The Cape-Check Caper

by Kat Farrow

 

The meeting hall doors slid open with a ssshhick. Bright orange boots came thumping through, their metal-capped heels clicking on the polished marble floor.

Jojo’s mouth fell open, the spikes of her bubblegum pink pixie-cut quivering.

Gladys elbowed her ribs gently. “It’s just Dragon. Keep it together before you fall off those heels.”

Watching the young woman, Gladys tried to remember that feeling of awe.

After nearly fifty years as the cape-check girl for the Hero League Meeting Hall, the excitement of seeing heroes had worn off long ago. Besides, most of her favorite heroes were gone now - the ones that knew her name, or stopped for a chat.

Fifty years of service had also taught her to not wear six-inch heels.

Gladys wore nice springy athletic shoes, with arch support. It was hard to find them in black, but the white ones looked so out of place against the maroon of her uniform. She wore a knee length pencil skirt, fitted jacket and matching cap in the league’s colors, a white blouse beneath. These days she wore support hose as well.

She knew the outfit was a bit trite and sexist. In fact, she had petitioned for a pantsuit in the seventies and had been given permission. But for her last few months before retirement, she felt like being old school.

Her trainee, Jojo Chen, also wore the pencil skirt today. Her slender seventeen-year-old frame looked good in it, although the pink hair clashed horribly with the maroon. Gladys’ own silver curls were much more complimentary.

But today’s heroes didn’t exactly have the best fashion sense, so maybe Jojo would fit right in.

“G-Gladys,” said Jojo. “Can I take his cape?”

Gladys eyed her and sighed. “If you can manage to do it without dropping it, then yes.”

“Thank you,” the girl whispered as the fire-breathing hero headed toward the cape-check closet.

Watching Jojo bounce, Gladys hoped she wasn’t going to spend the next fifteen minutes wrapping her ankle from a fall off those heels. She could probably get Jason to bring some ice, though.

She glanced across the hall at the solemn security guard standing next to the entry doors. The irony of a security guard in a building full of heroes. She often wondered if Jason spent his time imagining himself as one of those English queen’s guards, standing at attention for hours at a time.

He looked the part. Over six feet, he wore his black hair closely cropped, but had kept his sideburns long. A few silver hairs in them sparkled against his dark skin. He still had his military barring, despite the slight limp in his left leg.

He stood still with a stony expression, and she wondered if he was listening to one of the crime stories he loved through his earpiece, perfectly content.

“Ladies.” Dragon’s deep baritone vibrated out of his famous smiling face as he stood at the counter.

Gladys wished she hadn’t known it to be a fake smile.

He was a handsome hero. The sides of his black curly hair buzzed short, with a shaved emblem of flames on each side. His deep brown eyes had flecks of gold which he emphasized with a light dusting of gold glitter over his dark skin. It was a nice effect but clashed oddly with the bright orange of his suit.

He removed his cape and dropped it into Jojo’s waiting hands with a wink.

“Enjoy the meeting.” Gladys watched him turn away, the corner of her mouth falling into a scowl.

“Dang it!” Jojo said under her breath. “I was supposed to say that, wasn’t I?”

“It’s not required, and you’ll be getting lots of opportunities today,” said Gladys. “Now, go hang that up.”

Jojo’s jubilant smile faded as she caught the look on Gladys’ face. She looked back at Dragon. “Is something wrong with Dragon?”

“What?” asked Gladys.

“That look on your face. Is there something wrong with the Golden Hero?” Jojo’s face aged with a look of worry.

Gladys looked back at Dragon as he rode the escalator. “No. Go hang that up.”

“Oh, yeah.” Jojo turned and tottered back to the hangers, cradling Dragon’s cape.

Gladys watched her, shaking her head. She turned back to the door as a cluster of young heroes burst through. They nearly flattened Jason with the thrust of one of the breakaway doors before he could catch hold of it. The group seemed to enjoy being faster than the automatic slide. Several doors had been broken so far this year. It was as if Jason was really the building’s guard, preventing damage from overzealous heroes.

Gladys thought of this particular group as the Young Guns. They were all about the same age and power level, just different abilities. And they all seemed to have the same amount of arrogance.

The group meandered across the foyer, boisterously chiding each other. As they drew closer, Gladys could hear their latest complaint.

Burlyn walked just ahead of the others. “I can’t believe we’re required to remove our capes before these meetings. It detracts from the whole effect of the outfit.”

Gladys doubted this as she couldn’t imagine the lime green cape added anything to the chartreuse patchwork suit.

Identick slapped him on the shoulder. “Have you ever tried sitting on those chairs with a cape?”

He was a powerfully built man wearing a tiger striped tank beneath his gold cape. Gladys found it amusing he was so buff since he was a cloner and his slighter friend Burlyn was the one with super strength.

“The Minstrel tried it once,” said Phase, solidifying his image.

Phase wore subdued hues of gray and purple. Gladys thought he at least had some sense since stronger colors would make his appearance more noticeable when he faded in and out of the visible spectrum.

“It got tangled in the wheels,” said Amaru. They ran a hand through their shoulder-length hair, changing its color from blonde to black. “The chair fell backward when he stood up, pulling him down with it. Tore the cape and ripped open his shoulder seams. It’s not worth the embarrassment.”

“What would you know, Amaru?” asked The Moocher. He wore, of all things, a brown and black polka dot suit beneath a fur lined cape. “You can just shift into something without a cape. For all we know, you’re actually running around naked.”

