The Scrabbleclaw Affair PT2 (Rat PI)

PT2 of 2 of this rat film noir detective story. Enjoy!

I stepped out into the rainy city, held my paw up and whistled for a cab.

“Broadway.”

A big area to be sure: Times Square, theatres, giant department stores. My client did not give details on when or where she lost her sister, but I had one trick up my sleeve.

Paying the cabbie, I shuffled down the sidewalk as the rain patted around me. Even in the rain, the street was clogged with New Yorkers and tourists. I passed by a rat at a hotdog stand and paused near an alley way. Just across the busy street I made out an electric sign showing the month and date.

Perfect.

Taking out my magnifying glass I gazed through the lens at the hotdog vendor, the glass within the center isn’t actually glass: it’s Azithoth crystal. Gazing through the lens, the user can even see apparitions of the past or near future. The damn thing is finicky as hell to use, though. It’s affected by the lunar phases, the direction you’re facing, magnetic fields, height you’re at... It’s usually more useless than useful to be honest, but with some trial and error and if it’s cooperative I can use it.

The cart vanished as I looked through the lens. On the other side of the lens it was midday: I could tell by the shadows. The date a newspaper someone in line was holding was two days ago. Very fortunate. ...For this area anyway. If I changed positions it could change, unless I was extra lucky and my client and her sister would be in this exact area.

I moved down the street a ways. The other New York rats not paying any mind to a rat with a magnifying glass. Rats of all shapes and sizes and all walks of life padded down the sidewalks past me, on to their menial labor or stock market analysis jobs or what have you.

Now where would an older sister take her younger sister on broadway? My eyes settled on the giant toystore. Bingo.

It was time to see if the magnifying glass was going to keep being good for me, again I looked out across the street. The toystore had a giant calendar on their plate glass window I focused the lens upon it.

I breathed a sigh of relief as it showed two days ago, and again from the light and shadows it appeared to be midday. I considered buying a lottery ticket with the good fortune I was having.

I then realized that was a premature thought, this could be the wrong place to look entirely, or even a few minutes behind the disappearance. The spectral figures of the past swirled around as I stared, maybe it would just be easier to see if I could sweet talk the management to see if they had any security cams.

Then I saw them: Neesa, my client and a smaller female rat next to her. They were hand in hand as they exited the store. They turned immediately to the left and melted into the crowd.

I tried to find them in the crowd fruitlessly, but then I saw it a jumble in the crowd as a car pulled up dangerously close to the sidewalk. Though the scene was silent I could hear in my mind the shouts and curses of New Yorkers at the driver.

Next I saw rats in nice suits exit and shortly later return with a young mouse girl slung over a shoulder. I could see Neesa staggering after them as the car took off and sideswiped a taco cart. The angry vendor tossed half filled tortillas at the car.

Not the most subtle kidnapping, but Neesa didn’t file a report…. Why?

I scratched along my muzzle. Neesa may not have filed a police report but maybe the angry vendor filed something for damages to his taco stand. That was worth a try. I had at least a couple of friends on the force. Cliche as it sounds, it’s a fact of life for many a PI.

A few phonecalls, jokes, and deal making later and I had struck gold. A plate number, there was nothing known about a kidnapping just a hit and run being settled by insurers. Again why hadn’t Neesa filed with the police? Her sister could have been found by now.

Following my lead led me to an unexpected place: a manor house in upper state New York, ringed by imposing iron bars and security cameras. I was expecting an abandoned warehouse honestly. Night was falling soon, I had to figure something out and fast I knew this was the place, the same car was on the hill. I wondered if it still had chili con carne smeared on it.

The more I observed the perimeter the less secure I began to see this place, for as long as I’d been standing outside the perimeter obviously watching no one had come to question me.

I cased the place a bit more and found there was an overgrown portion on the East side of the estate. I plodded through the growth to the fence as a flurry of moths flew in front of my face.

I hate insects. Moths especially. Something about their spore covered wings and how they will bash into someone fearlessly. It sets my fur on end. Holding my ears closed in case the little demons tried to fly into them and trying to ignore the chills running up my spine I ran past the moths and found myself at the iron fence, it was a simple matter of scrambling over the top and onto the other side of the fence, my feet landing in the soft muddy Earth from the recent rains.

Now where should I go next? My eyes rested on a basement entrance with a padlock and chain. Good thing I kept bolt cutters in my overcoat.

Padding to the cellar door I looked around before making quick work on the chain and pitter pattered my way down the stairs and into the dark recess of the cellar. I clicked on my flashlight and found myself surrounded by wine bottles. Classy.

