Kelly Duncan ... A Woman on the Edge

[Bulldogs (Duncan + Genesis)]

Valkyrie puts the phone down after speaking to Mike and looks out of the cab window, watching Genesis rushing off to meet Luther. She feels a pang of guilt at having sent him off on a wild goose chase to meet Luther in a bar ... she has no idea if Luther is in the bar or not, she just needed him (and Mike) out of her way for an hour or two so she can do what she needs to do.

Giving the cab driver her destination, she sighs deeply, and then picks up her phone again. The call she'd had from Detroit the previous week had played on her mind ever since. It was a damn good job everybody have been given the week off, there was no way she could have concentrated on a match in her current state of mind!

Finally, she dials the number - knowing she shouldn't be doing this, but believing she has no choice in the matter.

She curses like a Dockyard Navvy as the call goes direct to VoiceMail, and the cabbie chuckles to himself. As the longwinded answerphone message comes to an end, she stumbles over her words.

Valk: Eric .. it's me, Kelly .. Valkyrie .. erm ... we need to talk, just the two of us .. erm .. look Eric, meet me at Flannagan's tonight. I'll be there in 15 minutes and will stay for 2 hours ... it is in both our best interests. You know what it's about.

She hangs up, hoping he picks up the message soon, then sinks back into the seat, closing her eyes to try and alleviate the pounding headache.....

Cabbie: Miss? Hello, Miss! We're here Miss! Oh good, you're awake at last. We're at Flannagan's Miss ....

Slightly embarrassed at having fallen asleep in the back of the cab, she climbs out, tipping him generously, and rushes inside the bar. She finds a seat where she can watch the door, orders a mineral water and waits to see if ETT will show ....

[Eric The Torture]

* After almost an hour and forty five minutes, Valkyrie has had her fill of both waiting and of mineral water. Exhaling a profound sigh, she stands to head to the lady's room before leaving. As she is gathering herself up and paying the bill, she looks up and sees ETT standing in front of the open door, looking around. She stands and attempts to get his attention, but it still takes him about a minute to notice her. He recognizes her and rushes over - Kelly rolls her eyes a bit at his absent mindedness, but puts on her best face as he approaches the table. *

ETT: Kelly - I just got your message. I'm sorry it took so long, but I was in a meeting with some executives regarding my next upcoming movie project and I -

* ETT stops his long-winded explanation as Kelly just looks at him impatiently. He motions for her to sits down, then pulls out a chair and sits down across from her. *

ETT: Look, normally I wouldn't rush over here like this. I've played the part of the fool too many times in the past. But quite frankly, you sounded a little distraught in your message. As it happens, my meeting was just around the corner, so I just stopped in instead of calling you back. What's up?

* Eric motions the waiter over and orders a blueberry daiquiri. The waiter looks at him strangely and goes to get his order. Kelly watches him walk away and starts her explanation. *

Valkyrie: Well, Eric...

* Valkyrie is cut off as the waiter returns very quickly with Eric's drink and sets the huge globe-shaped glass in front of him. It is filled with a blue drink and topped with several umbrellas and a veritable jungle of false greens and skewered fruit garnish. Valkyrie sneers in at the drink as Eric sips at his drink through the two small straws, his eyes never leave Valkyrie. After a moment, Valk ignores his slurping and begins explaining again. *

[Bulldogs (Duncan + Genesis)]

Valk's patience finally runs out, and she slams her fist into the table, knocking bits of the fruit out of Eric's glass.

Valk: Look, you punk! I know what you said to Detroit last week, and I'll tell you exactly what he told you ... BACK OFF!!!

Eric feigns shock at the outburst, and looks upset as he picks up the fruit and tries placing it back in the top of the goldfish-bowl glass in front of him.

ETT: Kelly, calm down darlin ...

Valk: Don't tell me to calm down! I'm sick to death of people sticking their noses into MY business, accusing me of things without a shred of evidence! I'm warning you now - stay the f**k out of my way, and keep that beak of yours where it belongs ... up Pennylane's arse!

Kelly stands up now, glaring at ETT, who is nonchalantly rearanging the foliage in his drink, seemingly totally unfussed about the threat from the Amazonian woman facing him.

Valk: I mean it Eric ... don't do what you're doing! You think Mike is bad when you've crossed him, he's nothing compared to me!

Still seemingly not taking any of this seriously, ETT smiles at her patronisingly, and Valk lashes out, knocking the glass and all its contents flying across the bar!

Valk: You've been f**king well warned!!!

Pushing the table away from her, and into Eric's stomach, she storms off, ignoring the startled looks of the customers, and almost rips the door off its hinges as she opens it to leave ....

[Eric The Torture]

* Eric looks to the gentleman sitting next at the table next to him as the wait staff come running to clean up the blue mess before it can stain the carpeting. *

ETT: That's one classy broad, eh? Women! You can't live with 'em and someone calls the cops on you when you smack 'em! Am I right?

* Eric obnoxiously slaps the man on the back. With a disgusted look on his face, he turns back to his dinner and tries to ignore Eric. Eric, for his part, orders a Black & Tan, then leans back in his chair and considers the door while thinking thoughtful thoughts and stroking his mustache. What's got Valkyrie so upset? What is she trying to warn him away from? What does she have against blueberry daiquiris? How is she involved in this mess with Johnny Detroit? *

ETT: I don't know what's going on here, but I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Something strange is going on if Kelly is concerned about Detroit, and I'm going to find out what - after this drink!

* ETT leans back and enjoys his Black & Tan, still trying to put the pieces together. *