Ch.2 A visit to the bar then to the club
No POV
As Maranda and Eddie left the studio, Maranda was in the lead doing a bit of a race walk. Eddie managed to catch up with his niece, a not so pleased look on his face.
"You mind telling me what the heck that was about?" Eddie asked
"What was what all about?"
"That little commando act you did, asken Maroon where the other fifty was. I thought you didn't want me to take this job."
"Uncle V knowing the people you know, there's always gonna be a guy that won't give you full pay unless you do the entire job, and do it right. I'm just making sure that you do that job, because if I know you as well I think I do, then you need that money for a specific reason, to which I will not mention. So you might as well get used to it if I start saving your tail often."
"You are your father's daughter alright." Eddie said as he ruffled her hair. Maranda laughed and so did he.
Eddie and Maranda went over to the trolley getting ready for the ride, but the conductor stopped them saying they needed to pay first. Eddie held up the check with fifty dollars. Maranda rolled her eyes at that.
"What do I look like, a bank?" the conductor asked with a hint of anger. He gave the sign to get going and closed the door.
Eddie looked to the back of the trolley and got ready to jump. When it came up him and Maranda jumped onto the back with a couple of poor kids.
"Hey wait for me!" A kid said as he ran down the street trying to keep up. Eddie held out his hand and picked the kid up just in time to get him on board.
"Thanks mister."
"No problem kid."
"Hey mister, don't you and your kid have a car?" one of the older ones asked
"What do we need a car for, when we got the best transportation system in the world."
After a while they got the their street and they jumped off. The boys waved goodbye to him and Maranda.
"Bye mister!"
"See ya later!"
"Hey thanks for the cigarettes!" Eddie called to one of them
"Any time!" he shouted back
They went up door of their apartment building, and Eddie straightened out the sign for it. The mailman came with a smile and said hello.
"Hey there mister Valiant. Maranda." He said as he tipped his hat to Maranda and Eddie.
"Hey Joe, watcha got for me."
"Same old, the usual bills."
Eddie took a look at the bill in his hands, but he then turned his attention to the bar across the street. After a moment of thought he automatically threw the bills away and crossed the street to the bar.
The moment they came in Eddie greeted a friend or two with Maranda trailing close behind him. He saw a cab driver he knew that was probably asleep or unconscious from all the drinks he's had. Eddie took his hat and put it back on his head. Maranda gave him a pat on the back, and went to the table with her uncle.
"What's wrong with Earl?" Eddie asked
A guys, who probably couldn't speak took his note pad and pen and wrote down what he said. He turned the clip board to Eddie and Maranda and on it was written 'Laid Off!'
"Laid off?" Eddie asked surprised
"Yeah, someone in an auction bought the red car, some big company called 'Clover Leaf'." A black man said coming up behind Eddie.
"No kidding. They bought the red car?"
"Yeah, put the poor guy out on a two weeks notice, cut backs they said."
Eddie looked to Earl as he picked up a small glass filled with whiskey.
"Here's to the pencil pushers, may they all get lead poisoning."
"You said it uncle V." Maranda agreed
When Eddie was about to take a sip from his drink, a hand covered it preventing him from drinking it. He looked to see that the hand belonged to a woman known as Delores.
"Tomorrows Friday Eddie, you know what happens on Friday?"
"Fish special?"
"Friday is the day my boss checks the books. If I don't get that money you owe me back on the till, I'm gonna lose my job."
"Don't bust a button Delores you only got one left."
"Yeah, besides we got something that'll make you happy." Maranda said as she pulled out the check with a smile.
"Fifty bucks?" Delores asked with hope. "Where's the rest?" she asked with a bit of anger.
"It's only a snoop job away." Eddie said trying to defend himself and his niece. "You got that old camera? Mine's in the shop."
"Wouldn't happen to be a pawn shop would it?" Delores asked with sarcasm
"Come on aunty Delores, you need the money, me and uncle V need that camera." Maranda argued.
Delores sighed in defeat and grabbed the camera and brought it to them.
"There any film in that?" Eddie asked
"Should be. The film in that camera hasn't been developed ever since our trip to Catalina. Sure was a long time ago."
"Yeah, that was a long time ago, we should do that again some time."
"Sure Eddie." Delores held down the plates and cups as a trolley left the station and one came in. "Is that check even any good?"
"Check the script."
