A Dagger Through Dimensions - Chapters 3-5
Chapter 3Disbelief shot through my brain when I saw the year on the calendar. My thoughts spun around like a washing machine on the last cycle. How in the hell is it 1940? Yeah, I’m not stupid. Even after I saw the cars and putting on the clothes, the reality smacked me hard. Unless you’re totally nuts, you can delude yourself for only a short time. Facing the truth meant more than just getting me back into my world. Now I had to deal with the difference in time. Didn’t Marty screw up the timeline back in the movie? I’m definitely not a math guy. Hell, I never passed college algebra. But I enjoy reading enough to browse through articles about science and fiction. All that cool stuff about dimensions, time travel, and UFOs. I remembered the mathematicians seemed pretty consistent on a major point that traveling back in time would destroy the person along the way. It’s not like there’s a working version of a TARDIS or Doc Brown’s Delorean hanging around outside. My fleeting thought came to a basic question. Was my body destroyed going back in time and this is my soul? No, that didn’t make sense, I decided as I shook my head. After all, my appearance remained the same. Nothing showed me this place was those anime series about reincarnation into another body. On top of that, I doubt a soul gets through a wormhole. I kept telling myself that I needed to focus on this logically. Yeah, I got an invisible secretary! That’s logical. Frowning, I went to the window and pushed my hand through the blinds to view the outside. The building across the street showed several open windows as I mulled over my predicament. I noticed people moving about inside some windows, realizing that other lives carried on. I’m just one character of many. The cold reality of my observation forces me to think of two options which I didn’t want to face. I’m dead and this is my afterlife! Since I just can’t buy the idea that I reincarnated into the past, that leaves another option. I’m trapped in a time and space anomaly! Somehow, it made more sense until I thought the idea through. How can Miss Wonderful and her goons put me here? Doesn’t that mean that I’m trapped? “Or am I? There was something running through my brain, a flicker of inspiration as I considered my keys and wallet. The whole scenario reminded me of the stages of grief. Now, I couldn’t remember them all, but I certainly remembered the final two being depression and acceptance. At this point, I’m going past the depression stage. Then, I cursed that Miss Wonderful bitch more than a few times while coming to terms with my situation. Entering the outer office, I still hoped to see the invisible woman. Somehow, I believed that seeing her in the flesh might help me get out of this place. Maybe she was a key. Again, that sounds like some fantasy, I thought as I dismissed the idea. I need to focus! The chair made no movement in my presence, and I wasn’t sure if she sat there or not. The honking of cars outside the open office window caught my attention. I carefully stepped to the window, looking out at the slightly busy street below. That’s when I realized I needed help to find my car. “If you’re still here, can you tell me what my car looks like and where it’s parked?” My voice kind of squeaked out the words. Seriously, I sounded stupid talking to an empty chair. However, the chair moved, and the button flipped on the box at her desk. Her sexy voice came to me from the box on my desk in the other room. “Mr. Dagger, I swear that you’ve got the brain of an amnesiac. I keep telling you it’s a gray Hudson and you always park it out front or on the side street.” My mind stuttered at what I heard for several reasons. First, I can’t hear the secretary in the room where I’m standing. She realizes I can’t talk directly to her and that I can’t see her. Second, this invisible being has intelligence. It’s not a game NPC. However, the way she described Lane Dagger showed that he’s lost his car before. “What do you mean? When was the last time I asked?” I hear a sigh coming from the other room. “You’ve asked me at least five times this year.” What can that mean? Damn it, I don’t need more mysteries! With that news, I left the crazy office on my way out of town. I’m riding off into the sunset. When I stepped into the narrow hall, I nearly tripped over a steel bucket filled with dirty water. The old man holding the mop handle gave me a dirty look and I’m betting that annoyed look reveals more than me bumping his pail. I apologized as I hurried away. When I got to the sidewalk, I stopped to take it in. More appropriately dressed, I looked around to see the reactions of the people. Like a scene from old movies, the men and women pass me, some even saying hello. But they’re no longer staring at me like I have a third eye. While I survey the vehicles driven by are all antiques, it brings back a memory of an old car show when I was a kid. It brought a warm nostalgia expression to my face. I took a deep breath and smelled the air. The traces of auto exhaust mixed with a nearby burning stove made me cough. It’s not a dream and damn well not a game. Stepping away, I examined each gray car along the street. While I’m walking along, a