WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:22.239 Voyage, meet village age. You hear three lunatics robbed the cartel dropping Brooklyn 2 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.719 last name. I guess I'm not as blug dead as you are two point 3 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:29.719 four million worth of cope. But someone's stopping and weigh it. Just what 4 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:36.479 I heard? What name you're gonna use in the contest? Humphrey van Waiting? 5 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:41.119 Oh why not? Hu? But see horn swimming two cumbers? Yeah, 6 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.320 that Humphrey van Waiting just rolls off the tongue. You and Gale are 7 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:50.119 the only ones who know why I chose that name. You're going down, 8 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:53.240 Reggie Worston. You did when you fought Big Sleep. How long are you 9 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:59.079 gonna keep bringing that up? I wonder the fight didn't not as please you 10 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.719 sat on that man like he just slapped your mom. Lose a fight, 11 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:07.159 then I'll have something else to bet on it. See what odds you co 12 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:10.840 yet? Yeah right, I don't have your kind of money, speaking of, 13 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.480 I'm late to make a couple hundred bucks to illuminate the minds of our 14 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:19.799 youth. Let me know how that tenure works out. Hey, mine was 15 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:29.120 a backhanded compliment. I sighed and looked up from the manuscript I was working 16 00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:34.640 on. In a few months, I'd probably be denied tenure. My first 17 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.319 book had been well received. My only shot to retaine employment was to finish 18 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:44.040 the second one quickly and effectively. Even then it was a long shot. 19 00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:49.239 Too many people in the department resented me, many had reason to. The 20 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:53.280 truth was I was half in, half out. I had a second career 21 00:01:53.319 --> 00:02:04.640 of sorts. Lisa Flowers. She leaned toward me across the desk. I 22 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:09.719 noticed, there's always the reddish brown shoulder length hair, the dark, intelligent 23 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:15.240 eyes, and most and worst of all, the glittering diamond and gold band 24 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:20.800 on a left hand. My sister's gone, Tony, how long? Long 25 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:23.520 enough that I came to tell you? Where was she? Last? Browns 26 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:30.240 Villain, Red Meat Village, Telly. She was an honor student. She 27 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:32.879 was going to grad school. Here sounds like she was smart enough to choose 28 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:38.439 better friends. You're all heart I see why your students love you. Hey, 29 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:42.680 I'm a philosophy professor and a writer trying to complete a manuscript, that's 30 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:46.000 all. You're a do good, part time private investigator, solving cases that 31 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:50.919 no one else can. May I She knew she didn't need to ask, 32 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:57.719 and sat down before I answered Anthony. Internally, I groaned, she never 33 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.599 used my proper name. I knew the request that was coming, Missus Flowers. 34 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:08.960 This wasn't her married name. I neglected the doctor title of this part 35 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:15.439 time psychology professor and full time psychotherapist. I knew both what she wanted and 36 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:21.680 that I couldn't refuse her. She smiled. She knew it too. Find 37 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.680 her Tony please. She's my kid's sister. She's in trouble, so if 38 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:31.879 I help your divorce and Nicholas Bueno Nikki Good on the street was her Argentine 39 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:37.599 husband, ne'er do well, never known to hold a job, leaching off 40 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:43.479 his wife hooked on bodybuilding, steroids and coke. Her dark eyes heated, 41 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.719 as they always did when I disparaged her. Man if he heard that, 42 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.560 he'd bend you in half for the fun of it. Even when annoyed like 43 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:57.680 now, her diction, her accent, and her alluring eyes always retained the 44 00:03:57.800 --> 00:04:02.199 upscale demeanor of her Upper West Side upbringing. I stared at her. I 45 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:06.360 knew she'd run with Hell's kitchen tufts when she was a rebellious teenager, but 46 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:11.319 I never saw a sign of it. Yeah, Reggie might not approve of 47 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:15.360 my new shape. Why'd you marry him? Anyway? Smart women, foolish 48 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:23.680 choices? Why do you stay married to him? She got up and walked 49 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:29.079 to the door. She turned, and now her eyes were serious. Please 50 00:04:29.959 --> 00:04:36.439 find her. Her final words were a plea, the void of any banter 51 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:44.519 her eyes for an instant, the burrier lord, something warm, radiated something 52 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:50.480 from an internal locust, and suffused empathy like sunlight. Then the wall erected 53 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:56.160 again, but not before I swallowed deep in my throat. She was halfway 54 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:01.680 out when I called to her. At least she turned around. Photo description, 55 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.839 distinguishing marks. Anything I can use to idea, I'll get it to 56 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:11.639 you. I also got questions, friends, contacts, habits, non associates 57 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:15.079 and such. I've got answers, but I'm in session in an hour. 58 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.519 I gotta get home soon. Then she was through the door, and nothing 59 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:24.360 was left of her in the room but her scent. It was enough. 