11871/Digging Up the Past: A Few Questions...

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Digging Up the Past: A Few Questions...
Date of Scene: 30 July 2020
Location: Wade Shaw's Condo, Claridge's, Midtown Manhattan
Synopsis: Karrin has questions. Nick has a grenade.
Cast of Characters: Phantasm (Drago), Karrin Murphy
Tinyplot: Digging Up The Past


Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
With a warning call given announcing an impending arrival to the condo, Nick has been moving around to make the place presentable. Ie. Shove all of the scattered bit Wade's laundry under his loft bed. Yes, it doesn't hide it but it makes it clear whose mess is whose.

Also in consideration, Nick threw on a shirt to go with the sleep pants and has a kettle prepped. Based on when she gessed she'd be over, he already has the stove on. Which... left him with some time to kill while waiting so he's now back on the sofa, looking to the years old unfinished song in one of his notebooks.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
It's not too much longer before Karrin Murphy is gently knocking at the door, looking her usual self when he opens it in greeting. Perhaps a little older and a little more worn tired, but never the less, Karrin Murphy. Most of the bruising is gone from her face except for the faintest bit by her temple and she's not walking gingerly any more, though her clawed shoulder is still bandaged beneath her t-shirt.

"Hey, stranger. Been a minute." She flashes him a smile with a curiously worried look, stepping into the apartment and giving him a once over to see if he's showing any signs of being in trouble, physically or mentally.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The arrival was expected, so the transition of getting her into the condo was seamless. The notebook was closed and set down upon the table as he walked to the door of the studio condo. The lock was undone and access was granted. There was no invite in because...well. Factor in what some friends do.

But upon Karrin stepping in, he was already closing the door and heading over to the counter to grab a couple mugs. In the brief glimpse of his face, there was a smile but it was a tired one. But it's not very different from his usual smiles. So things seem...normal? Whatever's considered normal for this group anyways. No new marks. The scar on his lower right forearm is old and is the only real source of asymmetry looking to the musician from behind.

"Tea or Cocoa?" He asks.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Oh... tea, probably, this time of night. Something herbal if you have it. I should pretend to tell myself I'm going to sleep later." Karrin states with a tired, wry smirk across her lips. She politely slips out of her sneakers at the edge of the room and pads in her socks over to the closest comfortable chair, gingerly sinking down into it and tucking her feet below her. She's relaxing a bit more at seeing he doesn't look any worse for wear this week.

"How's things been? I...honestly feel like it's been months since we just talked and it probably has been, mostly my fault. Between Harry and Buffy, I feel like things never stop..." She's trying to make nicer talk before getting down to it, a touch of guilt that she's been out of touch so long in her husky voice.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
At the answer, Nick reaches up into the cabinet to pull out a couple packets of chamomile. Putting one in each mug. He folds his arms and turns, leaning into the corner where the nub of counter next to the fridge meets with the slightly larger portion of counter adjacent to the oven. He looks to the stove. "Yeah it's been months. But I do live further away from you guys and I'm bouncing all over the place with my work. So- understandable. New York's a busy place too."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Well, let me know the next time you come into town, and I won't just bother you because I got questions to ask about a thing, sound good? Maybe we'll drag you out to a bar to actually relax for once. Something we could all use..." Murphy sighed, but that was a pretty good sign she had something on her mind other than a general catch up. She leans forward a bit more, body shifting to fully face him... "...don't suppose you know anything about a DEA agent named Schiwzer or...why they might be looking into you?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick gives a bit of a nod, "Alright. Fair enough. It's been awhile since I had one of those steak sandwiches." As Karrin drifts to her question, he looks away from the stove to look over towards her. "Schwizer?" He repeats, head tilting, "No... I'd think I'd remember someone coming up to me calling themselves that. I mean yeah, I've been booked at clubs and bars where I kind of questioned the place when I got there but- Other than play music, get a beer and head out, that's about the level of interaction I do there." He pauses, "DEA's looking into me?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A slight grimace comes to her face as he clearly doesn't seem to know a thing. Karrin studies him several heartbeats longer, trying to piece together if maybe, just maybe, he's pulling one over on her. But she's know him far too long, knew his family, and there isn't an inch of her instincts that says he's to blame for this. So, Karrin exhales a long breath and unfolds her feet from beneath her, so she can sit up straigher and maybe look a bit more professional. "You...or your mother's file, at least. It's gone missing and some asshole agent from the DEA came questioning me about it."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The kettle gives a low, half-assed whistle but Nick pays it no mind as the mention of his mother seems to get a diffent reaction. He straightens up, backside shifting away from the counter despite him staying in the corner area "You mean a file on mom's murder?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin stands, so she can walk over to the kitchen area and join him, meeting him face to face for the uncomfortable conversation to be had. "Yeah, that's...what I'm assuming, though he tried to play it off as not a big deal. That file is missing and this agent was sniffing around to see if maybe you were to blame. I told him to screw off but... There's concerns. And I have no clue why."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick frowns, glancing down in thought. "...dammit." He turns his head to look to the pot as it starts whistling more, pulling it from the burner, "Karrin, I know you're a great cop but, please leave this one alone."

