Night Calls a Stranger, Chapter 2
Ah. Home, sweet home. The office of Logan Investigations, Inc. has a small room off to the side where I live. It's not much, but it's mine.
The office was dark, but there was someone inside. Ah. Blackbird's come to visit. I like the Bird. She's one of my…special projects. I found her on the street at fifteen, a scrawny thing that was shorter than me. Now she's running her own business down the street, and she's still shorter than me.
I put out my cigarette and said, "Hello, Bird." She was lying across my desk, propped up on one arm. She lit the desk lamp and then looked up at me.
The Bird was dressed to kill…small black dress, dress shoes, and made up to the nines. She smiled. "Logan," she nodded, lighting one of the cigarettes I keep in the locked drawer of my desk, with my lighter. She looked at the pictures I was carrying under my arm. "Is that work, or pleasure?"
I put the pictures down. "Bit of both, kid. What's up with you tonight? Boyfriend busy again?"
She sighed. "It's permanent this time, I'm afraid. A little actress named Blair has her claws in him, and deep. So once again I'll have to sit at home alone."
"Don't let me stop you." I watched the smoke play around her black hair. She gracefully leaped off my desk and looked more closely at the pictures.
"Hm. To my fan Kitty, keep watching, Kurt Wagner. THE Kurt Wagner?" She flashed me a look. I opened my hands wide. "I got a lot of friends. You know that."
"Huh." She looked at the second one. "To Kitty, keep Logan on track for me, Kurt Wagner. Interesting." She turned around and twirled a little. "Want to take me dancing? Keep me honest?"
I grinned. "Okay. For starters, put back the stuff you took." Her eyes opened wide, and her lips parted. "Don't bother lying to me, Bird. I taught you how. I know when you're doing it."
She rolled her eyes. "Damned hyper senses." She took my cuffs, lighter, cigarettes, two pens, a piece of paper, and the Burmese Cockatiel I kept from a case I worked long ago out of that little black dress she was wearing. Wish I had her tailor.
Gambit's joint was jumping when we got there. I like Gambit's place. It's dark, dirty, and anything goes. Plus the liquor is never watered down. Well, not when I'm there, anyway. Also, you can find just about anything you want. Information, weapons, rides…hell, someone needed a dictionary one night, and Gambit found it for him.
A new band was playing tonight, and the blond soloist was wailing when we got in. Gambit himself was behind the bar, and yelled to me to take my normal spot. I did, clearing myself a space at the bar, and the Bird joined me. The place was packed. The Toad himself, head of some of the nastier crimes in the city (drugs, organized assassination) was there, talking with some of his T-Men. A couple of my favorite informants were there, too...Jubilee, another special project, was dancing out on the floor, and the Iceman, hit man for hire, was talking with one of the T-men. Why "Iceman"? Because he iced a LOT of people. On the classier side, we had Mr. Geoffrey Rothden, better known as Arcade for his business interests, stepping out with Lady Elizabeth Braddock. They had a ton of hired goons with them to keep them safe. Hm. Best keep my eye on them. They had to be up to something dirty and lowdown to be here.
We did a few turns across the floor, the Bird and I, till she got too tired to keep up and headed out the door. I went back to my drink. When I looked up, I saw the classiest dame I've ever seen. She had deep red hair, green eyes, and a dress that did more to show off her figure than cover it up. She was looking at me, too, and I went over to see what she wanted. Without a word, she whirled me out to the dance floor, and we did every dance I'd ever heard of till dawn.
Then I took my hat off, bowed to her, and left for some sleep before work.
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The shrieking woke me up. Thought the place was caving in for a moment. Then a whirlwind hit my chest and I grabbed it. It was Kitty, and she was gabbing at me. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU! You're the best, Logan! He's so dreamy…wow…and you know him! You're better than the best." I had to think for a minute.
"Hoped you'd like them, kid. What time is it?" It felt like half an hour after I'd gone to bed.
Kitty bounced off the bed. "Eleven. Our hours are eleven to eight, you know. Get up." She bustled into the office and started arranging things. I stretched my neck and sighed.
"I'm gonna be able to pay you some of that back pay I owe you, kid. I got paid last night." I walked into the office, yawning.
We did some paperwork for about half an hour, and then she walked in again. That redhead from last night looked as good in daylight as she did in the dark of Gambit's place. "Mr. Logan?" she asked in a smoky voice that got me itching again.
I nodded to the door. "Hey, kid, go get us some coffee or something, all right?" I slipped her a hundred, and her eyes widened. She ran through the door, and I winced. Tell the kid for weeks not to show off, and what does she do…
She dropped her fox fur over a chair and leaned over my desk. I watched her closely as she did. She spoke again. "Mr. Logan, I need your help desperately. You're familiar with the scientist murders, aren't you?"
