STPTown gets hard-boiled (a group story)

[Lulu]

The hotel was a classic throwback to the twenties. (The style inside was clearly art deco- a grand mahogony staircase dominated the eye, sweeping upward from the center of the lobby to the rooms above.) Lulu the ROCKSTAR swiftly crossed the plush red carpet of the lobby interior. She placed her bags on the floor beside her and "pinged" the small silver bell fixed to the reception desk.

"Be- heh- hell-lo! C-Can I h-help you?" A wiry old gent in starched, white-collared shirt and black suspenders peered over his glasses.

"Checking in- Lulu. My room should be booked."

"Y-yes Yes. Here it is. it is. Yes. That would be- room 27." The nearsighted old chap shakily hands her a key.

"Listen," the gorgous brunette lowered her shades. "Has my agent called? Is anyone waiting for me here?"

"Hmmm" The hotel manager flipped through his books. "No. Not a mention."

"Damn!"

The manager smiled and stuck a hand to his ear. "Mind? Didn't catch that!"

"A bunch of guys with guitars and drums and stuff?"

"Eh?"

"How about Miral? Anyone by the name of "Miral?" Blonde- so tall? She might be dressed as a nurse?"
Lulu enunciated VERY CLEARLY.

"Monroe? Nope we don't have any Marilyn staying here." The old fella hobbled around to the front of the desk where he strained to lift Lulu's suitcases. After much grunting and straining, they remained on the floor.

Lulu sighed. God she hated small towns!

Scooping up her bags she marched up the stair- unaware of the stranger who watched from the shadows....

[img]graemlins/star.gif[/img]

[Miral the Nurse]

Suddenly a pair of sunglasses appeared on cutie's face. "Where the...? Oh nevermind, this is just a story... nothing needs to be explained."
"Yes, yes it does!" Her face fell. "I need answers! Who is this guy? And why does a game of Jacks interest me?!" She pressed herself against Crazya's arm. Holding it between her breasts. He looked down at his arm almost to confirm that it was where he thought it was and almost nodded. Her mouth came within inches of his and her eyes bored deep into his. "I need help, now... please." Her breath smelled of coffee, roses and peppermints. It would have grossed someone out, but being that this is a story it was an intoxicatingly sexy combination.
They continued walking... even though she held his arm in a weird position. "I don't want help from them. I want help from you." He stopped and squinted his eyes thoughtfully. "Do you even know where we are going?" She nodded. "Ok." He thought for a moment. She pursed her full lips. "To the police station... I have amnesia... I'm not stupid."

[crazy a]

I smiled at that. Then she smiled too and that did it for me.

"Get in," I said.

I drove to a nearby gas station and pulled up next to a pay phone. I got out and dialed the police. She was looking at me with a worried expression. I held up my hand and made a gesture for her to calm down. I hung up and got back on the road.

"Who did you call?" she asked.
"Cops."
"What for?"
"I told them there was a change of plans." She looked confused. "I told them someone had come in looking for you. A relative. And that I turned you over into their custody."
"But...."
"I changed my mind. You're coming with me."

She had a look of disbelief then beamed. Such a smile! I kept my face expressionless, but inside, I was smiling too. All of a sudden her arms were around my neck and she was peppering my cheek with kisses. It made me swerve on the road. I pushed her back, told her to calm down.

I went to a small department store, told her to wait in the car. I picked out a couple of dresses that looked like they would fit her, some underwear, a few toiletries. Then I went to the toy aisle and found a bag of jacks. The clerk at the counter looked at me like I was some kind of fruit. I sneered at him and he rang me up. Then back in the car.

"Where are we going?" she asked.
"My apartment."

She bounced on the seat with excitement. I kept my eyes on the road. I felt her slide over next to me, her arm touching mine. I glanced at her. She smiled at me.

I drove on.

Inside, I took the bag to the bedroom, brought out my robe, led her to the bathroom, handed her a towel and shut the door. I went to the kitchen and began making some sandwiches. I must have lost my mind. What did I think I was doing, bringing an amnesiac woman to my place? I still had to work on the diFlakes case. Hell, I still needed a list of the missing people.

I was mulling over my predicament when I heard movement behind me and turned. She was standing in the doorway wearing my robe and toweling off her hair. Her face was flushed pink, a pink only a hot shower can provide.

"Feel better?" I asked.
"Lots."

I took the towel and sat her at the table. I put the tray of sandwiches in the center, gave her a paper plate and napkin and poured a glass of iced tea.

She must have been famished. She went through those sandwiches like no woman I've ever seen.

