Spyglass Mysteries: #1 Death At The Merryworth Manor

Chapter 2: Man In The Trench Coat

Tuesday, May 21th

9:20 pm. Dusk

We found ourselves in front of an old fashion bar. Jeremy scanned over the tables for someone fitting Logan's description. A long trench coat and a ratty hat covering his face. I sighed having seen no one close to looking like him. Jeremy walked over to the Bartender, I followed behind after hearing the crashing sounds from the back room.

"Excuse me, Bartender-" asked Jeremy.

"The names, Randolph," corrected the Bartender.

"Do you know a man by the name of Logan Steel. Uh, tall guy wearing a trench coat, glasses," Jeremy says, gesturing Logan's description to the bartender.

"Yeah, he's out back with Charlie."

"Charlie?"

"Yeah, your guy comes barging in with a small thirty-two piece asking for Charlie Mills. He runs the joint in the back room. Apparently, there was a purse snatching down at the city mall. He thinks Charlie did it."

"Thank you, Uh... Excuse us."

Jeremy led us out the back way into a dimly lit alleyway. Two guys were standing at the very end. One, holding a very small revolver to the other man's chest.

"Whats' going on here?" Jeremy asked.

"Theres' nothing to see here! Get lost!" said muscular guy holding the gun.

"Jeremy...?" groaned the tall guy leaning on the wall in pain.

"I can't let you do this, Charlie!" Jeremy barked.

"Oh really? Whose' stopping me?" joked Charlie, as he turns and points the gun with his left hand at Jeremy. "I was just having a little fun with him."

"Doesn't look that way in my book," Jeremy said.

"Well then, guess I'll have to deal with you first."

Charlie pulls the hammer back with his thumb on the small revolver. Logan pulled his hat over his head and charged Charlie to the ground. The gun flew deep into the alleyway. Logan is quickly pushed off by Charlie's massive muscles and smacked into the brick wall behind him with a thud. Charlie gazed over at me and ran out of the alleyway.

"I'll deal with you next time, Dicks!" yelled Charlie.

Jeremy and I ran over to Logan to help him up to his feet. Logan pushed us away as he forced himself to his feet using the wall to support him. His glasses were buried underneath his coat covered with tiny scratches. Logan slipped them onto his face and stumbled into the bar, ignoring us standing there, watching him in pain. We follow behind him into the bar where Logan sat at the counter. Logan sat in silence as the bartender gave him a pack of ice. Leaning back into the crusty yellow glow of the roof lights, I could see the shiner on Logan's left eye and cheek. The bag sat on the corner of his face, leaking water onto his trench coat. He called the bartender over for a drink of something and laid the ice pack on the table.

"So, you finally want to get back into the crime solving game, huh?" asked Logan.

"We wanted to know if you wanted to join us?" Jeremy asked pulling up a seat next to Logan.

"I see..." Logan said, setting down the ice pack and downing a glass of some sort of liquid. "When did this 'epiphany' happen?"

"Mikes' got it in his head if we could solve a big case, we could clear our names and get the company back," Jeremy explained.

"I say we should change the name," I added.

"Look, As much as I'd like to come back. I've been doing my own cases... and I think this is better for me. Theres' no more paper work... really, anyways. Look, you have each other, now buzz off!" said Logan, downing his glass.