Most private eyes worry about the shadows; Joey Bloom has to worry about accidentally turning on the lights.
Writer’s Prompt
The rain in this city doesn’t wash things away; it just adds a greasy sheen to the bad decisions. I was hunkered down in the sedan, smelling of stale coffee and Pat’s cheap cigars. Pat “Sledge Hammer” O’Rourke sat next to me, a man whose knuckles had more scar tissue than skin.
“Look, kid,” Pat grunted, “the camera is your weapon. You don’t need a heater. You’d probably try to use it as a bottle opener anyway.”
“I’m ready, Pat. I’ve been practicing my quick-draw with a stapler,” I said, adjusting my trench coat. It was three sizes too big. I looked less like Bogart and more like a toddler in a beige pup tent.
Our target was Barnaby “The Goose” Gander—a lowlife cheating on a wife who had enough mob ties to knit a sweater out of hitmen. He stepped out of the Neon Nook with a blonde who had ‘trouble’ written in glitter on her clutch.
“Get the shot, Joey. Keep it steady,” Pat hissed.
I hoisted the Nikon like a bazooka. This was my moment. But as I leaned out the window, my oversized sleeve caught the door handle. In a panic, I didn’t just click the shutter; I tripped the high-intensity external flash I’d “upgraded” earlier.
K-ZAP.
The alley lit up like a supernova. It didn’t just take a photo; it probably gave The Goose a permanent tan.
“Who’s there?!” Gander yelled, reaching into his jacket for something much heavier than a camera.
Pat groaned, “Joey, you idiot, you just signaled the mothership.”
Gander was charging. Pat was fumbling for the ignition. I had a heavy camera, a stapler, and a very confused look on my face.
Finish the Story!
Does Joey find a hidden talent for combat, or does Pat finally decide that “family” isn’t worth a bullet to the chest? How do they escape the “Goose” after blinding him with the power of a thousand suns?
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