He slides the mug over and pours in the water. "I had an unwelcome visitor back in May. He was asking questions, one of which being what I remembered of the robbery."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
If he really wanted her to leave it alone, those were not the words to use. Karrin stares at him with slightly wider eyes, concern across her face but also protective interest as well. "...This isn't just about being a good cop, it's about being a friend, Nick. So...Out with it. Because the DEA already pulled me in and if you are in trouble, I'm not just going to pretend like I don't know anything. So... best you spill and we can figure out how best to handle this together."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The filled mug is slid back as he adds water into the second mug. "I came home to find Punisher sitting on the other side of that wall." He nods in the direction of the portion of the condo where the bathroom extends out to give a bit of a privacy wall.

"So... yes I'd rather you not go poking at that guy. Seems HE was trying to figure out the reason I got targted outside of the shelter that one time and 'dumb luck' wasn't an acceptable answer and somehow it led to him having questions about the robbery."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"The Punisher... were there some... news articles about him?" Karrin asks, not having kept up with vigilantes, as it were, but she still looks interested and quite serious about this all. "I've poked at more dangerous guys before and, honestly, if we are both trying to help you... Better to have more minds on the case. Unless you really are trying to hide something, from him too, and you're in trouble with him and the cops. Then..." She exhales, taking one of the steeping mugs of tea to let it linger between her hands, warming fingertips. "Then you and I have some planning to do. But... Nick, you gotta tell me what's going on. Let me *help* you."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Karrin, Nick replies, gritting his teeth as he sets the kettle back down, turning to hand her one of the mugs, "I'm not resisting. I'm flat out telling you what happened. Punisher showed up. Had a nice little firearms side chat with me on the sofa. He asked his questions. I answered. He gave me the grenade and left." He turns, grabbing his own mug to move over to the kitchen table. "Grenade was a toy. But certainly looked real in the dark."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Those ever-worried blue eyes study him a bit harder, but she seems to accept that he really doesn't know anything beyond that. Karrin lets out a little breath of concern, but gives him a small nod as she blows across her tea. "So... I need to go find this Punisher, is what I'm hearing, and we'll figure out things from there." Then her tired mind catches on something else he said and she jerks eyes up. "Wait...what... GRENADE?! He handed you a grenade?! WHY? OKay, back up... tell me *exactly* what in hell happened when he came..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick pauses, "Well, actually. When I think about it, it was less 'hand it over' and more 'throw it' Either way good news is the grenade he was holding was fake." He gives a nod. "And I phantasmed first chance I could take, so if he had tried shooting me he'd have been in for a surprise." He pauses, "...I also changed the locks after he left."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The abject shock in her face is clear, and a mix of protective anger along side of worry as she stands from her chair. Karrin needs to pace the room for this conversation. "...It's... a... GRENADE. You could have been killed! Or, even if you phantamsed fast enough, the amount of other people that could be hurt... Shit, Nick. This guy is insane. And what's his interest in you and this file now? What questions whas he asking?" Karrin stops her pacing to land blue eyes on him as she spills those questions.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Yes. I agree. He is nuts." Nick replies, reponse slow and deliberate as he gives a slow nod, "And I couldn't tell if the grenade was real or what he loaded the gun with. Which is why when he asked me to sit. I SAT. And when he asked me questions. I ANSWERED. And when I was sure he wasn't planning to kill anyone, asked if he could at least put the grenade down." He pauses, "Which would be when he threw it. It's a toy but at a glance, well, I'm not military. Looked real to me."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Better safe than sorry with...anything like that. Including a mad man. So...what questions was he asking? Why do you think he was doing this to YOU? And if he took that file.... The question is why." Karrin states as much as she's asking him, not enough information for her to piece it out herself, but it's clear the short blonde is planning on being in this mess with him. Her expression is too protectively worried and her tone too firm to be willing to drop this.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"I don't know Karrin," Nick mutters, "I seem to have this knack for being in the wrong place at the right time and it's getting REALLY old. So of course when I go dropping supplies off at a shelter, it's at a time someone's targeting random people off the street. And of course when I'm the random person that gets targed, I get a nice tabloid photo out of it. And of COURSE it turns out that Punisher's been looking into that...

