Soon it was announced.

“Frankie, I am pregnant”

Frances looked at his wife and just looked. Was she joking? Was he to be a father? He smiled broadly and could help but to laugh.

“That’s wonderful” he said almost in shock.  He was to be a father. Frances thought about his own childhood. He had loved his father but he had been away so much and now that he came to think of it, he had truly missed his mother. Their unborn child was truly happy to have Ayesha for a mother, she was perfect.

“If it’s a boy I want him to be called Jack” Frances said when some months had passed and Ayesha’s tummy was getting bigger. Ayesha looked at him and smiled, she knew why.

“After good old Jack Nicholson” she said friendly.

“Of course” Frances replied and laughed. His love for Jack Nicholson had not faded even with marriage. But he didn’t work quite as much now. He had some odd cases but not as many as before he met Ayesha. But Frances were happy this way. Ayesha had a job as an accountant for some firm Frances didn’t remember the name of. Something that included travels he remembered because sometimes she had to go away. It was so quiet and boring when Ayesha was away, but a job is a job, not much you can do about it.

The day of birth was mind-blowing. Frances had been working when suddenly Ayesha called his cellphone. He ran to the hospital and held Ayesha’s hand while she delivered. Suddenly it was over. He held in his hands a baby and in the hospital-bed Ayesha laid and smiled. They were allowed to go home the next day. There they placed little Jack in his crib in the newly decorated room. Jack was the cutest thing the both of them had ever seen, he was their son.

“Yes, please yes” she said and seemed much happier than Frances could ever imagined she would be.

Everything happened so fast. Ayesha booked their wedding, it was to be held at the local park and everyone who wanted to come was invited. Frances was so happy that he didn’t object, he would do anything for her. Marrying her would be no difficulty.

The day of the wedding was a sunny and cloudless day, perfect. Many people had gathered and Frances was nervous. He wanted everything to be perfect, this was the biggest day in his life.

Everyone seemed happy and everything seemed perfect. Perfect weather, beautiful bride, loyal groom. But things aren’t always what they seem. Frances was to happy to even notice that Ayesha became uncomfortable when suddenly a strange man started talking to her. Frances didn’t hear what they talked about and didn’t notice Ayesha’s sad face when the man suddenly left.

But Ayesha soon forget about the meeting with the man. This was a day of happiness and she wanted it to be happy.

Ayesha. She was all he could think of. He even dreamt about her. One day Frances decided to find her. Being a private-eye and all finding her wasn’t that difficult. He looked through datebases and soon found her address. Quickly he wrote a short letter and placed under her door.

Ayesha

Dinner for two at the bistro tonight, seven pm

Yours truthfully, Frankie

Frances didn’t remember ever being so nervous. He walked around the library waiting for the time to pass. So finally the clock showed ten minutes to seven and outside the Bistro stood Frances in his best suit (his only suit to be more precise). He waited. One minute, two minutes, the time passed slowly. What if she wouldn’t come? What would he do then? Maybe she hadn’t seen the letter.

But he didn’t need to worry because three minutes past seven she arrived. Frances smiled at her and then said in a nervous voice.

“You came!”

“You asked me to, didn’t you?” she replied in a playful tone.

“Well yeah” he said and understood at once who silly he sounded.

“I’m buying and I’ve got something for you” he said quickly to avoid focus on his sillyness. Frances gave Ayesha a rose and she took it and smiled broadly.

“Thank you” she said and then added, “let’s dine!”

Frances showed the way and they had a lovely dinner. The two talked about almost everything and Frances could hardly believe his luck, he had dinner with the most beautiful girl on the planet. She seemed to like him, or at least not dispise him. Frances took his chances when they left the bistro. He leant forward and kissed her on the cheek.

“Will I be seeing you again?” he asked.

“Course you will” she said, took his hand and giggled.

Weeks passed and the two still met. Frances were (if possible) even more in love with Ayesha than before and he became more confident for each day that she felt the same about him. He didn’t care much for his job anymore, Ayesha was his everything.

He had to know. Know for sure. They meet at the Diner and there outside he suddenly went down on one knee. Ayesha seemed very surprised. Was she pleased or just in chock? Frances didn’t know. He was getting nervous now. Would she accept his proposal or would she refuse it. Did she even love him?

Frances searched through mail for secret love letters

Questioned suspects in a intelligent way

And broke into to suspects' houses when they weren't looking

All in all he was satisfied. One day at the library however would change everything. Frances sat in the library as he often did and read crime novels. He was just about to leave the library when he saw her. Standing by the section for romance novels stod the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He couldn’t help it, he had fallen in love instantly.

Frances’ legs were shaking and he almost felt dizzy, but he forced himself to walk over to her. In a way he hoped sounded casual he said, “hi”. She turned round and faced him, “hello” she replied and looked a bit surprised. A moment of silence surrounded them both before Frances once again spoke.

“I am new. Moved into the lot at the hill a month ago” he explained.

