"Requiem For A Stripper" drabbles by Christopher

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 376

Requiem For A Stripper #376

Jen and I started down the street. We both seemed oblivious to the drizzle that was falling on us. I didn't know how long this relationship would last now that the case was over, but I was willing to take it as far as it went.

We could hear solemn, bluesy saxophone music coming from a fire escape in the alley we were passing. We stopped and looked up to see a Negro making gentle love to his horn.

I thought about Honey Comb. The lonesome melody was a tribute to her.

A fitting requiem for a stripper.

THE END

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 375

Requiem For A Stripper #375

I grabbed Jen Ann's hand and we walked out the door. It was beginning to rain. I didn't mind. Maybe it would wash the crud off me I'd picked up on this case.

"I don't feel like driving right now. You up for taking a walk in the rain?" I asked.

She just smiled. "I'm with you, Jake."

"We'll walk until we get tired and then I'll call a cab to take us home. I'm assuming you have another errand you need me to run," I said with a smile.

"I do indeed, cowboy. I do indeed," she said, grinning...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 374

Requiem For A Stripper #374

He stuffed it into my coat's top pocket. It hung out like a money handkerchief. I almost yanked it out and shoved it down Minga's throat, but then I remembered my rent.

"What the hell is this for, Minga?" I asked.

"For killing Schmidt. You see, I was with him when he made out his will. He left the Pussycat to me."

"First off, I didn't kill Schmidt. Second of all, let me give you a receipt for this."

I hauled off and punched him in the face. He hit the floor.

"I enjoyed that," I said with a grin...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 373

Requiem For A Stripper #373

He didn't have his goons with him this time. He just sauntered alone up to me at the bar like I was a long lost friend.

"Randolph! How's your night going?" he said with a grin.

"Pretty good up until now," I said without a hint of humor.

"Aww, don't be that way. Let's start fresh. Let bygones be bygones. How about that? Here, I wanna give you something."

He reached in his pocket and my hand instantly went into my coat toward my gun, but he pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills.

"Here. From me to you."

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 372

Requiem For A Stripper #372

I sat at the bar and watched Jen Ann's show at 10 p.m. I didn't see how men could come here night after night. This was my fifth day that I'd spent a good portion of it in a strip club, and it was beginning to wear thin.

I had a few more drinks and Jen Ann emerged from the back.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said.

"You don't have another show to do later?"

"No, they're trying out a couple of new girls later on. I'm done until tomorrow night."

Just then I saw Nicky Minga coming through the door...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 371

Requiem For A Stripper #371

"Well, I guess that wraps it up," I said. "Hopefully I can find a paying client soon."

"You mean Jen Ann hasn't given you a penny?" Harrigan asked.

"No, but she's given me so much more! But I still need to make up my back rent or I'm gonna get tossed."

"You need me to loan you some money?" he asked.

"I wouldn't take your money, Jim. But thanks for the offer."

"Well, it's there if you need it. See you later, Randolph."

"Yeah. Thanks, Harrigan," I said, hanging up.

I collected Jen Ann and headed for The Gilded Daffodil...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 370

Requiem For A Stripper #370

"It's easy when you can set them up to be killed by your cop friend," I said in a sarcastic tone.

There was a pause and then Harrigan said, "I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't really mean that."

"Forget it," I said. "Did you ever identify the body found in Elysian Park?"

"Oh, yeah. That was Candy Apple."

"So, the only things that haven't been found are Barb Winston's and Honey Comb's bodies."

"If Madame Fruitcake killed Barb it'll turn up eventually. But Romero was pretty sharp. I think he'd have disposed of Honey's body in a permanent way," he said...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 369

Requiem For A Stripper #369

"You've got to be kidding me," I said, not believing what I was hearing.

"Yep. Risked his life to fight the scourge of crime plaguing this city. He'll be buried with full honors."

"Boy, that society sure knows how to protect itself, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah, and this was after we interviewed the Porter girl. She magically backed up the story about the prostitution ring."

"I'm surprised she didn't try to blame everything on me."

Harrigan chuckled, "She probably didn't want to make an enemy of you, Jake. Your enemies have a bad habit of meeting a nasty end."

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 368

Requiem For A Stripper #368

Harrigan took me back to the Bluebird so I could get my car and we shook hands and parted company.

I called him that night, just before I was due to take Jen Ann to the Daffodil for her show.

"They've identified all the bodies from the Nichols Canyon fire," Harrigan said.

"I bet it hit the fan when they found out who one of them was," I said.

"No," Harrigan said softly. "They've already concocted a story."

"Oh, this oughta be good."

"He was singlehandedly trying to bring down a prostitution ring that was being operated in that house."

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 367

Requiem For A Stripper #367

"Well, well. You took your time, didn't you, Harrigan?"

"Quit squawking, Randolph. You're still alive, aren't ya?"

"Is she dead?" I asked.

Harrigan knelt down and checked her pulse.

"Yep. Did you plan this, Randolph?"

"What d'you mean?" I asked.

"Well, you didn't have enough evidence to get Linda for trying to kill you. So you set her up to be killed by me? Justifiable homicide?"

"Jim, d'you really think I'd do something like that?"

"I wonder sometimes, Randolph. I wonder."

"That hurts, Harrigan."

