Finding Lilah

          Thunder was rolling in from the south.  I walked towards the dark passageway feebly lit despite the moonless night.  All I could see of the dark alley stretching ahead was the yellow light near the end. Hovering above the crevice-laden wood door, it lit the brick walls just enough to reveal the flaking plaster and grime between the stones.  During the day the place had an antique look akin to faded and frayed newspaper.  At night the shadows and eerie buzzing street lights seemed to be in cahoots with the heavy fog.  Like a predator it swam an inch above the cold pavement, sucking up the echoes of my footsteps.  I was about to enter through the back door of this dive called The Cellar. It was a night club where locals and hoodlums gathered for moonshine and hot-blooded entertainment provided for by Lilah, my unofficial other half.  I didn’t usually enter the bar from the back, but the usual crowd was inside and I wanted to avoid the ruckus tonight and speak only to Mickey, the owner of the fine establishment.  Drunken fools were great company when a stiff drink wasn’t enough, but folks might start to talk if they heard the news I had this time.    
          Lilah was missing; that dame was the prettiest thing the average carouser got to lay eyes on.  To tell the truth, I didn’t know if she was missing; the scrawled note I found where her soft hair usually spilled across the pillow left many questions to be answered.  She’d written that she had things she had to discuss with her mother, but when I called Margie she’d not heard a peep from her daughter.  I knew Lilah was what most people liked to call a free-spirit, but she was always a gal to come home and sleep in her own bed.  Only recently I found myself sneaking in the back door to catch a moment of Mickey’s time.  
          Mickey was Lilah’s boss, although he liked to think of himself as her manager.  Most nights she was up on a small wooden stage in one of the many delightfully revealing get-ups of hers, singing her way towards stardom, or in the very least imagining that she was.  I didn’t give a damn either way; she was the only honest to goodness genuine lady in my sorry life as a over-the-hill detective.  It wasn't until Lilah went missing that I'd become so intent on solving a mystery - not since five years ago when I lost my partner to what you can call the crude end of the job.  Let’s just say that the business had its price.
          I couldn’t let Lilah become another price I had to pay for rubbing the wrong people the wrong way.  I’d shown my face one too many times down at this joint where gangsters met to unwind after a day’s dishonest work.  I’d asked a few too many questions, and sure enough those same hoodlums came down to the bar the other night to give Lilah the eye.  She’d had such a good act I couldn’t bear to worry her pretty little head over good for nothin' lowlifes.  It was my fault I hadn’t taken enough precautions.  It was up to me to find out where that girl had gone to before I let myself go wild wondering about her disappearance.
          Luckily enough for me, Mickey was in the back storeroom when I entered. The dingy white shirt beneath the worn suspenders, having lost most of their elasticity, barely managed to hold up his pants which might have slipped right off if not held in place by his large belly, rounded by years of drinking booze.  His voice was rough; new wrinkles seemed to pop up every day as if to compensate for the hair dwindling atop his head.  I always took a moment or two to notice these changes before interacting with him; sometimes I wondered if he was the looking glass into my own future. He looked a bit bewildered seeing me emerge from the shadowy doorway.  I took notice of his right hand reaching for a heavy iron wrench on the counter.
          “Mickey, put that down.  It’s just me,” I whispered, hoping he’d recognize my voice.
          “Danny, you should know better than to sneak in me back door when you knows them damned mobsters been snoopin’ round here lately; heck, I was this close to whoppin’ yeh  across the jaw and sendin’ yeh to the grave,” Mickey barked out, attempting to sound as bold as a 63 year old man with arthritis could muster.  
          “Mick, you know you should really be locking this door, although I’m glad ya didn’t on this particular evenin’,” I said, trying not to imagine what a bloody gash in the left temple might feel like.
          “Well, what’s yeh be wantin’.  I got a horde of drunks out there waitin’ to give me their money,” Mickey chuckled, he loved his job but I knew it was hard for him to see the same stories play out every night – every one of those guys had his own personal tragedy and no one stopped to learn a lesson from the other.
          “Lilah’s gone missin…”
          “What?!  That girl better get her can over here by nine.  Those men been askin’ bout her, sayin they’re  gon’ leave if she don’t show,” he obviously hadn’t grasped the magnitude of what I’d said.
          “No Mick.  I mean that Lilah is missing, as in she wasn’t in her bed this morning and hasn’t called me all day.  Now you know that she’s usually more responsible than that.”
          “Sure son, if you’d call battin’ her eyes at thems seedy bastards every night responsible.  So how worried should we be?  Yeh sure she’s not just off on one them crazy nights o’ hers?  Yeh know she’s been known tah pull this kinda crap e’ry now and then,” he questioned, obviously trying not to let on how startled and worried this new revelation had him.  
          “Well see here, I just know that somethin’s fishy about it this time.  She’d left a note.  Somethin’ to do ‘bout goin’ to see her mother.  Well, Margie ain’t seen or spoke to her once in the last month, but told me Lilah was s’posed to come home for her birthday last week.  Mick, you just keep an eye out for Lilah.  I’ll be getting’ back to ya if I dig anything up, alright?” Obviously Mickey couldn’t help me right now so I had to be on my way.
          “Ok Danny.  I’ll be right here.  You just call me at home if there’s a thing I can do, ya hear me?” Mickey had a big heart; his callous exterior often eluding strangers.  
