2015 April A-Z Challenge ~~~ The ABC’s of Death ~ N

If you haven’t read previous chapters, I have a category listing on the side with the title 2015 April A-Z challenge. You can find all the chapters there. Thanks for reading!

 

 

Next Steps

 

A pounding sound penetrates my dreams. I open one eye and notice the darkness of the room. The pounding comes again. The door. The pounding is someone knocking on the door. I move my body and all the aches and pains in my muscles awake at the same time. Crap, I hurt.

I hobble over to the door and look through the peephole. Fedora stands there with an impatient look on his face. His knuckles hit the door again. Nothing for me to do but let him in. I switch on the lights and open the door.

“Dee! About time, you answered the damn door. I was ready to get someone to open it for me. Damn you look terrible.” Fedora walks in and grabs my chin with one hand and turns my face up to him.

“I’m fine.” I push his hand down. “I’m fine,” I repeat. “Just a bit sore.”

“What the hell happened to you? You are not fine. You are bruised and you have bandages on your hands.”

Fedora follows me to the small table as I sit in one of the chairs. There’s a bottle of water on the table, I grab it and take a huge drink. Tee is greeting Fedora like a long-lost friend. Traitor.

I look at the clock in the room, as my watch is dead from the dig out. I’ll have to have Mr. Frinklestein, the old watch repair man look at it when I get home. It’s nine o’clock. Still an hour before Billy shows up.

I need to loosen up my muscles, so I put my shoes on and grab Tee and his leash. “Let’s take Tee out for a walk and I’ll tell you all about it. I may need your help on this one.”

“The independent DeeDee Watson, Private Investigator needs my help? I’m flattered.”

“Can the sarcasm Fedora. I don’t have to involve you, in fact, I probably shouldn’t. You might mess up that fancy hat of yours.” I’m in no mood for the man’s attitude. I didn’t ask him to come here. I look over at him, he has his trademark fedora firmly on his handsome head. A dark blue and black plaid with a black ribbon trim.

I wonder if he has a closet dedicated to just his hats? The thought makes me give a small snort of laughter.

“What’s so funny, Watson?”

“Do you want to hear what happened or don’t you?” I steer the conversation past the thought of a hat closet.

I head out towards the park that Tee and I visited the first day we were here. Seems like a year ago. Fedora matches my stride. I let Tee investigate the bushes and trees while I fill Fedora in on what has occurred since Angela called my office. I keep it brief and try to gloss over the hole in the ground incident. I came out alive, that’s all that matters to me. Plus, I know Fedora would get all pissy about it. After telling the tale twice now, once to Billy, now to Fedora, I was tired of telling it.

I whistle for Tee. It’s time to head back to the hotel as Billy should be there soon. I clip the leash back onto Tee’s collar and start walking back. Fedora has been quiet.

“It’s easy to forget just how dangerous your career choice is sometimes, Dee.”

I shrug my shoulders and keep walking. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t know why you won’t get your gun license and carry one on you.” I can see Fedora is set to open up our old argument on me refusing to carry a gun. I’m just about to tell him to mind his own business when I hear my name.

“Dee! Dee! Thank god, I’ve found you!” It was Billy, he slides to stop in front of us. He’s upset and out of breath.

“You have to come now, Dee! I found Angela, but she might not be alive for long if you don’t come now!”

“Billy! Take a second and get your breath.” I tell him as he sucks in great gulps of air.

“You have to come now Dee!” He repeats himself. I can see the kid is upset.

“Tell me what you saw, Billy.”

“I staked out Tony’s house like you asked. Spotted the guy that took Angela. A couple of guys were with him. They are tearing the place apart!”

“Did you see Angela?”

“I didn’t see her, no, but she must be there because I overheard them saying it was time to finish her since she didn’t know where the deed was! The big guy, the one that put you in the hole, said they would wait till daylight, then take Angela out to the Wenner place.”

We were walking to the hotel and I stopped and stared at Billy. “Did they say what they were going to do to Angela?” I had a sinking feeling in my gut.

“They said they would put her in the hole with you! The actual words were, ‘she can join her friend in the hole.’ Dee, they said they would shoot her first though!”

Time to make some fast plans. I have to save Angela.

 

 

 

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