It was a rainy night, as it always seems to be when a weird case walks in my door, I was just finishing some paperwork for the police department when a leggy dame interrupted me.
“I am not taking any new cases tonight, come back in the morning.” I said gruffly closing my appointment book.
“You don’t understand, I need help now.” She batted her eye lashes, tears seemed to be welling up in the corners of her big eyes. With a sigh I nodded and gestured to a chair for her to sit in. She floated to the chair and sat delicately.
“What can I do for you?” I asked looking everywhere but at her legs. She sat with one crossed over the other, angled perfectly so I could see them over the edge of my desk. I had a weakness for a nice set of gams, I knew this, and it was almost like she knew too.
“My doll is missing.” She pouted.
“Yeah, I don’t really do missing doll cases.” I rubbed my forehead, what a waste of time.
“You don’t understand, this doll is very dear to me. It’s a very special doll.” She shifted her legs crossing one over the other.
My eyes betrayed me.
“How special? My going rate on random doll hunts is a hundred an hour, can you cover that?” I reopened my appointment book to avoid her tear filled eyes.
“If you can get me the doll I can get you double that.” She sniffled slightly.
“Alright, start from the beginning. When did you last see your dolly?” I kicked back in my chair and threw my feet up. If I had to listen to how a grown woman lost her doll I was going to do it in comfort.
“You don’t understand, I need help now.” She batted her eye lashes, tears seemed to be welling up in the corners of her big eyes. With a sigh I nodded and gestured to a chair for her to sit in. She floated to the chair and sat delicately.
“What can I do for you?” I asked looking everywhere but at her legs. She sat with one crossed over the other, angled perfectly so I could see them over the edge of my desk. I had a weakness for a nice set of gams, I knew this, and it was almost like she knew too.
“My doll is missing.” She pouted.
“Yeah, I don’t really do missing doll cases.” I rubbed my forehead, what a waste of time.
“You don’t understand, this doll is very dear to me. It’s a very special doll.” She shifted her legs crossing one over the other.
My eyes betrayed me.
“How special? My going rate on random doll hunts is a hundred an hour, can you cover that?” I reopened my appointment book to avoid her tear filled eyes.
“If you can get me the doll I can get you double that.” She sniffled slightly.
“Alright, start from the beginning. When did you last see your dolly?” I kicked back in my chair and threw my feet up. If I had to listen to how a grown woman lost her doll I was going to do it in comfort.
She stood and started to pace the room.
“Last night, it was sitting on my mantel where I keep all my dolls. I got a call from one of my girlfriends, she got tickets to see a new band in town, so I went out. When I got home later that night my entire apartment was torn apart but the only thing they seemed to have taken was my doll.” She stopped and leaned toward me over the top of the chair.
“The cops, they are no help, they don’t care about finding my doll. But you must understand, it’s not just a doll…its…its special.” She was stumbling over her words.
“Alright, in the morning I will meet you at your apartment and go over the scene. Where are staying tonight in case I need to get ahold of you?” I waited a moment but when she didn’t respond I scanned her pouting face.
“Last night, it was sitting on my mantel where I keep all my dolls. I got a call from one of my girlfriends, she got tickets to see a new band in town, so I went out. When I got home later that night my entire apartment was torn apart but the only thing they seemed to have taken was my doll.” She stopped and leaned toward me over the top of the chair.
“The cops, they are no help, they don’t care about finding my doll. But you must understand, it’s not just a doll…its…its special.” She was stumbling over her words.
“Alright, in the morning I will meet you at your apartment and go over the scene. Where are staying tonight in case I need to get ahold of you?” I waited a moment but when she didn’t respond I scanned her pouting face.
“Don’t tell me you have no friends you can stay with.” I hoped she was pulling my leg.
“I have plenty of friends, Mr. Tonwell. Just none that would put me up.” Her eyes danced around my office and landed on the couch. Crap.
“Could I maybe stay here?” She said pointing at the rumpled mess I called a couch.
“I can’t let you stay in my office,” I said sternly, “too many case files.” I thought for a moment, would it really be so bad to let her stay here? Or even go back to her own apartment? I felt my mom slap me in the back of the head for mistreating a lady.
“Okay, well,” She paused looking at me to finish the sentence.
“You can stay with me tonight,” I sighed, “I have a pull-out couch in my living room.”
She smiled at me, a glowing light in my dim damp office. I put away the files on my desk and led her into the hall, locking the door behind me. Up the stairs and to the right was my flat. It was nothing to write home about, but it did what I needed.