          “Mick,” I tentatively approached the subject, “I know you got your business to run and business is good with or without Lilah, but she’s my girl and you can’t deny what she’s done for your business, as shady as it may be.”  
          Mickey waved me away with his hand as he turned to leave; it was his way of letting me know he understood but had a business to get back to.  I crept back out the small wooden doorway.  The door swung closed with a labored howl.  Over the creaking of the steps as I walked away, I heard him muttering something to the tune of ‘poor Lilah, hope she knows wha’ she’s doin’.  Either the old coot was just as worried as me, or I’d have a few more questions to ask him after I’d checked into some other leads.  
          I took a moment to think about what Mickey said 'bout how Lilah had the occasional habit of pulling stunts like this.  When my gut took a tumble at this thought I knew this just couldn’t be like the time she went running off to New York to audition for some crazy off-Broadway show; she called me two days later wanting me to come bring her home.  I don’t know how that crazy broad got all the way over to the New York coast in a matter of one day, but when I heard that silky voice of hers over the telephone the only thing that mattered was getting her back to Chicago.  Here I am again; another sucker for a gal with long legs and healthy assets, but I’ll be damned if Lilah isn’t worth it.

                                                            *****

          I sauntered down towards the end of the alley; it was best to remain casual.  If someone got it in their head that I was up to something, people might start talking.  Whenever my name came into a conversation Ed’s did, too.  Ed was my old partner whose life was the high price for prying into other people’s affairs.  Eddy was one of those guys that everyone fussed over when he walked into the room.  The dames liked him more and every sucker was green with envy trying to mimic him; I was just the sorry sap who got stuck on double dates just so he could get in good with whichever new gal caught his eye.  I didn’t mind it so much.  I reckon some of them gals liked me enough to ask what my problem was.  I guess you could say I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I didn’t much care for puffed-up suits, idle chatter, and the week’s latest gossip.              
          That’s what was so great about Lilah; she didn’t need a man to validate her own existence.  I figure the poor girl took pity on me, and I liked to think she enjoyed my company.  One day I walked into The Cellar and there she was; she was singing her heart out on the stage and catching all the kisses those drunkards tossed at her.  She was some kind of magic; there was just something about the way her smile always seemed genuine, and her eyes lit up without needing all the rouge to emphasize them.  And her voice was like molasses when it coats your stomach, and I figure that’s why those damned butterflies couldn’t get away.  That’s why I had to find out where Lilah went to or I might as well start carving my headstone; she was the only inspiration to live that any guy could need.
          Making my way back to the apartment we shared together, I scurried past the landlord who always seemed to know when I was coming home.
          “Hey Danny,” Lou hollered at me from the doorway as I dashed up the rickety stairs, “when you gonna have that rent for me?  You know you’re two weeks late!”
          “Sorry Lou, I’ll have it for you as soon as possible!” I said before closing the door behind me.
          Once inside I rummaged for that damned note she left – the only clue I had to finding Lilah.  After a second glace I realized that she must have written this in quite a hurry because her writing slanted across the paper and her letters ran together in ways that even cursive doesn’t permit.  Flipping over the small slip of paper I discovered a different penmanship altogether.  This wasn’t Lilah’s writing; it had the distinct look of a man’s.  My mind began swimming with different possibilities.  Had she left me for another, had she been snatched up, or was she just playing games with me?  No, Lilah was a free spirit but not one for playing games.
          Unfortunately, the message on the back of her note wasn’t exactly revealing, and was in fact a mere shopping list.  Obviously the writer was out of tomatoes, shoe polish, and vitamin C.  It was an odd combination but nothing alarming.  It was then that I realized that the note was written on hotel stationary.  The light watermark at the bottom of the page told me it came from this shabby little place two blocks over called El Capitan.  I guess I had a new lead to follow; with this new bit of information I settled my hat on my head, pulled on my brown overcoat, and locked the door behind me.

                                                         *****
          The hotel was a rundown place, having been there for over 60 years and showing no means of renovating to suit the young tourists who came through hoping to catch a nightclub or two.  I casually crossed the open floor; the lack of any other people around left it quiet enough to hear the echoing clicks of my shoes on the worn and cracked marble beneath my feet.  The clerk looked about as old as the hotel itself.  He was annoyed with me before I even reached the counter.  He lowered his head after spotting me, only to raise it with a dramatic air of disinterest when I purposefully set my hat on top the papers he’d left out.  The badge on his lapel told me his name was Albert.  I remembered him from being here a few years back when Eddy and I were working a case; his uppity aloofness brought out the smart-alec in me.  Albert had this strange phlegm problem, but no one had the gall to ask about it.
          “Hello, Al.  Mind if I call ya Al?  Well I’m looking for a dame…,” I said, enjoying the fact that I would probably be the highlight of his day, not that he’d say the same.  Before I could finish he’d cut me off.
          “Mister, you and every guy here is lookin’ for a dame, so what makes you think you’re anything special?”  I had to give the old man credit for his mild attempt at getting a rise out of me.
         “Well Al,” at this he cleared his throat and turned to rifle through some papers that I knew he wasn’t really taking notice of, “Say, you think you can give me just a minute of your time?  Heck, I know you’re quite busy with all these folks waitin’ to get a room here, but I think you may be just the man to help me with my investigation.” We both took a cursory glance around the empty foyer.  I’m sure he was deciding whether to snipe back, but the hint of excitement in his blue eyes at hearing me mention an investigation hadn’t eluded me.  Just to make sure I had his attention, I casually slipped him a 20 dollar bill.  His eyes lit like a child's might in a candy shop.
