...Byline Houston

...Byline Houston
A short story by Diana Weeks

Jack makes it to the hotel room death scene before the cops. He was in the Rice Hotel bar when the maid Irene came out of the elevator screaming. "He's naked and dead. His face all blue..."

The manager Jeff, races out of his office and Jack catches up with him. In the elevator Jack grins. Jeff frowned, "How'd you get here so fast? Who tipped you off?"

Jack smile widens splitting his freckled face into deep dimples and his red hair flops over his forehead. "I'm abundantly adroit at covering my crime beat."

Jeff shakes his index finger at him. "You were drinking in the bar."

Jack’s brown eyes light up. "You know, Jeff, that's usually where trouble starts. Don't you agree?"

Jeff scowls looking at his watch, "And it's just one in the afternoon."

"It's my lunch hour." Jack winks.

Jeff Charles looked around the elevator, though the two friends were alone, "Jack, I'll pay your bar bill if you don't use the hotel's name."

Suddenly, the elevator stops and they have a clear view past the open door. They see a face down thin man with a red silk tie between his teeth, his rear end still resting on his folded legs..

"Let's look" Jack whispers, walking ahead into the room to circle the corpse. Jeff heads for the phone to call the police, his back turned. Jack felt for a pulse. "He's gone. I guess it was too good… for his own good."

Jeff didn't turn. Jack slips a photograph from under the man's face. The nude woman looks familiar. He puts the photo on the nightstand.

While Jeff is still distracted. Jack goes through the guy's clothes thrown neatly across a chair. Jack tries to get a better look at the dead man, turns to open the curtains and gasps. He knows him; Tom worked for another paper but drank at Al's Bar and Cantina. Damn, a drinking buddy.

Jack moaned remembering who the girl was. The "chip" of a jealous married police officer.

Jeff hung up and turned. "Come on this side so you can see his face," Jack said.

"I don't want to look" Jeff answers. "I'll wait in the hall."

"No, stay in here just cover your eyes, first look at this picture pointing to the nude blond. "I bet you recognize her."

Jeff looked. "You think he was with her?" Jeff asked.

"No. You know who she mostly hangs with?"

Jeff nods "Mickey Mandell, the cop who killed an unarmed teenager and got off?"

Jack's head leans up and down. "The dead man is a pal. Worked for the Post, his wife is nice.” Jack pulled the curtains closed. “Did you see Mandel around today?"

"He never comes in here. Do you think your friend was murdered over a dame?"

Jack frowns in thought…as tears slipped down his boyish face. "I think he had a heart attack. He must have hired Big Red, the whore from England that likes to paddle bad boys."

"I don't understand that fetish." Jeff confessed..

Jack sniffed and blew his nose. "I think Tom went to boarding school. Let's keep Tom's wife from being hurt thinking there was another woman.. Help me put him on the toilet. Then I can make my story nasty but innocent.

"You're going to get us in trouble." Jeff argued.

"Will you back me up, Jeff?" Together they carried the man into the bathroom and propped Tom on the toilet. As they turn the body falls. Jeff yells.

"Don't worry that looks more natural." Jack assures picking up the phone and dialing, "Stoppp, the presses...have you got your pencil? Or have you learned to type?" speaking into the mouthpiece and signaling Jeff to shut the door and lock it.

"An unidentified body has been found at a downtown hotel at noon by maid, Irene Fisher who screamed "He's naked and looks dead.

“Jeff Bennett, popular Rice Hotel manager said a bar customer borrowed a room key because he was having chest pain and needed to lie down. "I was calling an ambulance from my office when the man was discovered." Bennett says.

"See the next edition" Jack concludes "as names are being withheld pending family notification and results of the police investigation." Jack pauses. "Gotta go the cops are on the way."

"Popular, you say?" Jeff grins.

Jack speaks very clearly. “Jeff, tell the cops Tom was sweating and looked sick” Just then sirens wailed.

Jeff walked into the hall. "Popular? I guess that means I'll have to pay your bar bill and lie for you?"

"A beat reporter who can't write something the desk likes… can't add two plus two."

The sirens stopped. Jack grinned at his friend. “Thanks.” Jack slaps Jeff on the shoulder, and hums a bar from his song, THE GOOD TIMES and they wait in the hall. Seconds later Police are rushing out of the elevator.

Jack laughs. "Remember what happened to Trent at the grave digers convention?"

The lead cop answers Jack. "Yeah, Trent got matched up with a one-tited whore?"

Then the Captain orders "Wait out here, I want to talk to you both in a minute," and closed the hotel room door.

Jack punches the button for the elevator. "Shall we wait in the bar?"

Jeff shakes no. "I'd better get back in my office and call my boss in Pittsburgh."

"I'll have a drink for you just because you're so popular." The men shake hands and part.

THE END
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