Baker Street Irregular by Craig W. Fisher

Author:Craig W. Fisher [Craig W. Fisher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Godwinson Press
Published: 2022-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

21

Victory

Berlin, 22nd February 1947

The tram hummed and groaned off into the distance. Bill cursed his choice as he rubbed his back, sore from the bare wooden bench seat. He made his way down the street, past the Castle Club and its lavish exterior.

“Evening, Bill!” shouted Ronnie, the smartly dressed gatekeeper of the ornate shrine to the gods of pre-war art deco. The Roaring Twenties had never ended at the Castle Club. It was full of smartly dressed US Army officers, pretty barmaids, and even prettier female patrons. They all seemed to have the same sculpted hair, styled in voluptuous victory curls, with even more curvaceous figures. They all looked like Betty Grable, which was no bad thing at all, as far as Bill was concerned.

“Good evening, Ronnie. How’s business?” Bill moved out of the wind into the grand doorway.

Ronnie was a tall, muscular man with a boxer’s squat face and a prominent wonky nose. His neck had a sizeable scar ear-to-ear, apparently from a drunken argument with an Egyptian arm wrestler one night near Cairo. Of course, when you spend most evenings drinking near closing time with the staff, they tell you all sorts of stories.

“Good, my friend. You know the Yanks. They love to throw away their beer coupons like they are going out of fashion. Are you coming in tonight? I’ll make sure one of the girls looks after you, you know, priority service, that kind of thing.”

Ronnie was an ex-con-turned war hero, originally from South London. He had fought with the French Foreign Legion in North Africa and later, Italy. By the end of the war, the bright lights of a new adventure were calling him, and yet, somehow, Ronnie ended up in Berlin. He had intended to assist in setting up the new sectors but landed a job here instead. This diamond in the rough, the Castle Club, was among the trendiest in the south of the city and right on the doorstep of Tempelhof Airport.

“Thanks, Ronnie, but I have business down the road this evening. I hear Charlton’s having a decent run in the cup?”

Bill had little interest in sport, but it always paid to do your homework. Ronnie could be a handy ally sometimes, especially when a drunk American fly-boy gets belligerent over a spilt drink.

“That’s right. The only thing I miss about home is the football. So where are you off to, the Victory?”

“Indeed. I need to find someone and speak with him. While I’m here, though, do you know anything about the Jeep crash near here just over a week back?”

“I did hear about it. The girls told me there was a real fracas out here, but I sleep most afternoons and don’t get here until six p.m. Some Yank officer bought it, didn’t he?”

“That’s right, and another man, a sergeant.”

“Can’t help you with that one, pal. Perhaps I can ask around?”

“Let me know if you find out anything; gossip, rumours, anything. You know where to find me. I must dash.”

“Will do. The music’s better down there anyway.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.