The Case of the Disappearing Friend
Title: The Case of the Disappearing Friend
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny (with a bit of Leonard/Leslie & Raj/Howard)
Rating: PG-13
Summery: Leonard has disappeared, and it's up to Penny Peldon, PI to find him. But...are things really as they seem?
A/N: This was originally a comment fic for awperry's awesome Noir Desaturation challenge. It ended up a bit long and kinda weird, so I finished it up and posted the whole thing at my journal, instead. Hope you enjoy!
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (1/5)
I was relaxing in my office having a stiff drink after a bad day when my assistant Raj buzzed in.
"Miss Peldon? Visitor."
That was Raj. Man of few words. Couple this virtue with a keen intelligence and you got the perfect assistant. Not to mention the fact that he was pretty. Real pretty. Couldn't go there, though. Ever heard of the adage "All the good men are either gay or taken?" Well, with what little interest Raj has ever shown me (a hot, single woman - if I do say so myself), I had a good feeling he was one or the other.
"Thanks, Raj. Send them in."
I dropped my feet on the floor and put down my drink in an effort to at least look sort of professional. God knows my sparkling personality has driven away business in the past, but I always tried to at least start off on a good note.
Looking up as my door opened, I immediately recognized the man walking through it. Sheldon Cooper. I was torn between happiness and disappointment. Disappointment because I needed some business and this visit would be more like pleasure, and happiness because, well, this visit would be more like pleasure.
"Sheldon, come in. Have a seat. Did I forget we had a meeting?"
"No, no, Penny. I think - I think I might have a case for you."
I stared into his anxious blue eyes and knew mine shone with curiosity. Sheldon Cooper and his partner Leonard Hofstadter ran their accounting firm in the office across the hall from mine. After I had moved in, they had come to welcome me to the office building and offered to do my books at a steep discount. Leonard said they offered the same discount to the entire building, but I had my suspicions that it was more because I looked damn good in my uniform of tight black jeans and black tank top. Not that I cared. A discount was a discount, and I was no good with figures.
Leonard and I had tried the dating thing once upon a time, but he couldn't handle the pitfalls that came with being a PI. Said it was "too dangerous" and that the "negatives far out-weighted the positives". Not that he was wrong, but I wasn't quitting and he wasn't going to stop convincing me to quit, so we broke it off. We were still friends, though. Not as close as we once were, but friends.
As for Sheldon and I, well, I never could quite figure out what we were to each other. Friends of some flavor, to be sure, but we really didn't spend much time together outside of our weekly meetings. When we did meet, we were friendly to each other but with an underlying current of...something. We were doing a pretty good job ignoring it though. Why was I ignoring it? Well, let's just say I had my reasons. Why was he? I didn't know and wasn't going to ask. My attention snapped back to Sheldon when he let out an impatient huff.
"Sorry. Mind was wandering. A case, huh? Of what kind?"
"I believe you would call it a 'Missing Persons' case. Penny...Leonard hasn't been answering his phone, or been in to work for almost three days. I know I don't have to tell you how unusual that is. I think - I think he's been kidnapped. Or worse yet, murdered."
"Kidnapped or murdered? Wait - hold on. Did you try Howard? Or Leslie?"
Howard was one of Leonard's best friends, and Leslie was an on-again, off-again girlfriend that, as far as I knew, was currently very much on-again.
"Yes, of course. Neither has seen him for days, and Leslie seems very upset. The reason I suspect foul play is that Leonard had recently taken on a client that he wouldn't tell me about. Lately, he had been acting nervous and strange whenever he went to meet said client. I confronted him about it, but he just brushed away my concerns. Now, I'm not a PI, but to me his behavior suggests that this mystery person might not be on the up and up, so to speak. We've contacted the police, but they're not telling us anything. Penny, I have a feeling that their investigation has hit the proverbial 'brick wall' and they're just not telling us. Could you look into things? Please?"
Sheldon reached across the desk and clutched my hand that had been resting on top. I about keeled over in shock. Sheldon and I almost never touched each other. It was an unspoken rule. And what was about to happen was why.
Immediately a tingling heat shot from his hand to mine. I captured his eyes with my own. Licking my lips, I watched as his eyes broke free and latched on to the small movement. Then his tongue snaked out to mimic it, eyes still on my mouth. I must have made some kind of noise because he was suddenly jerking his hand from mine and averting his eyes to somewhere on his lower left side.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I had come to a decision. About a couple of things.
"I'll investigate, but on two conditions."
"All right."
His eyes were still avoiding mine.
"Condition one: As much as I would like to do this for free, I can't. So I expect Howard and Leslie to help you chip in with my fee. I know how generous you can be Sheldon, but I'm not going to do this unless you let them each pay a third. Is that clear?"
He nodded. Nope, still no eye contact.
"Condition two: We're probably going to be working closely together, so we're going to have to deal with this thing that's between us. We can't just keep running away and avoiding each other. I'm not saying we have to talk about it right now, but I think if we at least acknowledge it, things might be a little less uncomfortable. Are you ready for that?"
Ah, there are those intense, blue eyes again.
"I think so. Will this do: I, Sheldon Cooper, formally acknowledge that there are unresolved feelings of a sexual nature between Penelope Peldon and I. That there are times when I want to stretch her across her desk and make love to her like there's no tomorrow. That I would have done so long before now if not for reasons that, for now, will be left unexplained. I acknowledge this so that we may better find our mutual friend, Leonard Hofstadter, and so that we may explore these feelings in more depth at a later date."
