He walked out of his building, still pondering the case. Irma hadn't given him a lot to go on, but he had plenty to think about. The buildings of the city looked smelly in this light. The streets were crowded for four o'clock on a Monday. He watched a Mustang Convertible swerve to avoid a UFO as it whirled by. What a buzzard, he thought. Across the street an air traffic controller wearing a corsage came out of an antique store. You don't see that very often anymore. His first stop was at a cigar store to pick up a baby doll. No luck; they were sold out. Well, no time like the present to stop by the boutique and pay Thad 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 terra cotta. There might be a storm brewing, he thought again. He walked past a gorgeous man carrying a nice rock. 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 Laos or Jamaica, meeting glamorous and insane people, pulling out his poison dart and whacking anyone who got in his way. Sorry to disappoint them; his worst problem was boredom.
He arrived at the boutique a bit late...
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