Flapper Dick Ch. 14

"We are going to help you make your neighbor case go all ducky. We are down to fella is a three letter man or buried the knife and clothes used. Possible dropped in furnace since wasn't checked. To start we are going to talk to the pinch." Fred is nodding and grins even.

"Sounds good, and if he is a three letter man he should talk to skirts. I went and talked to the fellas he worked with, they all said nice fella. No mention of three letter man but then I wouldn't expect he advertised if was." I am nodding since being labeled as such can mean you don't work anymore.

"Since you were detective on scene, did you notice a garden?" He frowns for a moment then nods.

"Not so much a garden but the pinched fella had trimmed bushes along his backyard fence. Rather nice looking and bare ground underneath, so if there is buried in the yards there is my bet." I am nodding, so is Keira.

Also get a move on, need to get to the talking to the pinch. Sergeant tells us a room number as we walk past him so we know where the pinch is. Get joined by another fella, this is one of the raid fellas then we are going downstairs. Find the right door so it is opened and we look in to find the pinch so inside with us.

"Trevor these are two of the court appointed dicks." Fred says as we get ushered to sit in the chairs, he and the raid fella stand behind us.

"Before anything else, we are not going to offer a deal and anything you say won't be repeated to the prosecutor. Our first question is a rather simple one, why did you go over to his house the day after an argument?" I ask and Keira snorts then nods.

"I wanted to apologize, he is, was, a very special man." Keira does a fist pump so he is looking at her, I giggle for a moment.

"Sorry, she had figured on you are a three letter man. I was undecided on the matter. Before anything else these two won't say anything against, though I don't think they will give you nookie." Both are shaking their heads getting Trevor to chuckle.

"This won't go to my work?" I shake my head.

"Will not go to your work, assuming they haven't fired already. If they have and you are not prosecuted and found guilty your preference won't be commented on so you can find a new job. It is in the laws that men knowing men like one is a skirt is illegal but the bulls never arrest on that." Fred snorts.

"Damned hard to make a charge of that stick unless you walk in on it happening, and have a camera."

"I hadn't thought of that. Anyway, I suppose we will ask what the argument was over." Trevor sighs and looks down.

"I wanted to move in, he was against that even though the house is large enough there is a second bedroom." Ponder that for a moment then nod.

"I can see it from his side, you living with him would make fellas ponder him being a three letter man. Means he isn't a cook anymore and darned hard to find new work if it is possible even if not true."

"I am wondering one thing, which one of you two was the skirt?" Keira asks getting me to roll my eyes, Trevor snorts.

"He was, darned good at spit shining a fella too." I am nodding and stand up.

"All we needed to know, thank you for talking to us. We will go look around your houses now, sorry for being stuck in here."

Trevor nods and shrugs then we are exiting and heading for the stairs. On my side thinking about the fella and how he looked, I'm not sure he was actually in love with the offed fella. Out to my breezer and I do need to talk about this. I'm not sure I had him pegged right.

"Did anybody notice the fella didn't seem to be in love with the offed fella?" Everybody is nodding then Keira puts her hand up.

"I was thinking the same thing but I'm not sure why."

"When a fella is talking about someone they care for they smile and it gets to their eyes. Trevor didn't smile, didn't frown neither. He was just a fella talking to us, as if we are at the library discussing a book." Fred and the raid fella are nodding.

"He was acting up on the day he was pinched, but had dry tears. Bit like he was acting a role."

We are all nodding and I start up my breezer. Best to get to the houses and see if there was a buried knife and such or in the furnace. This takes a while, the murder happened on the far end of north side, over near west side. Trevor has a fairly long drive or ride on the bus to get to work since it is almost entirely houses over here.

Diners and grocery are found here and there. Not as many as we have around our house, but then being near the train line helps. Always a grocery near a stop, though so little around here is curious. The house we want I don't think there is a grocery closer than a couple miles, maybe more. So I am wondering why on that and ask as we get out of my breezer.

"Why are there so few grocery around here?" Fred snorts.

"Poor section, that is why. Have to walk for a bit to get to grocery. Means the houses are not as wanted, I understand why. I mean I'd rather walk down the street to get to grocery, not walk for an hour just to get to the store for things you need." I am nodding since that makes sense, though odd on there not being more groceries.

