Date:         Mon, 7 Jul 1997 04:25:00 -0400
From: Ray McDowell <Raymond.McDowell@BMHKG-01.SPRINT.COM>
Subject:      INT: PAPP: Murder's Reward.....

A chandelier is a fine perch if you're a parrot. If you're a dick on
a case, that's another matter. I'd been swinging back and forth for
three days, casing the layout, passing signals back and forth with my
client, Dustin.

Dust is a bit paranoid, looking for clues to find out where the leak
was on this year's participants of the Summer Writing Contest.  The
fact no such leak had ever been revealed didn't seem to deter him. He
was still willing to pay a big bunch of good banannas for the job.

So far the case hadn't turned up anything but dustballs. I'd seen a
big redhead with cleavage to die for saunter through with a suitcase,
but that turned out be full of Chili & Lime Tostitos, a rarity in
Hong Kong, but common as Cheetos in the States.  I watched as CathyB
gave vent on Omar, but that was a family dispute.  Phanny kept trying
to get me down from my stakeout, but she was under the delusion I was
in wrongful collusion with Dustin's poker playing.  Her confusion
only added to my cover, so I never bothered to correct her. I saw
Woofie and her brats screech in and maul the place.

In other words, just another day at the office.

My interest was perked when the police busted the joint. Lucky I
had my Norwegian passport safely tucked under my holster in case
they wanted to see my ID. Some coppers. They never even looked up.
They were looking for my adopted dad, Rqy, who had evidently been
poaching police poetry once again.  Strange, that, but Dad always had
a taste for the absurd.

It looked like there would be a good turnout for the contest. It
also looked like I was going to earn my banannas without ever drawing
my gat.

Me, I'm Xiao Da Shing Shing, Private Eye, and I was stone wrong with
my assessment.