Chapter 1: My Salary!

Red takes the long and grisly walk towards her workplace. She felt the night air engulf her body as she continued her brisk walking. She forgot to bring her coat with her so she had to brave the freezing air.

So cold…

It was night, the usual time for people who looked for private detectives. She weathered the catcalls, insults, and brazen approaches to get to work. After all, she desperately needed the job.

Unfortunately, after being harassed by loan sharks, drug dealers, and even members of the mafia, Red was almost always prepared for a fight. If some random guy approached her because they found her as easy prey, they were wrong. Three hospitalized men, and one pending court case proved her ability to defend herself. 

After a bit more of walking, Red saw their office in the distance.

Not being harassed by anyone else, Red heaved a sigh of relief. She didn’t want another court case.

Looking around, Red doesn’t see her boss’ car. Remembering her boss, Red rolls her eyes.

Late again.

Dale Maxwell, the detective that owns the Red Moon Watchers and Red’s boss, was an ex-cop who decided that he disliked being a policeman under the thumb of extremely corrupt officials. Before he left the force, he made sure to gather enough blackmail material to make himself untouchable. 

Using the money he saved from working most of his life and the untraceable cash he found when snooping around for blackmail material, Dale Maxwell created his own private investigation agency. 

While Dale had a respectable background, he also developed a lot of bad habits due to his work. He no longer had the support of the police and he could get killed without anyone around to have his back. 

So, he turned to drink, women, and occasionally, drugs. 

Red sighs.

At least, the guy is a good detective.

Red respected Dale, when he was at work. As a private detective’s assistant, Red had to engage in a lot of rather dangerous work. Fortunately for her, Dale was patient and she was a quick learner. 

Skullduggery.

Sleight of hand.

Misdirection.

Dale taught her a lot of skills that would be enough to put Red in jail. Fortunately, her skills prevented her from going to jail.

Eventually, Red reaches the building that had their office. She looked around again. She didn’t find her boss’ car.

Hmm… weird.

Red saw a car in one of the building’s parking slots. It looked normal but Red knew something was off.

The car looked clean and so did the plates but the wheels were old. The car was obviously cleaned but the plates were truly new. It had no scratches nor any weathering. Red looked around.

No one’s watching me.

Approaching the car, Red looks for the VIN number. After memorizing it, Red then looks at the tinted windows to check the insides. The insides of the car were completely clean. There was no design or any sign of knick-knacks. It was devoid of any decoration or individual marking.

Yeah, this car isn’t supposed to be here.

Backing away, Red looks around. She frowns.

Don’t tell me… these people are looking for the boss?

Red frowns. 

Gangsters, thugs, wealthy people, politicians, and even members of the mafia, Red has seen all of them come to the office with a job or a bone to pick, with most of them being the latter.

Due to that, Red was used to dealing with such people. Dale also taught her the right skills so she can deal with them with her life still intact. 

Tsk… should I leave for the day?

Contemplating just leaving the office, Red remembers the date. It was the end of the month and if she didn’t get her salary today, she would be out of the apartment. She was 6 months late and she had a cacophony of bills to pay.

Not to mention… mom… 

Red frowned as she thought of her mother who was still asleep in her hospital bed. Ever since the accident, she has never woken up. She was still alive but she was in a perpetual slumber or more commonly, a coma.

Red sighs again.

It’s always money… Hmm… maybe, I can blackmail one of these bastards for money.

Red ignores the devious thoughts that appear in her mind, then she climbs the staircase towards their office. 

There was no sign of her boss nor any other individual. There was no distraught wife, angry husband, or vengeful friend. 

Approaching the locked door to their office, Red goes to the plant box near the railings.

Ugh… so bright.

Looking at the bright fake hibiscus plant, Red pulls it out. The plant smoothly comes out of its dirt enclosure, revealing an empty spot where a key should have been. Red purses her lips. The extra key to the office was missing. Someone took it. 

Stupid plant. I always told Dale that this catches way too much attention. 

Putting the plant back, Red turns her head to the door leading to the office. She reaches for the doorknob then it starts to turn.

Running with almost no sound, Red jumps off the railing and immediately hangs on it. The plants were put in a spot that prevented people on the top to see the hanging person’s hands. 

Red bent her legs so that the lower floor wouldn’t see her dangling legs. It was a dreadful experience but she was forced to do this in her job interview by Dale. When he saw that she was physically fit, he hired her. 

Grade 4 ballet class, thank you!

Doing her best not to make any sounds, Red tenses a bit as she hears the office door open with its signature creaking. 

When she asked why Dale didn’t have the door fixed, it was meant to be a warning for him or her every time someone entered. After all, everyone expects a bell or alarm and both of them were easily disabled but not everyone remembers that a door creak can make a loud sound.

The door closes again. 

Then she hears the sound of footsteps as the source moves away. Once the sound of footsteps reached the staircase, Red slowly pulls herself up, just enough to see the back of the person that came out of the office. It was a man with neatly trimmed hair. Not being to see their front, Red couldn’t pinpoint if the man was a thug from a nearby gang or a troubled husband. 

Mafia?

Pulling herself up, Red pats her clothes then she walks to the railings. She sees the man walking away towards the car she identified as a suspicious one.

Despite being two floors up, Red could see that the man was wearing expensive and high-quality clothes.

Okay, that rules out gangsters… well at least, it rules out low-ranking gangsters. Might be a boss?