60 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:34.040 I went to Reggie's apartment. He had a spare bedroom outfitted exclusively for his 61 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:40.600 obsessive habit. It featured an oversized, dark brown leather easy chair with standing 62 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.560 reading lamps on I decide. By his right hand, there was a small 63 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.319 brown table with a few highlighters and red pens on the surface. There was 64 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:54.160 no television, moved stereo, no sofa. Reggie didn't drink alcohol, He 65 00:05:54.199 --> 00:05:58.959 didn't smoke. He scorned all forms of drugs, even begrudging an occasional pair 66 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:04.319 of aspirants he took to he's aching muscles. He read a lot, constantly, 67 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:11.839 lighting every wall of his hideaway wrap around bookcases Florida Ceilo, overstuffed with 68 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:17.240 books alphabetized by author, divided into sections, overwhelmingly literature, also history in 69 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:24.079 the small section of leading history of philosophy, texts carefully mocked up, annotated, 70 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:29.600 and discussed with me. His alcoholic father called him a pussy bookworm at 71 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:34.120 times when he beat him, Reggie refused to hit back. His mother had 72 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:39.759 been a nurse, support of a Roman child, but descended into hard times 73 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:46.279 than drug addiction and death. He was alone. I turned to him. 74 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:53.600 I suppose we're not calling the NYPD, notpe. They're hampered by the punctilios 75 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:59.600 of the law. Punctilios it means niceties or amenities of conduct. I am 76 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:02.920 so gonna beat your ass in the essay contest. The university had decided to 77 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:09.560 hold an essay contest opened to students and faculty and their sponsored guests. He 78 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:14.639 was supposed to foster a sense of community or some bullshit. Reggie and I 79 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:18.399 just wanted a chance to beat each other at something you can try, but 80 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:23.800 we already know you're not smarter than me. Yeah, why's that You've been 81 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:30.560 dragooned against your will into detective work by a fine psychologist you're painting for. 82 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:33.720 Uh huh, Well, now I'm dragooning you. So if you say yes, 83 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.600 then which one of us is the idiot? We can debate. In 84 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:48.319 the car, Lisa had given me her sister's name, Destiny. Yeah. 85 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:51.399 I thought she was screwing with me too, but now that really was her 86 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:57.959 name. Reggie went with me to meet Detective Damian Stacy. Stacy's full had 87 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:01.560 a white hair, made him look seventy years old. He was forty six. 88 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:05.000 I showed him a picture of Destiny that Lisa had given me. She 89 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:09.600 was twenty one and had this tattoo on the left side of her neck of 90 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:15.000 twin dragons and circling each other. Stacy sent me to hand. Cassidy patrol 91 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:20.399 Copy worked in Brownsville for years and and I were both vets mech two and 92 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:24.600 a rack her usmc Persian Gulf one. She had nothing for me, but 93 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:30.519 promised to look into it at the university. I got Destiny's home address from 94 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.639 my friend in the admissions office, Kate Norris. I circled back up with 95 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:37.879 Reggie. We met at a park Betsy Head, near Lisa's sister's address. 96 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:43.519 Reggie market his Gangland. I took Molly my nine millimeter, which I kept 97 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:50.279 in my shoulder harness Destiny. Await Destiny's neighbors. At first, Destiny's neighbors. 98 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:58.159 Destiny's neighbors sound like a hippie band. We skirted past the park and 99 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:03.960 ambled a short distance to me Destiny's address. The houses were dark and nobody 100 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.480 was in the street. Thick gray clouds had rolled in with a damn cold 101 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:15.120 looked like snow. I glanced around the stream. We'll wait people whom from 102 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:20.440 work soon bomy day. We crossed the street to watch from the other side. 103 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.799 We paced the other side of the stream. We watched ceaselessly. We 104 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:31.200 talked about the essay contest. We talked about the chances of Lisa getting divorced. 