I sat in the interrogation room, tapping my cast against a cold steel table, the like of which I had become well acquainted with the night before. My general appearance had improved greatly; I had been checked into a very nice hospital where I was bandaged up and kept for observation. After the much-needed rest, I was taken back to the precinct to answer some questions and do a sketch, somethin’ that had been skipped the first time, due to my injuries. The police visited this precinct, only to find it had been abandoned several years before; the room I was kept it was exactly how I said, missing only the madman who had tried to do away with me. The sketches proved difficult; I was convinced that the man who tried to shoot me and the man who clubbed me were two different people, the first probably being a henchman whereas the second was probably a hit man, or, if said person was very hands on, the person who wanted me dead. After the cops had finished with their questions, they gave me a lift back home, after ensuring that no trace evidence had been left by my kidnapper; they had been cleaner than Martha Steward. I shut and tightly locked the door and tried to decide what to finish first; lookin’ into the Don, or that bottle of whiskey. I decided to save the liquor until after I had no use for logical thinking. The first thing I did was walk to the phone and dial up the well-proportioned Valerie Nickerson. One of her daughter's voices came from the other end, “Hewlo?”

“Hi sweetie, can you put your mom on the phone?”

“Owkay…MAWWMMYY…” Ripping the phone from my ear, I patiently waited for the sultry voice of the soon-to-be-single 40 year old woman to pick up.

“Hello, this is Valerie.” Came the voice from the other end of the line, I was shocked at how cheery she sounded, just days ago she had slammed a door in my face.

“Hello mamn, this is Jack Silver,” I paused, waiting for an exclamation of recognition, when none came I added “the PI you hired…the private investigator.” At that I received an

“OH! Of course, what can I do for you?”
“I was just checking up, making sure that you’re ok.” An awkward silence ensued.

“Is that normal in your line of business?”
“Y-….No, not really.”
“May I ask what the special occasion is?”

“Well…It’s not often I get a client with children, I thought I’d check back to make sure they’re getting along ok.” I lied through my teeth.

“My kids are fine; we’re perfectly fine with out Mr. Nickerson. Will that be all?”
“Well, as long as you’re on the phone,” I persisted. “would you mind answering a few follow up questions?”

“I’ll do my best.” She said, with an air of skepticism.

“Your…husband, he’s a senator, is he not?”
“He is.”

“Has he ever been implicated in anything…questionable before now?”

“What’s the real reason you’re calling, Mr. Silver?”

“Well, Val-”

“Mrs. Nickerson will do.”

“Well, Mrs. Nickerson I’m thinkin’ that your husband may have been wrapped up with somethin’ else, besides that woman.’

“Mr. Silver, do you enjoy the movie Chinatown?”

“Yes, mamn, I do.”

“I suggest you go back to watching it and leave me alone so I can prepare diner for my kids, goodbye.”

“Wait! I suspect this because I was attacked the night before last”

“Excuse me?”

“In my home, I was knocked unconscious then kidnapped.”
“Well that’s awful, and I’m glad you’re ok, but simply do not see what this has to do with me or Donald.”

“Well I was attacked the same day that I finished your case, do you think that’s a coincidence?”

“Yes, sir, I do. Goodbye.” I heard a click on the other end that told me Valerie was hiding something.

“She so digs me.” I whispered under my breath.