Snake and Dagger

"Are you Rita?" he asked smiling.

"Yes," she said.

"I am Detective Paul Mann, Detective Ted Boyle told me to call you today."
"We'll here I am! I have intuition like that sometimes," Rita said, laughing.
"Phones don't reach me but e-mail does."

"I have a few questions about Snake and Dagger. These are the guys, right? he said flipping a few pages in a manila folder.

"Yup! That's them. Snake is slithery. He travels in alleys and always wears black and Dagger struts around with a red hat or something bright," Rita said.

"Detective Mann told me, Rita might be a little crazy but she'll know!" he said, smiling.

His eyes were huge brown shiny marbles. Sad eyes shaded by the brim of his hat. His chin had salt and pepper stubble. When he smiled his teeth resembled polished piano keys.

That's how you know the professionals in this town. The natives are toothless, Rita told herself.

Mann was parked in a red Ford Fusion at the not-yet-opened blue and yellow nail salon.

"I'm on the Snake and Dagger case now, and I have been assigned to take them down. Just to confirm, is that Snake?" Mann said showing Rita a small photo copy from his manila folder.
"No, that's Dagger," Rita said.
He flipped another page.
"That's Snake," she said, pointing with blue fingers. "I was dyeing a sweater," Rita said embarrassed.

"We have chased Dagger down before. They're actually good guys. It's a cat and mouse game," Detective Mann said.

"Yes I know, these guys are often are charismatic nice people but..." Rita trailed off, hiding her blue hands in her jacket pockets.

"Speaking of Detective Boyle, here he is now," Mann said.

Detective Boyle drove up in a dark blue Crown Vic with detective Hines in the passenger seat. He's the detective with black rotini hair, who came over and introduced himself to Rita in July. "Had to put a face to the name," Hines had said when shaking her hand.

"Boyle, Hines, and Mann. Sounds like a law firm. You guys are in the wrong business," Rita laughed. "Nothing like a detective sandwich. I feel like Mae West. I'm just worried that I can be seen at any moment by Snake or Dagger. I often see them out here. I'll just pretend that I have lots of cousins."

"Oop, Here's Snake now," Boyle said and drove away with Hines. Rita did not look up, instead she pet her dog, standing next to Mann's truck. "Everyone knows Millie. She's the only Newfie in this area and we walk everywhere," she said to Millie. "Wow, that was close," Rita said, turning red, and taking off her jacket, hiding her blue fingers. "Don't worry, Snake doesn't know this vehicle, it's my daughter's car, mine is in the shop," Mann volunteered. "These guys are always on the run," Mann said.
"Hey, it keeps you young and makes them old," Rita said, laughing. "I am glad to help. Just e-mail me and tell me what you need and I'll keep my eyes open. I loathe phones. Snake is often on foot and sometimes walks with Dagger or meets him in the alley on Broome Street. Dagger drives the silver Dodge truck or the red Honda with lime-green hubcaps."
"I got the green hubcaps," Mann, said.
"Snake is the runner and travels on a pink bicycle. Yesterday we saw them moving piles of clothes and a shoe tree, of all things. They're centipedes!" Rita laughed.
"They were living at the Harper Hotel," Mann said.
"I walk that way every day. I will look for their cars. I can spot the Honda with the green hubcaps a mile away.
"The silver Dodge truck is their latest vehicle," Detective Mann said.
"Yes I've seen that one, there's a small dent in the front left fender," Rita offered.
"Wow, you're good" he said.

"Art school," Rita laughed, "I wish I went to detective school. My husband spots strategy and I spot small details like droopy earlobes, a gap-toothed smile, yellow socks, those kind of things.

One day Dagger showed up, he had dyed his hair red, and he had braided it in two tiny pigtails," Rita said.
"When do you get your badge," Mann smiled.

"They seem to operate out of the Lapin building but they don't live there. I think they've hijacked the owner and pay him lots of money to run in and out using his truck, the silver Dodge. I've seen this before with other tenants and drug dealers. This location is too perfect. They always come back to Victory and Mort Streets. It's a main artery with lots of alleys and absentee landlords," Rita said.
"And parking lots!" Mann said smiling. "Talk to you later, gotta go," he said as if they'd been pals forever.

Rita walked through the Savers and post office parking lot.

I'm glad that I remembered to put on lipstick, she said to herself.

It's the silver Dodge truck and there's the dent. As soon as the detectives ask me to find something I find it. I can only imagine they won't believe me. It's spooky intuition, Rita mused. I wasn't even looking for it.