Lost Souls

It was late in the day and the joint was jumping, packed to the rafters with human sweat and cheap booze. A three-piece jazz band wailed away in a corner, ignored by a crowd too busy feeling sorry for itself and too drunk to care. Twists of cigarette smoke spiraled up to the ceiling dimming the lights to an ethereal shade of blue. The squeak and squeal of a dying art kept conversation to a minimum.It had been a helluva day after a helluva week and my immediate future wasn't looking any better. PIs aren't known for their optimism, I sure as hell wasn't feeling the love right at the moment.And then she walked in."e;You Ford?"e;"e;Depends. Who's askin'"e;Gave me the once over twice and made me an offer I should have refused. She wanted someone dead and wanted me to pull the trigger. I wanted to to know why, and why me. Her explanation lacked the conviction of the truly aggrieved but who was I to argue, she was paying in cash. Family, go figure.Hard charging PI Tony Ford is her man for the job, but even he knows a C-note a week plus expenses doesn't cover murder. So what does she really want. That's the trouble with dames, what they say is never really what they mean. He gives himself a week to figure it all out and flush out the true meaning of her plea for help.Armed with his .45 and a growing suspicion the case is more than it seems Ford gets to work. The moment he hits the street bullets start to fly. A damsel who's really not in distress, a shady bank manager and a low-level gangster with high level ambitions only serve to complicate matters.Things go from bad to worse. A confusing web of lies and deceit lead to the death of an innocent, a lost soul that hits home with Ford. This was supposed to be a simple investigation, she didn't have to die just because his heart wasn't in it. Now it's personal.Greed and betrayal rear their ugly heads as Ford makes his presence felt, determined to find the truth and avenge the dead. It's not his best work but the case comes to a close with Ford in the driver's seat, until the car crashes and he barely escapes the flames.