I nodded. "What I read in the papers." Three scientists, all crushed to death. All working on some secret project. Two cops also axed by the same killer.
She gave a throaty chuckle. "Mr. Logan, they were working on a formula for telepathy. I really, really want it, and I'd do just about anything to get it…and an explanation of how to make it."
Being the kind of man I am, curious and all, I needed more information. "So how far are you willing to go, Red?"
She leaned in closer. "I'll … do … anything…." she breathed at me, smelling of mint and vanilla, and something else underneath that got me on edge.
"Yeah. I bet you would," I said, leaning back in my chair. I stretched my arms out. "Can you afford my services?"
She dropped back and picked up her purse. "I've got twenty grand with me, and more, if you want it." That voice was making me very itchy…
"That money'd be just fine for now, Red. How will I contact ya once I get what you need?" I stretched out my hand for it, and she put her own in mine and stroked my hand, then gave me the cash.
"Oh, I'll be close by!" She walked around my desk and pressed her body against me in a deep kiss that rang though my bones. She then tossed a small card on the desk, picked up her fur and purse, and sashayed out the door.
I shook my head and lit the nastiest cigar I had. There was something off about this dame, something that niggled at me under all the smooth promises she made. I dialed a number and waited for an answer. "Hello. Bird? I want you to take on a shadowing job for me."
I was relaxing in my chair when Kitty returned. She had coffee and boxes with her. I smiled. The kid was in heaven. It's not often that you find heaven in my office.
The coffee was hot and strong. I was able to feel a little buzz from it before my healing factor started kicking in. Ahh...
A knock came at the door. I sat back and let the man come in. He wore a full suit and looked ill at ease. "Mr. Logan?" he asked, his large hands twisting together in discomfort. I nodded. Kitty piped up from the corner, where she was arranging her pictures, "That's him!"
"I request that you do a small amount of work on my behalf." He came to the desk and sat on the chair in front of it. "I require a scientific formula which benefits the user with telepathic ability."
I rolled my eyes. Was everyone in the city after this damned formula? "Who are you, and why should I?"
He handed me a business card. It gave his name, Dr. Henry McCoy, and an address at the university. "I am not a wealthy man, but I can compensate you adequately for your assistance, I assure you."
"I'm a plain kind of guy. Spell it out for me, doc," I said, watching him closely.
He named a figure that topped Red's by half. I whistled. "Give me a minute," I said, prepared for a quick wrestle with my conscience. Should I take on a job for two different people like this?
It took only 45 seconds for me to get my conscience down on the mat, pinned. Sure. Why not? Let Red and the Doc fight it out once I got the formula.
I smiled. "Happy to be working with you, Doc." He gave a very dark grin himself, and after a few more pleasantries (and the money) he was gone. I nodded to Kitty. "Follow him. Find out what he wants it for."
She sighed and whispered something to one of the pictures, then ran through the door after the doc. Kids.
I was about to get to work on officially closing out the Worthington business when the phone rang. I got it. "Logan."
"Hey, there, Logan." A pleasant, smooth voice answered me, a voice I knew. It figured. Charlie the Cop was calling.
"After last night, I figured you'd come to see me." I toyed with the switchblade from my secret drawer in my desk.
He laughed. "Too busy, Logan. So I hear you got my friend Scott pissed off again."
I grinned. Any bad day for Summers was a good day for me. "Did I? Gee. That's too bad."
He cleared his throat. "Logan, I know he and you don't get along. He and I don't always get along either. He doesn't get it that sometimes, going by the law doesn't work. But he's a good cop, and we need him. Could you lay off a little?"
Anyone else I would have said to go to hell. But this was Charlie. I shook my head. "I guess if I have to."
"Hey. You lay off, I can get him to lay off."
"Charlie. What do you know about these scientists getting iced?"
His voice turned serious. "It's nothing for you to meddle with, Logan. Even you can get killed."
"That dangerous, hm?" I leaned back in my chair.
"Yeah." He bellowed to someone at the station house, then returned to me. "I ain't supposed to tell anyone anything, but I know you, Logan. You won't back off unless I give you a reason. I like that about you."
"Uh huh. So give it to me."
"Okay. The scientists, and the cops that were killed, were smashed to bits by very heavy objects. Two ton safes. Pianos. Anyone could lift those could probably crush your bones."
"Any survivors?"
"We're getting the last scientist on the project, a Dr. McTaggert, out of the city tonight. I can't find who did it either, Logan." Charlie was ... scared?
"Well, thanks for the advice, Charlie."
"Don't forget, Logan. We'd welcome you joining the Force any time." Charlie always offered. "Consider it some, okay?"
"Don't know that I can, Charlie." I hung up my phone and thought. I'd have to try to get to this McTaggert guy before the last flight out tonight.