Undertones by L S Popovich

Author:L S Popovich [Popovich, L S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781684334018
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: 2020-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Following Dutch had not been easy. His movements were unpredictable. From what Ava could tell, no one knew much about him. It was no surprise when she learned he lived in The Inconvenience.

The Inconvenience was the popular name for the unincorporated suburbs, encompassing everything next to the great mud banks past The Imperial Gateway Bridge, and the suburban sprawl outside the main residential and business districts. Most of the brick foundries and waste processing plants leaned into the ethereal glow radiating from the city proper, and hundreds of tenement buildings, formerly housing factory workers, served as derelict motels and unrenovated apartments. Nearly all of it was constructed before modern building codes were passed allowing equal access for all species.

Dutch’s building was typical. A broad, featureless building, with no signs of management, maintenance or even occupancy. It was the most anonymous, inconspicuous housing imaginable. It oozed seediness, and took on layer after layer of shade as she ventured toward it, beneath a gathering unease.

Following Dutch was Ava’s first foray into The Inconvenience, but ever since she had seen Dutch conspiring with Carmen, she wanted to get to the bottom of his plan. The nearby businesses were oddly specific. Next door to a long-neck massage parlor was a sign advertising a “Master Fur Groomer – White Fur Only.”

Lagging behind Dutch on the stairs as he entered his apartment, she wrote down the number and pulled the strings of her hoodie tighter on her way out.

A light rain was falling. The Inconvenience was even less inviting at night. The abandoned buildings she passed seemed full of criminals waiting to pounce out and grab her. Earlier that day in the pool-hall, she had asked Dutch if he would be at band practice. After making sure, she skipped out and went back to his address, knowing he would be gone for a few hours. The last thing she wanted was to be caught breaking in.

By standing on the dumpster, she was able to jump onto the fire escape. On the fourth floor, next to a teetering air conditioner, she slipped in through his window. Most of the panes were broken and the tenants taped over them with tin foil and construction paper. It was common enough in the Inconvenience, where landlords refused to fix anything on rented rooms. All she had to do was reach in, flip the latch and within a few seconds, she stood in the thick, moldy air of Dutch’s bachelor apartment.

The living room was tiny, with a kitchenette and dust-covered card table. Dutch always smelled like cigarettes and cheap cologne. The same, heady odor permeated the room, along with a distinct hint of sweat, and an overwhelming accumulation of dust.

It was clear Dutch hardly spent any time there. A pair of underpants stood up on their own at the foot of the bed, and a shiver of revulsion traveled down Ava’s spine. Her eyes scanned the stacked boxes and suitcases for anything of interest.

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