Rollie Tyler looked out the window as the sky rumbled.
Another stormy night in the city that never sleeps, he thought. His senses conveyed another presence in the room and he slowly turned.
"Mr. Tyler?"
"Who's askin'?"
"Claudia Carlson. I need your help Mr. Tyler... I think someone is trying to kill me."
Lighting flashed startling them both then came the clap of thunder. He heard a gasp and a shadow passed his door then Claudia Carlson was on the floor. He walked over, knelt down and touched her.
"Hey boss...that's not good."
"She's dead Angel." He told his blue eyed assistant.
"I'll call McCarthy." She sighed and headed to her desk.
"Someone was tryin' to kill ya after all." He murmured then searched her purse.
It wasn't long after he heard the sirens of the police and he stood and leaned against the desk. A moment later the cops came in.
"Another murder Tyler?" McCarthy asked.
"Yeah, said someone was tryin' to kill her."
"Tell ya who?"
"Sorry Gatti." Tyler shook his head.
"Say who she was?" McCarthy asked.
"Claudia Carlson."
"As in Mrs. Victor Carlson?" Gatti asked glancing at McCarthy.
"Didn't mention a husband." Tyler shrugged.
"Don't leave town Tyler."
"I know the drill McCarthy." The Aussie sighed.
The coroner arrived and took the body away.
"Watch your back Tyler, whoever did this might think she told ya somethin'."
"Thanks for the warnin', McCarthy."
"Maybe you oughta find another job, Angel, this guy could be hazardous to your health." Gattis smirked.
"I can hold my own." She retorted.
"Bet ya can Angel." McCarthy nodded. "Let's go Gatti, we got a murder to investigate." He added looking at the door.
"She must not have closed it when she came in." Tyler said.
"Yeah, looks like. Keep your nose outta this one Tyler, Captain didn't like you in the middle of the Medea case." McCarthy warned and led Gatti out.
"I know that look boss."
"She died in my office Angel." He replied fixing a loose strand of her blonde hair.
"What'd ya get off her?" She smirked.
"An address book." He showed her.
"Somebody in there killed her?"
"Or knows who did." He nodded.
"It's late boss." She reminded him.
"Death doesn't sleep Angel."
"No wonder it's so ugly." She quipped. "I'll get my steno and a pen." She added going to her desk.
He sat in his own chair and started looking through the address book.
Rollie looked over at Angel who was asleep on the couch. A smile touched his lips.
She was a good fit to his admittedly crazy way of investigating at times. Maybe she was just used to it, her father having been a P.I. too. He turned his attention back to the book and sighed, Mrs. Carlson knew a lot of people, well connected people... not all were what McCarthy would call "legal". Friends of her husband probably. Everyone knew Victor Carlson, legitimate business man by day... not exactly legal casino owner by night. Too powerful and connected for the cops to touch.
"Wonder if he did it." Tyler murmured.
"Boss?"
"Morning Angel."
"You been up all night?"
He grunted.
"Got the killer?"
"Not that good Angel." He chuckled and stood. "I got people to see."
"I'm gonna wash up and change." She nodded and slipped the address book into her purse for safekeeping at her place.
Rollie washed up and shaved in his small office bathroom then slipped his suitcoat and fedora on.
"Taxi!" He called and climbed into it.
"Where to buddy?"
"St. Michael's."
"You got it."
The ride was short and he paid the fare and walked up the stone steps of the church. Respectfully, he removed his hat before entering. No one was around so he sat in the last pew and waited.
"Do you need some help?" A voice asked a few moments later.
"You Father Baker?" He asked the young priest.
"Yes, I am, Mister...?"
"Tyler. Claudia Carlson came to see me last night."
"Oh... I heard about poor Claudia." The priest crossed himself.
"The last thing she said... was your name." Tyler lied and said a silent Hail Mary for it.
"My...name?"
"Yeah. Know why?"
"No, I hadn't spoken to Claudia in over a week."
Rollie nodded and rose.
"Did she...say anything else?"
"No. G'day Father." Rollie nodded and left.
His next stop was to see Rocco DeMure.
Rollie knew Rocco well, they were friends... sort of.
"Tyler." Rocco frowned opening the door to see him.
"Hey Rocco, didn't know you were a friend of Claudia Carlson."
"Who said I was?"
"She did... before she died she said your name, mate."
"Why my name? We talked a few times. I don't know what she saw in Vic." He sighed.
"You had a thing for her."
"She was a good lady. Vic probably did it himself!" Rocco spat.
