Oliver's Introduction

Introducing Oliver Lupine

Oliver Lupine is already laying awake on his old lumpy couch in his living room, in his Apartment on the lower east side. He was staring at the crack on the ceiling thinking that he needs to call someone to get it checked out when his wife’s phone begins to buzz in the bedroom. The most annoying buzzing and beeping you’d ever hear, it was like nails being scratched on the chalkboard, ‘Who would want to wake up to that sound every morning’ he thought and he remembered that he woke to that horrible sound every morning. His wife who is used to the sound by now just turns over and ignores her phone. He gets up from his uncomfortable couch and rides on his stationary bike for 30 min ignoring the buzzing In that time his wife has woken up and gone to the kitchen to cook some breakfast. When she walked past him she didn’t say a word and neither did he. ‘She’s still mad from last night’ he thought but ignored it and continued to peddle his bike faster. This is how Oliver always vents his frustration. He always enjoyed biking when he wanted to let off some steam. He can work his day out on the bike or think about a case.

Oliver is very forward a can be very insensitive when he wants to be. He is thin but has a muscular body with average height. He has short brown salt and pepper hair, which he always slicks back neatly and his eyes are hazel brown. Oliver is in his early 30s. He doesn’t stand out in the crowd; he looks just like every one else, very ordinary.

            He always tries to see the good in people and tries to be on good terms with everyone around him, but he can’t help but see the negative in people too, a product of his profession. He makes it a point not to judge people and he is liked for it, its important to him that he is well liked. Oliver is loyal to his friends always being there for them sometimes without question. He is disciplined having gone to military school as a child and lives by a code of honor and morality that has been instilled in him since he was a boy, well at least a teenager he had a rebellious 2 years, but that was in another life.  

His bookcases are neatly filled with books but some remain empty, none a left near a couch or table. The different books are in different languages and on a variety of different subjects. When he finishes his bike ride he hops into the shower and cleans off the sweat.

Pictures of his family decorate the plain white walls. On the mantel are pictures of Oliver and his wife, Bridget, on their wedding day. His suits sit in his closet neatly organized everything in its proper place. He even keeps the plastic from the dry cleaners on till the last min so not to get any dirt or dust on the shirts. He pays attention to every detail both in his professional and personal life. He wants to look respectable and presentable. His apartment is a reflection of himself, very nice a tidy. His apartment is not the biggest in the city, but its one of the more spacious and its located in one of the most popular areas in New York, Chelsea. His wife owns and operates a few arts and crafts stores in the area and it has been quite successful and their apartment is pleasantly situated from her work.

Oliver’s living room is very open and spacious and can easily fit a party of 10 people to move around comfortably. He has beautiful drapes that cover his tall windows. His wife picked them out of course. His bedroom is filled with bright colors and light comes into the apartment in the morning making it very bright in the day and very dark at night.

Oliver puts on his grey suit with a white shirt underneath. He picked out a light blue tie from his closet and rolled into his pocket. ‘I’ll put it on before I head into the office’ he thought as he rolled his tie and went into the kitchen and begins to eat his breakfast and reading the paper. He doesn’t acknowledging his wife’s existence. They are still cold to one another from the fight they had the night before, and at the moment they are still very strained.

-“What does it say about Tom?” Asked Bridget.

Bridget is a caring woman who is in her mid twenties and is finishing school and she owns and operates a few arts and crafts stores, which she operates with her father. She has long blond hair, the color of honey that comes down to the small of her back; she is very tall with bright blue eyes. She could have been a model if she realized how much more beautiful she actually is. She is completely submissive to her husband; she seems to be afraid to tell him what is truly on her mind, afraid to upset him. She feels like she has to walk around eggshells around him. There are times she feels Oliver can over power her, probably from his military upbringing, she feels that he can sometimes convinces her to his way of thinking, he can be very persuasive when he wants to be, as if he was a Jedi and all he had to do was wave his hand and she did what he told her. He didn’t have a bad temper, but when he was mad at her he wasn’t afraid to show it, but never in a physical way. Today is such a day.

Oliver continued to read the paper as if she didn’t just ask him a question. Bridget is not feeling to be ignored this morning especially after having a fight the night before.

-“What does it say about Tom?” She asked again loader as if he was an old man losing his hearing.

-“Just different sightings and rumors; one person claims to have had drinks with him and played poker, and won $10,000, its probably a lie to sell a story to the paper.”

-“Are you sure? It’s possible Tom lost a hand of poker or even a few.” Said Bridget naively.

- “No its not, I’ve never known Tom to lose.” He tells her. He has worked with Tom for almost 8 years and knows him better than most. He has seen him gamble in AC to Reno to Las Vegas to Monte Carlo and in each city he has always gone home with more money in his pocket than when he arrived. Tom Is the best card player Oliver has ever seen and has never seen Tom lose, he could have been a professional gambler traveling the world playing poker or blackjack or even craps and make a great living at it.”.

-“Is that the only sighting?” she continued.

-“No, there are more, one less likely then the other, but who really knows.”

