All The Pretty Things

Chapter 5:

January 4th, 1962

I woke up the next morning chilled to the bone, and not entirely because of the cold weather outside. To know that there was somebody out there, somebody who possibly wanted me dead, was a frightful thought. I carefully curled my hair in ringlets that perfectly framed my pale face. My green eyes shone from my face. They said that I was scared. I zipped up my coat and got on all of my heaviest winter gear, before walking out of my apartment, down the hall, and into the street. I walked about three blocks, when I was too cold to continue. I looked around and saw a small café surrounded by other buildings. It had a street light in front of it that was faintly glowing, and I decided to walk in to get warm for a few minutes. As I walked in, I saw that the place was very lively with a radio softly playing Buddy Holly's That'll Be The Day streaming out. There were a few older couples who smiled and waved politely as I passed their tables and headed to a booth in the back corner of the café.  I sat down and a young girl that appeared to be in her late teens to early twenties said to me, "Hi there! I'm Marietta. Is there anything that I can get for you today?" I smiled at her and said, "Um, yes. I think that I'll have a coffee with two sugars please."
"One coffee with two sugars coming right up!" she cheerfully chirped at me before heading back to prepare my coffee. She came back a few minutes later with it and said, "I hope you enjoy your coffee. If there's anything else that I can get you please let me know right away!" I nodded and she walked back off to wipe down a table that someone had just left. I sat there, slowly sipping my coffee and pondering the case when the bell ringed as a man walked in. He was tall with brown hair. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but he was dressed fashionably with a Navy blue suit, a striped red and blue tie, and a white shirt underneath. The man had on a black felt Stetson Herringbone cap.  He was wearing a pair of brown Oxfords, and walked as though he didn't have a care in the world. He walked up to the little counter and sat down. He didn't even glance at the menu before he told Marietta what it was that he wanted. I continued drinking my coffee and watching the man. He glanced around and saw me watching him. I looked down at my coffee cup as a blush crept up my face. I was determinedly staring at my coffee, when I heard a low and polite voice beside me saying, "Pardon me, miss, but would it be alright if I sat here?" I looked up, and saw the man that had been sitting at the counter only a few seconds earlier. I nodded, and then the man sat across from me and began sipping on his coffee. He set his coffee down and studied me for a moment before saying, "I'm Daniel. Daniel Wright." I looked closer at his eyes and saw that they were a sparkly blue that demanded attention, but at the same time were calming and soft. He didn't look to be that old, only in about his mid-twenties to early thirties. He cockes an eyebrow at me, and I realized that I hadn't responded to him yet. I felt my cheeks go crimson, and said, "Hi. I'm Jenny Roberts."
"Hi, Jenny. Where you headed off to at so early in the morning?" Daniel asked me.
"Work," I replied.
"Work," he said as though trying out the words before he said, "and where would a pretty young girl like you work? Do you girls even have jobs?" He smirked, as though dismissing the fact that I worked.
"I just so happen to be a detective, Mr. Wright," I said jutting out my chin, "and I will not be underestimated by some self-centered, arrogant man who thinks that everyone will bow down to him. Good day, Mr. Wright, now if you'll excuse me, I have a case to crack." With that, I gathered up my purse, went to the counter and paid, and stormed out of the café as I heard the bell chime as I left. The cold came and bit at my cheeks and I snuggled deeper into the warmth of my scarf. I started quickly walking towards my work, when from behind me I heard the chime of a bell. I kept walking, too mad to turn around and see who had just walked out. I heard steps running behind me, slowly getting closer. I continued marching forward as the steps got ever closer when suddenly, a very breathless Daniel Wright appears to my left.
"I'm sorry," he says breathlessly, "I didn't-" pant "mean it in-" pant "that way." He leaned over on his knees and tried to catch his breath. I stopped walking and turned to him with an angry look in my eye. I curtly told him, "Mr. Wright, I'm not sure if you are aware or not, but I graduated college at the top of my class, even though I'm just a woman. Not for even a fraction of a second will I let you believe that women are inferior to men, because if you believe that then you are sadly mistaken. Furthermore, I have a case to solve and need to get to work. Goodbye, Mr. Wright."
"Jenny, please wait," he said, "I didn't mean it like that. I really didn't. I know that women are just as important as men in our society. I never meant to offend you, but sometimes I just don't know when to keep my stupid mouth shut. Please forgive me, and maybe let me take you out on a dinner sometime?" He asked me hopefully. I studied him carefully, and took in his blue eyes pleading for me to say yes. His suit was slightly rumpled from chasing after me, and he was holding his hat in his hand to reveal beautiful brown hair that shined in the rising sun. I smiled and told him, "Maybe one dinner wouldn't be so bad." He smiled, his perfectly aligned and white teeth shining out of his bronze skin.

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I patiently waited for Mrs. Masons to walk through the door. It was 1:27, and our appointment was for 1:30. My stomach was churning at the aspect of having to tell Mrs. Masons that her husband was murdered. She walked in through the door at excatly 1:29. She had a worried look in her eyes, and a fake smile plastered on her face. She looked around my office  cautiously, as of she was expecting somebody to jump out at her. After a second, she sat down in the chair across my desk. I smiled encouragingly at her.
"Hello, Mrs. Masons. Thank you for coming in to talk with me today."
"Oh, it's fine," she said feebly, "Why was I supposedto be here?"
"Mrs. Masons, I really don't know how to say this, but yesterday your husband was found in his office." I paused as her face flooded with relief, "Mrs. Masons, he was found dead. He was shot. I am currently investigating deeper into the matter, and I promise you, that his murderer will be put behind bars at all costs." Her eyes glossed over with tears that were threatening to spill over. Her voice trembled and cracked as she said, "I understand. Thank you very much, Jenny." I nodded sympathetically. She had it so much harder. Now she has to tell her children. A single tear fell down her face before she quickly wiped it away. I set a box of Kleenex in front of her, and she took out a single tissue. She cleaned up her face and then smiled at me before saying, "Thank you. I think that I'll be on my way home now. I have to tell the children. I'll tell Mary first... she would definitely be the most help..." she trailed off talking to herself, not really knowing knowing what to do. She stood up slowly and put her jacket on and grabbed her purse.
"Mrs. Masons, do you want me to call a cab for you?" I asked her.
"No no, dear, I'm quite fine, thank you. I have my eldest sons car with me. You have a good day, and God bless you." She walked out of my office, and I quickly glanced at the clock to see how long she had been here. 1:46. That felt like the longest seventeen minutes of my entire life.

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