And let your arrow go...

[Frankie Prescotti]

The photographer barged into the Police Offices, not seeming to notice whether or not the power was on and went to stand in front of Grissom's desk, hands behind her back. "Good morning, Grissom. Looks like you got all that goo out of your hair." She said cheerily.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby was squinting over some papers, trying to read them with a flashlight. "Hmm?" he asked, blinking as he looked up. "Oh!"

He turned somewhat pink, then ran his hands through his hair hastily. "Er, yes, yes, I got most of it...er. What can I do for you, Miss?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Well, remember when I said that I'd get those photos to you?" She said excitedly, whipping out a folder from behind her back. "I worked all night and got them done! I even put the negatives in for you, if you want them!" Frankie gushed.

[Amby Grissom]

The man blinked, then his smile broadened, and he got up from his seat, holding out a hand for the photos. "Ah, that's very kind of you, Miss Prescotti," answered. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble, really."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Oh, it was no trouble at all. You know I'd relish any chance to help Bloomsdale's finest." She glanced down at his hand and then smiled, drawing the envelope closer to her body. "Oh, really, you don't have to shake my hand, really, it was no trouble."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby looked down at his hand. "I, er, I wasn't trying to shake your hand, Miss. I was trying to accept the photos?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Oh, these." Frankie said, looking down at the envelope. "You thought I'd just give them to you, after all the work I did?" She said, glancing around the office before shooting him a mischevious look.

[Amby Grissom]

The police officer blinked, then took a step back, putting his hand on his desk. "Erm, I'm, I'm sorry, but I don't know if we can pay you. And, er, those are technically evidence, so, ah, asking for pay would be obstruction of justice, Miss."

He was looking very flustered. "If you, if you want them back, I can make sure you get them back in perfect condition, but that's all I can promise."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie bit her cheek to keep from laughing. "Oh, I don't want money, Mr. Grissom. And you can have the pictures forever if you'd like. How about you take me out to the soda shop some time this week? Or the diner, even." She suggested, putting the pictures behind her back. "Or we could settle it right here, if you'd like."

[Amby Grissom]

"Miss, that's still..."

Amby clutched his hands behind his back, shuffling his feet in an obviously uncomfortable way. "Extortion." His cheeks were turning red.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Yes." The woman answered. "How else am I going to get your attention?" She asked, impatiently. "Now are you going to throw me in a cell or kiss me?" Frankie asked, adding, in almost a whisper, "I bet the latter has less paperwork.."

[Amby Grissom]

The officer turned a bright, brilliant purple. "M-miss Prescotti!" he choked. "That's ve- that's--"

Except that he was really purple. And not only was his face purple, but his hands were purple. Bright, bright violet purple. He stopped, goggling at his hands.

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie put her hands over her mouth and gasped stepping back for a minute before stepping forward to touch one of the man's hand's, dropping the photos on his desk. "You're purple! Are.. are you all right?" She added, rather sheepishly.

[Amby Grissom]

"You see it too?!" Amby demanded, looking warily at the woman as he stepped away from her. "Don't touch it! It might be contagious!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Why wouldn't I see it? You turned purple!" Frankie replied. "And I highly doubt turning purple is contagious." She said with a snort, as her skin slowly turned hot pink. "Really, Officer, I'm sure.. well, I'm sure it was just something you ate." She said dismissively.

[Amby Grissom]

Ambrose's eyes grew wider, looking very odd in his newly-purple skin. "MISS PRESCOTTI!" he shouted at her, even though he was very close. "I'M AFRAID I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DECLARE THIS DEPARTMENT IN A STATE OF QUARANTINE! IT APPEARS TO BE CONTAGIOUS!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Officer, we're the only two people here." She pointed out nicely. "You don't need to yell." She looked down at her hands, quickly realizing that she had changed too. "But I left my camera at the office! I'm not going to sit here all day and let Milt get the story." Frankie said, folding her arms.

[Amby Grissom]

"Miss, as an officer sworn to protect and serve this community, I can't allow you to leave this building until we know exactly what this is. If you attempt to leave the premises, I will be required to use force," Amby informed the woman, crossing his arms as he attempted to look intimidating.

