Steve Sloan slammed the door behind him as he walked into his house on the beach. The memo he had received just moments prior to leaving the station was still wadded up in his hand. He was a homicide detective. He should not be assigned such assignments. Never mind the fact that it was a homicide case but it still should have been assigned to a lower ranking officer or someone with less seniority at least. Steve shook his head and headed for the kitchen. The smells emanating from that direction told him that was where he would find his father.
“Hey Steve,” Dr. Mark Sloan greeted his son, cheerfully. “Dinner’s almost done.”
“What is it?” Steve asked ruefully.
“Remember that meat loaf your mother always made?” Steve nodded and grimaced slightly. Mark didn’t notice and continued. “Well I found the old recipe and
added a few special ingredients. Along with potatoes au gratin and green bean almondine.”
“You’ve been busy this after noon,” Steve said, attempting a smile.
Mark did not miss a thing. “What’s wrong, Son?”
Steve thrust the well-wadded piece of paper into his father’s hands. “I got a new
assignment.” Steve watched as Mark read the memo. The deepening lines in Mark’s
forehead told Steve that his father was trying hard not to laugh. “Dad, it’s not funny.”
Mark cleared his throat and did his best to put on a serious expression. “Of
course, Steve. This is serious police work.”
“That’s right. An investigation. A murder investigation at that.” Steve was trying
to convince himself as well as his father.
Mark smiled and gave the memo back to Steve. “Well, I’m sure you will do a wonderful job, just like you always do. They couldn’t have found a better officer for the
job.”
Steve gave Mark a sarcastic smile. “I’m sure there’s humor in there somewhere.
Since I absolutely refuse to do this alone, I have to nominate someone to assist.”
“You’re going to drag someone else into this?”
“Dad!”
“Sorry, Son,” Mark said stifling another chuckle. “I couldn’t resist.”
“You never can.”
Before Mark could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Steve opened it and Jesse Travis, donned in shorts and a floral print shirt was standing there holding his surfboard. He quickly brushed past Steve and into the kitchen. “For the next three days, nothing but sand, surf,” Jesse began.
“And girls,” Steve finished with a huge grin.
Jesse returned the grin, “Right! And girls!”
“I think I just found my assistant,” Steve said.
“No way!” Jesse yelled.
“Come on Jesse. You have been begging me to let you help with an investigation.”
“A real investigation. With bad guys, and guns, and shoot outs, and car chases.”
“This is a real investigation,” Steve countered. “There was a murder and I have to
find the murderer.”
“Steve, do you realize that it’s perfect surfing weather and I have the next three days off? I am going to spend it surfing every wave.”
Two blond women walked down the corridors of Community General Hospital. The unsteady clicking of their pumps hitting the tile echoed off the plaster walls. The
taller one was wearing an orange floral print dress with a huge collar and the shorter one
was wearing a green paisley skirt with a purple striped blouse. Both looked nervous, and
to one hospital administrator, one Norman Briggs, they looked suspicious. He watched them as they slipped in to the pathology lab. He was careful to stay out of sight, so he
could not hear the conversation but he watched their every move.
Amanda gasped in horror as she saw the sight in front of her in her very own path
lab. Next to the corpse getting up and walking out the door, this was the last thing she expected to see.
“Is something wrong?” the taller woman inquired. The shorter one only looked confused.
“I should say so!” She pointed to the taller woman’s dress. “That. It’s 20 years out of date. And you,” She said pointing to the shorter woman who looked astonished,
“Paisley and print, augh! What are you thinking?”
“You knew it was us?” the shorter woman asked in a suddenly masculine voice.
“Of course I did. No self-respecting woman would be caught dead in those clothes. And besides, Mark called me.”
“And told you all about it right?” Steve wanted to know.
“Laughing the entire time, I imagine,” Jesse added.
“He thought you two needed a woman to give you fashion advice. Now I see why. My shift ends in 2 hours. I expect you both here. Right here,” and she pointed to the
floor of the path lab to emphasize her point, “for an afternoon of shopping. All free of charge.”
“Except the right to laugh hysterically,” Jesse said wryly.
“Out, I’ve got work to do.” Amanda shook her head as she watched Jesse and Steve leave the path lab. Their attempt at pumps made her chuckle. She was about to close the door behind them when Norman pushed it open. Amanda sighed. A run in with Briggs was not on her list of things to do.
“Amanda. Who were your friends?” He wanted to know.
Amanda thought fast. “Old friends. From high school.” She thought that would satisfy Briggs but he didn’t leave. “Something wrong, Norman?”
“The tall one… is she, you know, available?”
Amanda nearly choked. This was too good an opportunity. “No, Norman, I don’t think so. In fact,” she said tapping her finger on her chin, “she was just telling me how
she would like to meet a nice man for a change.”
“You think I’m nice?” Norman asked.
“Oh the nicest.”
“Very good,” Norman said rubbing his hands and heading for the door. He turned back just as he reached it. “Flowers, what kind of flowers does she like?”
“Carnations. White carnations. And if you’re interested, they are meeting me here when my shift ends in two hours.” Norman smiled. The next two hours were going
to be grueling, Amanda thaught.
