Once upon a crime.
Trounce upon a rhyme
This morning was crispy before the sun set out. It was not clear when the noises began in the street. Familiar clatters, jangles and clanks of the wooden panels unfolding slowly and taking shape. The drill of it was well learned by the one performing it. Each hinge and each joggle paired to hold the plywood structure jostling from the red brick building. The posters were already glued; some corrections only were needed to the one flagging down. Like every day at that hour, the bottle green International Press Kiosk was rising like a phoenix of its ashes. It really took no time at all for the plump lady, even if she was dressed more heavily. A scarf, mitts and a sherpah hat were hiding her feature. The pale blue winter coat was not adorning her waist line, but adding so much to it that she gave the impression of being pregnant. Rays of blonde curly hair were loosely straying in the back. And that was on that handle that one pulled to announce his arrival.
A startled, a cloud escaping the mouth region then a prudent laugh surrounded the man and the woman. They hug and he left her there. Short after, a white van cruised unhurriedly aside. The alarm resounded as the vehicle backed aside the newsstand. Two men disembark.
The song of a chain then the one of a metal sliding door perturbed the silent street furthermore, but briefly. The woman joined the two others in the back of the truck. Well wrapped in plastic, stack of newspaper are unloaded. All of them had a picture on the cover: The one of a little girl with long black hair disguised in star. There was no time so they paid any attention to it. The woman jumped out the cubicle, scampering into the kiosk that bobbed each time she was bringing on one more mountain of newspapers.
Soon the stall was filled up at its full capacity. The trio parted, one running to the truck while the man seen previously with the woman hugged her again.”That is all Oriel. Have a nice day.”he said to the woman having built the stand according to the usual method.
“Ya too, see ya at four!” she responds, letting him go.
The white van advanced through the narrow street and soon faded away.
The winter gears were then removed, the woman patting herself and rubbing herself during the process.”That is getting cooler!” she mumbled with a look to the sky. It was changing of color, almost of consistence, like if the night was heavy compare to daylight. Amazed and admiring the moment, Oriel was active nevertheless, placing all she could so the patron got to find what they needed.
She glanced into the alleyway between the red bricks building and the browner one, expecting to see a well-known shadow there, a tall lean stature. But from there, nothing erupted but Mister Peel, that dreadful beast from the depth of the city. It was running after a rat; delicacy for cat in deprivation. Oriel observed an instant the uncertain fight between the two. The animal with the cow like fur sustained some bites, but finally got reason out the grey creature of the sewage. The blonde got white, stomach turning. She quickly placed her glance away while the cat strolled toward the stand. Its plan of delighting itself under the newsstand was disturbed by a heavy pace and a clear whistle in the dawn. A rapid movement brought him back in the shadow.
“Hello Mister!" trumpeted the tenant of the kiosk.
She crouched under the counter and there was a thermos bag there. She unzipped it and brought out a coffee. She extended it to the man.
"Is it not a good day?" She said, entering into matter.
"A good one, indeed. A good one." He pronounced taking the coffee.
After he smiled back, he guiltily looked every where around by under the cap.
The plump blonde giggled.
"So, one of each?"
The young giant nods slowly, sipping in the coffee.
Oriel was gathering all the newspaper without truly looking at them. But also, she tried to not stare at Enan, standing there in front of the kiosk. She remarked something while looking to a window over the kiosk.
“Allo Hannah! Got your newspaper this morning?” she called up.
The curtain moved and Oriel attention was soon attracted by the man voice.
"Nice twin you got there, Ma’am." He offered to a woman.
But the woman fled. The tenant was astounded by that reaction.
“What a rude woman!" she expressed.
The oversized man shruged. "I feel there is more into this than just rudeness, my dear. Did the girls appear alright for you, beside the fact they are twins, I mean?" His voice was emotionless, but in his eyes there was a light of curiosity glimmering.
"Now that you ask me..." The salesgirl leaned over her counter to look toward where the trio vanished. She couldn’t see them, of course. By now, they were but dots at the end of the street, but she pointed. "There's something. I can’t put my fingers on."
But that was all. Oriel helped Enan in rolling up the newspapers around his waist and when he left, the surrounding of the kiosk was far from deserted. Too many ptrons to please at the same time.
The once freezing clerk was flustering with heat now. Money was getting out and the stack of newspapers were depleting.
The day got really bright. The young saleswoman made extra-effort to not set her gaze behind a pair of sunglasses. The encounters of this morning were far behind all that happened since. And that is crazy how much can occurred in front of a newsstand by a sweet Saturday of October.
Almost midday, soon Oriel will be allowed to rest. She was at this since three in the morning. The trucks all come at four. And Enan was there at five. Perfect time with the sun rising. But with the street light, it made almost no difference up until it was around ten and finally the light in the sky settle in front the kiosk.
Around five thirty, the saleswoman heard a shattering of glass and Hannah shouting something that the echo of the allay distorted. Oriel heart delayed a beat or two. Even the patrons that were fighting on the American’s election ceased there quarrel, looking at each others.
"Any idea of what is going on?" asked another regular: Roberto.
"Oh…" Oriel said with a nice giggle. "No worry with that. That is only two colorful individuals of this district clashing on each others."
"Like a household scene?" He questioned.
The curly blonde head nodded to that with a frank laugh. "I didn’t expected that one, but, indeed, like a household brawl. Only there, the victim is not the one shouting that loud." She let know while concluding the transaction. There have been more noises and to each Oriel was tempted to close her shop and to go see.
She simply stays there, though, expecting that Enan will get out of this one again, without more than a scratch. Despite she feared a moment that Hannah will get her way on him. "She'll finish by doing that, putting an end to Enan life." She confided to another regular.