"Maybe, maybe not. Take it easy Rocco." Rollie said and left the cop.
He grabbed another taxi and headed uptown to a highrise apartment.
Checking the names he walked up two flights, removed his hat and knocked.
"Yes?" A woman wearing a silk robe answered.
"Mrs. Franklin?"
"Yes, Mister...?"
"Tyler. Claudia Carlson came to see me last night... the last name on her lips before she died was yours."
"Come in Mr. Tyler." She said and opened the door all the way.
"Can you tell me why she would say your name with her last breath?" He inquired following.
"Perhaps she was saying good-bye." She smiled seductively at him.
"She thought someone was tryin' to kill her."
"Surely you don't think it was me? I don't kill people." She said running a finger up his arm."Especially people I like."
"Do you know of anyone who might have wanted her dead?"
"Her husband is Vic Carlson... I image a lot of people want him dead."
"Would they kill her to make him suffer?"
"I really don't know."
"Thank you." Rollie turned to leave.
"You don't have to go so soon do you? I have plenty of breakfast Mr. Tyler."
"I'll take a raincheck."
"I'm going to hold you to that." She purred.
Rollie closed the door behind him and put his hat back on as he headed for the stairs.
"I'm sure you will." He muttered exiting the building.
After making a few more stops he decided to check in at the office and grabbed another taxi.
"Hey Angel, any calls?"
"No boss, but we had a visitor." She replied and opened his office door.
"Bloody hell." He smiled seeing it had been tossed.
"Think they were looking for it?"
"Reckon!"
"I'll help you clean up."
"Thanks Angel." He nodded and they set to work straightening the cluttered office.
"Uh... boss..."
He looked over to see her looking at the door and turned to it.
"You're invited to a meetin'." One of the two men in the doorway said.
"Sorry, my appointment book is full, call and Angel will schedule you."
"You're a funny guy." Thug two said and took a step toward him.
"Thanks."
"I hate funny guys!" He replied pointing a gun at them.
"Cancel my appointments Angel, I have a meetin'."
"Smart, but she's invited too." Thug one said.
"Hope I'm dressed for it." She replied as they were motioned out of the office.
Rollie put himself between her and thug two on the drive out of the city.
"So who are we meetin'? I'd hate to be rude and mispronounce any names."
"You'll find out soon enough." Thug one replied.
True to his word they pulled up to a mansion and the gates opened. They drove right up to the house and thug one led them into a room and closed the door.
"Guess we're supposed to get nervous waitin' huh?" Angel asked checking her make-up.
"Probably." He smiled at her in the compact's mirror.
The door opened a few seconds later and three men, including thug one, entered.
"Mr. Tyler, Miss Ramirez, I'm Victor Carlson."
"Sorry for your loss." Rollie said.
"Thank you. My wife said someone was trying to kill her. I thought she was imagining it."
"Guess her woman's intuition was right." Angel said.
"You been nosin' around, what'd you find?" Carlson asked Rollie.
"Nothing."
Carlson snapped his fingers and the second man opened a notebook and began to read.
"Father Baker, Rocco DeMure, Edith Franklin, Tony Hollis, Stu Irving and Gina Marino."
"Looks like you been nosin' too." Angel snorted.
"The lady has a mouth on her." Carlson eyed Angel.
"Want I should fix it boss?" Notebook guy asked.
Rollie stepped in front of Angel.
"You find anything I want to hear from you." Carlson ordered the lanky Aussie.
"You hiring me?"
"Jackson." Carlson nodded to notebook guy who started for the door.
"A.J.!" Rollie called.
Jackson stopped and looked at him.
"Have a good day mate." The Aussie tipped his hat.
Jackson stared at him a moment then left.
"Jimmy, give Mr. Tyler a check, three grand."
The other man nodded, made it out then handed it over.
"I want to know who killed my wife." Carlson said then nodded to Jimmy who escorted them back to their office.
"What do you say to dinner Angel?"
"Sure boss, long as you're buying." She smirked.
"I think I can afford it. Wear the green dress."
"Fancy boss?"
"Yeah Angel, real fancy."
Rollie arrived in a taxi at 7:00 to pick her up at her apartment.
"You got a tux on!"
"Told ya it was fancy Angel." He replied and led her to the taxi.
The driver took them to a club and Rollie escorted her to another door down a corridor. A mean looking man stood at the door eyeing them.
"Rollie Tyler."
The man knocked on the door and a small panel opened.
"Rollie Tyler." He relayed.
"What'r you doing here?!?" Jackson demanded.
