The evening shy was bleeding incredible shades of red as I hung up the phone. Finally, a major break. The first big break in this case since I had been hired by one 'King Druss' of Boiler Room Discount Brokerage to locate one 'Taxikid' - a well-known option player and daytrader. I turned to Stella, my office manger and said, "Get the Taxi file". She was a tough,dumb, blonde. She managed to keep my office running flawlessly and my finances in perfect order but she never seemed to grasp how brilliant I was, no matter how often I told her. I'm a PI - name' s lee "Cowpile" cooper. I handle the tough ones even though Stella says that I couldn't find my arse with both hands - understandable after I crossed Mitch "Mad Dog" Blevins. Now my arse is somewhere between my shoulder blades after the lucky kick that he got me with.
"You talkin' trying to find your way home or something pertaining to work?" , she snapped.
"Work", I replied. She never seems to forget that I managed to start to my house in Batesville, AR one night and found myself in Phoenix,AZ the next morning ( I thought that it was taking a long time for a 5 mile drive). "I got a hot tip from someone rumored to have seen Taxikid. A weasel, named Kasha, known to be a croney of DS Gumby."
She gasp, "Not THE DS Gumby. Notorious fan dancer at 'The Bohemian Cluster Buck' is it"?
"How should I know'?, I snapped, "But 'The Bohemian Cluster Buck' is where I am supposed to meet him." I grabbed my trench-coat and started for the door. It was much too hot for it but all us famous PI's wear trench-coats.
"You're forgetting your piece", Stella sang out.
"Geez", I said, crossing my hands in front of my trousers, "You could've told me before now".
"Nevermind, you'd be dangerous with it", she said.
I stalked out of the office wondering what she meant. I needed to think about the case. I had been uncomfortable since my meeting with 'King Druss', possibly something to do with the 'wedgy' that he had applied as I left. I must change my underwear more often.
Little did I know that this was to be one of the most fateful nights of my life. It was the start of a journey that would lead me fron the wilds of Canada to New York to California and even to the hinterlands of Lake Texoma. It's not a pretty story but it's my story - and I'm a PI.
To Be continued.... |
