Into the Jungle - Bell
Official Journal: File #---3. Part 2
Crisp air rushed our senses as we stepped outside. The brisk air immediately attacked and killed any leftover warmth that our skin and raincoats clung to. A shroud of mist huddled with the buildings while steam poured out of car muzzles and ventilation shafts. Ivan placed his hand on top of his hat and walked quickly to the alley's dance of shadows. He never liked being in open light, though no one in our team is sure why. There are medical conditions where skin reacts to sunlight, and some people have over-sensitive eyes, but Ivan seemed to crave the dark. I personally do not mind at all, for he scares away small animals and annoying individuals. I moved towards the alley as well. "Do you know where a local bar is?" I asked. I felt another stern look from his hidden face. "Do you mean to gather information, or is this investigation designed to get you stuttering and stomping through the streets?" I chuckled a bit, "Only for information today. Seeing we have no leads, its best to go where rumors tend to circulate." Ivan nodded his head. "There's a bar down about three blocks called Brickston's. It looks like a crumby place, but it's better than nothing."
A short walk managed to find us acquainted with three homeless men and a hot dog vendor. His name was Murray, and he graciously thanked us for coming to town to assist with tidying up some of the investigation work. We said thank you and moved to enter Brickston's. Upon entering, the bartender looked up from his newspaper and walked over to us. This man, dressed in formal black tie and white shirt, offered to take our jackets and motioned us towards the bar-stools. Ivan reluctantly gave his coat to the man, but once he did, I saw that he only more a black shirt and tie under his jacket. The bartender walked away to hang our coats, and we sat down. We glanced around the room to note the other people in the room. Just procedure, nothing suspicious. Most of the men in the room were drunkards and some other rough sorts. After a few seconds, the man returned and said "Good evening gentlemen. I'm Justin, and you -um- sir, are...?" He was carefully moving his head to try getting a clear look at Ivan, but I interrupted him before he pissed Ivan off. "I'm Investigator Bell, and that's Investigator Aquilla."
"Oh! You must be the new private investigators in town! Right then. Drinks on the house today for you two. What can I get'cha?" He donned a big smile and start to wipe off a shot glass for one of us.
"The drinks won't be necessary" Ivan growled. Justin stopped as his back straitened a bit to Ivan's tone. His eyes darted between Ivan and I.
"Sorry, he can be a bit tense. We'll have water with some chips, and we might return to have a drink or two later." Justin's shoulders relaxed a bit to hearing my words, and he replied with "Yes sir". When he left for the kitchen, Ivan gestured to under the counter. I leaned back a tiny bit to get a look, and he had his finger poking at a hole puncturing the bar stand. "What's that?" I questioned him. "Small splintered hole in the wood with some rupturing cracks, I'd say small arms fire" he deducted.
"You know this isn't the safest place in town. Not to mention, this isn't the safest city around either." He sat up and started looking around, then leaned back to me.
"I know. I'm just saying, we need to be ca- ahem." He held his tongue as the kind bartender returned with chips, salsa, cheese, and two iced glasses to be filled with water. "Anything else I can get you guys? I know the TV set is old, but I can get a game on for you two."
"Thanks," said I, swallowing the first salsa dipped chip "but we need information more than sport scores right now.". Justin raised his black eyebrows as if to express "I see where this is going".
Ivan leaned over. "We've been contracted to work in this city because it is supposedly overrun by crime and ghosts, and the police department has not agreed to release criminal records or cases as of yet. So we're hoping to find another source, and seeing that you're a bartender, I'm sure you have heard your share of intriguing ghost stories."
Chuckling, Justin responded, "Why, you've come to the right guy then." He ducked under the bar stand and wrestled some items before pulling out a large book. He dusted it off with his rag and placed it before us. "I was an archaeologist working for the Deinsport Historical Society before the project was shut down. I was able to connect with all sorts of people working for the society. I might be able to call up some people if you, oh hold on, more customers." He darted to the door to help an older couple with their coats. Opening the book, we saw pictures of a faily small but intriguing archaeology dig featuring what looked like some stone formations for some buildings, as well as pictures of other shards of dining sets and other trinkets.
"Ivan?"
