Flapper Dick Ch. 04

"Hold off on the offing part, you get called a little girl?" Kelly sighs and nods.

"Sometimes. Honest I want to be reporting but then I can't be since I am prostituting, and then I am not a young skirt so it's not horrible, just is if you follow." I am nodding.

"I agree. Course since I know that perhaps we can talk to the District Attorney and get the proper authorities to know about it." Kelly nods, then shakes her head.

"I'm not sure we keep track of who comes in, mostly she just keeps track of how many times we are each hired. I think at least, and then even if we do know names I don't think we will hand those over. Sort of says prostitutes here and the bulls do want to not allow us." I look at Fred and he nods.

"There isn't anything we can take to the authorities on this unless we close the bordello. Capone won't do that so we are sort of stuck. Do want to talk to Giovanni about this, they are all catholic so would be as horrified on that." Kelly is nodding and even smiles.

"I've seen him around but never talked to, and then it's not precisely a beef so much as bad to my thinking. Anyway, so there I am laying under the fella, he is pumping a little and I am holding, and I hear voices. At first I'm just thinking there is someone in the hallway but then I realize it is outside." Hold up a hand and pull out a notepad and pencil. "I'm not real sure what the conversation was about at first, and then there is yelling. Curse word and then Paul where is the necklace. Takes a bit and the fella left so I move closer to hear it better, at which point I hear Paul, I think. He goes on about how he doesn't have the necklace Simon does. The other fella does a few curse words then asks why Simon has it. Paul I assume says back that he promised to fence it and get plenty of dough. Both are yelling at this point, but I am not sticking my head out to look if you follow." I am nodding.

"Sounds a lot like you were listening to a couple fellas from a safe cracker crew that hit up a place and got jewelry." Kelly is nodding.

"What I figured on. So anyway after Paul said that on Simon the other fella is cursing some and said the necklace was for Kelly and then a pop. No more words for a short bit and then in a lower voice the fella is talking about how if only he had listened in the first place. I am thinking the first voice was going to give the necklace to Kelly to get her hand or make up for something. Then footsteps heading away so peaked out and I see a fella in a suit. Which is normal for most white folks."

"Did you see the color?" Kelly shakes her head.

"Far as I could tell it was black, so not helping much. Still I can't think there are that many Simon's who are jewelry fences. Early morning if you follow, light but not much, about all I could tell was the fella was around six foot, perhaps shorter and perhaps taller, but around that." I am nodding and write down a range of five foot ten to six foot two.

"Helps and doesn't, most of town is that size." Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"There is one thing, could you tell if he was bulky or thin?"

"Thin, not a stick but not muscle bound or nothing. I would figure on your standard office worker size. For all I know we have all sampled that fella." We are all nodding then I snort.

"Fred, we need to speak to the fellas at the diner early morning, probable they saw the fella. Either he walked home or had a car stashed somewhere." Fred nods and sighs.

"Also don't think anyone else was on this floor or heard it as good." Kelly is nodding.

"I had the last fella that night and we got lucky on him, he couldn't sleep so came over."

"I guess we should go talk to Giovanni and head to the police station in this area." Fred is nodding and we both stand up then Kelly stands up.

"I never actually met him and he is a looker." I snort and shake my head.

"He has found a skirt and wrapped around her finger already, no nookie not with her and waiting for marriage." Kelly snorts then is giggling.

"Still going, I want to tell him on the questionable fellas I get."

I am nodding to that so all four of us go back up the stairs. Find the madame's door shut so knock, I mean for all we know she is giving him a suck or something. Door opens semi quick and our escort is getting hugged. Rest of us squeeze in to find Giovanni and the skirt that said she wanted to be our nanny talking, then he notices us.

"I'm not sure if I should yell at you for this nanny business or not."

"If you would prefer we can go over to the hotel and find Capone so I can yell at him for keeping a skirt doing something that she wants to leave from." Giovanni snorts and shakes his head.

"Not doing that neither. He may agree with you, and he may off on account of would look bad to not agree or not."

"So are we getting a nanny?" Giovanni sighs and shrugs.

"She isn't sure on when to leave, I mean you have not gotten in the family way yet."

