Isaac Pasternack
Short Story
Ms. Wilson-Scott
1/18/08

Tahoe and More: 99 cents

    Bullets flew left and right. Steve was ducked behind a trash can, he could see his partner Spencer crouched behind a crate a few feet away. It was right then when we began to put everything together. She had set them up and he should have been smart enough to realize what she was doing. However, he put it all together about five minutes to late. As we has thinking Spencer stepped out to take a shot and one of the men shot him in the chest, he doubled over. As he was falling down he gave Steve an unmistakable look of disappointment, one that would haunt Steve forever. Steve got up and ran out of the store, shaking and crying over is lost partner.
    Steve awoke in his bed shaking and drenched in a cold sweat. This was the third time that week he had had that same dream. It had been five years since he had remembered that night. He walked over to his sink and splashed some cold water on his face to remind him it was only a dream, it would never happen again.
..................................................................
    November 15th: A woman named Sarah came into my office today. She was going on and on about a man named Ignacio and how he had kidnapped her brother over some type of debt. She offered me five hundred dollars to check out his store so I agreed I would look into it. I visited the store which is in Kline Village. The name of the store is “Tahoe and More: 99 cents”. The store was very unusual. It had an odd assortment of items, ranging from electrical hardware to shoes to tobacco pipes. The store was also run by an equally suspicious looking man, named Ignacio. Word on the street is they call him “Big Iggy”. He is my prime suspect in this investigation. I could feel his eyes on me as I was quietly snooping around in the store. My next step is to stake out the store after hours to hopefully catch a glimpse of illegal activity in the store. That is all for this report.
Signed,
Steve Spade.
    It was dinner time. Steve Spade had just gotten in. He was greeted by Margeret, who was holding a big plate of food for him. He sat down at the table and began to pick at it. Margeret could immediately sense that something was wrong.
    “What’s wrong Mark? Did you have a bad day today?” she asked in her melodic, sincere voice.
    “Why do you always call me Mark? My name is Steve Spade.” Margeret knew Steve Spade is what Mark liked people to call him but she also knew that his real name was Mark.
    Margeret thought for a moment and said, “It’s because you’re too cute to just be named Steve. Mark is the best fitting name I can think of for such a handsome man.” Hopefully that got him off the subject of his name she thought to herself.
    “Well, ok.” Steve replied, “As long as you know my name is Steve. It’s all right for you to call me whatever you want.”
    “Thanks, so how was your day at work today? Is that what's troubling you?” Margeret asked, it was hard for Steve not to be in love with her when her voice was so amazing to listen to.
    “My day was good, I was hired for a new case by a woman named Sarah. She wants to me look into some trouble her brother may have gotten into. I took a look at a little store over in Kline Village. I believe its a front for some type of illegal gang activity, run by a guy named Big Iggy who Sarah claims kidnapped her brother.” Steve paused, “I wrote my first case report about the place and I’m gonna go and stake it out tomorrow.” He paused again, “I think I’m really onto something with this store. You shoulda seen the place Margeret, it was so peculiar.”
    “That sounds intense Mark, just be careful that you don’t get yourself tangled up in anything illegal. I wouldn’t wanna see you get yourself hurt ok?” Nobody cared for Steve the way Margeret did, and he appreciated everything she had done for him over the years.
    Margeret left his room, on her way out she was greeted by another nurse.
    “How is he doing? Has he made any practice?” the other nurse asked curiously.
    “I’m not sure. I think he might be reliving the case when his partner died, I can’t say for sure but that is how it seems to me,” Margeret answered, Mark was her most interesting patient.
    November 22nd: I returned to the store today. I walked up and down the narrow aisles. I don’t think even two people could walk side by side down them. I also began to notice a weird smell coming out of the back of the store. It smelled like burnt rubber mixed with freshly laid tar, just disgusting, I am not sure of the source of the smell exactly. I assume it is something illegal Big Iggy has got going on. Big Iggy definitely noticed me snooping around today. I fear I cannot return during the store’s hours without a disguise. I think I’m really onto something.
Signed,
Steve Spade
    Steve lay in his bed. He was running through different approaches to the situation at hand. He wished his partner was still around to help him out. He knew he had to act quickly, otherwise he risked losing his opportunity to catch Big Iggy. While in contemplation Margeret came in.
    Steve watched her walk in. She was wearing her white suit to dinner. She looked gorgeous, and he couldn’t help but stare.
    “Mark, dear, come with me. It’s time for dinner.” Margeret paused, “We’re having turkey tonight.”
    “It’s hard for me to say no to you Margeret, but I think I’m gonna skip dinner tonight. I’m just not that hungry right now. I have a lot of work to do. Maybe I’ll eat some leftovers later. I’m sorry dear.” Steve sat down at his desk and began to write in his notebook.
    “Ok Mark but I think you really need to eat. I also am not sure if there will be any leftovers later but I’ll save whatever I can for you.” Margeret left Steve’s room and he heard her footsteps down the hall all the way to the dining room.
    Steve began to review some of his older case files to see what he had done in situations like this before. He sat at his desk reading through his notebook for hours and he made one huge conclusion. He realized he needed a partner, someone to help him with his investigation. In every one of his old case files it was on record that his partner Spencer had assisted with the stakeout. Going over his old files brought to Steve memory Spencer’s funeral. Steve remembered how Spencer’s wife Maryann had wept over Spencer. Steve realized now he needed to get a new partner. He had to get the word out around town that he was looking for a partner.
   