As I made my way deeper I could hear voices, clicking the flashlight off I flattened against a wall as I rested a hand on my taser. One of the voices was sobbing, and sounded like a childs.

“I want to go home!”

The second voice was male and spoke in a mock caring tone. “You’ll go home if you can tell me what I want to know. Who’s going to win? I know you can see it!”

“Flabby,” The girl replied.

Flabby? Was she calling the man flabby?

“Flabby is it? Well we’ll just see if you’re right. Then you can go home.”

The obvious liar was obvious.

I heard the door slam and the crying continue. Easing myself from my hiding spot I found the young white furred girl I was seeking. Seeing me she gasped. I held a hand up.

“Are you Lexa?” I asked.

“Yes,” She sniffed. “Who are you?”

“Skreet Snickertooth. Your sister sent me.”

She looked at me in confusion, her ears fluttering.

Taking the music box out I let it play the little tune, Lexa’s tail thumped in recognition as I put the musicbox away afraid someone upstairs might hear.

“What do these people want with you Lexa?” I asked.

“They want me to tell them who’s going to win the fights. The horse races. Everything!”

I tapped at my muzzle, sounded like gamblers or something.

“Well come on Lexa, let’s get you out of here.”

I started leading her out when she spoke again.

“How did you find me?”

I smiled, “Because I’m an amazing detective.”

“Really? Cool.”

“I’ve cracked cases worse than this. Fought tougher goons too.”

Let the kid think I was some kind of hero from a TV show or something, children needed heroes. I could have used one myself growing up.

Just then the door to the cellar opened.

“Thought I heard something…. Hey where’s the kid?”

By that point we were heading up the opposite side, the light of the cellar door opening must have given us away because I heard a shout and running footsteps pattering towards us.

I pushed Lexa ahead of me as a burly rat gained upon us. He started to bellow something at me when he suddenly cried out and went to the ground twitching and hollering.

Have fun with those taser prongs in you, pal.

I hefted Lexa up onto my shoulders as I ran, certain the rest of the kidnappers would be right on our pretty pink tails. We ran till we got to the fence.

“We’re trapped.” Lexa whined.

I looked at the fence seeing a low hanging branch.

“Hey Lexa, you ready to fly? Grab that tree branch when I toss you.”

“Are you insane?” The young doe asked.

“You want to escape?” I countered.

She nodded and I flung her to the branch, the girl grabbed hold for dear life as I scrambled over the iron fence. I was halfway over when a big lug grabbed my tail, he tried to jerk me back but I still had a grip on the iron fence. I cursed at him when suddenly he fell back.

Lexa was pelting him with pecans, lo and behold it was a pecan tree growing by the fence. The kid had spunk. I liked her. I finished getting over the fence as I held my hands out for Lexa to drop into. With a short squeak as she fell right into them and we were off.

We lost our pursuers somewhere between the woods and the main road. Deeming it safe I spoke to Lexa.

“So what’s your story kid? Why do they want you?”

Lexa wrung her tail in her hands. “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

“Sounds like you’ve got quite the burden for one so young then.”

She pouted a bit as she spoke again, “I never asked for it, but my mother and I both suffered from the curse. She calls it a gift, but it hardly feels like one. So I call it a curse.”

I said nothing wondering if she would go into more detail. After the silence became deafening I spoke again.

“Do greedy people use this curse of yours?”

I already knew the answer. I'd seen it myself after all.

Lexa kept her silence. But her silence said a lot.

Flabby was the nickname of a prizefighter in an upcoming fight, that was a very telling clue.

After I’d made the arrangements Neesha met me in the office Lexa running up to her and hugging her.

“Thank you for finding her, Mr. Snickertooth.”

I nodded as I looked at the two of them together.

“I’m glad I could find your daughter.”

Both looked at me, ears flattened.

“What? It was obvious. The resemblance, the age gap.”

“Very clever.” Neesha said coldly.

“Scrabbleclaw isn’t your actual last name is it? You’re part of one of the old lines. You’re able to see into the future.”

Neesha drew in her breath, “That is an oversimplification. We can make guesstimates, but we are limited in what we can do. And if we use our gifts for greed.. Then there are consequences. There’s a reason we all vanished from thronerooms and governments.”

I nodded. “Of course, well you need not worry about me. In fact if you need help relocating I can help there. Free of charge.”

Neesha grunted, “I knew I had a good feeling about you.”

Link to original story:

The ScrabbleClaw Affair PT2-2 by MercenaryBlade on DeviantArt