105 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:35.120 We talked about my past engagement to Jessica Miranda Reggie had never met, 106 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.840 and about my reasons for breaking it off. We talked about my next book. 107 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.440 We talked about Reggie's rise to the heavyweight title. A light snow started 108 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:50.600 to fall. We walked some more. We kept talking. Jessica is a 109 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:54.679 d E agent now right? Yeah? She is? Are you on speaking 110 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:03.720 terms? Nope? You broke her heart. I know. I still remember, 111 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:07.200 all these years later, the stricken look of her eyes when I ended 112 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.000 it. We were silent for a minute. Then Richie spoke with Comb in 113 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:16.720 the drug infested sections of Red Meat Village looking for Destiny Hunter. It would 114 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:24.000 be additive to have a DA agent for resource, without a doubt. Is 115 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:26.919 this a tender topic for me? A little for her? A lot? 116 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:33.679 For how long ago? Six years your last long term relationship? A car 117 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:39.039 glided down the street, moving slow, looking for a spot. I watched 118 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.879 it roll past us, then slide around the corner. It skidded slightly on 119 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:50.519 the slick pavement. Yeah. I dated different women, but until Lisa, 120 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.159 there's been nobody like Jessica. Is Jessica married now? Nah? I would 121 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:01.600 have heard six years before this dance with Destiny is done, we might have 122 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:07.759 to contact her could be He said, no more about it. We kept 123 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:13.840 walking. We watched relentlessly. It was almost six fifteen. A tall, 124 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:20.480 stout woman started up the stairs to Destiny's building. She wore a navy blue 125 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:24.879 kerchief, nodded around a bun of dark hair. She hefted an overstuffed shopping 126 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:31.399 bag a woman's clothing store. We darted across the street. Ma'am. She 127 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:35.879 turned to face us. She was light skinned by racial I guessed forty, 128 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:41.360 wore round, oversized glasses, and looked surprisingly unperturbed at the large man in 129 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:46.039 his companion converging on her in the dark street. Can I help you? 130 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:50.840 Her voice was church goers, sweet, we have questions about Destiny Hunter. 131 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:56.519 Oh. She fumbled around for the keys in her bag. The police were 132 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:03.000 already here, but come on in. She unlocked the outer door and then 133 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:07.840 the inner one to her apartment. She ushered us in, turned on several 134 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:13.759 floor lamps. The apartment was comfortable, with large reddish brown area rugs covering 135 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:18.759 well polished hardwood floors. There was an overstuffed, well worn sofa in the 136 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.840 living room center, a glass coffee table with a vase of artificial geraniums, 137 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.159 and an old school console TV across from the sofa. There was a painting 138 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.000 of Jesus on the wall above the television. The color of the area rugs 139 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:37.679 reminded me of Lisa's hair and shook my head. Would you boys like some 140 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:43.240 tea? Oh? No, thank would be divine? Thank you. She 141 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:46.799 served the tea and we sat around the coffee table. Are your friends of 142 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:50.600 destinies? I had my first chance to take a good look at her. 143 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:56.519 Her voice and her eyes were tender with mercy. Jesus had taught her to 144 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:01.679 love everybody, I guessed. She wore a loose fitting blue ankle length dress 145 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:05.759 and low black heels. I'm Tony, this is Reggie. Pleasure to meet 146 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:09.759 you. I'm Manjuri smoke, I'm a private eye. Man. Well, 147 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:16.559 I'm afraid I haven't seen destiny in some time. How much time must be 148 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.559 a couple of weeks. I've been in her apartment twice to clean it, 149 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:24.879 like she asked a couple of years ago, but there's no sign that she's 150 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:28.360 been there. You got a key, Yes, we have a key to 151 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.879 each other's place. It's good to do with someone you trust in case of 152 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.919 emergency. She saw the hopeful expression of my face, but I swore to 153 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:39.120 the police that I would not let anybody in there. Yeah, look, 154 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:43.639 mounserie, I I just spoke to the cops. They're not concerned yet about 155 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:50.639 Destiny's disappearance. We are times critical. Such a nice girl. You know, 156 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:54.200 she's a psychology. We know, but there's no telling who might have 157 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.919 gotten their hands on it, especially in this neighborhood. I know it's been 158 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:03.639 going downhill in the last couple of years, especially at night. I don't 159 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:05.919 want to start any trouble with the police. You aren't start any trouble with 160 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.559 the cops, but you might save Destiny Hunter from a mess of trouble. 