PART TWO, SCENE EIGHT

Skalany was waiting for them when they reached the 101. "What took you so long?" she demanded. "You should have been here half an hour ago." The pencil in her hand gave signs of being gnawed on...a silent admonishment to their delay.

"Sorry, Mary Margaret," Peter apologized, leading Jake through the crowded room. "We did come directly here, but there was some traffic. It seems our shooter wrecked the car not too far down the street from my fath...the loft. We got stuck."

The dark-haired detective didn't appear mollified by this explanation. "You have a radio," she pointed out. "Weren't you listening to it? I tried to reach you...the sketch artist went home ten minutes ago."

Kermit opened a door, motioning the little group into his office. "That's all right. We can do it better on the computer anyway. Want to tag along?"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Skalany followed them. "Why not, after such a warm invitation?" She softened slightly as Peter introduced her to his newest "client."

Jake looked at all the toys on the desk as Kermit booted up his computer. "Wow," he commented, picking up a shiny robot, "What did you do-rob a toy store?"

Kermit didn't even look up from where he was crouched over his keyboard, his fingers flying. "Nah. I bought them all...to keep a certain nosy detective from touching things he wasn't supposed to."

Peter dropped the interlocking puzzle he had just picked up as Skalany laughed. "I'm not that bad!" he protested.

"No, it only seems that way," Kermit agreed. "All right, here's the program. Jake, you sit right here beside me and we'll work on this portrait. First, which of these is closest to the shape of the guy's face?"

Jake stared at the shapes on the screen, concentrating. "That one," he said, pointing. Peter and Skalany looked on as Kermit led the boy carefully through the eyes, nose, lips, chin, eyebrows, ears, and hair. Jake hesitated only a couple times, closing his eyes in an obvious attempt to see the parts in his memory before looking at the choices.

The precinct's resident computer expert finished inputting all the data, asking one last question; "Did you notice any identifying characteristics?"

"You mean, like a mole or a scar or a tattoo?" the boy asked. He shook his head. "No."

Kermit hummed softly as he tapped on the keyboard. "We'll just pull this all together, and..." He spun the screen around so that they could all see it. "Is this your murderer, Jake?" Skalany winced at the unfortunate choice of words, but the boy seemed to be oblivious.

"He's not *my* murderer," the boy objected, still unaware of the phrasing, studying the face on the screen. "His chin had a little dent-thing in it," he said, critically. The computer expert pounded a few keys and modified the chin. "Yeah," Jake said slowly, "that's him." They all stared at the face.

"Anybody recognize him?" Kermit asked. There were headshakes all around, except from Jake, who was staring at the computer screen, his face pale. The detective frowned and turned the monitor back. "I'll just print a couple of copies of this..." he murmured, doing so. "And let's just, oh, for the heck of it, check this guy against our database."

Jake shook himself, trying to throw off the effects the face had on him. "What next?" he asked uncertainly.

"We find the guy," Peter said, trying to inject confidence into his tone. He was worried about the boy, whose demeanor seemed to be jumping between cocky street brat and terrified child.

"Yeah, sure," Jake agreed, but his voice sounded doubtful.

The computer beeped, and Kermit made a wordless sound of disgust. "Nothing," he told the others. "He hasn't been arrested here. I'll send out a description for other possible matches, but it will take a few days. In the meantime..."

"John?" Peter asked.

"John," Kermit agreed. They both turned to look at Jake, who glared back at them, crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

"What?" he asked, his voice edgy. "Who's John? How do you guys seem to talk without saying anything?" He moved to the edge of his chair. "Where are we going now?"

"You're not going anywhere," Peter said, picking his way carefully, afraid to hurt the boy. "Since Blair was a banker, we have a friend who might be able to help us figure out what he was up to. I want you to stay here with Skalany."

"No," the boy objected. "I want to go with you."

"It's not safe, Jake," Peter tried to explain patiently, but the boy did not want to listen. He shook his head and looked obstinate.

"I'd feel safer with you than sitting around here." A soft rap on the door interrupted him.

After a quick glance at the resigned expression on the young Shaolin's face, Kermit rose to answer the door. He was not really surprised to see Lo Si standing there. With a sigh, he opened the door wider. "Won't you come in?" he asked, the irony lost on his elderly visitor.

"Thank you," The Ancient said, sweeping into the room. "I have come to...guard our young friend."

"How did you...never mind," Skalany said, cutting herself off with a quick gesture. "Trade secret; I know. Look guys, it's getting late. I know John will keep the bank open for you, but the precinct is going to start looking pretty deserted in an hour or so. Why don't Lo Si and I bring Jake over to the Blaisdells? With both Paul and the Ancient watching over him, this kid will be safer than Fort Knox."

Kermit grinned. "Now why didn't I think of that?" He shook a finger as Skalany opened her mouth. "Don't say it, Sweetcheeks."

Tilting her head, she grinned. "Say what?" she teased.

The younger Shaolin watched the banter, looking amused. "Is that okay with you, Peter?" Mary Margaret asked, noticing his expression.

"I'll call Paul. I think Mom and Kelly were going to be gone today anyway. It's fine with me, if it's all right with Jake."

"Staying with your foster parents?" Jake asked, looking intrigued. "I guess that wouldn't be so bad," he said begrudgingly. "If I really can't go with you."

"You can't," Kermit told him, with a steady gaze.

