kaolin fire presents :: writing :: fiction

"GumshoeThatEndsWell"

words

So this girl, she comes into my office, she say her husband, he disappear off with his fishing buddies and he never come back. I say, what, what are you wanting I should do about it. How is this a case? You know where he went. She say her husband, he disappear but his fishing buddies not see him. I say, what, why isn't you say that first? She tired, she not think clearly--upset and whiny and lots other things. She say her husband gone and she want me should find him. First she say she not have any money but she change story before I finishing push her back through door. She hope she sell her body to me but there no way I eat in business if I take any dame that sell for work. I ask how she got her a husband when she whore like that and she break down and more cry some. I tell it not real because she just whore like that. Then she tell me what she got some money here and there and I say she come back when she's got money here and here. She cry some more but even whore starting dry up. And I nothing got against whore really. She here for job, she pay money, just hate this script over and over. Every dame the same but few. She finally say she have money here and here and what it cost to find him and I say it cost whatever it cost, what she money give me is retainer. She say what is retainer she pay find him only, not look. I say you go pay more money some other guy and he not find your husband either but he promise up and down until it no matter. I honest. She should pay for honest. I say what is her husband worth to her and she not got any cry left in her now. Tired and worn out she is and she only been in my office ten minutes. I tell her tell me what you got info and keep the talking and maybe more I can be accurate in money. She say she have picture and names of buddies and what else I want. So then I start ask her the questions I ask. Where he seen? Where he going? He have other dames? How he going? So then she starts answer the questions I ask, numb and dumb. He had their car. All points is out on it but nothing there. He leave from home nine days out, due back two days out. Fishing buddies all assume that he stay at home like good daddy but not him never. So lost between here and there and there is some big fishing resort, say. It a big distance, any routes he could take. I plot it out on hypermap and big warning pop up there say the Maelstrom on the way. Knowing him with the biddy I say to self he gots be much stupid he probably went there and just atom dust now. So I tell biddy I work cheap for her feelings be all out of whack and I sure can see she cares and how hard it must all be, and I take some money off her and say it good for a week. And it is--a week of rent and drinking and maybe a debt here or there, and what hell I drive out to Maelstrom too, look some. There some vapor be maybe trail his maybe not, but not I to be traipsing in the Maelstrom. Those tracks be dead as him I say. So I a resort hit for some days to get self out of picture then tell dame the bad news that I tracked all through Maelstrom and vapor traces found but only. No tracks beyond. My guess is spacewhale got both, but who tell, you know? Lady not too upset no more, still with the tired, and I see she no ring on finger no more. She out fishing herself it seem. So it go.