I pulled some blankets out of the closet and a spare pillow from my bed. I showed her where the kitchen was if she was hungry and the bathroom if she needed it. Then I bid her good night and went to my bedroom closing the door tightly
behind me.
I laid in bed listening as she got a glass of water and walked around my living room. She seemed to be having trouble settling in, but that was understandable. Finally around midnight she seemed to have gone to sleep. So I did the same.
I had only been sleeping about an hour when heard a shuffling noise on my floor. Hoping it was just a mouse I held my eyes shut and attempted to return to sleep but when the bed creaked and dipped to the one side, I knew it was no ordinary mouse.
I rolled over and came face to face with my house guest.
“Its cold out there and I thought I heard something.” She really had this pouting act down, but in my exhaustion it’s power was wearing thin.
“Ms.” I paused a moment, I had never learned her name, “I am sorry what is your name even?”
She smiled politely, “I am Miss Write, Annie Write.”
“Well Miss Write, this is highly inappropriate. We work together, you need to…” Her smile quickly disappeared and fear seemed to fill her eyes.
“You need to stay here and I will sleep on the couch.” I said under my breath hoping she would volunteer to sleep on the couch. When she didn’t I started to get up.
She placed her cold hand gently on my arm pulling me back slightly.
“Please don’t go.” She pleaded, “I don’t think I can handle sleeping alone tonight.”
“Fine,” I laid back in a huff, “but no funny business.”
She kicked one of her long and now bare legs over the cover rolling towards me.
“Of course, I am not that kind of girl.” She giggled playfully before snuggling up to my side.
She might not have been that kind of girl, but I was that kind of guy. It took every ounce of professionalism I had in me to lay still and fall asleep. I spent a large portion of my night thinking about old men playing baseball. I would need my sleep, since the next day I was looking for a doll.
“I have plenty of friends, Mr. Tonwell. Just none that would put me up.” Her eyes danced around my office and landed on the couch. Crap.
“Could I maybe stay here?” She said pointing at the rumpled mess I called a couch.
“I can’t let you stay in my office,” I said sternly, “too many case files.” I thought for a moment, would it really be so bad to let her stay here? Or even go back to her own apartment? I felt my mom slap me in the back of the head for mistreating a lady.
“Okay, well,” She paused looking at me to finish the sentence.
“You can stay with me tonight,” I sighed, “I have a pull-out couch in my living room.”
She smiled at me, a glowing light in my dim damp office. I put away the files on my desk and led her into the hall, locking the door behind me. Up the stairs and to the right was my flat. It was nothing to write home about, but it did what I needed.
I pulled some blankets out of the closet and a spare pillow from my bed. I showed her where the kitchen was if she was hungry and the bathroom if she needed it. Then I bid her good night and went to my bedroom closing the door tightly
behind me.
I laid in bed listening as she got a glass of water and walked around my living room. She seemed to be having trouble settling in, but that was understandable. Finally around midnight she seemed to have gone to sleep. So I did the same.
I had only been sleeping about an hour when heard a shuffling noise on my floor. Hoping it was just a mouse I held my eyes shut and attempted to return to sleep but when the bed creaked and dipped to the one side, I knew it was no ordinary mouse.
I rolled over and came face to face with my house guest.
“Its cold out there and I thought I heard something.” She really had this pouting act down, but in my exhaustion it’s power was wearing thin.
“Ms.” I paused a moment, I had never learned her name, “I am sorry what is your name even?”
She smiled politely, “I am Miss Write, Annie Write.”
“Well Miss Write, this is highly inappropriate. We work together, you need to…” Her smile quickly disappeared and fear seemed to fill her eyes.
“You need to stay here and I will sleep on the couch.” I said under my breath hoping she would volunteer to sleep on the couch. When she didn’t I started to get up.
She placed her cold hand gently on my arm pulling me back slightly.
“Please don’t go.” She pleaded, “I don’t think I can handle sleeping alone tonight.”
“Fine,” I laid back in a huff, “but no funny business.”
She kicked one of her long and now bare legs over the cover rolling towards me.
“Of course, I am not that kind of girl.” She giggled playfully before snuggling up to my side.
She might not have been that kind of girl, but I was that kind of guy. It took every ounce of professionalism I had in me to lay still and fall asleep. I spent a large portion of my night thinking about old men playing baseball. I would need my sleep, since the next day I was looking for a doll.
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