Red quickly climbs down the staircase to get a better look. She sees no visible tattoo which is partly due to the monkey suit the guy was wearing.

Mafia? No obvious bowl hat or fedora… Mob boss?

Feeling watched, the well-dressed man turns around but Red was already hidden behind the railings. After a quick survey of the area, the man enters his car. 

So, he’s a rich mafioso? Also, young, so a messenger? Or possibly higher ranked? If he is, then he would have bodyguards… unless he does and I just didn’t see them.

Red stops herself.

There we go again. Overanalyzing. The boss told me that I only need to focus on the important aspects. If I overthink, I’m going to add too much useless information. 

Standing up, Red goes to the front office door. She opens it and enters the office, only to find a very messy room.

Red closed the door then locked it. To be honest, she was used to such a mess. There were times that a group of gangsters came to murder Dale. Fortunately for the two of them, Dale was out due to a job and Red was in the hospital tending to her mother and father. Going back to work during that day was a stressful endeavor because Dale heaped all the cleaning to Red. 

After locking the door, Red started to search the room for any clues or any information she can find. After a while, she finds out that the one who searched the room was incredibly thorough. There was no rhyme or pattern as to what papers or documents were searched. It was as if the man simply came here to make the room messy.

Bust. Boss still isn’t here. Usually, he’d leave a note. The safe then. 

Red goes to the main desk. The desk was messy with papers everywhere but the desk itself was mostly unmoved. 

Didn’t find the safe.

Red kneels downward and removes a hidden metal bar that locks the desk in place. After removing both bars, she pushes the desk to the side. Looking at the carpet underneath the desk, Red heaves a sigh of relief.

Didn’t even try to move the carpet. I guess even experts have moments they fail… or the man isn’t an expert and I’m just overthinking it.

Red pulls the carpet away revealing the cement floor. Red touches the floor with both hands, looking for an edge. 

Aha!

Red finds the edge of this cement floor and pulls it away, revealing the actual cement floor and a square hole where a metal box was in. She puts the cement-colored linoleum to the side. The metal box had a handle on its top. Grabbing the handle, Red pulls out the heavy metal safe.

She grunts a bit but she manages to safely put the safe on the side. 

The safe was a custom-made thick metal box with a dial combination lock. It also required a key, something that both Dale and Red had. Pulling out the weird key from her suit, Red inserts it in the safe. 

3.

8.

4.

7.

2.

After putting in the right combination, Red turns the key and opens the safe. 

It was empty.

“Fuck.”

Wait, there’s a note.

Taking the note, Red opens it and reads it out loud.

“My dear assistant,

I must apologize for my sudden disappearance. It seems that the last case that I’ve worked on has come to bite me on the ass. You need to hide too. I can’t say much except don’t look for me.

Love, Dale.”

After reading the note, Red turns it around.

Wait, that’s it?

Feeling absolutely nothing, except slight revulsion, Red taps the top inside of the safe. She removes the cover to reveal a small safe spot. 

She couldn’t see it as easily as the main safe but she could feel around it.

Did that ass leave something? Aha! 

Pulling out the only thing she could touch in the hidden safe spot, Red takes out a ring made out of some purple metal. It was topped with a beautiful sapphire that was surrounded by small rubies. 

Wow, this looks nice… very enchanting… I kind of want to wear it…  

Red snaps out of it and then she remembers the reason why she’s here in the first place.

Wait no! Where’s my salary?! 

Red pockets the ring and slams the safe door close. Still fuming, she returns the safe in the hole, reinstalls the cement-colored linoleum, puts back the carpet, and returns the desk. Once she puts back everything, Red locks the desk. 

No, there has to be some money somewhere. Even a few hundred will help pay the bills. Please please, let there be money.

Red spends time looking for money but she finds no sign of her money. There wasn’t a cent, dollar, or buck to be seen in all the mess inside the office. Pissed, Red kicks over a lamp. The lamp falls to the ground and breaks. Fortunately, Red had the rationality to remove the plug, or else their non-insured office would surely burn to the ground. 

Realizing that damaging any of the office furniture could reduce her pay, Red stops herself.

Calm down… The boss is gone… that’s the usual… but-

Red’s thoughts suddenly stop as she realizes the gravity of the situation. Dale always disappears due to his job but he has never taken out the documents in the safe which included passports, national ids, social security numbers, and other important information. The safe usually has a lot of money, ranging from 10,000$ to 200,000$ but it was completely empty. 

Fuck… where do I get my money…

Red’s thoughts were about to go a bad path but she quickly snaps out of it.

Documents. We have records. Dale mentioned the last case. 

Red takes out the documents regarding their last case. 

Okay… basic missing person case. Young girl, by the name of Anna Aspert, 19 years old, just got off college and reported to the police that they were being stalked. Stalker not identified… Case surrendered.

Red felt weirded out. Dale has never marked a case as surrendered, only success, finished, or failed but never surrendered. Despite feeling weirded out, Red continued. 

Address.

Red sorts through the information or lack of in the document. 

St. John 13th street… That’s a bit far… but it’s the closest lead I’ll get. Goddamit Dale, what happened to you… and why the fuck didn’t you leave me my money!

Red goes to their stock room and takes out a .22 revolver and 12 bullets. She takes a switchblade and a derringer that can hold two shots. 

Just in case… Now… let’s get that bread.

Red exits the office and makes her way down to the streets. It was already night but she really needed the money. Morning couldn’t wait. 

While Red follows the streets towards the bus stop, a certain vehicle was quietly following behind her.