policeman talking into a call box at the corner grabbed my interest. He’s a big guy in a navy-blue uniform, wearing a simple leather holster for his revolver. There’s no radio attached to him or bulletproof vest, along with all the other things I recall the police wearing after I got pulled over for speeding. Mildly entranced at the scene, I started wondering where the guy’s radio and car were located. However, the uniformed man noticed my gaze and took a long look my way. There was no doubt he recognized me. A sudden panic swept through me. Suppressing my nerves, I continued walking and turned the corner building while glancing back at the policeman. I noticed the cop lost interest in me when I looked back. When I turned around, I ran right into another sidewalk pedestrian. Luckily, neither of us went down as we both backed away in surprise at the light impact. That’s when I recognized him. Boris Karloff! No freaking way! Seriously, I nearly knocked over the famous movie villain. The memories of all those Halloween movie nights over the years came flooding back while Karloff glared at me for a moment. The man mumbled his apologies in that low, raspy voice and stepped by me. I stood there like a dipshit, trying to overcome a strange and ludicrous urge to ask for an autograph. By the time I picked up my jaw from the sidewalk; the man crossed the street. I noticed he kept looking back at me, growing visibly concerned as I stared after him. I suppose I looked like a rabid fan as I stood there. Then another thought strikes me. For some reason, I get the insane notion that I’m on a movie set. Oh, get real! Does this place look like a movie set? Shaking my head at the stupid idea, I continue to search. Finding a gray car along the street, I saw the badge on the Hudson logo on the trunk. I pulled out my keys and tried the handle on the driver’s side. To my surprise, it opened, and I carefully got in. Now, the first thing I saw was a huge steering wheel and a wood console with only the speedometer on the driver’s side. The fuel and temperature gauge are in the center of the car’s dashboard. Seriously? When I turned the key to start the car, the damn thing lurched forward. I look at my feet and see two pedals next to the gas pedal. Crap, I’ve never driven a car with a manual transmission. I pressed my feet on pedals and started the car. After experimenting with the pedals, I figured out which one is the clutch and the brake since the gas pedal is obvious. Finally, I struggled to turn the steering wheel to pull out of the parking spot. Maybe I should just walk! That thought came after the first try of moving the vehicle since I nearly hit the car in front of me. Finally, the car turns onto the street and builds up speed as I work the pedal and shifter. Freedom is coming, I decided. Several hours later, I discovered that escape from my prison was impossible. Sure, you’d think that just driving out of the town is easy. I drove every road out of Stull Junction. But the placed fucked with me. When I reached the city limits sign, a bright flash occurred and the next thing I know, I’m driving back into Stull Junction on the same damn road. No need to tell you how screwed up that is, right? On the third attempt to flee this creepy city, the clouds grew dark overhead and a few minutes later; the rain started. With no map, I could only follow the street that led to highways. I stopped a few times at the occasional gas station I found and asked for directions. Unfortunately, the assistance I received only got me to the city limits. Yep, Stull Junction wouldn’t let me leave. Oh, I know, it sounds nuts. But it happened each time I reached the city limit sign. A bright light blinded me for a split second, only to find that my car mysteriously did a 180 on the street and I’m driving back how I came. After a couple of times, I kind of grew used to it. I believe my experiment proved that point. “I’m willing to bet this place is somewhere in Hell!” I blurted out. Still, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I continued to turn down one street, then the next. Finally, as the rain came down even harder, I took a road into the foothills that overlooked the city. I strongly suspected that the town probably didn’t even exist on a map. The damn roads became just another puzzle that drove him on the verge of crazy. “Come on; this has to go someplace!” Yes, I realize that I’m shouting inside an empty car that my great grandfather probably would have liked. Hell, why not! It’s dark, I’m lost, and it’s raining cats and dogs outside. Well, it’s just a typhoon-like storm, but I figured animals falling out of the sky might come next. The car’s wipers just smear buckets of water across the windshield. Logically, my howls of frustration over the din of rain, the grind of gears, along with the hellish road noise, didn’t make much sense. I’m just wanting to curl up and call it a day. It’s a perfect end to my hellish day! Chapter 4My foot pumped the clutch twice, nearly going through the floor of the Hudson. My frustration at this shitty day made me grit my teeth while trying to force the car into the next gear down as the engine lagged. The heavy auto is a dog trying to go up the slight incline