"It's not exactly five-star," I said, "but I find it does the trick."
"It's perfect," she said through a mouthful. She looked at the other half of the table then at me. "Aren't you going to eat?"

I sat down, took a sandwich and slowly worked on it.

"You know," I said, "I don't even know your name."
"Me either." That made her laugh and seeing that made ME laugh.
"Anything you'd prefer to go by for now?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Well, you think about it. I have to go make a phone call."

I called Sappho's Retreat and spoke to Bran diFlakes. I told her to make out a list of the missing persons and I'd be by later to pick it up.

I went to the bedroom, took the bag of jacks to the kitchen. She was done eating.

"Here, these are for you."

She carefully poured out the contents onto the table and looked in wonder at the shiny metal pieces and the blue rubber ball. A kid on Christmas morning, that's how she looked. I showed her what to do and she quickly got the hang of it. I watched her for a while.

"How about I call you Jackie? At least until we learn your real name."

She looked up at me. "That would be just fine."

"Okay. Now listen, I need to do some running around. I gotta get cracking on another case. Do you want to come with me or stay here?"
"I'll stay," she said.
"Okay." I showed her the bedroom. "There's some clothes in the bag. I hope they fit you alright." Then I led her to the front door. "I shouldn't be gone too long. Don't let ANYBODY in here. And don't YOU leave unless the place is on fire. Understand?"

She nodded. I opened the door.

"Wait!" she cried.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't know YOUR name."

I hesitated.

"Adam."

Then she came up close and whispered in my ear, "Come back soon....Adam." Then she kissed my cheek.

I stood there as she closed the door and locked it. Then I went down to my car and hit the streets again.

[Lulu]

Having read, read and re-read last week's rolling stone article detailing her latest smash-hit single... Having tried and failed and failed again to reach her agent on his cell.... Sick of resisting the urge to call Firebird (who's refusal to take her Vogue's 'prom' themed, celebrity bash resulted in their much publicized break-up).... Lulu decided to go out.

She donned her sunglasses, a hat for disguise (avoid those screaming fans!) and a black jacket. Stepping out into the hall, she carefully locked her door behind her.

Lulu decended to the lobby, check once more at the front desk for any word of Miral, then headed outside. The limo had dropped her off and long-since departed. Lulu began to walk. With any luck, she'd stumble across a local bar- someplace low-key, where she could sit alone with her thoughts and a stiff drink.

[Miral the Nurse]

Jackie rested her head on the door after Adam left. And almost forgot where she was. The name Jackie wasn't right and she knew it. And Jacks wasn't the correct game either... for some reason Jax seemed the right spelling.
She slowly made her way back to Adam's bedroom with a dreamy look on her face. She needed to get dressed and go out, but he said not to unless there was a fire. She tossed the robe and towel on the floor and rummaged through the bag. Dresses, sexy dresses, nothing casual, she grinned and poured everything onto the bed. Lacy panties and bras, too, no less. She laughed out loud and surprised herself with the sound.
She slipped the little black number on, sans undergarments, and hunted the apartment for something urgently.
She raced around frantically and finally found in the last drawer a pack of cigs and a lighter. Camels, Turkish blend... or something like that. She lit up and nonchalantly flicked the butt. She felt terrible for doing this, but he did say fire was a good reason and she couldn't stay here for god knows how long. She needed to find the man in her picture and find him fast.
She dropped the cigarette on the floor beside the couch grabbed the bag of jacks and the picture and rushed out of the apartment.

[usmu]

It took usmu a while to find his way to Crazy's office. It seemed like there was nothing left of the old neighborhood. At least not something he could remember.

The door of Crazy's office was locked and there were no lights burning. Well Crazy was definitely being helpful, as usual. He took out a business card and left a message on the back to call with his current number. After scrounging an envelope at the next door office he dropped it with 50 bucks as a incentive, in the mailbox. With nothing to occupy him usmu decided to go back to his apartment.

After parking in front of Jack's bar, he noticed a very classy lady in a very classy black dress walked by. She gave usmu the "look all you want, but that's all you're going to get look". Following her with his eyes, he started crossing the street and was nearly run down. After some obligatory swearing both sides were on their respective ways. Usmu was quick enough to see the lady in black enter the nearby hotel and then she was gone.

As he enters Jack's bar, usmu noticed the place has actually attracted a costumer. And an attractive one at that. It took him a moment, usmu didn't think she'd be the hat wearing type, but usmu recognized her. Well that would save him a trip to hotel.

By the way Jake was cleaning glasses and ignoring her it was clear she didn't want company. Well usmu was never one to miss out on a challenge. Which was what got him into trouble in Livejournal in the fist place, but then again, not living on the edge was a waste of time.

