He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Renee hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked archaic in this light. The streets were crowded for ten o'clock on a Wednesday. He watched a Cadillac swerve to avoid a BMW as it tramped by. What a clown, he thought. Across the street a butcher wearing a lab coat came out of a liquor store. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a malt shop to pick up a dead frog. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the shoe shine booth and pay Chum 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 camouflage. There might be a storm brewing, he thought anxiously. He walked past a tan man carrying a hefty Lego set. 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 Peru or Georgia, meeting glamorous and young people, pulling out his silver bullet and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the shoe shine booth a bit late...
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