Chapter 23

The 5^th precinct house is in China Town on Elizabeth Street. It’s a four story double fronted building with a fire escape running up over the front door. I walk in and go up to the desk sergeant and ask for Doil.

‘Can’t say I’ve seen him today’, says the sergeant. ‘He’s working on the Getz case.’

‘Yeh I know, I have some information for him, tell him I was looking for him. The names Fats Waller’.

I walk out and head over to a chinese restaurant. Might as well get a stir fry whilst I’m here. The C note is burning a hole in my pocket.

I’m into my first prawn cracker when Doil walks in. The waiter nods in recognition and hurries out to the kitchen. It’s just me and Doil and the crackers.

‘What’s the beef Fats?’

‘Look Doil, I need to go home I have things to do people to be.’

‘Have you tried the return button lately’

‘Not since I was put under cat house arrest.’

‘So try it’

I press the button and the nano sec of ecstacy erupts and then I am standing in the DMZ room.

I turn down the Fats shell and take out the chip. Back to Joe Coolz at last. Georgia or is it her twin is behind the control desk.

‘Hi Joe wanna take in a Suroundaround. It’s a James Bond.’

‘Thanks all the same but I’ve had a hard trip, I need to get back to sanity, not get lost in fantasy.’

She looks disappointed and I almost succumb. ‘Maybe tomorrow, call me, you’ve got my details on file. I’ll tell Brian to accept your calls, I need to get to prosthetics to remove all traces of Fats.’