"R. K. Maroon. As in Maroon cartoons?" Delores asked
"Maroon cartoons?" said a voice from behind. A man with dirty blonde hair in some dirty clothes and black dirt all over his hands and some on his face came behind them with a humorous smirk on his face.
"So who's your client today, Mr. and little Ms. Detective's to the stars?" he said with a laugh "Chilly Willy, or Screwy squirrel?"
"What'll ya have?" Delores asked
"I'll have a Two-shot." He answered as he took his seat. "So what's the case? Did someone kidnap Yankee Doddle?"
"Cut it out Angelo." Delores said trying to help
"Oh wait a minute, wait a minute, little Boo Beep has lost her sheep, and your gonna help find him." Angelo said as he began to laugh
Both Maranda and Eddie were about to blow, and in the blink of an eye Maranda kicked out his seat from under him and Eddie held him by the throat and held him against the table.
"Get this through you head. We. Don't. Work. For toons." He said in an angry voice that dripped with venom. He then took the egg he was about to eat and shoved it into his face. Maranda had her back turned to them through the whole scene, while she may not be into violence as much as her uncle, she will get ruff when some try's to make fun, insult, or threaten her family. When it was done she automatically started walking with her uncle right next to her.
"So what's their problem?" Angelo asked with the egg in his mouth
"A toon killed his brother, Maranda's father." Delores said with a far off look. All the men turned to her to see if they heard what they thought they heard. "Dropped a piano on his head."
(Time skip)
It was late at night and a chilly wind swept through the ally ways of the city. Eddie and Maranda came to a dark ally and walked up to an old and beaten' up door. A slide on the door opened to reveal an eye looking at the two of them.
"You got the password?" a deep gruff voice asked
"Walt sent me." Eddie asked
The door opened and Eddie and Maranda walked in. The doorman was a huge gorilla wearing a tuxedo with the sleeves rolled up.
"Nice monkey suit." Eddie said with a bit of sarcasm
"Wise ass."
"Don't mind uncle V Bongo, he's a little on edge."
"Keep you're uncle outta trouble, will ya Maranda?"
"I'll try."
Eddie ignored what they said and went to the next door. Even from the other side both him and Maranda could hear the sound of piano music, and when they walked in, probably more than a hundred people were sitting down enjoying the show. Daffy Duck and Donald Duck were the ones playing two pianos, one was black and the other was white. Daffy started to play around and hit a few foul keys.
"Hey cut it out!" Donald said becoming angry
"Does anyone understand what this duck is saying?" Daffy asked the crowd earning a few laughs "Geez, I've worked with a lot of wise quackers, but your disp-p-p-picable!"
"Dog-gone, annoying little." Donald grumbled to his self.
As Eddie and Maranda were taking their seats, the man next to them took his pen and squirted it on Eddie's shirt. Eddie looked from his shirt to the man that squirted it on him. The man began to laugh.
"Ya think that's funny?" Eddie asked getting angry
"It's a panic!" the man said with a huge smile on his face. Eddie then hauled him out of his chair and held him by the shirt.
"Well you won't think it's so funny when I shove that pen up your nose!" Eddie said in anger
"Now calm down son, look the stain's gone. It's disappearing ink. No hard feelings I hope." Eddie looked down at his shirt and saw the stain disappear.
"Look I'm…" the man didn't get a chance because Eddie beat him to it.
"I know who you are. Your Marvin Acme, the guy that owns Toon Town, the 'Gag King'."
"If it's Acme, it's a gasser. Put her their pal." And with that said when they shook hands Eddie felt a violent shock hit. When Mr. Acme let go he showed that he had a small device on his hand.
"The joy buzzer. Still our best seller!" Mr. Acme said with a laugh then sat back down.
Eddie rolled his eyes, a bit annoyed at the guy's jokes; Maranda couldn't help but laugh a bit. A penguin waiter came up to the table and with out even looking at the menu Eddie told him what he wanted, and so did Maranda.
"I'll have a Shirley temple. Three cherries please." Maranda said placing her menu back on the tray.
"Scotch on the Rocks." He said "AND I MEAN ICE!"