But it did wrap up the case with a nice neat bow on top of it...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 366

Requiem For A Stripper #366

"You son-of-a-..." Linda said as she reached into a drawer and pulled out a pistol, pointing it at me.

I ducked behind the couch as she fired and the window I'd been looking out a few seconds before shattered. Then I heard the back door burst open and Harrigan yelled, "Drop it, lady!"

I peeked out from behind the couch to see her turning in Harrigan's direction and pointing the gun.

He fired and she spun around and fell to the floor.

He walked over and kicked the gun away from her body as I rose up...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 365

Requiem For A Stripper #365

"Well," I said, hoping Harrigan was in position, "I hate to break this news to you, Linda, but your mother was killing strippers. Four in all. I know, because she told me."

She turned and looked at me, "When did you talk to my..."

Then she realized it.

"You! You killed my mother!"

"And I burned down the house where The Immoral Society was meeting last night. Took everyone out in one go. Except you. You're the last loose end, Linda."

I got up, walked behind the couch and took a look out the window. Still no sign of Harrigan...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 364

Requiem For A Stripper #364

"Oh, I wasn't a member of that club. Neither was my mother, really. They used her to get girls. She went to some of the parties, staying in the background, of course, and I think Klaus Schmidt was kind of sweet on her, but she definitely did not have enough clout to be an actual member."

"Yeah, I saw some of their members: a newspaper reporter, a movie star, and the chief of police of Los Angeles," I said.

"Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg, Randolph. My mother told me there've been U.S. presidents in The Immoral Society."

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 363

Requiem For A Stripper #363

"I didn't say you could come in," Linda said as she closed the door and turned around.

"Well, I'm in. Tell me something, Linda. Did you know your mother was killing all those strippers?"

She turned around with a shocked look. Apparently she didn't.

"My mother was not killing strippers."

"Just recruiting them as entertainment for The Immoral Society?"

"Yes," she said. "My mother did a lot of things but she was no murderer."

"Unlike you?" I asked.

"Oh, I've never done it myself. I have people do it for me."

"Spoken like a true Immoral Society member," I said...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 362

Requiem For A Stripper #362

"It gets the job done. Hello, Linda," I said.

"What do you want, Randolph? I'm mourning the loss of my mother."

Apparently she was unaware that I was the one who'd given her mother a dirt nap. That was interesting.

"Did you really think I was going to sweep under the rug the fact that you tried to have me killed last night?" I asked.

"Well, it didn't work, did it? And by the way, the one you dropped the crates on? He's dead!"

"Ah, my heart's bleeding, Linda, it really is."

I pushed by her, walking into the house...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 361

Requiem For A Stripper #361

I got to the door and knocked. I looked back a couple of times on my way and I never saw Harrigan, so he was sufficiently staying out of sight, just in case anyone in the house was watching.

I heard someone coming to the door and when it opened I was staring at Linda. She looked a lot older than she did a little over twelve hours ago when I'd seen her last at Brannigan's Pub.

"I don't know how your underwear copes with it, Randolph, because I swear you must have elephant balls!" she said with genuine surprise...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 360

Requiem For A Stripper #360

Harrigan drove us out to Madame Helga's place and parked a few houses down. He didn't say much along the way. I think he was still trying to process the events of the previous night. It's not easy to take when your heroes turn out not to be the knights in shining armor that you thought they were.

"Okay," I said, "if Linda's in there I'm gonna try and get her to confess. You need to be within earshot but stay out of sight."

Harrigan nodded, still choosing not to speak.

I started down the street to Madame Helga's house...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 359

Requiem For A Stripper #359

"So, is this what you called me here for, Randolph?"

"That and because I need your help in nailing Linda Erickson."

"We checked the dance studio and her apartment but she wasn't at either place," Harrigan said.

"Did you check Madame Helga's house? The place you took me for the B&E?"

"No, why?" he asked.

"Because Linda's Madame Helga's daughter. She may be there getting ready to make funeral arrangements or to get rid of any evidence her mother may have had on her."

"You wanna go back there?"

"It wouldn't hurt to check," I said as we got up...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 358

Requiem For A Stripper #358

"Unfortunately, that's about the shape of it. But Minga wasn't the only one that deserved to die, Jim."

"I just can't believe this. Do you have any evidence to back this up?"

"Just my word. And I would've thought that would be good enough for you, Harrigan."

"It is," he said. "But that won't hold up in court."

"Mindy Porter was there. She heard Romero's confession. If that's worth anything."

"Who is Mindy Porter?" Harrigan asked.

"She was one of the girls recruited for the party. I can give you her address."

Harrigan still looked like he was in shock...

Jake Randolph in "Requiem For A Stripper" Pt. 357

Requiem For A Stripper #357

After a moment Harrigan composed himself enough to ask, "Did they all die in the fire?"

"Not exactly," I said. "Schmidt did, but Romero shot and killed Horace Busby and then I shot Romero."

He didn't seem surprised by that.

"What was Horace Busby doing there?" he asked.

"Looking for Minga, who he believed was responsible for his sister's death."

"Was Minga there?"

I shook my head, "He wasn't a member of the club. Just supplied the girls."

"So," Harrigan said trying to wrap his head around it, "The main one that deserved to die is Minga. And he didn't."