"To tell you the truth, Max, I am. I meant no offense; my offer was genuine."
Max winked. "I thought you and Clint climbed the mountains every Saturday."
"We usually do, but . . ." Mick trailed off with a sigh.
"Did something happen to Clint?" Max quickly asked with concern.
"Jasmine invited Mr. Indigence to her house for lunch; her invitation quashed our climb."
Max gave Mick a shrewd glance and asked, "You weren't included in the invite?"
Mick shook his head. "Clint persuaded me not to make an attempt on the mountain without his guidance. He doesn't think I'm ready. I agreed not to climb alone and assured him I could amuse myself. I've walked all over town, and I'm running out of interesting options," Loneshark confessed slowly. He then shot a pleading look at Max. "Please don't tell Clint!"
"I won't tell him. I'd be happy to have a lesson from a genuine Chicago detective.
"Great! Where's the kit?"
The chief looked past Mick through the glass and yelled, "Hey, put that magazine away and go patrol somewhere."
The young officer dropped the monthly publication under the desk, leapt from his chair, and scooted out the door.
"He looks like he's as bored as I am," Mick observed.
"Yeah, I thought I'd give the kid a treat. I can impress him later with my new skill. He doesn't know how to use that kit either."
Loneshark gave Chief Mountain a very professional demonstration. Loneshark had Max touch his inflated index finger to the glass partition. The detective pressed the same finger onto a black ink-pad and rolled the fattened mass across a piece of white paper. Mick showed Max how to lift the print on the glass using the powder, brush, and tape from the kit. He patiently instructed the chief in the preferred methods of comparing the retrieved print with the ink-printed reference. In slow, systematic detail, Loneshark explained the process of comparing the various whorls, loops, bifurcations, types of ridges, and point numbers necessary to scientifically determine if there was a match. The phone rang. Max rose and limped toward the front desk to answer the call. The detective had purposely prolonged his instruction in hope of such a distraction. Mick took advantage of the chief's brief absence to pocket several of the duplicated elements in the set. When Max returned, Mick asked in simulated seriousness, "Is it an emergency, Chief?"
"I'll say!" Mountain responded excitedly. "The kid is going to bring me a triple helping of the corned beef special from The Palace!"
"Triple helping?"
"I didn't get this big by just looking at food."
