Private Dick Casefile 01 - Lily White Rose Red

it. Besides, neither of the other two would have given me the time of day. Woods would probably have said something about ongoing investigations, and Steele liked to pretend that private dicks didn’t exist. Which was fine by me; I just wished I could pretend he didn’t.
    I parked my heap across the way from the diner and waited till I saw Reggie go in and take a booth. I had a sneaking suspicion that he might make a bolt for it when he saw me, especially if word got around that Miss McIntyre had hired herself a dick.
    I waited till he was shoveling it in before I opened the door to the joint slow and careful, so as not to jostle the bell. I slid into the seat opposite him before he even knew I was there. He started to stand up, but I hooked his feet out from under him, and he dropped back onto the vinyl-covered bench with a thud.
    “Anyone would think you weren’t happy to see me, Reg.”
    “Fuck off, Randall!”
    “Can I help you?”
    I looked up to see a fortyish waitress standing by our table, chewing gum and holding her order pad. She was dark-haired, a little Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
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    plump for her uniform, and had a shrewd pair of eyes that chased back and forth between me and Reggie.
    “A cup of joe,” I said.
    “It’s okay, Nancy. This is Grey Randall. Friend of mine.” I stood up and held out my hand. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Nancy.”
    She looked surprised but stuck her pencil into her hair-bun and took my hand in a firm grip. “I don’t like trouble in my place, Mr.
    Randall.”
    “I won’t cause any, Miss Nancy. You can count on me.”
    “You break any china, you pay for it.”
    “It’s a deal.” I smiled at her, and after a moment, she smiled back.
    It’s wholesome living and my irresistible charm, gets them every time.
    Obviously, as Lily had pointed out, it wasn’t the tie.
    “I’ll get your coffee.”
    Reggie snorted in disgust and glared at me some more as she walked away.
    I sat down. “Calm down, Reg. If you play your cards right, I might buy you a bowl of chili.”
    “I already paid for it.”
    “Next time, then.” I smirked at him, and he glowered back. “I need a favor.”
    “Go find someone who owes you one.”
    “I already did.”
    Reggie picked up his spoon and dug around in his bowl of chili with it. He wouldn’t look at me, and I didn’t blame him. He didn’t like being reminded. Neither did I. It was a two-way street.
    “Whaddya need?”
    “Miss Marguerite Saint-Ville.”
    He shot me a cagey glance. “That’s a big favor.” 16

    CATT FORD

    “I said I’d owe you.”
    “I didn’t hear you, but you will. Who brought you in on it?” I thought about not telling him, but it always pays to show a little good faith. Besides, I knew he could keep his yap shut if there was something in it for him. “Miss Lily McIntyre.” He didn’t seem surprised to hear that. In fact, he snickered and took another bite of chili.
    “Good to see your appetite’s coming back. Share the joke.” Nancy came back and plunked a cup of coffee in front of me.
    “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome. Don’t mess up my boy here.” She ruffled Reggie’s hair before leaving.
    “You’re such a ladies’ man,” I teased.
    He gave me a sour smile and smoothed his hair back down.
    “Yeah, that must be it. Anyway, Miss McIntyre about chewed the lieutenant’s ear off over the case,” Reggie said. “Didn’t think we were trying hard enough.”
    “And are you?”
    Again, he gave me a hard look, as if trying to see if I was kidding him. “Some of us are. Lieutenant Steele is. He doesn’t like murder.”
    “I don’t blame him. Especially on his watch.” Reggie went back to grooming his chili instead of eating it. He was beginning to give me the impression that there was more to the case than met the eye, not that much actual information had met my eye so far. “What did she tell you?”
    “Not a lot. Just that this Saint-Ville frail was a protégé of hers, that means student to you—”
    “Thanks, maybe you can explain what pain in the ass means next,” Reggie said sarcastically.
    “If you ever looked in a dictionary—”
    “I’d find your picture under it. What else did she tell you?” Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
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    “Miss Saint-Ville was found in the train yard, in an alley, around two a.m. Monday morning, strangled to death. Her purse was next to her, but the money was stolen. Miss