“Maybe I am,” said the shape-shifter, giving The Moocher a sly smile and a wink.

The stocky man pointed a thick finger at Amaru. “You’re really a woman, aren’t you?”

“It’s much more fun when you don’t know, Mooch,” said Amaru. “It’s not a power you can steal, anyway. I’ve told you this.”

The group clustered at the counter, elbowing each other as they removed their capes and piled them on the shiny black surface.

Jojo scooped them up in her arms beaming. “Have a great meeting!”

They turned their backs without a word to her and headed to the escalator.

“Do you think I have time to take some notes?” she asked Gladys over her shoulder as she turned into the closet.

Gladys rolled her eyes. “I suppose. Just be quick.”

The Minstrel and Drift walked in a few minutes later. The musical hero strumming a soft tune on his lute as Drift explained something with animated gestures. Gladys could tell it was important because his feet didn’t touch the floor as he walked. He seemed to forget he was using his powers whenever he was engrossed in something.

The Minstrel stopped playing as they approached the counter.

“Mistress Cape Keeper,” he said with a nod, his turban ornaments chiming. “I hear your time with us grows short.”

“Yes, Minstrel,” said Gladys. “I retire in three weeks.”

“I do wish you well,” he said, passing her his cape.

“Thank you,” said Gladys.

Drift removed his light blue gossamer cape and clutched it in his hand a moment. “Do you mind if I ask something?” He leaned over the counter a little. “Will you receive a pension for your years of service?”

Gladys gave a quick look to The Minstrel, who rolled his eyes.

“Yes,” she said. “The city will provide a small one. But I have savings and investments as well. I should be fine.”

“See?” Drift turned to The Minstrel. “Why can’t heroes get pensions?”

“Drift, lad.” The Minstrel clapping his on the shoulder. “We’ve talked about this. Most heroes don’t live long enough for the city to worry about it.”

“You’re nearly fifty, aren’t you?” Drift set his cape in a wad on the counter.

“Yes, and I’ve outlived many of those I began this journey with.”

The two turned toward the escalator, continuing their discussion.

Gladys passed Jojo The Minstrel’s cape. “Someone seems to be getting a bit worn out from the hero business.”

“Oh! It really is velvet.” Jojo stroked the deep purple cape. “I know that’s what they say, but this is practically lush.”

“Use the wooden hanger for it,” said Gladys. “It’s really more of a cloak than a cape.”

Next, The Ladies came striding in. Four heroes who often worked together. Liquiditee, Deja Vu, Shade, and Nil. They loved to swoop jobs away from any of the Young Guns, and truthfully, Gladys knew they were much better at it. Liquiditee had been a hero for over fifteen years, making her one of the longest lasting of the newer generation of heroes. Her command of liquids was hard to match in most any situation.

Jojo caught sight of the newcomers, her notebook and pencil in hand again. “Oh, wow! Have you ever seen Deja Vu manipulate time?”

Gladys shuddered. “I have twice. It’s… it’s just odd. I’m sure you’ll see it sometime.”

“Really?” Jojo’s jaw dropped.

“At some point you see most every hero’s power in person,” said Gladys. “They like to show off to each other, if nothing else. Put the notebook down.”

“Yes, sorry.”

The Ladies had their capes in hand before reaching the counter.

“Is Gladys, yes?” asked Shade in a light Eastern European accent.

Gladys nodded.

“My cape has small tear beginning in seam.” Shade fingered a worn seam near the bottom of her charcoal cape. “Liquiditee says you can fix this type of thing, yes?”

“Yes, I can,” said Gladys. “But I think I’m out of this color of thread right now.”

“Tis no matter on time,” said Shade. “Please fix, yes?”

Gladys nodded, accepting the cape.

As The Ladies turned, she set the cape on top of the others piled in Jojo’s arms.

“Place that one at the very end on the left side,” she said.

Jojo nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “They’re so cool!” she squealed before turning to hang their capes.

The Scent arrived next. Gladys had always liked the pale, soft-spoken hero, with his graying dishwater-blonde hair and drab clothing. She wished the younger heroes didn’t ostracize him so much. They wouldn’t start smelling bad by standing too close to him. His powers didn’t work that way.

“Here.” Gladys turned back to Jojo and handing her the smoky camouflaged cape. “Put The Scent’s cape on the left in the middle of those two bands of blue tape.

Jojo wrapped the cape around the hanger in her hand, then brought it close to her nose and sniffed.

“It doesn’t smell,” said Gladys. “Keeping it separate makes the other heroes more comfortable.”

Jojo hung it in the center of the blue stripes and returned to the counter.

“I’ll have to add that detail to my notebook,” she said.

“Why don’t you just use an app or something?” asked Gladys. “That’s what people your age do, isn’t it?”

“I like the feel of the pencil,” said Jojo. “I draw little sketches sometimes.”

A few more heroes trickled in over the next quarter hour. Jojo wanted to take notes after each one.

“Just wait,” said Gladys. “The meeting starts in a few minutes. Then you can sit in back and jot down anything you want.”

They watched the last of the heroes ride the escalator upstairs, then turned their gaze to the elaborate cast-iron clock on the wall above the doors. At 2:31 pm, Gladys nodded at Jojo, and she tottered toward the back of the closet.

Gladys waved at Jason, and he walked toward her. A muffled crash came from the closet behind her, and she turned to see Jojo sprawled on the floor, the right aisle of capes swinging from their hangers.

