Jimmy Carrick is enjoying the Mardi Gras parade with his girlfriend Lana, the love of his life, when she disappears into the crowd. Lured into an abandoned building by a man claiming to know where she went, he is thrust into a life and death struggl...
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Thursday Morning
Jimmy sat heavily and looked out the window of the streetcar. The sun, already high in the sky, gave Jimmy a headache. He winced when he gently touched the lump on his head.
"Mr. Carrick?" A voice called out to the man hiding his eyes from the sun.
"Huh?" Jimmy turned.
"It is you!" The young woman smiled and opened her windbreaker jacket showing her name badge. "It's me, Gina."
"Gina?" Jimmy had no recollection of her.
"I am the concierge at the Royale." Gina closed her jacket never relinquishing her smile.
Jimmy could barely open his eyes to see. "I will have to take your word for it, Gina."
The concierge noticed Jimmy shielding his eyes. "You need sunglasses, Mr. Carrick."
Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, they would help."
Gina handed Jimmy a pair of women's fashion sunglasses. "Here. Until you find a pair."
Jimmy placed the sunglasses in position and Gina muffled her laughter.
"What?" He had no idea how silly he looked. But the sunglasses allowed Jimmy to open his eyes with less strain. "Gina?"
Gina laughed again. "You and your girlfriend must have partied a little too much."
"You could say that." Jimmy tilted his head.
"We haven't seen you two since the parade." Gina wondered about Jimmy's girlfriend. "Where's, Lana?"
"Ah, we got separated during the parade. I was hit on my head." He gently touched his head. "And spent a night at the hospital."
"It's Thursday, Mr. Carrick." Gently corrected Jimmy.
"Thursday? What happened to Wednesday?" He seemed to have no memory of a whole day.
"They released you from the hospital in your condition?" Gina wondered before adding. "They must have been swamped."
Jimmy finally clued in to Gina's value to him in his condition. "Are you heading to the hotel now?"
"Yes." She seemed concerned for Jimmy. "You don't look very well, Sir."
"I don't feel much better, Gina." He gave her a chagrined look.
"Our stop is coming up, Mr. Carrick. Can you walk to the hotel?" Gina pulled on the cable requesting the next stop.
"Uh-huh."
Gina helped Jimmy to his feet as the streetcar came to a stop. He looked like a marionette doll and Gina was his strings. "Watch out for that last step, ahhh!" Jimmy stumbled but recovered with her help.
"Arghhh!" Jimmy winced.
"What?" Jimmy surprised the tiny woman aiding him.
"My shoulder. Please re...lease my shoulder...Gina." He turned his head to glance at his right shoulder.
