Private Dick: Chapter Eight: A Bite from Snooky's Worth Two Bumps on the Head

   After a quick stop at the emergency room, I decided I should take another look at Johns’ file; I headed over to the police station. When I arrived they informed me that Jackie wasn’t on duty. I decided it was probably best I didn’t bother her again anyway. I snuck around into one of the empty offices to bring up the file myself. Again that creepy green light filed the room when I switched on the monitor. I typed in William Johns and waited for the file to pop up, instead the words “File Unobtainable” began flashing at me. I typed the name again; same message. On a hunch I typed in Caroline Fry; again the taunting “File Unobtainable” flickered mockingly at me. This was an inside job. There was a dirty cop here somewhere who didn’t want me looking thru those files again, but who. I needed to find Jackie. I was about to rise from the chair when I felt the ever to familiar feeling of something hitting the back of my head. Everything went pitch black.
I woke up when I felt a hard slap cross my face. When I opened my eyes I saw Jackie starring back at me.
“Welcome to the party Sleeping Beauty.” I tried to move my hands, but they were tied down. Jackie saw me struggling and went straight to working on the knots in the ropes.
“Where are we?”, I said still trying to find my bearings.
“I thought you were a detective? We’re in the basement of Caroline Fry’s house.”
“What?” Jackie threw me one of her looks. “I was looking thru Johns’ file again today to try and locate his sister. Out of curiosity I peeked at his arrest log. Most of the arrests, I noticed, had been by Zeke.”
Finally, Jackie had undone the last knot. I rubbed my wrists and nodded for her to continue.
“I thought he might remember the guy and shine a little light on the case. When I asked him he went into a flying fit. Next thing I knew I was in a sleeper hold and out like a light. I came too in the trunk of a car, with the sound of voices outside. I recognized one of them as Zeke, the other I could only tell that it was female. I heard the scratching of the keys on the lock and decided it was best if I played knocked out just a little longer. Zeke said: “Fry, lets put her in your basement for the time being.” They tied me up over there, but luckily I had the shiv you gave me last Christmas in my back pocket. Right after they left I started work on my ropes. After I got thru them, they brought you in.”
“Why the hell are Caroline and Zeke together?”, again I replayed every conversation I’d had with Caroline.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Right now I think we need to focus on getting out of here. There’s a window up there at the top just big enough that I can slip thru. If I stand on your shoulders and shimmy thru it, then find my way into the house, I can get the keys to the door up there and get you out.”
“Or”, I said as I walked up to the door she had been pointing at. “We could just try the door.” The door swung open when I turned the handle. Jackie shrugged and joined me at the top of the stairs. When we stepped into the house we we’re immersed in the light from a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. As my eyes adjusted to the light I looked at the house; Martha Stewart would have been proud. Up thru a servant staircase we made our way to the second floor. The stairs ended at a door, when I opened it I found us in what looked to be Caroline’s bedroom. Looked clear. In the middle of the room was a king sized bed with about fifty pillows on top of it. To my left the entrance to a large bathroom, I could see a row of various lotions and potions on the rim of what looked like a heart shaped hot tub for two. A closet to the right. Something in my gut told me to check out the closet.
“Riddick!” Came the hushed hurried voice of Jackie. “This is no time for a panty raid!” I paid no attention. While moving the countless ball gowns and shoes out of my way I didn’t know what I was looking for until I saw it poking out in the rear of the closet. I pulled it from its hiding place. A black garbage bag; when I opened it I saw the pair of black high heels Caroline had been wearing the first time I’d seen her in my office, only this time they were coated with dried blood.


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