          “Alright kid,” clearing his throat again, he turned to give me full attention while still putting on that façade of annoyance, if only to reinforce his sense importance.
          “How might I help you.  You one them detectives?” said he as one harried brow arched.
          “As a matter of fact, I am.  As I said, I’m lookin’ for a dame, but not just any dame.  This one you couldn’t miss even of ya tried.  Name’s Lilah,” his eyes widened when I said her name, “and she’s about the prettiest little lady you’ll ever lay eyes on.  She’s got big full lips the color of cherries, a smile that makes your toes tingle, eyes the color of a desert sunrise, and hair down her back that looks like an auburn waterfall.”  I must have looked like a love sick sap stuck in a daydream;  it wasn't until he loudly cleared his throat again that my attention returned to the matter at hand.
          “Lilah you say?” all said softly as his eyes all too innocently rolled from left to right.
          Al was puttin’ me on, but I figured I’d let him; clearly he’d seen the girl before and I was going to get it out of him.
          “Uh-Huh.  Seen her here?... maybe in the last day or so?” I asked; catching his subtle drift I slid him another twenty with a wink.
          He cleared his throat again, “Well actually kid, I just seen her here last night.  She mighta been with this one fella, but then again a lot of guys was chattin’ her up.  Aside from all them other things ya mentioned ‘bout her looks,” clearing his throat again, as if to dismiss what the sight of that woman can do to a man, “I also noticed something peculiar ‘bout her behavior.  Seems she was a bit nervous about something – kinda looked like a deer in the headlights.  Though ya’d never knows it unless you’re someone like me with years’a experience for them kinds of things,”
          “Al, perhaps you know a bit more bout that one fella you thought she might’ve been with?  Remember what he looked like, or where I might find him? Anything at all?”
          “Well I certainly seen him before.  He’s here nearly every night with some new dame, but none ever quite like that Lilah, ‘cept she didn’t seem as happy to be on his arm like the others do,” Al was being sincere with what he remembered. “That guy has a preference for room 204, which you’ll find on the 3rd floor.  It’s one of them newfangled penthouse suites - only thing in this hotel that's not as old as me.  Oh…and between 10 and midnight he’s usually down in the bar flirtin’ with the ladies or playin’ cards with them gangster type fellas.  People just call him Franky.”
          “Gangsters, huh?  Well Albert, I really appreciate it and I hope you can be just as helpful if I have to come back again.  You might be the best thing that coulda come along in this here investigation,” setting my hat back on my head I gave Albert a friendly nod and left.  I figured that it might be best to go take a seat in that bar and check out the action, and maybe keep an eye out for this Franky character.

                                                          *****
          Before making my way down to the hotel’s barroom, I sidestepped into the restroom to clean the dirt off my face and the grit from under my nails.  Taking a look in the mirror I saw the deep brown eyes that Lilah so often doted on.  She liked to tell me what perfect complexion I had – whatever that meant.  I closed my eyes and remembered how she’d run her fingers through the wavy mop of black hair on my head. How when she’d sigh against my neck I got chills and tingles all over.  When she’d press her small frame against me I felt ten feet tall instead of the mere five foot eleven that I was.  If Lilah were here she’d tell me how my five o’clock shadow made me look like a ruffian, though she’d always giggle when I’d kiss that slender neck of hers before shaving.  I just had to get to the bottom of this damned mess.   I decided that when I found her I’d just have to bend her over my knee and teach her a lesson; amused with this thought, I left the bathroom and proceeded to the bar.
          This was one of those nights when having Eddy around would’ve made the time pass by much faster, and might’ve resulted in a few interesting discussions about how to please a dame.  I didn’t give myself many moments to remember him; it was a hard thing to do when there were so many loose ends that even I couldn’t tie together.  The only thing I knew about what happened to him was that I’d never see him again.  He’d gone too far under cover, getting involved with a few gangsters deep into the drug trade.  The night came for his big finale when he’d call in backup and send those suckers to the slammer for life, but somehow something went wrong.  
          Tragically, Eddy hadn’t accounted for everything and someone found out who he was, or rather who he really worked for.  Before the exchange even took place they ‘discarded’ of him, and knowing I was his partner, sent me a cryptic note describing where to find his body if ever I wanted to.  I couldn’t bear to go down that road, and simply said a prayer for my partner and carried on with life.  Now I beat myself down every day for not following up – for not doing Eddy the justice he deserved.  His family had no body for his coffin, and the obituaries had no explanation for his death but a terse explanation forwarded by the Chicago police department.  The only irony was that Eddy had just set his sights on Lilah before his passing, and no doubt would be rolling around between the sheets with her right now if things hadn’t turned out differently.  Trying not to think about it anymore I waved the bartender over.
          “Hey buddy, can I have a rusty nail – neat.”
          “Sure thing.  You look like you need a double,” he said, placing the stout glass atop a napkin.
          “I’m sure I want one, but don’t know if I really need one,” I jested.
          “Well, if you change your mind just give me a holler.”
