Flapper Dick Ch. 08

Armed with the picture we are heading down the stairs and then a short discussion on what we go around in. John wouldn't mind my breezer, he doesn't own one, but it's too cold for that. So after a promise of driving him around in it over the summer we are off in his jalopy. Go to a south side neighborhood and looking around I realize one thing, next street over is colored.

Nothing to worry about, unless we are told to talk to a colored fella. Bulls are not precisely welcome in colored areas. Not that I blame them on that, bulls are white and tend to arrest colored fellas. We park in front of the first house and get out of the jalopy then we are having a discussion.

"I'd suggest splitting up except we only got one picture. Have to request more copies and that takes a while, I don't think the dark room is set up most of the time."

"Suppose going to get worse, according to the bulls yesterday the next update is newer cameras so there is a roll of film and not plates." John sighs and shakes his head.

"Should only slow us down a day, the basic dark room can work with rolls of film. Take a better one than we have to do the initial work on the roll however so that will be in a central location then sent to the relevant station."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a dark room in my basement. Rolls of film isn't all that new of a thing so I set up to work with those. I have seen the dark room at the station, it's good if one wants to put the negative on paper but anything else is not happening."

"I have weights in my basement, Fred wants to be strong."

"He is a bimbo so it is needed. Hard to get many fellas to listen when you want them to leave so strong helps, can simply drag. Also needed for a patrol, they are not shot at much but fisticuffs does happen."

John lets me go first up to the door so I am calling him a scaredy cat as he knocks. Do pull out my wallet and flash license, mostly since John is holding out his badge. Door is opened after not that long by an older skirt who looks us over then focuses on me.

"A skirt dick, will wonders never cease." I am grinning then point at John since he has the picture.

"I got to help the bulls make sure everyone was fine after Halloween. In doing so I found the fella there, do know you don't know him but you perhaps know where we should go next. His jalopy was left blocking the alley right there." She looks at the picture then mutters a prayer while crossing herself.

"Shall utter another prayer for his poor soul. Do know the treats helped, only two deaths found this year. As for where to go next, I am not sure since there are three ladies young enough that they would entertain him. The most likely to have done so at home is Sally, she is three houses over. Lives alone you understand so she is at work now. Managed to get work up at Penney so we are all happy for her."

"Just waiting for her to get knocked up?" Skirt snorts and nods.

"Are a little, only one that would stay here most likely. So would get to see kids again, miss my own and they have kids of their own now I don't get to see them enough." I am nodding since most of our street says the same thing.

"I know how you feel from the side. The street I am living on all of them are happy that I got knocked up. Not with this fella here, younger fella." She looks at John then grins.

"He's young enough, wouldn't mind giving him a turn but then the street would tell my husband." I am giggling and John turns red, does smile a little.

"Suppose we should head for Penney." She is giggling behind us as we head for his jalopy.

Climb in and then off to Penney. I would think John would say something about her but doesn't, I guess he isn't that upset at an older skirt suggesting nookie with her. Then we are at Penney and I lead John in to the offices and sit down in front of cigar fella, who looks shocked for a moment then resumes smoking his cigar.

"Far as I know we haven't been having any more problems, and then this is a new fella." John snorts and pulls out his badge.

"We are here to talk to one of your clerks. She is not in trouble but perhaps knows our deceased." Cigar fella is nodding.

"Which one of our clerks?"

"Sally." Cigar fella frowns now.

"That's not enough, we got two clerks named that." John snorts and shares the street, cigar fella is nodding and gets up to get a folder out of his cabinet.

Sitting down with the folder he goes through the listings in there for a short while. Finds two that are taken out, then gone over for a short time.

"I'll have her come down here. It is a personal matter for her, but also a police matter so best to not have this discussion in front of our customers."

John is nodding then cigar fella gets on the phone. The conversation is rather short at least then we are waiting for a rather short amount of time. Then the door is opening and in comes a skirt. This one is blonde and trembling, suppose she thinks she is in trouble. John gets up and guides her over to sit next to me then he is leaning on the desk.

"You are not in trouble, we simply wish to ask if you know this fella. His jalopy was towed because it was blocking the alley near your house." She is looking at the photo and nodding then gasps.

"He is offed?" John is nodding so I do the same.

"He was dropped behind a factory, mostly why I am involved in this investigation. Going to suppose that he drove you home on Halloween night." She is nodding.

"I wasn't up to catching the train and then he was really nice. So I let him drive me home and he got his nookie. It was really wonderful on my end so I had asked him to stay. He didn't because of his sister, so I am thinking he will make a good husband. Had made plans on going out again next Friday to see if perhaps we went that far." I am frowning now, so is John so we are seeing the same problem.