"The boss don't let his people play?"
Jackson hesitated a moment then opened the door and allowed them into the room.
Angel batted her eyes at him as they passed.
Rollie led her to a blackjack table and they sat down.
After a while Angel wandered away, snagging a glass of champagne she drifted over to Jackson.
"Your boss is on a winning streak." He commented.
"Yeah." She sighed.
"Not a gambler Angel?"
"No."
"Can I buy ya another drink?"
"Thanks Jackson." She smiled.
He motioned for another guy to cover the door and she took his arm as he escorted her to the bar.
Rollie observed them with a smile.
That's right Angel, get him talking. Out the corner of his eye he saw the door open and a tall statuesque brunette in blue sashayed in. Looking around, her eyes narrowed at the couple at the bar. Speaking to the doorman he pointed out Rollie and she sauntered over to the table, eased into the seat next to the Aussie and removed a cigarette.
"Have a light?" She asked him in a smoky voice.
"Sorry, don't smoke."
She was lit up by the dealer and blew a smoke ring toward the ceiling.
"Play a hand Miss Carlson?"
"Deal me in Tony." She nodded.
"Related to Victor?" Rollie asked.
"My brother, Mister...?'
"Tyler."
They played the hand in silence and Rollie came up the winner.
"Your lucky night." She said.
"Yeah, it is." He smiled.
The Aussie played a few more winning hands then stood.
"Done so soon Mr. Tyler?"
"Call me superstitious but I like to quit while I'm ahead, I also promised some dinner to a friend."
He nodded to her and went over to Angel who nodded and kissed Jackson's cheek before she left with Rollie.
"G'day Father." Rollie greeted the next morning.
"Mr. Tyler." The priest said surprised to see him.
"Thought I'd pay my respects."
"Everyone was here earlier."
"I saw. Jackson looked nearly as aggrieved as Mr. Carlson himself."
"Claudia was his sister."
"That explains it." Rollie nodded.
He was unaware their conversation was being observed as he talked to the young priest.
Fifteen minutes later he was back at the office.
"Hey boss---you know who killed her don't ya?" Angel said seeing his the look on his face.
"I need to make a few calls." He answered with a smile.
Rollie and Angie looked up as the door opened at 8:40 that night.
"You're early." Rollie said coolly. "You bring the money?"
"No! I didn't kill my sister!" Jackson spat.
"Gonna have to do better than that, mate." Rollie said picking up the phone.
"He didn't kill her, I did. Put the phone down."
"I know... Miss Carlson." Rollie replied doing as she ordered when she trained a gun on them.
"You killed Claudia?!?" Jackson gaped.
"You never could have! She was going to ruin everything!"
"You mean she going to ruin your plans to keep skimming money from your brother." Rollie said.
"How did you figure it out?" She asked curiously.
"Claudia had an address book on her, one thing that caught my eye because it didn't make sense were initials... at least until I met you two. A.J. and T.C. with the number 10000. Andrew Jackson and Tina Carlson, ten thousand dollars skimmed. Her brother stealing from her husband, you put her in quite a position. If she told Victor he might have done something very unpleasant to you... both of you in fact, so she turned to Father Baker in the confessional... but he couldn't tell anyone either... and encouraged her to go to the police. She couldn't bring herself to do that and you what... started making her think someone was after her?"
"Cover the door A.J., I'll wrap up these loose ends too." She said coldly.
Rollie stepped in front of Angel as Tina pulled the trigger.
"Ang---!" He shouted.
"Rol?"
The FX man sat up breathing hard.
"You okay?"
He looked at Angie's concerned face.
"Yeah." He breathed then winced.
"How's the leg?"
"It bloody well hurts!" He complained.
"I asked you if you wanted to test the sled before you used it," she sighed and opened his pill bottle. " 'no Ange, it'll work' you said---"
"It did work!" He defended and swallowed the pills she had given him.
"Yeah, til the mags gave out and you fell ten feet and broke your leg! You're out of commission for six weeks boss." She replied and went back to her computer.
Rollie laid back on the couch and glanced at the tv where an old black and white movie was running.
Looking closer a smile formed on his face and he let out a soft laugh.
So that's why I dreamed I was a detective in the forties... an old Bogey film, the Aussie shook his head then turned off the set and let the pain killer put him to sleep.
In the episode 'Shooting Mickey', Rollie used a sled to slide up the garbage chute to get photos of the reclusive ex-mobster Mickey O'Brien. Angie reminded him that the first time he used the sled he broke his leg... thus this story idea was born.