          I nodded my head and slipped him a generous tip; it had always been my belief that bartenders deserve much more in tips than they are given.  I made it a habit of checking my watch every ten minutes, despite that I was fully aware that approximately only ten minutes had passed at each interval.  I’d still had my hat on, and made sure to keep it low enough over my eyes in hopes that the wrong person wouldn’t recognize me.  Most guys considered it a style to slick their hair back and plop a hat down nice and low; they thought it gave them an air of mysteriousness if folks couldn’t see their eyes, but I did it so as to look more like wallpaper.  Who’d really care about a beaten down lookin’ fella hunched over the bar, minding his own business drinking a rusty nail?
          It was about half past ten when I felt a tap on my shoulder.  Instinctively I placed my hand over the handle of the gun at my side, hidden by the heaviness of my threads, and spun around only to find myself looking down at Albert.  I guess he stood on a few dictionaries behind his counter because he looked uncomfortable looking up this high at me – he couldn’t have been more than 5 feet tall.
          “Hello again, by the way, I didn’t catch your name earlier,” Albert asked.
          “Oh, yeah I guess not.  Names’ Dan.  So what brings you here at this hour?  Shouldn’t you be pretending to help more customers?” I winked at him, hoping he’d take the joke in stride.
          “That’s only my day job,” Al chuckled, clearly a more personable guy when not on duty. “I just thought you’d like to know that Franky’s here….no no, don’t be lookin’ around like that you idiot!  He’s directly behind you on the other side of the room – in a booth with two lovely ladies on each side,” as though he could read my mind he continued, “and I’m sorry but that Lilah gal is not among ‘em.”
          This time I was the one to clear my throat, “Well Al, thanks. Um… here,” I handed him a few bucks, “have a drink on me.”
          “Perhaps another night, right now I’ve got me one’a them thriller books waiting for me.  S’bout some rogue detective against the world.  The crazy things they think of these days!” With a signature wink he pat on the back and left the bar.

                                                        ******
          As I let myself considered whether it would be more fun to slam Franky into the next world with one hell of a shiner or knock that pea-sized brain around for some answers, I took a drag from my drink.  The ice clinked against the glass as I set it down, slid it away, and casually spun around to get a look at him.  The bitter aftertaste of the scotch bit hard at the back of my throat after having a good look at the scoundrel. He may have been sitting down but the only thing that outdid the sheer height of him was steal glare in his eyes.  Franky was a big guy who probably got his workout pounding smaller guys into powder.  His eyes looked black from where I stood, and the structure of his face looked as though it’d been carved from stone.  No, not stone…granite. Sure, he obviously hadn’t a problem with the ladies, but I wouldn’t want to cross him if I could avoid it.  I gulped down the last bit of saliva on my tongue, leaving my mouth dry as bones.  
          I stood up and pulled my shoulders back as much as comfort would allow.  I approached his tabled, cleared my throat, and tenuously brought my hat to my chest.
          “Excuse me sir,” I paused to make sure I had his attention.
          He slowly turned his head away from the redhead on his right and looked at me with a hint of disinterest, “Yes?”
          “I’m looking for a dame.  Been askin’ around and I don’t think I’ve gotten to you yet.” I was going to try and broach the subject as cautiously as possible so that I could remind myself every few moments that I had a gun on my hip.
          A shadow passed over his eyes as he tentatively asked me, “Who you lookin’ for mister?”
          “A gal named Lilah.  You see I’m…”I was cut off as he suddenly had the urge to question me.
          “Lilah?  What business you have with her?” The tone of his voice remained calm, but the tensed muscles in his face gave away his apprehension.  
The hand that had most assuredly just been stroking the silky thigh of the redhead was now fisted on the table; I imagined that he could get a diamond from coal with that fist.  Don’t get me wrong; I’m not some gutless chicken, but even I couldn’t avoid having to, as gingerly as possibly, wipe away the beads of sweat accumulating at my hairline.  All of this happening in a matter of a few seconds, I searched my mind for a good explanation.
          "Well see, I happen to be her…” I paused for half a second, “her brother. I’m, um well I’m from out of town and she’s mentioned to me ‘bout how she likes to swing by here occasionally.  And you have them ladies there that’re quite a dish…well,  I just figured you might’ve had a good idea of where Lilah is, her being a handsome girl herself,” I cleared my through and hoped my cockamamie story flew.
          Franky’s faced relaxed and he even seemed to be smiling—if it were even possible for a guy with a face that mean to smile.  He leaned over to each of the girls and whispered something in their ears.  After gathering their purses and scooping up their drinks, they scooted out of the booth and walked away, only turning back momentarily to cast sheepish looks over their shoulders.  Franky swung his arm out in a friendly manner, wordlessly inviting me to take a seat.  
          As I cautiously sat down at the edge of the booth, he began to speak, “So.  You’re Lilah’s brother you say?  What did you say your name was?”
          “I didn’t say my name, but it’s Danny,” I hadn’t felt it would be too foolish to be honest on this note. “And yes, I’m Lilah’s…brother.”
          “So I’d guess you’re just concerned about her wellbeing?  Decided to come pussyfoot around and look into her wheres-abouts, huh?”
          “Hey now, no need to be so sour mister.  I’m just a bit concerned, seems the bird has disappeared and I’m just lookin’ to find out where she’s flown off to,” I wasn’t about to let this hound give me a hard time no matter how intimidating he was.
