The Typewriter

Chapter 6 or Day 6 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,676 words)

Chapter 6: Miles Dragon Slayer in his office

Miles Dragonslayer walked out of his office, locked the door, and headed toward Gray Landscaping. About half way across the street he turned around, he could not get the sudden appearance of Jay Porter's journal out of his mind. He knew there was something odd going on in Dragonview, but he could not figure out what. He stepped onto the sidewalk and turned west, toward the constable's office. Perhaps, he thought, Constable Parker may be able to enlighten me.

Twenty minutes later he walked into the Constable's office and looked around. There was no one sitting at the front desk and all the offices appeared to be dark. He started to leave, but hear music coming from the office directly behind the front desk. He walked around the desk and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a male voice said as the music stopped playing.

"Constable Parker," ask Miles opening the door.


Miles Dragonslayer took a deep breath as he replaced the last of the files into its proper drawer. Well, he thought, everything is back in order. Now all I have to do is find out what happened to Jay Porter. A two hundred pound man cannot just disappear into thin air. I suppose the first person I need to talk to is Constable... A knock on his office door interrupted his thought process.

"Come in," Miles said sitting down at his desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Dragonslayer," said a platinum hair woman, "I'm Lydia Applewhite."

"You're...Uh," the woman standing in front of him had gold-flaked blue eyes identical to his own. "You're here for rent?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Let me see if I can find it." He opened the top drawer and began rumaging through the items it contained. Soon he found sealed envelope marked RENT in red letters. "I believe this it it, Ms. Applewhite," he handed her the envelope.

"Please, Mr. Dragonslayer," she took the envelope, but continued to stare into his eyes. "Call me Lydia or Miss Lydia like everyone else in town."

"Then you will have to call me Miles," he held back a laugh as she opened the envelope, counted the money and then handed him a receipt. "Miss Lydia, would you prefer the rent in hard currency?"

"Miles, you read my mind!"

"No, I read your expression," he smiled. "Both my father and mother preferred hard currency over what the called dead tree headstones. When you counted the money, your expression mirror the looks they gave anyone giving them paper currency."

"Jay... I mean Mr. Porter said that wasn't possible. I think it had something to do with a request form and permission from his supervisor."

"In my case, I just fill out the form and send it directly to the financial department. As long as the reason I give is logical and worded properly, they will accept the request."

"Thank you, Miles," she got up and walked to the door. "I look forward to seeing you again next month."

After she left, Miles went into the restroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. The resemblance between himself and Lydia Applewhite was uncanny. It was as if they were cut from the same mold.

Constable Parker, standing in the shadows of a nearby alley, watched as Lydia unhitched her carriage from the parking meter and lead her horse across the street to Gray Landscaping. Once her back was turned, he rushed into the office building and went to Suite Number 5. He knocked on the door and then entered without waiting for a reply.

"Mr, Dragonsalyer," he ask as Miles came out of the bathroom.

"Yes, is there something I can do for you?"

"You..." he stared at Miles. "I'm Constable Parker and we need to talk."

"Constable, please have a seat," he indicated the chair at his desk. "And tell me which one of the parolees do we need to discuss." Miles sit down behind the desk.

"K. C... Kevin Chester Wainwright, Mr. Dragonslayer, have you looked at his file?"

"Constable Parker, for the past three days I have been cleaning up this office and replacing scattered files. I haven't had time to check on any of the parolees." He opened a folder laying on the desk, "I believe Mr. Wainwright is supposed to report to me sometime today."

"Thank the Elders," Parker sighed, "I was afraid he would report to you before we could talk."

"I know that Mr. Wainwright was born here in Dragonview. I gather, Constable, that you would prefer he serve his parole time somewhere else."

"Mr, Dragonslayer, as long as he stays away from Lydia Applewhite I don't care where he serves his parole time."

"I see," Miles glanced quickly through the file. "Oh, I do see! He broke into the Applewhite house... twice."

"Yes, fortunately, for K. C. neither Miss Lydia or her father were at home. The gardener caught him and called security."

