica. "Thanks for coming! Have a great night.. morning..?" She looks outside and shrugs. The sun's not out yet at this time of morning in the fall. "Day? Whatever it is at this point." Plastic smile's on, and then she turns away, heading over to Clarissa, handing over the woman's bill and thanking her similarly.

She saunters off to grab Andy his orange juice after affirming that they do have it, and fills an actual, proper size glass of orange juice for him. Not one of those little dinky cups that some places charge you $5 for, and then it's gone in one sip, dropping the chilled beverage off in front of Andy. "The last time I had someone order that much food at once, the dude was like.." she trails off, but she lifts her arms and flexes her biceps. Except she doesn't have any biceps, but her arms are in the appropriate position for that, so her meaning is probably pretty clear.

"Your life doesn't seem too ruined, Missus Robbins" Jessica smiles sweetly as she rises to her feet. "Not as ruined as your husbands. Nice to see you out with the hoi poloi, you should do it more often. The humanity might rub off on you." A nod for Andy. "I'm good at obeying the laws. Goodnight, all." She heads for the door befoe stopping there and looking back Clarissa's way. "You need a lift somewhere, Missus Robbins?"

That one lands pretty squarely and Clarissa's shoulders stiffen as she starts looking through her oversized vintage bag for her wallet, "So you can report on my movements in the early morning hours? Hardly," she replies icily, not looking back at Jessica as she counts out some bills. "I'd call my chauffeur back from vacation first." She eyes the piece of bacon Andy offers her and hesitantly picks it up after laying down a stack of bills, "...grass fed, you said?" She asks Alison. Well, she said that about the beef really.

Andy actually looks a little shocked at what Jessica has to say about Clarissa's husband. "Too far," he mumbles around a forkfull of eggs, then looks back to Clarissa as she tries her grass fed, free range, gluten free, organic, vegan kosher bacon, expresion changing to barely concealed amusement at her internal struggle. One she appears to be about to lose. "I saw Doctor Oz on Oprah and he said that bacon is the new kale."

Alison gives a little sympathetic shrug towards Clarissa. "That's what they tell me! The p--" Oops. "The cops that come by here seem to like it! I think it's not half bad, but I prefer mine to be a little on the softer side." Her tiny frame doesn't exactly suggest that she eats a lot of bacon, but it's hard to tell at five feet and change.

The waitress grabs a damn cloth and starts wiping down some unoccupied parts of the counter before the breakfast rush starts coming in.

"I'm not a gossip columnlist, Missus Robbins. I was just offering you a lift somewhere." Jessica sighs as she makes friends and influences people in such a beneficial way...again. No wonder she only has one friend. Then she is gone.

Clarissa does eat that little piece of bacon and from the way she closes her eyes momentarily it's probably been quite some time since she indulged and she's willing to believe lies to do so. "Worth it," she says finally, standing after waiting enough time that she probably won't run into Jessica in the parking lot, "Good to see you land on your feet, Miss Summers." Then there's a slightly cooler, "Sergeant," to Andy before she's also turning for the door.

With everyone gone Andy takes advantage to just sit there and eat his breakfast in peace. And fight with his phone.

Alison wipes up some more, leaving Andy to his meal. Before too much longer, the diner's getting busier with the morning crowd as opposed to the breakfast crowd, and Alison's done her shift, but not before running around and collecting the bills and pocketing her tips.

A few other girls take her place. Life goes on. Breakfast is made. The sun rises. The circle of liiiiife~