161 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.960 All right, I'm willing to trust you boys. She took a key from 162 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:20.039 a desk drawer in the next room. She lives upstairs. She flicked on 163 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:24.840 a light and led us up the stairs. At the landing stood one door, 164 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:33.000 brown, unmarked, nondescript. Monserie undid the lock and we followed her 165 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:37.960 in. She turned on an overhead light. Do you want me to leave 166 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:41.840 you to your sleuthing? I can go back downstairs rather than get in your 167 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:43.480 way. No, no, no, please stay, Monserie. We may 168 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:50.200 have questions. It was one large room like a dorm room of a college 169 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:54.559 kid, with a small bathroom off to one side. Textbooks were piled on 170 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.759 a card table adjacent to a double bed. A reading lamp hung from the 171 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:03.840 top of the bedboard. A computer and various pins and pads occupied a desk 172 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:07.559 by the room soule window. There was a small metallic filing cabinet across from 173 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.639 the bed. On top was a hard blue paper weight in the shape of 174 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:18.039 a swallowtail humming bird the Jamaican National Burden. On the wall above it hung 175 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:22.360 a single photograph. It was of a young pretty girl on the ground, 176 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:26.120 smiling, her arms around the neck of a golden retriever. If dogs could 177 00:15:26.120 --> 00:15:33.039 smile, the retriever was Reggie. Immediately went to the filing cabinet, got 178 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:37.480 on his knees and pulled open the bottom drawer. I switched on Destiny's computer, 179 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:43.320 hoping I could hack into a personal email account. I couldn't. I 180 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.639 opened the desk drawer and went through its contents. Just a bunch of pins, 181 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:52.039 a memo pad, a chief of loose paper. Then I stopped. 182 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:56.159 There was a faded photograph of a young girl, maybe ten, standing ankle 183 00:15:56.200 --> 00:16:00.679 deep in water. So blue. It resembled a painting more than photograph. 184 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:04.879 In the distant background were hills and a cliff with a lighthouse perched the top. 185 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:11.440 I stared at it the Caribbean. I bed. Several minutes went by, 186 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.559 and then I noticed a stain on the wall behind the desk and computer 187 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:21.960 near the floor. Was it blood? I stooped to examine it. Reggie 188 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:26.200 banged through the file cabinet's metallic drawers. We were so absorbed we didn't hear 189 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:30.919 the door quietly latch shut and lock. She was such a nice girl. 190 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.600 The sweetness of Monsourie's voice matched the scene. I think you need to look 191 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.799 at this, Reggie and I turned around. She reached into the folds of 192 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:45.399 a blue dress and withdrew a pair of slim line automatic pistols. They looked 193 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:52.480 black as a striking cobra and just as friendly. She pointed one at Reggie's 194 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:56.960 chest, the other of mine. Do you think you're going to find destiny? 195 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:03.679 Hunter? Aiming guns in my direction is a quick way to shore your 196 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.359 life expectancy. Man, Your life expectancy is about thirty seconds the both of 197 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:11.880 you. Her head jerked slightly at me, this time her voice didn't sound 198 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:17.759 quite as sweet, monsieur, Please, we're just trying to find Destiny. 199 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.039 Maybe there are people who don't want her found, maybe Destiny herself. She 200 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:26.920 helped the gun steady, not waving them around like an amateur. Reggie was 201 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:33.279 crouched and still a tiger poised to strike. I sat motionless, right hand 202 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:38.160 shielded from view, getting a grip on the chair. Her view was split 203 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:47.640 in two directions. She blamed. I overturned Destiny's chair, flinging it aside, 204 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:52.079 and lunched sidewas Reggie, whose hands emotion could not be seen, left 205 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:56.960 handed, grabbed a heavy hummingbird paperway and flung it in Manchet's face. He 206 00:17:56.119 --> 00:18:00.319 plunged to the deck. Instinctively, she threw up her right hand hand to 207 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:03.039 block the projectile. She missed and dropped. The gun of metallic object struck 208 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.279 her flush on the two, stunning and driving her back against the lockdoor. 209 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:10.960 I dived behind the foot of Destiny's bed, and Mama was in my right 210 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:12.799 hand. I coined the nine of a chest. She pushed off the door 211 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.839 and shook her head, trying to clear the vision. Two handed, she 212 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:33.680 lined up her gun sights on me, dropped the gun Redmead Village as a 213 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:37.519 production of Voyage Media. The series is produced by nat Mondel, Robert Midas, 214 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:41.200 and Dan Benimore, directed, produced, and adapted by Dan Bennimore, 215 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:45.559 based on Andrew Bernstein's upcoming novel of the same name. When a link to 216 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.920 the novel is available, it will be listed in the show notes. Starring 217 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:52.559 Catherine Bell as Lisa, Malik Yoba as Reggie, and Ryan Heavy as Tony. 218 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:59.160 Additional cast credits are available in show notes. Edited sound designed and mixed 219 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:03.960 by Nick Miss, original music by Derlis Gonzalez. If you're enjoying the show, 220 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:07.000 please leave us a five star review and opp podcasts n any where you're 221 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:08.920 listening, and subscribe now for future episodes.