Time and Again(10)

Henry learned Mickey's lesson about always having his picks handy, and the value of being able to work quickly. The next day Henry had to make the coffee again. Henry substituted salt for sugar in Mickey's cup.

Now the office was quiet, though still buzzing with the memories of lessons past. Henry hoped he could find some evidence for the current case, something which would start him out on the right track.

The ringing of the phone was unexpected. He let it ring once, then Henry answered, as he always had, “Michael Thomas Moore Detective Agency”.

There was a long pause. Henry could hear faint breathing, and she spoke. Henry knew the voice. And she knew his.





Chapter Eight



“Henry, is that you?” came the familiar and surprised voice.

“It is. How are you, Katarina?” Henry said, with a sudden calm born out of surprise, confusion, and a sick feeling in his stomach.

“I didn’t expect…er, I mean…I called for Mickey. You went out on your own, didn’t you? I left the record at Henry Wood Detective Agency a while back…I assumed that was you.” Her voice returned to normal, as did her composure.

“I did, and I got the record, thank you. I have enjoyed it. That office had a little mishap a couple of months back. I am in the Flatiron building now. Your note and the gift was quite a surprise. Why didn’t you come back and say “ ‘hello’”?” Henry asked. He had a thousand other questions, but none of them came to him at that moment.

“I didn’t want to be a bother,” she said. “I was only in town for the day. Have you been well?” She asked it with all the grace and confidence Henry remembered.

“No. Last night, Mickey was killed…I don’t think it was an accident.”

There was a long pause, then, “I am so sorry, Henry.”

“Thanks. So what is it you needed Mickey to do? Are you in trouble?”

“Oh, it was nothing....”

It struck Henry as strange, but he didn’t have time to dig deeper: there was a light knocking at the office door.

“Just a minute, Katarina, there’s someone at the door.” Henry set the phone down and opened the left desk drawer. He pulled out Mickey’s back up revolver and gave it a check. The gun was loaded. He tucked it into his waistband behind his back, and went to answer the door.

The door was locked, naturally, so Henry started undoing each one – and heard some shuffling outside. Had the person been trying to look through the key hole? When he opened the door, there stood a small older gentleman, with his hat in hand.

He nodded politely at Henry, but said nothing.

“Please come in,” Henry said, holding the door.

Henry believed in being cautious. He had no idea what the little man wanted, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. It could be something quite innocent, just a man looking for a detective, who knew nothing of Mickey’s demise. On the other hand, the man taking off his hat might be mixed up in it somehow. Either way, Henry wanted to size him up.

He was holding a briefcase and dressed in a brown suit. He looked as if he was the sort of person who always wore a brown suit.

Henry stuck out his hand. “My name is Henry, I’ll be happy to help you in a minute. I was in the middle of a call when you knocked.”

“Of course, I shall take a seat and wait. Don’t feel you need to hurry on my account.”

Henry walked into the office, making sure to avoid turning his back on the man in brown. Henry didn’t want to frighten him, as some might find the sight of the gun…upsetting. Henry closed the door to Mickey’s office. He picked up the phone hoping to find out a bit more about why Katarina had wanted to talk to Mickey.

“Sorry about that; it’s a small man in a brown suit, who is looking for Mickey, too. Why did you say you wanted to talk to him?”

“I didn’t say, but perhaps you could help me out. Shall we meet for dinner?”

Henry knew she was avoiding his question. He could worry about Katarina later, so he agreed. He suggested a place they both knew, hung up the receiver, and took a deep breath.

Henry didn’t feel comfortable taking a meeting, while sitting at his departed friend’s desk, so he grabbed a yellow pad of paper and returned to the waiting room.

The man stood up and handed Henry a business card with some writing on it. Henry read it.

“Please call me, or stop by. It is urgent.” It was written in Mickey’s scrawl.

Henry flipped the card over and recognized the familiar card of his mentor.

The man spoke clearly and with purpose. “As this is Mickey’s Detective Agency, and you introduced yourself as Henry, and the fact that you were in his office, speaking on his phone, I will infer that he is not in.”