Jacob turns to the newly returned Lilibeth.  I understand.  There isn't much either of us can do here right now, so we'll be heading for Holly's apartment next.  They may have already searched it, but they weren't looking for the same things we are.
He then turns to The Answer.  Thanks, man.  Frankly, you're better at the investigations than I am.  He pauses.  Hey, how much do you know about the Russian mob here?

Despite having rode away, The Answer proves his audio sensors are substantially upgraded. Jacob's phone screams like a howler monkey, indicating a text arriving. [Private to Chimp Man Z: Not as much as I used to. They got into some sort of turf war with a mutant gang down by the docks. Since they reorganized I've been too busy to check them.]

Jacod responds quickly to the text.
[Private to SSOGM: Have you heard of a Russian named Vitali?  AKA, The Provider?
 He was dating Holly.]
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Mon 18 July 2022.

Getting Bellissima's LESP Message he replies...
[Private to group LESPradio: +"Acknowledged 'Belle', I will get right on that and send anything that comes up.  I'm not sure this Vitaly/'Provider' is here in the US legally so he may not have any 'legal' assets or residences on record.  But it can't hurt to look."+]
This message was last edited by the player at 13:12, Mon 18 July 2022.

Bellissima turned toward Jacob and Lillibeth, "Mind if I come with you?  I want to search the place for anything Vitaly might have left there?  I think getting an insight into him might help us with our search."

In reply to Bellissima (msg # 61):

"I'll join you as well.  Can't hurt to have another set of eyes and her penthouse is pretty big."

It takes a bit before Chimp Man Z's phone howls again, The Answer must have decided to pull over so he wouldn't be texting while driving.[Private to Chimp Man Z: +"You mean The Provider. I've got nothing on him, don't even know if he HAS visited Holly's place as no images of him exist to compare to the people that do show up (security camera in the hall). Whoever he's working with (Refuseniks?) has tech savvy that, combined with his reputed mental prowess, has kept them well hidden."+]

Jacob looks at the others.  Just so you realize that it's a police car, not a limo or a taxi.  Not a lot of room.  He glances over at their assigned driver and gives a shrug.  Then his text notification goes off.
He reads the message and responds.  Afterwards, he heads for the car, getting in the front seat after informing the officer of the additional passengers.  We are off to Holly Cook's apartment, he says just before giving the address.
[Private to SSOGM: That is not a very helpful answer, Answer.  Thanks for what you know, though.  At least we have that much information on him now.]

In reply to Chimp Man Z (msg # 64):

There's no way he would be able to fit in the patrol car with all the others.
"On second thought you guys go on ahead.  I'll meet you there.  It's a nice day for a jog.  Don't worry.  It won't take me very long.  I could run across the entire city at full speed without getting tired."
Mae Ha Rga goes into the nearest alley and activates Positive Energy.  He then leaps at the  building to the left, then right, and continues to leap off the walls until he's all the way up to the roof.  At a full sprint he leaps from rooftop to rooftop heading for Holly Cook's apartment building.

Lilibeth just smirks at Jacob, "I don't mind at all!" she tells him. She gets in the back seat of the patrol car and slides over as far as she can maneuver her slim frame. "This is nothing, I've ridden in the center of a humvee before. I had to sit cross-legged. I was practically between the legs of the gunner. Every time we went over a big bump, first his knees would jerk forward and hit me in my back and then my head would recoil and hit his knees. It was super annoying at the time but totally funny afterwards."

"It is fortunate for that 'gunner' that I was not with you then. To treat a priestess of Ishtar with such brazen disregard is an affront to the goddess," Runa comments grumpily. "Maybe but you weren't there and its in the past so why not laugh about it now?"

Runa doesn't respond but Lilibeth knows her soul bound companion isn't happy at the memory. She got that way sometimes whenever she recalled sad or upsetting memories. It caused Runa to not only become aware of them but it was like she lived them, inserted herself into it. It was terribly confusing for them both. This time though, she suspected that it wasn't just the unpleasant experience of the memory but a good dash of her frustration from earlier. Lilibeth decided that she would try and do something nice for her later.

"Thanks Jacob,"  Bellissima nodded at CHZ as she moved into the back seat with Lillibeth, pausing as Maharaja volunteered to run, "Don't forget that Garcia drove here and he can take you."  She reminded the big man as she got into the back seat of the police car with Lillibeth.

She wasn't sure what she could accomplish at Holly's, she was grasping for straws on what to do next.  It sounded like Justicar's plan to try to enter the portal to find Holly was probably going to be the best idea to save Holly.

"And I hope that doesn't happen in this trip," Bellissima tried to make a joke about what sounds like a rather bad situation as she smiled reassuringly at Lillibeth.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:56, Tue 19 July 2022.

That does sound uncomfortable, Jacob chuckles as he takes the shotgun seat, since neither of the women had.  But, as bad as that sounds, you would hate to experience what it takes for me to feel uncomfortable.
You know, besides romantic places with lots of couples, singles events, romance movies nad rom-coms, tank shells, bunker-buster missiles, and fuel-air explosive devices....

With everyone having gone back to Holly Cooks's Senor Garcia pinged the others. Maybe there was something else in NYC to investigate then going back to Holly Cook's apartment.

[Private to group LESPradio: "Has anyone spoken to Holly Cook's ex-boyfriends or co-workers here in NY yet?"]

