2019-11-17 - Ape Stories

It is a cool misty afternoon with a drizzle. Perfect for staying indoors and having a pint or two or howevermany.

Which is clearly what Beth intends. She is sitting at the U shaped bar in a place where she can get a good look out the large windows. Her hair is still up in a twist like it often is for work, but she's changed out of her usual somber suit and into a pair of knee high suede boots, dark wash skinny jeans, and cowl-necked sweater. She smiles and murmurs her thanks to the bartender as she receives a mug of what appears to be a dark porter.

It is also what Lalo intends, as well -- at least, he's come in, so certain motivations can be assumed. He pushes the hood of his jacket down once he's inside, looking around in the manner of one who has not been in a place before, before he starts toward the bar -- and it's then he sees Beth. When he does, his eyebrows raise, and a little laugh escapes him as he starts toward her. "Out of all the gin joints in all the world," he says as he comes to take a seat by her. He does leave a stool in between them, since they don't know each other that well. "Nice to sea you again." Because he had to do it.

Jessica is all business when she pushes open the door to the bar. This means she is on the phone and having an urgent, though not heated (yet), conversation. "No, I don't think it was a killer ape either but that's what the rumor is." A roll of her eyes as she heads to the bar. "No, I haven't been drinking Kevin's coffee. I'll follow the lead and see what I find, okay? If nothing else, we would know that my sources are being dicks." She settles onto a stool at the bar near the others, nodding at whatever the other person is saying. "Okay. Gotta go." Ending the call, she raises a hand in the direction of the barkeep. "Tequila."

Esme is off duty and a few steps behind Jessica. Totally eaves dropping on her conversation. Her expression remains remarkably neutral. "Dear lord, I hope we aren't facing a Planet of the Apes situation." She says as Jessica hangs up the phone. "I don't have ASL OR Ape on my list of passable languages. So I'm definitely one of the first ones captured and killed." She smirks as she leans up against the bar, near Beth. "Beth! Long time no see." She easily tosses an arm around the woman to give her a hug.

Her gaze lands on Lalo for a moment. Peering at him as if she's trying to place him. "...Have we met before?"

Beth lifts her mug up to her lips to take a pull when she hears a newly familiar voice behind her. Wiping her mouth subtly on the sleeve of her sweater before she pushes her glasses up by pressing a finger to the middle of the frames she smoothly says, "Hey. I see you made it out of the cafe without getting mauled by a bear." She lets out a groan at his pun and takes another pull from her mug.

Jessica's phone conversation causes her to give Lalo a pointed look, but she doesn't comment. Not her circus not her killer ape. Still, when the woman orders tequila she can't help but ask, "Rough day?"

"Esme! How are you?" Beth calls out when she sees the other woman, and she stands up from her bar stool to return the hug. Sitting back down she glances to Lalo before saying to Esme, "This is Lalo Martinez. He is a new nurse at the hospital."

"I did," Lalo replies to Beth. "It was a close call, though. That one by the door was looking at me funny." He might have said more, but Jessica's arrival, and her half of the conversation, has him turning that way to look with the mild interest of someone who is possibly a little bit nosy and is getting some interesting stuff just dropped right in his lap. Right in his lap, Jessica. "Good call," he says when she's hung up. "You really never want to drink Kevin's coffee. That's just asking for trouble, am I right?"

He turns back just in time to catch Esme's entrance, and her words. He does a bit of a double take, his head tipping to the side as he studies her. It's a few moments, but eventually his expression clears, and he grins. "Oh, hey," he says, "Detective Wilkerson, right?" Close, but no cigar. "Spokane?" He does not add to Beth's introduction of him, since she does it so well.

Jessica seems a little embarrassed that she was speaking so loudly...or was it intentional? You never know with these sneaky reporters. A bemused smirk to Esme's words. "By ASL you mean 'Ape Sign Language', right? Just as long as you can tell them to keep their hands of you, you will be fine." She will leave Esme to her friends before two of them are talking to her. And did she hear something about bear mauling? Related crime?

