Friday McDaniels and the Case of the Missing Nutsack

Part 3: Rananda Tippertoe

Friday sat in his car outside of a brown colored bungalow. The lawn was freshly cut. A man a couple years older than Friday rolled the lawn mower onto his trailer. Friday sat with his window down basking in the gentle breeze that flowed through the car. Daffodills were in bloom around the white picket fence that surrounded the home. A beautiful woman sat in the porch swing, her legs tucked under her with a book in her hand. She had her light brown hair tied loosely in a ponytail and a tendril of wavy hair rested on her cheek.          

His phone rang, "Friday." he said, never taking his eyes off the woman.         

"Where you at?" Wednesday's voice.         

"Sitting in front of Rananda Tippertoes’.”       

"What are you doing there?" impatience was edging into Wednesday's voice, "Did you question Candystripe and Vince?"         

"Calm down. That's why I'm here. Candystripe was with her on the 17th."

Silence. Then: "Candystripe? Really?"           

"That's what he said."           

"I guess I never took him for a sexual man."           

"Everyone's got needs. I'm not here to judge."         

"I guess. Well, don't have too much fun. I'll see you back at the office and we'll put our information together."           

"Okay." Friday clicked off. He opened the door and made his way across the street. The man mowing the lawn backed out of the drive waving to Friday as he did. When he reached her porch, Rananda looked up, started, then smiled. She put the book down.         

"Friday McDaniels?" she said.           

He smiled. She remembers me, he thought, and a little too eagerly for his liking. He got ahold of himself and changed his countenance to adhere to the situation at hand. He was here on business, no time for smiling, no time for tomfoolery.  She's a dirty woman, remember that, Friday said to himself without conviction. The Cloak of Morality didn't fit his quite as well as it did Wednesday.   

"Good afternoon." He said.          

"What brings you here?"           

"Well, something's happened."          

"Something bad I'm guessing or you wouldn't be here."        

"It's three days before the Candy Festival and Peachtree's premium sack of nuts has been reported missing."           

"The hundred and fifty year old nut sack?"          

"With the gold wrapping, yes."          

"And the cream colored ribbon."          

Friday was beginning to tire of the descriptions. Everyone knew what he was talking about. Couldn't they just get past the cream colored ribbon and onto giving him answers so he could finish his day and get to Griffin's? He looked at Rananda and softened at the sight of her concerned countenance. And her ample cleavage. He made it a point to look her in the eyes, "Yes." he said.          

"Well what's that have to do with me?"          

"I'm just here checking an alibi." he said.          

"Do you want to see my appointment book?" she offered.         

"You have an appointment book?" he said without thinking.