1920's Murder Mystery

[Hadley Smythe]

I stood at the zinc bar and watched the ladies and fellows come and go. It was a smokey little cafe with an area set of to the side for dancing. The bartender made his way over to me. He spoke english to me. I ordered a whiskey.

"How did you know to speak english," I said.
"It's your hat," he said. "Only a drunk english lady wears a hat like that."
"American." I said.

He served up my gin, and I leaned against the bar and took my trilby off and laid it on the bar. I looked around at all the swell people at the bar. There were many finely dressed ones and also the ones who wanted to be the friends of the finely dressed. I lit a cigarette. Her family had told me back in Deep Creek that they had got a letter from her and there was a match book from this place in the envelope.

 

[unclebigbad]

I'd like to play a private 'dick', if you know what I mean...

OOC: is your character male or female...as you don't say, it is rather difficult to discern...either way...if you need one, count this private eye, very in.

I wandered into the smokey little joint, to wet my whistle, drown my sorrow, toss a couple back, have a few drinks. It was the kind of place people went to to disappear for a while, then step back into the harsh light of whatever they left at the door. Not the most elegant joint on the strip. But, by far, not the worst. I sidled up to the bar, tossed my lid, my cover, my hat down in front of me. Loosened my tie and asked the bartender for a double on the rocks.

The bartender handed me my gin on the rocks, and I looked around. Not seeing anyone I knew or, at least, recognized, I turned my attentions back to the double at hand. Now, I am primarily a whiskey man, but, all in all, gin ain't that bad.

I had my heater, my hogleg, my Colt .45 in a shoulder holster under my left arm. Spare clips in my left jacket pocket. My spare in a pancake holster in the small of my back, a snub-nosed Smith and Wesson .32 six shooter.

I could have been a boxer. 6'4" 245 pounds, mostly muscle. But, that car accident, a month later, and I would have made the olympics. Oh, well, no use crying over spilt milk.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

The Blues singer

OOC:Jasmine, 21, 5'6, long blond hair, cobalt blue eyes, twenties style blue, flapper costume.


My voice floated, low and husky, through the club. I always got lost in the music when I was singing, but I never stopped watching the club. It was a favorite for some heavy hitters in the mob game. I was always ready to run for cover if something went bad. I saw a new face in the crowd, sitting at the bar. He had the look of a dick about him, but I never assumed anything, not about the people in this joint. I could only watch and wait.

 

[unclebigbad]

A vision of lovliness...

I turn to look at the sweet songbird on the stage. Never seen her in here before, but it had been a while since my last visit. I see an open table right up front...I make my way through the crowd and sit down, unable to take my eyes off the siren on the stage. Pin, gams, legs that went all the way to heaven, that blonde hair, those sexy blue eyes...I sipped casually at my drink...letting my eyes roam freely over her body...then trying to catch her eyes...a small smile played at the corners of my mouth...

 

[LittleRedDevil]

I knew he was watching me. I could feel his eyes, so different from everyone else who watched me. They were hot, sensual, bedroom eyes. The kind a girl could get lost in. I didn't want to look, but I had no choice. They pulled at me. Our eyes locked together as I sang, the slow sultry rhythm of the song making my eyes smolder blue fire. I gave him a soft, sexy smile watching as his mouth tipped up at the ends. He was definately a dick, but why was he in a joint like this?

 

[unclebigbad]

Well, well...

I had just stopped in to knock back a few drinks, before heading back to my apartment, but now...I will more than likely be staying til they toss me outta here. I light up a Lucky, and relax. It had been a long day, and I was starting to hope for a long night too. I never missed being a cop until days like today. Damn, I hate doing snoop jobs for jealous wives, but they seem to be all I've been able to get lately. I trailed this geezer all damn day...NOTHIN'!! Worse than nothin', he went to his office, to church, back to the office, then straight home. I can't wait to give this to his wife in the morning. Chances are she'll try to stiff me on the bill. A whole $2.75 a day plus expenses. I'd tailed him for a full week. If there was a more boring man outside of the Vatican, I hadn't heard of him. This guy was a saint. As far as I could tell, he didn't even drink. I swear, if I ever get that boring, someone please put a bullet in my noggin and put me out of my misery.

She had a voice that could make an angel green with envy. Her skin, what I could see of it, flawless. Her body, soft and curvy, just the way I like 'em. I sure hope I get a chance to meet her later.

