Undercover Challenge by Tara Keezer
May. 29th, 2006 02:52 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ds_flashfictionTitle: Not Quite Right
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: G
Notes: Gen, 336 Words
~*~*~
They were halfway to the car before he asked, “Did anything strike you as odd back there?”
Jim grimaced as he answered, “Yeah. The buttermilk.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. The buttermilk was definitely odd.”
Gil rolled his eyes. “Would you forget the buttermilk?”
“No, I won’t.” Jim walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door. “What kind of wiseguy drinks buttermilk? I mean, whisky? Sure. Bourbon? Yeah. Wine? Hell yes. But buttermilk?”
“He probably has an ulcer.” Gil got in on the passenger side before continuing, “Could we get back to the interview?”
“No, we can’t, because an ulcer doesn’t make sense. A guy like The Bookman doesn’t get ulcers, he gives them.”
The statement was enough to make Gil pause. “You’re right. The buttermilk is unusual.”
“Told you.”
“But you’re still missing something.” Gil looked out the windshield as Jim headed to the front gate.
Jim sighed heavily. “Fine. What am I missing?”
“In the last ten years, I’ve had to talk to Langoustini seven times, and right from the start, he’s made it clear he’d be more than happy to bury me out in the desert.”
“Yeah. So?”
Gil looked over at Jim. “I didn’t get that from him today.”
“Wait a minute.” Jim hit the brakes right before they reached the gate. “You’re telling me you’re worried because he didn’t threaten to kill you?”
“He’s never threatened me directly,” Gil corrected. “But his hostility was always there. Until today.”
Jim frowned as he put his foot on the gas pedal again. “He seemed pretty damn hostile to me.”
“No, he sounded hostile. But his heart wasn’t in it.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m not sure.” Gil continued to stare forward. “There’s just something off about him.”
“Can’t arrest a man for being ‘off,’ Gil.”
“I know. It’s just -- it’s --” Gil went quiet for a long moment. “It’s just that if I didn’t know better, I would say that the man we interviewed just now isn’t Langoustini.”
Author: Tara Keezer
Rating: G
Notes: Gen, 336 Words
~*~*~
They were halfway to the car before he asked, “Did anything strike you as odd back there?”
Jim grimaced as he answered, “Yeah. The buttermilk.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. The buttermilk was definitely odd.”
Gil rolled his eyes. “Would you forget the buttermilk?”
“No, I won’t.” Jim walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door. “What kind of wiseguy drinks buttermilk? I mean, whisky? Sure. Bourbon? Yeah. Wine? Hell yes. But buttermilk?”
“He probably has an ulcer.” Gil got in on the passenger side before continuing, “Could we get back to the interview?”
“No, we can’t, because an ulcer doesn’t make sense. A guy like The Bookman doesn’t get ulcers, he gives them.”
The statement was enough to make Gil pause. “You’re right. The buttermilk is unusual.”
“Told you.”
“But you’re still missing something.” Gil looked out the windshield as Jim headed to the front gate.
Jim sighed heavily. “Fine. What am I missing?”
“In the last ten years, I’ve had to talk to Langoustini seven times, and right from the start, he’s made it clear he’d be more than happy to bury me out in the desert.”
“Yeah. So?”
Gil looked over at Jim. “I didn’t get that from him today.”
“Wait a minute.” Jim hit the brakes right before they reached the gate. “You’re telling me you’re worried because he didn’t threaten to kill you?”
“He’s never threatened me directly,” Gil corrected. “But his hostility was always there. Until today.”
Jim frowned as he put his foot on the gas pedal again. “He seemed pretty damn hostile to me.”
“No, he sounded hostile. But his heart wasn’t in it.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m not sure.” Gil continued to stare forward. “There’s just something off about him.”
“Can’t arrest a man for being ‘off,’ Gil.”
“I know. It’s just -- it’s --” Gil went quiet for a long moment. “It’s just that if I didn’t know better, I would say that the man we interviewed just now isn’t Langoustini.”
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