Flapper Dick Ch. 09

"You are starting to see them other places, usually outside of their apartment building. They stand there waiting for fellas to talk to them then offer their services in their apartment."

"That sounds better than a bordello, can simply talk to the fellas you want above you." Liza is shaking her head.

"According to reports we get on it, they talk to all fellas, it is their income so as many as they can take to bed."

"Must not cost much then." Liza is shaking her head.

"Half to a full ace for nookie. They offer other things too, like simply sucking on him."

"Where are they doing this?" Liza sighs.

"Mostly west and north side, some have been noticed south side too."

"Will have to remember to watch out for them then, this happened north side so have to go up there." Liza is giggling.

"Brian gets teased on being south side, he is working west side right now, next year he will get moved again. He thinks south side so doesn't get up quite as early."

"Not that you think it is early." Liza winks and nods.

"Do, I tend to go back to bed after he has left. Why I don't get the mail until eight."

"Ah, you are turning into an old bird." Liza squeaks and pokes me, then shakes her head.

"My sister is, she is a grandmother now." Smile since that is sort of nice, though there is one thing.

"I thought you were a grandmother."

"I am, but not all that much, my sister is five years younger and just turned into a grandmother. Our son was slow on the finding a skirt part." I am nodding since he is the same age as Fred.

"He is a mick though." Liza rolls her eyes.

"So is Fred, half think you are." Frown to think about that and shake my head.

"Not a mick unless great gram was and never shared. Far as I know all of the relatives I had for a long ways back was born here and nobody remembers from where we moved from."

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten dressed yet." Fred says then he is sitting down so climb in his lap and hand over the letter.

"We are asked to find witnesses, they got the fella did the offing probably, but there wasn't much else done." Fred nods and reads the letter, doesn't take long.

"I would expect there was never a detective assigned, they are still overworked."

"Yeah, and then we have to remember to look for prostitutes, they are standing outside their apartment building so would see more than most." Fred is nodding and looks to Liza who nods.

"They will have a dress on, for winter, I assume, the coat will be pulled open. Talk to every fella that goes by, likely will have to pay them to talk to you but if there was one around she almost definitely witnessed." Fred is nodding then frowns.

"There is one thing, if we ask them to appear in court they likely would refuse." Liza is frowning now then nods.

"Yeah I can see that, it's half to a full ace for their services, but they need multiples a day."

"Hopefully we don't only have a prostitute witness, I'm unsure on how good she would do in court. The fella yesterday was asking the witness if she was on drugs or hooch at the time of the attack, a prostitute would be easier." Fred and Liza are nodding.

"Yeah, we will have to talk to the prosecutor assigned. Luckily unless a skirt says I was standing there waiting for a fella to pay for nookie with me and saw this, the defense perhaps won't know." Liza is nodding.

"I only heard about it last week, most assume the only way to find a prostitute is to go into a bordello."

"Does make you wonder why the newspaper isn't commenting on this if skirts are unable to find a job besides as a prostitute." Fred and Liza are frowning at my question.

"I got it, they don't comment on it since it is sordid. A skirt demanding dough for nookie is not something to talk about." Fred says which is true I suppose, though should be talked about.

"I think it should be talked about, if a skirt has to sell nookie then it means the country isn't doing that good." Liza is nodding, so is Fred.

"I agree, but the newspaper won't say that until bigwigs are saying it. They won't say that because the economy is controlled by them."

Go to comment on how wrong that is and get ushered to get in my suit. We should get to the crime scene since it happened in another hour yesterday. Not that I want to get in my suit, I am going to be feeling pretty darn bad soon. Still I get in my suit, and coat since I got the feeling we are leaving now.

Return to the sitting room to find Liza left and Fred is standing at the door. So go over to Fred and taken outside. We get in the jalopy so I will be warmer today which sounds really nice. Fred gets us going and he does it better than I did yesterday, we stay in the house roads except to cross the river. Also get lucky because there was an accident behind us.

