Bimbo Water Act II: Investigations, aftermath, and new beginnings
Lake Point Police Headquarters, three hours later
Detective Alec Bartlett had no idea what to make of this situation. A few hours ago, twenty-two almost cartoonishly attractive young women, dressed in provocative outfits, had been brought in to the station. They had been arrested after several callers tipped the authorities off about an attack on the water supply facility. The whole situation sounded insane, ludicrous even. Over half of the arrested were claiming to have been men changed into women by some chemical.
Bartlett had tried to question four of them. The one who called herself Jerrie clearly knew nothing about what was going on. A complete and total bimbo, obsessed with looking sexy and finding attractive guys. The weird thing was, the others were claiming to have been just like that, changed by something called 'Bimbo Water' until something happened to restore their minds but not their bodies.
The second person Bartlett tried questioning was the one known as 'Steph' or 'Steve'. She was clearly completely traumatized by an ordeal and did not wish to talk about it. She said vague things about being lured into a pool, but was clearly too ashamed of something to go into details. Their superior officer of the precinct, Lieutenant Hector Post, advised against further questioning until they could contact one of the local psychology experts.
The other two claimed that they had just gone outside to investigate a disturbance in their neighborhood when they saw six high school boys and two high school girls, drenched with water from a fire hose, change into attractive big-breasted women in front of them, as their clothes dissolved. It was then that the two and three of their neighbors were drenched in water from the same hose, and found themselves also changing. Things became hazy for them. They found themselves obeying the orders of some strange man because they believed he was the smartest person there, though they didn't know why.
He turned to one of his fellow detectives, Detective Maura Dunbar. Maura was a clever red-headed young woman who'd only recently transferred to the Lake Point Police Department from another city. She, too, had been questioning some of the suspects, and shown more patience than Bartlett had.
"This whole thing sounds insane. A mad scientist with a chemical that changes people's bodies and minds?" Bartlett said. "I'm getting nowhere so far. What have they been telling you?"
"I'm inclined to believe them." Maura said. "First I questioned Amber Levine and Melissa Smith. They were very willing to cooperate, and could easily prove their identities. They said they'd heard a mad scientist had lured three jocks from their school to his house so he could test some crazy experiment on them. They claimed that they, and six more of the jocks, had been sprayed by a fire hose filled with 'Bimbo Water' when they came to rescue their friends. They said they felt like they were under the influence of some drug that dulled their minds, and swore they'd never go along with an evil plan to put a chemical in the water supply without it. They told me to speak to Lisa Donovan, who told them she was the mad scientist's ex-wife."
"Then Adamson and I questioned Ricki and Bobbi. Ricki claimed to be a pizza deliveryman who was kidnapped by Jerry Chance and forced to drink what looked to be ordinary water, but transformed him physically and mentally, giving him the body of an immature hormone-driven frat boy's wet dream and the personality of a bimbo. Bobbi told a similar story but claimed to be a newspaper carrier. They also claimed they'd never have gone along with the plan if they'd been in their right minds, which they swear they weren't."
"Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?" Bartlett replied. "Half the people we've questioned are claiming they used to be guys, for crying out loud! And they're saying some crazy scientist with a bimbo obsession made them that way and wanted to do the same to the whole town? This is like some bad 'adult' movie parody of a B-movie, and you say you're willing to believe them?"
"I know it sounds crazy." Dunbar replied. "But something tells me they believe every word of what they say, and I think they're telling the truth. Adamson is questioning the one claiming she's Randy Goodman right now. He has a hunch that Randy knows even more about this than the others we've questioned."
"That's Adamson for you." Bartlett said. "He seems to think there's a lot more going on with Lake Point than meets the eye."
"Anyway, I'm going to question Lisa Donovan now." Maura said.
"I think I'll watch that one from behind the one-way mirror." Bartlett said. "You seem to be better at getting information out of these people than I am. Or maybe I'm just questioning the wrong people. But she's your suspect."
And so Detective Maura Dunbar entered the interrogation room. Lisa Donovan sat on the other side of the table, looking a bit impatient. "Finally." Lisa said. "I've been waiting for you to get to me."
"I understand you know who the mastermind of this whole operation is, and why everything happened." Maura said, as she sat down opposite Lisa. "Can you tell me about this Dr. Chance?"
Lisa gave a bitter chuckle. "Where do I begin? The man was my ex-husband. Emphasis on the ex. We met in college. He seemed like he was a brilliant science student, but even back then he had these problems with women, judging them on how they looked. Every so often, he'd say something like 'She'd look great if she dressed like this'. Thing is, I was impressed by his work in chemistry and thought he'd be a renowned genius with the right encouragement. He had the talent to really make a difference in the world, but he wasted it."