The two watched as Daffy and Donald we're making their way for a grand finally. Daffy was playing the piano with incredible speed. The feathers on his head had grown out becoming long the further the song went. Without him knowing Donald comes out of the piano, with red devil horns on his head, and a huge grey toon cannon, ready to fire. When the fuse was lite, Donald plugged his ears, with a demonic smile on his face. The cannon fired, but missed Daffy. Instead it created a gapping hole in the piano and Daffy was in it, making his 'WOO-HOO' sound and Donald was trapped inside the white piano. Two giant canes came from the sides and pulled them off stage. The act was over and everyone applauded.
"Oh those ducks, they... They never get to finish the act!" Marvin said laughing very hard.
Eddie rolled his eyes, but Maranda tried to stifle her laugh. The penguin waiter came by with their drinks.
"Thanks." Eddie says
"Thank you." Maranda says
When Eddie was about to take a sip of his drink he looked in to the glass, and pulled out a rock that was sitting in the drink.
"Toons." He said in annoyance and licked the drink of his fingers.
"Hey, that's what you get for ordering a drink called 'Scotch on the Rocks'." Maranda said with a humorous smile.
"Yeah what ever." Eddie replied
"Cigars, cigarettes… Eddie and Maranda Valiant." Said a high femmine voice from behind.
Eddie and Maranda looked back to see a black and white woman in a black dress with no straps or sleeves what's so ever.
"Betty?" They asked in unison
"Long time no see you two."
"What are you doing here?" Eddie asked
"Business has been rather slow since cartoons went to color. But I still got it Eddie." She said as she struck a pose.
"Yeah you still got it."
All of a sudden the light went dim and men gathered around the stage howling like wolves and wolf whistling. Marvin Acme was spraying a lot of cologne on him, a wildly happy smile on his face.
"What's up with him?" Maranda asked
"Mr. Acme never misses a night when Jessica performs."
"Got a thing for rabbits does he?" Eddie asked with a half smirk
The room went silent and everyone's eyes were on stage.
Maranda's POV
I watched as the spot light hit the stage and all went silent.
'Ya had plenty money 1922'
A femmine leg came from behind the curtain while it slowly opened up. When the curtain was pulled back all the way back, it revealed Jessica Rabbit.
A beautiful red headed toon woman, one side her face was covered by her hair. She was wearing a glittering pink dress with matching pink high heels. All in all she was a woman that would put any other woman's beauty to shame.
As she sang one was dumb enough to try to get closer on stage, and Jessica responded by kicking him off. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough for him to get the message. I looked over to uncle V and saw his eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. He leaned over to Betty and asked…
"She's married to Roger Rabbit?" he asked in disbelief
"Yeah, what a lucky girl." Betty said as she closed uncle V's mouth.
I rolled my eyes and ignored him and just watched Jessica's performance. As she came down the isle of the stage, another man stood up almost transfixed. Jessica gently pushed him by the forehead back into his seat. When she came to the edge of the stage Marvin took her hand and helped her down. She came behind him pinching his cheeks, and then took the handkerchief from his shirt pocket and rubbed on his head the same way one would shine a shoe. She walked away with seductive smirk.
When she came to my and uncle V's table, she sat in his lap straightening out his collar, taking off his hat and leaning towards him as if she was about to kiss him! When uncle V began to lean in thinking it was going to happen, she took his hat and shoved it in his face. She then got up and walked around him and sat on the table between him and me. As she sung her finale line of her song she had uncle V by the tie and the two's face's were mere inches apart. As she sang the very last part she loosened her grip and eventually let go. Leaving uncle V wide eyed and staring off into space. The entire club erupted into cheers; mostly they came from the men. I saw that uncle V was breathing heavily, trying to get the air flowing through his lungs again, but he still looked like he was in a daze.
As another penguin waiter came by, I picked up the cup of water on it without him knowing, and poured a little water into my hand. I pulled my hand back, and splashed uncle V in the face. He jumped in surprise and his eyes were closed. He wiped the water from his eyes and looked to me.
"What the hell was that for?!" he asked with a mixture of annoyance and anger.
"To wake you up from your perpetual day dream, that's what. No get that camera ready; we got a job to do." I said a very serious tone.
Uncle V nodded his head in agreement, and left our table when we saw Marvin Acme left his. We followed him backstage where he was standing in front of Jessica's dressing room door with a rather large bouquet of flowers. He knocked on the door waiting patiently for an answer, and there was.
"Who is it?" Jessica asked from the other side of the door. Marvin opened the door and greeted her with smile.
