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Red never stops amazing me. I had no idea you could make a phone do things like that. He hung up and turned to me.
"Well, Rock, old pal, looks like you're goin' to get real busy real fast. I need you to track down the kidnappers so we can stage a rescue that would make the Third Army proud."
"I'm sure their mothers would agree," I said. Sometimes living in this temporally displaced office building can lead to confusion. As far as I knew, there was only one Army and the Marine Corps. Maybe he was referring to the Navy. Being from Deepinnahearta, Texas, he may have never seen the ocean. "Where does this not so Little Juan hang out?"
"His uncle has a place in Riverside. That's where I usually go when I want to discuss things with him."
Riverside. Wonderful. In my day, it was a quiet town with a bank, a bar, and a church. In the current time line that Red worked in, it was a sprawling "suburb" with fast food joints, and hardware superstores scattered around like cards after Harry the Hook tries to shuffle them.
"Not for nothing, but what is a noir detective like me going to do in Riverside? There's not a dark alleyway to be found anywhere near there. And don't get me started on jogging housewives."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine, Rock." Red seemed distracted.
"What are you going to be doing in the meantime?"
"Ummm... Stuff. Best you don't know about it in advance. I'll give you a jingle when I have anything for you." He pressed a thing the size of a woman's compact into my palm, along with a wad of Franklins and his business card with some numbers written on the back. Then he turned and acted like he was busy observing the keyboard of his fancy pants phone.
Taking cue to exit stage right, I walked out into the hallway. At least Turcic was going to be happy about the rent for a while, so I could leave by the front door. Riverside. I was going to have to borrow my cousin's flivver again.
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