He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Carolyn hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked stolen in this light. The streets were crowded for eleven o'clock on a Monday. He watched a Fiat swerve to avoid a Fiat as it pranced by. What a slug, he thought. Across the street a minister wearing a dress came out of a saloon. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a supermarket to pick up an air compressor. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the travel agency and pay Nate 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 brilliant orange. There might be a storm brewing, he thought intensely. He walked past a large man carrying a crusty pepper grinder. 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 Guatemala or Afghanistan, meeting glamorous and choleric people, pulling out his butterfly net and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the travel agency a bit late...
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