“What happened?” Gladys asked.

“I fell off my heels.”

“Are you all right?” asked Jason, coming around the counter.

Jojo grimaced as she sat up. “I think I twisted my ankle.”

Grabbing an elbow each, Gladys and Jason hoisted Jojo onto the closet’s upholstered stool.

“Can you grab some ice from upstairs, Jason?” Gladys asked.

“Sure thing.” Jason gave Jojo a sympathetic smile before leaving.

Gladys grabbed the first aid kit from under the counter and crouched down next to Jojo. “Why did you wear those anyway? Have you not had a job where you’re on your feet all day?”

Jojo looked at the floor. “I’m so short. The counter’s kinda tall and I didn’t want the heroes to think I was just a kid.”

“You’re barely shorter than I am,” said Gladys. “If you’re that worried about it, we can make a step on this side of the counter that you can stand on to take the capes. Jason and I are both handy with tools.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” said Gladys.

“Thank you,” said Jojo. “That would be great.”

Gladys slipped the hazardous heels off and set them aside before examining Jojo’s ankle. It was already swelling. She grabbed a small jar of green anti-inflammatory cream from the kit and gently spread it over the tender area before wrapping it.

The bandage slipped out of Gladys’ hands halfway through and unrolled itself under the capes. Reaching for it, she noticed a folded slip of paper on the floor.

“Is that yours, Jojo?” she asked.

“What?”

“That paper?” Gladys pointed.

Jojo leaned around her to look. “No.”

Gladys glanced up at the capes above it. “Must have fallen out of one of the capes. Any idea which one?”

“Sorry,” said Jojo. “I didn’t notice it at all.”

Gladys picked up the note and handed it to Jojo to hold as she finished wrapping.

She rose and stretched, giving a little grunt of stiffness. With hands on hips, she examined the rack. “Well, let’s see if we can narrow our options down. We’ve got about a dozen possibles.” She brushed her hand over the capes hanging in the section above where the note had fallen.

“These two have been here or over a month, so it’s unlikely.” She moved those to the side.

“Why so long?” Jojo asked.

“Their heroes asked for repairs, like Shade did. This one is Liquiditee’s.” Gladys passed her hand across the silky snow-white cape. It had a silver peacock feather pattern with a silver clasp and was one of her favorites. “I fixed the tear ages ago, but she seems to have decided she likes her spare better and hasn’t reclaimed this one.”

She ran her hand across the cape next to it. “This cream one is one of Amaru’s. They have a half dozen styles they swap around. Changes it to whatever color or pattern. Probably forgot it was here.”

Gladys pulled half of the remaining capes off their hangers and dropped them on Jojo’s lap.

“Here. See which ones have pockets. Might be hidden, but not secure if paper’s falling out of them.”

Jojo looked at the heavy pile of colorful fabric. She tentatively began examining the top one. “This feels wrong, riffling through heroes’ capes.”

“Heroes are still just people, Jojo,” said Gladys. “The note might be important to one of them. We should try to find out who it belongs to.” 

They made their examination and Gladys re-hung the nays.

She said, “That makes five possibles left. Dragon, Nil, Deja Vu, The Moocher, and Burlyn.”

She placed the five capes on their hangers and put them at the front of the rack.

Gladys asked, “Can we get any clues from the note? What does it say?”

Jojo unfolded the paper. “I’m not sure. It’s kinda weird. Here.” She passed it to Gladys.

In an untidy scrawl, the note read:

 

Last Chance

Mrk 47

Pic’s

Mech 1280

French’s 113

Lola - 1730 Patterson

DON’T BE LATE.

 

Gladys looked up from the note as Jason rounded the doorway with two ice packs in hand.

“Sorry, that took a while,” he said. “I was getting ice from the vending machines when Simone came up for coffee and asked what I was doing. She gave me these instead.”

The ssshick of the main doors echoed in the vacant foyer.

Jason turned toward the newcomer and said, “Oh, it’s Carlos.”

Carlos gave a wave and blurred over to the counter, his dark brown cape and hair billowing with the movement.

“I brought you all some coffee.” He placed a cardboard holder on the counter. Looking into the closet and his handsome olive-skinned face scrunched in concern. “What happened, Jojo?”

“She fell,” said Gladys.

“Ouch,” said Carlos.

“The ice will help,” Jason said, holding up the packs.

Carlos took off his cape and set it next to the coffee cup carrier. “I’m running really late. The line was so long at Hammond’s. I’ll see you after the meeting, okay?” With a brief wave, he blurred upstairs.

“Thank you,” Gladys and Jason called after him.

“Why are you scowling, Jojo?” Jason asked, passing her a cup and the ice packs.

“I’m not scowling,” said Jojo.

“Then what was that face you just made?”

“I just…,” she hesitated. “I don’t understand. Some heroes pick the stupidest names.”

“You mean Carlos? The Brown Streak?”

Jojo shuddered. “It’s gross.”

Jason shrugged. “He’s brown and runs fast.”

Jojo fake gagged.

Jason chuckled. “It takes a special kind of heart to take a taunt and make it your own. Carlos embraced it. He’s got my respect.”

“But it’s so bad,” said Jojo.

“Oh, hush you two.” Gladys hung up Carlos’ cape and grabbed a cup of coffee. “He’s one of the kindest heroes I know. He’s a good guy. I do prefer to call him Carlos, though.”