"Rough year" Jessica offers Beth, summoning up a smile to go with it. "And it just seems to be getting worse." A curious look for Lalo. "You know Kevin?" Her eyes narrow a little. "Are you in one of is Conspiracy groups?" She shrugs off her own question before hearing there is a detective in the house. Jessica is definitely interested in that. "Detective Esme Wilkerson?" Without waiting for confirmation she will introduce herself. "Jessica Flores, Grey Harbor Gazette. I'd love to chat with you about some ongoing cases. Just to get the truth out there instead of rumor. Can I buy you a drink?"

"Lalo Martinez. Oh yeah - I remember you. Had to question you about that drug overdose thing." Esme nodded. A spark of recognition as she released Beth. "Oh you know. Same old, same old. How about you?" She lifts a hand to get the bartenders attention, "Whiskey on the rocks please." Because she was OFF. DUTY. Even though she was still waiting to hear back about her killer ape. "Also, it's Wilkinson." She corrected Lalo and Jessica with a shrug. "But you can call me Esme for now." - That was just for Lalo.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing some of each other in that case." Esme sighed, maybe a bit dramatically so as Jessica introduced herself. "Well, Flores, you can chat me up about them when I'm on duty." She settled in a seat, dark eyes steady on the reporter. Looks like she wasn't going to be an easy target!

Beth watches as the other three interact. "Is this about those people that were found with missing organs?" She wonders aloud, but she doesn't really press that question. She picks up her mug to have another pull of her beer. When Esme mentions a drug overdose in relation to Lalo her eyes widen ever so slightly before her nose wrinkles just a touch. She looks back to Esme as she stares down the reporter. "How are your folks?" She asks neutrally, changing the subject from apes and missing organs.

"I don't," Lalo admits, regarding Kevin, "but it just seems like something you shouldn't drink. Especially if it has anything to do with killer apes."

He reaches for a drink menu, but he doesn't really look at it yet, apparently more interested in the conversation for now. There's a nod when Esme remembers the rest, though his smile becomes a bit sheepish at the correction. "Right, Wilkinson. Sorry about that. Esme, then. Nice to see you again. I think I still have your card somewhere." If he notices the nose wrinkle from Beth, he does not comment on it; instead turns to the bartender. "Can I get a beer? Pacifico, if you have it. If not, whatever's on tap that you like."

"Wilkinson, of course. Sorry about that" Jessica smiles warmly to Esme before gesturing to the barkeep that she will pay for Esme's drink. This detective has some toughness in her - this is good. "Okay, I'll chat you up about the cases when you're on duty" she nods, "Can I just chat you up in general since you're not?" Jessica more than happy to maintain the staring contest, though her eyes twinkle with amusement.

Respecting Beth's attempt to breatk the tension, Jessica turns away from Esme to accept her drink. "Kevin's coffee may ba little spiked" she explains to Lalo with a snort of amusement. "Kevin has quite...grandiose...ideas about things. Killer apes would be way down on his scale of imagination. He'd probably tell you they were special forces mutations planted by the NSA as a field test on a civilian population." A glance back Esme's way. "It's not that, is it?"

Esme relaxes just a hair. At least this Jessica chick knew what she was doing on some level. Obviously if you were going to try and question a cop at the bar you had to wait until they've had a drink or two. "Yeah, I guess so." She relented to being 'chat up' in general. She gives a fleeting smile as she accepts her own drink and relaxes again. "My parents are fine.Dad's getting a little worse but that's why I'm here. Helping out and all that." Esme offered.

Esme smirked then, looking back to Jessica. "I'll give you this much - I'll be real happy if it does turn out to be mutated agents in a big ole conspiracy by the NSA." Taking a sip of her whiskey. "So, what was that I heard earlier Lalo? Walking in? Did you almost get eaten by a bear?"

"I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Let me know if you need anything." Beth says to Esme, and then she sits back a little and lets her interact with the reporter and nurse turned former witness. She offers helpfully to Esme, "Oh we ran into each other earlier at the Grizzly Den and I got to say this guy has got puns." She takes a swig of her beer.

The description of Kevin, far from being off-putting, has Lalo looking...well, intrigued. "You know, actually, you kind of just sold me on Kevin," he says slowly. "You got his number? Is he looking for a new friend? 'Cause I just got into towne and I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind some wacky conspiracy theories over a beer."

