----
She had completely tuned out all other sounds and distractions until she found her pack of cigarettes, the yellowed box showing off the distinct logo of a Numel on the front. Breaking out of her hyperfocus as she shut the cubby, she heard something like whispers nearby, and then felt the draft.
----
Who lettin? all the hot air in here? Gee whiz, Daiquiri thought as she turned around to see the window across the room open. The naked Salazzle walked over and poked her head out from under the hiked windowpane, glaring suspiciously out at the shrubbery and firepit. Her tail thumped the ground impatiently as she grumbled, ?
Nobody come for me,? before pulling back in and slamming the window shut and locked. She crossed her arms with a huff as she was clearly starting to jones for a cig, glancing down at her long tapping lizard toes.
----
She raised a drawn-on eyebrow when she saw dirty little mud tracks like footprints had dragged themselves in from the window and across the floor, straight into the coat racks. The faint sound of whispering she heard before couldn't have been the wind this time, as it grew clearer and more manic as she trudged her way over, looking unimpressed.
----
Dipping her head in, she saw an unsuspecting Pokemon digging through pockets on coats. He didn?t appear to be stealing anything, but rather scanning over trinkets and wallets and dropping them to the floor. He popped the collar on his gabardine trench coat, and tilted his trilby forward to prevent anyone from properly seeing his face. It looked as though he had unusually pale gray skin, and for a second Daiquiri wondered if he kept himself out of the sun often with this getup. His sunken, wrinkling eyes looked almost like they were broadcasting television static, and his fingertips were monochrome and dirty with ink.
----
The Pokemon reminded her of the bizarre Beheeyem in a way, a species she only knew of from a time she had peeked through the door of her father?s office one night and saw him dealing with it and another so-called client. This one didn?t quite look the same, but it had similar odd features. Maybe he was some form of related evolution, or maybe he was deformed and that?s why he hid under hideous stalker clothes and a discount tie.
----
Daiquiri tapped his shoulder. ?Ok so who pockets you pickin' cuz your coat right on ya back.
And you trackin? mud, lizza
what are you DOING-uh?!?
----
The grayish Beheeyem-like Pokemon freaked at the unexpected touch and dropped the fountain pen he was just inspecting. He wheeled around to face her and readied his hand as if wielding a psychic attack in his defense.
----
"Hold up - miss? - hello - how are you - this is an official investigation - please state your name and address - this is standard procedure?" In his jolty speech, he tended to emphasize the wrong syllables of his words as if he had only ever crossed them on pages, but hardly heard them spoken.
----
"Uhhhhh no,? Daiquiri cut in with a
don?t-try-me look in her eyes. ?I done duked with police ?fore and y?all don?t lookit, so first I gotta see your badge, ok,
tryna okie-doke me, and second my bosses didn't tell me nothin' about no 'vestigatin so I finna take you to my bosses - that is, of course,
you don't want 'em knowing you snuck in through the window, Holmes."
----
"No - bosses are not good - part of whole plot - they know - badge - badge? - badge for civilian." He takes out a police badge. It checks out as the right design, but something's... off about it. "I am detective - hush - there are big things happening."
----
She narrows her eyes as she looks at the badge. "... You saying my bosses are a part of some big plot? How come I ain't cued in on it? Listen, P.I., I'm about to take you to a P.J., and we gonna
chit chat."
----
He looked at her funny. "P.J. - Peanut Butter and Jelly - feed me sandwich? - no thank you." Digging into his coat, he pulled out a card with a certain three-dot pattern on it. "Listen - they kill me if they see me - I pay you - good money - for information." He hands the incredulous-looking reptilian the card. "They are red - some - not all - but that is the game - they want you to think others are in on it - but this is me - get paper with this mark - it is me."
----
She gave him a dead stare before she finally came to a conclusion. ?You know what?? She reached in and plucked him up by the collar.
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"Oh dear - unplanned - hello," he said as he dangled.
----
"I'm not tryna do a shakedown buuuut I might 'forget' to tell the brass if your little op can help me make some quick
cha-ching, yeah, ya tinfoil creepoid?"
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"Yes - that is what I proposed - doing your civil duty - should not go unrewarded!"
----
"...
Huh. Ok, yeah, that?s hot, that?s hot. Then here's the deal, P.I." She pulled her head back out of the rack and glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. The room was empty as far as she could tell. She popped her head back in and whispered, "
You're sticking with me. I gotta keep an eye on you so nobody can squeal on you first. Trust me 'n' hold still."
----
With her free other hand still holding her pack of cigs, she managed to grab at her shoulder and toss her damp jacket over him like a blanket, before suddenly wrapping her arms around the bundle and hoisting him up to her chest.
----
"Oh - excellent strategy,? muffled the intruder, ?We'll be able to get on the inside."
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"Mhm, yea boy,? she started as she took a few cautious steps back and out of the racks. ?I just gotta... prepare first... 'Pardner'."
----
As she glanced around once again to make sure she was in the clear, she bolted for the front door, intent on heading to the garden.