"Fred since this is your case do we start in the victim house or the pinch?" Fred snorts and looks up.

"With you two here it is now your case. Remember you are both higher ranking, Captain hasn't said but I got the feeling you actually can order him around." Sigh and roll my eyes.

"I am showing Keira how I do it, mostly I ask the detective I am with. Besides that this is your case, you know it inside and out."

"Good point, I think let's start with victim house, can check the furnace and then look for dig spots."

I nod so over to the house we go and I notice an odd thing, there is a sign stuck into the lawn. Says crime scene and I don't remember that before so I better ask about that. Also realize the door is not locked since it is just opened.

"Since when are there signs about crime scene?" Fred snorts.

"We have been doing it for almost a full year. The other stations can do it if they want, though apparently they are not." Sigh and shrug since I don't see crime scenes that often.

"I don't go to crime scenes all that often. I do go and talk to witnesses and when you do that you don't pay attention to next door."

"That is true, and I am curious. It is said you came up with most of the new places to look in a search so where would you search if you didn't have a specific place?"

"Everywhere. I mean in the bedroom look under the bed, and mattress. In the closet and open every drawer. In the sitting room check the radio and unscrew that, gangs use the radio and then leave screws off so it is easy to tell. Suppose best to unscrew the radio anyway, perhaps they will figure on less screws on it is easy to notice. Again with drawers, boxes, under the sofa along with inside if the sofa has section pillows. Open everything in the kitchen, and do look in trash bin, basement is easy at least. Any bags get opened and then open the furnace, check where you load with coal and then soot, feel around and look." Keira's jaw has dropped, Fred and the raid fella are nodding.

"Good list and you remembered everything except for one thing. Look up, sometimes the houses have an attic and there are access points."

"I didn't know that, I grew up in a two story with no attic, moved to an apartment and then a two story again with no attic." Fred is nodding and shrugs.

"Most of the houses are built long enough ago to not have an attic. Big houses sometimes have an attic and that is where they house the servants." I am frowning now.

"The big house I took John before I got thinner had a third floor for the servants." Fred is nodding.

"There is an attic there, it is used for storage and not very big. The regular houses have a ceiling to keep the heat from the summer from coming in, then easier to keep warm in winter. Possible to get up into the empty space but rather noticeable and then it's not hardened to withstand weight." Has me frowning now since that doesn't make sense.

"Why not have an attic then?" Fred snorts and shrugs.

"Faster and easier to simply add a ceiling. I mean you have basement for storage, and then there hasn't been that much to buy until recently. It's not just in food items that there have been advances." I am nodding and grin.

"I went and bought a Toastmaster before getting to the station." Fred and the raid fella are chuckling.

"Yeah those are rather nice. There have been other things too, air conditioning units are getting smaller, another decade perhaps our houses can have air conditioning."

"Honestly the best thing so far is the refrigerator." Keira and both fellas toss their hands.

"Not gotten one of those yet, I have heard it makes it rather warm around it?" I am nodding since it does, handy in winter but summer you want to set it outside.

"Handy in winter, the kitchen is never cold even when you go in to make breakfast. Summer you want to put the blasted thing outside, but it doesn't withstand rain."

"I'm wondering why we got one dick in a suit and the other has a dress." Raid fella says so I am looking at Keira, she turns red.

"I haven't bought suits."

"Honestly safer, I have no idea how many bought suits but it's not a large number. I wear a suit since I have a shoulder holster. Can carry a purse instead, the purse that we sell at the store is large enough for my pistol and two clips." Keira is nodding, she has the purse.

"Also a popular purse, not found another with the art deco on it." I am nodding and shrug.

"The idea for that came from Simon, he is dating Audrey who came up with most of the design. Also my nanny before anyone asks." The fellas are nodding.

"Where do I find a shoulder holster?" I am frowning now since Capone gave me this one, then Fred snorts.

"Not sure if the south side gun stores carry them but the ones up here have shoulder holsters. Us detectives buy them too, though we have a revolver."