She took a sip then held the note out to Jason “Do you recognize this handwriting at all?”

He took the paper and examined the scrawl. “Looks like hero writing, but no. I don’t think so. Where did it come from?”

“Jojo knocked it out of a cape when she fell.”

“Sorry,” she said, staring into her coffee cup.

Jason studied it. “Kind looks like code. You know. People? Places? That “Last Chance” seems pretty ominous.”

“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” Gladys chewed her lip.

“Ooo! Do you think someone’s being blackmailed?” asked Jojo, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

Jason and Gladys look at her, then each other.

“I don’t know,” said Gladys “It’s been a while since that’s happened.”

Jojo’s eyes widened. “It’s happened before?”

“Gladys has seen it all during her time here.” Jason raised his cup to her.

“All is pushing it,” said Gladys. “But, yes, I’ve seen quite a few things that didn’t make it into the papers.”

Jason leaned against the backside of the counter and looked at the paper again. “Could be a threat. I wonder who Lola is. Or Patterson. They’re the only ones not crossed off, yet.”

The pale blur of Carlos’ suit reappeared at the counter.

“I couldn’t get in,” he said. “Did any of you know it was a locked meeting?”

All three shook their heads.

“Normally, they tell us in advance to make sure we take the time seriously.” Carlos looked up at the large clock above the entry doors. “I’m hungry. I think I’ll head over to Delvers and grab something. I’ll come back and catch the highlights when the meeting’s done.”

“Aren’t they down by the harbor?” asked Jojo.

“Yeah,” said Carlos. “They’ve got the best fish and chips in the city, hands down. You guys want anything?”

“I might take some chips,” said Jason.

“Great,” said Carlos. “Can I get my cape?”

Gladys handed the dark brown silk garment to him and with a wink, he was gone.

“He’s kind of odd, isn’t he?” asked Jojo.

“All heroes are weird,” said Jason. “You learn to judge them by what you actually see, not how the papers portray them.”

He took another sip of his coffee and tapped the paper.

“This third thing, Mech. You don’t think that’s about the Mech Tech, do you?”

Gladys shivered. “I hope not.”

Jojo sat up straight, spilling some of her coffee. “You mean MT-19?”

Jason nodded.

“That whole Opera House ransom thing was horrifying!” Jojo’s face paled.

“Things were tense here for months afterwards,” said Jason.

Gladys nodded. “A black spot on the League for sure.”

Jojo lowered her voice. “Did it really kill a hero by mistake?”

Gladys shook her head. “I know that was the rumor, but it’s not true. A couple of heroes were pretty badly injured, but no, there were no deaths, civilian or otherwise. Thankfully.”

She took another sip of her coffee. “It is where Liquiditee showed her worth. Pulling all the fluid out of its system so it couldn’t move. It could still use that damn laser, though. Would have cut the building in half if it wasn’t for Deja Vu looping it while Dragon climbed out of the rubble. I think he melted its CPU.”

“That’s what I remember, too.” Jason looked at the note again.

Gladys sighed. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We have no idea what Mech might mean. Or if it’s code or not.”

Jojo fidgeted and tried to stand up.

“Oh, no you don’t,” said Gladys.

Both Jason and Gladys rushed to push her back down onto the stool.

“How am I going to finish my shift if I can’t stand up?”

Gladys set her coffee cup under the counter and said, “I’ll check with Simone to see if there are crutches or something.”

“She has ice packs and crutches?” asked Jojo.

“Hero-ing is hard on a body,” said Jason. “The Hall has a fair bit of basic medical supplies. For the bad stuff, they go to the clinic down the block or the hospital.”

Jojo’s shoulders slumped. “Could I at least have my phone while I wait?”

Gladys grabbed Jojo’s small leather backpack and handed it to her. “I’ll be back soon.”

###

As Gladys cleared the top of the escalator, she could see Simone on the phone. She was a tall, dark-haired woman who looked like she shopped where Audrey Hepburn did in the ’50’s. She was efficient and effective at handling heroes, administrators and the public.

The corners of Gladys’ smile began to drop as she approached and the worry lines on her forehead deepened.

“Hi, Gladys,” Simone said, putting down the phone. “How’s Jojo is doing?”

“I’m sure she’ll heal up fast if she’ll stay off it.” Gladys took a breath, recovering her smile. “She’s already trying to stand up.”

“Seems she’ll fit in well with the heroes, then,” said Simone.

“Do we have any crutches stashed away?”

“I might have something better.” Simone rose and walked around her desk. “Let me go check.”

She disappeared down the left hallway, her heels clicking. Gladys glanced around half-oval waiting area. Other than the secretary’s desk, most of the space was empty. This was where they had the more personal press conferences, when they wanted something less grand than the marbled entry hall.

Its floor was slate and large sections of wall were tiled with mosaics of heroes from years past. A few comfortable chairs of mahogany and maroon twill were scattered against the walls and next to the balcony overlooking the front doors.

A clickity-clack indicated Simone’s return. She held an odd-looking contraption. Black metal, hinges and straps, all folded up like an accordion.

“It’s a hands-free crutch,” she said.

“I forgot about those.” Gladys took it from her and was surprised at its light weight.

“It’s a newer model, so it should adjust to Jojo’s smaller frame okay.”

“Thanks,” said Gladys. “Are you sure you won’t be needing it?”

