"Tiki Moon" drabbles by Christopher

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 211

Tiki Moon #211

"Randolph," Harrigan said, "do you know how much manpower has gone into checking on Deborah Newstead's disappearance from that ocean liner? And I haven't even mentioned the fact that you used a fake passport. You're asking us to overlook an awful lot."

I nodded, "I know. But won't it be worth it to not only clear up Phil Garfield's hit-and-run but also uncover possible corruption in the City Planner's office? Consider it an undercover operation by a subcontractor."

Harrigan smiled and I knew I had him.

"Just give me a little more time to check this out, huh?"

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 210

Tiki Moon #210

"Do you have evidence of that?" Kip asked.

"Not yet," I said. "I hope to be uncovering some soon, though. But, I think that may be why Phil Garfield was run down in the street. It's possible he found out something. I might know a little more tomorrow night."

Harrigan raised an eyebrow, "Is that what the meeting with the blonde was about just now?"

I nodded. "She works at the construction company. Look, as soon as I have anything concrete I'll let you know. If there are city officials involved I'm going to be seriously in over my head."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 209

Tiki Moon #209

I continued, "Once I was involved in it I had to see it through."

"Why didn't you come to us, Jake?" Kip asked. "If money changed hands that was enough to convict him."

I shook my head, "Deborah said it was more complicated than just her husband wanting her out of the way. She thought something was going on at the Commonwealth Construction Company. And I think I know what it is."

"Well, spill it, Randolph," Harrigan said, seeming more like his old self.

"I think there may be some bribery going on with the City Planner's office," I said...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 208

Tiki Moon #208

I knew it was time to trust Harrigan with what was going on.

"Jim, Kip, I need to tell you a few things."

Harrigan and Kip looked at each and then back at me.

"Okay," Harrigan said.

"Deborah Newstead isn't dead."

They didn't seem surprised by that.

"She's in a safe place. I had to make her husband believe she was dead. He hired me to kill her."

That surprised them.

"The thing is...he thought I was Mr. Saint."

That really surprised them.

"Ms. Newstead overheard him setting up a meeting with Mr. Saint and conned me into going instead."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 207

Tiki Moon #207

"I guess," Harrigan continued, "I'm hard on you because I don't want to see you get in trouble. And you do have a nasty habit of falling ass over elbows into trouble, Jake."

Kip looked surprised too. I think we were both seeing a side of Harrigan we never knew existed.

"Well, thanks for the concern, Jim. My interest is helping people. I suppose that blinds me in a way. But I have a great respect for you and what you do. I'm not trying to minimize it by being uncooperative. I hope you realize that."

"I do," Harrigan said...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 206

Tiki Moon #206

Harrigan downed the last of his coffee and then said, "Jake, I know I'm only a few years older than you, but ever since I saw you on that Army base in England I felt like you were my kid brother."

I was floored. Harrigan had never said anything like that before.

"So I felt like it was my job to protect you. It wasn't long before I realized you were perfectly capable of taking care of not only yourself but me too."

I sat there dumbfounded. Harrigan was not a sentimental person. But what he was saying seemed genuine...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 205

Tiki Moon #205

Harrigan looked me in the eyes as I was talking.

"You know what we've been through together. Things most people can't conceive of. We relied on each other and made it through situations that no men should have to face. But we didn't have a choice. You know me. Do you really believe I would be on the wrong side of the law? I admit I have to keep things to myself sometimes to protect my clients. It's never done to make your job harder. It's to save people's lives."

I couldn't tell if I was getting through or not...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 204

Tiki Moon #204

I stood looking down at them and asked, "Room for one more?"

Harrigan grunted and motioned for me to sit down.

"Look," I said, "I'm sorry for flying off the handle when you were in my apartment the other night."

Kip nodded, "Well, we did show up unannounced."

Harrigan grunted again, "We were doing our job."

I figured I'd use this opportunity to clear the air with Harrigan. It would either make things a little smoother between us or end our friendship.

"Jim, you do have a tendency to just believe the worst about me whenever a situation comes up."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 203

Tiki Moon #203

Harrigan raised an eyebrow and then started toward me. My eyes got wide and I shook my head slightly. He furrowed his brow and then turned on his heel and went up to join Kip at the counter. They got two cups, presumably of molten java, and went to a back table in the opposite corner from where Scarlett and I were sitting.

I asked Scarlett if she'd be okay going by herself back to her apartment and she said yes. I walked her to the door, told her I'd see her tomorrow night, and then headed for Harrigan's table...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 202

Tiki Moon #202

Scarlett told me to meet her at her apartment the next night at 7 pm and I could go over the information on Phil Garfield. I wasn't planning on going over Scarlett as well, but if presented with the opportunity to peruse her files I'd have to consider the matter carefully.

I saw the door to the Molten Java open up and in walked Harrigan and Kip. The last thing I needed was for those jokers to blow my cover as Don Garfield.

