He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Elsa hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked ruined in this light. The streets were crowded for five o'clock on a Sunday. He watched a moped swerve to avoid a forklift as it ran by. What a whippersnapper, he thought. Across the street an optometrist wearing a military uniform came out of an auto repair shop. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a gift shop to pick up a flower. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the haberdashery and pay Jughead a visit. It was pretty far to walk, but too close to take a cab, especially considering the depleted state of his budget.
The sky had a tinge of white. There might be a storm brewing, he thought victoriously. He walked past a scraggly man carrying a fluffy Big Gulp. A bit unusual, but it probably meant nothing. As he walked, he felt other people staring at him. He glanced at the faces. If they knew he was a detective, they'd probably think he leads an exciting life, jetting to Malta or Guatemala, meeting glamorous and statuesque people, pulling out his stick of dynamite and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the haberdashery a bit late...
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