I look back at the noise and see that two jalopies had collided and slid around to cover most of the bridge. I am unsure on them moving again, but then one is so there is cheering. Fred is chuckling since I mention one jalopy is moving already. Mostly because the bridge blocked up makes it harder, there are only three going to north side from south, so one blocked means everyone slows.

Probably be a good thing if people did slow down, the jalopies are going faster than they should be. At least mostly since we are edging around one that is going slow. I look to find the driver is looking at a map. Fred groans about that but shortly after we are getting into the house roads again so less traffic.

Takes a while but we get to the crime scene to look it over and this can be a problem. We have two apartment buildings, and then one house on that side of the road. There is a parking lot in between the house and one apartment building, which is where the murdered skirt was found. Parking lot is empty at the moment, so that is good, though there is a skirt leaning against the wall across the street.

Apartment building there too, so she is likely a prostitute so we want to talk to her. When I mention that Fred nudges me so glare at him, but do go across the street. The skirt watches me come and shakes her head.

"I'm not doing that bad." Sigh and shake my head as I pull out my license.

"I am a dick, also court appointed and we get to look into the murder that happened across the street yesterday."

"Sort of wish I had seen it, was actually with a fella at the time. Not worth the dough he paid if you follow but it was dough." I am nodding and pull out an ace to hand across.

"Since I am taking away customers." She snorts and we both giggle, there isn't anyone walking along, there is a fella sitting at the porch of the house. "That is a gang house isn't it?' She is nodding.

"I get one of them come over most days. On that side it's not bad, rest of it, I want them gone but then I am prostituting so I can't be calling in."

"Unless one of them was a witness we will alert the bulls. I don't much like gangs and you don't seem to either, but do want to be going on inside later in the day." She is nodding and smiles.

"Won't be telling them that, though what if you do find a witness?"

"Will tell the prosecutor about the gang house and that one is a witness so while witness is in court or after the trial is over, raid. Won't get all of the gang but enough to not be a bother for a while."

"Can hope anyway." I am nodding and then there is one thing I want to ask.

"Why are you being a prostitute?" She sighs then.

"I was a secretary, I mostly just handled calls and then folk come in. I worked for an architect but it was just him and he just up and died one day, so I am left with no job. Can't find another, I mean I checked in the newspaper and everything. Ran out of dough before finding a place hiring so I had to find something, prostitute seemed better than ending up homeless." I am nodding since I only avoided that by giving nookie to my landlord.

"I was a clerk for a tailor, his son had gone to the war, then he died last winter so I didn't have a job. It's not easy to find work for a skirt, my folks were dead too, so I gave nookie to my landlord for six months before moving in with that fella, got knocked up finally even." She grins and shakes her head.

"Yeah sort of hoping for the same thing. I'm worried on the knocked up part." I am nodding since that had occurred to me.

"Pretty sure you would have to move to south side but I can call up Capone and ask if he is looking for a skirt that is a prostitute and was a secretary." She frowns for a moment.

"So if I do that I end up stuck in a bordello?" Shake my head.

"I only know of one bordello that he runs, but in the one they are given days off, go to the library and theater. They are also seamstresses, not that I am saying you will do that, far as I know that one is full of skirts. There is one upside, get a diaphragm and the chemical to mean not getting knocked up."

"That is better than this, and then perhaps not be a prostitute too." I am nodding since I had forgotten that part.

"Yes, a secretary would be a help, they have a young fella doing that right now. He is learning as he goes so you would be better at it, he wants to be toting a pistol and seeing action anyway."

"Can you call him up right now?" I am nodding and wink.

"Yeah, I'll go up with you and be your customer, the gang will find out what we are doing here eventually." She is nodding.

"Bring your fella, I wouldn't mind trying a big strong fella." I am nodding and turn to wave at Fred.

He comes over after a short wait so put my arm in his, then grab her arm and in we go. Fred is chuckling up the stairs since I had shared what we are doing. Luck out a little, her apartment is on the first floor. So inside we go and this isn't bad, there is a bedroom instead of a hide away bed like I had figured.

Over to the phone I go since Fred won't do it. She is half draped all over him so I am grinning as I phone the hotel. Then it is being answered so I have to think of what to say.