-“Shouldn’t you know?” Asked Bridget sharply. Oliver peered through her from above the Newspaper.

-“Well he’s your partner isn’t he?”, she continued, “and you don’t know where he is, aren’t you worried?” said spoke up.

- “This is just what he does Bridget when he’s bored”. Said Oliver reassuring her looking back down to his paper. “He solves a case, he celebrates the win and now he’s waiting for the next case to fall on his lap”. He turns the page. ”Once it does, he’ll be back. So no I’m not too worried. Don’t you have work today”? He asks her to divert the topic away from himself.

-“I have to be there at noon today, remember we talked about this last night.” She said annoyed with him.

-“I want to forget all about last night”. Said Oliver avoiding the elephant in the room that is causing so much tension between them.

-“We have to talk about this eventually.” She said

-“I don’t see why”.

-“You don’t see why?” she asked confused and a little angry, but she did not want to start the fight all over again. She wanted to gain courage first and the way she’s been behaving this morning it seems that she has finally found some.

-“I can’t talk about this right now, I’m going to be late for work, and I have to get to the office.” Said Oliver putting his newspaper down and taking one last spoon of his oatmeal.

-“To do what? You don’t have a case, your partner is missing I’m sure you have enough time to talk to your wife”. She said.

-“Like you said my partner is missing and that is my case plus I have some other work to get to, I’ve been putting it off. We will talk about all this later when I come home tonight, I promise”. Lied Oliver. He thanks her for breakfast and kisses her on the fore head before he leaves for work.  

On the elevator ride up Oliver starts to put on his tie using the reflective glass from the elevator door. As soon as the elevator door opens on the 17 floor of the complex, he is greeted by Katherine Berman. He has not seen Katherine in over 3 years, but she looks exactly like he remembered. Stern face like she is getting bad news all the time, like everything about life irritates her. He frequently speaks to her on the phone during conference meeting regarding the New York office among other things, but they haven’t spoken face to face in years and he was glad for it. She was wearing her skirt suit she always does when she wants to be taken seriously which was all the time. This meant nothing good for Oliver. 

Oliver sees Katherine and speaks to her as they walk to his office at the end of the hall.

-“Katherine it’s been a long time, you look amazing what brings you back to New York. How long has it been 3 years, 4 years?”

-“7. And I’m here Det. Lupine for many reasons one of which is this”. She hands Oliver the morning newspaper. He hated how she called him by his last name, but that was Katherine showing her power over people, she only spoke someone’s first name if she respected him or her. “Did you see this?”

-“Oh he’s made the front page again, it’s not a very good picture is it?” Handing it back to Katherine a huge smile on his face. “The Headline could be better too.”

On the front page of the Post is a picture of a candid Thomas Candle running around downtown and the caption reads: Missing, Lost or Runaway: Where is Det. Thomas Candle?

-“I’m glad you can find amusement in this Det. Lupine. I can assure you I do not”. Katherine snapped.

-“No such thing as bad publicity, right. Besides it’s not the first time he’s gone miss…”

-“Or the last I imagine”. Said Katherine interrupting him.

-“Katherine”, said Oliver.

-“Mrs. Berman if you don’t mind, Det. Lupine” she corrected him.

- “I will only ask you once, Where is he?” she asked before Oliver could finish his thought.

Oliver takes a moment to choose his words carefully he doesn’t want to make her any angrier than she already is.

-“ I don’t know… exactly,” said Oliver.

-“What do you mean you don’t know…. Exactly?” repeated Katherine not satisfied with his answer and Oliver could read it all over her face. He had a talent for reading faces. “What does that mean?”

-“It’s just his process”. Oliver begins to explain.

 -“When he finishes a case he goes off the grid for a little while, you know to reboot. Think of it like a mini vacation and he always comes back refreshed and busy with a new and interesting case”.

-“And no one knows where he is vacationing?”

-“There have been some sightings.”

-“Oh come on! You make it sound like he’s big foot or the Lacunas Monster”. Katherine said with all seriousness in her voice.

-“You’ll have a better chance of finding Bigfoot”. Said Oliver under his breath.

-“And how about you?” She asked when they got to his office. He sat down at his desk and Katherine stood at the door. She continued

-“You’re his partner and his friend someone he trusts and you have no idea where he is?”

-“You think I’m hiding him?”

-“Or protecting him.”

-“Protecting him ha, he doesn’t need my protection besides I’m one of the poor fools out looking for him. Everyday.” He stressed.

-“Not very hard it would seem” Katherine said looking around his office.

-“Because like you said Mrs. Berman I know Tom and he’ll be back; you know he can’t stay away from all this forever.”

-“Once he has a new case, right?” Said Katherine.

-“Right” Said Oliver opening a new newspaper one that didn’t have Thomas’s face on the cover. Reading the paper leaning back in his chair, putting his feet on his desk and getting more confortable and more confident. Katherine turns to leave.

-“Well I think I may have found that case, and someone to help you in your search for your missing partner.” Said Katherine  

-“Who? And what case?” Asked Oliver confused.