but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[ostensively]

( The door closes behind them and the chilly night awaits them. )

Are they being held inside the aquarium?

[tearhiseyesout]

That's what I'm finding out.

[It simply takes her phone and and a few pointed questions in the right direction before she has her answer.]

Yes. Agent Parker called ahead and asked that they be taken to the security office to dry off until she arrives. And apparently they listen to her.

[Jaqueline adjusts her jacket before nodding to Sierra.]

Shall we?

[ostensively]

Well, it's a good thing Agent Parker's liasons have arrived in time.

( She flips her sunglasses down, keeping her cool, giving her best FBI agent as she follows her wife to the front doors after hours. (nat 20) for the FBI disguise )

[tearhiseyesout]

[With her own matching romantic (nat 20), Jaqueline follows her lead, making her way into the room where the security guards are lounging around, waiting for the FBI. Jaqueline flashes them a smile.]

Hi there. FBI. Here for your unexpected swimmers?

[The security guards don't even blink. "Good luck. Hope one of you is Audrey Parker."]

She's still on her way, but we'll get started.

[Jaqueline wanders over to the doors nearby, peering in the windows. They separated them, so they don't have time to get their stories straight.]

Which one do you want to try first? Blue eyes or off-brand pirate?

[backtaxes]

( She evaluates to two men in each room, through the windows. She knows her choice, aesthetically, but she reads their body language very differently.

"Blue eyes is stoic, looks unshakeable. The pirate's drumming his fingers, bouncing his leg."

Because they have new visitors, Duke shoots up from his chair, stepping out from behind the table, gesturing at the window.

Sound doesn't seem to be traveling out, but he's agitated. Rightfully, Sierra assumes. Which might make him more pliable. )

[tearhiseyesout]

Pirate it is.

[Jaqueline opens the door, stepping into the space where Duke is pacing. She flashes him a smile, before stepping to the side to let Sierra in behind her.]

Agent Melroux, Agent Harper. And you are?

[backtaxes]

( When two agents let themselves in, Duke ends his pacing back at the table, leaning against it from the back. )

Still wet.

( He weighs giving them his real name or an alias. He knows Nathan isn't far, if he can get past them and to Nathan, then they can make their way back to Haven.

"She's asking your name," Sierra says. )

I know what she's asking. I didn't break into the aquarium.

[tearhiseyesout]

The fact that you're soaking wet says otherwise, buddy.

[Jaqueline tips her head to the side.]

Unless you what? Fell out of the sky and into the seal tank?

[backtaxes]

They were dolphins. And people don't just fall out of the sky.

( He's between a rock and a hard place and until Audrey gets here and smooths things over, he doesn't know how to cooperate without giving the farm away or being committed. )

Audrey Parker.

[tearhiseyesout]

That's just what we wanted to talk to you about, actually.

[Jaqueline moves further into the room, studying him carefully. Not reaching out to touch just yet. He might be immune the same way Audrey was.]

What do you know about this Audrey Parker? We're having a hard time tracking her down.

[backtaxes]

That's not the impression I was given.

( The security here aren't tapped in, but, they got in touch with people who are. He was led to believe - no, he believes someone did get in touch with her. He was told to stay put.

He studies them, dragging his chair a little farther away, peering behind them at the empty hallway. )

Why are you asking me about her if you work with her?

[tearhiseyesout]

Well, we did ask them to keep a lid on it.

[Jaqueline lets a slow smile stretch across her face.]

And we never said we worked with her.

[backtaxes]

( That, he doesn't like. And just like that, he's decided not to provide anything at all. )

What are you, internal affairs?

[tearhiseyesout]

No. We work in the Boston office.

[She shifts to lean against a nearby table.]

They called us to confirm your story and we had to tell them we knew no such agent. So where exactly did you meet this Audrey Parker?

[backtaxes]

We're old friends.

( He's not falling for this. But, he also needs answers. He sets his jaw and decides once and for all to take a seat. His (1) at sense motive wins him nothing but his own cooperation. )

Haven, Maine.

[tearhiseyesout]

[Not that Jaqueline is the most intimately familiar with New England locations, but something about that doesn't sound right. She glances back at Sierra, raising an eyebrow.]

Haven, Maine? Not Connecticut or New Jersey?

[Granted those are New Haven and Fair Haven respectively, but she's just double checking.]

[backtaxes]

( Maine has never been Colony territory and in her travels, it wasn't a state she spent much time in. She tries to minimally shrug, but mostly not react. )

Not Connecticut or New Jersey. Was she in Connecticut or New Jersey?

[tearhiseyesout]

No.

[And Jaqueline will put out her phone to double check, just in case.]

It's just that I've never heard of Haven, Maine.

[She pulls up her maps app, because Google cannot be trusted.]

[backtaxes]

I don't know what to tell you. It's a pretty small seaside town. Not real well known.

( What's her point? Sierra peers over her wife's shoulder, reading the findings or lack thereof.

"Does it go by another name?" )

It doesn't have a nickname. ( What kind of line of question is this? ) Pretty sure, things are named what they're named.

[tearhiseyesout]

Maybe, but ... Google Maps says there's no such place.

[She'll hold up her phone to show the screen. She'll even pass it to him if he wants to do some searching himself. If he had a phone, it probably got shorted out when he went swimming with the dolphins.]

[backtaxes]

( It did, and wouldn't have the signal he needed anyway. He doesn't know what to do with this, though, and he sets the phone back down. )

Well, there is. I'm from there.

( Even if there's not here and he's not about to try and work that out with two FBI agents.

"Why are you lying, Mr. Crocker?" Sierra says, perching on the side of the desk. )

Why would I lie? About one of your own?

[tearhiseyesout]

Maybe you're not. Maybe she lied to you.

[Jaqueline offers a small shrug as she takes her phone back.]

You wouldn't be the first guy to fall for a fake FBI agent. Especially if she had convincing identification.

[backtaxes]

Is that what you're trying to tell me? My lying friend is a fake FBI agent?

( To be fair, she was law enforcement in Haven and - on and off FBI at times. Depending on who she was at the time. )

[tearhiseyesout]

I'm just saying that Haven, Maine doesn't exist so for all we know you may be lying and Audrey Parker might be your accomplice.

[She offers a small shrug.]

A lot of what you're saying isn't really adding up.

[backtaxes]

The only thing that isn't adding up is Haven, Maine, which is the only thing I've said and the only thing I'm gonna say. If Audrey's not coming, then I got a phone call. Something.

( A second and then he calls out, yelling, )

Nathan!

( Unfortunately, these rooms are good for sound and he does not hear him next door. )