"She would be better at tailor if she leaves now, but waiting is good to. Jackets are pretty easy as soon as you know how." Kelly tosses her hands.

"You could have told me that was an option, I wouldn't mind learning tailor and then I get the fellas who are after young skirts most of the time." Giovanni is staring at us now so nudge Kelly.

"Go share the tale with him, he is here to make sure the bordello is Jake since the bulls made like the made men didn't talk." Kelly nods and goes to Giovanni who has big eyes, and looking her over.

"You had the same look when she opened the door." Look up at Fred and snort.

"She looks young." Madame snorts and giggles.

"Honest when she was brought in, the fellas found her and asked on working here, I said take her home too young. Kelly was eighteen when she got here, and not making progress on manacles. I knew on the fellas talking like she is a young skirt. I didn't want to know, and then far as I can tell the fellas don't actually want one young like they let on." I am shaking my head.

"I'm pretty sure they do, if all they do is come back to Kelly and then any other young looking skirts it's no problem. It is a problem if there are young skirts near them."

"Yeah but the law is for pretty young." Shake my head.

"It's been moved to sixteen, was ten. I stayed in a house alone after my parents died and I was fourteen. I barely even knew what nookie was at that age, and then I could be giving it out for four years already, wrong on many levels and I would have been small enough for the young skirt fellas." Madame nods and sighs.

"Sometimes I think I am too old. Suppose I am lucky on that too, I don't like fellas." Has me giggling.

"There have been times I agreed with you, not for nookie but everything else." Fred snorts.

"The one time I let her go about on her own she takes a case to find a fella that done forced a skirt. He socked her and tried to do the forcing." Everybody is looking at me now, then Kelly snorts.

"Oh heck, now I know who you are. Skirt dick that was all over the papers, they didn't share your name though."

"Yeah, we called in after that article. Decided in the District Attorney's office that they wouldn't use our names for reports to reporters. Mostly so we would be not recognized as often, it meaning we can be shot at. I think they asked the bulls." Fred is nodding.

"I had the same notion on why not your name. Also mentions I am part of the appointment, though I think that is more because you can't drive yet." Toss up my hands.

"I don't know how since no jalopy for me. Before we get one learning how seems a little silly." Everybody is nodding.

"Good thinking, we don't have one here either. Train stop is a mile away and that takes us to library and a few shops so we can get dresses."

"I still want to learn how to tailor." Kelly says getting Giovanni to toss his hands.

"Can you do that without taking her out of the bordello?" I am nodding.

"You should know that one already, after learning the tricks it's simply a matter of practicing."

"So I could make dresses and open up a shop?" I am nodding.

"Would take at least a year before you can do dresses nice and fast. Also need a sewing machine, I learned how to tailor with just needle and thread, it takes a while to get good enough. A machine though you could make two dresses a day." Giovanni is staring at me for a moment then snorts.

"Just had a thought, if we fit five or six skirts with a sewing machine and the cloth they could make good dresses and probably sell them fast." Ponder that and nod since it should work.

"You could and it would work, just you would need a store selling. Also have to train them, even with a machine it would take a month or two to get fast and good."

"How do you keep them from getting tired of making the same dress day in and day out?' Look up at Fred and grin.

"Two choices, give them five designs and let them decide on what they make, or only bring in so many days a week."

"There is one thing, once I get good at being a tailor and you don't need a nanny, am I stuck there?" Shake my head.

"No, we need a nanny until our kid or kids are old enough to stay alone. Even then you could open up your own shop and do tailor all day then come home and watch the kids. Once they are walking and talking mostly we just need someone around in case of falls down." Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"No, would need someone there while we are asleep and not home. So unless the shop is the house stuck there until school." Frown then nod since that makes sense.

"True, but then you could make the dresses Capone is selling out of his shop. Assuming he goes for that." Giovanni snorts and grins.

"I would take the idea to Mr. Nitto, he is the one who is good at business." Frown for a moment since that is wrong.

"Honestly I thought he was the enforcer. If he is good at business shouldn't he be in a different department?"