          With an audible click he lit a cigarette and squinted at me through the puff of smoke.  Flicking the lighter closed and setting it down on the table, he looked me over while drawing his thick thumb across his stony chin; he must have had a habit of doing this whenever he was in the midst of thinking things over.
          “Tell you what.  I have a feeling you already know this, as you seem to be one of those snoopy sorta fellas, but Lilah’s certainly been seen here in my company.  I might be going out on a limb here but I’m guessin’ this issue is of….a sensitive nature.  Why don’t you come up to my room to discuss it further, it’s room…”
          I was the one to interrupt this time, “Room number 204, 3rd floor, penthouse suite.  I guess you wouldn’t be too far off in sayin’ I’m a bit thorough with my….investigations.”
          “Wise guy, huh?  Well, since you know where to find the place you can meet me there in a half hour.  We can discuss this “Lilah” business then,” and with that his faced seemed to revert back to rigid granite.  
          I knew that was my cue to leave.  I tossed a couple of loose bills onto the table top, despite having had ordered nothing.  I figured it would do me some good to step outside, gather myself together, and figure out how the hell I let myself get into this hairy situation.

                                                            *****
           As I made my way up to the third story, trying not to let the echo of my own footsteps against the wood paneling spook me, I told myself once again that Lilah was worth it all.  When I reached the landing I glanced at nearby doorways and gathered that Franky’s penthouse was near the end.  It was comforting to know that the worn-down carpet absorbed my footfall like rocks on foam, but even this could not protect me from what might have come.  When I reached room 204 I paused a moment to slick back my hair, pull up the collar of my trench coat, and set my hat just low enough to make me appear more daunting than I really was.  I knocked on the door just once and when it was miraculously pulled open moments later, as if by a ghost, I entered.  Franky was there with that same quizzical and cynical look on his face.
           “I hope my timing is ok,” I said, trying to break the ice as I stepped inside.
          “You’re quite on time, Danny.  Take a seat.”
          I sat down at the circular table covered in newspapers and photographs, all haphazardly covered by leftover dishes from what must have been his lunchtime meal.  I’d wanted to catch a closer glimpse at the obscure documents littering the table but he gave me no time to do so.
          “So you say you’re Lilah’s brother.  When was the last time you saw her?”
          “Oh, I’d say it was ‘bout a month ago,” needing a moment to think of a better story I looked for an excuse to duck out momentarily, “Mind if I use the john?  Gotta break the seal.”
          He was definitely looking at me as though through x-ray glasses, searching for something, “Sure, right through there, on the right.”
          I nodded as I passed him and made my way to the bathroom where I locked myself inside.  I ran the water and splashed my face.  I leaned on the counter, looking down past the cream colored marble when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention.  There was a wastebasket haphazardly shoved under the counter and within it there was what appeared to be a newspaper clipping someone had marked over with a red pen.  Glancing at the door to ensure that it was locked I slowly lifted it out as quietly as possible.  This was an old article yellowed by time, wrinkled and creased by being carried around in someone’s pocket.  It had to be at least a few years old, and in fact the date at the top of the page declared an age about 4 years, give or take a month.  A lot of the things circled and marked were obscure, giving me no clues, but at the bottom there was a tiny blurb circled several times.  There was a hole where a picture must have been.  I figured I’d have to read through it later when I didn’t have the hulk waiting for me on the other side of the door; it had to be important enough to someone at some point to have emphasized this one article, and I had a hunch it might get me somewhere.
          When I stepped from the bathroom I felt as though the air had been knocked out of me.  Franky must have been waiting just outside that door because before I had a moment’s chance I was pinned against the wall; one iron fist was on my throat and the other was welded over my mouth.  Though my hands were free, trying to punch him would have been as efficient as throwing water balloons at a brick wall.
          “Now you listen to me you greasy schmuck.  I don’t know why you’re looking for Lilah but I’m glad I’ve finally got my hands on you.  I know all about you.  How you fooled everyone into thinkin’ you was pushin’ up daisies, how you came back outta hiding under the name of George Bailey…”
          Since I couldn’t speak all I could manage were urmph’s and urgh’s but the bewildered look on my face must have amused him.
          “Oh yea…didn’t think anybody knew, huh?  I also knows you’ve been searching out Lilah, but I never thought you’d be half-baked enough to try and pass yourself off as her brother.  It’s kinda funny really, and rather unfortunate for you,” despite my struggling to communicate he continued, “and I don’t doubt that you don’t recognize me.  It’s not like we’ve met before, but you wouldn’t happen to know Lilah’s last name, would ya?”
He had me so tightly held in place that I couldn’t even manage to bite away his fingers, and I imagined that even that would just chip a tooth.
“Well, I’ll humor you.  The dame’s full name is Lilah Cassidy.  I doubt that you stopped to get my last name during all your snooping, doubt you figured out l’il Lilah and me happen to share the same last name…” He stopped talking; he wanted to watch my horrified realization for his own amusement.
I closed my eyes to stop the spinning; I head to fully wrap my head around this.  He was too old to be her father or uncle.  That’s when it hit me that Lilah had, every now and then, spoken fondly in a distant way about a brother she had; one she didn’t see often because his mobster way of living might bring her into harm’s way--his own reckoning, she’d said.  Franky must be her brother.  The excruciating depth of my stupidity, my immense folly, washed over me like stale humid air.  Perhaps I screwed up, but this guy still had me all wrong.  I had no idea who this George character was, but I wasn’t about to take the fall for him.  
