As I drove up to Rocco’s I noticed Marshall’s squad car parked in my space. Normally I would have been ticked off, but I was hoping Detective Williams had a change of heart and decided to join us.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Harry was sitting at a booth in the back of the bar already nursing a Christian Brother’s brandy sweet manhattan on the rocks.
Eloise walked up as I sat down. She gave me a quizzical look.
I shook my head to let her know that now was not the time to ask questions.
“Where have you been, Max? Marcello called and asked me to give this to you.”
It was the name and the number of the guy who owned the flat where the lady lost her head.
“Harry has been here waiting for you for thirty minutes. We were going to have to cut him off if you didn’t arrive pretty soon. Dan only allows Harry to run a short tab. And by short, I mean no more’n two drinks. Harry looked up over the top of his glasses and snarled, “You kiddin’ me Eloise? I should close this shit hole down.”
Eloise, being the seasoned barmaid she is, ignored Harry’s surly remark and turned to me and asked.
“You drinkin’ the same, darlin’?”
Whenever she called me darlin’, she had something special in store for ol’ Max Fly. I would have to type fast tonight and go light on the manhattans.
“If they’re doubles I am,” I replied eyeing Marshall with a skeptical eye and already giving up on the “going light” idea.
“You got it, Hon.” With that Eloise walked toward the bar with an extra little sway to her hips that I just knew was meant for me. I was sorry I was going to have to disappoint her tonight. I had this story I had to get to bed before the ten o’clock deadline for the Daily Citizen. If I didn’t have it in by then, it wouldn’t make the paper that hit the streets by sunrise. I was really looking forward to scooping the Milwaukee Sentinel and the Milwaukee Journal, the two big Milwaukee papers.
“She’s got a nice ass Max.”
“Nice legs too, Harry.” I replied.
“I think she just shook it for me so I wouldn’t close this rat trap down. Who else would hire her? She is so damn ornery sometimes I’m afraid to order for fear of her kicking me in the balls. She and Emily must have evolved from the same egg. I thought women were supposed to be the fairer sex?”
“Those two have the sex but they don’t play fair, I said.
Speaking of Detective Williams, where is she?” I asked Harry.
“I sent her back to the precinct to get some background info on that property where our headless lady friend was at. When I am done here, I am going back and it looks like it will be an all nighter. We really want the guy who did this, Max. I was glad Marcello jumped on the phone and was able to get the name of the owner of that property before Detective Williams started her search. If he hadn’t, he may not have been able to pry it out of his source.
Harry continued, “I’ll try to send EJ home to get some rest but I doubt she will go. That means she will be a real bitch all day tomorrow. If you run across her, just keep that in mind or you may find yourself flat on your back looking at the stars.”
I have envisioned myself being flat on my back with Detective Williams, but not in the context Harry meant.
“I’ll watch myself. Listen, let me make this call and I’ll be right back.”
“Hell, take your time. Just be back in time to pay the bill.”
When I returned I had another manhattan while Harry had two more and the steak and fries I promised to buy him earlier in the evening. He also ordered a steak and fries to go for Detective Williams; on my tab, of course. Eloise was still her sweet self right up until the time we left.
The tip I left told her I got her earlier hint. When she brought back my receipt, there was another note from her as well. This time she slipped it into my hand.
It read: “Pick me up in back at 1:30 a.m. don’t make a lady wait. I mean it Max.”
By the time I walked out the front door the palms of my hands were already sweating.