The case of the Crooked Ex: Chapter 7

I let my office door swing shut and took my suspenders off my shoulders as I began to unbutton my once white dress shirt. I could hear Sarah pecking away on her typewriter and I thought about what was going on with her. I knew it wasn’t anything like jealousy neither of us thought about each other that way, to me she was like another sister in my already large family and she treated me like I was a child that needed constant looking after. I just didn’t get it but then again I wasn’t the smartest guy when it came to women. I throw my now dirty shirt on top of the pile of clothes that Sarah had dumped in the corner of the office telling myself that I needed to drag the pile home with me one night so I could do laundry before I ran out of clean clothes, but knowing me I would forget about it before too long. I have a habit of doing things like that, my favorite adage seems to be why do today what I could avoid doing till tomorrow if ever.

I pour myself one last drink just to steady my nerves and slowly sip it as I look out at the bright winter morning. Actually I’ve lost track of time and it is getting on to noon, funny how time seems to slip away when I was on a case or around a beautiful woman.

I finish buttoning on a clean shirt, clean in the way that something worn less than twice in a week is clean, then again I just don’t feel like hauling my backside over to my apartment just to get a clean shirt. Besides chances are it would be just as clean as this one. Slipping on my suspenders, I get the genuine curiosity worked up to want to know what is going with Sarah so I open the door to my office and lean against the doorframe as I adjust my cufflinks. Sarah keeps on plucking away at the keys on her typewriter but I can tell the ignoring me standing there is driving her to distraction and she finally breaks.

“What!?”

“You want to give me a clue what has got you so worked up today?”

“Do you really want me to give ya an answer to dat before I throw someting at ya?”

“Yeah seriously Sarah what’s the deal? It’s a case same as any other.”

“No Boss I saw you making googly eyes at dat dame and it is da same look you git every stinkin time you fall bottom over teakettle for someone who breaks your heart. Now you may not see it but I do and me, Dean and CR are getting tired of having to drag you out of da bottle every time you are too stupid to get out da way of dat speedin truck dat tis dames. You think your friends like watching you hurt youself dat way?”

“Look Sarah I know my track record isn’t the greatest.”

“Try lousy”

“but it is not like that this time. I am not going to get my heart broken. Seriously there is nothing going on between Heather and I.” Yeah I'm lying sue me for it.

“Not much room for anything to be between ya if you ask me.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, look Josh,” she almost never calls me by my first name, she was serious. “Mrs Stroble could turn out to be the nicest person on earth, I don’t know her but I do know youse and your luck aint dat good. You might not be cursed but youse is definitely star crossed when it comes to love.”

The phone rings at just that moment and I grab it before she can.

“This isn’t over Sarah we will talk about it more later.’

“Can’t wait for dat Boss really da highlight of my day.”

I hold the ear piece up to ear and listen.

“Jones this is Eddie, I got a hot tip for yah but I can’t talk right now can you meet me?”

Eddie was one of my more reliable snitches, he worked the docks down on east side and if he was fidgety I usually knew it was good info.

“When and where Eddie?”

“East side, warehouse district corner of 73^rd and Lexington in about a half hour.”

“Ok Eddie I’ll be there.”

I set the ear piece on the hanger and place the phone back on Sarah’s desk. Something wasn’t sitting right with me. My gut was saying something just didn’t feel right and I always made it a point to go with my gut. Sarah looks at the address I had scribbled down and gets that worried look on her face.

“Eddie has some info for me on the case.”

“Dat aint a good neighborhood Boss want me to call Dean and have him check it out?”

“It will be broad daylight Sarah I should be fine.” I say this as I strap my gun on and make sure I am packing extra clips just in case.

“Sure and nobody would take a shot at our client in broad daylight neither right?”

“Good point, if you don’t hear from me in two hours call Dean and let him know where I am.”

‘Lots can happen in two hours Boss.”

Yep lots could and I am just hoping that it is the least that will happen. What a day.