Chapter 11 Some New Eyes.
Chicago April 8, 1929
Jake held the flashlight over a phonebook as Duke flipped through it.
"What are we here for again?" Duke ignored him and continued to consult the book. As he did he mumbled.
"Pharmacist no, physician, no." he turned the page. "Protection Agency? Too far." he looked up and down the page and found what he was looking for. "Private contractors, here we go. Private Eye." he held a finger in the first one. Anderson Private Investigators.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me." Jake shook his head and thought about slapping Duke upside his. "You are going to get a PI? We are going up against the mob to get our friends back, not looking' into family history."
"Shh, it's ringing."
"Hello?" a female voice answered.
"Yes, is this the Anderson Private Investigation Agency?"
"Yep, that would be us."
"Great, I have a case for you."
"Say no more, come in at any time."
"Excellent, we will be in soon." Duke hung up the phone and turned to Jake who was silently laughing at him.
"Did anybody tell you that you sound like a school-boy talking to his first girlfriend on the phone?" Jake asked, still laughing.
"Shut up, I've got the address here." he took his map of Chicago out of his pocket and examined it. "Hey, the place is only a stone's throw from here. Looks like we just saved ourselves a cab fee."
"Great, now I don't have to drop another thirty bucks, by the way, you're paying for dinner and a hotel, and I'm starved." Jake said authoritatively.
"Wow, Jake, I get all tingly when you get bossy like that." Duke said jokingly, poking fun at him.
"Get over yourself." Jake said, trying not to laugh.
Duke began to walk down the street and Jake followed in close behind him.
"Just what do you plan on doing with a PI anyway? What, are we gonna have Dick Tracy and Sherlock Holmes run around Chicago and find us our dogs?"
"We need some help; we are not exactly working inside the law here. We are about as close to vigilantes as I am comfortable with already. Besides, if anything this guy will be able to help us get around this burg. This map looks like a spider's web. "Duke flipped the map over."And the spider was drunk." As he continued to stumble around on his spider's web of a map they landed on the correct street. "According to this, our man is three doors down."
"Alright, but is still think this is a waste of time." Jake complained
"And I still don't care, we need help." Duke said back.
"That is a bit of an understatement." Jake mumbled under his breath
They made it to the door and Duke knocked. The door was opened by a beautiful, young, redheaded woman.
"Anderson Private Investigators, I take it you were the gentleman I spoke with earlier?" Duke was a bit busy taking in the person in front of him, lost in a day dream and did not answer until Jake stepped on his foot with his size 13 boot. Duke jumped back into reality and composed himself.
"Hem, yes I talked to you earlier. Like I said, I have a case for you folks." She invited them in and walked inside. After she turned, Duke hit Jake in the chest with his arm; Jake slugged him in the shoulder and shook his head smiling. Both walked in behind the woman and she closed the door.
"Elizabeth Anderson, or Liz if you prefer. Come in, we can discuss your case in the study."
"Thank you, Liz." Duke answered quickly. Liz motioned to the next room and all three walked in. Liz sat down behind an oak desk; Duke and Jake took a pair of chairs opposite of her.
"So," Duke began. "Will your brother be joining us, or maybe your father?"
"What do you mean, I am an only child, and my father is a detective." Duke was puzzled for a moment and then looked behind her, a number of trophies and accolades adorned the wall and bookshelf behind her. Some for detective work and shooting, as well as others. Each bore the name Elizabeth Anderson on them. "You're a woman."
"Keen observation, what gave me away?" She said sarcastically. Jake was doing a good job suppressing a chuckle as his friend was chewing on the foot in his mouth.
"Well, I didn't think that, um-"
"I would be a woman? Don't worry too much, I've heard it so many times, it is like a rolling joke. But down to business, your case?" Duke leaned in and began to speak.
"Let me start at the beginning." They told her the whole story of the dog-napping and the warehouse, as well as their suspicion of the Outfit's involvement. During the story, Liz took out a pen and paper and took notes. At the end, she looked them over.
"What did you say the names of the dogs taken were?"
"Balto and Steele, the two adults." Duke said.
"And Loki and Suki, the pups." Jake continued. She wrote the names in the margin and noticed something familiar; she mouthed out Balto and realized something.
"Balto, isn't that is the name of one of those dogs that won that race a few months back."
"Yes, that's my Balto." Duke said somewhat proudly.
"And that makes Steele yours right?" she asked Jake.
"MmmHmm. He's mine." she clicked the pen and laid the pad down. She then folded her arms across her chest and sighed.
"Well, judging from all this, because both Balto and Steele are famous, they will be likely sent off to the highest bidder on the black market and the pups just like them. But it is probably somewhere in Europe because they are too easily recognized here. And you said they escaped?" Jake took the collar out of his pocket and held it out.
"Definitely, Steele would never go anywhere without this. We found it snagged on an open culvert to some pipe system. He laid it on the table and Liz just looked at it
"That adds a complication. Those pipes lead into the sewer and municipal tunnels, if they are in either, then they could be anywhere between the Docks and the Loop by now and we would have no idea where they are." As she said this, the color from Jake's face drained away.
"What do you think we should do?" Jake was now grasping at straws, hopping for a silver lining in a dark cloud.
"I can help you find your dogs, which is going to mean a lot of driving and walking. But what I am concerned about is the Outfit, if they are involved-" Duke and Jake premtivly cut her off by simply opening their packs, revealing all of the firepower O'Neal had given them. "Ok, never mind that, but I can still call in a couple of favors from the FBI and get their help out here."
"As much as I would like the G-Men breaking down Capone's door, how will they help us find our dogs?"
"They have a lot of resources that we could use, but that doesn't mean we can't find them faster. I have an idea we could try, it is a place that every dog in Chicago will find itself at one way or another."