Harrigan stood looking around while Kip went to the counter and ordered something.

Then Harrigan saw me...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 201

Tiki Moon #201

She sat back, letting that sink in. I could see in her eyes that she was starting to remember little things that at the time meant nothing but now made her think I might be right. But I had to play on her sympathies for Deborah.

"And I think after they killed my brother that Deborah found out, either about the murder or the bribes, or both, and they killed her too."

Scarlett looked really sad. I could tell she liked Deborah.

"Alright," she said. "I'll bring your brother's files home tomorrow night. Come to my apartment."

Her apartment? Okaaayyy...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 200

Tiki Moon #200

"How exactly am I supposed to get you proof?" she asked as she took another sip of coffee.

"I need to know all the construction sites that my brother Phil worked on over the past few years. That's all you have to do. I'll take it from there and follow up. I think my brother found out something they didn't want him to know and they killed him."

She shook her head, "You keep saying 'they.' Who are you referring to?"

I had to tread carefully. "I'm not sure. But I believe someone in your company is bribing city officials."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 199

Tiki Moon #199

"So, Mr. Garfield, what is it you think I can help you with?" Scarlett asked.

I was about to tell her when Little Miss Sunshine came back with our coffee. She set them down on the table and asked, "Anything else?"

"No, that's fine. Thanks," I said as she walked off.

Scarlett and I both grabbed our coffee and took a sip. Then I continued.

"Miss Wilcox, I think there may be something going on in your company."

She looked puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean things that may not be exactly legal. But I need proof."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 198

Tiki Moon #198

"No, that's all. Thanks," I said with a smile. The waitress looked at me like I had something wrong with my mouth.

She walked off and I asked Scarlett, "Do you know her?"

She nodded, "I went to school with her. She was a sarcastic bitch even back then."

I had a clear view of the front door from where I was sitting. I learned from ole' Wild Bill Hickok not to sit with my back facing the door. I was pretty positive I hadn't been followed, but with Mr. Saint still on the loose I couldn't be too careful...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 197

Tiki Moon #197

"Welcome to Molten Java," she said in a monotone voice with all the enthusiasm of a chronically depressed lemming.

"Thank you," I said, "I want a cup of coffee, black."

She wrote it on her little pad and then looked at Scarlett.

"Cream and sugar," Scarlett said.

"Independently or in a cup of coffee?" the waitress asked in the same monotone voice but with just a touch of sarcasm.

"In a cup of coffee!" Scarlett said disgustedly. These women didn't seem to like each other.

"Anything else?" the waitress asked in a tone that didn't even sound like a question...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 196

Tiki Moon #196

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" I asked, figuring if I suggested going up to her apartment she might get the wrong idea. I might get the wrong idea as well.

She thought for a moment and said, "There's a coffee shop around the corner. We can go there, I guess."

We walked in relative silence to the Molten Java, a coffee shop that looked like it catered mostly to intellectuals, writers and poets.

We took a booth at the end of the shop and sat down.

A mousy little waitress with stringy brown hair ambled over to the table...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 195

Tiki Moon #195

That shocked her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I had a feeling someone ran down my brother on purpose. And then when I heard that Ms. Newstead disappeared on that ocean liner, now I truly believe they were both killed."

She had a look in her eye that was partial disbelief but also had a hint of curiosity.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Garfield, but I just can't believe that. Who would want either of them dead?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Miss Wilcox. But I need a little help and I think you might be able to provide that help."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 194

Tiki Moon #194

She pulled into the parking lot of a nice apartment building in Hawthorne. I parked on the street in front of the building and walked up to the front doors.

She came penduluming up the concrete walkway from the parking lot. When she reached the front doors I said, "Miss Wilcox?"

She looked taken aback.

"Uh...yes?"

"I'm sorry to trouble you, ma'am. My name is Don Garfield. My brother Phil worked at your construction company."

She got a sad look, "Oh, I'm so sorry about your brother. A terrible accident."

"Well," I said, "I don't believe it was an accident."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 193

Tiki Moon #193

Deborah wasn't joking. She was stunningly gorgeous. Medium-length hair that was so blonde it was almost white. A black dress that contoured her body so closely it looked like skin. I felt like I was watching a tennis match as I eyed her hips swinging like a pendulum when she walked toward her car.

She pulled out of the parking lot onto the street. I kept a decent distance behind. Deborah had said she lived in an apartment in Hawthorne and it appeared that was where she was heading.

I was trying to figure out what tactic to use...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 192

Tiki Moon #192

I had three days until Mort's and Nick's meeting with the city planner, so in the meantime I thought I would try to get the information I needed out of Scarlett Wilcox.

I drove to the Commonwealth Construction Company's main office in Culver City at about 4 pm. I had stopped off for a hamburger, fries and a milkshake so I sat in the parking lot and ate while I waited for Scarlett to call it a day.

I was sitting opposite of her Buick Roadmaster downing the last of my hamburger when I saw her across the parking lot...