Jack Spade: Dream Detective

Chapter 3

“A detective carries a badge and a gun; I carry a gun. And a personality,’ he

Says, smiling. Oh’ she says rather casually’ did you make that up all by yourself’ Jack smiles and takes out a pack of cigarettes from his vest pocket and fumbles around for his lighter then remembers he left it at the office. Jennifer takes the cigarette from his mouth and lights it from the gas burner, takes a puff then puts it back in his mouth.

“Thank you, baby. You know, Mrs. Jefferson didn’t want to have anything to do with Mr. Jefferson.” Then he pauses for a second. “At least that’s what she told me the last time I spoke to her.”

“And when was that?” Jennifer asks.

“Oh, I guess it’s about a month ago,” replies Jack. “You see this is not the first time she has been missing.”

Jennifer slowly walks over to the refrigerator and pours herself a glass of cold water. “So you’re telling me Lauren Jefferson doesn’t want her husband to find her?”

“I don’t really know, baby,” replies Jack. “I’m not sure.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Didn’t you say that he’s the one who hired you?”

“What can I say, baby? He still loves her.”

Jennifer just shakes her head. “All that money he’s got − a banker and Realtor and he’s part owner of the Blue Cage − and he can’t find another woman? That’s crazy,” says Jennifer, looking a little confused. Then she looks over at Jack, smiles and says, “Are you sure you know what you are doing, handsome?”

“No! But who does?” replies Jack. “And you know what they say.”

“No,” replies Jennifer. “What?”

“That love makes you do funny things.” Jack then gives Jennifer a kiss on her forehead and starts to leave.

“Wait a minute, where you going?”

“Back to the club to get my car.”

“Let me drive you back.”

“Okay, baby that sounds fine with me. I was hoping you would say just that.”

When they get back to the club, Jack wants to go back in but Jennifer convinces him that it isn’t a good idea.

He gets back into his car but before he starts the engine, he looks up at Jennifer.

“Hey, baby, you never told me, how did you come to know Mrs. Jefferson?”

“We went to school together,” she replies coolly, “about a hundred years ago.”

Then she smiles down at him. “Will I see you again, handsome?”

“Sure, baby.” He gives her a big smile then drives to his hotel. Once he arrives at his place, he fixes himself a drink and sits on his couch.

His place is not much to look at − just a one-bedroom hotel room located on the north side of the city. As successful a private eye as Jack is, his place is just the run of the mill, somewhere to hang his hat. The room comes with a kitchen net, a nice-sized living room and a dining table. All the comforts of home. He has a few pictures hanging on the wall; there’s one of his mother and father, which he cherishes very much. He lies down on the sofa and soon falls to sleep. Just when his mind is about to drift off into never never land, he is awakened by the phone ringing.

“Hello,” he says, still half asleep.

“It’s Jennifer,” she whispers.

It takes him a second to recognize her voice. “Oh, hello,” replies Jack.

“I was worried about you!” she says, softly’.

“You don’t need to worry about me, baby,” he replies. “

I’m a big boy.”

“I know, she say’ I just wanted to make sure you got home.”

“I’m okay, baby,” he says and assures her he is fine. “Thanks for the concern, baby,” he replies then hangs up the phone. As he falls back to sleep, he wonders how Jennifer got his home number; he does not recall giving it to her.

***

When his alarm goes off, it’s 9 am and James Harper awakes from his slumber. He slowly gets out of bed and takes a quick shower then he prepares his breakfast. He gulps his food down, hardly chewing it − two hard-boiled eggs, couple of strips of bacon, a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. After he is finished, he has an inkling to call his ex-wife. She picks up on the fifth ring.

“Hello, Karen, is Jenny up yet?”

“Yes,” she replies. “Hold on.”

In a few seconds, his daughter is on the line. “Hello, Daddy.”

“Hey, baby, I’m sorry about the other day.”

“That’s okay, Daddy. I know your job keeps you pretty busy.” Jenny doesn’t really believe that but she says it anyway.

“I will see you next Saturday for sure,” says James.

“Okay, see you then.”

After he hangs up the phone, he goes into the bathroom and stares at his reflection for a long time, wondering at his lackluster life. He then shaves and washes up. Later there is a knock at his door. It’s his new girlfriend Gabriel, but everyone calls her Gabby for short. She doesn’t really like to be called Gabby because she thinks people might think that it means she talks too much and can’t keep a secret; which, by the way, happens to be true.

