Sunday, February 15, 2004

   Cream Filling & Nougat: Second Coating (Chapter III)
"I'm seein' it but I don't believe it . . ." Cream said as the two of them pulled up to the address on the monitor. "This is the house of the badass boyfriend?!" The small house was nestled in the center of a very quiet and peaceful suburb, glowing in the light afternoon sun. The lawn was cut short, the paint was clean and unchipped; externally, it looked about as good as any house could be.
"Think this guy lives with his parents, maybe?" Nougat suggested.
"No, the file says he lives alone . . . . . geez Noug', I still can't believe this is the same guy with this same record!"
"Well ya know, what looks good on the outside isn't necessarily good for you . . . you of all people should know that." Cream grinned.
"As do you, I guess?"
"Better believe it . . . alright, let's go."

Cream tore out the printed warrant and the two of them walked up the walkway to the front door.
"Noug', check it out . . ." Cream motioned to the pavement. "It's been power-washed recently too . . ." Nougat shrugged.
"Okay . . . so we have an aggressive, neat-freak potential-kidnapper?"
"I'm lookin' forward to meeting this guy," Cream thought out loud.

"Mr. Kruid," Nougat said clearly as he knocked on the door, "we have a warrant to search the premises." No answer.
"Noug', he ain't home," Cream said to him. "Check it out, empty car port. Nougat looked at his partner, eyebrow raised.
"Car port?" Cream shrugged.
"Well . . . no door, so . . . . . hey, details, okay? Car's not here!" Nougat chuckled one last time at Cream's expense.
"Alright, alright . . . so we're allowed to enter his house, right?"
"Like that's ever stopped you before . . ."
"Oh yeah . . . heh . . ."

The two of them started searching along the sides of the house to find any point of entry - an open window, door, or anything. Unfortunately for them, the man had locked up his home very well. His frustrations slowly getting the better of him, Nougat headed around to the back door. Cream was able to figure out his intentions just in time - he had already backed up a couple of steps . . .
"Noug'! Hey!" Cream shouted quickly, "No breaking stuff!" Nougat struggled to regain his balance, as his abortive kick had him in an odd position.
"What? You got a better idea, Whip'?" Cream stepped towards the door.
"Obviously . . . . ." Cream took out his keychain - attached to which were a series of small picks. Though Nougat berated him for carrying thieves' tools, Cream quickly had the door open and the two of them entered the house . . . they were met with a high alarm tone . . .

"Ah crap! Of course he's alarmed!" Cream exclaimed. Nougat started laughing. "Dude, bad time! Bad time!"
"I know I know I know!" Nougat said, trying to ease his laughter. "Ah screw it, let's just hurry up!" Cream agreed.

With the alarm still sounding, they entered the kitchen.
"Okay, I still don't believe it," Cream said as he looked around the completely spotless house - the air even smelled nice to him. Nougat walked through the kitchen and into the next hallway.
"Neat-freak, confirmed . . ." he mumbled as he walked through the house. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like Kruid had been a rather well-off man, with many home luxuries adorning his rooms. "What did this guy do again?" Cream jogged his memory.
"Uh . . . crud, I forget . . . I think it was something to do with . . ."
"Something to do with electronics?" Nougat interrupted. Cream clicked.
"Yeah, something like that . . . not a lucky guess, was it?"
"Nope," Nougat said, "check out his office. Cream poked his head into the room as well. All along the walls were schematics, blueprints, and other tech-related articles cut out from magazines and the like. In the middle of the room was a large desk with a PC and dozens of various CDs. "Okay. . . . . so he's an aggressive neat-freak nerd who may or may not be a kidnapper. Great."

"You think he bought all this expensive stuff?" Nougat wondered out loud.
"Hey, we've got intelligence!" Cream realised, "let's find out!" He pulled out his cel phone and called the department.
"Hey, Sakai," he said to the officer on the other end, "I need you to get a credit card record for a Basil Kruid on 137 5th Avenue . . ." Nougat looked along the bookshelves, taking note of all the technical journals and such that the man had kept. ". . . oh, an alarm went off at that address? Um . . . I'll explain that one later . . . . ." Cream motioned for him to come back out with him - Nougat quickly tidied up anything he may have touched and they both headed back out the back door. Cream closed the door behind them as the single, clear tone of the house alarm was still sounding. " . . . oh, interesting . . . alright, thanks Sakai!"

"What did Sakai find out?" Nougat asked as they walked back to the car. Cream englightened him.
"Last place the guy used his credit card was a hotel downtown, and that was just a few days ago!" Nougat's face brightened up.
"Okay, let's haul ass!" Just as they opened the doors to the car, a squad car pulled up, lights flashing. When the officers of that car came out, one asked,
"This is the house, right?" Cream and Nougat both looked at each other, slightly startled.
"Yeah," Nougat replied quickly, "But, uh, I think he got away through the back or something."
"Yeah," Cream added. "So can you two handle this one, you think? We've gotta get to some other stuff right now.
"Sure, can do sirs," the officer answered. As the new officers headed towards the house, Nougat gunned the car and made a quick getaway, all the while laughing hard as Cream shouted for him to shut up . . . . .
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