Delusions » Places

         The man in the suit left with a confident, almost cocky air, which Sato found odd, but decided not to question. He muttered a response that neither of the men would hear as his hand went into his jacket to fish out his ID. These two men already gave him a negative impression of the town. The sheriff not so much, though: he was just doing his job. "I'm here on vacation," Sato lied as he passed his open wallet to the sheriff. "A colleague of mine mentioned Bodega Bay as a good place to get away from the hubbub of the city." The sheriff nodded, then returned it to Sato. Just doing his job.

But the man in the suit. He was more than cocky; he was downright smug. Sato knew other smug people, and they were always the ones with power. The PI reminded himself of that as he replaced his helmet on his head. He then mounted his bike and edged forward to the sheriff by his car. "Excuse me," he said, "Where's a good cheap hotel? I don't have family here, but I'm going to be a while, I think."

"There's a Days Inn straight down this street," the sheriff replied, his tone flat and bored. Now that Sato wasn't a danger, he was boring? Hmph.

He thanked the sheriff, kicked the motor into action, and put the helmet's visor down, then pushed a safe distance away before hitting the throttle to head down the street. The Days Inn was only a minute down the street, as the sheriff had said. Sato pulled in, putting his bike in a hidden corner of the lot by the dumpsters before taking two bags from the panniers. One held an emergency change of clothes, useful for disappearing as well as unexpected travel. The other held toiletries, ammo, and some food and water.

He got a single room "indefinitely, bill me later," and settled himself in. Right. First thing would be to find out about this fair.

~~~~~~~~~

Sato found out about the festival's location and time easily, but didn't find out much else in the time before it came. He chalked it up to his uncertainty with how to proceed, and silently hoped he was in Bodega Bay for a legitimate reason. He went to the festival in his regular attire, what he had worn on the trip but had washed in the sink earlier. He figured no reason to dirty two sets of clothes yet. He might yet need to use to the second pair for something else.

At the festival, he found himself at a loss. He couldn't very well go around asking questions, so he just wandered around, playing a game here, buying a treat there, watching all the time for the man in the suit. He boasted of the festival; surely he would be here.