[Rock Lobster]

I sat in my office, trying to ignore the racket coming from Red's office down the hall, and looked through my ledger trying to come up with something to bill someone for. Rent is always needing to be paid, for some reason. I got nothing. Oh, well, it looked like another month of slipping in and out through the window to avoid Mr Turcic's outstretched hand. Something would turn up. It always does.

As I was getting my harness and rapelling gear out of the file cabinet, there came a merry jingle from the front office. I had had to let my secretary go a month ago, so I had to peek through the door to see if there was someone I really wanted to see. If it was Red coming to borrow some more rounds for his target practice, I was going to give him a piece of my mind about shooting off firearms in a closed building.

It turned out to be someone I did not recognize. A dame. Dressed in black from the beret on her head to the patent leather spike heeled boots. Interesting.

I opened the door fully and walked out. "Hello," I said, "My name's Lobster. Rock Lobster, PI. Mostly licensed and ready for action. Who might I be having the extreme pleasure of meeting?"

"Hello, Mr Lobster," she said in an outrageous French accent, "My name is... Pinwheel. Yes, Zelda Pinwheel."

One of those clients, I thought. "So, Miss 'Pinwheel,' how may I help you? Your old man putting it to the secretary and you need photos for the divorce?"

"Mais non! I am not married. I am looking for someone with discretion to solve a heinous crime!"

"Well, if you need discretion, you should go see Red down the hall."

"I need someone with discretion that does not include blowing up all the evidence afterward."

"He only uses Deb on the tricky cases."

"You come highly recommended and I will pay cash."

She had obviously had recommendations from one of my previous clients. "Go on, I'm interested."

"There has been a murder! In the Moderator's Suite. We need to get the case solved before there is panic."

"A murder case, eh? That's going to be expensive."

"$300 a day plus expenses."

"I'm your man. Where is the body?"

The dame rolled her eyes. "In the Moderator's Suite! Weren't you listening?"

"I was listening, I just wasn't paying attention. Let me grab my hat and take off my rapelling gear so we can get going." I put the fedora on my head adjusted it to a jaunty angle. You have to get the ambience right to be a PI.

As we tiptoed past Mr Turcic's door I began to wonder what the hubub was about. Why not just call the police? What was the big need for discretion? When would the check arrive? All the really important stuff that a gumshoe needs to know. This was going to make the day interesting.