Private Dick: Chapter Three- Slam. Twist, Snockered
As usual when I walked into the station no one was really happy to see me. I wasn’t really considered part of the force anymore. Ya, I had been a cop once. I got tired of all the dirty games and payoffs though. That’s when I turned private. Sure I helped take a bite out of the cookie of crime, but sometimes I was the chocolate chip. I spotted my favorite deputy. I always was able to spot Jackie by the shine coming off of her shaven baldhead. I snuck up behind her and grabbed her by her fragile shoulders. All of a sudden she grabbed my arm, twisted it, and before I realized it my head was hitting the floor of the station. I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the blurs, I recognized one of them as Jackie.
“How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that!”, Jackie had her hands curled into fists and set steady on her hips. Here she was mad and I was the one on the floor with the concussion. She finally gave in and gave me hand up.
“My god where have you been? You stink.”, Jackie placed her hands to her face.
“Sorry, didn’t realize I’d brought some of the Parisian with me.”
“What where you doing in that dump?”
“I’m on a missing persons case. That was his last known address so to speak.”
“No.” Jackie gave me one of her daggered looks. I swear she saved them just for me.
“I haven’t even asked you anything yet.”, I tried to seem suave and cute, but it hadn’t come off that way.
“If I get caught looking thru coded files for you one more time…”
“I know, just here me out. All I need you to do is look one little thing for me and then I’m out of you hair.” I realized after I said it that Jackie was as bald as a newborn baby. She was laughing though. Apparently I hadn’t lost all my charm and wit, yet.
She and I walked back into one of the offices. Jackie closed the blinds and powered up one of the computers. A green eerie glow filled the room from the monitor. It was like being in a broken television set.
“Give me the name.”, Jackie sat poised and ready at the keyboard.
“Caroline Fry.”, Jackie typed the letters in. A small profile screen popped up on the screen. Age, weight, hair color, Id Photo. Most of the basics. Relations. That’s what I was interested in. Orphan. No mention of a brother. I realized Jackie was washing her eyes over my face.
“Could you also check William Johns.” Jackie obeyed and typed in the new name. This was interesting. This guy had a rap sheet you could jump rope with if you printed it out. Hell you might even be able to do Double Dutch. Resisting Arrest, DUI, possession of illegal drugs, and a ton of parking tickets. If I ever did find this poor sap, they’d probably throw him in jail and toss out the key. I looked under relatives. Now this was weird. One living relative, a sister. This put a new spin on things. If Caroline wasn’t his sister, than who was. I like a great plot twist just as much as the next guy, but I didn’t appreciate it when I was wound up in the middle of it.
“Was that it?”, Jackie was getting impatient with me.
“Ya that should do it. Just one more thing.”, I could see that the welcome mat was being pulled out from under me. “Check around and see if any body like this turns up in the morgue will ya.”, I flashed the picture of Johns in front of her. Jackie scanned the photo once or twice and then nodded. As I made my way back thru the station I felt the eyes of the other cops burning into the back of my neck. Private Dicks weren’t respected around here much. Guys like me were considered a dime a dozen and an annoyance to boot. Next step was to go to the liquor store, buy a bottle of Gin, and snuggle in for the night with my cold pizza. I needed to think about this case, and I did all my best thinking when I was loaded.