The Wrong Sign

SilentVoice

SilentVoice

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Adelaide kept her kept her coat tight around her, shivering a little as she squinted through the garish lights. Signs floated everywhere, advertising everything from strip clubs to casinos to recreational substances to alter your mind and make your trip one worth remembering! Or forgetting if you got a bad batch. There was no clear darkness in this world. Only garish neo lighting, a black sky, and reddish earthen streets trodden down hard and smooth. No clocks, either. Nothing to distract from where you might spend your money.
The small woman shivered again and looked again at the card clutched in her hand. She was on the right road. Slowly, she started walking down the street, her sensible little white slip-on shoes hardly making a sound on the hard dirt. Her pale yellow dress swayed like an upsidedown tulip around her calves as she walked, the bright and light summer cloth clashing with the thick grey winter coat she clutched tight around her waist. She kept her hair bundled up under the coat's hood, watching the odd shadows anxiously as she checked doors and numbers. She looked at her card once more then went up to a door and knocked.
"Hello? Is this Donovan McGabe's Private Investigations?" she asked in a voice that wouldn't sound out of place coming from a mouse.
 
The city was the same as usual. It stank like too much booze, smoke, wet garbage, and bodies drenched in scents that were meant to cover the smells of the drugs and alcohol. If there was a place he hated, this was it. People came here for one reason, trouble. A slight snarl rested on his lips and he glowered at the obviously drunk couple kissing obnoxiously in the middle of the sidewalk. He was going to have to walk around them and that meant stepping in a puddle that more than likely contained some sort of waste that could be labeled hazardous. Filth...that was all this city reminded him of.

Just as he was rounding the corner to his little apartment/office he heard a tiny voice. Why did he have to attract all these idiotic people? She wouldn't know it was him anyway. Most of them were drunks looking for the person they slept with last night and quite frankly he didn't care. He was here for something else, but private investigators were a dime a dozen and a good cover. It was an apartment building and all he had to do was push past her and walk up the stairs and ignore her stumbling around until he got to his apartment and then he could turn up the tv to drown out the sounds of his neighbors and go to sleep. That was all Donovan wanted. Without really looking at the girl he pushed in beside her, grabbed his key for the gate and unlocked it.

Glancing at her briefly he noticed she didn't look like the usual sort of person to visit and that sparked his curiosity, but not enough to actually do anything. Pushing the gate open he started to help himself inside. He wanted to get in fast and lock her out. "Just go home, lady. I don't know who you're talking about and all I want is to go to bed."
 
"W-wait!" Adelaide stammered, heart thundering in her chest anxiously. "Wait. I was sent here by Grayson. He said you could help me. Please. You're my last hope. I've been trying to find my brother, and I've gone through three investigators already." She thrust out the card toward him. "Grayson gave me this and said maybe you could help. Please, just hear me out?" She stood shaking, biting her lip. If this one turned her down, she didn't know where else to go.
 
Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope. That was the only thing that came to Donovan's mind when the girl started to speak. She'd personalized it slightly, but it sounded quite similar in his mind. Old movies sometimes got him mostly because they were what he ended up watching all night while ignoring his neighbors. Despite his best attempt a grin broke out on his face and he started laughing. He'd entirely missed everything after the last hope. Looking at the little card that she thrust toward him he took it from her and gave a 'humph'. "Disappointed that you don't have a title or something fancy on this. I don't do private cases. What the hell are you doing here anyway?"
 
Adelaide wilted. This was truly feeling hopeless. Her last hope was apparently a delusional drunk who laughed at weird things and misread cards. "That is your card that Grayson gave me," she pointed out, trying to sound firm. "Will you please pay attention? I am trying to find my brother! He's been missing for seven months, and the last time he spoke to me, he was coming here. And what do you mean you don't do private investigations? You are a private investigator, for goodness sake!" She 'humphed' right back, but it wasn't nearly as dramatic.
 
