The Not So Lonesome Knight: Mistake at the Motel

Reviewing the Evidence Gathered Already

On paper, Kent Stevens seemed to be a typical fifty-year-old man. From glances at his pristine resume, there was nothing to indicate any proclivity towards or propensity for criminal behaviors. Not that any of the Foundation employees, including Kitt, should be surprised. The background checks run by the Foundation were extensive. Some would say more extensive than the FBI's. Which begged the question, why was he targeted?

Bonnie only vaguely remembered the man now that she had a picture for reference. He had these eyes that resembled frosted over grass, though they still maintained a youthful affection and buoyancy. He was witty but not in the same capacity as she was and it wasn't exactly a duplicate of Devon or Michael's intellect either. He was different. There had been craters forming in the corners of his lips possibly from the number of times he pursed and unpursed them over the years. For a man of his towering and muscular stature, he was quiet. He gave the appearance of one who was always thinking, plotting, and calculating. He had helped her in the garage once or twice when something was a little too heavy for even her to life. A part of Bonnie felt remorseful, resenting that she hadn't taken the time to get to know him better before he left the Foundation. But it couldn't have been helped as she had just been getting oriented in her own position and as a result, had been under far more stress than usual.

Michael's studious gaze drank in the unfamiliar features of the burly subject. His well-trained mind ventured down paths that would be impossible to follow for anyone who hadn't gained experience as a detective. There were subtle things his fellow agents didn't know to look for or how to read. It wasn't their fault. While gathering clues from the photographs was not ideal in any investigation, it was the only evidence he currently had to work with. At least, until he could sit down and have a face to face interview. "Kitt?" He breaks the silence that had fallen between them.

"Yes, Michael?" Kitt returns. The eagerness to be of help reverberates through his words.

"Can you get a close up on his lapel on his left-hand side?" He inquires without the addition of the word, please. Michael had honed in on something small and shiny. He hoped it was a pin. No, he hoped it was more than that, he hoped it was a pin with a telling insignia of some organization or other. It was something so small that it would have likely escaped even Bonnie's keen observations.

His request is granted in short order. Unfortunately, the distance from the cameraman to Kent had blurred the insignia beyond recognition. "I'm sorry, Michael. It doesn't look like you're going to get anything from the horrendous resolution of the picture when it was enlarged." Kitt honestly laments. Not even his most advanced microchips could do anything to remedy the blur that existed.

Heaving out a sigh, Michael remarks, "ahhh. That's okay, pal. Do me a favor, don't beat yourself up over it. It wasn't really anything solid to go on anyway. I was just curious." There is an strange but satisfying understanding that passes between the two partners, human and vehicle.

"Maybe our talk with Devon will give us an idea into his personal life," Bonnie vocalized the thought that the others had been harboring and hadn't yet given voice to. Devon had been a part of the Foundation for Law and Government since it's conception. He took a personal interest in getting to know all of his employees from the downright exasperating individuals to the lovelier souls that never caused a day of trouble in their lives. He championed Wilton's cause with remarkable ease and fineness and he had taken Bonnie and Michael under the span of his wings. A task, no doubt, he both relished and found infuriating depending upon the hour and the day.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Everyone's thoughts spider-webbing potential connections and worse still, the ugly possibilities that vital information regarding their own operations and whereabouts might have been leaked as well as any number of other agents. The danger is very real with a threat as credible as this one.