[Edited by unclebigbad on 02-20-2001 at 01:12 PM]

 

[Hadley Smythe]

I sat at the bar, and drank. I looked at Dagmar's picture from when we were room mates at the girl's school and wondered what she had gotten herself into. I showed the picture to the bartender. He told me the piano player, or the singer may know her. He told me she had come in to that bar a few times. I looked over to the dance floor and the stage. I wanted to get closer to see them. I asked the big fellow at the bar to dance with me.

 

[carini]

Candy , The Cigarette Girl

I wandered through the room. My tray feeling heavier my the minute .
"Cigars, Cigarettes?"
I eyeballed the crowd still nervous someone was gonna realize who i really was.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

I saw Candy making her way through the crowd. She looked nervous, but then, if I were her, I'd be nervous too. Those men were after more than just her cigars and cigarettes.

The song ended and I made my way to the bar for my usual glass of mineral water with lemon. I could feel his eyes watching me, and somehow I knew, if I stayed at the bar long enough, he would come and introduce himself.

 

[Hadley Smythe]

The singer strode past me. I watched her go and watched her walk up to the big fella at the bar. They stood at the bar together, engaged in intimate conversation. Her face was next to his. He bulged out all over. I wished them together and imagined their coupling. It was a game that Dagmar and I used to play at the girl's college; imagined couplings. We placed instructers together and students and instructers, and students and students. So, I let my imagination go, and that faculty of myself got the best of me for a moment. I forgot why I was there. I forgot that I was looking for Dagmar. I forgot that her mother had asked me. I forgot that she was in danger. I saw them talk intimately and their faces so close that they touched. I saw the big fellow bulge more. I didn't think he could get any bigger, but with a swell looking dame like that next you, well, how could you not bulge. It was then that I envied him his penis. I thought if only I had one. He was nice, if you liked men. I looked at the cigarette girl. I thought maybe I would ask her about Dagmar. Maybe she would play with me.
The smoke swirled in that little cafe. The drinks were served. The singer and the big fellow were at the bar staring into each others faces. I went over to the cigarette girl.
"I would like a pack of Camel's."
She reminded me of a fellow nurse in the VAD during the war. She reminded me of Agnes who went of with the writer for awhile.

 

[New Master]

Brogan, the Bouncer

Man, Candy looked good. I hadn't seen her in a week, not since the shooting; I was surprised she'd come back. Now all I wanted to do was get her naked in back room and fuck her lights out. She was drop dead good looking, with tits that woudn't stop. Long hard nipples just popping out of her dress.

I asked my counterpart at the door if he'd mind watching while I went to check out Candy and ambled off in her direction.

[Edited by New Master on 02-24-2001 at 09:36 AM]

 

[unclebigbad]

Mind if I buy you a drink?

I lift my tired butt from the chair...make my way back to the bar...I walk to the gorgeous singers side...

My name's Wolf. May I buy you a drink?

I find I cannot stop my eyes from roaming over your luscious body...I hope you will allow me to buy you a drink...and I hope that doesn't show...I fumble trying to get my wallet out of my inside jacket pocket...the butt of my Colt peeks out...inside I cringe...knowing that a shooting recently took place here...I don't want anyone to overreact and shoot me...

 

[RobRoy]

Antonio

OOC: Antonio, 24, 5'11", dark hair slicked back, and a hard look in his eyes that speaks of experience beyond his years

IC: "Hey Tony", the bartender called out, "What can I getcha"

I gave a hard stare, "That's Mr.Paollozi to you". Just because the club was under the protection of the Family this punk thought he could get familiar.

"Sorry, Mr. Paollozi, sorry" he stammered "Lemme get you a drink on the house"

"Bourbon, straight up". I scanned the room, always alert for trouble. That big gumshoe from mid-town was walking up to the bar, but it looked like he was too busy drooling over Jasmine to cause any trouble. That was the thing about this place, it was a dump, but there were always some great-looking dolls. Jasmine was a real bombshell, and behind her were two more broads who were just as pleasing on the eyes.

"Got a new cigarette girl, I see"

"Yeah, that's Candy. What a fox." replied the bartender.

"Who's that with her" I asked.

"Some American, bin askin' around about a friend a hers got lost", he chuckled nastily. "Probly humping johns for a dollar a go in one a your whorehouses, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you." The little pinhead was starting to annoy me. I didn't come here to listen to him. Looking over the room again I let my eyes linger over Candy. I'd given up smoking nearly two years ago, but I was starting to think that now might be the time to start again.

 

[unclebigbad]

Well, well, well...

If it ain't my old pal Tony P. I doubt he remembers me, but I was the one who put him behind bars about 10 years ago, for trying to kill that dancer. I guess it's probably a good thing he doesn't recognize me. I would so hate to make a scene in here, especially with such a lovely lady like Jasmine so close...