He sat down a couple of seats next to her at the bar and ordered a whiskey. "Make it a double. And give the lady one too. It seems like she could use one."

[Miral the Nurse]

Jackie put her sunglasses on and stepped out into the street. She wasn't sure where to start looking, but she was sure if she wandered a bit she would find a place.
People glanced at her, not sure what to think of her in a little black dress with no place to go. She would glance back above the rim of her sunglasses and basically blow them off. She glanced at the picture again and tried to concentrate, but that just didn't seem to work. It was like she was looking at one of those photos that came with the picture frame.
She glanced up just in time to see the hotel and she quickly went in. The clerk behind the desk looked up as she approached and stared at her chest as she leaned across the desk.
She pushed the photo across the desk. He looked at it with a weird look. "You know this guy Miss?"

[crazy a]

I was heading north when I shivered. They say that if you shiver for no reason, someone's walking on your grave. Maybe someone was dancing a jig on mine, I didn't know, but I felt like SOMETHING was being done to me. Well, it would have to wait. The diFlakes dame was shelling out three hundred a day for my sevices and I didn't want to look like I was slacking off on the job.

I found my exit and turned onto a smaller road. The road was lined with evergreens and pines. I rolled down my window and inhaled. The air was clean. Green and sweet.

Just as I reached a rise, I saw it. Sappho's Retreat. The place was huge. Is this what was considered a mansion? If it wasn't, it had to be damn close. The place had a look of extravagance without looking gaudy. Bran must have been making a killing to keep it running. She obviously knew what her market wanted and she provided it in spades.

I pulled up to the front and handed the car over to the valet. Then I stood at the door. A heavy, ornate thing. The letters SR carved into it. I rang the doorbell. The door slowly opened and I entered, passing the butler.

I was about to thank the guy when I realized it wasn't a guy. Her hair was in a crew-cut style and she wore no make-up. She wouldn't have needed it anyway. She had a natural prettiness that most women didn't have. Her butler's uniform was a typical thing but seemed to have a feminine touch so as not to appear ill-fitting or out of place on her small frame.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"My name's Crazya. I'm here to see Bran diFlakes. She's supposed to be expecting me."

"One moment, please." She disappeared down a corridor. The room I was in was decorated in dark wood paneling, reds and purples. Lush. Then the butler was back.

"Come this way, please." I followed her down the same corridor to a room at the end. She knocked twice then opened the door and announced me. "Mister Crazya to see you, Madam." I stepped in. The butler gave a slight bow then left, shutting the door behind her.

<font color="#776446" size="1">[ December 25, 2002 11:12 PM: Message edited by: crazy a ]</font>

[Miral]

The desk clerk picked up the photo and studied it for a moment. "You're looking for this guy?" Jackie nodded and flashed a gleaming smile. "This is John. Ray Jaxom." She gave him a strange look. "He's supposed to be in town tomorrow, back from a tour of Europe. He's some kind of model or something. You know him?" He looked her up and down. "Cause I'm a friend of his and I'm sure he'd remember you." He leared at her.
"Actually, I don't know if he does know me. I just had this picture and was wondering who it was. Thanks anyway." She picked up the picture and walked out onto the street again. Not sure what she should do or where to go she staked out a bench at a busstop and watched as people passed by.

[Lulu]

Lulu strode purposefully down the not-so-busy street of this little midwestern town. It hadn't changed much (unfortunately) since she was a kid. She was sure this was the direction of "downtown"-and, with any luck, Jakes Bar.

Lulu chuckled. She remembered how, as a kid (scratch that- teenage, rockstar prodigy!), she and her friends had hung out at Jakes (the one place in a 50-mile radius forbidden them) playing pool and bumming smokes. Ok- so they hadn't been little angels, but they weren't bad kids either- just bored. After all, what was there to interest one in a town like this?

What indeed?

Tired of walking the near-empty, noon-day streets, Lulu spotted a bus stop and headed for it. The stop was located beneath an expensive looking billboard advertising something called.. Sappho's Rest. A spa? Lulu wondered. The glamorous woman reclining in the poster, clad in stilleto heels, furs and a tight, red, glittery dress, seemed vaguely familiar.

The bus-bench sported an ad for "Crazy-A Private-I: Let me do your dirty work!" Lulu sat on the slogan. It was then that she became aware of the forlorn woman in the black dress beside her. The girl stared bleakly at a photograph clutched in her hand.

"Do I know you?" Lulu lowered her glasses. "Hey!" she cried indignantly, "That's a photo of Ray, the dirty rat! Where'd you get that?" The girl just looked up at her with sudden hope. Lulu gaped in amazement...

"Miral?"