It’s not that you missed a deeper meaning, it’s that you missed the previous 9 chapters.
Crime, Thrillers & Mystery / A Pocketful of Rye - Finale
I came to, which didn’t have anything to recommend it. The side of my head pulsed in time with my heartbeat, and I put a paw against it to keep it from splitting open.
I’d been propped in a chair out of the way of the crowd of uniforms meandering around on stage. I could see medical technicians, our local police, Hall security, and a bunch of suits that could only be feds. Russ and Carpenter were conspicuous by their absence. I didn’t see King Cole anywhere, or Olaf, but Odelia Coleridge was huddled under a blanket across from me, and Ozzie was chatting with the police Captain in the front row. Heinrich was talking to a couple of police detectives off to one side. The audience had left – no surprise there. But this show promised to be a better one than the orchestral performance.
I got to my feet slowly and started for the steps on the side of the stage. Sandra appeared out of the crowd and helped me navigate over to Ozzie and the Captain.
“…patrol the train and bus stations as well,” Ozzie was saying, and the Captain nodded. “And here’s our wayward stray now,” he said by way of introduction.
I grimaced as I moved through a spotlight’s beam to join them. The Captain used the opportunity to take a good look at me. It was obvious he didn’t much care for what he saw.
“Don’t worry, Captain,” I said. “I’ve got a respectable face stashed in my locker for the newsies.” He harrumphed, and Ozzie rolled his eyes.
“Play nice, Chesh; the Captain’s on our side.”
“You wanna tell me what that side is? I’ve been napping, you know”
Ozzie settled into one of the folding seats, and the Captain and I sat to either side of him. That way we could glower at each other without straining our necks.
“As I was telling the Captain, Russ and Carpenter were behind the whole thing, but it wasn’t their idea. They were supposed to remove the king so a puppet ruler could be placed in power.”
“Power over what?” I asked. “The country’s dirt poor, or so I’ve heard.”
“Power to control imports and exports, for one thing. And the power to levy taxes and duties on those imports and exports, for another. Don’t be so provincial. The king’s been pressured to step down because someone wants to import banned trade items. Black market goods like weapons, drugs, you name it. The country is in a central location, which makes transport cheap and easy. Once he refused, he became a target.”
“How long have you known all of this?” I asked.
“Since I shot Carpenter.”
“You what?”
“Yeah. Caught him skulking around in the cloak room about the time you were tackling Cole. We had a brief chat,” he said, opening his jacket slightly to show me his shoulder rig. “I managed to get a little bit out of him before he died.”
“And Russ?”
Ozzie shook his head. “Thought I saw him earlier, but if he was here, he made it out in the confusion. That’s what the Captain and I were discussing when you came up.”
“Did Carpenter know who was supposed to take over for the king?”
“He never said exactly, but given the circumstances, I could make a fair guess.” Ozzie nodded towards the stage, where a young officer was helping Odelia stand. The blanket fell from her, and I saw that she’d been cuffed. I looked the question at Ozzie.
He scratched an eyebrow. “I caught Carpenter at the lockers. Both yours and Odelia’s were open. He was putting one of her bottles of nail polish in your fiddle case. I figured it wasn’t yours because blue isn’t your color.” He grinned at me.
“Yeah. I’m an Autumn.”
“So I put a little pressure on the girl, and she spilled.”
“What did they promise her? Money, power…music lessons?”
Ozzie shrugged. “Power, of course. She’d get to rule the country if she did this one little thing.”
“This ‘one little thing’ being killing her father?”
“She was told it would only incapacitate him for a while. Maybe enough to convince him it was time to step down. Olympia and Otto were the test cases.”
“But Olympia died,” I pointed out.
“Yes, but remember, she was weakened. The doctor expects she would have lived if not for having been sick already.”
“I don’t know. Seems kind of chancy to me. If you’ve got the opportunity, why not go all the way? Why give the old man a chance to recover?”
Ozzie nodded. “My thoughts exactly. I’m having the lab boys do a workup, but I suspect they’ll find the dosage would be enough to kill the king.
“So why was Carpenter placing the stuff in my case?”
“To frame you for the murder, of course. You got in somebody’s way with the Weasel business, and this was the payback.”
“So I get sent up for the murder, and Russ and Carpenter make sure that Odelia knows she could be tapped as an accessory. With that kind of blackmail, she’d do whatever they told her to do.”
“No doubt she’d have an ‘advisor’ or three to help her run the country.”