"He is the enforcer, but he doesn't do any of it. He directs us on things to do, and then directs Mr. Capone on good business things. I can't prove it but I would expect he is the one who came up with the silent partnerships we have." Interesting thing, then Kelly opens her mouth.

"I'd like to make a skirt. I mean dresses are all fine and good, but a separate skirt is striking." All of the skirts are nodding and Giovanni is grinning.

"There we go, those can be made in sizes?" I am nodding since it is not that hard.

"Can make in sizes, or if you prefer add in the loops to hold a belt."

"Can you make a belt?" Shake my head, then ponder some and nod.

"Normally it is made with leather, but then if you fold over cloth and sew it should be able to hold up something light like a skirt. I will mention it's perhaps not that great of an idea, new isn't always greeted well." Fred snorts.

"Most like that skirt of your suit." I am nodding then shrug.

"It's not precisely new, it is a separate skirt that used to be made. I mean the fashion now is a simple dress that is sort of short. Also can find athletic shorts, but then it is simply a fella's shorts in a smaller size." Everybody is nodding.

"I want to do this, even if Capone doesn't fund us, we do get paid so we can pool our funds and get the machines then work our way up to a store, or selling to a store already open." Put up my hand.

"Unless it is a small company store, as in they have one or two stores they won't. The small stores would be unsure on it, as I said new is not always greeted well so they likely would not."

"So we should open up our own store?" I am nodding.

"Will need funding because you will have to advertise and then you want a goodly number of the things you sell. Some things are easy to make different, different color cloth used. Will also take a while to get good and you can't sell the poor work."

"So we make skirts and toss them away?" Shake my head.

"Machine makes this easier since you can't sew poorly with a machine. Instead it is getting the sewing right. So you would sew slow and look over everything every little while. Easier to cut out a poor sew of an inch than a foot."

"So a week of one skirt a day?" I am nodding since that is a semi good notion on it.

"Keep in mind you have to cut the cloth to the pattern, and then fold where needed and make sure it all fits together before sewing."

"Even a month wait before there is enough to think about opening the store is a good frame." Stare at Giovanni then toss up my hands.

"Keep in mind if we are doing this, being the only trained tailor I will be designing the things they make. So I have to keep it simple, and then also nice. As a tailor it's mostly just nice, makes it harder to do simple and nice."

"So coming up with new ways to do things?" I am nodding then point at Giovanni.

"If Capone allows this, or Nitto, then you have to buy every skirt wanting to take part a sewing machine, and a lot of cloth. Go to that one store and get the colors you don't find in the store. No other way to get skirts to go to your store. Why most tailors make suits, fellas always want suits and they like being able to say I went to a tailor. Then a rounded fella has to go to a tailor, they don't make a suit for them."

"So what will we make?" Sigh and toss up my hands.

"To start it will simply be this skirt and then I have two shirts. The silk shirts are better since they make a skirt look like a skirt. My cloth shirt is more like a fella shirt. Loose wrist and just a straight up and down line of buttons."

"What is the difference with your silk shirt?"

"Silk shirt is poofy, it being silk it doesn't fold good so I had to do poofy. The wrist is also snug so I can move it up higher and make the arm poof. It doesn't look like a fella shirt, and then I can move good in it."

"Perhaps do up a shirt like your silk dress." Stare at Fred then grin since that is a rather good idea.

"Would have to be cloth and then I am unsure on if can make it move good and still expose the bubs."

"Try, I've not seen the dress but exposed bubs sounds good." Giovanni is frowning for a moment.

"I think if you add sleeves to it, it will hold up alright since you only cut out in the front." Ponder that and nod.

"Perhaps, also think we should get a move on, have to figure out where the shooter went and Simon is all we got." Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"If the bulls have identification of our shot fella that will help. Though Giovanni do you know a Simon that can fence jewelry, a necklace to be precise." Giovanni shakes his head after a moment.

"I would think go to the bulls. I don't deal in fences as a general rule. Most to all of us don't, jewelry theft is flashy, usually not that hard to find stolen rings and necklaces."

"Wait, I want to learn how to tailor." Kelly says getting Fred and me to stop and look at her, wearing nothing.

