It Didn't Have to Turn Out This Way...

I can still remember the night... It was dark, like a lightning spotted blanket had been tossed over the city. The rain came down in barrels, a persistent curtain of grey. The blonde glow from the streetlight streamed into the alley at sharp angles, reflecting off wavering puddles. The somber shadows cast a penumbral atmosphere over the back street.

The ashen deluge bounced of the brim of my hat, as beads of water dripped across my face. My frock was soaked, and my feet were drowned. I had loosened my ermines tie, which hung askew from my neck My face was coated in salt and pepper stubble, and a cigarette was tucked in the corner of my trap; a twist of smoke hung in the humid air. In my hand, clad in leather, was my piece. A silver finger curled from the barrel.

I stared at it, the body. She was young and beautiful. Hell, I'd never seen a dame like her. Her coat was splayed open, revealing a cardinal silk dress that clung to every curve of her body. Her eyelids were dark and her lips shone with a glossy crimson sheen. Her gams were encased in sheer nude stockings, ended in pumps that complimented the dress. A slug had drilled a neat hole into her chest. Shame really, to ruin a rack like that. She had worn a hat, though it had gotten lost somewhere in the dusky alley when I dry-gulched her. The pins that held her tawny hair back had made with the feet; probably took off with the hat. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead, while the rest was spread over the pavement. A lagoon of blood had formed around her as she laid there. Something about her deadpan expression made me sad. What a fucking waste.

It didn't have to turn out this way... All she had to do was give me fifty percent. That was the deal, to split the loot fifty-fifty. But she got selfish, wanted it all for herself. When I found out she had decided to skip town without giving me my cut, I knew I had to fog her. I found the briefcase, and peeked inside. There it was, ten-thousand berries.

I tossed the iron into a dumpster, and left the alley in a bustle. I hailed a cab, and took off towards the airport.