Simone nodded. “She can keep it as long as she likes. It just sits in the closet. The heroes always want the mechanical boot if they really need something.”

Gladys hesitated a moment. “It reminds me a bit of the Mech Tech.”

Simone rolled her eyes. “I’ll never forget that whole debacle no matter how hard I try.”

“What happen to it anyway?” asked Gladys.

“They decommissioned it,” Simone said. “Used some of its parts for other projects. I know they’ve had success in some of the other hero countries with mechs, but I think our guys rushed the gun. Never worked the bugs out before putting it out in the field. I doubt they’ll try again anytime soon. Fine by me. I was on the phone for two weeks afterwards trying to keep the peace between agencies, the press, and the public.”

“I’m grateful it wasn’t worse,” said Gladys.

Simone nodded.

“I’ll take this down to Jojo and see if we can get her up and hopping.”

 

**

Jojo looked up from her phone as Gladys walked in.

“Is that a hands-free crutch?” she asked. “I’ve always wanted to try one!”

“Now’s your chance.” Gladys set it down next to her.

“I asked Simone about the Mech unit,” Gladys said to Jason.

“What did she say?”

“I knew it had been taken away, but she said it was decommissioned and used for parts for other projects. I don’t think it’s the Mech on the note.”

“Probably not,” said Jason.

Gladys helped Jojo unfold the contraption, then eyed her skirt.

“Jason, would you mind doing something with the ice packs while I help Jojo get this on under her skirt?”

“Oh, sure.” Jason swooped up the packs. “No problem. I should take a walk around, anyway.”

Gladys steadied Jojo as she stood and set her bent knee into the contraption. She pulled her skirt up and over the thigh bar and straps, then fasted the knee and calve strap.

Jojo transferred her weight back and forth a few times on the peg, then gave a little hop. “I feel like a pirate cyborg! This is awesome!”

“Take it easy, cyborg.” Gladys reached out a hand to steady her. “Don’t bang your ankle on something hopping around.”

“Oh!” said Jojo. “While you were gone, I tried looking up 1730 Patterson. I thought it sounded like an address.”

“Did you come up with anything?” Gladys asked.

“There’s a Patterson Road on the outskirts of town. I thought that would have been a good place for something shady, but there are no 1730-type addresses out there.

“There’s also Patterson Avenue, about a mile from here. But 1730 is a hairdressers. I called, but no one named Lola works there.” She shrugged.

Gladys asked, “Did you try French’s?”

“Yeah.” Jojo took a few rocking steps around the closet. “There’s some dry cleaners on East Side named French’s, but it’s address is 2027 Piermont.”

“Well,” said Gladys. “It was a good thought.”

“I tried searching for Mrk 47, but I just come up with bible quotes or that comic book hero guy stuff.”

“Hmmm,” said Gladys. “We don’t seem to be getting anywhere with the note itself. We need to figure out how to eliminate heroes from our five capes.”

“I know,” Jojo said with a sigh. “I just thought maybe we could help somehow.”

Gladys smiled at her. “Jojo, what is it you put in your notebook?”

“Oh.” She pulled it out of her back waistband and pegged over to Gladys. “Here. Mostly notes about the heroes or things I’m supposed to remember. But I make sketches, too.”

Gladys took the small notebook and flipped it open.

Each page contained random notes and comments, some of them hers. Tiny sketches of the heroes graced almost every page. Sometimes just a hand, or a face, or a detail from their cape.

“Wow,” said Gladys. “Some of these are really good.”

“Thanks.”

Gladys continued flipping pages. “Have you ever thought about taking art classes at the City College?”

Jojo shrugged.

Gladys looked up at her. “You’ll have a lot of down time here, Jojo. Lots of time to practice or study.”

Jojo shrugged again.

Jason called, “Are you both decent?”

Gladys said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been entirely decent, Jason. But you can come in.”

Jason peeked around the door frame before committing to entering.

“Did Jojo tell you about the addresses she tried?” he asked Gladys.

“Yes,” she said. “I think we need to try and eliminate hero options.”

“How?” asked Jojo.

Gladys met Jason’s eyes. “Did you think anyone was acting differently when they came in?”

“Not really. Drift seemed kinda agitated.”

 Gladys shook her head. “He was complaining to The Minstrel about heroes not receiving pensions.”

Jason crossed his arms. “Do you think he’s getting pressure at home about retiring?”

“Maybe.” Gladys shrugged. “He might just be tired of the dangers.”

She turned to Jojo. “Drift was one of the heroes who got hurt during the Opera House incident.”

“Really?”

Jason grunted. “True. That shook him up quite a bit. I don’t know, Gladys. They all seemed pretty much their normal hero selves.”

Gladys heaved a deep sigh.

“Well,” Jojo said. “What about Carlos?”

They both turned to look at her

“Look, I know you two think he’s a great guy.”

Gladys said, “He is—”

Jojo held up her hand. “You keep telling me I shouldn’t judge a hero by his cape, so to speak. Maybe you two aren’t being objective about The Brown Streak.”

Jason and Gladys looked at each other.

Jason turned to Jojo. “Okay, what about Carlos?”

“His cape wasn’t even here when the note fell out,” said Gladys.

“I know, but, well,” Jojo said. “Is the meeting room door really locked? He sure seemed to leave in a hurry once he came back downstairs. Maybe he’s involved. Maybe he wrote the note to whoever it belongs to.”