Bellissima gets dropped off back at the bank, she thanked the officer who drove her before walking into the bank again.  Nodding at the various officers guarding the facility as she went to find Max Pestana.  "Hello Mr Pestana, I am Bellissima and helping with solving the theft.  Do you have a moment to provide me with some information?  I am interested in who the owner of the paintings were.  We think the leader of the thieves might have had a personal interest in them."



After talking with Mr Pestana, she would approach Doctor Alvin Grayson, "Excuse me, Dr Grayson, can you point out which locker the chip was stored in?  There is something I would like to try.  It probably won't work, but it might as well, so worth a shot."  She offered the doctor.   Once Dr Grayson points out the locker the chip was in, Bellissima was reach her hand inside of it and touch the inside, focusing on the psychic impressions she can find, hoping to focus on the last time the locker was opened.

The paintings were owned by an investment group that specializes in modern art, and would have been publicly listed as part of its portfolio.
No impressions are received from the locker.

Having made use of the bank’s facilities, Senor Garcia has changed out of his combat suit and is now wearing his blue suit. But instead of retaining his Glock as a fire arm, he now has his Five-seveN. The bigger hand gun would be harder to conceal, but it had a larger magazine capacity and harder hitting ammunition.

He then headed back to City Center to check out the area surrounding the first portal.

[Private to group LESPradio: I’m headed back to City Center, if these portals are opening up on a schedule, then we need to be prepared for when the one back at City Center opens up. I am going to assess the area and find a few good vantage points.]

Bellissima left the Bank and went to the library where she started looking up information on the paintings, when they last went on auction and any information on who put in bids for the paintings at the auctions to see if any of those people matched the description of Vitali.

At the library she was looked up who created the paintings and then traced their history forward who their owners where in sequence, when they were sold and to who, looking for any controversies attached to the ownership of the paints.  Because of her total recall, all her notes were in her head and instantly accessible for correlation.

Bellissima calls up Justicar to ask if he had actually found a picture of Vitali, [Private to group LESPradio: Justicar do we have an actual picture of Vitali?  If so, please send it to me. ]

Bellissima searched her memory for every mention Holly made of Vitali in her Journal, trying to discover where and how they met.


This message was last edited by the player at 21:01, Tue 26 July 2022.

'Karl' replies across the LESP Secure channel...
[Private to group LESPradio: +This is Karl. Justicar/Hikari is resting now and I am reluctant to wake him. I can inform you that several inquiries made to INTERPOL's criminal records were made. Thus far, no photo of Vitaly/Provider have been located.  No known residences or US assets have been identified as possessions of Vitaly/Provider.+]

Bellissima's eyebrows raised as she was answered by Karl instead of Justicar. [Private to group LESPradio: Thanks Karl, nice talking to you for the first time. ]

The paintings were purchased from the Frazetta estate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Frazetta
Holly doesn't name the men in her diary, instead describing them all like 'blue eyes' or 'nose mole' or 'apple soda'.

As they are on their way back to One Police Plaza, Jacob remains silent,except to answer Señor Garcia's query.
Lillibeth and I paid a visit to Madame Burpofsky, spoke to her coworkers.  She has apparently been private about her relationships.  The only one we know of is Vitali the Provider, a Russian mobster.  But, we have no information about him at this time.

In reply to Chimp Man Z (msg # 77):

[Private to group LESPradio:"What about if we visit the local Russian mob hangout?  They could have some information on how to find or contact Vitali."]
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Thu 28 July 2022.

In reply to Bellissima (msg # 75):

There is a brief pause across the LESP Secure line then Karl replies...
[Private to group LESPradio: +It is nice to speak to you too Bellissima.  I am quite impressed with your Telepathic Ethics.  You demonstrate a most respectful and moral regard for the sovereignty of sapient rights to the privacy of their thoughts.  Hikari should be honored and eager to earn the regard and closer friendship of such a moral and ethic minded young woman and peer as you have proven to be.+]

The compliment is as strange as it is ... unexpected.  Karl's voice is monotone and not cold but calmly neutral in emotion... but  the words are ... kind of suggestive.  Is Hikari's AI trying to match-make?!?

Sitting in the library as she scans through another article, Bellissima responded to Maharaja's idea about questioning the Russian Mob. [Private to group LESPradio: That is an idea, Maharaja.  But we don't know enough info on local mobs or have the proper reputation to be able to get anything useful in the time frame we have to find Holly.  Hopefully the New York Detectives or Heroines will be able to follow up on Vitali.]

She reads about the family drama and how Frank Frazetta didn't want his pictures to be sold and how it nearly caused one of his sons to go to jail for robbery. As she answered Karl's request for information, [Private to group LESPradio: "Thanks Karl.  I look forward to working with Hikari more."]  She completely missed the possible match-making Karl was attempting, since she didn't see Hikari or any man in that way.  Realizing that she had run into another dead end, she packed up and caught the train back to Central City.

Fortunately, she had designed her outfit so that it could pass as everyday wear, she just changed out her glasses, let her hair out of her ponytail and most people wouldn't look twice at her, well at her face anyway.

Once she got home, she would call into Officer Januchowski that she had returned home, then she would enter a deep meditation to recover her energies. This case was taking up a whole lot more of her time than she had expected.  She was going to have get some writing on her thesis paper done in the morning.

Since Bellissima is going back to Center City Mae Ha Rga will head back over to Holly Cook's penthouse to join back up with Chimp Man Z and Runa.