"Jessica dear, never fear, your Marvin is here." He said as he walked in
"Geez, can this guy get any cheesier?" Maranda asked with a hint of annoyance
"Shhh." Uncle V said gesturing for me to be quiet.
As we came towards the door we listened in on what the two were talking about.
"You really rang out the curtain tonight baby. You killed em', you slayed em', you absolutely, positively…"
I zoned out when I heard someone tap uncle V on the back. We turned around to see Bongo with a not so pleased look on his face.
"What'd ya think your doin' chump?Bongo grabbed uncle V by the collar of his coateased look on his face.
er.r the chin and behind the ear. He had the same face as"
"Who you callin' a chump, chimp?"
"Oh now you did it." I said with my arms crossed
Bongo grabbed uncle V by the collar of his coat, and he picked me up by the waist. He brought us to the back door. He set me down and got ready to toss uncle V out the door, witch he did. I heard him crash into the trashcans in the ally way, and I flinched thinking about how that must of hurt. Bongo put his hand on my back and pushed me out the door. I turned to him as he said
"And don't let me catch your uncles peeping face around here again!" He shouted as he slammed the door behind him.
"OOGA-BOGA!" Uncle V said scratching under his arm as if he were a monkey.
"Do you really wanna antagonize him?" I asked my uncle as cleaned off the back of his coat.
"Ah just forget about him."
Uncle V looked over to an open window and we both knew what that room was. We looked to each other at the same time and we nodded our heads in silent agreement, as if we could read each other's minds. We made our way over to the window, once there, uncle V took out the camera and go it ready. I listened to what the two inside were talking about, while uncle V took the pictures.
"Come Jessica, I have everything ready right here, on the bed." Marvin started
"Not tonight Marvin, I've got a head ache." Jessica replied
"Oh but Jessica, you promised." Marvin said as if he were a sad child
"Oh alright, but this time take off that hand buzzer."
With curiosity peeked I stood on top of a create and looked in side the room. When I saw what was going on, I scrambled down from there as fast as possible and my hand smacked over my eyes. Uncle V was taking the last picture as we heard the rest of what happened. At the same time we said the exact same thing.
"You gotta be kidding me?"
…
No POV
"PATTIE CAKE! PATTIE CAKE! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Roger exclaimed in despair while shaking the blinds of Mr. Maroon's office. He got down from that spot and continued his rant while banging his head on Maroon's desk. Maranda felt her heart brake at the sight of her friend in such dismay. Through the entire time they were in Mr. Maroon's office she didn't once leave his side. Trying her best to comfort him with a few side hugs and pats on the back. When she tried to do so again Roger clung to her like a sad child would cling to their mother. She rubbed his back giving him a few words of reassurance that everything would be ok.
"Oh take comfort son, you're not the first one who's wife played Pattie cake on Acme." Maroon said trying to comfort Roger. He handed him a handkerchief and Roger finally let go Maranda and blew his nose, hard. When he was done he gave it back to Mr. Maroon who threw it away in a small black trashcan. Maranda placed her hand on Roger's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I just don't believe. I won't believe it. I can't believe it. I shan't believe it." Roger said trying his best to obviously not believe what he was being told.
"Believe it kid, it's true. I took the picture my self. She played Pattie cake." Eddie said as he handed the pictures to Roger. Maranda took her hand off of Roger knowing now would be a good time to take a step back.
"No, this just can't be. Not my Jessica. Not Pattie cake! This is impossible, it can't be, it's just can't be. Jessica's my wife! IT'S ABSOLUTLEY IMPOSSIBLE!" Roger exclaimed throwing the pictures up in the air while continuing his rant of denial. "Jessica's the light of my life. The apple of my eye. The cream in my coffee."
"Well you better start drinking it black. Because it looks like Acme is taking the cream now." Eddie said while pouring a drink. Maranda threw a glare at her uncle and all he did was take a step back from his niece, knowing all to well what happens when you make Maranda Valiant angry.
"Its hard to believe. Marvin Acme has been my friend and neighbor for thirty years. Who would've thought he was a sugar daddy." Maroon said looking out the window to the ACME factory.
"Someone must have made her do it." Roger said
"Oh here ya go son, drink this. It'll make ya feel better." Maroon said as handed a drink to Roger.