After a moment, Gladys said, “All right. You have a point. I’ll go check.”

“Check what?” asked Jason.

“The door,” said Gladys. “I’ll go check and see if the door’s really locked.”

“Is that a good idea?” asked Jason.

“You two wait here.”

 

**

Gladys rounded the counter and headed to the escalator, returning to the second floor. She nodded at Simone as she passed, then climbed the second set of stairs up to the meeting rooms.

The grandeur of the building diminished further with this floor, as well as the room sizes. Gladys always wondered if this was intentional to try and keep the heroes in check with each other.

A dozen small meeting rooms, and as many offices, ran down the long hallways splitting off from the landing. The walls were a dark wood with little ornamentation. The main meeting room was halfway down the right hall and looked just like any other board room. Nothing grand about it. She’d been in it a few times over the years when she was presented with Years of Service awards.

The only thing that broke up the monotony of the dark paneled wood was the shiny row of vending machines running the length of the hallway. Narrow windows above them made their tops reflect a rainbow of patterns onto the ceiling this time of day.

These machines provided some of the tastiest drinks and snacks in this section of the city. Gladys saw heroes stop by just for the snacks every day. However, everyone had to pay. The heroes could scan their ID cards, but it would be debited from their stipends.

Her pace slowed as she approached the door to the largest meeting room. An abrupt rumble of sound made her stop a few feet away. The door opened a crack and Phase slid out, closing the door behind him.

He jumped as his eyes landed on Gladys.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I’m stretching my legs,” said Gladys.

Phase’s brow furrowed.

“Besides, you all have the best vending machines up here.” She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at the bank of shiny metal machines.

Phase smirked. “True enough. It’s why I snuck out during the break.”

Phase walked toward the vending machines.

Gladys followed. “I didn’t know today’s meeting was a locked room one. Usually that kind of buzz filters down to us.”

Phase’s brow furrowed again. “It’s not a locked meeting. Why would you think that?”

“Really?” Her voice gave a slight squeak with the word, but Phase didn’t seem to notice. “Carlos arrived late and said he couldn’t get in.”

“Carlos?” asked Phase. “Oh, The Brown Streak. Well, I don’t know what his problem was, but it’s not a locked meeting.”

He pursued the options on the espresso vender. “Maybe he was embarrassed he arrived late. He’s supposed to be fast, isn’t he?”

Gladys hummed and tried not to gulp.

Phase looked at her and smiled. “What’s your poison?”

“What?”

He gestured at the vending machine. “My treat. I doubt they pay you much down in that closet.”

“Um, almond mocha latte.” Gladys said, a slight question in her answer.

“I’m going for a double espresso. This meeting’s going to go longer than I thought.”

Phase swiped his card and punched buttons. A moment later, he handed Gladys her cup and turned back toward the meeting room with his own.

With slow feet and a heavy heart, Gladys turned away from the room to head back downstairs.

Before she took a half dozen steps, she heard an agitated rattling behind her.

She turned to see Phase shaking the meeting room’s doorknob. Shoulders slumping, he released the knob and knocked on the door. Then again, louder.

After a moment, Nil opened it, leaning around the wood.

“What?” The dull annoyance of her voice rang down the hallway.

Phase took a half step back. “The door won’t open.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Nil.

“The knob,” said Phase pointing with his free hand. “It won’t turn.”

Nil pushed the door open a little wider then turned the knob on her side several times.

“I know it works from the inside,” Phase said. “It’s not just me. The Brown Streak couldn’t get in earlier.”

Nil looked up and down the hall, her gaze settling on Gladys.

Gladys took a scalding sip of her coffee and tried not to wince.

“That was right after we started,” said Phase. “I don’t know where he went.”

Nil looked him up and down. “I’m surprised you can’t just walk through.”

“I’m still here when I phase. You just can’t see me.”

Nil rolled her eyes and stepped out around the door. Keeping it open, she tried turning the knob from the outside. It rattled but didn’t turn.

“See,” said Phase.

“Must be broken.”

Phase looked up at the ceiling and shook his head.

A booming voice from inside the room rang out. “Heroes.”

Nil said, “It’s starting again. We’ll deal with it later.”

She allowed Phase to enter, glanced at Gladys, then closed the door.

###

“It’s not a locked meeting,” Gladys said when she returned to the others.

Jojo grinned and Jason’s eyebrows rose.

“But,” she continued, “the door knob isn’t working right.”

“What does that mean?” Jason asked.

Gladys set her still too hot coffee on the counter. “Phase came out to get coffee while I was up there and couldn’t get back in. The knob wouldn’t turn. He had to wait for someone to let him in.”

“Hmm,” said Jojo. “Well, that doesn’t clear The Brown Streak entirely.”

“Why is that?” Jason asked.

“Maybe he did something to the door and then left,” said Jojo.

Jason shook his head. “I don’t know why you don’t like him, Jojo.”

“Why did he leave so fast?” demanded Jojo.

Jason said, “It takes a lot of fuel for a body to go that fast. Every time I’ve ever seen Carlos, he’s either eating, about to eat, or just finished eating.”

Gladys sighed and leaned against the closet doorframe. “Okay, for now, we’ll agree that there’s a slight chance Carlos is involved.” She held up a hand to Jojo. “I still don’t think he is, but I admit we can’t be sure.”

Jojo crossed her arms but didn’t say anything.

“I don’t think Nil’s involved either,” said Gladys.

“Why is that?” asked Jojo.