"Is there a fella hounding you on being his?" Sally nods then dives into her handkerchief.

"There are actually two, one is colored and really sweet. Does make comments on how I should be his wife since he can do things no other fella can. He lives two streets over and we went to school together. I would consider it except for the part where I could only go to colored diners and restaurants, and he says the same thing to a number of skirts."

"Definitely not him, he is only after the nookie. What about the other fella?"

"I'm not sure where he lives, we went to school together too. I let him pet me twice in high school, just he got clingy after and not precisely nice in that. So I yelled at him plenty, got help in the yelling, and he left me alone for a while. Then he just showed up again, only at work so far, there is a report on him I know that." Cigar fella is nodding but she keeps going. "He was also at the speakeasy last night, perhaps he followed us." I am nodding since most likely he did.

"I am going to say he had to have followed you. Probably used the promising fellas jalopy though odd that he dropped behind the factory, unless he works there." John is frowning now, then shakes his head.

"No, it happens off and on, behind the factories in winter is sort of popular. Generally by the time anyone finds there isn't a whole lot that can be done besides bury what is left. With factories getting locks on their doors we do have to look behind when we do go on searches, but then day after Halloween is the only time we do go just searching town."

"The fella you want is named Harold Franklin." Cigar fella says, which reminds on never asking her for the name.

"So you know his name in case he gets more than just showing up?" Cigar fella is nodding.

"He is possessive of her, if he goes beyond standing around talking to her we will get an order of protection. Penney pays attention to things like this because he creates a negative reaction from customers. I wish I could say because he perhaps is a danger to her, but the corporation doesn't have that in the employee agreement. Do know the lawyer we have on staff for here would get her a personal order of protection, means he can't get within some fifty feet or face prosecution."

"Not really enough but it is a good first step. Mostly in gets patrol to pay attention to him, and keep a closer eye on her street." John says which has me nodding, though there is one thing.

"Speaking of patrol, would you be against us sharing your address and the fact you are single?" Sally has big eyes for a moment.

"What would that do?"

"Most of the patrol are single and your age. Would have them stopping by to ask out on a date." Cigar fella is chuckling.

"Far as I know she has sampled all of the fellas we employ." Sally turns red and shakes her head.

"Not all of them, we do have a three letter man working here. So long as they are not clingy like Harold I suppose." She looks at John who shakes his head.

"Mostly we just want the fella to be old enough. Anything else is figured out in training and then after. By the time they get to your age, or Betty's they are fine upstanding fellas. Suppose we will go back to the station and call in this Harold, need an address and where he is working." Does remind me of one thing.

"Hang on, if someone gets that order of protection, does that mean the court holds it and there is an address?" John is nodding and grins then.

"Even better there is his employment on record with the courts. Most fellas don't change jobs beyond promotions so where they have on record is probably where he is working and lives."

Pat Sally on the shoulder as we leave then out to the jalopy and off to the courthouse. It is closer and if there has been an order of protection put on this Harold we don't have to ask anywhere else. As it turns out we would have called the courthouse anyway. The clerks in charge of the information on fellas are in there too.

So on into the courthouse and straight over to the guard fella. He is grinning when I pull open my jacket and hold up my license. John simply pulled out his badge, then is chuckling since I am showing my pistol.

"Didn't really need to see your pistol unless you got called in to jury duty again, at which point you are late."

"Don't think I will get summoned again. Court appointed dick now, and then today we are investigating an offed fella from Halloween." Fella frowns now then points to a sign.

"Records is that way, and at least not a shiner this time." John snorts.

"Not yet at least, we have a name on a clingy fella who likely offed her deceased."

"Heavens, at least if he is that way he likely will sound off on how the skirt is his with little prompting, see those sorts here some."

John is nodding and ushers me off toward records. I'm unsure on going after this fella now, I don't want another shiner. The last one was bad enough to get let alone have. Fred got some rather dirty looks at the diners we stopped in while I had it. Then we are at the records office and this is a big office.

Two skirts at the counter and a third sitting at a desk typing up, likely making copies of something. Beyond the skirt at the desk there are cabinets, except these are the really nice wood cabinets with bronze handles and labels. The two skirts at the counter looks at us then focus on me, since we have his badge and my license out.

"Here now you were supposed to get on a jury." Sigh and shake my head.

"First case I got called in on I knew the accused so was getting excused and then hired on to actually investigate. So I am now a court appointed dick, and then I was in the raid in the papers today." John is nodding.

"Seems many don't know that skirts can be a dick so she is helping in that way." Reminds me of the sister so I better mention her.

