2020-07-17 - Calling All Criminals

Nicole arrived some time earlier with Joey. Hell, she's his main ride for now, with him losing his car AND his bike. She's sitting on the lower bleacher, elbow resting on a knee, her chin set upon her hand. This wasn't really a flowing skirt situation, so she has forgone her usual summer attire in favor of a pair of jean shorts with frayed edges, low-top canvas sneakers upon her feet, and a simple black tank top on. Her hair is swept back in a ponytail, a few necklaces dangling from her neck. Her eyes follow each person when they come in, and each gets a nod in greeting. Her own demeanor is much more somber than usual, like everyone else, there's a lot on her mind. She listens to Joey talk, then shakes her head. Nope... no fires from her currently.

In the unfortunately permanent absence of Andre, Vic has taken up his post alongside Cris at the door. She checks out every single soul who comes in, makes sure at least one of them knows a name and a face, before letting them through. She's on high alert, and her blue eyes are even colder than usual. She's in black BDUs, and a black tee with tactical boots, and her hair in a tight bun at the nap of her neck. She's clearly not playing any games tonight.

Graham smokes. He didn't arrive early or anything, but any amount of time left waiting - sitting two or three rows up on the bleachers - is going to be spent chain-smoking, lighting a new cigarette with an old one and blowing the occasional smoke-ring. If anyone would like to get cancer, they are welcome to sit next to him in the empty space where Andre should be. 🙁

He continues to smoke even when Joey gets things moving, so there's a little extra puff of cancer-cloud at the opening remarks. "Yeah," and he throws his hand up like this is third grade, teacher teacher! "Just real quick - could whoever keeps knocking over the Circle K in Humptulips please cut that shit out? I like to stop there for gas and smokes, and it's becoming a real pain in my ass." That's all. He drops his hand back to his knee and nods.

Dahlia is quietly sitting on a bleacher not too far off from Nicole. She doesn't have anything to add right now, so she's primarily just listening. Her hair is left down and she's in a pair of ripped jeans with a black tank top. She's attentive, taking stock of who all is there but thus far has been keeping to herself.

Graham just likes to be reliable, Joey! Someone has to say stupid shit so no one else feels obligated to do so. He shoots a thumbs-up back to answer for whether or not that solves his issue, he's good to go now. Leaning forward, the same thumbs-up gets passed along to Dahlia for her part. If nothing else, it serves to keep him from paying too much attention to the talk about fundraising for Andre, so he doesn't have to dissolve into childish tears right here in front of all these gangstas. And Rhys.

Keeping her eyes mostly on the door or Joey, Nicole is mostly an observer in this meeting. Here to help, if she can, when she can. Otherwise, she's quiet. it isn't until the mention of Andre and the book drive in his honor is spoken that her expression changes. Her lips turn down and her gaze lowers to the floor. She doesn't squeeze anyone for money... but, it's this moment she starts mentally preparing her plans to put up a collection for books in the salon.

Topic moves back to the invaders and her head perks back up. "Uh, well... there's Yule, the ME. He used to live next to me. He's down at the A Frames now.. anyway, he's been keeping a low profile but I could reach out to him if needed. Maybe. I am not sure where he's at with the whole...." She makes a motion with her hand around those in the room. In other words, she does not know if he'd be down to help or not... crime and all... but she knows him.

A hint of a smile quirked on Dahlia's features at the thumbs up from Graham and she nodded to Joey. "Don't worry, they'll get the message." She assured him, sitting up a little more. The news about the fundraiser had her falter for a second, but she kept it together a little longer. She didn't have any real connections to the PD, especially none that would be useful so she kept quiet on that subject.

"Got it boss," Vic replies to the notes on Dion and his goonies. Dion is gonna have a really bad day if he doesn't do as she says. Such a bad day. Her jaw twitches and tightens up at the mention of the fundraiser on Andre's behalf.

There's a muscle car rumble outside, unique to those of us who are familiar with the town's muscle cars. Not crazy overtuned like certain of the PD's pursuit vehicles or Itzhak Rosencrantz's Stingray, but not too shabby. The car parks and then Itzhak himself is swaggering in, scowling, pushing his mirrored sunglasses up to rest in his hair. He catches Joey's eye, holds up keys, then lobs them over to him. "Sorry I'm late. Hadda pick a lil somethin' up for the boss." Flippant af, but his tall frame is tense, his expression sour.

Cris waits until the usual suspects have all gathered before he locks up and leaves his post at the door to join the rest. Anyone who's late will have to knock, and judging by the look on his face? There better be no fucking knocking. Currently it's the back of Itzhak's skull that's getting two eyes bored into it as they come up to the congregation.