“She’s the one who let Phase in,” said Gladys. “She seemed very sure the door should be working and was annoyed when it wasn’t.”

Jason said, “That just means she didn’t mess with the door. We don’t know if that has anything to do with the note.”

“True,” Gladys and Jojo said together.

 “Okay,” said Gladys. “Nil isn’t off the list.”

“We’re not making much progress,” said Jason. “You could just ask them when they pick up their capes.”

“But what if it’s personal?” asked Jojo. “Are they going to be embarrassed about it? What if we show it to the someone who’s really the blackmailer?”

“If there’s a blackmailer,” said Gladys.

“Okay,” said Jojo. “If there is one.”

They stood in silence a moment.

“Maybe it’s Dragon,” said Gladys.

“Dragon’s the Golden Hero,” said Jojo. “You really think he’s up to something nefarious? Or being blackmailed?”

Gladys looked away.

“What?” asked Jojo. “You know something about him, don’t you?”

 The entry doors sshick’d and the pale cream and brown blur settled into Carlos again.

“Here are your chips, Jason.” He held out a brown paper sack.

“Great,” said Jason. “How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Carlos. “They always give me extra when I go.”

Gladys looked at the young hero for a moment, then reached into her pocket and removed the note. She held it out to him.

“Carlos,” she said. “Will you take a look at this?”

Jojo shot her a glare.

Carlos took the proffered note. He read it and then looked up at Gladys, an eyebrow cocked.

“It fell out of a cape and we’re trying to figure out whose it is.”

“Hmm…” He returned his attention back to the note. “Something about the handwriting looks familiar.”

“What do you mean, familiar?” asked Jason, popping a chip into his mouth.

“I’ve seen it before,” said Carlos. “It’s kind of distinctive. Sloppy, you know. You ever notice how bad some of the heroes write? It’s worse than doctors.”

“You’re sure it’s one of the heroes, then?” asked Gladys.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Carlos cocked his head. “You said it fell out of a cape, right?”

They all nodded.

Carlos glanced back at the paper. “Kind of an odd list. Abbreviated, like self-notes. I do that on my to-do lists.”

Gladys looked up at Jason who gave a small shrug as he stuffed another chip in his mouth.

“Man,” said Carlos. “Now it’s gonna bug me. Where have I seen this?”

He tapped the note on his palm, furrowing his brow. Then he smiled.

“Can I borrow it for a minute? I think I know where to check.”

Gladys and Jason looked at each other. They met Jojo’s eyes and she shook her head.

Jason said, “It might help. We’ve run out of ideas.”

A rumble of voice echoes down from upstairs.

“Sounds like the meeting’s over,” said Gladys.

“Fine.” Jojo looked at Carlos. “Just be sure to bring it back. Fast!”

“Sure thing.” Carlos turned, jogged to the doors, then blurred out into the streets.

“He’s not going to bring it back,” said Jojo.

“Shush,” said Gladys. “We’re on the clock again.”

They could see a few heroes coalescing on the second-floor balcony.

“I’d better man the door.” Jason stuffed a few more chips in his mouth as he headed to his post.

“How long before someone notices the note’s missing?” asked Jojo.

“Hard to say,” said Gladys. “They tend to mill around for a while after meetings. A lot of them don’t see each other very often. Some don’t pick up their capes until they’re ready to leave.”

Drift was the first down the escalator. He asked for his cape but didn’t put it on. He held it in a tight fist and strode toward the doors without a glance back.

The Minstrel strummed a sorrowful note as he watched Drift leave. Standing before the counter, he said, “An unhappy lad, ladies.”

Gladys asked, “Why is he so determined to leave, now?”

“A dear friend of his in the European League was killed last week,” said The Minstrel. “After his own severe injuries from that horrible Opera House incident, he doesn’t have the heart for hero’ing anymore.”

Gladys looked at the doorway of the League Hall and sighed. “Once a hero,” she said.

“Always a hero,” finished The Minstrel, nodding his head, turban bells tinkling.

Jojo handed him his purple cape. “Your cape is really beautiful.”

The Minstrel smiled warmly. “Thank you, Miss. Will you be taking over for Mistress Cape Keeper?”

Jojo nodded.

“Then I will see you again.” He turned and joined Deja Vu, standing in the middle of the foyer.

Dragon approached next and gave them both a wink. “Ladies.”

Gladys handed him his cape and he turned to go.

Jojo waited until he was halfway across the room before saying, “That’s one of the five.”

The Young Guns approached as a group, and Jojo pegged into the closet to grab their capes.

“Thanks for the coffee earlier, Phase,” said Gladys.

“Oh, sure thing,” said Phase, not looking at his friends.

“Are you buying random people coffee, again?” asked Burlyn.

“You never buy me coffee,” complained The Moocher.

Phase turned to him. “You told me you hate coffee.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t offer,” said The Moocher.

Amaru rolled their eyes and reached for their cape. “Oh,” they said, looking at Gladys. “Is my other cape still here?”

“Yes,” said Gladys. “I’ll grab it for you.”

A moment later, Gladys returned with the cape and the group moved off.

“Well,” said Jojo.” That just leaves Deja Vu and Nil.”

“Ladies,” said Dragon, reappearing at the counter.

Gladys and Jojo jumped.

“Sorry,” said Dragon. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Did either of you happen to see a slip of paper?”

“Paper?” they asked together.