the road followed. “Who in the hell puts the damn shifter on the steering wheel column?” Of course, my continued rage at the world didn’t help me move the lever into the correct slot. On any other day, I might smile with pride after figuring out how ancient technology worked. Luckily, the car was crawling uphill, and somehow, I noticed movement along the edge of the narrow road. Before I realized it, a person came running in front of the car. “What the…” I barely got the words out while slamming both pedals to the car floor. Now I locked his arms and legs, but I still felt my body sliding forward. Strangely, in the next few milliseconds, my mind remembered the car has no seat belts. That also told me that I would die against the enormous steering wheel. Instead, the car skidded to a stop. Staring through the sheets of rain, I felt stunned that the person outside avoided being struck. Fingers clutched around the steering wheel; I’m sure that my eyes appeared ready to pop out of eye sockets. I’m gawking at a woman in a soaked yellow dress rushing to the driver’s side door. Frantically, she banged on the window. As I scrambled to find the handle to roll down the window, the woman’s pleading voice came through. “Please help me! I need someone’s help.” A blast of rain struck my face when I got the window down. “I need your help. It’s my husband. He’s trying to kill himself!” Her knuckles whitened as they clenched the sill of the window. “Please, will you help me?” I sat there like a statue as my brain remained in first gear. The woman’s expression hardened at my stunned look, and she suddenly ran around to the other side. My eyes followed her as the memory of her high cheekbones and gorgeous eyes appeared vaguely familiar, even with her long blonde hair plastered over part of her face. What is happening? After the woman practically spilled inside the passenger side along with the rain, I sat there trying to figure out what to do. “Hurry, my house is this way,” she pointed to the paved road that I couldn’t see. Her frantic voice finally goaded me into action. I fumbled around to get the driver’s window up, before realizing that the car motor had stopped earlier when I braked. When I turned the key to restart the car, the vehicle lurched forward. Put the clutch in, you klutz! With an embarrassed grimace, I pushed the pedal down and tried again. This time, the engine started. As the pressure built as this woman watched me, I fumbled around with the shifter, trying to find first gear. “Did you call the police?” I blurted out while fighting my battle with the gearshift. “No, the phone is out. Can you please hurry?” The woman’s disbelief at my clumsy attempts to move the car was obvious. Finally, I got the Hudson going and almost immediately; she started yelling and pointing at the turnoff to a private drive. Taking the turn, the vehicle slowed on the grade. The grinding of gears filled the cabin when I downshifted. Following the steepening road, I can make out only faint outlines of vegetation on the hillside from the dim headlights. To make things even more interesting for me, I’m confident that the land fell away sharply on the left side of the road. Great, I get to die without knowing what the hell’s going on! Out of the corner of my eye, I see my wet passenger expression, which doubted the wisdom of her getting into the vehicle. I’m sure that her face isn’t that pale normally. “Sorry, I’m not used to this type of car. Apparently, none of these darn things have automatics inside,” I explained. “Hell, I never heard of a Hudson car until today.” Glancing over, he wasn’t sure she was paying close attention to his rambling as she kept staring ahead. “You’re lucky I didn’t run over you.” I looked for a response, but she kept biting her lower lip while looking ahead. “I’m not sure where I am,” I continued, since the sound of my voice comforted me more than the pounding rain. “Everything is so weird around here. Damn rain on top of everything else.” “You look familiar. Are you sure that you’re not from around here?” Her question surprised me, and I glanced over to see her eyes assessing me. I’m guessing that she’s worried about my poor driving skills. After guiding the car through a curve, I responded. “I had the same thought about you. I’m swear that I’ve seen you before.” Despite my obvious glances for her response, she paid no attention. “I can’t get used to the idea that everyone dresses like they’re going to choir practice. It’s crazy.” There was a weird sense of comfort as I’m trying to explain his day. The car is not making much speed since I can’t see that far ahead in the blinding rain. I’ve got a petrified woman in the car who probably thinks I’m nuts. So, what else can go wrong? “Hell…I mean, heck,” my sheepish smile came back. “Nobody bothers to lock their cars. You know, I walked up to this car and took off with it.” Realizing my words were giving the wrong implications, I cast a look over. Her expression revealed growing apprehension, and I noticed her tight grip on the doorknob. Yeah, she thinks I’m crazy! “Listen, lady; I’m not nuts.” I hesitated, thinking back to my day. