Flapper Dick Ch. 10

"Why not?" Liza sighs.

"We think they are taking dough to look the other way, and then most consider them unable to do it. I don't think that, but many do. I think mostly it's simply since they are not allowed to arrest white folk there's little point in letting them do or help on investigations."

"If I asked for one to go around with us?" Liza sighs.

"Have to find one over in the colored section. They are not allowed to go anywhere else, luckily there are not that many." I am nodding since if there are many the colored would be safe and the rest of town would toss a fit.

"So they are just patrol?" Liza is nodding.

"We got one that should be promoted to sergeant, but then he would have only the other colored under him."

"Should make him a detective." Liza snorts and nods.

"Do need more of those but the new fellas filled in the gaps we had and fifty more detectives, not enough room for what we have." Sigh since that is rather wrong, but then me giving nookie to a colored fella will get him beat most of town.

"So need to fix that, but so many more things to fix. Also need to get back to Fred, he should be done eating by now." Liza nods and sees me out.

Back inside and then I am following Fred upstairs to look at our crib. It is a really nice crib, and a little larger than I expected. So we just look at it for a short while then we are covering it again and back downstairs. Audrey is looking at the design I sketched out and I'm fairly sure looked at the dress, Fred is getting dressed still.

"This is really nice, and then multi colored dresses hasn't been done before." I am nodding and grin.

"I was up when the mailman got here so surprised him and he will take his wife to the store this Saturday." Audrey nods and grins.

"Little tempted to demand a driver license and learn how to drive, but your breezer is too cold." I am nodding.

"Not enough room in front of our house for a third jalopy either."

"Perhaps a motorcycle." Fred says making us both jump.

"Motorcycle?" Fred is nodding when we look at him, I have seen those but never struck me as a good idea.

"You can't fit much on those though." Fred snorts and shrugs.

"For Audrey it doesn't matter, she can come up with a new thing and simply take it over to Kelly." True, though there is one thing.

"True but you do realize that this summer I won't be knocked up anymore and she will be stuck here." Fred sighs and shrugs.

"Yes but that is not now, and then even after our kid has come out while you are here she can run over to the store to talk a new design."

"I'm not sure I want a motorcycle, it is less warm than her breezer." Audrey says and I am nodding because that is true, and then something else occurs to me.

"Also will mention if she has a motorcycle she will have to wear pants. Perhaps not in summer but if there is an accident. The motorcycles I see the fella on is decked out in leather." Audrey is nodding, and so is Fred after a moment.

"I hadn't thought of that. Alright, driver license we can do, and teach Audrey to drive. I do know at the end of knocked up you won't do much." Roll my eyes but do nod.

"I can do everything I can now at the end of child within, but I would prefer not doing much." Audrey is nodding.

"Do stop at a grocery and get the snack pies. If you spot the things I want to try making you a meringue." I'm unsure on that.

"A banana meringue?"

"Yeah, it is a good pie. If you don't like that then being knocked up has altered your eating. Unless you can't stand bananas." Open and close my mouth then toss my hands.

"I think perhaps my eating has changed. Sort of odd but we will check. If nothing else we will make cobbler."

Audrey is nodding then Fred is pulling open my coat to check what suit I put on. He makes a face since I am wearing the white one then ushers me outside. Audrey rushes after with the dress I made and the design sketch. So I look at Fred and wave the design around until he nods and we are off to the store.

By the time we get to the store I am not feeling good. Also get out with the design and the dress then on inside. I don't know Fred has followed me until the clerk is gasping out there is a fella. So I am looking around and then behind to find Fred and he looks confused. Take his hand and over to Kelly we go, she is grinning.

"Alright why did she squeak and yell about there being a fella?" Kelly is giggling now so I poke her.

"She did that because we have brassiere to buy and sometimes the skirts will come out of the changing room only wearing that to look in the mirror." Fred looks confused still so reach up and put my hand over his mouth.

"The brassiere comes in ranges of sizes, that includes for the bubs so sometimes it feels alright and your bubs are swelled around." Fred nods and pulls my hand away.

