Bugsy's Search

Bugsy’s Search

Day 4 (cont)
Bugalu
2302 Hrs

Bugalu wasn't surprised when a young woman answered the door in a flimsy night robe. Her confusion turned to anger as soon as she saw him. "Blast it, Bugalu, I told you she isn't here!"

"She's got to be here." He walked past her to the middle of the bedroom. Barely aware of the man in Della's bed - or of Della and her lack of attire - he stared at the other half of the room. I've looked everywhere. She's got to be someplace. There's got to be something here to give me a clue. But what? Everything's neat and tidy, just like always.

"She was with MacGregor for supper," Ryan stated.

"I know," Bugalu stated absently. Why'd she pick a holo-photo of just me and her for the bedside table? Maybe one with Matt is too painful. He glanced at the other man. "They didn't leave the mess hall together, if you're trying to insinuate something."

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe they got together again later."

Bugalu snorted and turned to Della. "Did she give any clue where she was going? Or when she'd be back?"

"No."

"She must have said something! You didn't pick a stupid fight with her!"

Della sighed, sat on her bed, looking thoughtful. "She came in about 1730. I was in the other room. She had a clipboard. She came into the bedroom and put the clipboard ... someplace. She grabbed a pair of pants, mumbled she had a debt to repay, and I shouldn't wait up. So she didn't plan to be back tonight!"

"Don't be daft," he muttered. What debt? What clipboard? I don't see a clipboard. "You mean she grabbed a change of clothes," he stated. Della must have had company, even that early, or Mac would have changed then. Maybe she changed in the gym locker room.

"No, all she carried out was slacks."

She wouldn't be running around without a shirt. So she's either still in uniform - in which case, why take pants with her? - or she's someplace where a shirt's optional. In which case, pants would be, too, so why take them? No, that's stupid. I'm missing something. "Tell me about the clipboard."

"I don't know anything! She came into the bedroom with it, she didn't have it when she left, but I haven't seen it. What's so important about it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He opened drawers, but they were mostly empty. Mac with a clipboard? If it doesn't fit in a pocket, and it isn't liquid fire, she doesn't want to be bothered. Why would she have it? Anything she wanted to know would be in the ship's computer. Space, she did get rid of all of her clothes! It doesn't look like anybody lives here!

Not having found a clipboard, he rummaged through the closet. Two clean uniforms. Not even a robe or nightgown. Does she sleep naked? No, I am not going to think about that. She wouldn't feel safe in nothing. He turned to consider Mac's undisturbed bed carefully. Stepping over, he lifted the edge of the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked.

"Looking for the clipboard," Bugalu returned. "And there it is." He glanced at the clipboard's readout. Her shore leave authorization. All 3 days, signed by Mr Smythe. Don't know how Abdulla did it, but she did. Only fair, after -- Wait. Mac was worried she wouldn't get any leave, and here he authorized all 3 days. At the last minute. She would have felt ... Uh oh. Like she owed him a very big favor. Combine that with... puppy love, and-- "Blast!" He tossed the clipboard back into the bed's base and replaced the mattress.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked. "What's on the clipboard?"

Bugalu stopped his rush for the door, remembering the man loved juicy gossip. "Her shore leave plans. She's busy tomorrow, so I need to modify mine."

"She made plans that didn't include you? I'd break up with her, if I were you."

"What a rotten thing to say!" Della declared.

"He thinks if there's trouble between us, he'll have a chance with Mac," Bugalu stated. "She's going shopping, Ryan. Something I didn't want to do, but I didn't know when she planned it. Sorry to have been a pest, Della. Remind me to make it up to you."

"I will," she promised with a grin, and he escaped.

Bugalu wasn't surprised when a young woman answered the door in a flimsy night robe. Her confusion turned to anger as soon as she saw him. "Blast it, Bugalu, I told you she isn't here!"

"She's got to be here." He walked past her to the middle of the bedroom. Barely aware of the man in Della's bed - or of Della and her lack of attire - he stared at the other half of the room. I've looked everywhere. She's got to be someplace. There's got to be something here to give me a clue. But what? Everything's neat and tidy, just like always.

"She was with MacGregor for supper," Ryan stated.

"I know," Bugalu stated absently. Why'd she pick a holo-photo of just me and her for the bedside table? Maybe one with Matt is too painful. He glanced at the other man. "They didn't leave the mess hall together, if you're trying to insinuate something."

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe they got together again later."

Bugalu snorted and turned to Della. "Did she give any clue where she was going? Or when she'd be back?"

"No."

"She must have said something! You didn't pick a stupid fight with her!"

Della sighed, sat on her bed, looking thoughtful. "She came in about 1730. I was in the other room. She had a clipboard. She came into the bedroom and put the clipboard ... someplace. She grabbed a pair of pants, mumbled she had a debt to repay, and I shouldn't wait up. So she didn't plan to be back tonight!"

"Don't be daft," he muttered. What debt? What clipboard? I don't see a clipboard. "You mean she grabbed a change of clothes," he stated. Della must have had company, even that early, or Mac would have changed then. Maybe she changed in the gym locker room.

"No, all she carried out was slacks."

She wouldn't be running around without a shirt. So she's either still in uniform - in which case, why take pants with her? - or she's someplace where a shirt's optional. In which case, pants would be, too, so why take them? No, that's stupid. I'm missing something. "Tell me about the clipboard."

"I don't know anything! She came into the bedroom with it, she didn't have it when she left, but I haven't seen it. What's so important about it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He opened drawers, but they were mostly empty. Mac with a clipboard? If it doesn't fit in a pocket, and it isn't liquid fire, she doesn't want to be bothered. Why would she have it? Anything she wanted to know would be in the ship's computer. Space, she did get rid of all of her clothes! It doesn't look like anybody lives here!

Not having found a clipboard, he rummaged through the closet. Two clean uniforms. Not even a robe or nightgown. Does she sleep naked? No, I am not going to think about that. She wouldn't feel safe in nothing. He turned to consider Mac's undisturbed bed carefully. Stepping over, he lifted the edge of the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked.

"Looking for the clipboard," Bugalu returned. "And there it is." He glanced at the clipboard's readout. Her shore leave authorization. All 3 days, signed by Mr Smythe. Don't know how Abdulla did it, but she did. Only fair, after -- Wait. Mac was worried she wouldn't get any leave, and here he authorized all 3 days. At the last minute. She would have felt ... Uh oh. Like she owed him a very big favor. Combine that with... puppy love, and-- "Blast!" He tossed the clipboard back into the bed's base and replaced the mattress.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked. "What's on the clipboard?"

Bugalu stopped his rush for the door, remembering the man loved juicy gossip. "Her shore leave plans. She's busy tomorrow, so I need to modify mine."

"She made plans that didn't include you? I'd break up with her, if I were you."

"What a rotten thing to say!" Della declared.

"He thinks if there's trouble between us, he'll have a chance with Mac," Bugalu stated. "She's going shopping, Ryan. Something I didn't want to do, but I didn't know when she planned it. Sorry to have been a pest, Della. Remind me to make it up to you."

"I will," she promised with a grin, and he escaped.