Speaking of beer, his own comes right then, and he takes a sip from it, nodding along with what Beth says. "That place is pretty much the best thing I've ever seen," he says after her once he's swallowed. "Some of those bears looked like it probably wouldn't take much to get them to eat you, though. Luckily I'm getting old and tough."

"Sorry to hear about your Dad." Jessica adds her condolences before a short laugh about the preference for Conspiracy Theories. "'Detective Longs for Mutant Agents to Solve Case'. Interesting headline." She offers a wink to Esme. "Just kidding." As for bears. "If it was the Grizzly Den, the bear was probably just Gina. Lovely woman. Friend from school. But she's from the Basil Fawlty School of Customer Service - the place would be perfect without customers." A sip of her Tequila before addressing Lalo's friend hopes. "He'll probably think you're being a friend to spy on him. But, sure, call the paper. If he's at work, I'm sure he'd be happy to chat. Did I pick up you worked at the hospital? Always looking for sources." Her phone buzzes and she frowns at a message. "Be right back." She downs the rest of her tequila and wanders off to take the call.

"Those bears have been around since we were kids. Since before we were kids. It's kind of crazy." Esme took another sip of her whiskey. "But for real - if you haven't gotten the warning yet. Don't eat the omelettes." She warns Lalo with a very serious, but fleeting, look on her face. A smile is given to Beth then. "Thanks hun. I'll let you know. He's stable right now but..." She shrugged. "An extra pair of hands is usually helpful now and again."

"So long as you don't name me the detective that hoped for it!" Esme called over to Jessica as she slipped off to take a call. She chuckles again and sighed. "Damn. It's like. Everything's changed and nothing's changed."

Beth doesn't say much in response to Esme or make a big deal about it. She just nods her head simply.

"So really what this town needs is the teenage mutant ninja turtles." Beth says before she finishes off her beer, and pushes her mug to the edge before she reaches for a menu to look over it. "You know I think a lot of those bears are real. Which means every single one of those bears was shot, taxidermied, and then put in place with a bonnet or a sherlock holmes hat. It's really wild when you think about it. A museum would probably love to get their hands on that collection."

"I'll win him over with my bear puns," Lalo says with a decisive nod, though the grin on his face may indicate that he's joking. Or maybe not -- he does seem to smile a lot. So watch out, Kevin. "And yeah, I do work in the hospital. I'm a nurse. Just started there the other day. I can't promise I'm gonna be a valuable source, though. Not sure I helped Esme much with that case." Though Esme can, of course, elaborate on that if she chooses.

Speaking of Esme, the warning is noted, and he schools his face into something more serious as he continues, "Thanks for the tip. I'll stick with the bacon." Hey, he's not going to question someone in the know. He takes another sip from his beer, before Beth's words have him looking a little more thoughtful. "Maybe they died of natural causes," he says once he puts the bottle down. "That's what I'm gonna go with in my head."

"I honestly can't remember." Esme admits when Lalo talks about helping with the case from Spokane. "Too many cases. But I remember you weren't an asshole and you cooperated with answering my barrage of questions. So you're A-Okay in my book." A smile is flashed to the man and then she shudders at Beth's theory. "That makes the whole place even creepier. Shot or not. They probably are real." Esme finished off her whiskey and laughed. "Can't ever go wrong with bacon." She shakes her head and then reaches into her pocket - pulling her wallet out to produce a business card.

"I need to head out, just wanted a quick drink before going home. But can you pass this to that reporter chick? This way -she can just call me instead of stalk the precinct." Esme mused, laying the business card down near Beth. "It was good seeing you both. Have a good night yeah?"

"Oh totally died of natural causes." Beth says with some amusement to Lalo. She listens curiously to the exchange between Esme and Lalo, but doesn't add any commentary in herself. Instead she lifts her hand to get the bartender's attention so she can order another beer. When Esme says she needs to head out she says, "Of course I will. And we need to hang out soon, okay? Have a good night!"

"'Not an asshole' is generally the bar I try to clear, so I'm glad I made it." Lalo gives Esme a thumbs-up when she sets the card down, though, and he continues, "Will do. Good to see you, too. Try to avoid any killer apes." Of course, if a killer ape was coming at you, could you really avoid it? Well, possibly if you have a gun, which presumably she does. "Night."

