Gumshoe #10

Oh my! Part 10 done and posted before months go by. Yup. Starting to use my time better. There were plenty of reasons I set this story in Des Moines. I hope it makes a good backdrop for everyone else.

After leaving Bruce, I headed downtown. I had a hunch. I decided to take Southwest Ninth instead of Fleur. Sure, Fleur would be quicker to where I am going, but I hate the reconstruction they've done to Fleur. Sure it's probably easier to get downtown, but it was just so unnecessary. Bruce and I ate a late lunch--Bruce had been trying to track down an Elvis sighting in Norwalk (sadly, it turned up nothing), so it was about time for school to get out. I have always loved driving past school when it's getting out. I don't know why, it's a cluster of teenage hormones and poor driving decisions. I think I find comfort in that somehow. I think I like being reminded of life when it was easy. When it seemed like the worst thing that could happen was a dent or not having nothing to do on a Friday night. That's how it seemed anyway. Things change so quickly, I say thinking about that night not that long after high school when all of my stupid decisions came back to haunt me.

I slowed for the curve where they put the new bus garage and started up the bridge. This is my favorite view of Des Moines. Looking up at the buildings that have been there since I was a kid. Solid. Unchanging. My Des Moines. So much work has been done on Des Moines in the last couple years. New bridges downtown. The Fleur project. The new Grays Lake. So many buildings being built and being changed. Which brings me to the Ingersoll Dinner Theater.

The Ingersoll Dinner Theater was a nice little Des Moines tradition. It probably wasn't in any of the tourist literature, but maybe it should have been. In some ways, it was what is great about this city. It was small and somewhat unknown, but it was entertaining. Sure, the talent was not the best, but it was fun. And, of course, like so many nice things, it had to go out of business. About 5 years ago, it closed for the last time. Now there's some talk about turning the building into a Cuban restaraunt or something. Which is good for the city, I guess. See, I'm not against change. I just miss things after they are gone. I miss doing the things I take for granted. And I have taken so much for granted. For one thing, I took for granted that the person who claimed to be Simon Flettering was telling the truth. And after I found out Simon Flettering wasn't a real person, I took for granted that anyone who would play the part of Simon would only do so if they were the person who planned this whole mess. I didn't think for once they'd be doing it because they were acting.

I get out of the camino I walk to the door. Papered up, so I can't see inside. Around back, there's another door with a window. I sit there for a second and weigh my options. It's the middle of the day, so I can't just break the window. And yet. I reach through the openning and unlock and open the door. I'm in the kitchen and it's quiet. It's been cleared and clean. Looks to me like they are going to go forward with the restaraunt soon and the odds of me finding what I need are not going to be good.

"Bad break," I say and climb into the camino. Luckily, the Des Moines playhouse is not that far away. This is my fault. I tried to take the easy look before going to the more likely. I thought Ingersoll would have a smaller data bank. Luckily, this playhouse is still functioning and openning up for tonight's show now. Also, luckily for me, I haven't seen a good production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in a while and it looks like I'll have plenty of time before curtain to find what I have been looking for. And my luck holds. It only takes me five minutes to look through the past playbills upstairs to find the name I'm looking for. James Troop. James Troop is the name of the man who came into my office and pretended to be Simon Flettering.

Now, I just have to feed that name to Bruce, get his address and find out why. I'm looking forward to seeing what his answer may be.