He doesn't take a seat in the bleachers, he just stands next to the railing and cross his arms over his plain white tee. It's the l Hey there, Dahlia, what's it like in Gray Harbor City. His stance is ready and wary, as if ready to leap in front of any stray bullets that may go Joey's way. It's the least he can do for suggesting they torch the man's car.

"I'm keeping eyes on Clayton." But that's his only contribution to the conversation right now, said at a low growl of a voice.

Looking up sharply at the mention of Andre or the library, Everett peers from his phone, his long hair opening on either side of his cheeks. As he gives a glance around, the large man switches his footing around before tucking his thumb back into his black jeans pocket for the moment. Seeing as nobody's volunteered, his brows rise while he offers, "I think I may know of someone."

There's a nod to Nicole, before his green eyes return to Joey, "Yule was one. But I met this girl," he jerks the thumb holding his phone over his shoulder. "It's been, like. A year. But, I recall her saying she was a Medical Examiner. She told me name was Ari ... something."

Having spent his weekly allotment of words in front of strangers, the Candy Hulk looks around once more, and then returns to his phone to finish pressing buttons. Finished with the device, he slides it into the inside pocket of his black leather jacket before wiping his brow; the jacket worn not for comfort. By then leaning against the brick wall, he returns to his part-time job. Building support.

When Cris locks the door, Vic moves off to stand behind and to Joey's left, so he can do his speechifying thing, and she can keep an eye on everyone looking at him. Between her and Cris, the boxer may be the most secure man in Gray Harbor at the moment. At least for the length of this meeting. She doesn't cross her arms, one rests at the small of her back, where her pistol is tucked, just in case, and the other hangs loose, at the ready if she needs to move hastily.

Rhys is at this gym pretty often, and today he's shown up before the meeting, enough to get an actual workout and ensuing shower in and be settled comfortably on the bleachers, bag beside him, by the time everyone else is arriving. Front row, in the corner with the best view of both the doors and everyone else, position twisted just enough to take advantage of that. He's presumably either done with work today -- this notwithstanding -- or isn't starting for a bit or has the day off, since he's in jeans, brown hiking boots, and a dark green t-shirt on which a graphically-designed block of distressed yellow letters advise: if at first you don't / succeed / try doing what / the c.p.a. / said you should. Plain white unbuttoned shirt over it, sleeves folded to the elbow. Fits well, but the sort of thing that probably isn't going to look out of place running errands and, say, going to the gym.

Most of the arrivals get an acknowledging upnod and quick smile, not quite as relaxed and cheerful as it'd usually be. Graham's mention of his issue with Humptulips brings it back a moment. Probably more than if he'd been having issues in, say, Newton. When Joey gets to the bit about the book drive, it's his own turn to lift a hand, though instead of third-grade style he just bends it up from the elbow to shoulder height, raising a finger. "There's been talk about an event at Firefly in memoriam. Bubbles and Bops, something along those lines. Can do a proceeds-go-to thing for the book drive."

Dirty cops that aren't theirs have his expression darkening a touch as he mulls the question, a glance going to Nicole and then Everett as they make their suggestions, and a small nod following. "Probably the best options; no one there's likely to know more than the MEs. But if those don't work out... I might know a guy."

Graham continues to smoke. He's good at it. Could probably go pro soon. He's still smoking when he says toward Cristobal, "Did his girlfriend start checking the back-seat?" Where the 'his' in that sentence refers to Alexander Clayton. But, really, the point there was: "Lemme know if you need any help on that." It's convenient, his ability to think about anything else whenever the Fundraising For Andre comes up. He also tacks on Rhys-wards, "It's not that dick M-" No, Graham. Don't say that. "-captain guy that turned up at the Casino, is it? 'Cause that's some convenient bullshit." The latter half trails into a mumble that people are free to ignore. He's just as happy to rabble to himself.

Joey snaps those green eyes to the door. There's a look that hones in on Itzhak that is well known as Joey's 'you'd better have some fucking good news' face(tm). The keys zip his way and his hand snaps up to catch them out of the air with a snap. he glances them over and looks to the door. It's not his car, but this is a very acceptable step up. Eyes go back to Itzhak as if judging this offering in interim and pockets the keys. "Good work."

Looking back to Cris locking down the gym there's a small nod. "Good. I don't want anyone laying hands on him. He's doing us a favor. He doesn't want to, but he is. " Note to all. He gives them enough to say "He's keeping his mouth shut. This changes talk to me."