"The offed fella has a sister, she seemed interested in getting a dick license and then trying to be court appointed too, so there is progress. Also will mention that if you want to wear a suit there is a shop selling them for us skirts. I am doing the designs for it, at least the designs already there but getting help on new designs so more things to buy. Going to see about designing a brassiere for flappers." Two dropped jaws then they are grinning.

"That is great, and the store we knew on. The advertisements have been frequent and likely there will be an article on the store. We are going to visit the store during lunch, they let us close the office and depart for that, so good timing." Follow her point to the clock and it is half an hour before noon.

"Ah good, not delaying you unless this takes a while. We need everything you have on a Harold Franklin." Two groans so suppose that means he had an order of protection put on him already.

"I went to school with him and helped Sally scare him off. He also has an order of protection put on him for a different skirt. Give us a moment and we will have his information for you."

This is rather good information to have, and hopefully we get his work address. Both skirts head into the cabinets so that is rather curious. One would think the information is all in one folder. Apparently not since they bring two folders back, one is a little thick. The other is rather sparse so I am confused on why.

Opening it up first to find it is information on him since he is a registered voter. Have his address and that is an apartment. Other folder has more information, it is the court records on him getting an order of protection. So we know who had it filed, a skirt living down the street from his apartment, and his address, but nothing on work so that is curious.

"No record of his work address?" Both skirts are shaking their heads.

"He said he was between jobs, but has a jalopy and dough besides. So we are sure not between jobs just didn't want to list it, and then no record of him having employment with the IRS." Pulls a sigh out of me, likely means he works for Capone.

"I better borrow your phone, most likely he works for Capone, south side address." I am lead over to the gate to get behind the counters then lead to a phone, John follows along.

"If he works for Capone what does that mean?" Sigh and shrug since I don't know.

"Depends I think, if he is made and doing good work Capone will hide him. If he is not very likely we won't see him ever again, along with the rest of town so call and ask and go home." John snorts and grins.

"Sort of like that one." I am nodding since it sounds good to me too, then pick up the phone and call the hotel.

"Hi this is Betty, I'd like to talk to Mr. Capone, Mr. Nitto would suffice or whoever comes over to take the phone if neither is in the lobby." There is a snort on the phone.

"I am seeing Mr. Nitto so I will call him over." I am nodding and then a little wait before the phone changes hands on that side.

"Hello Betty, I've been wanting to meet you."

"I'm sure but another time. I am calling on behalf of the bulls about a certain fella we think offed another, that lead to the raid on a gang that claims to be yours."

"Mr. Capone was not amused by their claims. At least he had warning on that part, thank you for calling us up before the reporters descended on us."

"No problem, and the reason for the call, we are looking for a Harold Franklin. He claimed to be in between jobs when he had an order of protection put on him. Courthouse figures he works for you so I am calling to ask on that." Mr. Nitto is quiet for a moment, though other sounds so I think he is talking to someone.

"He is in fact in our employ, what is the meaning of your looking for him?"

"We are fairly sure he offed a fella and left behind a factory. I got to find the offed fella so it has been my investigation. His jalopy was left in front of an alley so got towed, that lead us to talk to a Sally working in Penney who knows him in passing and he has decided she is his future wife. The offed fella drove her home from a speakeasy on Halloween and there were sparks so more dates and perhaps work up to marriage."

"That is rather deplorable, and do you wish us to produce him to question and perhaps take to trial or simply question ourselves?" We had been talking about that but I better ask John since he is a bull.

"John do we want to get him in for questioning and perhaps trial or just disappear?" John sighs and looks up for a moment.

"Honestly I'd like him to disappear, but best if we get him in for questioning and let the courts do their thing. Course if they can't procure him for questioning and we get a body instead that is alright." Frown and go back to Mr. Nitto.

"The detective has said that getting him in for questioning would be the best outcome. He did mention that if you can't procure him for questioning his body would be alright." Mr. Nitto snorts.

"We will question him and if he did off a fella he will struggle and we will drop him off at the station in his resulting condition. Will even provide a statement of his confession."

Mr. Nitto hangs up so I share that with John and he grins. The clerks are smiling at that one too, suppose means the fella is no longer alive and will have a written statement of he did the offing. Sort of good, mostly in one less of those sorts in Chicago. Also good that the outfit is law breaking but has standards of a rather agreeable sort, at least in this case.

As it turns out Harold did the offing since his body arrives at the station in south side. According to the bull that came up to tell us that he showed signs of being beaten first. Also have his confession, that seems to be signed in his own hand so that is rather good.