He reaches for the bottle again, taking a good-sized swig, before he looks over at Beth again. "Thanks for confirming," he says as he sets it down with a little thunk on the bar. "I appreciate you having my back on that."

"Glad to be of service." Beth says in response, and she puts down the menu to lift her hand to get the bartender's attention. "Can I get a moscow mule, please?" She requests, and then she settles back a bit in her seat to wait for her drink. She gives Lalo an askance look as she waits before finally she can't resist it. "I'm sorry, but I'm nosy and have to ask. What's the deal with you and Esme?"

Jessica returns from wherever she disappeared to and finds that the detective has disappeared. "Even when I chat them up off duty they run" she sighs before resuming her seat at the bar and waving for another drink. "Though that's not just a cop thing." Ooh, is there gossip to be heard about Lalo and Esme? Jessica is all ears...in a totally professional sense of course.

"Huh? The deal?" Lalo reaches across Beth to snag the card that Esme had left, passing it over to Jessica, since he's super helpful that way. "Don't get your hopes up," he warns once he settles again, "I don't think it's real newsworthy. She was working in Spokane back when I had a job there. We'd had this kid come in who OD'd. He was like...nineteen or twenty. Something like that. She was looking into it for the cops, trying to figure out where he got the drugs from, I guess. I was on when he came in, so she talked to me about it, asked some questions."

"Well, this time you're in luck." Beth says to Jessica when she comes back over just as Lalo passes the card to Jessica. "She left you her number." Her head turns then so she can listen to Lalo tell his story. When he finishes she glances down a little awkwardly. "Ah." She says. Her drink is put in front of her, and she has a decent swallow of it. "About the same age as Ricky when he did." She says mostly to herself.

"Maybe my week is getting better?" Jessica smirks as she takes the card and looks it over. Definitely a 'business only' card. "I guess I better wait until she's on duty before I call" she notes as she stuffs it away in her pocket. "She's from Spokane? Her father is in town though, right? Is she a local?" A nod to Beth. "You I have seen around town" she notes with a smile, "And maybe at some funerals?" Probably not a good subject when the talk turns to a dead friend of Beth's. "Did they find the dealer?" The question is directed to both of them and their respective tales.

Beth's murmured words have Lalo looking in her direction again, and the smile that seems almost glued to his face -- in the two times she's met him, anyway -- fades now into a more serious look. So he can be serious. "Sorry," he says. She may not have really explained, but he's seen the look enough times to figure out what was likely to have happened from context.

He reaches for his beer to down it, bringing it down a little harder against the bar as though for emphasis. "They did," he confirms. "I think they got him to roll on his supplier. At least, that's what I read about it later." He stands up, reaching into his pocket for his wallet and pulling out a couple of bills, which he lays on the counter. "Ladies," he says, "it's been a pleasure. Hopefully I'll see you around. Not around the hospital, though. Be safe." With that, he turns to head toward the exit.

Beth sort of just glosses over that Jessica is asking questions about Esme and instead answers the questions directed at her. "That would be because I am a funeral director. Beth Lawson. Nice to meet you." She holds out her hand to shake Jessica's, and then produces a business card herself to hand over. "Come on in if you think about pre-planning for your final arrangements." She smiles in a cheesy manner, but it fades at the last question. "No." She shakes her head. She shrugs softly to Lalo, "Thanks." She lifts a hand to wave goodbye, "Have a good night."

Another business card to look over. "Oh, yes, of course, I remember you now. Quite the job you have there. It must be tough...but very necessary." A nervous laugh about organising her own funeral. "I shall have you know that I will live forever...or die trying. But, in all seriousness, not really something I've thought about." The card is tucked away with Esme's. "When did you lose him?" she asks softly. "They could still be looking?" Jessica manages to find a smile for Lalo as he heads off. "I'll tell Kevin to expect your call." Back to Beth. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's important to serve the community." Beth says with a humble smile. She laughs as well before she says, "Well, what happens is people who are younger die and no one knows what they wanted because they didn't talk about it. It really leaves families or friends in a bind so it's just a good idea." As the subject returns to Ricky she smiles sadly. "Ten years ago. And I don't think so. It happened in Seattle, and they got bigger things to worry about than a stupid boy who made a mistake." She maintains that smile. "It's okay. What kind of funeral director would I be if I couldn't discuss my own losses? He was my baby brother, and he was young, and he fell into bad stuff. That's all there is to it."

