Instant Freeze

Talking with Yvonne

Hearing a knocking at the door, Henry and Katharine both looked over as Yvonne entered the dressing room. With a deadpan expression, she commented: "Nice to see nothing is going on here." Henry could do naught but roll his eyes and turn his head toward the ceiling as Yvonne then asked: "Anything you want me to get you kids? Something to drink?"

Flabbergasted, Henry exclaimed: "Yvonne!"

"The Black Bat is a non-alcoholic bar, Henry." Stated Yvonne. "With Roberta Cummings' drinking problem, adding another place for her to get drunk is detrimental."

"Detective Cummings has a drinking problem? Since when?" asked Henry. He had never heard of this, how long had this been going on for?

"Three years ago." Replied Yvonne, picking up the photo Henry had found featuring Mari and Ming-Na. Giving a chuckle, she commented: "That Ming-Na Akhtar... Dragging her friends around on her crazy escapades off-duty." Sighing, Henry looked over to Katharine with a look that said "So much for asking Mari about it next time we see her." Once more looking at the two, Yvonne asked: "So, what can I get you? Water? Milk? Juice? Ice tea? I'd offer you a soft drink, but no one wants soft drinks! If only! I have drinks on the menu no one wants!"

Henry didn't like the taste of soft drinks and the fizz hurt his throat, so that definitely made soft drinks exempt from the list of possible orders. "I'll have water, Yvonne."

"Tea please." Said Katharine.

"Actually, make mine a tea as well." Uttered Henry, looking at Katharine with a smile.

Nodding, Yvonne began to exit the dressing room, only to stop, turn around and look at the two teens. Henry had a feeling he and Katharine were not going to be getting their tea. Yvonne then said: "You know I had a couple of strange men come in last night, scared some of the girls and even some patrons, called themselves Brown and Jones, looked nearly alike expect for Jones having a scar going across his face."

Eyes wide, Henry could only stare. The Men in Black had been at the Black Bat last night?

"We've met those men!" Katharine exclaimed, standing up and walking over to Yvonne. "There was a third, a Mr. Smith! He must have been the one that Carchemish killed!"

"What were they doing that scared some of the girls and the patrons?" asked Henry.

"At first nothing." Replied Yvonne. "At first it was just how they looked, if you've met them then you know what I mean." Henry and Katharine both nodded. The Men in Black were identical skinny individuals standing at a height of seven feet, their skin smooth, waxy and deathly pale and they were bald as eggs with no hair of any kind not even eyebrows or eyelashes. Their mouths were perfectly straight slits, completely lipless. Their eyes were oversized, completely coal-black in colouration, soulless and lifeless. The only thing that seemed normal about them was their freckles. They wore ill-fitting black suits that looked like they came from the time of the first world war, looking as if they were made for slightly shorter, more muscular men, along with bowler hats and trench coats. "And then there was the smell, like sulphur! Some patrons actually left before their drinks were brought to them, not that I blame them. When they opened their mouths was the moment that some of the girls went to hide in the dressing room." Hide in the dressing room? Henry wondered if Yvonne was exaggerating. The Men in Black spoke in an expressionless, robotic monotone without intonations and inflections. It was eerie, yes, but he did not find it a reason to leave a room.

"What did they say?" asked Katharine.