James Brighton Society, Chapter 5: Pages 9-10
Page 9, 5 Panels- Grem's Apartment, Washington D.C.
Panel 1-4: A four-part set of panels that compose the different photographs at parties thrown in the JBS compound that are found on the newspapers. Each one is similar in that we see Sir Jones (aka the Grand Vizier) schmoozing it up with luminaries from different fields of endeavor who attended them- actress Betty Grable and actor Ronald Reagan (Panel 1), Senate Minority Leader Charles McNary along with Majority Leader Barkley (Panel 2), scientist Howard Florey (Panel 3) and Texas Senator Tom Connally (Panel 4).
GREM [narration caption, Panel 1]: They kept it mostly glossy, sticking to fluff and overall feelgood stuff for the people raising money for the troops abroad. GREM [Cont. caption, Panel 2]: Or something about a pet cause here at home they're lobbying Congress for... GREM [Cont. caption, Panel 3]: It's all designed to help the organization milk some money from some deep pocketed bigwigs and get them to become members. It is also has the added benefit of making them look wholesome and patriotic... DET. RANDOLPH [interjecting, caption 2; Panel 3]: To any Joe Friday looking at them on TV or in the damn paper. GREM [caption, Panel 4]: Precisely. An organization doesn't stay as secret as long as they have without knowing how to cover their arses. DET. RANDOLPH [caption 2, Panel 4]: Whoa--there!
Panel 5: Cut to a shot of the good Detective, seated in the same part of the couch that we saw her at back in the previous page. Her eyes have noticed something that sparks her curiosity and intrigue. You can see the plate of boxty that is 1/2 eaten around the bottom of the panel view, placed on top of some of the other newspapers that Tasha's already viewed at this point.
GREM [Off-Panel, to Det. Randolph]: What is it? DET. RANDOLPH [to Grem, fueled by her thought as it bursts from her mouth]: The goon behind the Senator--I've seen him before. GREM [intrigued, Bubble 2]: You have?
Page 10, 6 Panels- Grem's Apartment, Washington D.C.
Panel 1: Same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. She places the newspaper she was reading back on top of the food plate. Her eyes squarely focused on Grem, though the good Detective spends a second picturing the precise scenario from which she remembers the man. DET. RANDOLPH [Cont.]: His name's Charles Briggs. He's the Senator's Deputy Chief of Staff. Reese and I got stonewalled by him when we were going around the Hill. The little bastard said, right to my face, that his boss "Had never heard of the James Brighton Society."
Panel 2: Cut to Grem in mid-chew, finishing off the rest of the plate of food. There's a degree of intrigue in his eyes, following along on the train of thought that Tasha had laid out. You can see the same messy background that you saw in the previous panel as well as the end of the previous page, including the glow of a few stray beams of sunlight from the window.
GREM [to Det. Randolph]: Which, thanks to this photo, we know now is a crock'a shite!
Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. A second later, Grem stands up from his chair, holding the plate and the fork on top of it with his left hand. You can see his now closed notebook gripped in his right hand on its way to the other end of the coffee table to place it. His eyes, as was the case in the previous panel, are focused squarely in the Detective's direction as he speaks.
GREM [Cont., curious]: Want me to take care of that plate for ya?
Panel 4-5: A two-part set of panels that moves back to Ms. Randolph in a similar setting and layout to what we saw at the top of the page. In Panel 4, she leans back on the couch, watching as the immortal Irishman moves toward her. In the next panel, moments later, the plate disappears from view; Grem's hand appears in view, holding the edge of the plate.
DET. RANDOLPH [doesn't care on that, Panel 4]: Sure, knock yourself out. DET. RANDOLPH [Cont., switching to the business at hand; Panel 5]: It's a government building, so security's gonna be big. You have any magic tricks, like the hospital, up your sleeve that can get us in the door?
Panel 6: Cut to Grem near the kitchen, laughing hysterically at the question. His back is primarily to the reader at this point, save for his Both of his hands grip their respective plates and utensils as he makes his way to the kitchen sink (visible in the background along with some cabinets and the top of the refrigerator) to place them inside.
GREM [confidently]: Just my usual combo of charm and badassery!