Chapter Two
From Wikinovel
The staccato blaring of a broken neon sign woke him. He watched it pulse pink on the ceiling. The grimy clock on wall said it was seven o'clock. Was it morning or night? Ed wasn't sure. His head ached. He groped under in the blankets and pulled out a nearly empty bottle of Southern Comfort. Ed sat up and took a swig. Then he stood and put on his good wool coat. He started for the door, but thought better of it when he remembered the two months back rent he owed to the old lady at the desk. Instead he went over to the window and forced it open with his shoulder. Paint chips showered his coat and got into his hair. He straddled the window and then swung his legs out toward the street, slipping as he did so. He hit the ground hard, and the bottle still clutched in his right hand bounced hard on the pavement. The bottle didn't break. Ed took another swig.
Ed completed his escape by rounding the corner and ducking into a darkened doorway of an out of business antique shop. He pulled out a cigarette and tried to light it, but all he got a soft clicking sound of a lighter that had run out of butane long ago.
A voice floated from someplace out in the twilight.
"You can stop sneaking 'round Hennaman, the landlady ain't spying on you here." The gravelly voice was familiar. "Got a gig for you. County,if you can handle it, don't pay much." Detective Jim Blakefield stepped into the lamplight. "Jesus Ed, you look..." the detective stopped himself, "You've looked better Ed"
"Hey thanks Jim. Thanks for cheering me up!" Ed's deep voice managed to sound jovial despite his sorry condition.
"You still got that old busted lighter Ed? Why don't you get a new one?" Jim pulled his own lighter from his coat pocket and lit Ed's cigarette for him.
"It was..hers. Can't get myself to part with the damn thing", then Ed reflected as he puffed morosely at the cigarette. Ed looked Jim in the face, he didn't want to discuss this topic anymore, but Jim knew the story. Ed's daughter was burned alive by accident trying to set fire to her own home in an effort to collect the insurance money. Ironically, Ed gave her the lighter as a present for her 21st birthday, because he didn't have any money on him.
"Do you want the job Ed?", Jim changed the subject.
Ed smirked, "Depends what it is Jim."
"Couple kids went missing in the woods. We need someone to help track them down. The Ranger broke his leg yesterday and we're too busy to send an officer out there. I thought maybe you'd like to give it a crack. There's a reward, if you found them."
"Huh, stupid kids; probably too stoned to care", Ed spat on the floor.
