are you even trying? - 6. distraught

by nick nelson

part six of 23

for previous episode, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

> was he looking for some guy? molloy asked william wilson. i guess. that is what we do - look for people. was he looking for a blonde in a red dress? in a red dress? is that her description? did she wear a red dress every day - and at night? she might have been partial to red dresses - wear them more than white or blue or green dresses. i don’t know if he was looking for any woman, blonde or in a red dress or otherwise. why didn’t you say so? i just did. what are you, cracking wise? maybe i should have had you come down to the station, instead of meeting you here in this fine dining establishment like a couple of gentlemen. sorry, i guess i am a bit distraught at the passing of poor collins. distraught. that’s a mighty big word for a boy your size. i learned it in sixth grade, from sister mary agatha. and you remembered it after all these years? she used it a lot. she was always distraught about something or other. let’s get back on track here. who, or what, if anything, was your pal collins looking for, as far as you know? well, we were looking for quite a few people, on and off. we usually have a new case or two, and concentrate on them, but if there is nothing there we might we might try to fill up our workday checking up on something not so new. you sound like a couple of conscientious fellows. just earning a living. you never just take the afternoon off and rest your elbows on a nice smooth bar with some peanuts or pretzels? not me. i am not a boozer and neither was collins. that is the worst thing you can be in this business. if i took a break it was with coffee and a doughnut, like in this place here. i see. so, do you have any idea why mister collins was walking down the corridor of the third floor of the mason hotel, at the particular time he was? no, but i can give you the names of some of the new cases we had, if you think that would help. yes, it might not be much, but it would be something. i hate to keep repeating myself, but there was nothing really hot, nothing to get the old heart pumping, that you guys were working on, am i correct in assuming that? yes, but i have a list here, all written down, of some of the people we were looking for. all written down, how thoughtful. you see i can use two dollar words too. how about the names of the people you were looking for them for? i would prefer to keep them confidential for now, if it all the same to you. you would, huh? molloy stared at wilson for a few seconds. all right, he said, i will let it go for now. this coffee is really pretty good, by the way. i think so, that is why i come here. the jelly doughnuts are good too, but only in the morning. how about in the afternoon? try the blueberry pie. it is still good in the afternoon, and even late at night. next

are you even trying ? - 5. traffic

by nick nelson

part five of 23

for previous episode, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

> johnny was getting desperate. the traffic whizzed by without giving hm a passing glance, mostly big rigs, but an occasional pontiac or studebaker driven by a guy smoking a cigar or a blonde in a low cut red dress. it was only a matter of minutes before he would hear the sound of the sirens of the highway patrol. i will count to a hundred, johnny thought. if nobody stops for me by then, i will have to get off the road. he started counting, but kept walking. ten… nine… eight… seven… six… he heard the sound of tires behind him hitting the gravel by the side of the road. <> hey kid, want a lift? sure, johnny replied nonchalantly. i don’t mind if i do. the rig stopped, and the driver looked down at him. get in. i got some business to attend to, i will be right back. the driver climbed down from the cab and disappeared into the scrub by the side of the highway. johnny went around to the passenger side and climbed up into the cab. he did not look back down the highway as he did so. the driver had left the motor running, and the key in the ignition. johnny kept his eyes on the rear view mirror. after about four minutes, he saw a highway patrol car coming up, but with no lights or siren. the patrol car passed by. just as it was going past, the driver returned from attending to his business. nice day, the driver said. yes, it is, johnny agreed. you are a trusting person, he added with a smile. how do you figure? you left the motor running. just saying. do you know how to drive one of these? i never have, then you don’t know how, the driver laughed. i might have, johnny said. but you didn’t, did you? they got back on the road. where you headed, the driver asked. cincinnati popped into johnny’s head. cleveland, he said. i am going as far as pittsburgh. next

are you even trying? - 4. the lady in red

by nick nelson

part four of 23

for previous episode, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

> the blonde in the red dress came out of the hotel room before collins knew what was happening. she shot him three times. * you see what happened? molloy asked the guy from room 305. i heard shots. then i came out and i saw this blonde in a red dress coning down the stairs. did you see a gun in her hand? no, but she was sticking something in her purse. but you couldn’t tell if it was a gun. um - no. you didn’t try to stop her? no, i didn’t want her to shoot me. think you would recognize her if you saw her again? maybe, if she wearing the same red dress. that’s very helpful. was she wearing a feather in her hair? not that i noticed. how about a hat? was she wearing a hat? on the back of her head, maybe. one of those little ones, you know. tucker came up the stairs, and asked molloy what was going on and molloy told him. tucker looked down at the body. do we know this gentleman? he asked. he looks familiar. collins. curtis collins. a private eye, but not a very good one. not any more, that’s for sure. who is going to clean this mess up, the guy from room 305 asked. not you, molloy told him. the county will take care of it. can i go? the guy asked. for now, but stick around. what room did you say you were in? 305. and your name? ralph daniels. all right, raph daniels from room 305, we know where to find you. i won’t go anywhere. you had better not, molloy said. tucker looked down over the railing. doc phillips was coming up the stairs. did this guy have a partner? tucker asked molloy. wilson. william wilson. maybe he knows something. more likely than not. next