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m not. This day has been like one of those Twilight Zone episodes. You know what I mean? You’d think so too if you found out that you’re stuck in the past. I mean, it just doesn’t make sense.” I knew she had no idea what I’m going on about. “It’s just—I mean, how many times do you meet Boris Karloff on the street corner? You know it’s nuts, but really, Boris freaking Karloff! I nearly knocked him down this afternoon.” I felt her eyes on me. “And you have no idea what I’m talking about!” I sighed. “Mister, you’re starting to scare me!” His passenger’s pale face agreed with her statement. “You say you’re not from here, then you say you are. Can you just drop me off here?” The woman appeared ready to jump out of the car and I tried to backtrack. “It’s alright, I know I’m rambling here. I promise that I’ll shut up.” He took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I—I guess I made a bad joke. I promise that I’ll shut up and drop you off. I’ll even find a phone somewhere to call the cops so they can help you with your husband.” She looked at him carefully for a moment while pulling her wet hair out of her face. “Just help me with Joe. My house is there.” Sure enough, I saw the porch lights. Embarrassment combined with frustration filled me. A beautiful woman needed my help, and I’m jacking my jaw about all sorts of strange things. Still, she should know about Karloff. The calendar on the wall told him it was 1940. The woman had to know about the actor. He was famous back then. Then again, I never expected to wander around some damn city I have never seen before, no matter what the year. I’ve got a sweet-looking lady riding in some old car with me in the middle of a typhoon. I’d think it was a movie if I wasn’t in the middle of it. The front of a house suddenly appeared, and she ordered him to park in front of the red-tiled single-story bungalow. The woman opened her door before the car stopped. She hesitated, looking over at me. “Will you help me with my husband? I need someone else there. He’s not acting like himself.” I frowned, glancing at the house. Then I shrugged. “I don’t know what I can do, but I’ll try.” “Thanks,” she hurried into the rain. As he slid out from the seat, I was glad I wore that stupid hat. “He’s been drinking.” The woman’s warning when we reached the porch made me roll my eyes. Of course! My initial thoughts about the size of the house were obviously wrong. The steps inside the door led down to a large living room. I saw the massive, hand-hewn oak beams stretching across the ceiling over to the gray and white plaster walls. The stone floor had fur rugs carefully scattered in strategic areas. “Cool!” I blurted out. “This way,” she ignored the comment. She rushed past a grand white piano near the large front window, and I followed her, only to nearly fall on my face in front of a sofa. The rug spread on the floor under a heavy wood coffee table caught my foot. Luckily, she hurried ahead through the middle of the room. Her high heels tapping out the path. While I’m looking around the place with the wide eyes of a stranger, I also noticed her shapely form in front of me. Yeah, this petite woman in the waterlogged dress made a guy want to follow her. Her husband must be stupid to knock himself off, I decided. Chapter 5In the back of the great room, a massive fieldstone fireplace stood with a rock face going up to the ceiling. As we passed, a clock chimed out the time on a stone mantelpiece. That’s where I saw the gun cabinet next to the fireplace with one door open. “Shit, does he have a gun?” I’m pretty sure that my voice broke. Even if I found it embarrassing, I never claimed to be a hero. The woman didn’t reply, and she was already heading down an iron rail staircase. With growing reluctance, I followed her. At the end of the stairs, she led us to a closed door. “Joe, I’m back,” she called out. Then the woman knocked on the door gently while testing the locked doorknob. “Joe! Come on, open the door.” There was no answer. “It’s Sally. Please let me in!” They heard movement in the room, but whoever was there did not reply. “Kick the door down!” She suddenly whispered to me. It was a striking look of concern and pleading, which struck me as absurdly beautiful and damn dangerous. Then I looked at the solid wooden door and glanced at the woman dubiously. “That’s a stupid idea. He has a gun!” “Please, every minute counts,” she whispered. Her deep blue eyes implored me while I quickly debated inside his head. Quit being a hero, just walk away my brain screamed at me. None of the limited options I mulled over kept me from getting my head blown off. Cold from the dripping clothes I’m wearing, I feel a weary urge to walk out of the house. Then I looked at her pleading expression Damn, how can women make a guy act like an idiot? “Okay! Okay! Let me give it a shot. Just don’t get yourself killed,” I finally whispered and moved her away from the door. My plan was simple and dumb as hell. I’d run into the door at an angle, so my body’s momentum would slide me out of harm’s way when the door opened. Unlike what you see on the TV shows, the solid wood door I saw wasn’t going to give way like splinters when I ran into it. If her husband shot at the door, I figured he’d be aiming at the center. My bump and