THE CHOCOLATE PEARL ~ By Absolutely*Kate (channelling Nelle) ... { #Flash Fiction au Noir }

THE CHOCOLATE PEARL

~ By Absolutely*Kate

as gleaned from Detective Nelle Callahan

Our tale of two trenches counter what they came for (or what they're after) at the battered cream counter of Magrudy's Hill o'Beans. Best cup o'joe a dark rainy night can brew. Sip that one with the link below ... but then run, skip or jump back  into your swivel stool. This is gettin' good. The guy's about to spill the beans what he's all about. Should we believe him?

Off mean streets to a good cup o'joe saunters Nelle & Harry ~ 

"THE WILL'S THE WAY"

 

A pounding rain washed in a Tom, Dick or Harry with   ~ 

"THE DAMP FEDORA"

 

Earlier Intro to NELLE skims silver shadows in ~ "GOT NOIR"? 

I watched him closer than it looked like I was watching him. Of course one eye darted over to Newspaper Guy in the back booth every now and then. He was still awfully mesmerized in the story about the dead baseball player. Eddie Waitkus of the Phillies shot in Chicago by a deranged lady fan. He won't round third no more. You could hear this guy's pages rattle. Unless that was his noives. And then there was Uncle Albie shaking his large black fry pan over his back burners so profusely. With no bacon and eggs orders up, this was grilling me a little around the edges too. But I listened. I listened to this guy with the damp fedora who claimed (for now) he was no Tom or Dick but preferred to be monikered as a Harry, and claimed he had a beef about a will. A will he and his dead lawyer couldn't readily get their hands on to handle. Paperwork's a bitch I tell ya. Yeah, I listened. And I watched.

Wonder if anyone ever told him what a tell that left eyebrow quirk is. Brown eyes, the kind that go way back deep. He clenches too. Almost imperceptible around the jaw but I percepted it. It's whenever he mentions . . . her ~

"My mother was not a normal mother as mothers go. We saw her come and we saw her go."

"Dances? Parties? That sort of fling?"

"Heavier on the fling." He pulled a deck of Luckies out of his inside front pocket. I saw what else was in there. This guy thought he was full of surprises or wanted me to think I thought so. Not that easy Bub, not that easy. He offered me one but I still had a good cup o'joe to be loyal to. I declined. Kept interrogation goin' friendly like though. After all, this guy had more than lemon pie to chew.
 
"So, to your Pop - she  wasn't always true?"
 
"My father could've been her father. I imagine she wanted more of a life than settling in to what cushes a pampered wife."
 
"Vibrant is as vibrant does. You talk about it much? You have brothers? Sisters? And what's this got to do with a bumped off family retainer and accepting your inheritance, Har? I can call you Har, right?" 

I was right. Humpty Dumpty had to put his face back together quick when he forgot to respond to what his claim to name was.  And here I was thinkin' this fella had it on the ball. What's his story? Everyone has a story. That's why I'm listening. Even over Albie's smoke screen. Something's up. Something always is. 


I'm Nelle Callahan and I sense trouble before it has a chance to follow me through a darkened doorway. That's how I knew about my former squeeze yet current business partner Jake, that bum. Last month at Hooligans, he chatted up a chirpy with less in the noggin' than a bird brain and let the feathers fly. Something too forward about how she fluttered cleavage up against his chest for an extra half hour gave her jig away. It wasn't too pretty how I responded. Jake came back with my bourbon and rye. I got up, socked him in the eye and sat back down. Life's tough enough then to go wasting the best swigs of a good drink. Besides I had to think. Wasn't easy over Jake's muttering and sputtering. Protestations are seldom quiet things when you're the one holding the keys to all our client files. But enough about that. This supposed Harry is still flapping his jaw. 

"So I said to the guy, What's the grift? There was something hinky in how he spilled his spiel. "

"Wait -- what guy?"

"I'm paying you to pay attention Callahan. The guy who called and said he had my mother's ring. The Chocolate Pearl."

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 Stay Tuned. 

There'll be more.

 

There's always more
brewing than a Hill o'Beans 

when trouble's on the scene

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

I'm Detective Nelle Callahan.

I've met some of you before and no doubt I'll run a lookover on some of youse when we meet up some dark rendezvous that spooks or sparks a soul. But for now I gotta case -- and a dead guy and something to find, as well as finding out why I should be finding it. I'll keep you posted ... You take care now. Don't take any wooden nickels, hear?

(c) 2010 ~ Author Absolutely*Kate

graced by Laobing, KAGoldberg and Joel Emberson photos

Earlier Intro to NELLE appears in "GOT NOIR"? 

This case started off with  ~ "THE DAMP FEDORA"

Off mean streets sauntered Nelle & Harry ~
"THE WILL'S THE WAY"

 

*AT THE BIJOU* 

WRITERS' RAVES FOR READERS' FAVES

Happy Hot Birthday

Raymond Chandler!

 ~ Love,

Absolutely*Kate

and Nelle