I began to breath very heavily, making sure that this, along with my crossed eyes, would be as bizarre as possible, or at least enough to throw him for a loop.  When he tilted his head and I felt his grip loosen just enough, I  brought my arms up, swept them over and down on his own while simultaneously giving him a healthy jab in the family jewels with my knee.  No man was invulnerable to this, and when he keeled over on the floor I whipped out my forty-five and put it in his face.
“Listen here fella. I don’t wanna have to use this, but you got me pegged all wrong and it’s about time you heard what I have to say.  My name is Danny Carnigan and I never was and never will be no George Bailey.  I lied to you ‘bout bein her brother, and as I figure it you’re her brother so I can’t blame ya for overreactin’.  Lilah’s what you’d call my gal.  We been sharin’ a place up near that joint where she sings and I’m just as concerned ‘bout her as you.  I heard that you were seen with her and for all I knew you was some joker holdin’ her ‘gainst her will.”
“Wait a minute….you’re Danny?,” he asked, seeming to have soaked it all in, “I always figured to be…well…less scrappy”
“Scrappy? Hey, is that really necessary ‘specially when someone’s got a gun pointed at ya?”
“Well I do remember Lilah tellin’ me bout you and how you’s a detective, so tell me,” at this point he was grabbing a seat on his couch, “how come you just didn’t tell me this earlier if you are who you say you are?”
“Most people of….your demeanor…don’t take too kindly to detectives, and how’s I to know you’re her brother.  Now…wait a min, why is Lilah with you and why she said to have been lookin’ so frightened??” I question, having remembered more important details.
“Mind putting the gun away first?”
“Err…yea, but it ain’t goin far, so don’t forget it.  Let’s just talk about this whole thing, alright?” I bargained with him, this guy could turn out to be an alli and I didn’t want to burn the bridge before it was even built.
When I put the gun away he straightened up, “Well…someone is on her tail, someone by the name of George Bailey, that son of a bitch, been givin’ her the eye and even spooked her once or twice on her way home.  That’s why she called me and I been havin’ her stay here,” Franky explained.
“Well then why couldn’t she just have told me?  You any idea how messed up I’ve been searching for the dame?” It came out of me a bit more angrily than I’d have liked.
“I told her ‘no contact with anyone’ and that meant even you.  I don’t play no games when it comes to her safety, she’s the only family I got.  Besides, I was hopin’ that George might come sniffin’ around and set his own trap, very much like you nearly did,” he chuckled.
“So tell me more about this George person, what do you mean by sayin’ he came outta hiding?”
“Well this guy used to be a cop or something like that from what I’ve been able to gather, but he found a way to make people think he was dead, and came back a year later with a new name and a new job: selling cheap drugs for high prices,” Franky was visibly irate merely recounting the story, “Apparently this scoundrel even cut all ties.  Turns out friends was nothin’ to him.”
“So all we know is that, for some reason or another, he’s set his sights on Lilah, and there’s that bit about a very obscure past,” I scratched my head before placing my hat atop it, “Well if you wouldn’t mind I’d like to do some more investigating, and I’d like to help ya find this sucker.  Sound ok to you?”
“How do I know I can trust you?  Even if you are a detective, you guys’r known for bein’ sneaky,” he looked me over with skepticism.
“What’s with the bum rap you give us poor saps? Look, heard of a place called The Cellar…well ‘course ya have, that’s the joint where Lilah sings.  Mickey is the owner, he knows me…besides, you know what I look like, and you can bet I wouldn’t choose to mess with the likes of you,” I said quite sincerely with only the slightest of grins.
“Hmm, well you ditch out on me I can find ya, don’t you worry ‘bout that,” he was agreeing to let me loose, “Well say, you know I think I happen to have a picture of the joker I cut it outta some newspaper his lousy face showed up in, he was under investigation or somethin’.  When I find it I’ll leave it for you with Mickey, at that dive you mentioned.”
“Well on that note I’ll be swinging by there in a couple of hours.  I’ve got a few things to attend to myself,” and with that I took my leave.
It wasn’t until I stepped out into the crisp nighttime air that it struck me.  I’d found a newspaper clipping with a picture missing, so until I got that picture I’d have to read up on this fella and find out as much as I could.  Once home, after having dodged Lou’s demands for rent once again, I pulled out the relic of a newspaper.  Seems that this guy shook things up quite a bit, but apparently no one had made the connection to prior employment as a cop like Franky had.  Apparently there was a snitch involved, and this same snitch, in an attempt to boost his fame as a photographer, had sent in the image that was now missing from the paper.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy’s only claim to fame ended up being fish food or fertilizer.  The clipping didn’t actually tell me much, but I wanted to see this jerk’s face.  Until then I figured I’d wait it out at Mickey’s—besides, I’d had some unfinished business to take care of there.
I entered through the front this time; it was the strangest thing to see the little wooden stage empty, and it left a hollow somewhere inside that only expanded the more I thought about it.  Mickey waved me over, and topped off a beer that he slid down to me; after finishing with a customer he slouched towards me.
“So, got any news Danny?”
“I dunno, Mick.  Why don’t you tell me?”