fall away plan lessened the likelihood I’d be in the line of fire. But I decided to get the cops involved if the bastard took a shot at the door, whether she liked it or not. “Is this what you wanted?” I mumbled to the image of Miss Wonderful, which popped into my head as I took two steps back. However, when my shoulder landed against the door, I didn’t expect what happened next. The impact broke the flimsy door latch, sending me into the room. Flailing around like a first-time skater, I landed on my belly and slid across the tiled floor. My shoulder felt like a hot poker pushed into it and I started cursing. As I got to my knees, the woman ignored my plight as she entered the room. Over against the tiled wall, a tired-looking man crouched in the bathtub with a pump shotgun clutched in his hands. He looked like a hobo with his brown tweed jacket that did not quite fit and a couple of days’ beard growth on his face. The guy also had a severe case of the shakes. She’s married to him! My first impression of Joe centered on his trembling hands as the gunman slowly rose. “Joe, put that down!” Sally ordered. “Get away from me,” the man’s voice sounded as beaten and tired as he looked. However, I was more upset that he pointed the gun barrel at me. “Both of you leave unless you want my brains all over you.” The elaborately engraved steel on the shotgun’s receiver glittered under the light from the bathroom’s light. I slowly got to my feet and put my hands up. “Joe, you can’t do it,” she implored him. “We can work this out.” “It’s too late. I told you what I was going to do. I meant it.” His other hand sought the trigger as the barrel lifted and he pointed it under his chin. “No, don’t do it, sweetheart.” Sally cried out with her hands held over her mouth. While my brain yelled out that I’m an idiot for being in the room, I slowly stepped closer, trying to get the guy to change his mind. “Listen, something in your life stinks. I get it. But your wife ran out in the middle of a damn storm looking for help. Give her some credit here. What about what happens to her?” The words had a slight effect, forcing him to glance at his wife. Then Joe looked down at his quivering hands and then back to the woman. He was smaller than me and rail-thin, but his shaking weapon gave him the floor in that room. “Let’s just put that thing down, and we’ll talk about it. Hell, let’s grab a beer as well.” I’ll admit I kept glancing back at the door since I didn’t want to see the guy kill himself. I was really reaching for anything at that point. Joe licked his lips at the idea, then shook his head. “Never!” he stated firmly. Joe groped for the trigger again. The barrel was nearly too long, and when he moved, his foot slipped on the porcelain tub. Instantly, Joe’s eyes widened at the thought of dying. However, his stumbling gave me an opportunity. Jumping forward, I grabbed the gun barrel and Joe’s trigger wrist at the same time. While we fought for control, I accidentally slammed my head into Joe’s forehead. The blow loosened Joe’s grip as I grunted from the pain in my skull. Almost instinctively, I let go of his wrist and came with an uppercut into Joe’s jaw. My punch wasn’t much, but the thin man dropped like a rock, sliding down to the bottom of the bathtub. Still hanging on to the shotgun and shaking from adrenalin, I carefully stepped back. The weapon’s barrel struck the chrome curtain rod with a metallic clatter, causing me to flinch. Sally came next to me, giving me an evil eye before she dropped to her knees to help Joe. “Now what?” My gasps finally got the question out. She tenderly touched his face, and her husband’s eyes opened in a daze. “You shouldn’t have hit him.” “Yeah, you were doing so good on your own,” my sarcasm came out with a bit more venom than I wanted. “Damn fool could have killed us.” She glanced back, and I realized the words hurt her, but I didn’t care. Hell, I’m still shaking and condemning myself for getting involved. “Can you help me get him into the bedroom?” Her pitiful voice made me look at her. With a sigh, I nodded and put the shotgun in the corner. Joe felt like a bag of bones underneath the brown tweed coat as we hauled the semi-conscious man out of the tub. He smelled of sweat and booze, which got worse when I put his arm over my shoulder. Sally guided us out of the bathroom and to an open door down the hall. They laid Joe on top of a golden colored bedspread which covered the narrow twin bed. “I’ll be right back,” the woman said and quickly disappeared. Joe slowly came around as I watched him. Sally hurried back into the room with a whiskey bottle in her hand. He doesn’t need another drink, I thought. Kneeling next to the bed, she uncorked the bottle and poured some into his mouth. The man sputtered, choking on the drink, and his eyes blinked open in panic. “My face,” the man coughed as he rubbed the bruised place where I struck him. He jiggled his jaw tentatively and seemed surprised to find it unbroken while he stared at me. “Say, who is this guy?” Sally immediately offered another drink while cooing her remorse to him. “Oh darling, I’m so sorry. He’s a stranger that helped me. How could you do such a thing? We’ll get through this together, I promise.” Joe