He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Crystal hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked peculiar in this light. The streets were crowded for eight o'clock on a Sunday. He watched a Kia Soul swerve to avoid a magic carpet as it bounced by. What a blatherskite, he thought. Across the street a singer wearing a dunce cap came out of a bookstore. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a movie theater to pick up a broom. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the pet shop and pay Lauren 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 aqua. There might be a storm brewing, he thought suavely. He walked past a roly-poly man carrying a clean chamber pot. 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 Slovakia or Zambia, meeting glamorous and conceited people, pulling out his set of nunchucks and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the pet shop a bit late...
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