THE PRINTS AND THE POPPER ~ ~ Epic*sode 18 ~ "BITE BETTER THAN BARK?" ~ By Absolutely*Kate and Harry B. Sanderford of Harbinger*33

HEY! WE'RE BACK!

* MURDER *

* MYSTERY *

* MATINEE *

  
"THE PRINTS

 AND 

THE POPPER"

FROM WHERE

  WE LEFT OFF

 IN OUR LAST CLIFFHANGER

*AT THE BIJOU*

  

CATCHING UP ON CLIFFHANGERS?

Mosey through Epic*sode Clicks:

    

Epic'sode 17 ~ Cassidy & Sundance

Epic'sode Sweet 16 ~ The Great Escape

Epic'sode 15 ~ A Wise Ass

Epic'sode 14 ~ A Wrinkle in Time

Epic'sode 13 ~ Lucky For You?

Epic'sode 12 ~ Midnight Cowboy

Epic'sode 11 ~ The Shadow Knows

Epic'sode 10 ~ The Pissing Match

 Epic'sode 9 ~ Chain, Chain, Chain 
Epic'sode 8 ~ Too Cool!

Epic'sode 7 ~ Meet Virginia
Epic'sode 6 ~ I See the Light

Epic'sode 5 ~ Lucky Shot
Epic'sode 4 ~ Hi Jinks

Epic'sode 3 ~ Groping Against Grope
Epic'sode 2 ~ The Clot Thickens
  
and the original mystery of it all ~  Epic'sode 1 ~

 THE PRINTS AND THE POPPER

 

 

 ~ ~ EPIC*SODE 18 ~ ~

"BITE BETTER THAN BARK? "

~ By Absolutely*Kate

and 

Harry B. Sanderford

Whose Prints?  ~ ala Kac

Eddie hung up with Mary Lou and iPhoned Detective Davenport.  “Any word from your friend at the lab?”
 
"Good mornin’ to you too, Junior,” Leon replied, knowing his sarcasm was as lost as civility.  “Yeah Fat-Cop . . . that’s Officer Burger to you, left me a voicemail last night. Says there are no new identifiable prints on the mug. The ones you lifted he said were first class, even complimented you on them, but they do not belong to anyone currently in the system. Tox won’t be in before tomorrow.”
 
"Chester would be in the system wouldn’t he?” Eddie asked.

 
 "Chester is in the system. Mostly for tilting at windmills so far, but even if Fat had found his prints, well hell it’s his mug.”
 
"That's what I mean. Don’t you think it’s just a little odd that Chester’s prints aren’t on it?”
 
"You mean like maybe he was extra careful wiping the cup clean before putting it back on the shelf? I was thinking the same thing Partner.  You got classes this morning or you free to take a ride?”
 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Breakfast of Champs ~ htlvhwy

 
Chester Hanks awoke with a Schlitz induced headache that while not uncustomary was nevertheless annoying.  Eyes closed, he sleepwalked to the bathroom to relieve himself, flushed, and with eyes still closed, shuffled the 14 steps to the refrigerator where he popped the top on a cold can of good morning and drained its contents entirely before squinting out at the day.  The replenishing effects were immediate but short-lived as the events of the preceding night flooded home. He heard soft snoring coming from his bedroom followed by an awfully official sounding knock at his door. FUCK, is what he thought. “Just a minute, hold yer horses, I ain’t dressed,” is what he yelled at the front door before hurrying to close the bedroom door. Hoping like hell the bulk under the blankets was Ruby. He buttoned his fly and finger combed his hair before opening the door. “How can I hep ya?”
 
"Good morning Mr. Hanks, sorry to wake you.”  It was 11:15 and the boozy, bodily, funk of debauchery issuing forth from the capsule unsealed, caused Detective Stine to take a shallow breath and a step back.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

  

 

"Don't call to complain about evidence left out when you over-helped-yourself to use news of what tales I told you and what tales you thought you'd connoitered out of me Newspaper Dame! If it's all the same, I wouldn't give a wooden nickel Penny for any sad, sorry, sympathy story you have about how your nose for news is out of joint.  Sources and the resources of sources are to be checked closely, very closely ~ So, have you any plans this evening?"
 

Penny for her thoughts ~ ala Sion Fullana

"Well you've got your nerve Caracas, Noir Ace your fame to claim aims to be! Who are you to scoff at twisty roads you signal-flagged me to chase down? It certainly took miles of calls and calling in favours to type that ink by press time. I want you to understand I insist what's read in black and white BE black and white. Shades of grey are more like song lyrics from the 60's or 70's, I'm not sure which, though I'm persistently precise. I could look it up but I'd much rather know ~ Are you going to tell me past convoluted conjecture who YOU think is behind that jiffy death-by-popcorn, the disappearing act of the hometown cinematic reviewer and the bloody scenes behind the scenes? What's that? Yes, well of course I have my own premises . . . uh, we could discuss them. Say, 8-ish, back for round-two at The Lucky Shot?"

  

"You're on, Yank. That's a good and plenty place to drink -- I mean meet -- for starters, lady newshound." 

 "Oh Paul you dog, double or nothing on that wooden nickel, your bite is more pleasant than your bark." 

