BEAUTIFUL DAYS
CHAPTER THREE
BROWN EYED WALTZ
When she looked at me. With those eyes. All i remember was how beautiful they were. I was in a daze for mere seconds. I was lost in
them. Human nature's a bitch. It stirrs up emotions. Makes us weak at times. Her face. It had the most frightened look on it when she
gave me that quick glance. Almost as if she was calling for help through those gorgeous eyes of hers. I saw the face in my mind again,
but instead of hearing a beautiful voice crying for help...all i hear is this...
"GOD DAMMIT, REED!"
That's enough to snap me back into reality. I'm still at the crime scene. Dead bodies, bingo chips everywhere, the whole nine fuckin' yards.
Oh by the way, that God dammit, Reed!, comment comes courtesy of our very own Seargeant Shaw. You know those scenes in the cop
movies where the renegade cop goes out and does something really against all odds and then has to get his ass chewed off by a superior
officer? You're about to see one of those scenes now...
"What the hell's goin' on here, Reed? Why is it I
can't even on a break for five minutes and take a shit without
hearing how u turned some bingo game into fuckin' BUCKTOWN?"
I love Seargent Shaw. He's like fiber, he keeps me regular. But tonight is one of those strange ones, so instead of giving the usual smart ass
answer that raises his blood pressure even more, I take the road less traveled...
"Well don't get me started on how my break was cut short,
but that's where it all went down. See the piece of shit over there
bleeding on the stairway? Well he set it off.
Well did you question him? asks the Sergent.
"Well with all the gunplay and bingo chips, don't think i got
around to that part, sarge." i said.
"Well here's and idea, instead of standing around here
like some prized dog dick, why don't
you go over and get some answers from him?!" says the sarge.
"Sure thing, pal!", i add in my usual smartass manner.
Sarge hates having to actually be at the scene. But i figure oh well, neither do I but u don't hear me bitchin'. So at this point i say to myself
maybe i should go and finally question this asshole as to why i had to chase him down. I step over to the stairway where an officer is tending
to his wounds as they wait on medical assistance for him. I send them away...
"Okay, cyclops. What's your fuckin' deal?"
"I ain't said shit to them cops, what makes you
think i'm gonna talk to you?, he says.
"Well it don't matter to me either way. You
talk, you don't talk. You're still goin to
the fuckin slammer!
"Look cop, I'm fuckin' bleedin' to death.
You shot me three fuckin' times. Now
I ain't sayin' jack shit. I need goddamned
medical attention, fuck face!", yells, Patch.
"Cool, good luck finding it!", I say as i walk off.
I walk over to the middle of the street where Sarge is standing...
"What you get outta him?, Sarge asked.
" 'bout as much as I got outta him all night!, I reply.
"Well I got a lead on One Eyed Suzie over there, turns
out he may be linked to three murders that took
place earlier tonight at the Apex.", the Sarge informed.
"Well this must have been right before he started chasin
the chick.", i added.
"Chick? What chick?", asks Sarge.
"Well the cyclops over there crashed into my dinner tonight
chasin' some chick in a trenchcoat. Real sexy eyes.
She took off., I said.
"She took off? What the hell you mean she
took off?", Sarge yells.
"Usually that's how it works when u got a one eyed fuck chasin'
ya with a pistol drawn. You get the fuck
outta dodge.", I said.
"I'm not in the mood for your smart ass comments,
Reed! Tonight you make it your life's
mission to go out there and find that fuckin'
girl. Scan the ends of the earth,
sell your soul to Satan, I don't
give a rat's ass how you do it!
Just do it!", yells Sarge.
"I got six dead bodies here and I know
you're responsible for at least
half of them. This chick and
that one eyed peice of shit
over there is all we got
left. Now get outta
my face and
get to work!" Sarge yells.
"You know, you can really use a hug Sarge!
Or some really decent pussy. I got some chicks
I can call for ya!", I said in my normal smart ass manner.
"Reed, get the fuck outta here, now!"
Don't have to tell me twice...
I hit the bricks with a game plan. Figure I'd wait until Mr. cyclops got nice and comfortable at the hospital then go fuck with him until he tells me what
I wanna hear. But i figure in the mean time I search for this chick...what better place to start, than one with what i need right now...ALCOHOL!
THE BLUE MACKEREL
Jazz bar. But I don't come here for the jazz. I take my normal seat at the end of the bar. Sparks the bartender, he's on duty tonight. My right hand man.
One of my most trusted informants. I figure i work on his info as i work on this Jack Daniels...
Sparks hit me off with another Jack and Coke willya?, I request.
Another one?, asks Sparks.
Jesus, Jake you haven't even been here
an hour and already your tab is
almost breaking the 100
dollar mark.
"Rough night!", I replied.
"So what's on your mind, space cowboy? Work stuff, Sparks asked.
"Exactly. Have you seen a chick around here? Real sexy brown eyes?, I ask Sparks.
"God damn, Jake! You just named half the chicks in this
bar.", said Sparks.
"I'm serious, Sparks. Brown eyes. Drop dead
gorgeous. It's real important I find her.
She may be in trouble.
Well there was this one chick, come in here
two nights ago. said Sparks.
Fits your description you gave. She
was in here lookin for some doctor., says Sparks.
"You gotta be shittin' me. A doctor died
tonight at the Apex!", I said with excitement.
"Small fuckin world, Jake. She's staying at the Apex.
She left her contact info with me in case
I came across this doctor guy.
They must really have been into
some serious shit.", said Sparks.
"Where's the info?", I asked.
"Right here, she wrote it on this matchbook."
Sparks reaches under the bar by the lemons for the tequila shots and the dirty bar towels. And pulls out a matchbox. Inside, there is a phone
number scribbled in red pen. There is a room number for the Apex Motel. Room 612. And a name...
"Sophie?"
"Yep, that's your girl.", said Sparks.
"Ok now im cuttin you off!", Sparks said.
"How you gonna cut me off? I'm not drivin'!, I added.
"Cause I can't stand here and watch you do it to yourself again tonight!
Makes my liver hurt watchin' you.", Sparks joked.
"You wait till you gotta be cut off, Big shot!", I said.
I drop him his tip, grab my hat and coat. Then make my exit. Still pissed at the two bullet holes in the back of it.
Around this time it's been three hours since we left the crime scene. I head to my office to call the phone number on the book of matches. The
station's quiet. And dark. That is until i hear a voice...
Detective Reed...?
I look up and I put the phone back on the reciever...it's her...
My name is Sophie...and I need your help!
"No shit!, I was just about to call you." I said.
"What was with one eyed Jack chasin' you through
that noodle stand?
"Those men killed my father.", she said.
"Why's that?", I asked.
"Because of what we know...because of the truth.", she responded.
"Truth? What truth?"
"Detective Reed? I need you to be open minded
about what I will tell you.
It's not easy to take in."
"Go for it!", I said.
"What if i told you that the entire city, the
entire world as you know it,
with the exception of you ,
myself, and a few others,
were not human at all...
but robots?", she asked.
And i answered that question as honest as i could...
"That would be the point where I would say to you,
Ms. Sophie...You're fuckin' nuts. And
get the hell outta my office!
END CHAPTER THREE