“No doubt. So where is Cole now?”
“He’s back at his hotel with his security detail and some of the feds. I imagine Russ’ll have a tough time if he plans on going after him again.”
“What about Olaf?”
“Olaf?”
“You know. Big guy, plays the kettle drums. Likes to hit poor defenseless fiddlers with his gun. Olaf.”
Ozzie laughed. “Oh, I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Olaf is part of Cole’s security detail. He’s his bodyguard.”
I rolled my eyes. “Which is why he…”
“Knocked you out when he saw you going for the king,” Ozzie finished. “Yes. And you were right, by the way. The reeds had been poisoned.”
“Well break out the cigars, boys; I was useful.”
“Not hardly,” offered the Captain. “I figure you put His Majesty in even more danger.”
“Why are you licking his boots? He ain’t here to hire you.”
Ozzie put his hands up. “Easy, boys. Let’s just call it a victory and head home. Alright?”
I grimaced. “Sure, Ozzie. I’ve got a pain. My head hurts, too.”
I got up and walked out the doors, pausing only to make sure I thanked Sandra for everything. It was my way of apologizing for having suspected her. A beat cop used the radio in his prowl car to have a cab dispatched, and I went back to my flat.
A few days later, Ozzie called me at the office, where I’d been going over the last few details of the case with Br’er and Dolly. I was needed at the hospital right away.
He didn’t have to tell me which room.
I walked in to find Ozzie beside her bed. He was holding one of her paws like he could anchor her. I stood on the other side.
Deirdre’s breathing was labored, and her fur was streaked with damp where the nurses had sponged her off in an effort to keep her cool. She looked up at me and Ozzie, but I don’t think she really saw us.
“Chesh? Ozzie?” she rasped out.
“Hush, Deirdre,” Ozzie entreated her. “Save your strength.”
“Where are we?’
“You’re in…” Ozzie began, but I interrupted him.
“We’re on the beach, Deirdre. On that little island we go to. There’s a fire laid out, ready to be lit, and Ozzie just finished tying up the Walnut.”
“Did you bring your fiddle, Chesh? Did you bring Anne?”
“Of course I did.”
“So…I can dance?”
“Just like always,” I said, taking her other paw.
And Ozzie and I held on as Deirdre danced off and left us.
The phone rang in the office. It was late, and Dolly and Br’er had already left for the day. I pulled it over to me.
“Cheshire,” I said.
“Hey, partner.”
“Ozzie. How’s things?”
“I’m leaving town, and wanted to say goodbye.”
“Where are you off to?”
“I got an offer from the feds. Seems they have a couple of openings.” He chuckled.
I whistled low. “Anyone ever tell you that you take career advancement way too seriously?”
“Once or twice.”
“Well, you deserve it, Ozzie. I know you’ll do good.”
“Thanks, Chesh. Keep up the fight.”
“Always. If you ever get back this way…”
“The Well. I know. Next time I’ll wear a helmet.”
“I’ll just go for your legs, then. Take care, Ozzie, and thanks.”
“You, too.” He rang off.
I looked around the quiet office, and spied Anne in her case. I’d been cleaning her up in preparation for putting her away again. I took up the bow, adjusted a peg, and played.
The streetlamp outside my window cast its light like a spotlight over me as I played. I played for the past, with its burdensome memories of hard times and wrong choices, and I played for the future, shrouded in threatening mystery and uneasy possibilities. I played for the decent folks that make up most of this world, and the not-so-decent ones that make up more than their fair share of my little slice of it. I played for partners, and bartenders, and secretaries. I played for young women dancing on the sand, and I played for every down-at-his-heels sap that wouldn’t know he’d got luck if it wasn’t the hard kind.
I put Anne back in her case, and snapped the latches shut. I grabbed my hat, lit a cigarette, and walked home in the dark.
I could hear the music in the air.
*
Cheshire will return in The House that Jack Built.
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Enigma28 reviewed Version 1 -
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I looked the question at Ozzie. – I’m assuming this is a typo.
This is very intersting, a crime/thriller written from the point of view of animals, very intersting indeed.
The only thing I felt the story was lacking was description. I think you should describe your characters better, just so that the reader identifies them better.
Good job
Jodie
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JaCarloHairston reviewed Version 1 -
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I was very confused what was going on if a character was an actual animal, what was the deal with who ruled the country and at the beginning what the whole heart beating out of the chest thing meant. I’m not sure if I missed a deeper meaning or if it was supposed to be this surreal.
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