Jack Mackerel and the Case of the Perished Pianist
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Conclusion
©2018 by S. Seifritz
“So Miss Dare, what makes a hot number like you want to enlist the services of a private dick?”
“Somebody murdered my husband.”
“Sounds like a job for the boys in blue.”
“I can’t go to them. They think I did it.”
“They think you offed your old man?”
“No, they think I killed my husband.”
“I see. Did you?”
“Do I look like a killer to you, Mr. Mackerel?”
“Not at all. Now why don’t you holster that gun and give me your story.”
She slipped the pistol into a holster under her dress, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else she might be concealing.
“So,” she sighed, “where do I start?”
“Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you read you begin with A-B-C. When you sing you begin with do-re-mi.”
“Do-re-mi?”
“Do-re-mi. Now, why don’t you tell me a little about your husband.”
“He was a pianist.”
“Ahh, so you didn’t care for him.”
“No, a pianist — with the philharmonic. You may have heard of him — Philip Dare?”
“The Philip Dare? Wow. I guess that’d make you the wife of the late Philip Dare.”
“Correct.”
“You must be pretty loaded.”
“We weren’t as well off as people think.”
“Huh? I was just picturing you drunk. What makes the cops think you did him in?”
“They knew that he was planning to divorce me.”
“Looks like he did it the hard way. Why’d he want to lose a gem like you?”
“He found out I was fooling around on him.”
“What was wrong? His piano wasn’t grand enough?”
“He wouldn’t make love to me.”
“You didn’t mention he was blind.”
“He wasn’t.”
“Then what gives? You’re hotter than a black dashboard in the noonday sun.”
“He loved his music more than he loved me.”
“I’d like to see his music. So why do you want me to find his killer? So you can thank him?”
“I never said I wanted you to find his killer.”
“Why else would you be here?”
“I want you to find some lost keys.”
“Keys?”
“Yes.”
“Keys to what?”
“I’m not sure. Possibly a safety deposit box.”
“Someone killed your husband, and you want me to find some keys that you’re not even sure what they go to?” I was beginning to think this dame was nuttier than a Mexican Sundae.
What’s with the keys? Why is Jack so familiar with The Sound of Music? Who could go for a Mexican Sundae right about now? To be continued tomorrow!