Roger took the glass and let Maroon pour the drink. Once he was done, Roger took it all in one gulp and threw the glass behind him. All of a sudden his eyes started to spiral in different colors, as he turned green, then purple, then back to white. But pressure was building up in his cheeks, like a volcano ready to blow. Maranda took shelter behind Maroon as they both covered their ears. Eddie was left on the sidelines not knowing what was going to happen next.
Then Roger let loose what he was holding back, and shot straight up into the air like a rocket. His head turned into the shape of a trains whistle and he let out a high pitched sound that sounded like a trains whistle, but became higher and higher with each second he was up there. It was so high that some of the glass trophies on Maroon's wall shattered into pieces. And so did the whiskey bottle Eddie was holding. When it was all over, Roger fell back into Maroon's chair and said
"Tanks, I needed that." He said as he fell face first onto the desk like he passed out.
"Roger!" Maranda exclaimed as she ran up to Roger trying to shake him out of his dizzy spell. "Roger, speak to me, say a few syllables. Come on, snap out of it!" Maranda said trying to wake Roger up.
"Son of a b****. Mr. Maroon, I think my work here is done. How about that carrot you owe me?" Eddie said as he wiped of the whiskey on his hands. Maroon nodded in agreement saying 'a deal's and deal' and handed Eddie the other fifty he owed him. Then both of them turned their attention to Roger, who was finally starting to wake up thanks to Maranda.
"Look Roger. I know it seems painful now. But in time you'll find someone new. Won't he Mr. Valiant?"
"Oh heck yeah. A good lookin' guy like that? The dames will be breakin' his door down." Eddie said, Roger suddenly shot up in anger and held Eddie by the collar of his coat, while yelling in his face.
"DAMES?! What dames?! Jessica is the only one for me! You'll see! Will rise above this Piddling Peccadillo! We're going to be happy again! You got that?! HAPPY! CAPTIAL H-A-P-P-I!" And with that said Roger shot out the room and straight through the window.
"Well at least he took it well." Eddie said trying to make heads or tails of the situation. "Maranda I think it's about time you and me went home lets go." Eddie said as he put his arm around Maranda's shoulder and went out the door.
(Time skip)
Back at Eddie's apartment, Eddie finally managed to convince Maranda to go to bed, and when she was fast asleep he sat down at his desk looking through the photos he took. While looking he found the pictures of the film that Deloris said hadn't been developed since their trip to Catalina. He smiled as he found a few pictures of him and Deloris. One of them sitting together under an umbrella, one of him playing a small prank on Deloris while she was asleep and one more of the two of them except Eddie had his arm around her shoulder and they were closer this time.
His smile faded when he found a picture of him and his brother playing uncalalies while walking through water. Another one was of them sitting down enjoying ice cream cones, and the last one was of them standing in the water both holding a little girl that looked like she was about two, maybe three years old. Eddie knew all to well that that little girl was Maranda. He looked over to her still form on the drop down bed he pulled out for her. It was so long since he had seen his little niece so young. After seeing that picture it almost felt like yesterday when she just a little infant just learning to walk. Now she's so much older, and she grew into a beautiful girl like he and his brother thought she would be.
He looked back to the pictures one more time and found one of his brother, Maranda and another girl that looked to be the same age as Deloris, but she looked a year younger. Her hair was in a ponytail and you could see small hints of black in her hair, which was natural since that was her natural hair color; a regular shade of brown with hints of black. She had a plaid bathing suit on and her hair was also curly just like Maranda's and she a happy smile on her face. She sat next to Theodore with his arm around her and little Maranda in his lap. This picture was meant to be like a little vacation family photo, because that woman was Teddy's wife, and Maranda's mother. He can still remember what she was like, and how Teddy made Maranda's name sound close to her mothers, since her mother's name was Mandy. Eddie finally looked away from the pictures tears threating to fall from his eyes. He looked over to his brother's desk, silently mourning about the fact that his brother just wasn't going to be there any more.
On this desk were Theodore's glasses, a smoking pipe, magnifying glass, some pens, a small notebook and a scrapbook filled with all their old cases. A few pictures covered his desk as well. One was of him and Eddie when they graduated from their training as detectives. One was of Theodore on his wedding day, where Eddie was seen as the best man. One was of Theodore and his wife as they left the hospital with a newborn baby girl. Another was with him and Eddie, who now was holding his niece for the first time. And the finale one was of him, Eddie, Deloris, and Mandy, who was holding a now four year old Maranda in her arms, just out side of the door of there building where him and Eddie would officially start their business.