[Frankie Prescotti]

The man's look made Frankie double over and dissolve into near hysterical laughter. When she finally came up to draw breath and wipe the tears from her eyes she grinned at the man. "So really what you're saying is that I have to sit in the dark all day without you kissing me?"

[Amby Grissom]

Amby coughed, and didn't turn red, although he might have if he wasn't already violet. In contrast to Frankie, he looked like he was about to cry. "Yes, Miss," he said stiffly. "That's about the gist of what I'm saying."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie heaved a sigh and sat on his desk. "It's going to be a long day then." She remarked, looking over at him. "I'm sorry for laughing at you." The woman said, frowning at his look. "I didn't mean to upset you. I figure I should say that, if I have to be stuck with you."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby looked a bit uncomfortable with the woman sitting at his desk, so he made his way over to Officer Knight's chair and sat down there. "Ah," he answered, straightening his collar. "I'm sure it's quite all right. Now, has anything strange or out of the ordinary happened to you in the past twenty-four hours? I mean, ah, outside of the party?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Aside from a man walking me home and being alone with me in a deserted office and not kissing me?" Frankie asked, looking at her fingernails. "Everything's been perfectly normal. How about you?"

[Amby Grissom]

"I'm not the one under questioning here, Miss," Amby answered stiffly. "And by out of the ordinary, that's not what I had in mind. Have you been experiencing any symptoms of ill health?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"None at all." The woman answered, looking over at the man and frowning. "Did something out of the ordinary happen to you, though? I mean, if not, you would have just said that you'd been fine." She pressed.

(Paused!)

[Amby Grissom]

Amby raised an eyebrow at the woman, fumbling on Gilbert's desk for a police report form and a pencil. "Nothing out of the ordinary," he answered in a businesslike manner, paying almost all of his attention to the police report. "I got home, took a shower, and went to bed. Can you tell me exactly what you did from the time you left the party until now?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie picked up the flashlight the policeman had left behind and shone it on her arm, inspecting it's pinkness. "You walked me home and didn't kiss me, then I took a shower and threw on different clothes and went and stood in my darkroom until all of the pictures were developed. Then I came here. Do you want me to go into more detail? I didn't do anything I don't normally do." She shone the flashlight at him, frowning.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby gulped and wrote down his report. "No, I think that's fine, Miss. Would you please stop harping about the kissing bit? I'm, ah. Um. I'm trying to do my job, here."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"I'd stop harping on it if you just got it over with." Frankie said frustratedly, casting the flashlight around the office. "We can't be the only ones to change color. The only place we both were was the plant." She pointed out. "Maybe you should get in that patrol car of yours and cast around for some other technicolor folks."

[Amby Grissom]

"I'm not going to get it over with!" Amby snapped. "It would be unbusinesslike!"

He frowned. "Unprofessional, I mean. And I don't think we should, Miss, not if it's a...a plague. Or contagious. I'll ring up Officer Knight," he offered, reaching for the telephone.

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie let off a peal of laughter at the man. "Oh, you do that, Officer. I always thought you had enough gumption not to ask for direction, but if you honestly think this is a plague, you call him. I think it has something to do with what happened at the plant." She offered, looking through the papers on the man's desk with her flashlight.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby put down the telephone receiver. "So do I," he answered, a bit stiffly.

He got up hastily, moving to snatch at the papers. "Those are confidential police property!" he shouted, sweat beading up on his forehead.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Oh, are they?" Frankie replied, acting surprised and grabbing at the man's wrist. "Easy there, I'm sure it's nothing important. I didn't mean to upset you like that, Officer." She said quietly, smiling again.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby tugged his wrist away, looking like his throat was about to close up. "Yes, these...these are all...very confidential! I could lose my job if someone found out I had let a reporter anywhere near them! Please, Miss, step away from the desk!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"That's just an excuse to get me away from you." Frankie replied, grabbing the man's chair and flashlight and taking a seat in the middle of the room, arms crossed. "God forbid I find out who's the Great and Terrible Mailbox Toppler." She huffed.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby looked deliberately down at the ground as he shuffled the papers, then dumped them all haphazardly in a drawer. "It's, ah, strictly a precaution, Miss," he said uncomfortably. "These aren't supposed to be seen by anyone, let alone the press. Ah. Shall we look at those photographs?" he asked. Were there any...err...unidentified persons present?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie eyed the man with disdain, but started to talk anyways. "Not that I could tell. Some new folks, met them at the dinner the other day. Guy and his kid.. Tommy I think?" She said with a shrug. "Man said he was a paranormal investigator, can you believe that?!" She asked.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby suddenly glanced around suspiciously, as if he were looking for potential rivals. "Paranormal, eh?" he asked, rubbing at his chin. "And isn't it funny that something...paranormal...happens in town as soon as he shows up?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