"Maybe his old dig site would be a good place to get an idea for the paranormal side of things?" I nodded my head to Ivan's idea.
"Yeah, it should be a good place to start if it has any historical significance. We can call his friends up later." Ivan nodded his head to this, and then took a bite of a chip lathered with cheese. Justin returned after giving the older couple some menus. "Sorry guys, things are about to get busy in here. I can give you my card so you guys can-"
"No need," Ivan grumbled sternly. "just tell us two things. First thing; what were you excavating?"
"Oh, well... the area was supposed to be the original town of Old Deinsport from the early 1800's."
"Old Deinsport, is that excavation site north of here?"
"It is, but our plot is now a popular walking trail surrounded my middle-class homes. Its about a two hour drive from here to there." A quick glance at my watch said the time was closing in on 6. I motioned for Ivan to get our coats. "Alright, thank you kindly Mr. Justin...?"
"Singleton, sir. It's a pleasure to serve. Come back if you need some spirits." He said with a big grin. Ican returned and threw my raincoat to me.
"Mr. Singleton, we may be finding lots of spirits already if we're lucky, thanks for the offer though." And with those final words, we were off.
"Sorry, he can be a bit tense. We'll have water with some chips, and we might return to have a drink or two later." Justin's shoulders relaxed a bit to hearing my words, and he replied with "Yes sir". When he left for the kitchen, Ivan gestured to under the counter. I leaned back a tiny bit to get a look, and he had his finger poking at a hole puncturing the bar stand. "What's that?" I questioned him. "Small splintered hole in the wood with some rupturing cracks, I'd say small arms fire" he deducted.
"You know this isn't the safest place in town. Not to mention, this isn't the safest city around either." He sat up and started looking around, then leaned back to me.
"I know. I'm just saying, we need to be ca- ahem." He held his tongue as the kind bartender returned with chips, salsa, cheese, and two iced glasses to be filled with water. "Anything else I can get you guys? I know the TV set is old, but I can get a game on for you two."
"Thanks," said I, swallowing the first salsa dipped chip "but we need information more than sport scores right now.". Justin raised his black eyebrows as if to express "I see where this is going".
Ivan leaned over. "We've been contracted to work in this city because it is supposedly overrun by crime and ghosts, and the police department has not agreed to release criminal records or cases as of yet. So we're hoping to find another source, and seeing that you're a bartender, I'm sure you have heard your share of intriguing ghost stories."
Chuckling, Justin responded, "Why, you've come to the right guy then." He ducked under the bar stand and wrestled some items before pulling out a large book. He dusted it off with his rag and placed it before us. "I was an archaeologist working for the Deinsport Historical Society before the project was shut down. I was able to connect with all sorts of people working for the society. I might be able to call up some people if you, oh hold on, more customers." He darted to the door to help an older couple with their coats. Opening the book, we saw pictures of a faily small but intriguing archaeology dig featuring what looked like some stone formations for some buildings, as well as pictures of other shards of dining sets and other trinkets.
"Ivan?"
"Maybe his old dig site would be a good place to get an idea for the paranormal side of things?" I nodded my head to Ivan's idea.
"Yeah, it should be a good place to start if it has any historical significance. We can call his friends up later." Ivan nodded his head to this, and then took a bite of a chip lathered with cheese. Justin returned after giving the older couple some menus. "Sorry guys, things are about to get busy in here. I can give you my card so you guys can-"
"No need," Ivan grumbled sternly. "just tell us two things. First thing; what were you excavating?"
"Oh, well... the area was supposed to be the original town of Old Deinsport from the early 1800's."
"Old Deinsport, is that excavation site north of here?"
"It is, but our plot is now a popular walking trail surrounded my middle-class homes. Its about a two hour drive from here to there." A quick glance at my watch said the time was closing in on 6. I motioned for Ivan to get our coats. "Alright, thank you kindly Mr. Justin...?"
"Singleton, sir. It's a pleasure to serve. Come back if you need some spirits." He said with a big grin. Ican returned and threw my raincoat to me.
"Mr. Singleton, we may be finding lots of spirits already if we're lucky, thanks for the offer though." And with those final words, we were off.
No comments:
Post a Comment