The man smiled. He knew Enan and the constant squabble with Hannah. So he patted Oriel.”No worry. That just spice up his life. He’ll miss her when he’ll move away.
Silence again, in fact, for a short time, the birds song was about the noisiest things around.
Time flew and the saleswoman got into a kind of slumber, mid-way from being totally aware of what was going on around her. She doodled on a pad of paper she set in front of her. All to make the lull less dull.
The carillon of the cantina must have rung twice till Enan left her there, to her work. The buzzing of the customers taking advantage of the break they had to buy a newspaper interrupted her in her daydreaming. The white paper in front of her was full of drawing that even she can’t make head or tail. As she lifted her head to pick one of the daily, she suddenly seized, her eyes widening. The newspaper was pulled back from the client lend hand.
She peered at it till the patron protested.
“What?Oh, yes, alright. There you go…pardon me!” she exclaimed.
The buyer stared, mumbling something, as he got away from the stand.
Oriel already forgot the incident, she was all shocked. She brought the stool and precariously sits on it behind the counter.
“You never did that, everything fine?” asked over a rough familiar voice.
The woman startled, a palm placed flat on her breast and gasping. The stool tipped over and although she was to stand, a big hand held her arm carefully from the entrance of the newsstand. The fingers ran from the cap of her elbow till half of her upper arm.
The stool rolled behind her heels, stopped by a newspapers’ stack then rotated back. It sways back and forth like till someone Oriel merely noticed halt the movement and replaced it back on its legs.
“Oriel?” emitted again Enan. That was him holding her arm so carefully. He was bowing in the structure, still a leg out.”Please, answer…”
“I. I am alright…just… Enan…have you saw…have you seen her? She is everywhere!!! They are rather. Look!” she replied, quite elated, as she dislodged the elbow from the secure support of her acquaintance.
She shifted herself in the tight space only to face the person that had fixed the stool back in its standing position. “Pardon me, mister, you aren’t supposed to be there, in the kiosk with me.” She made, interrupting her previous behavior. “Please, Enan, would you be kind enough to lead this customer out?”
“Hum, that is not a customer, not at the moment.” Began the giant.
Oriel frowned. ”Well, he is not supposed to be inside, anyway.”
“That is Ilario Smallaugh. An inspector from Tranquil.” Enan continued on his introduction.
The inspector moved out with Enan unfolding the same way.
“From Tranquil? Madam Burrow has the arm long or …” the saleswoman rushed to the counter, looking from under the screen of the kiosk to her giant regular.”Or you got into trouble there?” She was alarmed and shortly scowled the young man. ”You should really try to be discreet, Enan, they are not all like Inspector Segale, you know?”
Just as she mentioned Ryllie, this one stepped from behind.
“Oh my, he is in troubles!” made Oriel, holding on the first finger of Enan with concern painted on her face. The usual smiling lips are pulled downward.
“No, not at all Miss Wekken.” Reassures the woman.
“Then I am? Am I?” added the worried miss, searching in the drawers, suddenly. ”We have a permit to be there. Let me find it.”
Enan took gently a newspaper and thrown it open delicately on the counter.”They are there for her.”
Oriel slowed her fidgeting, swallowed and nodded. “Yes. We saw them… err. Her. This morning. Passing with a very rude woman.”
“From where they came and to where were they heading, Oriel?” Asked Ryllie.”That is very important” she insisted in front of the innerved lady.
The clerk swallowed again.”We ignore where they came from, hey Enan?” Without waiting for the other to answer, the saleswoman folded over the counter and pointed toward the end of the street, copied by Enan a bit higher from the ground.
Simultaneously, they declared:”They went that way.”
Then looked at each other with an approving nod.
The pair of inspectors did a similar move, Ilario took a notepad and carefully noted the details. “What was she looking like, the woman with the little girls?”
Enan parted his hands apart and announced to Oriel:”You are better than me with it. That is why I brought them here. I just can remember she was dark haired.”
The blonde nodded to that with a broad grin. She tapped on her lips with her index, pulling together her memories of the, without doubt, very short episode. ”Alright. She reminded me of…who she was?What was her name again? She was the wife of Bruce Willis? You know…”
In the silence that followed, the gaze of Oriel wandered toward Ryllie, in quest of some help.
Both women gasped, deep in deliberation. The men scratched their heads.
”Demi Moore?” exclaimed the women at the same time, with a nod.
”Exactly her.” Confirmed Oriel.
A glimmering showed in each man eyes’corners.”In Stripetease?” asks Enan.
For it, he deserved an insulted look from the saleswoman.”I don’t look at that kind of movie.”
”But curiously, you know of what I talked.” The giant grinned.
That made Oriel blushed. ”Yes, but I never watched it. And no, more in…” she made a blank face.”Not important, she was shaved like a military guy and her hairs grew up just enough to have that tight curly hairdo.”
”Oh, I see!” made Ryllie, her eyes all lit up.
”Well, thanks a lot Miss Wekken.” Ilario let down, extending a business card flipped out the pocket.”Please, call us if ever you see her again. Is there a way to reach you if our artist ever got available for a portrait?”
The saleswoman ran behind her counter, took the pad on what she was drawing and torn up a section of it. Her look wondered a little. Ryllie provided her a pen from her own belonging, getting somehow magically that it was what she was looking for.
”Thanks…” she responded, taking it and quickly inscribing a ten digit suite.”Here it is. That is my padget. I’ll call you back from the other side of the street.” She declared, pointing to the public phone cabin just across.”My office.” she smirked.
Hands were shaken and everyone went his ways, the two inspectors dressed in civil toward their parked car, Oriel in her newsstand, awaiting the late customers yet to come and Enan, well, through the hazardous alley with Hannah overlooking behind everyone of his paces there.
Word Count=2305