A Remote Possibility
(From a prompt by desdenova.)
It was a Monday afternoon, and the hours were stretching like gum on the bottom of your shoe. I was doing some cleanup on my last case when she walked in: a slender brunette with eyes so deep and dark you could lose your soul in them if you weren't careful. But I'm always careful.
"What can I do for you, ma'am?" I inquired, noting the distracted way she wiggled on the kitchen chair.
"My brother lost the remote, and I want to watch a show." Her voice caught, and I thought there'd be waterworks, but she held it in. "Would you please help me find it?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart. Where'd you see it last?"
"He had it at our house."
Well, no time like the present. "All right, let's go."
She had a big pile of bricks. Impressive, even if they were made of cardboard. We all do what we can to get by. "This way," she said as she crawled inside. I followed, taking in the place. She'd put a lot of effort into it, but it had seen better days. Yesterday, in fact.
"So where is this brother of yours?" I asked, wanting to clear this up fast. My headache was nagging me like a friend I owe twenty bucks.
Before she could answer, he made an appearance. He had a babyish face and personality to match. I asked him where he put the remote and he muttered something about choo-choos. Clearly, I wasn't going to get any help from that direction, so I beat it.
I decided to try looking in his usual haunts -- the pretend kitchen, the craft table, the rumpus room, the broom closet. This guy was a real specimen. I checked them all twice over, but I was getting nowhere fast. I decided to go back to the office and think.
My helpmeet showed up around then. He took one look at my face and sighed. "Another remote, huh?"
"Yup."
He decided to get on the blower and order a new one. It's thinking like that that makes me keep him around. That and his cute butt. It sure ain't his filing skills.
We got back in touch with my client and her brother and asked some more questions, but we were still drawing a blank. Finally, my partner spotted the remote. It was in the play stroller, under the brother's baby doll.
"Hah," I thought. "At the bottom of every case, there's always a doll." Actually, this time the case was at the bottom of a doll, but I won't quibble.
It was a Monday afternoon, and the hours were stretching like gum on the bottom of your shoe. I was doing some cleanup on my last case when she walked in: a slender brunette with eyes so deep and dark you could lose your soul in them if you weren't careful. But I'm always careful.
"What can I do for you, ma'am?" I inquired, noting the distracted way she wiggled on the kitchen chair.
"My brother lost the remote, and I want to watch a show." Her voice caught, and I thought there'd be waterworks, but she held it in. "Would you please help me find it?"
"Sure thing, sweetheart. Where'd you see it last?"
"He had it at our house."
Well, no time like the present. "All right, let's go."
She had a big pile of bricks. Impressive, even if they were made of cardboard. We all do what we can to get by. "This way," she said as she crawled inside. I followed, taking in the place. She'd put a lot of effort into it, but it had seen better days. Yesterday, in fact.
"So where is this brother of yours?" I asked, wanting to clear this up fast. My headache was nagging me like a friend I owe twenty bucks.
Before she could answer, he made an appearance. He had a babyish face and personality to match. I asked him where he put the remote and he muttered something about choo-choos. Clearly, I wasn't going to get any help from that direction, so I beat it.
I decided to try looking in his usual haunts -- the pretend kitchen, the craft table, the rumpus room, the broom closet. This guy was a real specimen. I checked them all twice over, but I was getting nowhere fast. I decided to go back to the office and think.
My helpmeet showed up around then. He took one look at my face and sighed. "Another remote, huh?"
"Yup."
He decided to get on the blower and order a new one. It's thinking like that that makes me keep him around. That and his cute butt. It sure ain't his filing skills.
We got back in touch with my client and her brother and asked some more questions, but we were still drawing a blank. Finally, my partner spotted the remote. It was in the play stroller, under the brother's baby doll.
"Hah," I thought. "At the bottom of every case, there's always a doll." Actually, this time the case was at the bottom of a doll, but I won't quibble.