Jack Spade: Dream Detective

Chapter 2

“I don’t know what else to do…”

“Yeah, I know,” replies Jack. “She is in danger and missing again! But does she want to be found? And did you inform the police this time?”

“Of course I did, but I want you on the case as well,” replies Jefferson, pleading for Jack to take the case.

“I don’t know,” replies Jack as he sits there, holding and stroking his chin. “I really felt like a fool the last time.” Then he says sharply, “I don’t like feeling like a fool.”

“I know, Mr. Spade, and I’m truly sorry.”

Jack sits there staring at him for a while then says, “What was on that paper you wanted to show me?”

Suddenly Jefferson doesn’t seem anxious for Jack to see it. “It is just an address; I was told that my wife was there.”

“Do you have it now?” says Jack, holding out his hand.

“Yes, of course,” replies Jefferson as he goes through his pockets. He then hands the paper to Jack.

“Did you check the place out?” Jack inquires.

“No!” Jefferson quickly replies. “I couldn’t go to that part of town. I just couldn’t,” he says again.

“I still don’t understand. Why didn’t you go and check this place out yourself?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Spade, I just didn’t.” I had to think of my reputation!

“All right,” says Jack, smiling’ “I will take care of it.”

“Then you’ll take the case?”

“Did you tell the police about this address?”

“No,” replies Jefferson.

Jack gives him a suspicious look but does not push the matter any further.

“I’ll pay you whatever you want,” says Jefferson.

“All right,” replies Jack. “It’s your money. If you want to throw it away, why should I argue with you?”

Jefferson then writes him out a check and gives it to him. “

Excellent, Mr. Spade, and thank you. You will keep me informed?”

“Yeah sure,” replies Jack, as he takes the

Check, smiles without looking at the amount and puts it down on his desk. ‘What a nutcase,’ he thinks to himself. He takes another look at the address on the paper then puts it down on his desk. Just as he does, he gets another visitor. It’s Runt. Everybody calls him that because he is so short, about 4’11” in his stocking feet. He is about forty years old but has a boyish look that makes you think he was still in his teens.

But don’t let his looks fool you; he would sell his mother for a buck. In fact, Runt doesn’t know who his mother is. Jack uses him from time to time to get information on the streets. As dishonest as he is, he is still someone Jack can depend on.

“Anything going on, Mr. Spade?” he asks as he pops his head into the office. Jack gives him a twenty dollar bill and tells him to see if he can find anything out about Mrs.

Jefferson. “You mean that banker’s wife again?”

“Yeah,” replies Jack. “Now get on it.”

After Runt is gone, Jack sits there wondering if this is just another wild goose chase, then he gets on the phone and calls Joe. “Hello, Joe. We got a new job.”

“Yeah? What is it this time?”

“It’s that chick from a few weeks back. She is missing again, get on it.”

“You got to be kidding me!” Joe shouts.

“Yeah, I know,” replies Jack. “Listen,” he says as he tells Joe the address on the paper, “check it out and see what you come up with,” then he hangs up the phone. He and Joe are partners but Jack gives the orders.

Jack then picks up the check Jefferson left. It’s made out for a thousand dollars. ‘Well,’ he thinks, “it’s his money. If he wants to throw it away, who am I to tell him different?’

He then leans back in his chair, takes his gun out of its holster and starts cleaning it. If there’s one thing that Jack loves, next to his car, it is his trusted pearl-handled colt 45 revolver. He always keeps it with him.

It is rumored that it once belonged to John Dillinger. That’s one way to explain why Jack loves it so much but the true story is that he simply bought it one day at a gun shop.

How the Dillinger rumor started, no one knows.

******

Meanwhile, Joe has arrived at the address on the paper; 5657 Gilmore Street is in a section of the city where the undesired hang out. He is surprised to see that it is a vacant lot. He gets out of his car to check the area anyway. As he is walking around, he finds a silver ladies bracelet that looks like it cost a pretty penny. It is broken at the latch, as if it had been torn off in a struggle. Now the big question: did it belong to Lauren Jefferson?