I swallowed a lump the size of a baseball, and had to clear my throat and cough a little before I could speak.
"Um, yeah. That'll do. And...um...ditto. Now, let's go visit some friends, shall we?"
I stood up and quickly crossed the room, ignoring for now the man following behind me, the little tremor in my legs and the sardonic smirk of my assistant as we walked past him and out the front door.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (2/5)
On the drive over to Howard's house, it started to drizzle.
Peachy.
Ever since a car accident when I was a teenager, I absolutely HATED to drive in the rain. It was so light that I could only see it in the beams of headlights passing us on the street, but I still slowed my speed to the actual speed limit. It would take us longer than I wanted to get there, but the last thing I needed was to add a vehicle repair bill - or worse yet, a hospital bill - to the list of debts I had to pay off. The man sitting beside me muttered something under his breath.
"Either speak up or shut up, Sheldon. I'm trying to concentrate here."
"I said I never thought I would be so grateful to see rain."
"Is that a crack about my driving?"
"Well, you were going about 15 mph over the speed limit."
"That particular speed limit is just stupid, and I don't obey stupid."
"Even if that means breaking the law?"
"The law can kiss my lily white butt."
"Lucky law."
My lips twitched briefly into an involuntary smile, but we had agreed not to go down this road yet, so I let the comment slide.
"If I remember right, Howard lives with his mother?"
"Yes. Even though Howard is a talented architect, I'm afraid the recession has been hard on his profession. His mother was just living on her retirement checks, so it was more cost effective for them to pool their resources."
"I love my mother, but I'd go insane within a week if I had to live with her again."
"Yes, I feel much the same."
After a few minutes of companionable silence, I parked in Howard's driveway and grabbed Sheldon's arm before he could get out of the car. I felt the familiar tingle, but was happy to note that while it was still there, the shock of it had lessened somewhat. Seeing the half-smile on his face as he stared at my hand made me believe he was thinking the same thing. I tightened my grip a little to bring his eyes back to mine.
"When we get in there, let me do the talking, okay?"
"Of course. Naturally I would defer to your professional expertise."
I moved to get out of the car. This time, it was his hand grabbing my arm.
"Here, take my suit jacket."
"No, you keep it."
"Penny, the last thing we need is for you to fall ill. Besides, I've got a long-sleeved shirt on under it and all you've got is that tank top. It would be the smart thing for you to do."
I rolled my eyes and stuck out my hand.
"Fine. Give it to me."
He shrugged out of the jacket and handed it over. It would cover the Peldon Investigations logo on my tank top, but at least it was black and would go with my outfit. I put it on and noticed that the sleeves hung a good ways down over the tips of my fingers, so I rolled them up to just below my elbows. The man had freakishly long arms.
We finally got out of the car and walked over to the Wolowitz's front door. I was about to knock when I noticed the door was already opened a crack. I looked closer and saw that the lock had been jimmied.
I sighed and bent to retrieve one of the small throwing daggers I had hidden inside my boot.
"Go wait in the car."
"Where's your gun?"
"Guns jam. Knives don't. Go wait in the car."
"No, I'm not about to let you go in there alone."
"I'm armed. You're not. Go wait in the car."
"Give me one of your knives. Then I'll be armed."
"You don't know how to use it properly. Go-"
He clamped a hand over my mouth and, even though I was annoyed with him, it took everything I had to resist the impulse to kiss it.
"Either we both go in or we both stay out. Your choi-"
"IS THAT THE POLICE?"
I raised an eyebrow and Sheldon removed his hand from my mouth.
"No, Mrs. Wolowitz. It's Penny Peldon and Sheldon Cooper. We're friends of your son. Are you all right, ma'am? May we come in?"
"DO I SOUND ALL RIGHT?! AND NO, YOU CAN'T COME IN! I'M NOT LETTING ANYONE INTO THIS HOUSE UNTIL THE POLICE GET HERE!"
"I understand. But could you at least tell us what happened, please?"
"NO! MY HOUSE HAS BEEN BROKEN INTO AND MY HOWARD KIDNAPPED NOT TEN MINUTES AGO, SO I'M NOT SAYING ANOTHER WORD UNLESS IT'S TO A POLICE OFFICER!"
Sheldon mouthed an incredulous "Howard's been kidnapped?" at me, which I returned with an equally silent but more resigned "Apparently."
I leaned back against Howard's home and rubbed a hand over my face.
Not only was I not closer to solving the kidnapping and/or murder case I had, now I had a second, possibly related kidnapping with still nothing to go on.
Peachy.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (3/5)
After Sheldon and I talked to the police, the number of kidnappings I had on my plate went up from two to three.
Leslie Winkle had also been kidnapped at some point in the past 24 hours.
I gave the police what I had (which was next to nothing) and they gave me what little they could (which was basically just the above information). After promising to contact them when I had a lead, Sheldon and I hopped in our car and had the following conversation:
Me: "Huh."
Him: "Yeah."
After that scintillating exchange we slipped into our own thoughts.