"I'd rather have a pistol but then the gang members never can shoot good." Everybody is nodding.

"I liked the shoot out where you went around the house and emptied it." Fred says getting me to roll my eyes.

"Also got a bull jalopy shot up and he got grazed. The whole thing was more I got lucky than anything else."

"What happened that you cold cocked one?" Raid fella asks getting me to roll my eyes.

"I had meant to go into the gang house yard but didn't get to that. Shot a fella on the porch and then scooted for back yard since fence was being shot up. Fella had gone into alley and entered the backyard I was heading for so shot at me and I returned fire. I didn't off him so hit him with pistol and went past. If you two were never told never open the back door standing in front of it, that one there was a shotgun on back door." Keira has big eyes, the raid fella is grinning.

"For us on a raid it's easy, we don't go in the back door, clear from front to back."

"Yeah I want to complain to your boss about no bullet resistant cloth." Raid fella shrugs.

"To start we shoot from cover of the truck. Got a new one being designed, heavier and more armor on it. Can use to open warehouse doors and such." I am nodding since that is rather grand, then realize we are just standing here.

"Good thing to add in, and then we should get to the looking. Fred I think you and Keira can look for shovels and check backyard. I'm taking the big lug here into basement and see if we got anything in furnace."

Some chuckling but we do split up, down to the basement with me and the raid fella. It is a rather clean basement and then no bag of coal. Slightly odd but then if you run out in March many won't go buy a new bag. Especially since this March it wasn't cold all that much, mostly just rained and little chilled.

Furnace though is opened up and nothing in the coal section, soot section is opened up and nothing in there but soot. So into the backyard with us where they are feeling about in the bushes. Not a bad idea, clothes tossed into a bush tend to stay caught up in it. So I go look at the ground under the bushes, even get down low and feel at it.

Anything buried in the last week or two will leave soft dirt. Rather softer than it normally is since the dirt here is pretty soft anyway. Not finding anything though, it's all a little hard dirt in fact. I would imagine from being under the bushes and no grass. Raid fella is going around looking near to the house.

Which is a great idea, there are two places to put gardens in a backyard, around the fence and around the house. Finished with the bushes I am looking around and not really anywhere else to look. At least until I notice the stairs to the back door. There is no under board to close up the steps so you can toss things in there so point it out.

"Check the steps." Raid fella looks at steps, looks at me, then tosses his hands and goes over to the steps.

"I got nothing but dirt, and spiders over here." Raid fella says after a while, he had crawled under the steps.

"I think we can say there was nothing buried here at least." Fred says getting me and Keira to giggle.

"Definitely not, I think let's check the other house and then we can discuss alternate ideas."

So we go next door, with a shovel. I would ask but think I know, the fella was offed so not going to miss a shovel and we may need one. This door is locked, raid fella has the key oddly enough so on inside with us. This time I get to do backyard with raid fella while Fred and Keira go into the basement.

Just to be nice to raid fella I check under the steps this time. Though do need his help, this one has side covering boards, but still not under boards so can have things tossed under. All I find is spiders, and dirt, in this one too so we are drawing a blank. Still checking for buried items is a really good idea and it is good we took it to the bulls.

No spots that are dug up in this backyard either so back inside and sit around the table. Then Keira hops up and gets us all a glass of water so we all take a sip, or two. It is rather warm out and besides her we are all in a jacket. Does remind of one thing so I will mention this, not gotten a call back from south side on the matter.

"Before anything else, I called south station and got a skirt. She had told me that they all wear a dress and that heavy jacket. So I wondered if I or someone else could design a bull skirt uniform so easier to wear. She had promised to go ask Captain but not heard back." Fred and the raid fella are grinning now.

"I think come up with one or more designs. I think you have bulls living on your street so just look at their jackets, same coloring would be good."

"I wouldn't mind a new jacket for us fellas, this thing is hot in the summer, and then cold in the winter." Raid fella adds in getting me to giggle.

"Honestly I would think a shirt for the summer would be enough. Also not my decision, I mentioned on a new skirt uniform since a dress and the jacket is an afterthought uniform. Sort of says we are only hiring on skirts because we couldn't say no." Fred is chuckling and shakes his head.