“What in God’s green earth do yeh mean, yeh gone crazy kid?” He seemed a bit too defensive.
“Mick, I’d overheard you last night.  Bottom line is your mutterings got my mind a-workin’.  It sounded to me as though you knew something you weren’t tellin’ me.  Mick, you wouldn’t happen to be hiding something from dear ol’ Danny, would ya?” I didn’t want to play the bad guy here, but Mickey was an obstinate old man.
Mickey hung his head as he wiped non-existent crumbs from the bar, took a deep breath, then  spilled the beans, “Well I didn’t think it would turn into this, and I wanted to give Lilah the benefit of the doubt.  But she’d told me she wouldn’ be at work fer awhile.  Somthin’ ‘bout a John Doe been on her tail lately, and how she’s gon’ take care of it herself.  Says she was tired of bein’ ‘fraid to sleep at night.  The stubborn broad couldn’t be discouraged, besides…she told me that she was gon’ be in good hands: her brother. An’ I wasn’t s’posed to tell ya ‘cause she seemed to think it would be…problematic,” that was clearly about all he knew.
“Well Mick, I’m disappointed you didn’t tell me sooner, mighta saved me some trouble and embarrassment,” not wanting to getting into that I changed the subject, “Well oh well, right now I’m just here for a cold beer while I wait for a delivery.”
“Oh, well ‘course yeh can have one on the house.  I’m damn sorry I done caused you trouble Danny Boy,” the anguish in his face aged him tremendously, and I began to feel like a real jerk for having given him such a hard time.
*****
Franky was right on time; When he came strolling in through the front door it only took about thirthy seconds for people to take notice.  Apparently he had quite a reputation; A couple of folks even grabbed their hats and left once he took a seat next to me at the bar, while others just moved in a little closer to each other—probably to gossip about what he was doing talking to me.  He slid me a small envelope but continued to remain silent.  Mickey set a beer down for him; his eyes were wild with apprehension, and he’d clearly wanted to nose around ‘bout what Franky was doing talking to me, but I suppose he thought better of it because he just scurried off instead.  I slid a finger beneath the fold of the envelope and opened it, removing the contents and setting it aside.  Sure enough, the only thing in there was a small rectangular clipping.  I flipped it over and took a look.  What I saw confounded me to the point of bringing it within a few inches of my face; I wanted to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.  The article had said the man’s name was George Bailey, but the guy in this picture was Eddy.  If it was wrong then only one conclusion could remain; either I was losing my mind or Eddy had come back from the dead as a crooked crime syndicate.
“Franky.  This ain’t no George Bailey.  I’d know this face anywhere.  This man’s real name is Edward Delaney, and he used to be my partner.  So I s’pose that puts you nearly on the money, ‘cept he wasn’t a cop, he was a detective,” I explained, rather astonished just hearing the words coming from my own mouth.
“What are you talkin’ bout.  You sayin’ the lousy scumbag in this picture is your partner?”
“No. Was my partner.  I don’t know how to explain it, but last I saw him was when he went under-cover and, obviously, fooled everyone into thinking he was dead.  Why that pathetic, good-for-nothing….” A small part of my world was shattered when the entire realization of what this meant hit.
“Well this is good news, this means you might be able to find him,” Franky pointed out.
I took a deep breath and searched the back of my mind, and a thought came to me like lightning on a clear blue day, “Wait a minute, I think I actually might have an idea…” I would have continued but just then front door of The Cellar flew open and some shady character came up on the other side of Franky.
I was just barely able to make out what he was saying to him, “Boss, Lilah’s gone.  We think’s you-know-who found out ‘bout her wheres-abouts…”
“What?!” I began, but Franky threw up his hand as a motion to tell me to shut up, and I wasn’t about to argue with the him.

Franky, despite the news, remained calm, “Ok, you go gather the crew, tell them to meet at the usual spot, we’ll get her back or someone’s losing more than just their job tonight.”

I figured it was a good idea to mimmick Franky when it came to remaining calm, “Franky, I just remembered somethin’ bout Eddy or George that might help us find him,” he looked at me silently and waited for the rest, “Ok well Eddy always used to talk about this one buildin’ downtown that he always wanted to buy.  Don’t ask me why, but anyways…now that I think about it I think he had his eye set on it for a reason besides admiring the architecture.  You know the one with the gargoyles on it, ‘bout 5 stories high, no one’s rented it for years?  Well I got a feelin’, call it a hunch, that he runs his operation from there.”
Franky slapped me on the back as he said, “Well whaddya’ know, the wise guy actually is a detective!  Alright, you’re gonna take me there, and you,” he turned back to his informant, “well now you know where to send the men.”
“One thing you should know, Franky.  I worked with this guy for many years, and he’s always got some kind of trick up his sleeve,” the amused look on Franky’s face told me that he didn’t care about any games or tricks, he was a man who always got the mark.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, kid.  This Eddy character just rewrote his own obituary.  Let’s go.”
I tossed some cash on the bar as I flung my coat on and replaced my hat to its rightful spot.  Mickey had clearly wanted a moment of my time when he lifted his arm, as if raising his hand with a question, but we were already halfway out the door.  
“Don’t you worry Mick, tomorrow night that dame will be back on that stage singin’ her little heart out,” and with that I left with the other two and we headed downtown—it was time for a visit with an old friend.