Usually my next step would be heading over to Leonard's apartment to see what I could find, but it was marked as a crime scene, and the police had it and Leslie's apartment under surveillance. I still might have tried to sneak into one or the other, but I already had two strikes with the police department. One more and they would suspend my license.
I figured the next best thing was Leonard’s office, and that's why I was getting a headache looking through notebooks and Sheldon was sitting across from me and behind a desk, squinting at his partner's computer.
"Hey, Sheldon? What did Leslie do for a living, again?"
"She was computer programmer."
"Right. So we have an accountant, an architect and a computer programmer. Assuming their kidnapping had something to do with their professions, what would someone want with these specific people?"
"I don't know, but have you considered the other thing these people have in common?"
I frowned, but didn't look up from the papers I was trying to decipher.
"Yeah, I have. Us. And believe me, I have been going over the list of people in my head that might hate me enough to do this, but everyone on that list is either in jail or six feet under. What about you?"
"No, there's no one that I know of that is crazy enough to kidnap my friends just because they have a grudge against me. I lead a pretty quiet life. Of course, I thought Leonard, Howard and Leslie did, too - until this happened. Have you called Raj since we left your office? It might be a while yet until the police get around to notifying him that Howard's missing."
I looked up to stare at Sheldon in confusion.
"Why would the police notify Raj that Howard's missing?"
It was Sheldon's turn to look at me in confusion.
"You didn't know? Penny - Howard and Raj have been together for several months, now. I think they would even be living together if it wasn't for the fact that Howard felt like he had to stay and take care of his mother. How could you not know this?"
I averted my eyes from his incredulous blue ones, and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Well, you know how talkative Raj is, and I hardly ever talk to Howard anymore-"
Sheldon covered the hand I had rested on the desk with his own.
Well, hello warm tingles. Long time, no see.
"Plus, could it be that you have been working just a tiny bit too hard? After this is over, do you think it might be possible for you to take a vacation? I worry about you, Penny."
In a rare girlie moment for me, I turned my hand over and linked my fingers with his.
"I know, Sheldon. But a vacation by myself? Sounds lonely. You wouldn't want me lonely would you?
He grinned.
"I think something could be arranged to prevent that from happening."
He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. I tried to convince my heart and lungs to keep working.
Taking my hand gently from his, I threw him a wink, then speed-dialed Raj's home number from my cell. It was after 7:00 pm by now, about two hours after the time that Raj got off work, so he should be home by now.
Which is why I started to get nervous when he didn't pick up.
And why my nervousness started to edge toward panic when I tried his cell and he still didn't pick up.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (4/5)
"God. Tell me this isn't happening."
"I'm sorry, Penny."
Sheldon and I stood just inside the doorway, staring at the mess that was Raj's apartment. I don't know how long we stood there until the shrill ring of Sheldon's cell phone jerked me out of my daze. He glanced at the caller ID, then back to me.
"I have to take this. Will you be okay for a couple of minutes?"
"Sure."
He stepped out into the hall and (after I reminded myself that I was a bad-ass PI not a 6-year-old girl) I moved into the apartment and started doing my job. A couple of minutes later, Sheldon stepped back in and cleared his throat.
"Um, Penny? You can stop looking around, now."
I had found some of Raj's mail and was busy poking through it, so I missed how nervous he had become or my next question might've been a little different.
"Oh, yeah? And why is that?"
"Because, well...I know who is responsible for our friends' disappearance."
At that, I lifted my head and took in the nervous twisting of his fingers and the way his eyes would land anywhere but on me. I tried to ignore the twisting in my gut, and was pleasantly surprised when my voice sounded calm and just simply curious.
"You do? Would you like to share this information?"
Finally, those remarkable blue eyes rested on mine. Some part of me must have read the answer to my question in their depths, because a single tear rolled out of my right eye without advance notice and without bothering to ask for my permission. I had to listen hard to hear his answer.
"It was me."
Even with the tear, my voice was firm and crystal clear.
"Why?"
He took a couple of steps forward, but stopped when I held a hand out.
"It's not what you think, Penny. Everyone is perfectly fine. We had to do it this way to keep track of your progress. Now we can join the others at - Lord. I'm not explaining this very well am I? I told Leonard I wanted to write this part down, but he said -"
"Sheldon. Just take a deep breath and start at the beginning."
"Okay. Do you remember what I told you about Leonard being nervous about his new client?"
I nodded.
"Well, that was true. Have you heard of Don Kripke?"
"The mob boss?"
"Yes. Three years and two months ago, Kripke approached Leonard and forced him to be a part of this long-term project he was planning. I won't go into the details right now, but let's just say this scam would be worth hundreds of millions. Well, being the stand-up guy Leonard is, he immediately went to the Feds with this information. Which is where Raj and I come in."
To say I was shocked didn't quite cover it.
"You mean...?"
"Yes. Raj and I are undercover Special Agents with the FBI."
"Oh, God. And I suppose you can back that up with a badge?"
"Yeah. It's um...it's in the breast pocket of the jacket you're wearing."
Oh, yeah. I was still wearing his suit jacket. I reached in the breast pocket and pulled out his wallet. His wallet that contained an FBI ID card and badge. I suddenly really needed to hear the rest of his story. Maybe there would be something in it that would make this all okay. Forgivable.
"Go on."
