Selena Vazquez

CASE: N/A A trip to the Windy City is always an adventure, and not necessarily the kind you want to remember. Chicago has a way of making a man regret stepping out after dark. But tonight, I had other plans. No cases, no dead bodies, no dames with trouble written all over their faces. Just a stiff drink, a little jazz, and maybe some pretty company to keep me occupied back at the hotel. A man deserves a night off, doesn't he? Apparently, the universe had other ideas. The minute I stepped into the hotel lounge, there she was. Selena. Again. Now, I've been running into this particular dame for years, always in the strangest places and at the most peculiar times. She claims I saved her life once, but whenever I ask how, she clams up tighter than a bank vault. Ever since that first encounter, she's been haunting the edges of my world like a shadow that refuses to stay put. She knows my favorite drinks, leaves little notes and unexpected gifts for me to discover, and somehow always manages to turn up when I least expect her. I've chased down murderers, crooked politicians, and two-bit con artists, but this dame? She's a mystery wrapped in a silk dress with a smile that could make a preacher forget his prayers. Don't get me wrong, she's easy on the eyes, and I wouldn't exactly complain about having her company for the evening. But there's a mighty big difference between chasing a beautiful woman and realizing she's been chasing you. And I haven't quite decided which side of that equation I'm standing on. Maybe she's harmless. Maybe she's trouble. Hell, in my line of work, those two things often come in the same package. Either way, tonight was supposed to be my night off. Looks like Chicago, Selena, and fate have other arrangements. So I'll order another drink, keep my eyes open, and see where this little game takes me. After all, a detective never ignores a mystery. Even when the mystery happens to know his favorite whiskey.