“I had it in my cape pocket, but it must have fallen out somewhere. It’s a—” Dragon looked to each side then leaned into the counter. He lowered his voice. “Well, it’s my honey-do list. Things haven’t been going well with the missus lately. She says I’ve let the whole Golden Hero thing go to my head. I’m trying to make it right before it’s too late.”

“We’ll take a look around,” said Gladys, nudging Jojo.

“Thank you,” said Dragon.

They walked into the closet and Gladys started brushing through the remaining capes, looking toward the floor.

Jojo bent close to her and whispered, “What do we do?”

“We need to buy some time until Carlos gets back,” said Gladys.

 Jojo looked around the small room. “I don’t think we can stall that long.”

“Move stuff around. Look like we’re searching.”

The strum of a lute echoed around the foyer.

“Dragon,” a melodic voice called. “Can we have a word?”

“Sure, Minstrel.” Dragon gave a nod to Gladys and Jojo. “I’ll check back in a minute.”

The two cape-checkers peeked around the door frame to watch Dragon stride a few steps to join Minstrel and Deja Vu standing near the bottom of the escalator.

“Well, that buys us a few minutes,” said Gladys.

“What do we do?” asked Jojo. “Do you think it really is just a to-do list?”

Gladys looked from Dragon to the entry door, then at Jojo. “You asked me earlier what I had against Dragon. About a month ago, I saw him having dinner with Simone.”

Jojo looked up toward the balcony then back to Gladys.

Gladys nodded. “It was just the two of them. They weren’t holding hands or anything, but there was some definite flirting going on. I’m old fashioned, Jojo. You just don’t do that to your partner. I’ve meet Dragon’s wife, Victoria. She’s a wonderful woman. It’s tough being a partner to a hero. Stressful. I’ve seen a lot of relationships crumble over the years. Victoria deserves better and I’ve been ticked off at Dragon ever since.”

“So, you believe him?” asked Jojo.

Gladys shrugged. “Think about the list. Maybe French’s was the dry cleaners you found, and the number was his ticket.” She looked over at Jason. She waited to catch his eye, then waved him over.

“And the other things?” Jojo asked.

“Don’t you write shorthand for your own to-do lists? I usually just write the thing that will help me remember.”

Jason said, “What’s up?”

“Did you see which way Carlos went?” Gladys asked.

“Right,” said Jason.

Gladys looked over at Dragon then back at Jason. “The note. It’s Dragon’s honey-do list.”

Jason’s eyebrow rose.

Gladys asked, “Can you try and snag Carlos when he comes back? Tell him it’s Dragon’s note and to bring it over saying he found it on the ground?”

“Will he go along with that?” asked Jojo.

“I’ll have to explain later,” said Gladys. “But I think so.”

“You’ll be explaining to me, too.” Jason turned, jogged between the groups of heroes and through the door to wait outside.

“Ugh!” said Jojo, pulling on Gladys’ sleeve. “I think they’re done.”

Gladys looked over and saw The Minstrel patting Dragon’s shoulder as he turned back toward the cape-check counter.

“Quick,” said Gladys. “Back in the closet. Make like we’re still searching.”

A moment later Dragon asked, “Any luck, ladies?”

“Not yet.” Gladys was on all fours, rooting around a few miscellaneous boots and umbrellas she had pulled out and scattered on the floor.

“What kind of paper was it?” asked Jojo.

“Just a scrap about so big,” he said, making a rectangle with his thumb and index fingers. “Plain paper with my ugly scrawl across it.”

“Like this?” said Carlos, appearing beside Dragon, the note held in his hand.

“That’s it!” An unpracticed smile spreading across Dragon’s face. “Where did you find it?”

“It was just outside the doors,” said Carlos. “I was bringing it in to Lost and Found. You still do that here, don’t you Gladys.”

“Yes.” Gladys’s voice squeaked a little as she stood. She cleared her throat. “Uh-em. Yes, we still have Lost and Found here.”

Carlos glanced at it again. “Looks like a to-do list.”

Dragon nodded, taking the paper. “Trying to keep peace with my wife.”

“Who’s Lola?” asked Carlos.

“She’s our lab. She had surgery today and I’ve got to pick her up from the vet. Probably gonna be a long night.”

“Patterson. Is that the vet on Patterson Avenue? Is 1730 five-thirty? It’s nearly five now,” said Carlos. “Do you need any help? It’s a good twelve blocks. It’s rush hour, too.”

“Damn.” Dragon looked up at the clock. “I hadn’t realized the meeting ran that long.”

“I’ll sprint on ahead,” said Carlos. “Tell them you’re on your way.”

“Thank you, Carlos.” Dragon, steepled his hands and bowed his head.

Carols gave a quick wink at Gladys and Jojo, then sprinted toward the door.

“Ladies,” Dragon nodded, then jogged after The Brown Streak.

Gladys and Jojo looked at each other.

After a deep breath, Gladys began to chuckle.

Jojo smirked. “Was that all there really was to it?”

Gladys shrugged. “Carlos will tell us if Dragon really picks up a dog named Lola. If that’s true, then yeah. We just spent the afternoon playing detectives when there wasn’t a case.”

Jojo slumped against the closet door frame and pulled out her notebook. She fanned the pages with her thumb then looked around the nearly empty cape closet. “Maybe, I’m not cut out for this.”

“I think if you get some good athletic shoes,” said Gladys. “You’ll do just fine.”

 

THE END