"So, Raj and I were supposed to stick close to Leonard in a way that wouldn't tip off Kripke, so I was made his partner and Raj was assigned to the office across the hall. It was a perfect arrangement. And everything went smoothly for a long while. But then...then everything started happening all at once. Kripke started to make his move, Raj and Howard got together, you and Leonard broke up and he started seriously seeing Leslie, which meant you were now free and I could actually be with the woman I was falling in love with."
This time I had plenty of notice, but the tears came anyway.
"After Leonard, I was scared to get into another serious relationship, but...it was YOU. And this THING sizzling between us, and I...I just couldn't seem to stop myself."
This time, Sheldon didn't stop moving forward until he took me in his arms and gave me a very firm, very thorough, kiss. Maybe I shouldn't have let him, but I didn't have the strength nor the will to shove him away. He moved us over to a recliner and pulled me into his lap. We sat there while he continued his story.
"You see, Raj and I knew that not everyone connected to this case would make it, and even though that was acceptable to our superiors, it was absolutely unacceptable to us. So, we devised our own plan. Once the job started to go down, we would turn the tables on Kripke. But we only had a window of four days while Kripke was out-of-town firming up some details. First Leonard would leave with the money, buying a pre-agreed upon private island. Next, we would all start leaving for the island one-by-one, until it was just you and me left. Then I would keep an eye on you and make sure you were just a step behind us until the right time. Penny, just so you know, I wanted to let you in from the very beginning, but I was outvoted."
"I think I understand. Everyone was in love, and wanted to make sure their loved ones got a clean get-away in case I decided to snitch, right?"
"The very idea is preposterous."
I kissed him on the neck.
"Yes...um...well. Ah. Um. Penny. Penny!"
I reluctantly withdrew and he sighed.
"As much as I would love to give you all the details and make-out with you, and not necessarily in that order, we don't have the time. We need to leave right now if we're going to join our friends. Because, you should know, I'm not leaving without you."
Could I leave everything and run away with him?
"Penny?"
But what was left that I would really be leaving?
"Penny?"
This whole situation was crazy, but I knew what I had to do.
"Penny?"
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (5/5)
Penny woke up when she felt someone rubbing the side of her face.
"What? Huh? What's going on?"
"You were asleep, Penny. I called your name three times, but you wouldn't wake up. Also, you were drooling on my T-shirt which I find totally unacceptable."
Blinking rapidly, she sat up and looked around. They were still in the darkened theater where the most boring film festival ever was still going on. Judging from the empty room, she guessed she had slept through the last half of the movie they were watching and everyone else had already left.
"I was not - wait. Were you just rubbing my face? And where are the rest of the guys?"
"To answer your first question - yes, I was. My mother used to gently rub my face to wake me up, so I decided to implement that method with you. As for Leonard, Raj and Howard, they decided they needed a potty slash refreshment break."
"Oh. Do you want to find them, now?"
"And risk missing the start of the next film? No, thank you." He paused a moment before he continued, as if considering how to phrase what he wanted to say next. "Penny, before you awoke, you said something in your sleep and I was wondering from what context it was derived."
"You mean, what was it I was dreaming about?"
Sheldon sighed. "Yes, Penny, that is what I meant."
"Um...well, I - I don't really remember, sweetie. What exactly did I say?"
"You said," his voice softened and turned a little breathy in what she assumed was an imitation of the tone she had used, "'You don't have to, Sheldon. Let's go.'"
Penny stared into his bright blue eyes, at a loss for words. The tone of voice he used was gentle and loving, and she really wished she could remember what she had been dreaming about.
"I'm sorry, all I remember was that it was weird and maybe a little scary, but that it ended really good. I can't remember any details."
"That is regrettable, but understandable. People rarely remember their dreams, but I thought I would take a chance since you mentioned me by name."
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I'd be pretty curious, too."
They drifted into silence. She wanted to go find the others, but for some reason she just couldn't seem to leave Sheldon. She felt like if she did it would be some kind of betrayal, which was ridiculous. Shaking off the feeling, Penny stood up.
"I'm going to get some snacks and a drink. Do you want anything?"
Sheldon smiled at her. "No, thank you."
"Okay, well...I'll be right back."
She had only taken a couple of steps, when he abruptly grabbed her wrist. And with the hot tingle that came at his touch, she suddenly remembered everything.
"Sheldon?"
He seemed to be a little startled, and he stared at his hand for a few seconds before he snatched it back. He avoided her eyes while he scrubbed his hand against his thigh.
"I - I changed my mind. I would like a Diet Coke, please."
"Sure, but...Sheldon? I kinda remember my dream now."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
Penny sat down and slowly placed her hand on top of his, and it stopped moving. To her astonishment, he didn't move away. She studied his expression, and it seemed to be a mixture of curiosity, confusion and...maybe...was that...pleasure?
The lights flashed and the speaker came on announcing that the next movie would start in five minutes. Sheldon slid his hand away.
"If you are going to get our refreshments, you better leave now so as not to miss the beginning of the next film."
Disappointed (though she didn't know exactly what she had been expecting), she stood up and was about to move away when his next words stopped her as effectively as his grip on her wrist did the first time.
"After the film festival we could discuss your dream in detail, if you would like."
Penny grinned.
"I would really like that, Sheldon."
"Good. Now go."
Rolling her eyes but with her grin still firmly in place, Penny walked away thinking that maybe this film festival wasn't so boring, after all.