"Once I'm dead, I don't think I'll be really caring much about how anyone disposes of my body. Unless it's something kinky. I might have to come back from the grave to deal with that one." If you can't make light of death, life isn't worth living. "Sorry about your loss" Jessica offers sincerely. "I can't pretend to know your pain but I'm still sorry you had to suffer. Both of you. I guess you've been busy lately. Unfortunately."

Beth doesn't press the pre-planning. Instead she takes a swallow of her drink. "Thanks. I appreciate it." At the mention of her being busy she does admit, "There are more unusual deaths in this town statistically than others. It's unfortunate, but a silver lining is I've gotten really good at my craft." She looks at Jessica a moment before she says, "I imagine it's the same for you. Are you from town?"

"Gray Harbor born and bred" Jessica nods. "I've heard lots of stories" she sighs; probably lived through some of them too. "Depends what you consider an unusual death" she shrugs before a sip on her new tequila. "Did you know that one of history's greatest every serial killers did his work here? And, of course, that means plenty of people trying to emulate and surpass him over the decades." A pause. "I'm not making you consider moving back to Seatlle, am I? Not my intention, I assure you. And I am sure you've had lots of practice. Why funeral directing...if I may ask?"

"I've heard stories. My friend is super into local lore." Beth says, and she laughs a little before she shakes her head. "I never lived in Seattle. I'm from Gray Harbor, too. My family has owned our funeral home for..." She thinks a moment and then shakes her head. "I don't know how long, actually. Probably when the town was new." She smiles at the question. "Family business. Always knew one of us kids was going to get it. Decided when I was young I wanted it." She then asks, "Why journalism?"

"Oh, you're a local. Then I apologise for trying to frighten you with stories you already knew" Jessica smiles. "Sounds like your funeral home was around when the original Billy was...the serial killer I was talking about. But you know that. I might shut up now. Can I buy you a drink?" Another sip of her own. "I have a desire to educate and inform" she shrugs about journalism. "I was a nerd at high school. Always researching. Always trying to learn. To be honest, it was either journalism or the police, but I couldn't bring myself to obey orders."

"Well, I don't think I've taken care of any serial killer's victims. Yet. And hopefully I never will." Beth says with a light laugh, and she nods her head at the mention of Billy the Ghoul. At the request she nods her head once. "Alright. I'll get next round then." She smiles as Jessica describes why she became a journalist. "And as a journalist you get to be more honest. Not that cops are liars. They just have to keep their lips sealed on certain things."

"True" Jessica nods about the ability to be honest. "Though even that is a double edged sword, especially nowadays. No one believes what I write, they just believe what they want to believe. No one is interested in facts, just opinions. Opinions they already agree with. It's a strange world, Beth." A curious tilt of her head. "How many funeral homes are there in Grey Harbor?"

"Ah yes. The age of different truths depending on one's inclinations." Beth shakes her head a little and takes a sip of her drink. At Jessica's question she lets out an exhale, "Ah, not many. There is a big chain one. Real sterile and lacking personality or charm, but they got their own cremation on site, and I am not messing with all that. Think it'll steal some business."

"Careful saying that out loud, Beth. One of the oldest plots in the book are funeral directors creating their own business by murdering people" Jessica teases. "Yeah, supermarket funeral homes. Nothing like the impersonal touch. You don't cremate? Why not?"

"I think I could make more money in easier ways." Beth says dryly, and she takes a sip of her own drink. "Because the cremation machines are huge. We don't have the space. We're in a residential neighborhood, and the emit this nasty greasy smoke and no one wants their kids breathing in grandma. It's easier just to send it out to a place that does it off-site."

"Ah, yes, of course" Jessica nods about the problems of cremation. "Probably not something people want next door. Until they need it of course." She downs the rest of her tequila. "I should get going. You can get the round the next time we meet." She offers her hand. "Nice to meet you, Beth. At least I know that when I die, I'll be in good hands."

"Nice to meet you, too." Beth says, and she offers, "I hope you find out what you need to find about your story with the possible ape murders. Have a good night."