Cocoa Tales

Episode 23

The line of black smoke lingered above the road, snaking in and around the city blocks of downtown Redding. It drifted slowly across the street, dividing traffic. The train pierced the line of smoke, splitting it as it rumbled through Redding. The source of the smoke stopped beside the jail, rumbled, sputtered and kept running for several seconds after Floyd turned the key off. "It may be a minute," he said as Smokey refused to die.

"I'll be inside," Jessica said as she opened the front door, "and I don't care what you say: I don't talk to myself."

Whatever you say, Holiday, I said as I climbed out of Smokey, still rumbling and sputtering, belching out smoke from the back.

Nibbles followed me in Faber's body saying to Floyd, "Will you be all right in here, Detective Floyd?"

Smokey bucked hard, throwing Floyd's head against the seat. "I'll be fine," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Go ahead without me. Gotta throw in another quart of oil anyway."

Nibbles tapped the top of Smokey a couple times as he stepped away, following Jessica Holiday and me into the jail.

"Any idea why we're all coming here?" Nibbles asked.

An idea, yes, but I haven't quite finalized everything yet, I replied. Still trying to decide if Jessica and Floyd will fall in love.

"Excuse me?" Jessica said.

Not sure if the fans will respond to a love story or not, I said as I opened the front door to the jail.

"Do I have a say in this?" she asked.

Also, I'm not entirely sure I even have any fans, I said with a sigh. Oh well. Onward and upward.

Monty Gerald was pacing in his cell again, his breathing growing louder and more pronounced in the otherwise quiet cell block.

"You're gonna use up all the oxygen, Gerald," The Sandman stated.

Monty didn't respond. Just kept pacing around his cell until he heard the door open. Both he and The Sandman turned to watch as I entered Cell Block 'S' with Jessica and Nibbles in tow. All right, I said, I brought them here. It wasn't very elegant, but they're here.

"Good," Monty said, "lock them up with The Sandman."

Nibbles and Jessica froze in place. "What the hell!?"

Two guards grabbed them by the arm and began dragging them down the cell block. Yeah, I forgot to mention, I said, I'm working for Monty Gerald now. Hope you guys don't mind.

"You've betrayed us, Storyteller!" Nibbles exclaimed, fighting against the guards as they dragged him across the cold, paved floor.

Well, you know, I realized in the writer's block world of white, the real hero of the story is Monty Gerald. Which would make all of you the villains.

"I'm no villain!" Jessica shouted as the guard shoved her into the cell with The Sandman. She stumbled over the threshold of the cell, but The Sandman caught her.

"No bleep you're not," The Sandman said, "and neither, it seems, am I."

"Thanks," Jessica said.

"Don't mention it, kid."

"Where's the other detective?" Monty demanded.

Out in the car. He'll be in shortly.

"He'd better," Monty said, pointing at me, "or it'll be your bleep." Then he rolled his eyes and muttered, "I sound like such a bleeping idiot. Never mind. Just get him in here." Monty turned to Nibbles and pointed at him. "You. You were one of the detectives who found my daughter."