Later that night:

Jack is at the Blue Cage night club, which is owned by Bill Moreno and, his silent partner, Tom Jefferson. The place is really high class. All the tables have checkered tablecloths and a small lamp. It has a very romantic atmosphere. The Blue Cage has somewhat of a history of its own. It used to be called the Paradise Club back at the turn of the century, in 1905. After the big earthquake, the paradise was the only building still standing on Fillmore Street. Moreno took over the club in the late thirties. There is an old tale that the ghost of the original owner, Blackie Norton, can be seen wandering around when the place is closed looking for his sweetheart, who he shot and killed one night at the club.

Moreno is an Italian American whose family came to the United States in the early 1890s. He has made his money mostly from booze, racketeering and his club. Jack is here because you never know where you might find a lead or clue. At least this is what he tells himself. The truth of the matter is he likes the crowd here. As he is checking out the club, he looks up and is mesmerized by the beautiful young lady singing at the microphone.

He can’t take his eyes off her. She is draped in a black strapless dress, with diamond-like sparkles all over it. The dress goes down to her ankles, which is very disappointing. She has a voice like an angel, deep and s****l, like she is making love to the microphone. As she sings her eyes look over the club; she sees Jack watching her every move. She stares back at him for a second and their look lingers then he walks over to the bar and orders a whisky sour.

After she is done with her number, she comes back for another performance about thirty minutes later, but this time it is like a stage show. Tonight is Oriental Night and the same girl comes back wearing a geisha outfit. Every man’s eyes are upon her again as she moves around the stage; they are really enjoying the show.

Once it is over, Jack follows her back to her dressing room. “Hello, beautiful,” he says, showing off those pearly whites of his that he is sure no woman can resist.

She does not pay him any mind. “You’re not supposed to be back here, mister,” she says finally while looking at her reflection in the mirror. And what a reflection it is.

This girl has the looks of Rita Hayworth.

As she combs her shoulder-length, curly, black hair, Jack replies coolly, “I know. I just want to tell you what a great show you just put on and ask you a question. Have you ever seen this lady?” He shows her a picture of the missing Lauren Jefferson.

Moreno is in his office having a heated discussion with Tom Jefferson when one of his men taps on the door then comes in. “Yeah. What is it?” says Moreno.

“We got a problem, boss. Some joker’s messing with Jennifer.”

“Well, take care of him.”

“Right, boss.”

The singer takes a quick look, says, “No,” and gives it back to him.

“Are you sure, baby?”

Just as he is about to ask her something else, the bouncer grabs him and then throws him out of a side door. He throws Jack so hard he hits his head on the street corner… and he blacks out.

***

James is at a restaurant and the waitress is shaking him. “Are you all right, sir?”

She shakes him again. “Sir! Can you hear me?”

James awakes. He looks around as if he is in a daze. “Yes, I’m okay,” he says. Apparently he had dosed off and was dreaming.

“What would you like to have?” she asks as she hands him a menu. James orders a steak with mashed potatoes. He has always been a meat-and-potatoes man. Once he is finished, he goes back to his office and sits at his desk, waiting for a client to come through the door.

James’ business is not going well; he has not had a client in two years. Then there is a knock at the door. “Come in.”

It’s his ex-wife. “Hello, James.”

“What can I do for you, Karen?”

“For one thing you can see your daughter when you are supposed to!”

“What are you talking about?” he says as he stares back at her with a blank look on his face.

“You were supposed to take her out yesterday, remember?”

“Oh, damn it. Karen, I forgot completely. Tell her I’m sorry. I’ll call her right now!” he says as he grabs the phone. “Don’t bother, James. She’s not home right now. “Where is she?” He says, still holding the phone, with a blank look on his face.

“She is visiting her grandparents at the moment,” replies Karen, “and she knows you’re sorry

.

She will forgive you, she always does. James,” she hesitates for a second to gather her thoughts, “why don’t you give this investigating thing up and find a real job?”

“Don’t worry about me,” replies James sharply. “I will be just fine. You know me, never give up,” he says, trying hard to smile.

Karen just stands there, shaking her head. “You will never change,” she says.

