Those 70ish Girls

W paced the floor of the gingerbread house that had recently become the hangout for W Spade ET AL. (The new detective agency in town.) Occasionally his right foot dragged across the floor a little. He didn’t seem to notice.

Friday: Hey W what’s with your right foot? It drags like Chester’s did on Gunsmoke.”

W: It’s these gummed-up shoes. Detectives do a lot of walking which makes it pretty likely that said detective would pick up some gum.

W continues:

To use detective terms,, I’m really puzzled about MG and Lav. It’s not like them to disappear without asking for smackaroos. They hate folding the motel towels, but they sure do love folding money. I hope they’re not getting mixed up in the Yikes case. Hey Friday, it’s Tuesday. Isn’t the Tracer starting today? I need him to do some tracing.

Friday: He said he’d be right over after he picks up his last paycheck at the warehouse. Uh there’s something you should know about Tracer before he gets here. (Friday looks like she swallowed a canary, whatever that means.)

Friday continues.:

He’s highly and I mean highly allergic to stale cigars. You won’t be able to chew on them when he’s around.

W didn’t have time to react to the life changing news because the phone started ringing. He tried to take a step forward, but only the top part of his body moved. His gumshoes were firmly attached to the floor. Friday quickly handed W the phone just as he fell into the desk chair which unfortunately began to spin. The phone cord wrapped around his neck and caused his voice to sound like he’d been sucking out of a balloon filled with helium.

HELLO…HE SAID IN A SQUEEKY VOICE. W ET AL AT YOUR SERVICE.

The person on the other end was obviously in a hurry. “I’m the guy who tripped over the dead guy recently. I’ve been a little surprised that a big detective guy like you hasn’t been kinda curious to know who the perp is. Hey…you sound like you’re from Draper.

W: Are you from Presho? You sure do sound like it. I was about to start snooping around but my ET AL is missing.

Guy from Presho: Say your ET AL wouldn’t happen to be two goofy girls walking around in cement boots would they? If so, I saw them blindfolded and being pushed around by my brother. They were at the North Dam.

W: Mind if I ask you a question? W takes a notepad out of his pocket and a pen from behind his ear. Was the dead guy also from Presho?

Guy from Presho and possible perp…I don’t know. I never heard him talk.

W: Well it never hurts to ask, he says as he puts his pen and pad away.

W Spade ET AL was on a real tough case. There were Presho guys all over the place. Who was good and who was bad? I heard the dead guy was a real fine lad?

MG and Lav were held captive by the brother. It didn’t appear the brothers liked each other. What’s their deal ET AL wanted to know. He was headed for the water with them in tow.

Berf hid in the shadows and calmly waited. He could see that ET AL were ill-fated. If they were thrown in the water with their concrete boots. Berf would pull them out by their graying roots.

Back at the house W nursed his neck and hoped his client would give him a check.

All of of a sudden out of the blue. He heard a cough and a loud “ACHEW! Then the guy stumbled and said, “YiiiiKES!

W: You must be Tracer

**************

Will someone find the dead guy soon if you know what I mean?

Will Tracer be able to trace phone calls since W sort of messed up the phone cord?”

Why are the Cross Brothers so mad at W ET AL?

You will find the answers to these and other questions in the next episode.