[MaC] Seperated - Nicola, Michael & Hodges

[Jonathan Katalenic]

Next they tackled Nola's flat.  Here they spent
somewhat longer. They discovered hypodermic needles
concealed in a drawer of her desk, and some ampoules
that declared they contained morphine.  At least they
had once.
 
Hodges sighed.  "I saw a rather shady fellow visiting
Miss Diamond several times from my flat.  He must have
been the one providing her with the morphine.  I also
found a used needle behind the flats... it must have
been hers."

"I'd suspected as much..." Nicola trailed off. "I
spotted a needle in her purse once, but I never asked
her about it. I thought she'd be incredibly angry if
she did."

On the hearth in her living room, Nicola made a
discovery - some burned paper.  A red ribbon lay
beside them - it seemed as though a bundle of letters
had been burned.  Only a single sheet of blackened
paper remained - and that dissolved at a breath - but
not before Nicola was able to make out the words,
"Dear ... dearest ... why ... need ... forgive ... "

"'Forgive'? Forgive what?" Nicola asked herself. She
shook her head as the paper crumbled to ashes. "Oh,
Nola, what were you doing?"

They then moved on to Braham Davies' flat.  At first
glance it appeared rather spartan but neat, with lots
of books and journals.  His desk was a mess of papers
and notes, some hastily scribbled on scraps of paper. 
As they looked a little more closely they saw that
these notes detailed people's coming's and goings,
with Mortmain Manions, their obvious 
activities and habits.  Indeed, every inhabitant, it
appeared, had their own file.
 
"Now that's curious.  Rude, even for an American." 
Hodges commented.  He picked up his own 'file' and
opened it.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Hodges! Rudeness is not a
feature of any one nationality- even mine!" Nicola
snapped as she reached in and pulled her own pile of
papers out. She began to leaf through the papers.


		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Dress up your holiday email, Hollywood style. Learn more. 
http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com