Part 3 of 3
Read the full text, as well as the show notes, at http://flashpulp.com
Tonight, Mulligan Smith, PI, stumbles upon a pair of missing women - and much more.
The Skinner Co. Network
FP331 - Mulligan Smith in Can’t Live with Them, Part 3 of 3
Some days glue me my hours are slumberless dear is the shadows I live with by nonetheless little white flowers will never awaken you not where the bright culture soul is taking you Angels have no fire ever tuning you or they'll be angry if I so don't join you Welcome to Flashpulp, Episode 331 This evening we present Mulligan Smith in Can't Live With Them, Part 3 of 3 This week's episodes are brought to you by Nutty Bites Hi I'm Nuke Chas, the host of Nutty Bites and hi I'm Tech, Nutty's regular guest or antagonist Our podcast is like a call-in show where geeks get to debate topics about speculative fiction We don't really debate Sure we do, we debate topics such as lame superpowers, the best villains and our favorite apocalypses We're more like Brant, Rave and then have massive nerve ridges People call in from all over the world, sometimes minor celebrities and we've even had some supervillain show-up Do you ever notice that you never have any superheroes or good guys? I'm a good guy, compared to what? Mmmm, antagonist, not really a guest MaddyBites, Nimlas.org Flashpulp is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in the modern age 3 to 10 minutes of fiction brought to you Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings Tonight, Mulligan Smith, PI, stumbles upon a pair of missing women and much more Mulligan Smith in Can't Live With Them Part 3 of 3 Written by JRD Skinner Art and narration by PoponX and audio produced by Jessica May [Music] Maxwell said Mulligan as he stepped from the tricell It was Smith's third early morning in a row Though this time he volunteered for the duty He had news he was eager to deliver and a paycheck he was even more eager to collect He found his client in much the same position as their initial meeting Though the Dachshund was no longer roaming dirty as yellowing front lawn Mulligan felt it was best not to mention the dog Instead, he said "So, as I told you on the phone, I've got some good news for you" Maxwell nodded but continued to fuss with his maroon tie The detective's break had come almost exactly 24 hours earlier Though the questioning phone calls necessary to confirm what he'd discovered had absorbed the rest of his day The first domino had dropped When the blue and red haired crossing guard had intercepted Smith on the way back to his car "You looking for Mrs. Carver?" she asked "I used to say good morning to her every day" "Huh" replied Smith, his hands in his black hoodies pockets "I mean, I try to help everyone, but generally Mayfield would make her cross the street a little ways down" The woman twirled her sigh in as she spoke, rolling the red octagons handle with well-practiced fingers Clearing the lingering sleep from his eyes, the private investigator took a second look at the 20-something He asked, "Were they always that creepy?" The safety worker couldn't help but smile Lita was nice, I think she knew that it was weird to walk her teenage son to school But it seemed like she was made to Her husband, Marshall, is... Well, you've met him Smith nodded, it being only moments after the man's speech on human butchery Despite the early hour, his mind slipped into the habits of his occupation First names and familial opinions had piqued the PI's interest Mulligan, he said, "Katelyn," she replied "Have you been working here long, Katelyn?" She motioned to the grade school on her left and the high school on her right I spent way longer at both of those than I was supposed to And I've been working this job the five years since I guess I'd burrowed deep enough into the hearts that mattered, and they let me stay Doesn't pay big, but there's a weird sense of power to it Some tiny, rusted kid wanders up to me And I have this magic shield I can use to carry them safely past the line of snarling F-150s and revving civics For the thirty seconds we walked the pavement together Feels like I'm doing some good She shrugged, but Smith was suddenly awake That's when he asked, "You must have also known Monica Doherty then" From there it had taken only the implication that he knew some uniformed men who'd be interested in talking to Katelyn, and he'd had the full story Now however, all he said was I spent most of yesterday making calls and running down leads I've found your wife Generally, Smith would back his statement with an explanation of his methodology Especially in a situation like this one, whereas client might opt to avoid payment But the circumstances were such that he felt it was best to keep the specifics fuzzy The PI was right to be concerned She's in Texas, and it seems she isn't coming back He said, though he didn't mention the tale of brutal slaps in her sleep Or the constant insults that were the apparent result of Maxwell's perpetual drunkenness Both details had come to light during Smith's telephone interview with the woman If the Dachshund had been at hand, Mulligan felt sure Doherty would have kicked it As it was, the red-faced man still seemed to be searching the yard for something to injure That bitch, he finally said, his winds are not forgotten She's in a program for women in her situation It wasn't easy to even confirm she was alive replied Smith, not adding that those same difficulties were exactly why he should be paid You would have known when her lawyer contacted you for the divorce But I guess they'd like to save that for the final step of her recovery Maxwell had taken the end of his tie in his right fist And was squeezing it while staring at the horizon There was something in the violence of the wasted motion That made Smith glad he hadn't mentioned the crossing guard with a dual-toned hair Or the role the woman had played in facilitating the flight of both Lita and Monica It had been she who'd planted the idea and passed along the appropriate phone numbers Well, asked the husband, where is she? I already told you, Texas, answered Smith Don't worry though, I've notified the officer working your missing person's case That's what you really want, isn't it? Maxwell snorted, and for a moment the morning air contained nothing but bird song and distant car engines Well, he ain't been much fucking help at all, have you? Doherty finally announced I did what you asked, I found your wife, replied Mulligan Yeah, but you just said she would have contacted me when she was ready So what the fuck did you really do? I'll give you half the price you asked for Smith noted that if the tie could have changed colors as it was choked, it would have become royal purple His lips tightened, but he held his tongue Maxwell, however, didn't No, fuck it, I ain't paying you shit, why should I? Smith's business sense told him to keep his mouth shut till his client had had time to cool But there was only so much he could take from a dog-kicking drunk with a taste for hitting his wife I'd advise you to reconsider, Max I happen to be friendly with a law firm which is familiar enough with my work to let me ride free until you've paid If you've never heard of them, think of Solomon and Woodard as the legal equivalent of a nuclear bomb strapped to a rabid bear He zipped his hoodie then, adding, "I'd appreciate if you pony up quick, frankly, as Monica's hired half the office to extract her alimony" I know, because I'm the one who recommended them to her [music] FlashPulp is presented by FlashPulp.com and is released under the Creative Commons attribution non-commercial 3.0 unported license Text and audio commentaries can be sent to comments@flashpulp.com But be aware that they may appear in a future flashcast We'd also like to thank the FreeSound project found at freesound.org For a full listing of effects used during the show, as well as credits for the users who provided them, check this episode's notes at flashpulp.com And thanks to you for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please tell your friends. [music] Sunday is gloomy, my hours are stumbled. Here is the shadows I live with are stumbled. [music]