"It says here, that Mr. Wainwright has personal issues with the Applewhites, but it doesn't give any more information. Can you tell me what those personal issues are, Constable?"

"K. C. blames Luther Applewhite for the disappearance of Chester Wainwright, K. C.'s father."

"I see," Miles rubbed his chin with his left hand. "And was Mr. Applewhite responsible for the disappearance?"

"All I know, Mr. Dragonslayer, is that Chester Wainwright disappeared without a trace after an argument with Mr. Applewhite."

"What was the argument about, Constable?"

"Luther Applewhite's granddaughter and son-in-law died when a wall fell on their carriage. He accused Chester Wainwright of murdering them, but there was no proof he had anything to do with their deaths."

"Was there any proof that Mr. Applewhite had anything to do with Mr. Wainwright's disappearance?"

"Not that I know of.... It's just that people who anger the Applewhites are never seen again, at least in Dragonview."

"Constable Parker, that doesn't prove..."

"The Applewhites are sorcerers, their magic users and..."

"That only proves that I should be extremely cautious when dealing with Miss Lydia." Miles smiled at the expression on Constable Parker's face. "I will warn Mr. Wainwright about going near the Applewhite residence or contacting Miss Lydia. Is there anything else I should know."

"No," Constable Parker left.

Miles sit at the desk staring at the Wainwright file, he could request that Kevin Chester Wainwright be transferred to another parole officer's district. He did not like that option and as a results he seldom used it. He always found that transferring a parolee made little difference in these cases. He knew that if Wainwright was planning some type of revenge on the Applewhites a transfer would only putt off the inevitable.

Miles suspected that if he transferred K. C. he would only break his parole and return to Dragonview. If K. C. did that then there was no way Miles could keep an eye on him. On the other hand, if K. C. remained in Dragon view, then Miles could monitor him easily and without K. C. knowing he was being watched more closely then other parolees.

What is wrong with this plan, he thought making a fresh pot of coffee. Perhaps I should ask what can go wrong with this plan.

In Central City, it had seemed so simple. He could investigate Jay Porter's disappearance while keeping an eye on parolees and searching for his mother's past, but now that he was in Dragonview everything was becoming complicated. He did not mind complications, he just preferred fewer of them. Pouring himself a cup of coffee he sit down at the desk and began reading the Wainwright file.

"Who," he said as he sipped his coffee, "would make a good roommate for Wainwright."

He went to the filing cabinet and removed three files. The first was that of Lester Jones, who had been on parole for two months. No, Miles shook his head, Lester lives with his nephew and sister-in-law I don't think Mrs. Jones would be willing to accept another parolee; especially one that isn't related to her.

The next file was that of Jake Morton, who lived in a rooming house on Applewhite Avenue. He got up and went to the city map that hung on the wall above the couch. No, he frowned finding the address of the rooming house, that's too close to the Applewhite estate.

The third file belonged to Sam Long, who lived in a garage apartment on Star Light Court. Yes, Miles grinned when he saw the address, he lives about two houses down from my mother's house. That is a good place to keep an eye on him and he won't suspect I'm watching him any closer then I would any other parolee.

Picking up the phone, he dialed the number of Sam Long's landlord. "Mr. Carter, this is Miles Dragonslayer. I'm assigning a new parolee as Sam Long's roommate."

"His name is Kevin Chester Wainwright, but everyone calls him K. C."

"Yes, that's right. He was born here in Dragonview."

"Ah, you know him. Do you object to him living above your garage?

"Yes," Miles removed an envelope containing a key from the top drawer of the desk. "I have the key right here. Are there any house rules I need to go over with Mr. Wainwright?"

"Thank you, Mr. Carter, you have a nice day."

Miles removed the key from the envelop and placed it on a small unicorn shaped key ring. Then he wrote the address on a piece of paper and taped the key ring to the paper. Well that's done, he checked his watch, I suppose I should eat something, but I think I'll have another cup of coffee instead. He poured a cup of coffee and then opened the office refrigerator to see what was left inside, but the only thing he could find was a dried up piece of cheese and an empty milk container. He threw them in the trash, sit down at his desk and opened the folder marked K. C. Wainwright.