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny (with a bit of Leonard/Leslie & Raj/Howard)
Rating: PG-13
Summery: Leonard has disappeared, and it's up to Penny Peldon, PI to find him. But...are things really as they seem?
A/N: This was originally a comment fic for awperry's awesome Noir Desaturation challenge. It ended up a bit long and kinda weird, so I finished it up and posted the whole thing at my journal, instead. Hope you enjoy!
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (1/5)
I was relaxing in my office having a stiff drink after a bad day when my assistant Raj buzzed in.
"Miss Peldon? Visitor."
That was Raj. Man of few words. Couple this virtue with a keen intelligence and you got the perfect assistant. Not to mention the fact that he was pretty. Real pretty. Couldn't go there, though. Ever heard of the adage "All the good men are either gay or taken?" Well, with what little interest Raj has ever shown me (a hot, single woman - if I do say so myself), I had a good feeling he was one or the other.
"Thanks, Raj. Send them in."
I dropped my feet on the floor and put down my drink in an effort to at least look sort of professional. God knows my sparkling personality has driven away business in the past, but I always tried to at least start off on a good note.
Looking up as my door opened, I immediately recognized the man walking through it. Sheldon Cooper. I was torn between happiness and disappointment. Disappointment because I needed some business and this visit would be more like pleasure, and happiness because, well, this visit would be more like pleasure.
"Sheldon, come in. Have a seat. Did I forget we had a meeting?"
"No, no, Penny. I think - I think I might have a case for you."
I stared into his anxious blue eyes and knew mine shone with curiosity. Sheldon Cooper and his partner Leonard Hofstadter ran their accounting firm in the office across the hall from mine. After I had moved in, they had come to welcome me to the office building and offered to do my books at a steep discount. Leonard said they offered the same discount to the entire building, but I had my suspicions that it was more because I looked damn good in my uniform of tight black jeans and black tank top. Not that I cared. A discount was a discount, and I was no good with figures.
Leonard and I had tried the dating thing once upon a time, but he couldn't handle the pitfalls that came with being a PI. Said it was "too dangerous" and that the "negatives far out-weighted the positives". Not that he was wrong, but I wasn't quitting and he wasn't going to stop convincing me to quit, so we broke it off. We were still friends, though. Not as close as we once were, but friends.
As for Sheldon and I, well, I never could quite figure out what we were to each other. Friends of some flavor, to be sure, but we really didn't spend much time together outside of our weekly meetings. When we did meet, we were friendly to each other but with an underlying current of...something. We were doing a pretty good job ignoring it though. Why was I ignoring it? Well, let's just say I had my reasons. Why was he? I didn't know and wasn't going to ask. My attention snapped back to Sheldon when he let out an impatient huff.
"Sorry. Mind was wandering. A case, huh? Of what kind?"
"I believe you would call it a 'Missing Persons' case. Penny...Leonard hasn't been answering his phone, or been in to work for almost three days. I know I don't have to tell you how unusual that is. I think - I think he's been kidnapped. Or worse yet, murdered."
"Kidnapped or murdered? Wait - hold on. Did you try Howard? Or Leslie?"
Howard was one of Leonard's best friends, and Leslie was an on-again, off-again girlfriend that, as far as I knew, was currently very much on-again.
"Yes, of course. Neither has seen him for days, and Leslie seems very upset. The reason I suspect foul play is that Leonard had recently taken on a client that he wouldn't tell me about. Lately, he had been acting nervous and strange whenever he went to meet said client. I confronted him about it, but he just brushed away my concerns. Now, I'm not a PI, but to me his behavior suggests that this mystery person might not be on the up and up, so to speak. We've contacted the police, but they're not telling us anything. Penny, I have a feeling that their investigation has hit the proverbial 'brick wall' and they're just not telling us. Could you look into things? Please?"
Sheldon reached across the desk and clutched my hand that had been resting on top. I about keeled over in shock. Sheldon and I almost never touched each other. It was an unspoken rule. And what was about to happen was why.
Immediately a tingling heat shot from his hand to mine. I captured his eyes with my own. Licking my lips, I watched as his eyes broke free and latched on to the small movement. Then his tongue snaked out to mimic it, eyes still on my mouth. I must have made some kind of noise because he was suddenly jerking his hand from mine and averting his eyes to somewhere on his lower left side.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I had come to a decision. About a couple of things.
"I'll investigate, but on two conditions."
"All right."
His eyes were still avoiding mine.
"Condition one: As much as I would like to do this for free, I can't. So I expect Howard and Leslie to help you chip in with my fee. I know how generous you can be Sheldon, but I'm not going to do this unless you let them each pay a third. Is that clear?"
He nodded. Nope, still no eye contact.
"Condition two: We're probably going to be working closely together, so we're going to have to deal with this thing that's between us. We can't just keep running away and avoiding each other. I'm not saying we have to talk about it right now, but I think if we at least acknowledge it, things might be a little less uncomfortable. Are you ready for that?"
Ah, there are those intense, blue eyes again.
"I think so. Will this do: I, Sheldon Cooper, formally acknowledge that there are unresolved feelings of a sexual nature between Penelope Peldon and I. That there are times when I want to stretch her across her desk and make love to her like there's no tomorrow. That I would have done so long before now if not for reasons that, for now, will be left unexplained. I acknowledge this so that we may better find our mutual friend, Leonard Hofstadter, and so that we may explore these feelings in more depth at a later date."