Apparently she was a little more sober than he'd hoped and she insisted that he actually pay attention. Sober ones didn't last long on the streets if they weren't careful. Unfortunately there was a small hint of guilt that started to sneak in and he opened the gate for her. "Yeah well, I don't look at my damn business cards enough to know what they look like." She wasn't moving nearly fast enough and he snapped at her. "Get in here. I don't have time for you to lolly gag around like an idiot. I'll think about taking the case." He didn't want it and he actually had no idea how to find her brother, but she needed to be off the streets. There were plenty of men that would be able to sniff her out as fresh to the city and they'd make sure she wasn't fresh for long.

Stepping up the five steps to the front door of the building he unlocked it and a waft of smoke poured out. Donovan held the door open long enough for her to step in and then he shut the door again and walked up the steps and to the left 3 doors down. Sliding his door open it revealed a small room with only the essentials for his living space. "One other note. Hasn't anyone told you not to believe everything you read? Private investigator. Some private investigators take bigger sort of cases. Corporate cases where they investigate privately on behalf of large companies. Anyway, you're obviously not from around here. Should be out on the streets." Grumbling a bit he sat on the edge of the bed and started to take his shoes off. It was an efficiency apartment and he figured it wouldn't take her long to figure that out. "Only two doors around here. One to go out and one for the bathroom. Snoop around as much as you like." Snorting a bit at his own comment he tossed one shoe over to sit next to the door and then started on the next shoe.
 
Adelaide stood nervously in the center of the room, trying to keep herself as contained as possible. She had the feeling this was a very, very bad idea, but she had no other ideas left. She looked around the little apartment and had to force herself not to curl her lip. What was it with most men and their desire to live in such crumbing living conditions? The majority of women would at least have tried to make the place looky homey or professional, especially seeing as he apparently ran his business from here. She carefully removed her coat and draped it over her arm, revealing a very nice yellow summer dress. Again, at complete odds with the heavy coat, but she had been focused on looking her best for the investigator.

She jumped when Donovan tossed his shoe over his shoulder but steeled herself and forced her voice not to shake as she spoke in the firmest voice she could muster. "Mr. McCabe! Clearly, you do not want my business, or any business if this is how your clients are treated, and if I had a choice, I would walk out of here right now." She paused. "As it stands, you are the only investigator or law enforcement officer I have not contacted in the effort to locate my brother. I want him found. I need you to find him, and if you cannot give him back to me alive, I want you to prove to me he is dead. He is the only family I have left, and you are my last possibility. If you will not help me, I will go and scour the streets myself."

Adelaide lifted her chin and gave Donovan a frosty look. Don't show weakness, don't show weakness, don't let him scare you, don't let him run you off!
 
Mr. McCabe! That shrill sound when a woman was mad just about singed all the little hairs down by the eardrum. He would go deaf if he had to listen to something like that all the time. By the end of her speel he'd finished untying his other shoe and he tossed it over to sit with the other one. "Well, miss," Donovan slowly looked up at the girl from where he was sitting and found himself staring up her nose. "First of all, I don't want to take the case. Secondly, I don't like looking up people's noses, third, you shouldn't be wandering the streets alone and lastly, I'll take the damn job just to keep you out of trouble."

He only had one clean pair of sheets and it meant that he'd have to go to the laundromat again. Donovan got up and stripped his bed down and then made it fresh. "I'll just sleep on the couch." Grumbling a bit under his breath he took the wadded up pile of sheets he stripped off the bed and tried to set them up somewhat neatly over the couch. "Now, if you're going to be my client you might as well start with all the usual stuff. Where you saw him last, when you last heard from him, what he looks like, recent pictures, names that you know he goes by. Might be good to tell me your name too."
 