"Okay then, so me, the old guy, the lady cop and the foster father will all be hanging out somewhere, waiting for you?" The boy raised his eyebrows as he ticked off each person on his fingers. "I have two questions: First, where are we going...and second, can we stop on the way and get something for dessert?"

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PART TWO, SCENE NINE:

Officially, the Maple Street branch of the Metropolitan Bank was closed. Unofficially, John Durham, a former associate from Kermit's mercenary days, was waiting at the door to let the two men inside.

"I asked my secretary to stay as well," he said, his cultured tones making the ordinary words sound aristocratic. "Is this police business, or personal?"

"A little of both," Kermit admitted, motioning Peter to proceed him through the door. They waited as John locked the doors, then followed him into his office. The bank manager took a seat behind his large desk, waiting for the other men to take the chairs in front of it.

"So, what can I do to help?" John asked, steepling his fingers and resting them below his chin. He watched as Kermit set a folder on the desk between them and opened it, handing his former associate two pictures-one of Robert Blair, the second the computer composite of the unidentified murderer.

"Do you know either of them?" Peter asked, studying the banker's face. "The man in the photo is employed by Metropolitan Banks." The older man frowned as he picked up the computer sketch and studied it. He shook his head and put it down, picking up the photograph instead.

"Robert Blair," he said immediately, recognizing the face at one glance. "He works in our branch on the other side of Chinatown."

Kermit leaned forward. "What do you know about him?"

John shrugged. "He's a nice enough chap. Was promoted to vice-president of the branch office about nine months ago...a little young, but he appears to be very motivated to advance."

Peter and Kermit exchanged glances. "Anything else?" Peter asked hopefully.

The banker put down the photograph and tapped one hand on the desk. "Hmmm...I was speaking to his supervisor a few weeks ago at a division meeting. He was concerned that Robert seemed to have a little too much cash on hand. He bought a new sports car and started talking about a vacation home he was building in the mountains." He looked at the crestfallen expression on the younger man's face and chuckled. "Not quite what you were looking for?"

"We had hoped that you might have heard something more," Peter admitted.

"Let me call in Maria, my secretary. Robert was considered a "good catch" and she may have heard something not brought to my attention. Maria...is known for her handle on...gossip," John confided with a smile. Leaning down, he pressed a button on the intercom and summoned his secretary.

Maria turned out to be a lively looking brunette in her thirties, who was obviously flattered to be consulted in a police investigation.

"Oh yes," she said, her professional demeanor firmly in place. "Robert Blair. There are several girls here who are trying to catch his eye. He's a quiet one, but the girls think he's good-looking." She looked expectantly at John, who smiled.

"Please tell the detectives anything you can think of about Mr. Blair," he said, encouragingly. "Even...er, rumors may help in their investigation."

Maria shifted in her chair and took a deep breath. "Well, I have heard that Robert came into some money lately," she admitted, leaning forward. Her eyes sparkled with the excitement of sharing secrets. "He was dating Jennie, in accounting, a few months ago. She said that he spent more on one date than she spent in a month...dinner at very expensive restaurants, box seats to theatre performances, front row seats at concerts. He tipped extravagantly too...and one time, he didn't like the dress she was wearing, so he brought her down to one of those exclusive shops downtown and bought her a designer gown." Maria leaned back and sighed. "That's what led to their break-up...she felt he valued appearances and money more than her. There was no lack of girls who went after him after he and Jennie broke up though. Some of the stories I heard..." She shook her head and pursed her lips, looking at the men. "Well, he wined and dined more than one woman in this office, but none for more than a couple weeks."

Peter was amused at the influx of information, but it wasn't quite what he had been looking for. He tried again. "Did you hear any rumors as to where the money came from?"

Throwing an uneasy glance at her boss, Maria slowly nodded. "Jennie told me that he was implying it was a family inheritance. But Robert was an orphan--he had no family to inherit from. He told one of our cashiers that he got lucky in the lottery, and I heard from someone else that he won it in Las Vegas." She lowered her voice to a conspiring whisper. "I did hear that he has some...unsavory friends."

"What kind of unsavory friends?" Kermit's voice was sharp.

Maria looked flustered. "Well...friends involved in crime. Criminal activities," she shared, her eyes wide. "That was another reason Jennie broke up with him. She said the last straw was when they ran into some drug dealer at a concert...and he knew Robert. Well. She knew who he was because of some newspaper story. Maybe you need to talk to Jennie," the secretary said, sounding suddenly uncertain. "Did something happen to Robert?"

"Yes," Kermit said, his tone forbidding questions. "Something did. Where can we find this Jennie?"

"If it's all right with Mr. Durham, I can give you her address," Maria said, looking over for reassurance. John nodded, and she stood, suddenly eager to depart. "I'll go get it for you. Do you need me for anything else, sir?"

"No, thank you Maria." They sat in silence as the young woman left the room. "Obviously, I need to speak more often with Maria concerning the interpersonal relations going on in this bank," John sighed. "She's only been my secretary for two months, I had been told that she had her finger on the recent gossip, but I was not aware that she was such a font of knowledge. So, what did happen to Mr. Blair?"

"He was murdered," Peter said.

"Oh dear," John murmured. "And obviously, you think that it concerns his recent influx of cash. I can do some searching through records, see if I can discover anything connected with his accounts."

"Thank you John." Kermit stood. "That would be extremely helpful."

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