I swallowed a lump the size of a baseball, and had to clear my throat and cough a little before I could speak.
"Um, yeah. That'll do. And...um...ditto. Now, let's go visit some friends, shall we?"
I stood up and quickly crossed the room, ignoring for now the man following behind me, the little tremor in my legs and the sardonic smirk of my assistant as we walked past him and out the front door.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (2/5)
On the drive over to Howard's house, it started to drizzle.
Peachy.
Ever since a car accident when I was a teenager, I absolutely HATED to drive in the rain. It was so light that I could only see it in the beams of headlights passing us on the street, but I still slowed my speed to the actual speed limit. It would take us longer than I wanted to get there, but the last thing I needed was to add a vehicle repair bill - or worse yet, a hospital bill - to the list of debts I had to pay off. The man sitting beside me muttered something under his breath.
"Either speak up or shut up, Sheldon. I'm trying to concentrate here."
"I said I never thought I would be so grateful to see rain."
"Is that a crack about my driving?"
"Well, you were going about 15 mph over the speed limit."
"That particular speed limit is just stupid, and I don't obey stupid."
"Even if that means breaking the law?"
"The law can kiss my lily white butt."
"Lucky law."
My lips twitched briefly into an involuntary smile, but we had agreed not to go down this road yet, so I let the comment slide.
"If I remember right, Howard lives with his mother?"
"Yes. Even though Howard is a talented architect, I'm afraid the recession has been hard on his profession. His mother was just living on her retirement checks, so it was more cost effective for them to pool their resources."
"I love my mother, but I'd go insane within a week if I had to live with her again."
"Yes, I feel much the same."
After a few minutes of companionable silence, I parked in Howard's driveway and grabbed Sheldon's arm before he could get out of the car. I felt the familiar tingle, but was happy to note that while it was still there, the shock of it had lessened somewhat. Seeing the half-smile on his face as he stared at my hand made me believe he was thinking the same thing. I tightened my grip a little to bring his eyes back to mine.
"When we get in there, let me do the talking, okay?"
"Of course. Naturally I would defer to your professional expertise."
I moved to get out of the car. This time, it was his hand grabbing my arm.
"Here, take my suit jacket."
"No, you keep it."
"Penny, the last thing we need is for you to fall ill. Besides, I've got a long-sleeved shirt on under it and all you've got is that tank top. It would be the smart thing for you to do."
I rolled my eyes and stuck out my hand.
"Fine. Give it to me."
He shrugged out of the jacket and handed it over. It would cover the Peldon Investigations logo on my tank top, but at least it was black and would go with my outfit. I put it on and noticed that the sleeves hung a good ways down over the tips of my fingers, so I rolled them up to just below my elbows. The man had freakishly long arms.
We finally got out of the car and walked over to the Wolowitz's front door. I was about to knock when I noticed the door was already opened a crack. I looked closer and saw that the lock had been jimmied.
I sighed and bent to retrieve one of the small throwing daggers I had hidden inside my boot.
"Go wait in the car."
"Where's your gun?"
"Guns jam. Knives don't. Go wait in the car."
"No, I'm not about to let you go in there alone."
"I'm armed. You're not. Go wait in the car."
"Give me one of your knives. Then I'll be armed."
"You don't know how to use it properly. Go-"
He clamped a hand over my mouth and, even though I was annoyed with him, it took everything I had to resist the impulse to kiss it.
"Either we both go in or we both stay out. Your choi-"
"IS THAT THE POLICE?"
I raised an eyebrow and Sheldon removed his hand from my mouth.
"No, Mrs. Wolowitz. It's Penny Peldon and Sheldon Cooper. We're friends of your son. Are you all right, ma'am? May we come in?"
"DO I SOUND ALL RIGHT?! AND NO, YOU CAN'T COME IN! I'M NOT LETTING ANYONE INTO THIS HOUSE UNTIL THE POLICE GET HERE!"
"I understand. But could you at least tell us what happened, please?"
"NO! MY HOUSE HAS BEEN BROKEN INTO AND MY HOWARD KIDNAPPED NOT TEN MINUTES AGO, SO I'M NOT SAYING ANOTHER WORD UNLESS IT'S TO A POLICE OFFICER!"
Sheldon mouthed an incredulous "Howard's been kidnapped?" at me, which I returned with an equally silent but more resigned "Apparently."
I leaned back against Howard's home and rubbed a hand over my face.
Not only was I not closer to solving the kidnapping and/or murder case I had, now I had a second, possibly related kidnapping with still nothing to go on.
Peachy.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (3/5)
After Sheldon and I talked to the police, the number of kidnappings I had on my plate went up from two to three.
Leslie Winkle had also been kidnapped at some point in the past 24 hours.
I gave the police what I had (which was next to nothing) and they gave me what little they could (which was basically just the above information). After promising to contact them when I had a lead, Sheldon and I hopped in our car and had the following conversation:
Me: "Huh."
Him: "Yeah."
After that scintillating exchange we slipped into our own thoughts.
Usually my next step would be heading over to Leonard's apartment to see what I could find, but it was marked as a crime scene, and the police had it and Leslie's apartment under surveillance. I still might have tried to sneak into one or the other, but I already had two strikes with the police department. One more and they would suspend my license.