“Hello, Gabby! What you doing here so early?” “Early! It’s almost 12 noon,” she replies.

“Really?” says James. “Where has the time gone?” he says, as if he knows the answer to that question.

“Come on, James, let’s go out somewhere.”

“We can’t,” replies James. “I’ve got to buy a birthday gift for my kid.”

“Okay,” replies Gabriel, “can I come too? But first we’ll have something to eat. It will be my treat. Come on, let’s go.”

As they are walking near James’ office building, he takes her hand and says,

“Wait a minute.”

He sees a man walking upstairs to the floor of his office − one thing about James, he has great eyesight, like a hawk’s. “Hold on, Gabby, I think I see a customer.” They go over to his office; the man is just leaving. “Are you looking for me?”

“I am if you are James Harper.”

“At your service,” replies James. He then turns to Gabriel and tells her he will call her later. Gabriel is not happy to hear this, but goes anyway. Before she goes, Jack gives her some money and asks her to buy a pair of riding boots for Jennie. “Thanks, baby,” he says. “You’re the greatest.”

“Sure,” replies Gabriel, grimacing a little.

Then James and the man go up to his office.

The gentleman looks like he has plenty of money to spend. In his three-piece suit, he looks like he just stepped out of one of those Sears and Robots’ catalogs.

“Look, Harper, I have a job for you.”

“What kind of job?” says James as he goes over to his desk and sits down.

“Oh, it’s fairly easy,” replies the man. “My client wants you to pick up his little girl in Paris, and bring her back to L.A.”

“I’m a private investigator, not a baby sitter.”

“He will pay you 10,000 dollars; five now and the rest when you return.”

For 10,000 dollars, James pauses for a second. “Why doesn’t he go himself?”

James asks, acting like he doesn’t need the work and trying to appear like he’s not that interested.

“At the moment he cannot leave the country,” replies the man. “His name is John Fontana,” he says as he clears his throat into a monogrammed silk handkerchief.

“Fontana is a well-known racketeer in Los Angeles; he has been indicted on 21 counts of racketeering, and five counts of tax evasion. The man talking to James is

Fontana’s mouth piece, lawyer Frederick Dobbs.

“You know the name?” Dobbs asks, looking dubiously at James as if he is not sure if he recognized it or not.

“Yes, I have heard of him,” replies James. “But why me?”

“Why you?” replies Dobbs. “I was told that you need the money, or was I misinformed?” he says, looking displeased.

“Did Karen put you up to this?” James asks.

“I don’t know any Karen,” replies Dobbs. “Do you want the job or not?”

“Okay, Okay, I’ll take it.”

“Good,” replies Dobbs. “Here’s your ticket,” he says as he reaches into his briefcase and hands a round-trip ticket to James. “And here’s my card should you need to call me.” He hands it to James. “Your flight leaves at 7 pm…good bye, Mr. Harper. Have a nice flight.”

“One question,” says James. “How did you find me?”

“Someone recommended you.”

“Who?”

Dobbs stares at James. “Mr. Harper, does it really matter that much?”

James sighs and says, “No! I guess not.”

Dobbs then leaves and James goes to his apartment. He phones Karen to let her know he will be out of town for a couple of days but assures her he will be back by Sunday. He then packs a suitcase. On his drive to the airport, he tells the cab driver to go to Karen’s address; he has decided he wants to see Jenny before he leaves.

As the cabbie speeds down the L.A. streets, James is thinking about the birth of his daughter.

“Faster,”

Screams Karen to the driver.

“Lady, I’m doing as best I can. You don’t want me to have an accident, do you?” he yells back at her.

James takes hold of Karen’s hand, trying to console her as best he can. “Karen,” he says, “the driver is doing the best he can. We should be at the hospital soon.”

They should be grateful that it was 1 am, and there was not much traffic. When the cab arrives at the hospital entrance, the paramedics are outside waiting for them and they quickly take Karen into the emergency room. After eleven hours of labor, little Jenny is born.

James is so proud, he struts around the waiting room like a rooster.

He smiles to himself as he sits back in the cab. Soon it comes to a stop.

“All right, mister, we’re here,” says the cabby.

James just sits there, watching the house. “Well, Mack, what you going to do?” says the cabby.

“Oh,” says James, almost startled. “Wait here.” He gets out and walks up to the front door very slowly. Karen’s new husband is well off, and very successful. James knocks on the door and Jenny opens it.

“Daddy, I thought you had gone.”

“I know, baby. I wanted to say bye in person.”