took another drink after taking the bottle from her while his eyes stared into hers. He slowly nodded. Sally leaned over and kissed her husband on the forehead. “Get a few drinks in you; that’ll make you feel better. You’re tired and confused,” she insisted. As I watched the scene, the overwhelming sensation came to me that the couple’s closeness appeared forced in a way. The woman acted more like a disappointed mother. While Sally kept insisting that they would make their marriage work, her husband nodded dumbly before taking another swig. He seemed more interested in the drink than in conversing with his wife. Joe held the bottle curled between his arms like he was holding a baby. Damn fool! I thought. That’s when a violent shiver struck me. I’m pretty sure it’s the aftereffect of this whole thing, so I retreated into the hallway. I went back to the bathroom to retrieve the shotgun, which I took upstairs to the gun case. After removing the shells from the shotgun, I put it back inside the case. I went around to the front of the fireplace. It was the old-fashioned type that needed wood. “That figures,” I grumbled while crossing my arms. A small stack of wood lay in a bin on the floor, but I decided not to tempt fate. As I looked over the paints and décor of the room, my tired brain tried to determine when I should leave. I continued to pace around the living room, working to warm myself in the wet clothes. I assessed the décor as expensive, but it was something that I knew little about. A massive green sectional sofa covered a sizable area in the middle of the room. In front of the couch sat a maple coffee table on top of a brown pelt rug. Then I spotted a black phone sitting on top of a small table near the front door. Yeah, my grandpa had one on the farm. Curiosity got the best of me, and I walked over. When I picked up the handset, I heard a dial tone. When I placed the handset back in the cradle, Sally came sauntering toward me. I’ll admit that I kept looking her over. Nobody could blame me since her wet dress showed off her assets nicely. Still, that familiar air about her remained in the back of my mind. However, the memory of where I saw her image before remained tucked away. “I’ll never forget you for what you’ve done.” Sally stepped uncomfortably close to me. With most of her makeup washed away, her face held a smattering of freckles. She flipped her wet hair over her shoulders and still exuded a sexy appeal. Her blue eyes held mine for a moment, then I remembered the phone. “I’m curious why there’s no ambulance or police? The phone appears to work.” “We can’t have the publicity. You know how gossip can start.” She patted my chest. “My, you’re as wet as me. Let me get you a towel.” “No, that’s alright. I should get back,” I mumbled. Then I suddenly wondered where I was going to go while I stared at those big blue eyes. “I’ll never be able to repay you for the help.” A seductive curl came to her lips. You keep getting closer and I’ll have a hard time walking without embarrassment. “Well, I’m glad things turned out alright,” I got out the words while realizing that I was doing a poor job of appearing indifferent. Of course, women never came on strong to me, so I’m worrying about this woman. Yeah, I’m wondering if she’s like Miss Wonderful, who brought me to this damn place? They both act the same way. “I guess I should leave, Sally.” She smiled brightly. “I’m surprised that you caught my name amid all of this. I know I look just a mess right now. What’s your name, my hero?” She smiled seductively, with a bedroom tone in her inflection. “I can find some way to reimburse you for your help.” Seeing her come on to me like that made me all warm and fuzzy, but it also caused me to get a chill along my spine. “Your husband might not think that way.” “It’s alright,” she said with a tremble in her voice. “As you saw, we’re having marital problems, Mr.... Say, what’s your name?” I suddenly froze, trying to remember the name on the door. When I finally came up with it, I almost smiled in relief. “It’s Lane Dagger.” My gaze caught sight of a telephone book on the table. “Well, I’m in the phone book, I’m sure.” Her eyes widened. “ “You’re Lane Dagger?” “I suppose so. Do you know me?” “You’re that private dick that they write about in the paper.” She backed away like my skin had suddenly turned red and a forked tail popped out of the back of my pants. “What a minute, I’m not the guy you think I am.” Baffled by her dramatic anxiety about me, I tried to think of something to placate her. Then again, nobody asked my name today. “I’ve heard plenty about you,” she scoffed. “People say that you’re involved in every sleazy thing that goes on inside Stull Junction.” Her shoulders slumped. “I guess you’ll want money to shut this whole affair up. Is that your game?” “Hey, hold on here.” I looked down at my wet clothes, growing angry. “You’re the one that stopped me, remember? I came in because you begged me to...” “Just leave Mr. Dagger.” Sally’s face screwed up with frustration. She went to the front door, holding the door handle. “Of all the things that could have happened, I had to get a two-bit shyster coming to my house tonight.”
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