“Oh” she said and then added, “I am Ayesha Ansari”.

“I am Frances Pendon” he quickly replied and then added, “but everyone just calls me Frankie”. That was in a way not a lie. Frances didn’t care much for his name, it sounded so weak. He wanted a strong name and since he started school had forced his friends to call him Frankie. During his childhood must people actually called him Frankie with the exception of his late father. His father insisted on calling him Frances and when the boy asked why his father replied, ‘Frances is an intelligent name for an intelligent boy’.

“Hello Frankie” Ayesha said and he smiled stupidly at her. “I have to go now, things to do you know”. Before he knew it she had left, but Frances wasn’t giving up. He would marry her, he made that promise to himself.

“Private-Eye Pendon”

“Wonderful, then I haven’t misdialed” a woman’s voice said at the other end of the line.

“So what assistance do you need?” Frances asked.

“I am being black-mailed” the woman said and then added “I will not go to the police”

“Course you won’t” Frances replied a little to enthusiastic.

The woman explained that she was being black-mailed and that she had no idea who did it. But she had given a great deal of money to the black-mailer. The woman continued and said that she didn’t know the exact reasons for the blackmailing but she wished Frances to but an end to it because she was afraid that sensitive information would come to the public’s knowledge.

“No need to worry miss” he said in a matter of fact voice.

“Miss Rowlette” she corrected him and then hung up.

To state that Frances was eager was in no way an understatement. He looked forward to solving this crime so much that he whistled all the way to the park where he thought it most possible to find information. He didn’t have much of a lead but he could ask around in the park. Maybe someone had heard of something fishy going on in the area.

Greetings Sir

Frances asked around but no one seemed to have heard or seen anything. Suddenly a little girl poked him in the side and said, “I will tell you mister”. He looked at her and then asked in a puzzled way, “tell me what?”

“About the lady with the tatoo of course”

“Please tell me” Frances said but wasn’t sure this was helpful at all. What could she possibly know.

“But first you will have to buy a cookie Mister” the girl then added and hurried over to the table where she was selling home-baked cookies. Frances bought a cookie and the asked her to tell him.

I will tell you if you buy a cookie Mister!

“The lady with the tatoo. She isn’t very nice. Mum says she knows everything about everyone.” Frances looked even more puzzled and asked, “where can I find this lady?”

“At the Tatoo Parlor of course” the girl replied and laughed.

Frances headed over to the tatoo parlor as quick as he could and the owner sure looked fishy. Tattoos marked her body and she didn’t seem to pleased that he was asking questions. “I don’t know nothing about nothing. I haven’t done anything bad! Who are you anyway? Some copper right? You are no good, the lot of you”. The lady then marched away and left a surprised Frances standing in the room.

He couldn’t help it. Frances knew it was wrong to snoop but the next day he came back. This time in different clothes and with the hopes of not being spotted. He had sneaked inside in the middle of the night and no one was there. Quickly he looked through the rooms of the parlor. Once in a while he stopped to listen, but no one came. He opened a desk drawer and to his surprise he saw a pile of letters.

All were addressed to the lady he had talked to the previous day, the parlor owner. He read them one by one. All were filled with threats. Threats like, “tell me about Terry Jones’ tattoos or I will let everyone know you secret”. Reading these letters Frances felt a certainess that he would never get a tatoo but also he knew he was closing in on the evil-doer. He looked at the back of the letters and to his utter surprise there was an address.

Taking a cab Frances hurried to the address and when he saw an old lady outside he knew it. She was the one! Frances hurried over to her and almost screamed.

“Stop blackmailing miss Rowlette. I know who you are and I will make it my business that this all stop”

That was the end of it. Private-Eye Prendon had solved his first case and his business was blooming. He felt like a movie-star. Like Jack Nicholson in Chinatown but luckily for Frances his nose was still intact.

Every since he was a boy Frances had wanted to become a cop, like his father. His father, Erwin Pendon, was a confident man who had high believes in his only son and high standards of what was right and wrong. Frances father raised his son on his own because the boy’s mother had left long ago. Frances didn’t really mind. He loved and admired his father but Erwin worked an awful lot. So to escape from the loneliness of evenings by himself Frances read crime novels and watched crime films. He loved it and dreamt even more of becoming a cop himself. But those dreams were shattered when he couldn’t get a job. But now, here in Sunset Valley, he had a second chance.

With high hopes and aspiring ambitions he approached the police station. Ten minutes later it was defiantly clear, they didn’t want to hire him. Disappointed (to say the least) Frances took his sorrows to the library. He loved the smell of old books and the mystery that surrounded them all. It was here that he got the idea. Why bother about being employed, his was a fantastic detective and he knew it.

Frances logged on to one of the computers and put up an ad on the internet.

Private Detective

Need any crimes solved? Mr F. Pendon is here to aid you. Send an email or call and all your troubles shall be solved.

Pleased with the ad Frances leant backwards in the chair and admired his work. He was sure that the phone in his pocket would be ringing any moment now.