Tombstone.
This afternoon I walked into town and ran over to Joe, seeing him. “Joe!! Just the man I wanted to find!”
“What ya want?” He turned and scowled at me.
I took out a bag I was hiding from behind me and handed it to him. “Your payment for the repairs on my office. Thanks so much for your help with that, Joe.”
Joe looked at me and the bag. “Dam, about time too. Was considering burning the place back down again.”
“I just ain’t seen ya in town since it happened…” I chuckled.
“Maybe so,” he grunted and stuffed the bag in his shirt. “Aye, been busy.”
“Don’t guess you’ve been around the hotel lately?”
“Well at least we can eat for a while.” He looked at me quizzically. “Nope, why?”
“Been investigating a case over there. Curious happenings since Valentine’s Day.”
Joe shook his head. “Ain’t seen any folks there at all. What’s up?”
“A woman told me that a rose was left on her bed on Valentine’s Day. Person came in with a key... Then she heard someone in front of her door the next day.”
“Sounds romantic.” He chuckled.
“You’d think but she’s a bit startled about it. Whether it’s romantic or not... she wants to know who it is. So she hired me.”
“Well not seen anybody around the hotel. Not even a cook for breakfast.”
“Pet ain’t been ’round either.”
“Nope, hardly seen her since she got hitched. Marriage does that I guess.”
“Anyway I was gonna get a list of people stayin’ at the Russ. From the room master list at the desk. I suggested the girl switch over to the Bisbee hotel to see if things follow her there. Haven’t seen her today to ask her how it went.”
“Well, guess one way of drumming up trade for Bisbee.” He chuckled.
“Let the damn wild bunch have this town. We’re takin’ over Bisbee.” I winked at him.
“Don’t affect me. Happy in Ghenna.”
“Still gotta make the occasional trip here for work though. Just pick my times when I come into town now. My little girl finally yelled at Lot last night.”
“Now there is a surprise. Of course wild bunch will just move on Bisbee at some point, so what ya goner do then?”
I shrugged and said, “Anyway... gonna head over to the hotel.”
“Yup, and I had better put this money in a safe place.”
We said goodbye and I headed down the street. A few hours later, I walked into Kate’s and greeted Chris. “How was Miss Lauren’s night last night?” I asked as I sat down.
“Good… Any news?”
“Was hoping you’d have some,” I said, nodding to the other man who walked into the bar.
“Not a thing.”
“I walked through the hotel but there was hardly a soul there... Made a list of the residents. Everything seemed secure. Was hoping to find someone who’d seen anything suspicious but no one has been around to talk to. Or they hadn’t seen anything.”
“Hmm.”
“I’ve got nothing, Chris. It’s so frustrating. Cause all it does is make me look like I don’t know how to do my job.”
“Maybe it was just a random act of kindness…”
“And then they showed up the next day at her door and ran away when they heard her inside?”
“Shy crush?”
“Either way I still have a mystery to solve, don’t I?”
“I suppose…”
“I was hired to do a job and I’m gonna do it. I won’t accept cold cases. I never have.”
“That guy that just walked out. Ever seen him?” I asked as the man walked outside.
“New man to me. S’pose we could go after him hmm? Probably didn’t walk too far with that cane.”
“I have some things to attend to. Maybe you should.”
I walked out after the man and saw him sitting in front of the hotel, reading a newspaper. “Howdy sir. Ain’t seen you around these parts. New to the area?” I leaned against the post and looked at him casually, seeing him grunt simply.
“And if I were, would I win some sort of prize?” He asked, seeming annoyed.
“Just makin’ conversation, sir. Like to welcome new people to town is all. I’m Trin.”
“Doctor Gregory House... Not Practicing. Pleased to meet you, I suppose,” he huffed a bit.
“Pleased to meet you, Sir. Been in town long?”
“A short time. Tell me, will there be a test on all this later in the evening?”
“No sir.” I shrugged and went back to the other bench, pulling my notebook out.
He glanced over at me, then back at his paper and asked with sarcasm, “So do I ask your life story in return?”
“Oh that was your life story? Pretty boring life if that’s all you’ve got to share.” I looked over at him.
“All you need to know, young woman…”
“And what would you like to know about me?”
“Why are you here and why are you bothering me?”
“Bothering? I was just welcoming you to town is all, sir.”
“I suppose I was a tad rude... Apologies, Miss.”
“You’re forgiven, doctor,” I said respectfully with a smile.
“Doctor... pfft… Only in title now.”
I leaned back and looked over my notebook. “Seems a peaceful enough afternoon.”
“Peaceful is subjective, Miss…” He said, flopping his newspaper loudly as I smirked and continued to write. Eventually he headed down the street and I continued to write.
Lauren walked over then and said, “” I think moving to Bisbee what a smart idea. I didn’t have any issues at all.”
“I’m very glad to hear that, Lauren.” I smiled. “I thought I would sit here and wait for anything suspicious to happen.” I greeted Mahko as he rode by but he didn’t stop to chat so I looked over at Lauren. “So Lauren, do you think you’ll look for a job soon now that you’re settling in well? I think you would be a good teacher for the children.”
“I might. that’s if I decide to stay in town. I’m still not sure about this place yet”
“I hope you do… Don’t let a little rose scare you away. Maybe it’s just a secret admirer?" she suggests”
“I doubt it, Detective.” She shook her head.
“I do too... just ain’t sure what else to suggest at this point. Not till we get a witness or evidence somewhere. Which is what I’m waitin’ here for.”
“Maybe you should just drop the case.”
“I won’t. Not till the mystery is solved.”
“Besides if I leave town it wont matter any way,” she said and I sighed. “If you’ll excuse me I think I need take a walk.”
Lauren walked down the street and I looked over to greet Strider as he walked over. I told him about my frustrating case that I was working on, which had no witnesses or evidence. He told me that he was happy to see me and said that the fact that it meant a lot for me to sit there, waiting for something to happen. He walked on and I continued to write in my notebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment