Instant Freeze

In Search of Beatrice Gore

Entering a nearby malted shop, the Henry, Katharine, and Miao all took a seat at a both, much to the annoyance of Ku. "Come on you three! Aren't you curious about how she found him? Let's go and find Beatrice!"

With a deadpan expression, Henry commented: "Ah, yes, why wait for the next episode of 'In Search of...' when you can live it." Looking at menu, Henry shook his head. If that Third Generation Cadillac Sixty Special truly was Beatrice Gore's, then by all logic she would be somewhere in the vicinity of the Courthouse. Considering she had brought Ward back from Antarctica, she was probably in the Courthouse even now, discussing what was to happen to Ward.

Looking a tad bit more annoyed, Ku took a newspaper clipping from his pocket and slammed it upon the table. It was a picture of a young woman of twenty-four years who was indeed comparatively comely, but heavily scarred, angular and bedraggled. Upon seeing the picture of Beatrice Gore, Miao hid her face in embarrassment while Ku exclaimed: "Henry, listen to me! You're a guy!"

"And you are a master of stating the obvious." Commented Henry, once more with a deadpan expression upon his countenance.

"Don't you want to see a beautiful woman?"

"If I want to see a beautiful member of the opposite gender, all I need do is look across from me right now."

From the corner of his eye, Henry could see Katharine's cheeks turn rosy. He was about to ask her if she thought it was too early for them to share an order when Miao exclaimed: "Ku, will you please put that away! I do not want to see the latest addition to your private collection at a table!"

"Alright, alright." Groaned Ku as he took a seat next to Henry, putting him across from Miao.

"So, Katharine..." began Henry, looking for a change of subject. "Your babysitting job tonight, what time do you have to be there?"

"7:30." Answered Katharine. "I'm going to be looking after Marie Manoogian while her mom attends a meeting at the hospital."

"Her mom would be Dr. Manoogian?" asked Miao. When Katharine nodded, she then added: "I like her she's nice, not a creep like Edmund Smith."

"I don't think I've ever met her." Commented Henry, looking at the menu for a moment before looking out the window. "You know, I didn't see the Black-Eyed Teen in the Courthouse. You'd think someone so casually dressed would stand out when everyone else is so fancily dressed."

Clearing his throat, Ku pointed to a booth in the corner. Sitting there was the Black-Eyed Teen with his soulless orbs upon Henry and Katharine. His eyes were narrowed and upon his countenance a grin that would not look out of place upon a shark.

"Good lord, he looks terrifying!" exclaimed Miao.

"Where do you think the rest are?" asked Katharine. "The remaining two Men in Black, their shadows and those black-eyed kids..."

"Hopefully somewhere else." Replied Henry.

A confused look upon his front, Ku said: "I think I'm in need of an explanation, but do we want to go in search of Beatrice Gore now rather than have this creepy guy staring at us?"

Sighing, Henry looked at Katharine and Miao. While the former nodded immediately, the latter merely closed her eyes and held her head in her hands for a moment before nodding as well. Looking at Miao's brother, Henry replied: "Sure, Ku, lets do that."

As the four departed the malted shop Henry and Katharine both looked back at the Black-Eyed Teen. He had been beginning to stand just as they were on their way out the door. Placing an arm around Katharine, Henry heard her whisper to him: "Do you think he is after us?"

"I don't doubt it, Katharine." He replied. "I don't doubt it."

Walking across the street Henry, Katharine and Miao all followed Ku. Going in search of Beatrice had been his idea, therefore it was only fair to let him lead. Of course, the three could only wonder why Ku was starting with what was presumed to be Beatrice's car. True, it was the only Third Generation Cadillac Sixty Special on the street, but what if Beatrice had come with someone else? What if this car belonged to someone other than Beatrice Gore?

When Ku sat upon the hood of the car, an exasperated Miao inquired: "Really? That is your plan to find Beatrice Gore. Just sit on her car?"

"It is a perfect plan!" snapped Ku defensively. "People have gotten angry at me sitting on the hoods of their car in the past!"

"What an incredible exaggeration, big brother. To my knowledge you've only sat on the hood of one car and the reason that guy got angry was because he'd just had his car waxed."

While Katharine shook her head with an unimpressed countenance, Henry's attention was on the area around them. The Black-Eyed Teen was on the other side of the street, just outside of the malted shop while Ella exited the Courthouse by herself, no Matthew or any of their other classmates accompanying her.

The moment that Ella gazed down at the four of them, Henry looked over at Ku and said: "How about we just take a look around the area, this plan seems to be the idlest idea I've ever..." Seeing the Black Bat Bar in the distance, Henry snapped his fingers together and exclaimed: "I got it! Ku, give me that picture of Beatrice! Maybe Yvonne has seen her."

"Who?" asked Ku, more than a little bit confused.

"The owner of the Black Bat Bar." Henry answered, pointing in the establishment's direction. "I have no reason to doubt he'd remember seeing someone as distinguished looking like Beatrice Gore."

"Small problem." Commented Miao, folding her arms.

"We're all underage." Added Katharine.

Nodding, Henry scratched the back of his neck as he wondered what to do. He and Katharine were fifteen, Ku was sixteen, Miao was thirteen and the youngest one could be to enter a bar was nineteen, but would it count if the bar was not yet open? What even were the hours for the Black Bat Bar? 4 PM to 8 PM? That sounded about right, how often had he walked past the place and seen the hours listed on the outside? Enough times, that was for sure. What even was the time?

Looking between his three companions, Henry asked: "Does anyone have a watch? I don't think the Black Bat opens until four. If Yvonne is there, then it isn't during business hours, and I don't think it will count if we are there outside of business hours."

Taking a watch out of his pocket, Ku checked the time and said: "12:07, we're good."

"Excellent, excellent." Uttered Henry as he led the way, wondering what the inside of the place would look like. He heard the Black Bat Bar used to be a speakeasy, had the décor changed or did it remain the same?