I figured the next best thing was Leonard’s office, and that's why I was getting a headache looking through notebooks and Sheldon was sitting across from me and behind a desk, squinting at his partner's computer.
"Hey, Sheldon? What did Leslie do for a living, again?"
"She was computer programmer."
"Right. So we have an accountant, an architect and a computer programmer. Assuming their kidnapping had something to do with their professions, what would someone want with these specific people?"
"I don't know, but have you considered the other thing these people have in common?"
I frowned, but didn't look up from the papers I was trying to decipher.
"Yeah, I have. Us. And believe me, I have been going over the list of people in my head that might hate me enough to do this, but everyone on that list is either in jail or six feet under. What about you?"
"No, there's no one that I know of that is crazy enough to kidnap my friends just because they have a grudge against me. I lead a pretty quiet life. Of course, I thought Leonard, Howard and Leslie did, too - until this happened. Have you called Raj since we left your office? It might be a while yet until the police get around to notifying him that Howard's missing."
I looked up to stare at Sheldon in confusion.
"Why would the police notify Raj that Howard's missing?"
It was Sheldon's turn to look at me in confusion.
"You didn't know? Penny - Howard and Raj have been together for several months, now. I think they would even be living together if it wasn't for the fact that Howard felt like he had to stay and take care of his mother. How could you not know this?"
I averted my eyes from his incredulous blue ones, and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Well, you know how talkative Raj is, and I hardly ever talk to Howard anymore-"
Sheldon covered the hand I had rested on the desk with his own.
Well, hello warm tingles. Long time, no see.
"Plus, could it be that you have been working just a tiny bit too hard? After this is over, do you think it might be possible for you to take a vacation? I worry about you, Penny."
In a rare girlie moment for me, I turned my hand over and linked my fingers with his.
"I know, Sheldon. But a vacation by myself? Sounds lonely. You wouldn't want me lonely would you?
He grinned.
"I think something could be arranged to prevent that from happening."
He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. I tried to convince my heart and lungs to keep working.
Taking my hand gently from his, I threw him a wink, then speed-dialed Raj's home number from my cell. It was after 7:00 pm by now, about two hours after the time that Raj got off work, so he should be home by now.
Which is why I started to get nervous when he didn't pick up.
And why my nervousness started to edge toward panic when I tried his cell and he still didn't pick up.
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (4/5)
"God. Tell me this isn't happening."
"I'm sorry, Penny."
Sheldon and I stood just inside the doorway, staring at the mess that was Raj's apartment. I don't know how long we stood there until the shrill ring of Sheldon's cell phone jerked me out of my daze. He glanced at the caller ID, then back to me.
"I have to take this. Will you be okay for a couple of minutes?"
"Sure."
He stepped out into the hall and (after I reminded myself that I was a bad-ass PI not a 6-year-old girl) I moved into the apartment and started doing my job. A couple of minutes later, Sheldon stepped back in and cleared his throat.
"Um, Penny? You can stop looking around, now."
I had found some of Raj's mail and was busy poking through it, so I missed how nervous he had become or my next question might've been a little different.
"Oh, yeah? And why is that?"
"Because, well...I know who is responsible for our friends' disappearance."
At that, I lifted my head and took in the nervous twisting of his fingers and the way his eyes would land anywhere but on me. I tried to ignore the twisting in my gut, and was pleasantly surprised when my voice sounded calm and just simply curious.
"You do? Would you like to share this information?"
Finally, those remarkable blue eyes rested on mine. Some part of me must have read the answer to my question in their depths, because a single tear rolled out of my right eye without advance notice and without bothering to ask for my permission. I had to listen hard to hear his answer.
"It was me."
Even with the tear, my voice was firm and crystal clear.
"Why?"
He took a couple of steps forward, but stopped when I held a hand out.
"It's not what you think, Penny. Everyone is perfectly fine. We had to do it this way to keep track of your progress. Now we can join the others at - Lord. I'm not explaining this very well am I? I told Leonard I wanted to write this part down, but he said -"
"Sheldon. Just take a deep breath and start at the beginning."
"Okay. Do you remember what I told you about Leonard being nervous about his new client?"
I nodded.
"Well, that was true. Have you heard of Don Kripke?"
"The mob boss?"
"Yes. Three years and two months ago, Kripke approached Leonard and forced him to be a part of this long-term project he was planning. I won't go into the details right now, but let's just say this scam would be worth hundreds of millions. Well, being the stand-up guy Leonard is, he immediately went to the Feds with this information. Which is where Raj and I come in."
To say I was shocked didn't quite cover it.
"You mean...?"
"Yes. Raj and I are undercover Special Agents with the FBI."
"Oh, God. And I suppose you can back that up with a badge?"
"Yeah. It's um...it's in the breast pocket of the jacket you're wearing."
Oh, yeah. I was still wearing his suit jacket. I reached in the breast pocket and pulled out his wallet. His wallet that contained an FBI ID card and badge. I suddenly really needed to hear the rest of his story. Maybe there would be something in it that would make this all okay. Forgivable.
"Go on."