Adelaide felt like she was about to pass out from relief. He had said yes! After almost saying no, but that didn't count. He said yes! While making his bed? This fellow apparently had no training in the manners of having guests over. Good gracious! But now was not the time to analyze that. As long as he was being agreeable, albeit highly confusing, she needed to do her best to speak kindly to him. Awkwardly, she stepped around to the couch to face him.

"My name is Adelaide Mooney," she said much more softly now. "My brother's name is Jack Mooney." She pulled out a small handheld device and skimmed through it quickly. "I last spoke to him on a Saturday two months ago. Everyone tells me not to worry because brothers are not supposed to keep in close contact with their sisters, but they are wrong. We are the only ones left of our family. We call each other and talk every Saturday and check in on each other, whether that be a five minute talk or an hour. We take turns. It was his turn to call me, and he never did." She found what she was looking for and tapped on the picture, bringing it up in a clear 3-D hologram about an inch tall. It was a picture of her and her brother standing and posing for a camera. Jack was a tall, good-looking fellow, and the way he carried himself said he knew it. Adelide held out the device to Donovan. "This was taken three weeks before he disappeared."
 
While she was talking Donovan went over to the dresser and tossed a pair of his drawstring pajama pants on his couch and an extra pair on the bed. He doubted she would want to sleep in the dress. All while he was getting ready for bed she kept talking and showing him pictures. Not that any of it was actually that helpful. "Nice picture." Mumbling to her he walked past and pulled open the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and put a little toothepaste on his toothbrush. "Did he ever tell you where he was staying at?"

Without waiting for her reply he started to brush his teeth. While she talked he kept brushing. Foam formed near the corners of his mouth and when he couldn't hold anymore of the paste and foam in his mouth he spit it out in the sink, gave his teeth one more quick scrub and then spit that out too and rinsed the toothbrush. "Hmm..." Pushing past her he walked over to the couch and pulled his shirt off. "You might as well take the extra pajama's there and go change in the bathroom. I'll be getting up early in the morning." Donovan didn't care if she was in the room, or not when he changed. Without further adieu he started to unbuckle his pants.
 
Adelaide's jaw dropped and her face lost all color then turned deep red. "What are you doing?!" she shrieked, stumbling back. "Don't get- STOP! What do you think you are doing?!" She gripped her small purse tightly. If she could get a hand in it, she had a can of pepper spray. If not, it was heavy enough to at least stall him if she hit him hard enough while running for the door. Her eyes darted to the door. Damn. He was between her and the door.

Adelaide's breathing came quick and shallow, her face paling again. Keep it together. Losing your head means its over. Keep it together, woman! "I do not know what you are thinking, Mr. McCade, but there is no way in hell I will be getting undressed in this apartment, and I would appreciate it if you would wait to do so until I am gone!" she said, trying to be firm, but her voice shook despite her best efforts. "I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression, but I am not going to take off any clothing for you or put any different ones on. I just want you to find my brother, and I will pay you for it. That is all."

How did she get into this?? If she ever found Jack, she was going to make certain he was okay, then kill him in as many imaginative ways as she could think of! She should have known better than to come to this man's apartment, but she had been under the delusion he had an office here. Now she just wanted out!
 
The girl got that panic to her voice and Donovan froze in place. His pants were still on, but the zipper was partially down and he turned around to look at her with wide eyes. "What the hell do you think I'm doing? It's the end of the night and I'm going to bed." By the expression on her face he figured out she thought something entirely different and he growled. "I made the bed clean for you. Don't really give a shit what you're paying and I don't care what you think, but I'm not the kind of scum bag that's gonna make you pay all the money you have just to hire me and then expect something else. Don't want you spending all your money on those outrageous hotels either. From the looks of your coat you don't have that much."

He figured if she was rich her coat would have looked better with her dress and she was far too nice and naive to take care of herself out in the streets. "You just do whatever the hell it is you gotta do. I'll do my job and you just be whatever it is you gotta be." Turning his back to her again he finished unzipping his pants and pulled them off. For her sake he wasn't going to be taking off his boxers. Tossing his pants into a heap on the floor with his shirt he unfolded his pajama pants on the couch with a shake and started to slip into them. "If you need to see me before I leave the office in the morning you'd better be here by 5:30 am."
 
