Monday, August 17, 2015

Jade Frog Part 4

I kicked in the auto drive to let myself think as I cruised westward towards my apartment, spinning the details of the case over in my mind. The pictures I had quietly taken of Dowles murder turned out better than I thought. Sarah was able to reconstruct a fairly accurate 3D image of the scene. No sign of forced entry on the front of the building or any indication of a struggle. Either my former client let the killer in or they slipped past a fairly high end security system and used the back door completely undetected. When dealing with crooks I always bet on stupid. I’ll grant you there is the rare criminal mastermind shifting blame to a third party as they slip into the night, but usually someone just panics and starts blasting holes in whatever poor soul is close by. Then we move on to the wife Clarise Dowles. A suspicious lack of grief at the very least. But if she was behind this and looking for a patsy why hire the peeper who just saw her husband get dead. Even the dumbest member of my profession would have their guard up after that scene, and I liked to think I wasn’t quite stupid peeper number one.

Enough of the case for now. I cleared my mind for the moment as the Fairlane turned into the cracked aging concrete that made up the parking garage under my apartment and rolled to a stop at number seven. I barely made it in the door as Sarah appeared in front of me her translucent form wrapped in a deep green ball gown. Partial AIs like Sarah are not supposed to understand things like humor and irony, but I had long suspected there was a kink or two in her programming somewhere.

Sarah spun on her heel and led me into the apartment. “I had a simple back suit with a white shirt prepared for you tonight, it should allow you to look striking without making too much of a scene. I also have a pot of coffee on hand although after this excursion you really could use some rest.”

“Well done as usual Sarah, anything else for me?” I jumped into the shower and let the shock waves clear the sweat and dirt from a long day in the Los Angeles sun. Water showers had sadly become a thing of the past, especially for those of us living in a western desert. One might comment at my lack of modesty but I had been working around Sarah for years and computer programs are incapable of that type of thought anyways.

“Miss Azure has responded to you message. Security at the Century Club will allow you access, unarmed of course. There was a sub message attached that if you ever desire her help again to contact her yourself and not use your, and I quote. ‘Weird fake assistant’”

“Now I will have to do something to make it up to her.” I slid the suit on quickly and found a hat to match. “What would I do without you Sarah?”

“Without me you would have been shot and most likely killed on March 3rd, 2013. Enjoy the club detective.” Sarah faded from view as I shook my head and returned to the car and on to the Century Club.

I took a slow spin around the block to take the place in, gray stone bathed in a soft blue light projected up from the ground. A single red bulb in each open window and doorway and no sign of any kind. If you didn’t know where the Century Club was, as far as they were concerned you did not need to know. A couple gorillas in tuxedos stood at the front door as a barrier between the inside of the club and those unfortunates waiting outside and not yet deemed attractive or rich enough to gain entry. I of course strode up like I owned the place, only to be stopped by the oversize paw of gorilla number one.

“Club is full” the ape looked down at me with contempt and nothing even resembling intelligence.

“Oh my mistake I forgot to introduce myself. Sam Sloan, Miss Azure is expecting me.” Seeing the name drop having the desired effect I removed his hand from my chest as me looked back to his partner with doubt in his eyes.

“He is on the list.” Ape number two could read, amazing.

“My mistake sir enjoy your day.” I strode past him without a word a into the club proper. I love throwing that type off their game.

The entire inside was bathed in the same deep blue light as the outside with small accents of red highlighting the dancers on stage and anywhere else they desired to draw your attention. The place was packed with the rich, powerful, and sometimes just very attractive entertaining each other away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world. In the middle of it all like a ringmaster to the circus Miss Cherry Azure a knockout blond in a short blue dress with veins of red neon lighting up her pale skin. As soon as she saw me I tipped my hat at her and slid into a booth signaling the waitress for a bourbon on the rocks. Cherry and I had gone around the block a few times years ago and she still thought well enough of me to grant the occasional favor. If anyone knew what her real name was they were not telling, although I did know that anyone trying to play the lady as a fool would soon learn how badly they misjudged her, if they survived it.

And there across the room was the woman I came for. Clarise Dowles in a tight black dress entertaining a pair of strapping young gentleman several years younger than she was and putting down what I was sure was not her first martini of the night with wild abandon.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched Cherry reach behind her ear as the red neon effect instantly faded. She slid into my booth quietly. “I’ll be Sam Sloan what brings you into my little corner of the city.”

“The usual a case. Trying to decide if I am dumb enough to take it.” Cherry was a little too comfortable outside of the law for my tastes, but it was still good to see her after all this time. I turned my head pretending to take in the lavish room. “Glad to see you are still able to make ends meet.” My eyes followed Clarise and her young companions all the way to the private area in the back. That was all I was going to get tonight. My favors with Cherry did not go so far as interrupting her VIP lounge.

“Business is good darling” Cherry said almost convincingly projecting false modesty. “Speaking of I need to get back to it.” Cherry stood and smoothed out her dress. “Come back some night at close when you are not working a case and I’ll introduce you some of my private collection.” She tapped the waitress on the shoulder. “Give the gentleman another one, on the house.” The young girl scurried off quickly as Cherry turned back to me. “Don’t keep me waiting too long Sam. I might forget what an honest man in here looks like.” A flick behind her ear and the ringmaster in red neon returned striding off to rule her domain.


“Yes ma’am.” I took my time with the second drink remembering old times before packing it in for the night.

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