She takes his hand as she leads him into the living room, which is huge.

“Mommy and David are in the back, swimming in the pool,” she says. “Do you want me to go get them?”

“No,” replies James quickly. “I just wanted to see you.” He kneels down and takes her hand. “I can’t stay long. I just want you to know that I love you very much, and will see you when I get back.” He gives her a kiss on the forehead then leaves. As he is getting in the cab, he turns to wave goodbye one more time, and Jenny runs into his arms again. He holds her for a few seconds then gets into the cab.

He is soon boarding his plane. As his flight takes off for Paris, he is in his seat, having a cup of hot tea. Soon he falls off into a deep sleep. As he sleeps he dreams that he is Jack Spade. And once again…

***

It’s 1947 and Jack is talking to an associate on the phone. “Have you found out anything about Mrs. Jefferson yet?”

“No, not a thing, Jack.”

“Have you seen Joe?”

“No,” was the reply again.

“Well, keep checking.” After hanging up, he has a drink and then there is a knock at the door.

“It’s Joe.”

“Come in,” yells Jack. “The doors open. What happened to you?” Noticing Jacks scars!

“I fell out of the bed.” As they are talking, Joe wanders over to the table where the whiskey is and fixes a drink. “You got any ice?”

“Yeah, check the box,” replies Jack. ”What did you find out at the address I gave you?”

“Oh,” replies Joe, “I almost forgot. It was an abandoned lot but I did find this.” He reaches into his pocket and shows the bracelet to Jack.

Jack takes it. “Boy that cost a pretty penny.”

“Do you think it may have belonged to Mrs. Jefferson?” Joe asks.

“Don’t know,” replies Jack. “I have to ask Mr. Jefferson.”

“Are you sure this girl is missing this time? Or is she just hiding out again?” says Joe.

“I don’t know, you can never tell with this lady. She’s a screwball.”

“Yeah, a beautiful screwball,” says Joe with a big smile on his face, “And she’s dangerous.”

“Why do you say that?” Jack asks.

“I don’t know,” he says. “There’s just something about her that I don’t like.”

“Oh, you’re just getting senile in your old age.”

“Call it what you want,” replies Joe, staring back at Jack, with both a funny and serious look. “That woman is dangerous.” Mark my words!

“Well,” replies Jack, “as long as Jefferson is willing to pay, we’ll keep looking, and take our chances.”

“Okay, Jack, but I hope this is not a big waste of manpower.”

Joe leaves and Jack goes to see his friend at the San Francisco Police Department, Homicide Division, 57th Precinct. When he arrives at the station, he asks the cop at the front desk if he can see Lieutenant Kimble. “I don’t see why not. Go on in, Spade.” He waves his hand to the cop as he passes by his desk.

Peter Kimble has been on the force for fifteen years; he and Jack were childhood friends. Jack taps on the door and a voice from inside yells, “Come in. So, you got any leads on the missing Mrs. Jefferson?”

“You asking me?” Replies Jack. “You’re the cop!”

“Right, but you have all the street connections, Jack.”

“What connections? I’m just a private d**k barely making it.”

“So why did you come here, anyway?”

“To see if you had come up with anything on Mrs. Jefferson.”

“Get out of here, Jack!” Screams the Lieutenant. “You’re being paid to find

Mrs. Jefferson, I’m not.” “Well, that’s not really true Peter. You’re being paid by the tax payers.” “Out, I said, ”Yells Kimble.

“Okay, okay. I know when I’m not wanted.” As Jack is leaving, Kimble tells him to check with Sergeant O’Brien. “Why?”

“We fished a girl out of the river the other night.”

“Was it Mrs. Jefferson?”

“Don’t think so but you can take a look see. She still might be someone you know. You seem to know everybody in the city,” he says, smiling.

Jack talks to Sergeant O’Brien about seeing the body. They go down some stairs to the morgue. First the Sergeant signs a few papers at the desk then they go into a room where the corpses are kept. They go up to a table and the Sergeant pulls back the sheet.

“See, it’s not Lauren Jefferson! Do you know her, Jack?”

“No,” he replies as he stares down at her naked body. “What happened?” he says, looking over at the Sergeant. “She’s a pretty little thing. What happened?” he inquires again. As he looks at the body, he notices a tattoo on the left side of her neck in the shape of a scorpion.

“What

Is it, Jack?” the Sergeant asks.

“Oh, nothing. I was just admiring the art work.”

“It looks like her pimp might have done her in, but we’re not sure.”