Adelaide's shock and terror faded, but she was still rattled. Fear turned to anger. She glared at Donovan and huffed, "The least you could have done is explain that to me! Seriously, were you raised in a barn? You, sir, are a complete mannerless pig! This is no way to act around a client, especially a lady! I can take care of myself, thank you very much, and my finances are none of your business!"

She marched to the door and flung it open. "I will see you tomorrow morning, sir, at 5:25." She walked out, slamming it hard. It was childish, she knew, but he had seriously frightened her and then had the nerve to act like it was her fault! Why did it have to be him? Why??

Adelaide pulled on her coat and bundled up once more as she hurried along down the streets. Why did Jack have to be such a troublemaker? She was perfectly happy back home on Earth! Back where the men were at least moderately gentlemanly. To say, the knew enough not to randomly stip out of their clothing! For heaven's sake. Oh, sure, he said it was all innocent, intending to offer her a place to sleep. Like she believed that. She was forced to work with him, but she wasn't going to trust him one inch!
 
He would have called out to her to shut the door on her way out, but she slammed it. "Yes ma'am." Making a face he glared at the door for a long moment and then decided to go lock it. If she was going to be here at 5:25 then he'd have to be out by the gates at 5:25. Shuffling back to the sofa he stared at it and then his bed. Why would he bother to sleep on the couch when the bed was there and it had clean sheets. Peeling the covers back he groused a bit using his best lady voice, "You, sir are a complete manner-less pig." With a snort he got into his bed and resumed in a normal tone of voice. "And that's why I made the bed fresh for you and offered to sleep on the couch and even gave you something more comfortable to wear to bed instead of that ridiculous dress. Manner-less pig." With a harumph he turned over in the bed and pulled the covers up.

***************************

Donovan's alarm started to bleep at 5:00 am and the agent threw the covers back. It didn't take him, but a few moments to have his bed straightened up and to collect all the dirty sheets and toss them haphazardly into his dirty laundry basket. Then he plucked the clean pajama's off the floor. He'd probably kicked them off the bed last night. In only a few short minutes the apartment was put together again and it all appeared to be neat and clean.

Nothing was really clean looking when the building was old, but he tried. Next he took fast 5 minute shower and then got into some clean clothes for the day. The only thing the same as the day before was his pants. They didn't really need to be washed yet. Donovan slipped his boots on and yawned between tying the laces. He had about 5 minutes before the girl was supposed to show up and that meant he would have time to get some coffee started and make a few little slices of english muffin. Donovan even had a spot of jam to go with it. His sense of taste wasn't nearly as expensive as many of the people that visited this place, so he half expected that the girl wouldn't appreciate anything he'd offer, but he could try.

No sooner had he finished with his morning routine then he heard the buzz at the gate. She must have been standing outside. Pulling the curtain aside that covered the window above his desk/table he saw that she was indeed standing outside in the rain. Snatching his coat from the hanger near the door he grumbled all the way down the stairs and out the door to the gate. "Well, hurry up. I don't plan on getting wet before breakfast."
 
Adelaide sighed as she moved to follow him. This man truly had no manners. She was happy she'd at least thought to bring along her umbrella along as her long black skirt wasn't doing much to keep her dry, and neither was the old grey coat. "Good morning," she said, making an effort. "I apologize for being late. It is difficult to find a clock here." What did this world have against clocks in even the hotel rooms??

Adelaide closed her umbrella and shook it out before stepping inside. "Have you any idea of where to start?"
 