"Would think that would be nicer looking in a low cut top." Kelly's jaw dropped, mine did too since that wasn't something we thought about.

"That is an interesting thought. Not sure anyone would wear that." Kelly is nodding then shrugs.

"So we make up a dress that does that, do the advertising and then see if skirts buy. I will also mention that skirts have asked for more things to wear in the bedroom."

"You mean like sheer robes and such?" Kelly is nodding.

"I got sheer cloth so we made up sheer robes of our own, these have not as sheer spots so a skirt isn't showing all of her. Which is not bad, and then a number of skirts have mentioned their husband wishing for more revealing of the robe." I look at Fred and he is nodding so grin.

"Not a bad idea, can market it as wedding night finery."

"Oh yes I love it, wedding night finery for any night." Fred is nodding, I am grinning and picturing the dough we will make on this.

"We will make a lot of dough on this. If we had more seamstresses I would even suggest doing mail order." Kelly snorts and shakes her head.

"Will see how we are doing this summer, if we are doing good sales or get featured in the newspaper we can look at getting a factory. Still seamstresses just hire more. Most clothing is done by a seamstress, stockings are the only thing made by a machine so far."

"So if you make a factory, what then?" Fred asks and I am giggling.

"Mail order or get an agreement with a big company to sell our clothes." Kelly is frowning for a moment.

"Perhaps not with a big company, open up stores in more cities or agreements with smaller companies." I am nodding since that would be better.

"Help out the small companies since they have our things. Will think on the wedding night things, though what about silk?" Kelly shakes her head.

"Silk would cost too much, satin on the other hand. I will talk to the supplier and see if we can get a range of colors in satin." I am nodding since that sounds good.

"Sheer cloth too, if you are wearing it for your husband there's no reason he can't see everything." Kelly and Fred are nodding so roll my eyes and poke Fred.

"What, you said I am as close to that as you want." Kelly is giggling and I toss my hands.

"Fred sometimes I wonder what I see in you. Kelly you haven't said what you think of the dress." Kelly starts and looks over the dress and smiles.

"It is lovely, and then two colors."

"I made it pink first but it was too pink, so cut out the design in purple and then cut both in half and fitted together." Kelly is nodding.

"I will make sure we make these in all of the combinations, and then two dresses out of the cutting so it will be like buying a unique dress every time."

I am nodding and then Fred reminds on having a case. So wave to Kelly and then we are out the door. Climb in the jalopy and we are off to the train yard, though I want to talk about the ball.

"Fred I think we should go to this ball thing they invited us to." Fred sighs and glances at me.

"I never did go to a policeman's ball and I don't want to go to an actual ball either." Frown now since that is rather odd.

"Why not?"

"I'd have to get a tuxedo, this isn't something you wear a suit to." I'm confused now.

"You wear a suit to everything else." Fred snorts and glances at me.

"For a wedding a fella gets in a tuxedo, same thing for a ball. So we would have to go and buy a tuxedo and those cost more than your dress."

"Liza said the lawyers go to it, along with judges." Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"Lawyers are paid good, so are judges since they get a salary to be a judge and it is higher than a lawyer."

"Speaking of that, do the defense attorneys get a salary?" Fred is nodding.

"They do get a salary, though it's not very much. Prosecutors get a good salary, because it's all they are supposed to do. Defense attorney is supposed to have an office so they do other legal things."

"What else is there?" Fred snorts and shakes his head.

"Wills, filing a patent on something, like your new brassiere. More that I don't know about, the legal system is rather large so lawyers are needed to figure out how to do anything in it."

"Suppose we should go and talk to a lawyer just to have it explained. There is one thing, if I ask one of the prosecutors and he said most fellas are wearing a suit to this ball I am making you take me." Fred sighs and nods.

Grinning now I pay attention to where we are and it looks like the rest of town. Then I see a fella walking along and know we are not in the rest of Chicago. The fella is a little hard to see except for the gray coat. No hat though and his hair is as dark as he is, with a dark house beyond so his head is a little hard to see.