"Hello, I need to talk to Mr. Capone or an associate about a prostitute." The fella doesn't say anything for a moment.

"As in you have a dead one?" Groan and look up for a moment.

"No as in I found one that I would like to get working for Mr. Capone, she was a secretary and her boss up and died on her."

"Oh that is sounding so much better than I was thinking. I guess you call when I am here too much. Hang on for a moment." Before I can say anything the phone is making odd noises and then I hear distant words, as in the fella palmed the phone and is talking to someone.

"Betty what is this about a prostitute secretary?" I snort since I got Mr. Capone.

"We got asked to look into a murder that happened yesterday. There is a prostitute working across the street and there is a gang on this street so she is unhappy being here. Also worried on getting knocked up so I thought of your bordellos."

"I'm unsure on needing another at the moment. Still confused, she is a secretary too?"

"More of was, her boss died and ran out of dough before found a new job so prostitute since it sounded better than homeless."

"So you are thinking I would hire her on to be a secretary?"

"It is an option, though she seems to enjoy being a prostitute in a relative manner so if you have an opening for that."

"I don't know, a secretary is sounding rather good. Could set her up in one of the hotel rooms or even a house with a fella or two for protection."

"Probably best if you don't say more on what she would do, we do talk to the bulls too you know." Mr. Capone snorts.

"I can tell you exactly what we do, doesn't matter that much since the bulls would have to prove it and not happening. Can you two drive her over to the hotel?"

"Yeah we can do that later in the day, need to investigate this murder, mostly find a witness if possible. Going to talk to the gang next."

"Do be careful with that."

"We will, will talk to the fella on the porch. Mostly hoping on no witness among the gang so we can call in a raid."

"Wish we could find one gang." Probably shouldn't mention this but why not, it's not like north side gang will figure on I shared.

"I talked to a bull yesterday, they have no idea where they have a warehouse or distillery, current thinking is they do in a town outside of Chicago." Mr. Capone is silent for a moment.

"That is good information, I will see if we can make a sweep. If we take out their hooch they lose a lot of dough."

"I would assume so, also may want to look at fellas standing around under train stops, those tend to be gang members selling drugs. No idea if a certain gang does but removing gangs is something Chicago is starting to want to do."

"Will take that under advisement, though I am unsure on it being a good idea, tends to get our soldiers evading bulls more than we want."

"I hadn't thought of that, if you spot fellas lounging under train stops do call the bulls, they will do a raid and what they want to happen."

"That is easier so good thinking, I have other things to do so you be careful, and then do remember to bring your friend over to the hotel."

Capone hangs up so do the same then join them in the sitting room. Not that the kitchen is precisely a different room, the floor has tiles instead of wood in the kitchen. She and Fred are sitting on the sofa and both are looking at me so climb in her lap.

"I did mention not being that desperate yet." I am grinning and wink at her.

"You are making more dough now. Mr. Capone wants us to take you over to the hotel, I think you will be a secretary, he was talking about that."

"Did he say how much dough I would make?" Shake my head.

"He did not, mentioned putting you up in the hotel or perhaps in a house with a fella or two as protection. Either way you would have nookie, so long as you don't mind Italian fellas above you."

"I don't see why I would, sampled two already. I sort of want to try a colored fella."

"Go to Sunset Cafe, it is a black and tan so you can sample one there. Also part owned by Capone so there will be made men there to keep you safe, more him but there is a danger to you." Fred and she are nodding, there had been an article about a white skirt getting beat up with a colored fella she was giving nookie.

"What are we doing besides taking her to the hotel?"

"We have to go ask the gang, from the yard since we are court appointed dicks." Fred is nodding then sighs.

"I am not looking forward to this, and we didn't bring the Winchester."

"Shoot, but then I have two clips, and you have two. Should be enough bullets for a gang that mostly isn't awake or there yet."

"What if you two end up offed?"

I'm unsure what to say, Fred simply tells her to get over to the hotel Capone is in. I didn't remember the name of the hotel even though the fella that answered the phone said it first thing. Then we are leaving her in her apartment. Mostly because she has to pack, her clothes only I hope, there isn't that much room in the jalopy.