He gestures to the other room. "Fast forward. Questions over there about how the shelter relates to mom."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin slowly begins her pacing once more, hands folded across her chest in a slightly closed off, but mostly lost in thought position. She was still to restlessly worried about it to actually sit down, so pacing a hole in his carpet is the next best option. "...I'm actually going to make a guess he's not necessarily targetting you, but something to do with your mother. Or is interested in her for... who knows what reason. Any guesses?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick grows quiet. Frown deepening. "He said that the case smelled of Fed involvement."

Pale eyes shift over to look to Karrin's, "You said a DEA agent was asking questions?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Yeah. And now... he's missing, from what I can tell. Hasn't been seen since yesterday. He was a jack ass and certainly making some presumptions but... he was still from the DEA and his credentials were official enough to get my ass drug all the way out to the Gotham police department for a sit down with my old captain. So, this isn't any light threat. And... so what if the Feds are involved? Feds are assholes but, in general, they are doing their job." Karrin murmurs quietly, stopping in her tracks so she can turn and study Nick's face instead, maybe pick up on some hint or emotions that he's not going to tell her invoice.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"At the mention of the agent being missing, a brow rises. "What?" Nick asks, "Yesterday?" The momentary glint of confusion fades into more of being impressed before fading back to the previous look. "So...what you're talking about has been this month?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Yeah. I mean, I spoke to the DEA agent like...last week. Was checking in on things when I heard he was missing. So, this has all been real recent here. Why? When did the psycho show up at your apartment playing the most dangerous game of hot potato?" Karrin asks flatly, finally settling out of her pacing enough that she can sink back down to grab at the cup he made her earlier and take a deep drink of it, now that the steaming beverage is mostly drinkable. It's something to do with restless hands and worried eyes which isn't just interrogating her friend.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Back in May." Nick repeats, pausing, "Haven't heard from him since. Figured he'd moved on. Also, again, the grenade was fake. It's in the desk drawer if you want to look at it."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"I know it was fake, but it was still a THREAT too, Nick. He was playing head games with you and there's still clearly shit going on here. So...I guess he's the next person I have to find." Karrin states simply, that rather determined look on her features and the set of her lips in a line which says she's absolutely not going to give up this hunt, even if he asks otherwise. She's made up her mind. "I'm still curious what questions he was asking about your mother but... I guess I'll have to ask him myself."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Well, it was awhile back and I wasn't really making an effort to memorize what he was asking." Nick replies, "But, basically he had me walk through what I remembered of the robbery."

He pauses, "So that's a 'no' on wanting to look at the grenade, right?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...I trust your word about the grenade. If it wasn't a fake, I... suspect someone would already be blown up." Karrin sighs and unfolds, having just finished her drink and her mind is running a million miles an hour trying to figure out how she'll track this Punisher down. "...Well, at least you know now that...the case is still open, and people are sniffing. I don't know that I can do much more on this end, but I'm not going to drop it and I'll try to keep the heat off you as best I can."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...And give be that grenade or I'm gonna go fish it out before someone else actually thinks you have a dangerous weapon in this apartment." Karrin states in that tone of voice that says she is absolutely not joking, or going to take no for an answer.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick starts to open his mouth but closes it as she reinforces her stated decision to look into it. He bites his lip briefly but at the mention of the grenade he grumbles. "...Right desk drawer." He mutters, turning to pick up his drink.

The desk drawer is a tad crowded but sure enough, inside, sitting next to an old envelope wrapped in an bag is a rather lightweight but visibly convincing toy grenade, also in a bag.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The cop stalks over to the desk as he tells her where it is. Karrin's hand hesitates over that other letter, probably too curious for her own good, but she's already stuck her nose deeply in his life. So, Karrin swallows back her curiosity and scoops up the bag, pulling it open just a moment to be certain she got the right thing. It looked uncomfortably real enough. She sighs and turns back to him. "I...should get back south. We should actually get a drink and relax some nice but...I'll let you know if I come across anything, Nick. And you do the same. Alright? We're in this together." She gives him one last, heavy look before moving for the door.