A Jack O'Callahan Mystery: The Curious Death of Mr. Grove, Issue #8

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     They ate their dinner in a fairly awkward silence. After Cordell cleared the dishes, she lead Jack to the living room with a bottle of red wine in her hand. She sat him down on couch and slid next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack cleared his throat.

     “Do you have my information?” he asked. She sat up straight.

     “Is that all you think about?” she hissed.

     “Yes. Especially when I have bills to pay, and when my paycheck is linked to finishing the case!” growled Jack.

     “And after all this time, I thought you might have changed,” she snapped.

     “I have. But this is a big case! It could open all sorts of doors for me,” pleaded Jack.  She bit her lip when he said this. He pleaded with her through his grey eyes. Her demeanor softened. She let out a sigh, and exited the room. She returned with a notebook computer. She sat down next to him and opened the screen. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, and she pulled up a video file.

     “This is Grove Towers. The fiftieth floor, on the date you requested,” informed Cordell. She played the video. It showed a woman wearing business wear and carrying a briefcase, walking down the hallway and entering Mr. Grove’s Office. She had black hair tied into a bun and horn-rimmed glasses. 

     “Who is that?” asked Jack.

     “According to my research that is ‘Jewel’,” stated Cordell. Jack noticed that there was no sound.

     “Is there sound to this video?” asked Jack.

     “Ummm… no,” replied Cordell. The woman came out of the office five minutes later. She looked around the hallway and then entered the elevator. 

     "Can you follow her?” asked Jack, “With the cameras?”

     “Yeah,” said Cordell. She began to switch through the differing views of various security cameras. They showed the woman descending the elevator, and exiting the building. Cordell then switched to street cameras. The woman headed into an alley. 

     “Can you get a view of the alley?” asked Jack.

     “No, There aren’t any camera’s in there. Or that look down the alley. At least none that I could find.”

     “Shit,” swore the detective, “Do you have the location of that alley?”

     “Yeah,  It’s on East Ninety-Sixth Street,” replied Cordell. I’ll have to go and check out that alley. Perhaps there are some clues there. Why would she visit for only five minutes and then leave? Unless… She killed him, thought Jack. 

     “Are you satisfied Detective?” asked Cordell. Jack was pulled from his thoughts.

     “Could you give me a copy of the files?” he asked. Cordell nodded. She set the computer on the coffee table before turning to Jack.

     “Alright, You have your information. Could you play some attention to me now?” pleaded Cordell. Jack leaned back on the couch, and looked at the woman sitting next to him. 

     “Alright,” said Jack. Cordell smiled and uncorked the bottle of wine. She stood and bounded into the kitchen. Jack could hear the clinking of glasses. She returned with a pair of crystal wine glasses and a bottle opener. She peeled the foil of of the bottle before twisting the corkscrew into the cork. She pulled the cork out with a pop. She poured the deep red wine into the glasses. As she handed Jack a glass, a new song began to play.

Never know how much I love you

Never know how much I care

When you put your arms around me

I get a fever that's so hard to bear

     Jack sipped on the wine. Cordell dimmed the lights and turned on a screen that displayed an image of a crackling fire. She sat close, laying her head on his shoulder. Her sapphire hair smelled of sweet apples. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

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Picture Source:http://kylemarffin.com/2013/11/03/more-from-lee-jolleys-film-noir-shoot/

Issue #9 Coming Wednesday July 16th