The Pony Caper

Chapter 1

Stu got up from the couch to answer the knock on the door. He wasn't inclined to do so; it had been a long, hard day at the office and he'd just sat down with a drink. It couldn't be his partner; Jeff had a key. He was most pleasantly surprised when he opened the door and found a tall, leggy blonde leaning on the doorframe. "Mr. Bailey?"

"Oh, I certainly hope so," he quipped. She gave him a puzzled look and he got serious. "Yes, I am. Mr. Bailey, I mean. And you are . . . ?"

"In serious danger of being killed. May I come in?"

"Certainly, Miss?"

"Harper. Nina Harper. And it's Mrs. But Mr. Harper is dead. What is that?" She asked, pointing at his drink.

"A Vodka Gimlet." He'd no sooner gotten the words out of his mouth than she took the glass from his hand and drank it straight down.

"Would you like another, Mrs. Harper?"

"I'd love one, Mr. Bailey. Please call me Nina. And you should fix one for yourself, since I drank yours."

"Alright, Nina. And it's Stu or Stuart. Won't you have a seat?"

The invitation was a little late, seeing that Nina Harper was already sitting on his couch, right next to where he'd been. He shook his head to clear it of the cobwebs and started thinking of the questions he had for her. Then he took another look at her. A good look. She was almost as tall as he was, with short blonde hair that she wore in a bob. Nina Harper was maybe thirty or thirty-one, with a good figure and a better face.

"You're probably wondering why I showed up at your apartment. I went to your office, but you were already gone. When I told your partner why I wanted to see you, he made a phone call and then gave me your address."

"Any particular reason why he didn't call me to warn . . . uh, to let me know that you were coming?"

"I asked him not to, Stu. Thank you," this as he handed her the glass.

"Why would you do that, Nina?"

"Because I was afraid you wouldn't see me." This time she sipped her drink. Stu sat at the other end of the couch and watched her. He was trying to determine why he wouldn't see her. He shook his head as he looked at her again. Nope, he couldn't think of a single earthly reason why he'd refuse to see someone that looked like that. He pulled out his cigarette case and offered the cigarettes. She took one and waited for him to light it. He obliged her.

Alright, guessing game done. "Why wouldn't I see you, Nina?"

"Before I was married to Dennis Harper, I was married to Al LaCosta."

Ah, now he understood. Al LaCosta was currently incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison for the murder of Harry Dowling. Stu and Harry had worked together during the war, and the private detective had testified against Al at his trial. LaCosta was serving life with no possibility of parole. "Well, that's some pedigree you've given me. Still, you had the good sense to divorce Al. I'm assuming you divorced Al."

"I did. And the troubles not coming from Al. At least, I don't think it's coming from Al. It's coming from the late, great, squeaky clean Mr. Harper."

"Ah, Mr. Harper wasn't as squeaky as you thought he was?"

"Evidently not. Dennis had a gambling problem I didn't know about. And the inability to bet on the ponies with his own money."

"I see. Whose money was he using?"

"I don't know. Well, I don't know all of it. He 'borrowed' some from Jake Conti, then he borrowed more from Luie Rizzo to pay Conti back, then he borrowed from Stan Gallo to pay Rizzo back. Only he didn't pay Rizzo back. Or Gallo."

"Let me guess. They expect you to pay them."

She fluttered her eyelashes and looked downcast. "Dennis left me some money, but not enough to take care of either of the debts. Can I have another drink, Stu?" She held out her glass enticingly.

"What? Oh, sure." He reached for her glass and got her hand instead, which she let linger under his fingers for just a little too long. Was this serious work, or was this play time? He had to figure out what she really wanted. "Nina, if you know who all the players are in this game, why do you need me?"

"That's just it. I don't know who's after me. I only know that somebody cut my brake line, and my apartment was broken into. They trashed practically everything I owned, like that would get them somewhere. And they left this for me."

She dug inside her purse and produced a note, which she handed to him. Stu read it over twice before giving it back to her. The note left little room for doubt. 'Pay your husband's debt or suffer the consequences.'

"What is it you want me to do?"

Again, with the eyelashes. "I want you to find out who's trying to kill me. And convince them I don't have any money."

He handed her back her drink and her fingers caressed his before he let go of the glass. "You know my fee is one-hundred a day plus expenses? If you don't have any money, how are you going to pay that?"

"Oh, that," she shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "I've got money for that. I just don't have the money Dennis owed."

Once again he offered the cigarette case, and once again she accepted. He lit hers, then his, and blew a long cloud of smoke out. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. "When did they break into your apartment?"

"This afternoon. That's why I went looking for you. I can't go back there, Stu. I just can't." There was a hint of pleading in Nina's voice that hadn't been there before.

"No," he said. Then more emphatically, "No." He blew out more smoke before telling her, "Give me the key to your apartment and the address. You stay here and don't let anybody in. I want to see if they left anything that might tell us who they are."

She'd set her drink down on the coffee table and ran her hands up the front of his shirt. She ended up with her arms around his neck. "You will be careful, won't you?"

He reached up and removed her hands and gave her his best professional smile. "I'm always careful. It's my partner that tends to be reckless. Remember now, don't let anyone in."

She nodded her head and retreated to the couch. Whatever game of seduction she was playing hadn't worked – for now. Stu checked his gun for bullets, then put on his shoulder holster and his jacket. The gun was fully loaded. Good. She scribbled her address on the back of the note and handed it to him, along with her key. She was much more believable now that she wasn't trying to do what? Seduce him? But why? A woman that looked like that didn't have to try so hard.

He turned his attention back to Nina. "Sit tight. I'll be back."