The woman shrugged. "Maybe he knew something was going to happen. Said they were in town because of the plant, if I remember correctly." She told him. "Didn't look, you know, crazy either. Perfectly normal, handsome even, in a bookish way."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby coughed, a bit loudly. "I'm sure I wouldn't know," he muttered, scowling. "I suppose you like them bookish. Maybe he did it. The crazies never seem crazy, you know."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie turned in her seat and just smiled at the man. "I doubt it, but then again, I'm not the police officer. At least now you have a lead, though, right?" She asked, folding her hands in her lap.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby gave the woman a sharp look. "I should at least have a talk with him," he agreed irritably. "What was his name?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Good question." She made a show of furrowing her brow. "Boy, it's hard to remember stuff. Just slips away. I don't know Officer, maybe I could point him out in a photo? Kid's name was Tommy. Or Toby." She offered. "Why don't you bring that stack over here and we'll look through them?"

[Amby Grissom]

Amby grimaced, but picked up the stack of photos and stepped over to the woman-- close enough to hold the pictures out at arm's length.

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie simply crossed her arms, and glanced off into the darkness, ignoring the man's offering.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby scowled, then picked up the first photo. "Is this him?" he asked. "Miss?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"You do realize that you're holding a photo up in the dark?" Frankie remarked, glancing casaully at the picture. "Can't see it. Maybe you should come closer." She suggested, looking off around the office again.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby let out an incoherent but agitated noise, and stepped closer. "Now, is this him?" he asked irritably.

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie turned on the flashlight and shook her head. "If you would come and stand by me," She helpfully illuminated the are beside her chair, "I'll pull all the pictures with them together." She glanced up at the man. "I don't get you."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby walked over, a bit stiffly, and stood where the woman instructed, tapping his foot rather nervously. "What's there to get?" he asked. "I'm doing my job. You're a witness."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Uh huh. Sure." She said gruffly, taking the photos from him, starting to flip through them carefully, taking out ones where she'd snapped pictures of the Blythes. "Any other guy'd be tickled pink to have a girl lavish him with all this attention." Frankie said matter-of-factly. "You aren't."

[Amby Grissom]

"I'm trying to do my job," Amby answered shortly. "And that..." He coughed into his hand. "Requires my professionalism. And maybe you never considered that it's the particular girl, not me."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"It's you." Frankie replied shortly. "I certainly understand wanting to be professional," She said, slightly mockingly. "You're still human. You've got clothes besides that uniform, right?" The woman asked, handing him the photos with the Blythes.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby snatched the photos, then moved away hastily, looking them over with a frown. "This gent here? With the boy?" he asked, thumbing a picture. "It's the girl," he added tersely. "It's definitely the girl. And I have three more uniforms," he added.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Father and son." Frankie confirmed, raising her eyebrows. "I asked if you had clothes besides uniforms." She said, sounding faintly alarmed. "Besides, it's you! You act like no one's ever flirted with you before. Have they?" She asked suddenly, reappraising the man.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby coughed again. "That's none of your business. And I have pajamas," he added. "And a suit. Does that answer your question? What else did you talk to them about?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"About why they were in town, I told you that." Frankie snapped, eyes widening. "Just pajamas and a suit!" She excailmed in utter surprise. "That's all! Not even a sweater? And no one's ever flirted with you!" She added, turning away to digest these facts.

[Amby Grissom]

"Plenty of women flirted with me!" Amby snapped back. "In the South Pacific!"

He huffed, turning around, his back to the woman. "When would I ever wear a sweater?!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"When you weren't working maybe, and taking someone for a walk? Or to the diner for dinner on a Sunday evening? Laying around and reading or mowing the lawn on a Saturday?" Frankie retorted, before snorting slightly. "Oh, the South Pacific. What did you do, give them a Hershey bar?"

