Ted Long

Ted Long liked being behind the scenes. It meant a lot to him, he liked to think. While everybody else was worried about the famous detective Magnus Greene, he could just do his job. Do his job and watch, help without being in the spotlight. Unfortunately, that also meant that a lot of times he had hard work with no play.

Magnus Greene ran a detective agency called Greene and Company. One might have thought it would have not been allowed by the Fayhurst City Police, as the detective agency rivaled the police’s own detectives. But, after a few cases that Greene had been able to solve when the police couldn’t, they made a deal. As long as Greene had solved four or so cases a month, he could remain in business as a special liaison to the police. Greene could usually pull in about ten or so cases per month. He always said it was “Too easy” to solve those “unsolvable” cases. Greene and Company had been in business ever since 1923, in Fayhurst, Britain.

Ted looked down at the inch-thick stack of work in front of him on his desk, and the two inch stack right beside it. Classical music played quietly in the background of his office. He considered himself, and his office, to be neat, but Magnus Greene could always find something wrong with either one. One day, the pens were unorganized, the other, Ted’s hair hadn’t been brushed properly. Some probably would have thought that Greene was intentionally finding problems. But he couldn’t help it. He was hired to do it for a living.

Ted picked up the old fountain pen he had used for years, and began to fill out the dates, names, and places where previous events had happened during the month. Though dressed in an old fashioned brown suit, he was no business man, and he hated the thought of being one.

As he was writing, a commotion started outside. Ted looked to see Greene through is office window. Greene was dressed in his usual black suit and tie, a new fashion he had seemed to pick up since working with the police department. He seemed to be addressing a crowd that was gathering outside.

“Good people of Fayhurst, I have an important announcement to make. I have decided to retire myself to—” And then the gunshot came. A thunderous roar, more of what Ted thought a nuclear bomb would sound like. And then Greene dropped.

A scream came from the watching women and children, and shouts from men. Points came from many people in the crowd, directed towards a man atop an old brick building, caring a weapon.

Ted immediately jumped up, throwing open and slamming doors as he ran outside. He didn’t think of grabbing his coat, cold as it was. As he exited the last door, he looked down to the most extreme of horror he has probably ever seen. Sure, he had seen some wounds, but this was different, entirely. His friend, employer, and hero was laying upon a cold cement sidewalk, dying.

Ted pushed through the mob that was just forming around the body. If he hadn’t have acted immediately, he probably wouldn’t have got through at all, as the onlookers surrounded Greene, trying to catch a glimpse.

“Out of my! Back, please!” He said, put they seemed to be ignoring him as they began their gossiping. He sighed looking around, and then took a deep breath. “OUT OF MY WAY! GET OUT!”

This shocked Ted just as much as it did the rest of the crowd; He didn’t ever think he could of even raised his voice that loud. The mob of heavily dressed people, with some disrespectful grumbling, stepped out of the way. Ted snorted in disgust. Had they no respect for this man, dying as he was? Ted could name just about half of the people in this particular group that Greene had helped.

He knelt down, and surprisingly, he could see that Greene was still breathing, even as he lay dying. Shallow and wide eyed. Oh dear lord, it is over, Ted though to himself. And then Greene grabbed him.

His hands were so shaky, but were still tight around his neck. “Please… Find out out who… as last favor…” Greene muttered.

“I will, Mr. Greene, I swear it.” Ted said, shocked. And then Greene went numb, limp. Just like that, his friend, employer was dead. He had always looked up to Greene, depended on him for advice, and now he was gone.

“Well, there goes another good for nothin’ lawman.” Someone in the crowd snickered. His name was Ben Lee, as Ted remembered, and Greene had saved the sorry man from getting imprisoned. “Didn’t need him anyway.” Ben said, pulling out a cigar from his heavy coat pocket, lighting it.

“Is that how would have addressed Mr. Greene when he was still alive, Mr. Lee? Right now, you could have life in prison for something you didn’t do, and this is how you repay him. Remember that theft at the banks, how you were falsely blamed?”

Lee blushed a deep red, turning to leave. Ted let him go. This also turned the others in the crowd quiet.

“Somebody call the police.” Ted said to the crowd, and several people began calling the police, though they did not notice one another.

“Sir,” One man asked. “Will you be taking over for Mr. Greene?”

“I… I don’t know. I haven’t decided.” Ted responded.

“But you promised him that you would.”

“No, I didn’t. I just told him what he wanted to hear.” The words stung Ted, even as he said them. Did he really mean them? Would he have told Greene false information while he was still alive. No, he wouldn’t have. And he felt terrible as he said it.

He turned to go back inside, ignoring the man’s other questions. And then the terrible realizations came down on him like a landslide. Greene was dead. And Ted had said that he told Greene what he wanted to hear. He felt like a nasty thing that needed to be locked away.

But would he take the job? Would he find his friend’s killer? Would he be liar that he knew he would become? No. The answer was no.

He walked back to his office, and as the the police sirens began sounding and ambulances rushed by, he let it all go. He began to weep uncontrollably. How could he not. His friend had been shot, and he had no idea how to start. But, he would start somehow, now matter the cost.

“One last favor”, Greene had said. And one last favor was what his friend deserved.