He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Mindy hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked smooth in this light. The streets were crowded for twelve o'clock on a Tuesday. He watched a Buick swerve to avoid a Dodge Neon as it slipped by. What a scurvy bilge rat, he thought. Across the street a typing teacher wearing a heavy layer of makeup came out of a haberdashery. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a barbershop to pick up a spittoon. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the flower shop and pay Hoss 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 positively. He walked past a large man carrying a polka-dotted umbrella. 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 Austria or Azerbaijan, meeting glamorous and childish people, pulling out his sling and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the flower shop a bit late...
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