The little glass box called a phone booth was suffocating. Small spaces did bad things to his chest, and worse things to his vision, but he bore through it as the phone rang in his ear.

“Sergeant Bob Diller, Saddlebrook police, how may I help you?”

“It’s Jack. Just checked the Marlows place. I didn’t find much. Landlord didn’t hear anything, neighbor was at sea for most of when they were missing, and I didn’t find anything in their apartment. My guess would be they hightailed it outta here, maybe took a loan before they left.”

“Makes sense, but I didn’t hire you to guess, Jack.”

“Don’t know what you want from me. I can check with the bank and some local sharks, but after that there ain’t much I can do. Case is cold as snow.”

“You’re getting too antsy, Jack. I told you you shouldn’t have left.”

“Nah, it ain’t about that, Bob. It’s just that there ain’t much I can do if I don’t find somethin’.”

“If you don’t find anything, then don’t do anything. Take the payment and hope for something big next time.”

Hope for something big. Mankind spent spent every day hoping, with little to show for it. “Alright, fine.” And that was the end of it.

---

The bank didn’t have anything for him. Didn’t expect them to. They were smart with their money, wouldn’t even think about lending to someone like Joe Marlow. Sharks would, though.

Reuben and Associates - Money Lenders. The sign was well-lit, even in the day, the text a gleaming black against the white background. Hard to miss the sign, though the building was dull red brick, just another piece of the background. It wasn’t even as the tall as the adjacent buildings, but the sign was enough for most.

Inside it smelled of tobacco, the air itself carrying a mist of its smoke that swirled around. He walked by the receptionist without a word. She knew him, and he knew her. Enough to know they shouldn’t bother each other. Instead, Jack walked through the doors to the side of her desk, releasing a wave of white smoke. It poured out like a broken dam until he closed the doors, and for a moment he could see the room with a bit of clarity, though more smoke came to clog the air.

It nearly choked him, the mix of tobacco smoke and incense forming an ocean that he waded through to the back, passing by busy tables of poker games, some cussing at their losses and others exclaiming their winnings, all of them in some sort of formal clothing. They gave him no more than a passing glance as he walked passed them all and through the next set of doors.

“You’re back, Jack.” He shut the doors behind him and approached the man. Like the patrons outside, he wore formal clothes, a grey lined suit with a white undershirt and black tie, a hat as white as pearl on the desk. It was a nice desk, nicest Jack had seen. A dark brown wood, almost black, and smooth as marble to the touch. It cost more than Jack’s office, Jack knew. The rest of the office was just as nice, a series of drawers and cabinets, and a few bookcases, one to the side and another behind the man, each filled to capacity.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I’m back, Reuben. Business, like last time.” Reuben wasn’t surprised. At least, he didn’t seem so. If anything, he seemed more excited.

“Heard you’re a private detective now. What, too much heat for ya on the force?” His grin was wide, and the kind that made you want to punch a man, but Jack didn’t dare touch Reuben, nor did he dare show his anger.

“Just wanted some autonomy, is all. Get to go where I want, and do the cases I want and all that.”

“Oh sure, bet you wanted to come here again, didn’t ya? Come now, Jack. What’re ya here for?” His only saving grace, Reuben. Getting to the point.

“Just want to know if you’ve given out any loans to a Joseph or Maylene Marlow. Both around their 40s, medium builds. Maylene’s got long blonde hair and Joe’s got it short and black.”

“Ya know I can’t give loans out to married woman. And I don’t recall the feller.”

“Too blind to look at your records?”

“Nah, just don’t like ya, is all.”

“Come now, Reuben-”

“Don’t ‘come now’ me, Jack. I told ya, I don’t recall the feller,” Reuben interrupted. Jack inhaled, though he tried to keep his face still. He didn’t like being interrupted.

“What about the woman? She could have lied about her marriage.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. What’s in it for me?” Jack sighed as he reached into his pocket and tapped a paper bill on the table.

“I can pay five dollars.” Reuben’s gaze turned to the money on the table. Always did, the greedy bastard.

“Ten.”

“Six.”

“Eight.”

“Six and a half.”

“Let’s not play those games Jack, we’ll be here all day. I count dollars not pennies.”

“Fine, seven even.” He took the bill off the table, half afraid the man would steal if from him, and took out two more paper bills, tapping all three back on the table. Up seventeen, down seven. Still ten up.

“It’s a deal, then. The woman came in early last month,” he said, flipping a book open, “on the 8th, apparently. Happened to owe me seven dollars, so ya have filled that role.”

“So you haven’t seen her since?”

“I posted a couple guys at her home. Last they saw her was the 18th, came home at the usual time. She didn’t come out, I took them off, we knocked a few days back, nothin’.”

“The guards. How long were they there? Did they take breaks or anything?”

He shook his head. “Nah, we got a system, Jack. If that woman left the building it was after I took my guys off. Simple as that.”

“And when was that?”

“Little after the 20th, when the law started snooping.”

“Alright. Thanks.” Jack nodded at him, then turned.

“And thank you for payin’ the debt.”. Someone would. That was just how Reuben did business.

Jack passed through his doors and made his way through clouds of smoke once again, holding his breath as he passed. The smell would cling to him, but it was worth it in the long run. Ten dollars and a case that could keep him busy for a few days, plus the fee from Bob. It was business, and Jack liked business.

Detective Notes

Current date: May 3rd.

Crime: Missing family. Reported April 23rd, possibly missing since April 16th 18th.

Victims: Marlow Family. The father Joseph (42), mother Maylene (38), and two children, Sarah (13) and Charlie (8).

Address: 67 Broker St.

Additional Notes: No signs of struggle according to police. Neighbors might know more. Neighbor not present during prime disappearance window, reports no activity. No evidence found in apartment. Possibly borrowed from loan sharks and left town. Mother not seen leaving by sharks.