The murder of a shadow

Chapter 1

November 1921

I took this case two months ago and so far all I had turned up was a couple of shady drug dealers and a stripper on the east side that got mugged. I was starting to think that this would be the first case I wouldn't be able to solve. I had a perfect record so far, fifty cases or so, all of them done and dusted in a month or less, now this one this was a stickler; the guy I was looking for was a ghost, he left no prints nor hair, nothing to help me find him. I had Lou at my door every other week asking if I'd found anything yet or if I was just dragging out because I wasn't as good as everyone said I was, not that I agreed with them, and didn't want whatever he had coming for me if I didn't work it out. "No" i thoughts to myself "if anyone will know where to starts it's her"

Like every guy I enjoy a drink, scotch on the rocks usually, but tonight I chose a dry martini. I was sitting in the corner of  my favourite speakeasy, the dim lights casting a golden light over the dark wood tables, a long bar against the back wall filled to the brim with iridescent bottles of liquor, with a Steinway & sons grand piano sitting at an angle on the stage. It was relatively empty tonight, the bartender, five patrons and of course the jazz singer, Lara duponte, she was a stunning woman with olive skin, hair as dark as night and blue eyes that twinkle like starlight. We had a past, me and Lara, it was long and confusing but it ended on the right terms, now she's a friend, well friend is putting it highly, and one hell of an informant.

I sipped my drink slowly until Lara had finished her first set of the night, the round of applause from the patrons was lousy at best. She smiled at me as she walked over. God damn that smile, it was the smile of someone that could get whatever they want, whenever they want and they knew it.
"Hello handsome" she said provocatively,
"Hey Lara, you doin' ok?" I said looking around the bar trying not too meet those twinkling eyes.
"I'm not too bad, but you're not here to check up on an old flame are you darling?, what do you want this time." She said as her tone changed from provocative to stern
"Nothing Much, I need a hand with something, I'm looking for a guy"
"No change there then" she butted in
I rolled my eyes "if anyone is going to know something it's you, you have a way with getting what you want and you know it, just do me a favour and work your magic for me, please?" I said yearningly
"And what do I get out of this" she said with a twinkle in her eye and a slight smirk on her lips
"What do you want..." I muttered
"Hmm, I'll think about the reward later on, but let's say it's a yes and I did find something out, why should I tell you and not Lou?"
"You know Lou?" My eyes widened
"Of course I do darling he's a regular, here almost every night, in fact if you turn your seat and look at that door over there you'll see him"
I turned to see a door I didn't notice at first, shrouded in darkness but flanked by a large man in a three piece suit and a fedora, he smiled at me and started to walk over.
"Fuck" was my last thought before a swift right hand broke my nose and I fell to the floor in a crooked mess.
See I wasn't completely honest, Lou HAD been turning up to my office every other week, that part was true at least, I on the other hand had been avoiding him, he was a large guy with friends that were even larger, now I'm not usually scared but good god I knew this guy would hurt me if I didn't help him, clearly he didn't like that.

"Hey Lou" I said with a moan as I lived myself up off the floor and dusted my trench coat off
"Listen here you little shit, you keep dodging me and I'll make your life ten times harder, ya hear me?" He said menacingly into my ear so the other patrons didn't hear him, although a couple had turned around when Lou hit me, they quickly turned back when they saw who it was that threw the punch.
"It's kinda hard to dodge someone as big as yourself lou, Gimme a chance man, the guy you want? He's a ghost. There's fucking nothing on him anywhere all I've got are a couple sightings of a weird looking guy from some drug dealers and an identical sighting off of a stripper"
I wiped the blood that was still pouring out of my nose with a small red handkerchief I kept in my pocket .
"Not good enough, you spend much longer on this investigation and they'll get away" Lou whispered
"That's why I've come to our darling Lara" I smiled in her direction "she knows exactly how to get information out of people, don't ya darling" I winked
She looked like she was about to rip out my throat but she stifled a sneer and said" oh of course, the usual I'm assuming? Walk up to one of your shady witnesses pretending to be a whore looking for a good time, flash my cleavage a little then take them back to a motel where you're waiting to hold them at gunpoint until they spill their dirty little secrets."
"You sell yourself short Lara, a whore is harsh, lady of the night is the words I'd use" I winked as I finished my martini gave them both a nod of my hat and started walking out of the speakeasy. I turned at the top step and said "I'll give you a call in the morning to arrange everything lara, sleep well" I blew a sarcastic kiss in her direction and walked out.