Keep going and then I am seeing the train yard building in the sort of distance. Keeps getting bigger so I am wondering what we are doing. Then we are pulling into the train yard and over at a spot near the wall. Fred gets out so I follow along and over to a spot we go.

"This is where our fella was found, blood trail says he was shot closer to the wall and went this way." Sigh and join Fred in looking out of the train yard at houses.

"Odd that the houses are looking at the train yard." Fred shakes his head.

"This close I would prefer the house faces it, sitting room is in front and bedrooms are farther in so less sound of the trains when you are trying to sleep." I hadn't thought of that.

"So we need to go over to those houses?" Fred is nodding then sighs.

"Honestly for this I think best if you ask and I will stay by the jalopy." I'm lost on why for a moment.

"Oh because those at home right now are the skirts?" Fred is nodding.

"If it is not a skirt inside I will be watching so you won't be grabbed up." Roll my eyes.

"Colored fellas are just as nice as you are Fred." Fred snorts and nudges me.

"What I am afraid of." I am giggling now then back in the jalopy to drive to the first house.

Gloves go in my pocket, opening up coat so I can get to my license, then heading for the door. Knock then pull out my license and stand there with it up for longer than I expected. Then the door is opening and it is a fella standing there. So squeak and moan out oh please sir don't drag me away and he is laughing.

"Think I know why you are over here. Bad news I am night shift at the trains so I didn't see a thing." I am nodding then cover my mouth since he is eating.

"Having morning sickness and you are eating so that is horrible of you." He snorts and shakes his head.

"My wife just finished that so my condolences." I am nodding and sort of smile at him, from under my hand.

"Thanks, and is this whole street night shift?"

"Nope, I was just put on night shift, rest of this street should be at the yard."

"I would suggest getting a crib from Penney, but you probably don't get paid enough." That gets a grin out of him.

"We have gone and looked and are saving, got long enough we will manage to have enough dough to buy one." Nod and go through my pockets to hand over three aces.

"Here I will help with that, we got one today and the thing is huge. Probably should be able to use it for all of the kids we have before I shoot him for putting more in."

"I am hoping for no more than one every four years like my folks. Need a bigger house but so close to the train yard and then grocery is close too, don't need a jalopy." I am nodding since that is great.

"Making me want to get a house over here, our house it's seven miles to a grocery. I have a breezer so it's no problem but still." There is yelling from farther in the house so he turns to talk back then back to me.

"I better go before she decides I am having an affair or something." I am giggling and nod so he shuts the door and I head for Fred.

At the sidewalk I simply turn and keep walking to get to the walkway to the porch. Fred had tossed his hands and jumped in the jalopy so he is getting out of the jalopy as I get to the door and knock. License comes out and is held up about when the door is opening to a skirt. She looks me over then focuses on the license and snorts.

"I can't be telling you anything different than that detective, I didn't hear it happen." Sigh and nod then shrug.

"Court figured on we would get talked to more than white bulls. There isn't much of a case that they got and they know you don't trust them." She snorts and shakes her head.

"Half the time it's not about trusting or not, simply don't know. For some reason they come down here and expect us to know everything that happened three streets over."

"Suppose I would expect that from kids, I remember being young, anything that happened was talked about." She is nodding.

"Yeah I remember that too, bulls seem to think we never get past that. Most of what I learn about is what my husband done today, and then when I run into another wife we talk nookie." I am nodding and grin.

"I get more or less the same discussion, course also knocked up so I hear about that some." She tosses her hands.

"I swear you white skirts are easy to knock up." I am giggling and shake my head.

"Took getting on my hands and knees to be his horse to knock me up."

"Oh I haven't tried that." I am nodding and wink.

"It feels really good, though I have to reach down and rub on me while he is bucking away. I will mention that sitting on the table is fun, though I tend to clean it up after." She is giggling now.

"Will have to try that."

"You also may wish to try going to a store up by the river, sell suits and things and I am going to work on designing wedding night items, so you can slip it on and look nicer." She is grinning now.

"I know the store, haven't gone up to look yet though if can find that up there." I am nodding.

"So far everything is a quarter to half an ace. Not sure what the wedding night stuff will cost, going to see about using satin and that perhaps costs more. Before you ask the things come in all sorts of colors so you will find something good for you."