"I think hold off on that, Giovanni will see about getting you machines and I can simply teach you on that. The hard part for a tailor is getting good at the sewing and you are skipping that. If he doesn't give you sewing machines you perhaps have enough to buy your own. Eighty for a good one with the options a tailor needs and I can come back to teach you on it. If you go to the high end store, he knows it, then you can buy patterns and all I have to do is share the tricks. As I said mostly it is a matter of going slow and careful until you can." Kelly is bouncing now which is a little interesting, and horrifying all in one since she looks so young.

It is not until we are halfway down the stairs that I realize why she looks young, long hair. I grew up with long hair since skirts just don't cut their hair while growing up. We go out to the jalopy and climb in, Fred starts it and I squeak since we were going to ask the made man.

"We were going to ask the made man if the bulls came and asked." Fred snorts and shakes his head then we are moving.

"No, remember we went and talked to the skirts. None had been questioned and then the one on the third floor heard them figuring on it was a made man that offed."

Sigh and nod since they didn't go and ask, which is not precisely a good thing. They should have asked around until they figure out if it had been. Feel like a dunce when we pull up at a bull station, we didn't go and talk to the diner. Don't mention until we have gotten out of the jalopy and are going inside the station.

"We never went to talk to the diner fellas." Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"Too late for that, best if we come back early in the morning."

"As in go in to work and then after?" Fred is nodding then we are at the admittance desk with the bull there staring at us.

"Which one of you two is filing a beef?" I giggle and shake my head.

"How would I beat him up?" Fred snorts and the bull is chuckling.

"Don't rightly know but we had a fella was last week. His wife socked him with a rolling pin, wasn't precisely a good reason but still gave out a warning on it." Fred sighs and edges away from me so I am giggling and poke at him.

"I'm not even sure we have a pin."

"We do have a pin, I can't help it if you never thought to make a pie." Toss my hands and kick him for that.

"You could have mentioned you wanted a pie, and then helped since I haven't made a pie in a long while." The bull is chuckling into his hand something fierce so pull out my license. "We are actually here to speak with you on the shot down fella in an alley three days ago. Was handed off to District Attorney then us. So sort of filing a beef, wasn't a made man and the bordello talked to us, though perhaps moving since you know it is there."

"Sort of darn, we do mind but don't since no complaint filed. Some of us like to partake of bordello's on nights they don't feel up to going to a speakeasy." Frown since that makes sense, and doesn't all in one.

"Hang on, aren't you supposed to go after a bordello when you know it is there?"

"Sort of, without a complaint filed we have to show it is there first. So send in a fella to buy time except usually we don't get a good report so should send more, but then also not worth the hassle without the complaint. It looks like a regular apartment building."

"Oddly enough that made sense. Go figure a fella that makes sense." Fred snorts and chuckles into his hand, the bull is doing the same.

"Sort of a low blow but most fellas feel that you skirts don't make sense. Did you have anything else but it was not a made man?" Fred nods.

"We know the offed fella is named Paul. He was shot over a necklace that he was fencing, the shooter wanted it for a Kelly and it was handed to a fence named Simon."

"Good information. I think we have information on a fence named Simon. I just sit down here and file paperwork sometimes when pinches or complaints come in. Go on through that door there and ask for a detective, then tell him what you just told me."

Fred sighs but we do go through the door that leads us to stairs. Up we go and that opens out into a bunch of desks and there are fellas in here. I'm unsure on this so look up at Fred who sighs then simply yells out as how we need a detective. Nobody moves, after turning to look at us, for a bit then one fella hops up and comes over.

"Filing a beef?" Fred shakes his head but I am nodding.

"Yes, in a sense. The offed fella behind the bordello you bulls figured on a made man offed, it was not. Instead we think it was two members of a crew that did jewelry theft. Shot one is named Paul and he was shot since the other wanted a necklace for a Kelly, necklace was handed to Simon to fence for a lot of dough." Fella blinks at me some then grins.

"Good information and so fast. Far as I know we don't have identification on the shot fella. Simon that is a fence on the other hand, we know a Simon and we think he does, but not gotten traction on it. Are you wanting a detective along?" I'm unsure on that so look at Fred who nods after a moment.