[Amby Grissom]

"I don't have a lawn and when I take people for walks it's because I'm escorting them in my official capacity," Amby answered. He walked back to his desk and sat down, stiffly. "And I don't see how it's any of your business. It makes most people feel better to see a man in uniform."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Wonder what they'd think if they knew that man didn't have a life outside his job?" Frankie asked. "Bet that makes them feel real comfortable." She said in a huff, getting up to come stand beside the man, passing him the flashlight.

[Amby Grissom]

"I have a-- I have a life!" Amby objected, letting the flashlight clatter to the desk as he stepped away from the woman. "Please, Miss Prescotti. I really...I must insist you...ahh...stop...aggressive..."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie stared at the man, looking faintly concerned. "What? What are you trying to say, Officer?" She said, stepping back from the desk obligingly.

[Amby Grissom]

"STOP FLIRTING!" Amby practically shouted at her.

[Frankie Prescotti]

The bright pink woman looked rather taken a back and made a show of retreating to her chair. "Sorry." She said flatly.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby snorted, still looking uncomfortable, and looked at his desk instead of the woman. "Do you think you can behave yourself long enough to discuss the rest of this?" he asked tiredly, waving the pictures at her.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Yes." Frankie said. "I don't know what more there is for us to discuss, but I'll answer your questions. Professionally." She said seriously.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby gave the woman an irritated look. "Can you describe as much of the conversation you had with this so-called paranormal investigator to me? Word for word, I mean."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Yes, it went something like this. Hello, you look new. Here for the plant?" Frankie said, before dipping her voice into a low tone. "Well, yes and no. And then I said, I don't know, 'How so?' and then he said," again the low tone, "We'll, I'm a paranormal investigator!" Frankie smirked at the other man. "Is that good enough for you?"

[Amby Grissom]

"That's fine," Amby said, pretending to be focused on his report. "That was all? Nothing else? No talk about the weather or recommendations for local businesses or invitations to dinner?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"No.." The woman said, hiding a smile. "None of that, he ran out of the diner after he said who he was." She explained. "I can go talk to him again, if you'd like."

[Amby Grissom]

"No, really, don't put yourself out like that," Amby answered, sounding quite vehement about it. "I'm sure I have enough to go on now. Did you speak to him at the party or only shoot an inordinate number of photos of him?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"I haven't spoken to him since the diner." Frankie answered, raising her eyebrows. "I would have taken more photos of you if you hadn't been studiously avoiding me." She pointed out calmly. "I guess he was just the next best thing."

[Amby Grissom]

"I wasn't avoiding you!" the police officer objected, finally looking up from his desk, a hurt expression on his face. "I was doing my job!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Of course. I was doing my job and managing to have fun and talk to people, but I understand how time and attention comsuming yours is." She said mildly. "You do get days off, don't you?"

[Amby Grissom]

"Ah..." Amby pursed his lips. "Technically, yes. I usually come to work anyway. We have a shortage of police officers in this town."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Oh, that makes perfect sense." Frankie replied. "And about how many crimes are committed per week in Bloomsdale?" She asked, still looking at the floor.

[Amby Grissom]

"Miss Prescotti," Amby said seriously. "We are in the middle of an illegally-parked-car epidemic."

He gave her a short look. "Do you think that's all the police department does? We also help old ladies cross the street, return stray pets, rescue children from wells and cats from trees and carry groceries for mothers with babies."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie sighed. "Yes, of course, how could I forget?" She replied. "It shouldn't be an all consuming job though. You need to be you know, Amby Grissom some of the time." She pointed out quietly.

(Paused!)

[Amby Grissom]

Amby looked hurt. "Amby Grissom likes being a police officer. And not talking about himself in the third person. What would you know about who I am?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Nothing, because you're always working." Frankie shot back. "I'd like to know more. A whole lot more, if that's fine and dandy with you." She told him seriously, leaning back slightly in her chair.

