On the streets

"Wait, wait a second." Frank paused to make eye contact with his target, "You're saying that you saw a large, 'white' van driving down 3rd street at 1am...?" He raised his eyebrows as if to emphasize the importance of proper recollection.

"Well, yes-veddy dark outside, so I think it was white." She had clearly not been in the States for an incredibly long time, long enough though.

"Ok, so let me make sure I am understanding you correctly, ok?"

"Ok," she nodded her head vigorously and beamed at Frank. She was Chinese American, probably early 40's working late nights at her mom's dry cleaning business. Apparently, she had seen a white van driven by two asian men cruising down the street, and had heard someone yelling for help. She was very attractive and Frank found himself wondering if there could be a segway here somewhere.

Frank continued, "So, they were driving down the street, across from where you were working...and," he paused to scratch out a sentence on his note pad. "And...you heard some screaming coming from inside the van. Then, you went outside to see if you could hear more and that's when you heard someone yelling for help...from inside the van...?" Frank looked up to make the all important emphasizing on exact recollection eye contact, she nodded vigorously again. "Ok, that's when you heard someone yelling for help..and...," here he looked up again from his notes, "How did you know they were yelling for help?"

"Oh-oh, because they were speaking in Taiwanese, veddy similar to Chinese, some same language," she was visibly excited now. She was beginning to sense that she was playing a role in something bigger now. In the meantime Frank's photagrapher was here shooting some pictures of the street, street lamps, store fronts, and of her as well. "You no use my picture or my name, right?!" She suddenly looked panicked.

"No-no, you will remain anonymous, no one will know who you are, or that I ever talked to you."

She looked at him for a minute, "Oh, ok, that's fine." She looked as if she wanted to say something else so Frank waited for a moment longer.

"Mam, was there something else that you wanted me to know about?"

"Umm..." she seemed apprehensive. "Maybe. You know the white van, yes?" Frank nodded, of course I know the white van-we have been talking about the 'white van' for 30 minutes straight. "I think I see it before, it have a broken window, in the front. I think I see it parked in front of a warehouse on South 3rd street."

Now Frank was alert, "Really, where at? What warehouse, what street???"

She took a step back, nervous at his sudden assertiveness. "Well, I think it might be by a large black building with no windows." She was getting more and more skittish by the second, "You know, that all I know, I have to go now."

"Ok, thank you so much, you have been very helpful." He nodded his head up and down, over gesticulating his head so she would understand that he really meant it. The photographer was just finishing up, so the timing seemed right. "Here is my card, please call me if anything comes up, or you would like to talk more, ok?"

"Ok, thank you," she smiled at Frank as she took his card. Could there be something more to that smile? Segway to my bedroom? He shook it off.

"George, you get all the pics you need?"

"Yeah, including the one where you look like you want to pound her into the ground. I think that one should make for a good 'A1 Above the fold'."

"You're all heart George, and don't let anyone tell you different," you hairless bastard. Frank gave him the larger than life, Oprah talk show smile.

You bet dickhead, George smiled back. "Now let's get back to camp before the EIC soils his diapers."

"Roger that one kingpin, let's load her up, and ship er out!"

Frank climbed into the driver seat of their company car, the mercury saber. George had named it the 'Saber Tooth' about two years ago and it had stuck.

"Saber Tooth Go!" yelled George as Frank hit gas and they sped off.

To be continued....