"Closer to we needed more to mind the markets, and had skirts wanting to bull, so hire the skirts and they can mind the market."

"Not to mention the beach." Keira adds in and we are all nodding.

"Beach I understand, the fellas mostly just ogle us skirts in the bathing suits. Last summer I had fun, simply pointed out how Fred has a bulge in his bathing suit. Most of the skirts nearby had fun comparing bulges." Keira is giggling with me until Fred clears his throat.

"I think we should move on to the alternate ideas. We asked the street, nobody heard anything and didn't see anyone leave the house after the neighbor." I am nodding and sigh since I seem to have misread the fella.

"At this point we better rethink Trevor. He perhaps is one of those fellas who doesn't show affection. Being a three letter man I can understand that, he would smile at the nice looking fellas and be known." Fred and the raid fella are nodding.

"Perhaps got tossed from home for liking fellas." Raid fella says and that is a good point, liking fellas as his skirt is not a popular thing.

"Precisely, which means we are down to someone came in the back door and did the offing. Normally that is a gang member and they use a gun, but perhaps no gun to keep the sound down. Last time I got involved in a case with a gang did it everyone knew on offed and seen the fella. Knife is quiet and then not exited by front door." Everybody is nodding then Keira puts up her hand.

"So where do we find the gang?" Sigh since I am not sure.

"Most likely a street or three that way. Alternately on this street but to the right or left. Gangs don't go after neighbors, but farther away they will." Fred and raid fella are nodding, Keira has a frown.

"So we go talk to the close gang if we can find, or do we buy things?" Raid fella snorts and puts up his hand.

"I think I better ask how we buy things." Snort and I am giggling since I am rather distinctive too.

"I can't go up to a gang in this suit either. Seen in the newspaper often."

"I will mention if you take off your jacket, and the hat you look like a regular skirt. I see a number that buy the skirt and shirts. Not many wear the jacket but otherwise." I am smiling at Fred since that is a good idea, and then I get a thought.

"I got it, Fred you and Keira are in the front seats, I am back seat with our bull. He is lying down coming down off heroin and we want to get more." Fred snorts and nods, then shakes his head.

"Not coming down, going into withdrawals. Heroin many of the users report needing more or sort of crash. It's an odd drug, when you get high on it you come down, but not all the way. So once you run it all the way down your body shakes and hurts."

"Making me glad I never tried that, or any of the restricted drugs." We are all nodding.

"We got a good plan, and I will go talk to the fella on the porch so keep your pistols ready." I am nodding though there is one thing.

"Could we just find a gang house and stage a raid?" Fred nods then shakes his head.

"I know you basically have already and got away with it, but we are both officers and we need to follow the laws closer. So we go and try to buy drugs, if they shoot at us please shoot back first." I am so giggling now.

"Don't go onto the porch fully. Fred does when we are simply buying from the gang, but for this don't go on the porch. That way if you are spotted as a bull or whatever we will see the fella at the door with shotgun and you can duck."

Fred and Keira are nodding so we all hop up and go out to my breezer. Hand the keys over to Fred since fellas don't often let skirts drive. My Fred does, but mostly that is because it's my breezer and I give him nookie. Fred likes to say he was told to do it that way, though I'm fairly sure all fellas do the same thing, humor his skirt so keeps getting his nookie.

Get going and we find a gang in not that long, mostly because three actual streets over we find a gang house. Raid fella is in my lap, luckily not touching me down there because I would shoot him. His head down there is causing an ache so more is definitely not something I will let happen. Fred goes over to the gang house and is talking to the fella, who looks over at us then goes into the house.

I am really nervous now, is he getting the rest of the fellas to shoot at us or get the heroin. Unsure on either one so I am really tense and have pistol in hand. Other hand is on the door, close to the handle so I can yank it open and get moving. After what feels like a long time the gang house door opens again and there is a fella with some wads of aluminum foil.

Packets of foil is handed to Fred and he is paying then coming back to my breezer. We get moving in no time, little surprised at that. Also not since the plan was telling the gang that raid fella is coming down off heroin. From what I have heard on that drug you heat it up and inject it so not something one does in a breezer.