[Amby Grissom]

"It's not," Amby answered, giving the woman a sour look. "It's not fine and dandy at all. I suppose you ever stop taking pictures, is that it? What if you missed the news of the century because you went somewhere without your camera?"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Like turning pink and purple and having to sit in the dark?" The woman replied in frustration. "You think you're going to miss something because you aren't here? I don't think the crime of the century is going to happen in Bloomsdale, Officer. What's the worst incident you've ever had?" She asked, crossing her arms.

[Amby Grissom]

"We thought we had a murder once," Amby answered seriously. "It turned out to be a mannequin someone had thrown out. But it was very serious until we found out that it wasn't an actual person."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie grinned, and looked down so she wouldn't laugh. "It sounds very serious." She agreed. "Murders usaully are." The woman said lightly, glancing around the room again, getting up to go look at things on the wall. "You aren't a cop in Jersey because it's too.. busy, right?" She asked. "That's where you're from? Hoboken?"

[Amby Grissom]

Amby ignored the woman's question. "I saw enough action in the war," he answered, looking a bit distant for a moment as he rubbed at his chin. "I wanted to come somewhere where I wouldn't have to do that anymore. Still doesn't mean we don't need vigilant cops."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"But not constant vigilance." Frankie countered, turning back to the wall. "Or maybe you do. Far be it from me to tear a man away from his vitally important work." She glanced down at her hands. "I don't think we're sick, either. May I leave?" The woman asked. "I thought I'd call Milt and get him to find this paranormal man. It looks like we'll be needing him."

[Amby Grissom]

"Milt?" Amby asked. "Or the paranormal man?" He looked irritably at the woman. "As long as you don't let too many people see you looking like that."

[Frankie Prescotti]

"What, pink?" She said with a shrug. "You're worse off." Frankie told him, glancing at the door. "You're just going to let me go? Just like that?" She asked, surprised.

[Amby Grissom]

Amby snorted at the woman. "You're the one who keeps complaining about being cooped up here. Why, don't you want to leave? It's not as if you seem to enjoy the company."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "No, I've just been telling you how much I like you over and over and over since I came by with the photos." She replied. "You're the one who can't stand me."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby blinked. "What?!" he demanded, standing back up. "I never said that! And you're the one who keeps making fun of me!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"I do not!" Frankie yelled back. "I was trying to point out how you never do anything but work! I don't think that's funny!" She huffed. "You obviously don't want me here, you get angry at everything I say and you skitter away whenever I go near you!? How do you think that makes a girl feel?!"

[Amby Grissom]

Amby's face crumpled up in frustration. "I'M TRYING TO DO MY JOB!" he shouted back at her. "How am I supposed to concentrate when you're-- you're-- you're doing that?!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"You're not." Frankie snapped back, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm leaving." She announced again, but not moving an inch. "So then you'll be able to do your job without a distraction like me."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby threw his hands up. "Well, if you didn't try to make such a da-- darn show of it, you wouldn't be so distracting!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"What am I supposed to do, sit in some chair facing the corner without saying a word?" She said angrily. "Thank goodness I did put on a show- I'd do it again if it got you to notice me finally!"

[Amby Grissom]

"You're supposed to-- to-- I DON'T KNOW!" Amby snapped, flicking a paper off of his desk before he flopped into his chair again. "What do you mean, finally?" he asked. "You say it like you're not impossible not to notice."

[Frankie Prescotti]

Frankie made a show of looking stunned. "Usaully you acknowledge when you notice someone. What, were you playing at being some actor? I tried to hard because you never showed any interest!"

[Amby Grissom]

"Oh for heaven's sake, Miss Prescotti!" the police officer snapped back. "I walked you home!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Milt could have done that." Frankie replied with a roll of her eyes. "All it was a polite gesture, that's it!" She huffed a sigh. "If you had meant it, you would have.." She trailed off, shaking her head slightly. "But you wouldn't have. Because that would interfere with your job."

[Amby Grissom]

Amby got that look again, the one where he appeared to be going into anaphylactic shock. "And because I barely know you!"

[Frankie Prescotti]

"Because you're always working!" Frankie snapped back. "Keep the photographs!" She called, starting for the door.

[Amby Grissom]

"FINE!" Amby called back, throwing the photographs into the air so that they floated through the air and scattered on the floor.

[Frankie Prescotti]

"I hope you like the one I got of you picking your nose!" Frankie called back, shooting the man a hurt look before slamming the door behind her.