 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Talking up a ghost of a chance  ~ ala Abchick

 

"Hey there Kate. It's me, Carrie. Yeah, I slept off that pool side binge-splurge we had to drink and then spun off into a really good think. And . . . uh, there really is something I have to tell you about someone you may or may not have seen AT THE BIJOU who I can tell, knows what's going on, sight unseen, y'know? I just can't keep this to myself anymore, I just can't. It's creepin' me out all under my skin. Listen, don't hem and haw or give me any bum's rush jaw -- I'm heading right over. We've gotta talk before I get the heebie jeebies. Even though no doubt this phenomenon I sense is helping my writing style, I want to not look over my shoulder so damn much at what I expect to be sudden boogie woogies when I'm not even playing new Indie group's tunes. C'mon Kate! I'm crazy curious and you've never been able to pull off a coy one dang day in your life I betcha sure as Sugar deals extra Milk Duds under the table to folks she likes more than others. So yeah. I'm coming over. You got coffee right -- ?"

 

"Carrie ~ Carrie?"

 

"Saaaay, who was that Kate? Could it have been that Carrie from the BIJOU since you double dribbled her name? Ain't I the clever sleuth, huh? And why're you acting like you're about to see a ghost or somethin? Here, cop a seat. Pull up your blue bowl for some nice nutritious cereal. You know you want to Katie. We've got a dang big pile to spoon up from my nifty siftings. S'OK if I keep the prize, right? I worked mighty hard at getting to what matters . . . "
 
Despite churning consternation at Carrie's dithered huff as her psyche's apprehension must be nearing comprehension along Phantom trails, Kate smirked a guffaw at handsome, hunky Harry's humorous way of trying to get his way. "You always work mighty hard at what matters Har. Matter of fact, you work hard enough to make it jump out and look pretty easy." Lowering her voice into her lean over the crunch that Lucky Charms still made around the standout prize her partner AT THE BIJOU found so magically delicious, she murmured low, "You wanta tell me though -- whassup - I mean what's REALLY up with you lugging Jeanette over here? Like it's a hidey-hole-up or somethin. Geeeez -- You've been pulling a disappearing act several times a day this past month Houdini boy. Don't think I don't notice when the head help's not so handy around how the theatre lights shine. Eddie tried to cover twice last week with some lame  'Down the basement Maam' spin, but that kid can't look a person in the eye and lie for nuttin'. He sure looks a kind, soft eye Jeanette's way though. I know he's gonna be so happy at her being safe and found and sound. You think we should call him?"

Who's whose Lucky Charm?

Harry hunkered down into cereal killin' time and mumbled back as laissez faire as he thought he could pull off without Kate seeing through some holes in how he knit his yarns, "Yeah, yeah - that's a great idea Kid. Eddie just is not going to rest 'til he knows his fave lady of Row Number Nine is doing mighty fine. You go right ahead KatieGirl and make that call. Just go ahead." 
 
"Wait just a marshmallow picking through minute there Wise Guy. You're pushin' buttons a little too snazzy now. Spill, Har about what's really goin' on. This is my BIJOU taking this strange danger run and I don't fancy the reviews. Every time I got a phone call last week as I recall, you did some fast shoe slither into my office with just happening by to interrupt and check who I was speaking with. Now you show up spoutin' shoot-em-up tales and a tied-tight femme fatale and where the freakin' heck did our sweet Lady J ever get derringer practice out of her girly garters? C'mon Har, give me the dirt clean. There's some BIJOU business goin' on that I've been wondering might have a thing or three to do with this muck of a ruckus. We should put our heads together. Figger some figgerins. -- And you notice? Something still is not at all quite right with our true blue Jay - past the shock factor, I mean. Her voice keeps chirping up a down staircase and if she wouldn't keep lecturing every time I say her eyes are rollin', well heck Har, I'd tell you her eyes are rolling. She can't look steady in one place for any longer than three seconds. What the hell happened during this 'captivity' time you two are rambling on about? You only give out bits and pieces -- "

 

Sometimes I fall ~ ala RealmOfPain

Jeanette jumped twice -- once out of her chair, once around the rungs of where she tipped it on the blue and white linoleum floor. In erratic goofy glee, she clapped her hands three times. "Harry! Look! Look! I found the decoder ring in the Rice Krispies! It was like Snap, Crackle and out it POPPED. It did! Kate will let me keep it, I'm sure -- I've been through an ordeal and folks are nicer to folks who've been through ordeals, right? Besides, if you get your prize, I get mine. WHICH REMINDS ME -- Did we tell Kate yet about the prize?"

 

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

 

"Tanya, I've got to get ready for a date, er - appointment with a high caliber interrogation. That means we've got to get you and the trumped up Prof here to a safe house. Especially before his latest shot wears off. Can you stay with him awhile at that Kate's who runs the BIJOU under the cover of a medical professional being professional to look over her under sedation professor? That should work. Keep your eyes, ears and sensitivities open. Something could very well pop up that we can use to rip into Boss Gabardine's seams a little further. From my briefing, he's appearing much too confident for someone under the upheaval of what two solid years of surveillance uncovered. Oh, and we have to find that Cheezum broad too. She has a past with - - "

 

She's got the point!

"A colorful past? A lurid past? A shadowy fill-in-the-blanks with bullets past? I've done my research there Paul. I'd like to handle this part of the case. I'm cut out for diving through divining wisdom and shaky alibis. And the Prof here, yes -- it's best he's watched over. Kate's place sounds like a sound idea. I know you're in a hurry but could we stop and pick up some Mike's Hard Lemonade? I have a feeling that if I could get that lady theatre owner to relax out under the sun sipping, she might slip open more to what they're undermining her for. It is blackmail right?"

* C * L * I * F * F * H * A * N * G * E * R * S * !

* AT THE BIJOU * 

Mosey on over to next Sunday's Matinee

for the next gut-gripping epic'sode!

" The Prints and The Popper "

(c) 2010 ~ Dashing Duet Authors

Absolutely*Kate and Harry B. Sanderford

  ( Kate thinks the "B" is for 'brilliant'  -- some times )