 

[New Master]

Brogan

As I turned to leave the door, Mr. Paollozi, walked in. He was young but as the rising Capo in the Marzanetti Family, he certainly wasn't someone to fuck with. With one eye, I watched him move to the bar; with the other I followed Candy.

Candy was always messing with the wrong people. That's what got her in trouble and frankly, that's why I liked her. She had a thing for danger. Unfortunately the last time she'd needed a fix for her danger-addiction, it had cost my brother his life.

So here I was, customer-turned-bouncer, trying to figure out who had killed my brother and . . . well, yeah maybe, trying to get into Candy's pants.

As Candy started toward the store room, I could feel myself getting a little uncomfortable. The bulge in my pants wasn't just the gun I kept hidden at the small of my back and the ache certainly wasn't from missing my brother. It was time to get a little information from Candy.

 

[Hadley Smythe]

The cigarette girl sold me a pack of camel's. I tore of the cellophane and the foil, and lit one. It was crowded and smokey in that little cafe. Some one bumped into me from behind and they tried to feel my ass. I didn't mind a little groping from the right sort but I was Danger Girl on a dangerous mission. When I was a nurse during the war I had learned a bit from the soldiers that were in and out of the hospital. I turned around and layed the guy out. One punch. It was beautiful. He went right over. His drink crashed to the floor and ice cubes splayed out in a star pattern. One came to rest at the cigarette girl's high heel.
I turned back to her and offered her a smoke.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

"Thank you for the offer, but as you can see, I have a drink already." I watched him from over the top of my glass as I took a sip, but he seemed distracted. I glanced in the direction of his gaze and saw Tony. I shivered a little. I just hoped he didn't come my way, he was very powerful, and he always got what he wanted. I could only pray it had nothing to do with me.

 

[RobRoy]

Tony

"That dame packs a real wallop" I laughed,

"Hey, Brogan , you better clean this trash off the floor!"

I crossed the bar, pausing on the way to kick the poor jerk, who was still retching as he was dragged away.

"If there's one thing I won't tolerate it's bad manners." I said, pulling up a stool next to Jasmine.

 

[LittleRedDevil]

OOC: I'm going out of town for a week, but I promise I'll be back.


IC:

I thought about ignoring Tony, but knew that wasn't smart. He had never singled me out before, not in the intire time I had worked here. He had always had some bimbo to occupy his time, and I was grateful for it.

I decided to try and make a run for it, "Thanks for the drink, I have to go and get ready for the next set."

 

[RobRoy]

Tony

"Doesn't look like my lucky day" I muttered.

Having a reputation could be useful, but other times you couldn't even pay a lady a compliment without scaring her out of her wits.

I turned to the American. At least didn't look like she would run off if I spoke to her.

"Heard you were looking for someone. I know a lot of people around here; maybe I can help."

 

[Hadley Smythe]

He said to me: "I heard you were looking for someone."
He was handsome, of the tall and dark variety. He looked tough, and I liked him right off. For this endeaver I needed a tough fellow. Maybe He would help me out, maybe not. I decided to try him out.
"Sure," I said. "I am looking for a girl."
I offered him a smoke.
"My name is Hadley," I said. "How do you do?"
There was a commotion by the front door. I looked over and saw two gendarmes come into the place.
I turned back to the dark handsome fellow.
"Do you know a back way out of here?"

 

[Hadley Smythe]

Instant Messeger-ing

OCC: Any characters interested in live roleplaying via the AOL/Netscape Instant Messenger please email me hadleysmythe@netscape.net. I was thinking we could set up a chat room and IM some of the dialogue, and see what happens from there. Please email with times and dates of your availability. I think it would be interesting to have part of the story in the dicussion board and part on the Instant Messenger.

 

[RobRoy]

Tony

"I don't like the cops much myself. Just sit tight for a minute."

I walked over to Candy and dropped a hundred franc note on her tray.

"Do me a favor and keep those gendarmes busy for a while."

With the outfit she was wearing I figured she would have no trouble getting their attention.

Returning to Hadley I indicated that she should follow me behind the bar and through a door which led to the manager's office.

"There's the door to the back alley, Hadley, but I don't think they spotted you. Before you rush off maybe you'd like to fill me in on who this girl you're looking for is, and why you're hiding from the police."

 

[Hadley Smythe]

I told the handsome fellow: "Come along with me. All will be revealed."

 

[RobRoy]

Tony

I followed her out the back. It was a warm night and the moon was full.