She was still so quiet and ladylike. What made that more annoying than anything else was the fact that it actually made him feel a tiny bit guilty. He shouldn't feel guilty. All he had done was tell her a plain and perfectly logical fact. Who wanted to be soaking before they'd even started their day? Donovan had to back up slightly to avoid having his eyes poked out with the ends of the little umbrella frame. When they were back into the building he took her up the stairs and let her into his apartment again.

Almost immediately the girl started to ask about her brother and Donovan rolled his eyes. "The cemetery." Clumping past her and into the little kitchen he pulled the first two English muffins out of the toaster and dropped another two in. "Of course I don't know yet. Not like you gave me much. Just said he was coming here. There are a lot of places around here and if he hasn't talked to you and you're damn sure he would have I'd guess he's dead in a gutter and his body is rotting and probably unidentifiable, or he's already been buried. Maybe he's sitting somewhere in a club and high as a kite, or he's ended up in trouble somewhere. None of the things that happen to people around here that disappear are good."

Leaning over Donovan grabbed some strawberry jam out of his little fridge and opened the lid. Plopping a small glob of the red jelly on one muffin he smeared it around unceremoniously and shoved it toward her. "You hungry?"
 
Adelaide stared at him, her face ashy. His words bounced around in her skull, deafening her. The umbrella fell from her limp fingers and she took a step back. She looked at him, but she wasn't seeing him. Her brother was dead? How could he be dead?

Adelaide was on her knees, but she didn't remember falling. She doubled over, hyperventilating. No! No no no no no no! She gripped her elbows tightly. The detective said he was dead. She was never going to see Jack again. Stupid older brother with his stupid hair gell always gumming everything up! She would never have to yell at him again. She was alone.
 
There was absolutely no response when he pushed the muffin toward her. Donovan frowned a little and looked from the muffin toward the place the girl stood. She wasn't there anymore. Instead he looked down and saw her all huddled up on the floor. In an instant panic surged through his veins. What in the world was she doing that for? Was she sick, maybe she was on something?

Cautiously the big man knelt next to her and poked her with one finger. "Hey, hey what's wrong with you?"
 
"He can't be dead!" Adelaide wailed. "He can't be!" Her body shuddered as she fought to keep from crying. When Donovan poked her, she jumped then looked at him, agony in her expression. "What do you mean what's wrong with me? You just told me my brother is dead!" She hid her face in her hands, keening softly.

For most, this would have been extreme or at least acting, but not for Adelaide. She truly was attached to her brother, and it had been a stressful two months trying to find him. She hadn't been sleeping well, she'd been traveling a lot, not eating well, and now after yet another sleepless night in a rather sketchy motel, this man had told her her brother was rotting in a gutter. It was too much to handle!
 
Donovan's eyebrows rose as the girl wailed her response. "Wait, I...I didn't say he was dead. It's a great place to start." Considering she was already crying he gulped a bit after that phrase. He was really going to have to work on this. "Uh...Mooney. Miss Mooney, why don't you eat something and try to give me something more to work with. I might have a few contacts that could tell me something more. Maybe they'd seen him."

As much as he hated to give her hope he didn't want her to go around wailing either. "Let's just start with the assumption that he's not dead and work our way up to that point." Cringing again took a deep breath and stood up. Whatever in the world was Greyson thinking when he handed her his card. Donovan wasn't supposed to actually work real cases. People were supposed to come to him when they were connected to the West Side Dock. The dock had a lot of suspicious activity and he'd been working there during the days. Nights paid more, but it was something that you had to work into. It wasn't offered to just anyone and Donovan was getting close to being offered the job. They wanted a private investigator to keep an eye out for a thief. Someone who'd been stealing small portions of their stock. They would find out who was stealing their stock, but the government would find out who was dealing in the restricted trades. Someone in the government wanted badly to clean this place up and make it the dream it was advertised to be, but Donovan doubted that was possible. Still, he had a duty and a job. Somehow the upper level thought this girl could be useful for his cover, or whatever reason. So he'd have to learn to deal with her.
 
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