Private Oz (Private 7)
Chapter 42
DARLENE RECOGNIZED THE voice immediately. It came through the speaker in her lab connected to the intercom at the main entrance. Colette had gone out and she was on her own. She stepped out of her lab, strode three paces along the hall, and there he was, one of the world’s most recognizable faces – Micky Stevens. Beside him, his legendary bodyguard, Hemi.
“I’ve come to see Johnny,” Micky smiled.
“Ah … right … Hi … I’m, I’m Darlene, Darlene Cooper. Johnny, ah, Johnny isn’t here. I’m on my own. He’ll be back soon, though.”
“That’s cool. So, Darlene Cooper …” Micky indicated he would like to come in.
“Sorry!” she giggled, and a wisp of blonde hair fell across her face as she held the door open.
“So what do you do here then?” Micky asked as they entered reception.
“Forensics.” She was calming down now.
“Wow! Really? That’s cool. I love CSI. Do you watch that show?”
“Not really,” Darlene replied. “I see enough bits and pieces of dead people during the day.”
Micky stared at her, then shook his head slowly and grinned. “That is just the most insane job, Darlene!”
“Really? Well, being a rock star’s pretty awesome!”
“If you say so.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. Hemi stood next to Micky like a lump of rock. He only moved when it was absolutely necessary and his blank expression never changed.
“Er, coffee?” Darlene offered.
“No thanks. Tell you what though. I’d love to see your lab. You do have a lab, right?”
Darlene looked surprised. “Yeah, sure. Along here.”
“Oh man! This is really something!” Micky exclaimed as he entered the room behind her. Hemi had stayed back at reception. “You know, my parents always wanted me to become a doctor or a scientist, something like that,” he went on. “I got stung by the rock ’n’ roll bug, but I always regret not going to college or anything. I love science … don’t know much … but.” He laughed.
Darlene was barely able to conceal her surprise. She couldn’t take in what a normal guy Micky Stevens was. No, he wasn’t just a normal guy, he was humble, in awe of her work of all things!
“It’s never too late.” She felt stupid as soon as she said it.
“You reckon?” Micky chuckled. “Yeah I can see it now.” He put a hand up indicating newspaper headlines. “ROCK STAR BECOMES FORENSICS EXPERT.” So, Darlene, what do all these things do, then?”
“God, that would take a while to explain.”
“What you working on?”
“Now? Oh, I’m investigating a kidnap and murder.”
“Wow!”
“We have some security camera images of the suspects, but they’re really not good. I can’t make anything out.”
“So what can you do about it?”
Darlene led him over to a flat screen. “I’m trying to enhance them with some new software I have.”
Micky gazed around the room. “Looks pretty top-end stuff.”
“Yeah, it is,” she replied proudly. “State-of-the-art. But these stills are just too degraded.”