I drove the buick to my apartment parking lot and headed inside. Pausing at the door, I slowly creaked it open and pressed my ear to the gap in the space to hear. The only sound I heard was Rex shuffling in his bedding, than silence. I suppose it was safe. This has started to become a habit of mine, unfortunately, to check my apartment. Quite often, many bad guys made themselves home on my couch, watching TV, or leaving 'presents' for me. Despite the locks I had on my door.

Since it was all clear I headed to the counter in the kitchen and deposited my keys by the cupboards, pulling out peanut butter and bread. This was my lunch, a literal peanut butter sandwich. But peanut butter sandwiches are good, no matter how plain they may seem.

I dropped a crust with peanut butter on it into Rex's cage and he stuck his nose out to see what he had been blessed. Then he scurried out, grabbed it with his paws, stuffed it in his cheeks, and returned to the sanctity of his soup can without so much as a thank you.

How rude is my roomie?

Although it was afternoon and I really should be looking for Luke Roz, I plopped on my couch and tried to see if there was anything on TV. Nothing. Sigh. How is it that TV has gone down the drain since I was growing up? I didn't pop in Ghostbusters like I usually would because I wasn't in a state. That movie is reserved for my depressing life emergency pick-me-up. Now I was just bored. So I hauled myself up off the couch. And decided to take a crack at looking for this Mr. Roz, the wife beater.

He lived on Concord Street, nearing the borders of the Burg. I parked my car in the street two houses down, not chancing he saw me and recognized my car.

I knocked on the door, knowing someone was home. The sounds of television were dancing out the cracked window, although the shades were down and I couldn't see inside. I knocked again, and was starting to get impatient when a woman opened the door. She had a whitewashed face, dull eyes, and looked as if she were the wife of Luke Roz. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt, more than likely to hide the bruises that ran down her arms.

"Yes?"

I gave her my card and asked for her husband, giving the standard comment.

"Your husband missed his court date, and we need to reschedule. Is he here?"

She looked scared now. Probably she didn't want to divulge her husbands whereabouts, in case he came for her. I looked her directly in the eyes and spoke again.

"Then I can take him down to the police station and he will stay there until his next court date."

The wife seemed to relax slightly after that, but there was still uncertanty etched in the lines of her face. I gave her a friendly smile and she broke down with a small sigh of surrender. I guess I can be pretty persuasive, if it comes down to it. Yep, that's me.

"Alright...he's at work now, but he usually comes home at five. If you come back he'll be here."

I nodded and thanked her, and promised I'd be back by five. Then I got into my lovely '53 and drove off back to the office, lacking of anything else to do.

Lula was on the poor excuse for a couch looking through a file and Connie was behind the desk, lounging, not doing any kind of filing-the paperwork or her nails. When I walked in, Lula looked up and smiled at me.

"Did you bring anything to eat? I'm starved."

"No, I just came from Luke Roz's house. His wife is scared to death of him."

"Damn wifebeater. Did you haul his motherfucking ass down to the station?"

"Not yet, he was at work, I'm going back at five to take him in."

"Humph. I could help you take him down. You never know with them wifebeaters. They could turn on you."

As much as I like when Lula helps me with a takedown, it cuts my pay, and there's always the chance that a window gets broken, she goes in the wrong house, or she sits on someone and breaks something. Not that Luke Roz didn't have it coming, but I didn't think I could stand the cop jokes I would definately receive when I dropped off a battered wifebeater at their feet.

"No, I think I got it. The wife seemed glad to get rid of him, she could help."

"Your ass." she replied and turned back to her file. I was wondering who the file was on, but I didn't press into it. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Alright, I did. Curiosity was never a bad trait.

"Who's in the file?"

Lula turned and grinned, slapping the file closed. "For me to know and you to find out."

I sighed. Unless Lula really wanted me to know who's file that was, I would never know. But, that's fine with me. I can deal. Just need a doughnut.

"Alright. Fine. Don't tell me. I need a doughnut."

"Grab me a jelly!" Connie said, looking up from her filing. I nodded and was about to leave when Lula pitched in.

"You betta grab me some or you're gonna be dead where you stand."