    He placed an add in the local newspaper that read:
    Partner wanted for small time private investigation job. Late hours, low pay. For the daring/adventurous.
    Contact Steve Spade
    555-1342
    About a week later Steve a man came into Steve’s office. He was tall and skinny with a pointy nose and greasy brown hair. Steve liked the look of him immediately, he vaguely reminded him of Spencer.
    “Can I help you sir” Steve asked hoping that the man had come for the partner position.
    “My name is Lloyd Archer and I’m interested in the partner position you posted in the newspaper,” he stuttered and continued. “I, I, I would really like this job.” His resemblance to Spencer was uncanny, Steve had to hire him.
    “Ok I just have a few questions for you but these are mostly a formality,” Spencer nodded.
    “Have you ever done detective work before?”
    “No.”
    “I must warn you this job is dangerous, I’m gonna be perfectly honest with you my previous partner was killed while on the job, and I don’t want to see this happen to you. Are you still interested in the position?”
    “Very much Mr. Spade.” Lloyd was shy but Steve saw potential in him.   
    “Well ok then, Lloyd, work starts at eight o’clock a.m. sharp tomorrow. Don’t be late. Have a good evening,” Lloyd headed for the door. “Oh and Lloyd, wear something snappy tomorrow, look like a man huh?” Lloyd gave Steve a nod and walked out the door.
    Margeret had watched the whole interaction through the glass viewing window, wondering who Mark was talking to the whole time. She had taken copious notes during Mark’s conversation and was almost ready to present his case in front of the board of directors.   
    Steve and Lloyd worked hard on the case for several weeks, but they came to continual dead ends. Big Iggy was bullet proof, they were unable to catch him in the act. After a month Steve decided they needed to pay their client, Sarah, a visit. They headed across town to the address Sarah had given them.   
    She answered her door with a frantic look in her eye. “I just received a letter from Big Iggy about my brother, I want you guys to read it,” she dug into her purse and produced the letter. “Here,” she said as she handed it to Steve.
    The letter read:
    I will safely return your brother to you for the sum of fifty thousand dollars, bring it to the store at one thirty a.m. tomorrow.
    Steve examined the letter. The whole thing seemed suspicious to him. The letter had been written on what looked like a piece of paper from a hotel but the seal was too faint to make out.
    “You are sure this came from Big Iggy?” Steve asked, he was determined to get to the bottom of this.
    “Yes, he’s written me before and I recognize the handwriting,” Sarah said with a painful look in her eye.
    “Ok if this is all true then this sounds like our chance. We have to go with you tomorrow to the store and assist with the retrieval of your brother.”
    “Oh thank you so much, Steve, I don’t know what I would do without you.”
    They left her apartment. Steve gave Lloyd the night off, he wanted him to prepare for the following night’s work.
    Margeret was fascinated by Mark’s behavior, he was living a completely imaginary life. Her report was one day away from being ready for the board.
    It was one twenty five a.m., Steve and Lloyd were parked outside “Tahoe and More: 99 cents”. Sarah had gone in and they were planning to sneak in ten minutes after her. It had been ten minutes, Steve prepared a speech for Lloyd.
    “Oh boy, Lloyd, I never thought your first couple of months with me would yield this crazy of a case but these things happen. We just gotta go in there and do our jobs and save Sarah’s brother and bust Big Iggy, I know he's up to something and tonight its over for him.”
    “Right boss, lets do this,” Lloyd pulled his revolver out of his holster. “I’m ready.”
    They got out of the car and made their way around the back of the store. They approached the door, they could ear faint voices coming from the store. Steve thought he heard Sarah’s voice saying “get ready them Iggy” but he convinced himself it was just his imagination.
    Steve gave Lloyd a three count and then he kicked the door down and they busted in. What they saw they never could have anticipated, Sarah was pointing a gun right at them, she had been waiting for them.
    “I’m sorry it had to end like this Steve, you’ve really helped me but now I have to kill you,” she cocked the gun. “See ya.”
    Suddenly Steve rolled out of the way and ducked behind a trash can, Lloyd dropped to the floor and took refuge behind a storage crate. The bullets began to fly, Big Iggy had emerged and so had three of his thugs, all wielding shotguns and shooting like mad men. Steve tried to get some shots off but as he ducked out he was immediately greeted by the barrel of a shotgun and he rolled back behind the trash can. Lloyd was not quick enough however, he ducked out and was met with the blast of a shotgun right to his face, he keeled over and fell to the ground. Steve ran for the door and he managed to get out. He ran to his car cursing himself and the day Sarah walked into his office. He was responsible for the deaths of two of his partners, he didn’t know how he would stay sane with the guilt. He fell asleep finally.
    Margeret put her notes together and approached the board, they were watching her suspiciously.
    “My patient report is on patient number twelve, Mark Moore. He is a former private investigator who continually relives a case in which he was completely responsible for his partner’s death. He lives in a completely fantasy world where he’s a private investigator named Steve Spade. I have tried to snap him out of this alternate reality he has but I have been unsuccessful so far. I hope to one day help him to come to terms with his guilt and what he let happen. Thank you.” Margeret left the room and went to talk to Mark.