WovenWords - Literary Platform for Stories & Poetry

I was on my third cup of joe, staring out at the city lights glittering against the inky night sky, when I heard the knock. Three taps, tentative but urgent. The kind of knock that could only mean trouble.

I set my mug down on the desk, next to the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, and crossed the cluttered office. As I swung open the door, my breath caught in my throat. A vision in red stood before me, all curves and temptation wrapped up in a designer dress. But it was her eyes that drew me in - emerald green and filled with a haunted desperation I knew all too well.

"Detective Novak?" Her voice was honey poured over gravel. Sweet, with a rough edge.

I nodded, motioning for her to come inside. She hesitated a moment before crossing the threshold, the click of her heels echoing sharply. As she settled into the chair across from my desk, I couldn't help but notice the way she crossed her legs, slowly, deliberately.

"What can I do for you, Miss…?"

"Callahan. Scarlet Callahan." She fished a cigarette out of her purse, and I leaned over to light it for her. Our fingers brushed, and electricity crackled between us. "It"s my husband. He"s dead, Detective. Murdered in cold blood."

I leaned back in my chair, studying her through the haze of smoke. "And the police think you did it." It wasn't a question. In my line of work, it rarely was.

Scarlet took a deep drag, her crimson lips pursing around the cigarette. "I didn"t kill him, Detective. I may have wanted to, God knows I had reason enough, but I didn"t."

"So why come to me? Why not let the cops handle it?"

A bitter laugh escaped her. "The police are useless. They took one look at me and decided I was guilty. But I have an alibi. I was singing at the club that night, in front of a crowd of people. I couldn't have done it."

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my stubbled jaw. "Alright, Mrs. Callahan. I"ll take the case. But I"m gonna need more to go on than just your word."

Over the next hour, Scarlet filled me in on the details. Her husband, Victor Callahan, was a wealthy businessman with a penchant for booze, gambling, and women. He had enemies, plenty of them, but the police were convinced Scarlet was the killer. They'd found the murder weapon, a snub-nosed .38, in her dressing room at the club.

"It was planted there, I"m sure of it," Scarlet insisted, her eyes blazing with intensity. **"Someone"**s trying to frame me, Detective. I need you to find out who."

I agreed to take the case, but I warned her it wouldn**"t be easy. Callahan"**s death had the markings of a professional hit, and the trail was already going cold. But something about the desperation in Scarlet's eyes, the way she looked at me like I was her last hope, made me want to see this through.

The next few days were a blur of chasing down leads and dead ends. I talked to Callahan**"s associates, his enemies, even his mistress. But every trail led nowhere. The more I dug, the more danger I found myself in. I was threatened, roughed up, even shot at. But I couldn"**t stop. Not when Scarlet was counting on me.

It all came to a head in a dimly lit alley behind the club. Scarlet had called me there, said she had a lead. But when I arrived, I found her with a gun to her head, tears streaking down her face. Her captor was a face I recognized - Victor Callahan's business partner, a weaselly little man with a Napoleon complex and a nasty temper.

"Back off, Novak," he snarled, pressing the barrel harder against Scarlet's temple. "This little songbird"s gonna take the fall for offing her husband, and there's nothing you can do about it."

But there was. In a flash, I drew my gun and fired, the bullet slamming into his shoulder and sending him sprawling. Scarlet flew into my arms, her body shaking with sobs.

"Shhh, I"ve got you,"** I murmured, stroking her hair. **"It"**s over now."

She pulled back, her eyes searching mine. "What happens now, Detective?"

I brushed a thumb across her cheekbone, marveling at the softness of her skin. "Now? Now I"m gonna make sure the right man pays for your husband"s murder. And then…"

"And then?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"And then, if you"ll have me, I"m gonna take you away from all this. Somewhere where the only music is the sound of the waves and the only thing you have to worry about is what to wear to dinner."

She smiled then, a real smile that lit up her whole face. "I'd like that very much, Detective. Very much indeed."

As we walked out of the alley hand in hand, I knew I was in trouble. The kind of trouble that could ruin a man. But as I looked down at Scarlet, her eyes shining with hope and promise, I knew I wouldn't have it any other way.

THE END

Did You Know?

Smoking: In the 1940s when this story is set, around 44% of Americans smoked. Cigarettes were widely advertised and their health risks not yet well known. It wasn't until 1964 that the U.S. Surgeon General released a report linking smoking to lung cancer and heart disease.
Revolvers: The snub-nosed .38 revolver mentioned was a popular handgun in the mid-20th century, especially among detectives and police officers. "Snub-nosed" refers to the short barrel, usually 2-3 inches, which made it easier to conceal and carry.
Film Noir: This story's style evokes the film noir genre, which was popular in the 1940s-50s. Film noir movies often featured cynical detectives, femme fatales, smoky scenes, and plots involving murder and betrayal, depicted in high-contrast black and white cinematography.

Timeline of Events

Here is a timeline of key events in the story:

1. EVENT: Detective Novak is in his office late at night when he hears an urgent knock at the door.
2. EVENT: Scarlet Callahan enters, a stunning woman dressed in red. She tells Novak her husband Victor has been murdered and she is being framed for it, even though she was singing at a club in front of witnesses at the time of the murder.
3. EVENT: Novak agrees to take Scarlet's case and prove her innocence, warning it will be difficult.
4. EVENT: Over the next few days, Novak investigates Victor's death, talking to his associates, enemies, and mistress. (implied)
5. EVENT: Novak keeps hitting dead ends in the case as the trail goes cold. He faces threats, gets roughed up, and is even shot at as he investigates deeper.
6. EVENT: Scarlet calls Novak to meet her behind the club, saying she has a lead.
7. EVENT: In the alley, Novak finds Scarlet being held at gunpoint by Victor's business partner, who plans to have Scarlet take the fall for the murder.
8. EVENT: Novak shoots Scarlet's captor in the shoulder, saving her life.
9. EVENT: With the real killer apprehended, Novak promises Scarlet he will make sure the right man faces justice for Victor's murder.
10. EVENT: Novak and Scarlet walk out of the alley hand-in-hand, with Novak telling her he wants to take her away from the dark world she's been trapped in. (implied)