Miss Peeg’s Assignment

Richie was due in court in Coffs in half an hour and was rushing to get out the door. He passed by Miss Peeg’s desk and dropped a folder.

"Miss Peeg, see what you can find out about this guy, Wayne Cramer…I’m past late," he said pulling on his suit jacket.

"Shall I call and say you’ll be coming in Mr. Roberts?"

"No…I’ll surprise ‘em" he smiled and walked out of the door.

Miss Peeg opened the folder…ah this was about Mr. McGee’s nephew Tee McGee. She read over everything in the folder and pulled his name up on her computer.

Breaking for lunch she walked up the street and stopped trying to peek behind the brown paper taped up over the windows at Barrett’s of Australia. The new sign had been hung and from what she could hear inside it was a bee hive of activity. She was so looking forward to the opening. She went along up the street to Lucy’s and picked up a few things for her tea that evening and turned across the street and walked down the other side. She stopped again at the corner store and poked her head in. Mr. Jessup was not in sight but she could hear a power saw going somewhere. He had the beginnings of a counter constructed and she smiled thinking of his enthusiasm for the shop. Checking her watch she hurried back across the street to her office.

This was the kind of work Miss Peeg most enjoyed…a bit of a poke she called it. The fact that Mr. Roberts had been a detective made her all the more determined her report would be complete and accurate.

The target of Miss Peeg’s investigation was not the pillar of the community his solicitor’s paperwork would imply. He had a criminal record…that pleased her immensely. As an afterthought she also pulled up Travis McGee. He had been arrested in Sydney twice once for assault and once for public drunkenness. She frowned at her computer for finding such information. She quite liked Mr. McGee. However Wayne Cramer’s conviction on drug charges trumped Mr. McGee’s assault she thought and continued digging…making a few phone calls to Miami and to San Diego and Los Angeles.

Miss Peeg’s report was lying in the middle of Richie’s desk when he breezed back in at 4:30 just as she was preparing to leave for the day.

"Mr. Roberts…did we win?" she asked smiling.

"Of course we did that’s why I went to court," he said. "Ah what’s this?" he asked picking up the typed six page report on his desk.

"Oh sir, that’s on Mr. Cramer. I’m afraid it’s not complete I am still waiting on some information from Miami, Florida. I thought you might want to see what I’ve found to date."

Richie quickly scanned the papers and looked up, "this is an excellent piece of work Miss Peeg and exactly what I was looking for."

"I thought you might be pleased," she smiled, "is there anything else sir?"

"No Miss Peeg you hurry along to your teapot, I’ll be awhile yet."

"Thank you sir and good evening to Mrs. Roberts. Oh Mr. Roberts…there was a man looking for you late this afternoon."

Richie’s whole expression and demeanor changed, "who was it?"

"He wouldn’t say just that he’d catch you later."

"Have you seen him before?"

"Oh no sir…or I would have know who he was…he speaks like you…I mean your accent sir."

"Okay…thanks Miss Peeg."

Richie unlocked his desk drawer picked up the gun and stuck it in his belt, picked up the report Miss Peeg had for him and the folder put it in his brief case and turned out the light in his office. He sat in his chair for a while and then got up and left his office locking the door behind him and looking up and down the street. He made a dash for his car. Once he had the motor going he backed out and drove home. It was only when he parked in his driveway that his breathing returned to normal.