Lisa went on. "Looking back, I don't know why I married him, or how it lasted two years. I guess I thought I could steer him in the right direction. But after two years, it became clear he was never going to change."
Lisa then launched into a long story about her marriage to Dr. Jerry Chance, and how all his worst qualities in college seemed magnified during those two terrible years. The sexist, controlling behavior. The obsession with women dressed in sexy outfits. The clear disdain he had for women with intelligence. How he became angry when Lisa wouldn't be his obedient sex object or dress in any of the dozens of sexy outfits he'd bought. How he opposed Lisa's seeking a promotion at her job instead of remaining a secretary. Lisa went on and on in great detail about the various incidents leading up to their divorce five years ago.
Detective Bartlett, observing through the one-way mirror, noted how Detective Dunbar did not interrupt Ms. Donovan's story at all, but merely nodded sympathetically. Lisa Donovan was telling them far more than they ever wanted to know. Bartlett wasn't sure if he'd let her rant or ask her to skip ahead to the so-called Bimbo Water.
Maura, meanwhile, listened patiently. It was clear that not only did Ms. Donovan have a lot to get off her chest, but hearing the whole story would give great insight as to why things happened the way they did. And she could sympathize. Maura had run into her fair share of men who objectified women, and her older sister had broken up with a boyfriend for similar reasons. That boyfriend was a jerk, but it sounded like this Dr. Jerry Chance was an even bigger jerk.
"Anyway, five years after our divorce, he has the nerve to order me to come to his house. As if he'd forgotten that his ordering me around was why I divorced him in the first place. But he clearly hadn't forgotten. His using me as his first test subject was his revenge on me, I know."
Lisa described the meeting at Dr. Chance's house, and how she was shoved into the pool. She described the horror she felt as the changes sunk in, until she was the dimwitted bimbo Jerry wanted her to be. She told of how, in her reduced mental capacity, she eagerly obeyed Dr. Chance and took part in his plan. "But that wasn't me. I don't know what happened to cure us - I don't remember drinking or being sprayed with some anti-Bimbo Water or something, not that Jerry would have created such a thing - but as soon as our minds were cured, we wanted no part of it anymore."
She finished the story describing how she and the others cornered Dr. Chance and forced him to drink his own Bimbo Water, turning him into the dimwitted bimbo called Jerrie, and how she convinced everyone to turn themselves in and explain things to the police. "So that's the story, detective. Take it or leave it."
Maura nodded. "You know what? I'm inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't even blame you for what you did to Dr. Chance, though I would have liked it if you'd just turned him in so he could stand trial. It would be tricky convincing a jury that the Bimbo Water is real, especially since it'd be unethical to test it on anyone. But I think we could have found enough evidence against him."
"If you need to charge someone, I accept full responsibility." Lisa said. "I should have seen this coming years ago. Because I didn't, those high school jocks and the others are stuck in their new bodies. Their lives are ruined enough without having to do jail time for something they'd never do in their right minds. They're the victims here, so just let them go. Get them the therapy and the legal help they need, but let them go."
Maura stood up to go. "We'll let you know. In the meantime, I suggest you contact your lawyer or anyone else you need. We'll be speaking to the district attorney's office soon."
Detective Dunbar then joined Detective Bartlett in the observation area outside the interrogation room. She turned to Bartlett. "Well, you heard her. What do you think of her story?"
"Don't get me wrong. This whole thing is still crazy." Bartlett said. "But I think I'm ready to believe her. She doesn't seem mentally ill at all. And which scenario is more absurd? This 'Bimbo Water' business or she and the others playing some elaborate joke on the police? I think she's telling the truth, or at least thinks she is."
"Her story matches with the others'." Maura replied. "For what it's worth, I believe her. The problem is, what will the DA's office think? If this goes to trial, would a jury believe them?"
At this point, Lieutenant Post arrived. "Adamson already finished questioning Randy Goodman. She claimed that she ... he was a high school jock and he and his friends were invited to a midnight pool party, and the one called 'Steve' jumped into the pool and changed into the 'Steph' we have detained here. Among other things."
"Where's Adamson now?" Bartlett asked.
"Detective Adamson obtained Dr. Chance's address from Randy Goodman. He's headed there now, with two officers as backup." Post replied. "He says he wants to search the place for evidence that confirms the suspects' stories."
"The place should be deserted now." Maura said. "But I hope he knows what he's doing."