"So, Raj and I were supposed to stick close to Leonard in a way that wouldn't tip off Kripke, so I was made his partner and Raj was assigned to the office across the hall. It was a perfect arrangement. And everything went smoothly for a long while. But then...then everything started happening all at once. Kripke started to make his move, Raj and Howard got together, you and Leonard broke up and he started seriously seeing Leslie, which meant you were now free and I could actually be with the woman I was falling in love with."
This time I had plenty of notice, but the tears came anyway.
"After Leonard, I was scared to get into another serious relationship, but...it was YOU. And this THING sizzling between us, and I...I just couldn't seem to stop myself."
This time, Sheldon didn't stop moving forward until he took me in his arms and gave me a very firm, very thorough, kiss. Maybe I shouldn't have let him, but I didn't have the strength nor the will to shove him away. He moved us over to a recliner and pulled me into his lap. We sat there while he continued his story.
"You see, Raj and I knew that not everyone connected to this case would make it, and even though that was acceptable to our superiors, it was absolutely unacceptable to us. So, we devised our own plan. Once the job started to go down, we would turn the tables on Kripke. But we only had a window of four days while Kripke was out-of-town firming up some details. First Leonard would leave with the money, buying a pre-agreed upon private island. Next, we would all start leaving for the island one-by-one, until it was just you and me left. Then I would keep an eye on you and make sure you were just a step behind us until the right time. Penny, just so you know, I wanted to let you in from the very beginning, but I was outvoted."
"I think I understand. Everyone was in love, and wanted to make sure their loved ones got a clean get-away in case I decided to snitch, right?"
"The very idea is preposterous."
I kissed him on the neck.
"Yes...um...well. Ah. Um. Penny. Penny!"
I reluctantly withdrew and he sighed.
"As much as I would love to give you all the details and make-out with you, and not necessarily in that order, we don't have the time. We need to leave right now if we're going to join our friends. Because, you should know, I'm not leaving without you."
Could I leave everything and run away with him?
"Penny?"
But what was left that I would really be leaving?
"Penny?"
This whole situation was crazy, but I knew what I had to do.
"Penny?"
The Case of the Disappearing Friend (5/5)
Penny woke up when she felt someone rubbing the side of her face.
"What? Huh? What's going on?"
"You were asleep, Penny. I called your name three times, but you wouldn't wake up. Also, you were drooling on my T-shirt which I find totally unacceptable."
Blinking rapidly, she sat up and looked around. They were still in the darkened theater where the most boring film festival ever was still going on. Judging from the empty room, she guessed she had slept through the last half of the movie they were watching and everyone else had already left.
"I was not - wait. Were you just rubbing my face? And where are the rest of the guys?"
"To answer your first question - yes, I was. My mother used to gently rub my face to wake me up, so I decided to implement that method with you. As for Leonard, Raj and Howard, they decided they needed a potty slash refreshment break."
"Oh. Do you want to find them, now?"
"And risk missing the start of the next film? No, thank you." He paused a moment before he continued, as if considering how to phrase what he wanted to say next. "Penny, before you awoke, you said something in your sleep and I was wondering from what context it was derived."
"You mean, what was it I was dreaming about?"
Sheldon sighed. "Yes, Penny, that is what I meant."
"Um...well, I - I don't really remember, sweetie. What exactly did I say?"
"You said," his voice softened and turned a little breathy in what she assumed was an imitation of the tone she had used, "'You don't have to, Sheldon. Let's go.'"
Penny stared into his bright blue eyes, at a loss for words. The tone of voice he used was gentle and loving, and she really wished she could remember what she had been dreaming about.
"I'm sorry, all I remember was that it was weird and maybe a little scary, but that it ended really good. I can't remember any details."
"That is regrettable, but understandable. People rarely remember their dreams, but I thought I would take a chance since you mentioned me by name."
"Yeah, I don't blame you. I'd be pretty curious, too."
They drifted into silence. She wanted to go find the others, but for some reason she just couldn't seem to leave Sheldon. She felt like if she did it would be some kind of betrayal, which was ridiculous. Shaking off the feeling, Penny stood up.
"I'm going to get some snacks and a drink. Do you want anything?"
Sheldon smiled at her. "No, thank you."
"Okay, well...I'll be right back."
She had only taken a couple of steps, when he abruptly grabbed her wrist. And with the hot tingle that came at his touch, she suddenly remembered everything.
"Sheldon?"
He seemed to be a little startled, and he stared at his hand for a few seconds before he snatched it back. He avoided her eyes while he scrubbed his hand against his thigh.
"I - I changed my mind. I would like a Diet Coke, please."
"Sure, but...Sheldon? I kinda remember my dream now."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
Penny sat down and slowly placed her hand on top of his, and it stopped moving. To her astonishment, he didn't move away. She studied his expression, and it seemed to be a mixture of curiosity, confusion and...maybe...was that...pleasure?
The lights flashed and the speaker came on announcing that the next movie would start in five minutes. Sheldon slid his hand away.
"If you are going to get our refreshments, you better leave now so as not to miss the beginning of the next film."
Disappointed (though she didn't know exactly what she had been expecting), she stood up and was about to move away when his next words stopped her as effectively as his grip on her wrist did the first time.
"After the film festival we could discuss your dream in detail, if you would like."
Penny grinned.
"I would really like that, Sheldon."
"Good. Now go."
Rolling her eyes but with her grin still firmly in place, Penny walked away thinking that maybe this film festival wasn't so boring, after all.