Welcome back! Last week's clue was a 8 letter word for divert attention and, of course, the answer is 'Distract'. Congrats to those who guessed right. Don't forget to play along, just include your answer in the comment section and then come back next week for the answer!
For those just joining Mickey Spencer, AC, you can play catch up by clicking on
Mickey's page at the top of the blog. All previous parts are there in one place, no need to go clicking around. Briefly, Mickey is working her first case as a private detective - an infidelity case that may not be as straight forward as she first thought. Let's join Mickey as she gets ready to follow the suspected adulterer around for the day.
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Part 11 ~ Hall & Oates 1981 Hit Single ("They're watching you") ~
I arrived at Carol and Ray’s house just as the door opened and a dark-haired woman emerged into the sunlight followed closely by Ray. Photos, I needed photos. I pulled into a neighbor’s driveway two doors down and across the street with a silent prayer to the Private Detective Gods that no one would be home and report my activities to the police. With one eye on the rear view mirror, keeping mystery woman and Ray in my sight, I searched the passenger seat for the camera I had borrowed from work.
She stopped beside a grey car. Unless I got out of my Rustmobile, walked across the road, and leaned down to read the manufacturer’s decal there was no way to know what kind of car she drove, other than grey. And it was small. Ooh, a grey, compact car. And newer than mine. I felt better.
I twisted in my seat and aimed the camera at the scene playing out on Ray’s driveway. Thankfully, I knew more about cameras than I did about cars and zoomed in on the couple as they stood facing each other. Appropriate distance apart, no sign of intimacy. Both adhered to the personal space rule.
Another click of the camera then I focused specifically on her. Around 40, so older than Ray and Carol. Business suit, similar in color to her car. Plain white blouse perfectly tucked in to well-fitted pants. In good shape and I briefly wondered about someone staring at my ass and what they would say. I made a mental note to do some exercising.
She smiled at Ray and I clicked the camera button again. They shook hands, she moving a soft-sided briefcase to her left hand, telling me she was right-handed, and he impressing me by not offering her the you-are-so-fragile-I-will-only-hold-your-fingers shake, but gripping her hand solidly. He held the car door until she was settled, closed it carefully, and lifted hand in farewell before turning away and moving to his own vehicle, a red truck. Big, two-door, red.
Ray would be heading to the bar and that’s where I should have been going, too. I was to follow Ray. But he’d be at work for almost three hours and I had already determined there wasn’t much there to investigate. Besides, thanks to Hot Dick, I was in for a long day and didn’t want to spend it smelling like an ashtray. The mystery woman was much more interesting. And on the move.
I tailed the grey car at what I considered to be a comfortable distance. Only once did I have to punch the gas pedal to squeak past an orange, almost red, light so not to lose sight of her. The honking horns brought unwanted attention, so I switched lanes and put my turn signal on as if pulling into a parking spot. Then, I slipped back into traffic and maintained my two-car length surveillance. Until she turned onto a residential street.
In seconds I had to decide whether or not to follow her down the tree lined boulevard.
Worried that I had perhaps been spotted for my run through the almost red light, I kept going. But I watched for her appearance in my rear view mirror, found the nearest place to turn around and headed back to the entrance of that boulevard. I parked my car. A quick check of my brand new city map showed that the residential section had only one way in and one way out, just as I suspected. I stuffed the camera in my purse, locked up the Own-a-wreck and walked in the direction the grey car had taken.
I didn’t have to go far to find her car parked at the curb of a large, brick house. Of course, she could be across the road at the other large, brick house, but I went with my logic that she would park closest to her destination. I walked past and crossed the road, digging in my purse for my notebook to record the address. Then I pulled out my camera and began taking pictures of the neighborhood, circling around until I faced her car and the house.
A wheel chair ramp took up most of the front lawn, the wood chipped and in need of repair. The window boxes, meant for flowers, were also in disrepair with the two in the upper windows dangling precariously from their brackets. Through the lens of my camera I could see the curtains in the windows, all drawn, and all faded plaid, except for the bottom right window. Blinds adorned that space and, although down, they were louvered open and I could see the mystery woman standing in an office across from an older woman at the desk.
"Can I help you?"
~Copyright: Janet S. Corcoran 2010
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So, People of Blogland, how did your week go? Any news to share? How about a snippet from your current WIP?
BTW - I'm also blogging over on
The Prairies today and giving a bevy of links to summer contests. If you're thinking about entering, there's a good selection with details :)