Attention shifts to Everett head tilting, "Yeah see if you can keep an eye on that, and also I know you got connections with some of the dealers out by you. I need you, and Dahlia to keep an ear out. If any f the people coming back to you are complaining about things going flat, or business drying up we want to know who, where, and we'll get some people together to find out why. We're not going to sit here with out thumbs up our ass while they're cutting into your income." Crime is a profit share in Gray Harbor. Ask about their dental plan.

Fingers snappoint to Rhys, "Good plan. we'll be there to support the event and get with Everett about getting a hold of these people. Morgue can tell us a whole lot." His eyes shift from Graham to Rhys and back to Graham. "I still want to find out about those guys that lit us up and why they were fucking there other than to shoot at Felix. I get that. what are they gaining? Who they answer to? If there's money where is it going?" Index and pinky finger wave between those two. "Work together on that if we can. Graham, Felix is still your top priority, obviously."

Looking back to Vic he says "We start finding names can you look into that? Sadly these bad people scared us into planting them in the dirt so we have no one to ask questions to." Whoopsie. Looking to Nicole he blinks. "Don't get shot. I hate asking but I may need a secondary casual point of contact. I think they're staking out your salon. Try to get named on badges if you see any. I want to find out whose cops those are." he looks back to Vic arching an eyebrow. Likely that'll also be hers to fact check. "We need to start building a profile of all the who's who in this shit show.

Still resting her chin in her hand as she sits on the bleachers, elbow on her knee, Nicole watches the keys as they are tossed from Itzhak's hand to Joey's. Whatever is out there had a good sound to it.. not good for sneaking, but good for making a statement, for sure. Her eyes track from person to person, her brow arching when Everett speaks. "I mean, he still is..." She shrugs, looking then to Rhys, her brow still lifted, but in a pique of interest instead. "Bubbles and bops," she mouths, the words playing upon her lips silently.

Her ponytail feels a bit tight, so up her hand goes, a finger playing within her tresses near the elastic to try to loosen the caught hairs just a touch. Then, Joey looks at her and tells her not to get shot. Her hand goes up, flips over to hang palm up in the air near her head. She blinks, then says, "well, I certainly plan to do my damndest to not get shot..." Hand lowering, she gives a nod, note taken. "Hey, maybe some of them will be dumb enough to come get their hairs did." Another shrug and a crooked smile accompany the thought. Never know though. "But yeah, I can be that secondary point if needed. You already know I will do what I can."

The dental plan is 'do your job and don't cause trouble and you get to keep your teeth', right? 'Also, floss'.

Rhys snorts softly at Graham's question. "Nah, not him," he says with a small shake of the head, and though he looks somewhat interested in the last mumble, this is maybe not the time to investigate that conversation. Instead he inclines his head slightly to Joey, with a light shrug. "MEs'd be ideal, but I'll see what I can do," he agrees.

As for the rest aimed at him, it gets a brief, crooked grin. "Yeah, been working on that." Hey, he didn't get where he is by sitting around idle! Even if where he is is technically currently the bleachers at Kelly's Gym. "Not the gunmen per se as yet, but generally poking at whos and whys and money. And on that last one?" He tilts his head a bit at Joey. "If you got some time after this, pencil me in." Of course that'd be the trail the accountant'd find the best luck with, right? This doesn't seem to be a refusal on working together where useful, however, since he looks over to Graham then, giving his old classmate an upnod. "Meanwhile?" he adds, to both of them and the room at large, "Pretty sure the club's got eyes on it; not exactly a shock. My guys know something feels off, think they've been watched going on and off shift, but whoever it is knows how to stay low-key and off the cameras. No one's got a who for me yet."

Attentive listening and minimal speaking was Dahlia's MO for the meeting. When Itzhak arrives a brief glance is spared in that direction, but then she's focusing back on what everyone is saying. She nods again at Joey's talk of keeping an ear out. She sat up a little straighter, looking over towards Rhys when he talked about Firefly being watched. She made a mental note to be just a touch more vigilant and talk to some of her co workers. Finally she speaks up after a brief bite of her lower lip. "I dunno how yet, but maybe there's a way to bait 'em out or something. Get them to give themselves up." She offered to Rhys and Joey.

"We have any items that were on the perps in the garage, Boss?" Vic asks, maintaining her position backing Joey up. She knows there are people out there who can read shit on items. She's not one of them, but there has to be someone in their organization talented enough for that. "Or can we get a hold of something from them? Maybe the cops that are on our payroll can help us out there." Like Ruiz. She nods at the note about Nicole's salon. She'll be staking it out as well, making sure her neighbor is safe.