Probably have a rope in the jalopy so can stack some on top, but that isn't a good idea. Had been an article talking about the dangers of putting furniture on a jalopy. Rolling the jalopy in a turn being one of them, which is a good point. You see jalopies ending up on two wheels some during a turn.

Then we are outside of the apartment building and crossing the street. The gang fella is watching us come. Also don't go up the steps, I simply walk over the snow and frozen grass to where the fella is sitting. He is in front of a window and the curtains are pulled aside so he can wave to get help or an item that is wanted perhaps.

"Rather fast turn. If you are wanting I can give you a nice long seeing to." Sigh and hold up my license.

"Court appointed dick. We got asked to look into the murder that happened yesterday. Mostly we are trying to find a witness since all the bulls got was the fella with bloody hands near the offed fella."

"I'll have witnessed anything you want, that was one of us got offed. Didn't know the fool had a knife on him so got too close. He did pull his pistol and fired but didn't hit the fool, bull pulled in too fast for us to take care of him though we did get the pistol."

"How did you get the pistol?"

"Stupid pig had to use the phone to call in for assistance and get a coroner so walked over and grabbed the pistol."

"Not supposed to be doing that." Fred says getting the fella sitting there to wave his hand.

"We are allowed to do anything we want, this is our turf." I sigh since the door is opening now, and pull my pistol.

"You don't own Chicago." Fred says so I am wanting to yell at him, then the fella in the door is pulling up a shotgun.

Shot rings out then, I fired on the fella with the shotgun. He falls back with a cry, echoed by the fella on the porch, I shot through the porch wall. The fella sitting there is working on getting up and a pistol out, he had been wrapped up in a blanket and got tangled. Fred shoots him since there is a fella coming to the door.

Luckily I moved since the second door fella had fired on where I had been. So shoot him and see another in the house so shoot him. Perhaps we are done except there is more shots and Fred is moving. They went out the back door and came around the side of the house. Fred is moving toward where I am, so move toward the side of the house where the shooting had come from.

Fella comes around the side of the house then so shoot him. Then keep going since there are perhaps more. Peek around the corner then duck back since there are more, and they are shooting. Luckily their shots go above me or get stopped by the porch and walls. So scoot back around the corner and shoot, there is only one fella there.

More shooting on the other side so simply walk into the backyard. I don't go slow but not running either, I also pause at the corner then peak. See someone at the other end looking along the other side of the house. Shoot him then Fred is yelling about going into the house and for all them left to give up.

Really don't think that will work, but I am unsure on how many there are here. Get over to the back door and open that crouched low. Luckily nobody is coming for the back door and not in the kitchen. Wave at Fred when I see him in the hallway and he deflates a little, then is going into the bedroom. There are two other doors, and then stairs so this house is like ours.

Course Fred checks in the bathroom next. I am just looking up the stairs to the side of the basement door. Mostly hoping the basement here doesn't have any fellas in it. At least it opens inward so would know about them before they can see me. Fred comes out and looks at me then sighs and points to himself and upstairs, then at me, upstairs, then at the door so have to puzzle through that.

When I nod he rolls his eyes and heads upstairs. I follow after looking at the door to the basement. Don't go that far either, I mostly want to make sure I can hear him moving around upstairs and faster up if he is shot. Then I am waiting there while Fred is checking upstairs, and there is a scream, but no shooting.

Also hear a siren so bulls are coming, in a relative manner since this wasn't all that fast of a shootout. Fred comes back to the stairs and waves at me.

"Got a skirt up here chained to the bed, perhaps more in basement and then the bull. Put your pistol away and go out front with license held up. I don't know the number for north side station and take longer than the bull getting here will to get an operator to phone it for us."

Whimper because I don't want to be waiting on a bull again. Mostly because I really don't feel good. Shootouts are not good during morning sickness apparently. Still out I go with license held up and then wait for a short while. Also wave at a number of people standing on the sidewalks to the side and across the street.