Karen and James are still on speaking terms. They seem to have stayed friends throughout all their troubles. When they married they loved each other but just couldn’t work things out, and then the baby came along and everything just went downhill from there. He knows she is only thinking of his well-being.

In a way she still cares for him because sometimes James can be like a little kid; or big kid, depending on how you look at it.

“Okay, James,” she says, looking at her watch. “I got to go. You take care of yourself and give Jenny a call please. Don’t forget her birthday is coming up soon!” she adds as she leaves the room.

“I won’t forget,” replies James. “Bye.” James sits back in his chair, props his feet up on the desk, closes his eyes and pretty soon he is fast asleep. And back in 1947...

***

Where Jack picks himself up off the pavement and goes back into the club.

He finds the guy who threw him out and confronts him. “You want to try that again, friend?”

The guy swings at Jack, and Jack ducks and hits him in the belly then throws a right cross, and the guy falls out of the same door that he threw Jack out of. He goes back to see the singer again. “As I was saying, baby, before we were interrupted, you seem to recognize the lady in the picture!”

“Look, handsome,” replies the singer, her hands firmly on her shapely hips,

“I told you I don’t know the lady. Now get out of here before Max sees you.”

“Oh,” says Jack with a grin, “is that his name? I already took care of him.”

“Well if you did, he will be back and he won’t be alone. If you know what’s good for you, you‘ll get out here.”

And sure enough, Max is back with some help… “Hold it, guys, I’m going,” says Jack, holding up his hands.

“That’s right, you are going, but first we got to teach you some manners,” Max says as he begins to hit Jack while the other two guys hold him down. He hits him over and over until he almost passes out.

“Stop it. You trying to kill him?” screams the girl. When he stops, Jack falls down to the floor. The girl tells them to help her carry him to her car. Which they do.

Once there, one of the men says, “the boss isn’t going to like this, you leaving an

‘all.’

She helps Jack into her car. Jack is still pretty drowsy, but is coming around. She drives to her hotel. When they are in the lobby, one of the bell hops helps her take Jack to her room. Once inside, Jack sits at a table while the girl

Hurries to the kitchen sink and runs some cold water on a towel for his battered face. “There,” she says, “does that feel better?”

“Yes,” says Jack, smiling, “but it would feel much better if it came with a drink.”

She fixes him one. “Hey, baby, what’s your name?”

“Jennifer. Jennifer Wilson,” she says while handing him the drink.

“Pretty name,” replies Jack. He’s always trying to turn on the charm even after getting his head bashed in. “Now, tell me the truth. You do know the lady in the picture?”

Jennifer hesitates for a second. “Yes,” she replies. “I know her, I tried to get her a job singing at the club but the owner wouldn’t hire her.”

“So where is she now?”

“I don’t know. After he told her she couldn’t sing, she ran out of the club in tears… I haven’t seen her since.” Jack did a double take’ when he hears that’ He’s thinking’ it hard to picture Lauren Jefferson is tears”

“And how long has that been?”

“About three weeks now.”

All the time Jack is asking her these questions, he is checking her out, trying to see if she is telling him the truth. He believes she is. “So what’s going on handsome? Says Jennifer. “She’s missing”, replies Jack

“Missing? Are you sure?”

“Well her hubby thinks so,” replies Jack. “He’s the one paying me to find her.”

“So who is her husband?” She asks, with signs of curiosity. And flirtation.

“Careful,” replies Jack, smiling. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Oh really,” says Jennifer, looking a little hurt. “If you don’t want to tell me…” “Thomas Jefferson,” says Jack.

“The president!” she says quickly! “I thought he was dead.” She then smiles.

“That’s real cute, baby,” replies Jack. “You not only sing but you’re a comic on top of that.”

Jennifer is still laughing at her little joke. “So her rich husband the banker, and Realtor! And silent partner in the Blue Cage.”

“Wait a minute,” shouts Jack. “What was that about silent partner?”

“Yes,” says Jennifer. “You didn’t know that?” She begins to kid with him again. “You should have known that! What kind of detective are you?”

“An uninformed one, it seems,” replies Jack, scratching his head, “and it’s investigator, not detective.”

“What’s the difference?’ says Jennifer. Not really expecting a response’