She is grinning when I turn to go back to the sidewalk. Move on to the next house and there is nookie happening, so look around and it is during the day so sort of odd. Go back down to Fred and he has big eyes.

"They are in the middle of nookie." Fred snorts and looks at the house, then around and sighs.

"Perhaps she is a prostitute, let's move on to the next house and come back after."

Nod and walk over to the next house and up the steps. Not having nookie in this house so knock on the door and hold up my license. Door opens after a little while and I'm surprised, it's a younger fella.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" He snorts and shakes his head then sniffles.

"Got a cold, and then it's my last year anyway." Look him over and he is sort of short to be that old.

"Guess I need to remember not all fellas tower over me." He is chuckling.

"Most skirts say I need to grow more."

"Not really, though the high cabinets are up there. I am here to ask after the offed fella found in the train yard." Fella is nodding now.

"I seen it happening. Being the oldest I got the sitting room as my bedroom and I heard them arguing. So went to look out the window and seen two fellas arguing. Then there is a bang and a flash, the one falls down and yells. Some more noises and then another bang." I am smiling since this is great, though I want to ask one thing.

"Did you tell your folks so when the detective came around to ask after it he would have been told?" Fella is nodding.

"Did share with my folks, they believed on account of the bulls were all over there with the body. According to Mom she told the detective and he said he would come back, but never did." Has me frowning because that is rather wrong.

"Curious, still you got me so did you see the fella done the shooting?" Fella is nodding.

"I didn't get an up close look but did see that he had a mustache. White fella so he stood out good, I can't be saying on his hair color, the lights at night time over here are rather poor so looked to have black hair. Gray coat, perhaps white but I don't think those are made, and then I think it was a blue suit, perhaps black but there is some light and it had a bluish tint." I am nodding since this is good information.

"Mustache is sort of not seen often so that is great, could you tell how tall he was?" Fella is shaking his head.

"Looking down at the fella, and the wall so I can't really be saying. The wall there is five foot since the trains are muffled way over here. I would think about six foot, but possible he is actually taller or shorter."

"Good information so thank you. Course the way our luck goes with murder investigations we will get in a shoot out and off the murderer." Fella is chuckling and shakes his head.

"I am not envying you on that." Smile at him then remember the neighbor in the middle of nookie.

"There is one thing, is your neighbor a prostitute? I went to knock and heard nookie happening."

"She doesn't charge, just being slow in picking a husband. Only kid so she lives with her folks still and she is rather free with the nookie."

"Only with fellas out of high school?" He turns red and shakes his head.

"I've gotten a turn twice. I'm not sure she will pick a fella." I am nodding and wink.

"I'd suggest having her call up Capone and go to work in a bordello but last time I talked to him they are all full."

"Share the number I will pass it on since money is a little tight over there." I share the number with him and suppose I should get a move on.

"Make sure you tell her to ask for Mr. Capone and why she is calling. I should get going, you gave out great information and we will need to see if we can fit a name to the description."

Go down to Fred and jump up and down because we got information. Fred is chuckling then grabs my shoulders so I stop.

"I'm guessing you got information."

"I found us a witness, he sleeps in the sitting room so heard an argument and went to look. He said the fella did the offing is about six foot perhaps, has a mustache, gray coat, and then a blue suit. He can't say on the hair color since it is dark at night so all he could tell was the suit had a bluish tint."

"Are you sure he didn't shine one?" I am nodding since he described it happening the way Fred said it did.

"He described them arguing and then a bang so one is on the ground, some yelling about being shot then more sound, which would be the fella crawling away and a second bang." Fred is nodding and grins.

"That is great, why wasn't the detective told?"

"According to him he told his folks and Mom said she told the detective and he said he would come back to ask the boy and never did. He is in his last year of school, has a cold." Fred sighs and shakes his head.

"At least we got really lucky and he has the cold when we come here to question." I am nodding then one thing strikes me.

"We should head over to the building there and see if they know a fella with a mustache." Fred snorts then looks at the building, and shakes his head.