are you even trying? - 3. on the run

by nick nelson

part three of 23

for previous episode, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

> johnny did something bad and had to go on the run. he had no time to lose. he did not take anything with him. he walked out the door and down the stairs to the street. and started walking. he decided to take one trip to the cash machine to take out all his money or at least as much as the cash machine would let him take. but when he got to the corner he saw a black and white patrol car between himself and the. cash machine and he decided to not cross the street and to keep on walking. the bank was probably already notified and his money frozen. better to just forget it and keep on moving. “his” money. what a laugh. but it was his own fault, he should have known enough to take it out before. he headed for the outskirts of town. he wondered if he should try to steal a bicycle. as he walked along he dreamed of the old days when it was possible to steal a car! when you did not have to be a cop to have a car. * money. cash money. there was not that much left in the world but johnny needed some of it. there was an alley behind the old chicken nugget warehouse just before you got to the freeway. jackie crawley and misty marlowe were hanging out in it, enjoying the breeze and waiting for business. johnny walked up to them. i need some money, he said. anything you can give me. they laughed in his face. come on guys, johnny pleaded. i was always a straight shooter and a standup guy. now i am cashing in. jackie and misty looked at each other. what exactly is your problem, johnny boy, jackie asked. johnny explained his problem in a few words. jackie shook her head. you got in too deep, johnny. poor boy, they are going to hunt you down. and, misty added. you were never that bright, or that good looking. are you guys going to help me or not? jackie and misty exchanged glances again. jackie tossed johnny a nickel, and misty gave him a lousy dime. the next thing johnny knew he was down on the highway. the big rigs whizzed by. next

are you even trying ? - 2. the lovers

by nick nelson

part two of 23

to read part one, click here

> mister b was very upset with mr capone over the failure of their plot to kidnap me b’s daughter, juliet. i am sorry , sir, mr capone said dolefully. i thought i was doing the right thing, putting my best man on it. i trusted him implicitly but he betrayed my trust. you put one man on it? mr b asked sharply. yes, sir, it has been my experience that the fewer people are involved on a job, the less chance of fouling it up. and the bigger the job the truer i have found this. humph. well, what it is done is done. do you want me to try to track them down, sir? capone asked. no, i have my own people working on it. i have always found that the more people work on a job the better, as no one knows everything about it. i suppose, capone replied dolefully with a shake of his head, there might be something to be said for that approach. count upon it, there is. do you want any information on my faithless friend billy? capone asked humbly. i would happy to provide it, and any other information you think might prove useful. my people will contact you if they think it might be useful. and with that, mr b got up and exited capone’s little office. capone and his factotum, ness, heard the whirr of the wheels of mr b’s chair as it sped down the hallway. then the ping of the elevator it opened, and then the second ping as its door closed and began its ascent back to the ground floor. what a stuffed shirt, ness exclaimed bitterly. he is the richest man in the world, capone replied mildly. and we - i - did screw it up. i think we should go after billy and the girl ourselves, no matter what he says. no, at least not for new. we will give it a little time, see how much success they have. and if he sends someone around asking about billy, should we cooperate? sure. just make sure they are legit first, and really come from mister b. ness scowled. if you say so. besides, capone sighed, how much do we really know about billy ourselves? next

are you even trying? - 1. the old story

by nick nelson

part one of 23

> billy the kid was a boy. he wanted to meet a girl. he had to go on a quest. but first he had to do one last job. he went to see the big guy. the big guy was the man. he ruled the town with an iron fist. billy had always shown him respect. you know, mr capone, billy addressed the big guy, there are plenty of young fellows who are bursting with sass and vinegar who would like to prove themselves and could do this job just as good as me or better. that is all very well, mr capone replied somberly, looking billy straight in the eye, as he always did, but this is a particularly meaningful job for me, and you are the only person i can trust to do it. with such an appeal as that, billy had no choice but to go along. in due course billy found himself standing outside the big house of mr b, the richest man in the world. the night was dark. a cloud passed over the moon. the house was strangely quiet. there was no sign of any bodyguards, or any dogs or other ferocious beasts, or any dragons , or of mr b himself, or of his daughter juliet b, whom billy was to kidnap and deliver to mr capone. billy exerted his mind. one of things that made billy the most deadly assassin the world had ever known, was his tremendous mind power. if he thought real hard about something, he could usually know where exactly in the universe it was located. where was mister b? and even more important, where was juliet b? billy closed his eyes and thought real hard. when he opened his eyes, juliet b was standing in front of him. the cloud had gone away from the moon, and juliet was standing there in the moonlight. she was not wearing a white dress, or even a red dress or a low cut dress, but she was standing in the moonlight. billy could not take his eyes off her. it was the beginning of the end. next