*****

The dilapidated building was just as I’d remembered it, but the light glowing from a third story window told me that this time somebody was home.  We found a back entrance; we didn’t want to arouse any more suspicion; the fireworks at the end of the show would be enough.  We all readied our guns as we slid in through the door and silently crept up the steps.  Enough experience with sleuthing taught me how to be as quiet as a ghost.  At the second story landing we began to hear voices; somewhere in there was a woman’s voice.  It was soft like honey and made my stomach flip over.
“Lilah….” I whispered.
“Shhh,” Franky whispered, and jerked his gun sideways as a signal to keep going.
Then I heard her voice again, “I don’t know what you think you’re going to get out of this Eddy, but this ain’t no way to get pay back.  You’re dead and you don’t even know it yet, you pathetic excuse for a man,” she was cut off abruptly in unison with a loud smack, “you’re going to pay for that, Eddy boy.”
“Shut up, woman!  If that two-timin ex-partner of mine thinks he can leave me for dead and not have to pay the price for it he’s dead, and I mean dead,” He lowered his voice, “Hear me Lilah? Dead wrong!”
I wanted to bust through those doors and wrangle the life from him with my bare hands, but figured I ought to let Franky do it with those granite stubs of his.  We made it to the third story and quickly shuffled into the room right next to Eddy and Lilah.
“Now you listen here you big-mouthed broad.  You don’t have any choice in the matter, and I reckon it won’t be long before I get my payback.  Danny’s gonna find you soon enough and when he does he’ll have the surprise of a lifetime.  I’m surprised the louse isn’t here yet, but then again…I was always the more talented one.  He’s probably still trying to figure out who that beast Franky is,” Eddy said.
Franky had to place a hand on my chest to hold me in place.  
“Danny, listen here,” he whispered, “I don’t want you doin’ nothin’ stupid.  I’m gonna go in there and surprise the daylights outta that sucker, and when I’ve got his attention I’ll get him out of the room.  That’ll be your cue to get in there and retrieve Lilah,” Franky was the law here, I wasn’t going to argue.
I just nodded my head and be went around the corner, and his tagalong covered him from behind.  
Then I heard Franky’s voice in the next room, “Well, well, well.  What a surprise.”
“Franky! It’s about damn time you big lug, what took you so damned long?” Lilah demanded, the strain of being tied up obviously hadn’t restricted her temper.
Then Eddy spoke up, “Who are you?  Where’s Danny??”
“Well seems when you decided to ‘nap Lilah you made a big mistake, Edward.  You don’t just yank a guy’s sister off the street and expect not to pay the price for it, ‘specially when that same guy has a gun bigger than yours,” Franky always sounded amused when he was getting ready to make his move.
A shot was fired and then a split-second a silence followed before I heard Lilah’s spit-fire voice again, “Hey watch it boys, you two can have your little cock fight somewhere else, meanwhile I still kinda like being among the living.”
Eddy was the next to speak up, “Good point honey, you wouldn’t be any good as bait dead, now would ya, we can save that for later.”
I heard feet moving towards the doorway, and this meant having to switch positions to stay under the cover of shadow, but I’d wanted to see what was going on.  I found a spot that would give me a good shot at Eddy if need be.  Franky was backing out of the room with his gun pointed at what must’ve been Eddy, whose footsteps soon shuffled out of the room.  I knew that Franky had his own plans but this was still my game, and I was going to play by my own rules.  As soon as I saw Eddy’s back I stepped into the doorway and light from an old skylight let the moonlight spill over me.
Neither of them noticed me until I spoke, “Surprise.”
Now I know you’re used to seeing some elaborate scene where the protagonist and the antagonist duke it out for victory.  Perhaps I might get a mild surface wound and you might think I wasn’t going to make it until the very last second when the bad guy gets shot in the back by someone he didn’t expect. Perhaps you’re even thinking Lilah might show up in the nick of time to save the day like dames often do in the movies.  Well, not in my story.  As soon as Eddy turned around I took that second to sublimely enjoy the surprised look on his face, and I put a bullet right between his eyes.  The sound of his body crumpling to the floor echoed off the walls.
“Not very good at listening to directions, I take it?” Franky asked, irritated that he didn’t get to make the shot.         
“Nope,” I grinned, “the piece of filth was mine, and if you got a problem with that,” I paused and gathered some courage, “we’ll you’ll just have to get the hell over it.”
Franky looked a bit flabbergasted that I’d said such a thing, and I couldn’t tell if maybe I’d just said the wrong thing to the wrong person, again.  It was then that the look on his face when from a scowl to a grin.
“Hah! Didn’t know ya had in in ya,” he shook his head and dropped the issue.
“And I didn’t know you were capable of smiling!” I joked.
Behind me I heard footsteps and I spun around to see Lilah with her hands on her hips, “Well it sure took you long enough, Danny.”
“Don’t talk woman,” I said, and pulled her towards me, “Just show me that you’re grateful.”
She flung her arms around me and kissed me better than I’ve ever been kissed before.  It might have just been the high from having killed a man who deserved it, but I was floating on air.
“Ahem,” Franky interjected, “I’ll just be…umm…going.  I take it you can handle it from here, Danny?”
“I’ve handled it well so far, haven’t I?” I asked with a wink.
“Just have her home by midnight,” said Franky.
Lilah spoke up, “Don’t count on it.”