Martoons

Tomorrow: Fred meets the Pony’s owner and the go-to Korea scheme picks up momentum.

Cast of characters

Fred

Dee

Donna Lee – Korean Canadian stuck in a dead-end job and looking for adventure.

*

Dee was still there but – again – nothing was brewing.

Dee was only fiddling with his camera and actually seemed glad to see Fred back for some company.

He wisecracked with a smug smile, “Mr Rent-a-cop! Catch your bad guy? So, where did I leave off with my personal sob-story? Oh yes, you wanted the six o’clock news voice bite version…”

Fred had now lost his patience and wasn’t in the mood to listen to D’s melodrama.

He’d crashed from his adrenalin rush and was now hungry and even yawning.

He had to keep moving.

He fumbled around in his pocket for his mini digital clock and snuck a peak at it while Dee was talking.

“Basically I hit rock bottom last year,” Dee said. “Drugs and booze, gambling… My parents got me enrolled in the film course to turn my life around.”

He scoffed. “Ha! Bunch of do-gooders… but actually, I am getting into the film thing.”

He gazed upward philosophically. “The creation of an illusion… Wouldn’t mind being an actor.”

“Good luck with that,” Fred said itching to move on. “You gonna leave that bucket of bolts here all night, I mean, if it actually is yours?”

“These lots are crawling with thieves. Why do you think they need security?”

* Things start to come together – coincidentally. *

Dee looked at his watch.

“I’ll be out of here within the hour. My sister’s driving me home when she’s done her shift. You guys should meet! Ha! She works down here at night too – in a call center.

”Their clients are all Korean and she speaks the language so with the time change she has to work graveyards. Night time here is day time over there.”

A call center?

Clients in Korea?

What a coincidence: Master Lee, and that whole thing; and now this complete stranger is also Korean.

Fred instantly perked up. “Hmm . . .”

“Yeah,” Dee continued, “she reads horoscopes or some fluff like that. This city’s hurtin’ for jobs right now and it’s the only thing she can get. It’s not a bad job for a flake like her…”

His voice tapered off and he resumed inspecting his video camera. “Shit, low battery.”

Fred: “Look buddy, I gotta get back to the job. But like I said, get this vehicle out of here sooner rather than later.”

“It’s a sitting duck even with your ominous-looking dummy sitting inside.”

“Yeah, I gotta get to work too,” Dee said. “I’ve got one bar of battery left but I’ll just risk it.”

“Say, you must know every nook and cranny around here. Where I can find some good graffiti? That’s my project tonight.”

Fred shrugged.

Dee closed the trunk of the car, gave Fred a thumbs-up and waltzed down the ramp out of the lot.

Yet no more than 10 minutes later, Fred was out patrolling around when he saw Dee again – this time frantically flagging him down.

Oh no, not this eccentric scuzzbag again. This guy’s taking up way too much of my time.

Nevertheless, he slammed on his bike brakes. “What’s up boss? Get your graffiti?”

“Look, you might want to head back to where we were. I was leaving that lot and ducked behind a pillar to take a leak.”

Some derelict appeared out of nowhere – didn’t see me – and broke into my sister’s car.

”Guess I surprised him. As soon as he saw me, he took off like a kid with a firecracker dropped down his pants.”

Fred nodded at Dee’s camera. “Get any of this on tape Mr Filmmaker?”

“No – my battery died after all!”

“Thanks anyway. I’ll go check this out. Oh and so much for your scary dummy!”

* Will Fred catch the car thief? *

Fred raced back and rode up three levels to the red Pony.

There was a well-dressed, somewhat chunky Asian woman standing at the car shaking her head.

“The owner I presume?” Fred smiled as sympathetically as he could for three o’clock in the morning.

He reiterated what Dee had already told him and suggested the woman call her insurance company.

“Oh! You met Damion? He’s my brother,” she said. “You knew he was my brother? Anyway, it’s not an expensive car so I’m not too heartbroken. But it does have sentimental value.”

“These old Ponies are the first car exported from Korea.”

“I got it pre-owned for a good deal and didn’t figure anyone would break into such a beater. This is the third time in the last little while, at two hundred bucks a pop.

”Think I’ll just duct tape some poly into the window space this time!” She chuckled and shook her head.

Fred was impressed that she could laugh at the whole thing.

The woman reflected and snapped her fingers. “Shit, guess it’s partly my fault. Think I did leave some loonies on the dash.”

“That’ll do it,” Fred said. “A few loonies will buy a hit of crack.” He stuck out his hand for a handshake. “Fred Pineridge.”

She reciprocated.

“By the way,” he continued, “I always wondered who owned this car. I see it every night shift and it’s kind of become …”

He put his fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. “… my friend.”

He chucked and decided not to mention the conversations he’d had with the car.

The woman giggled at his comment.

“I’m Donna Lee. You know, I hate working nights down here. Some of the people slinking around this area are pretty scary. I feel sorry for a lot of them, actually.

“Anyway, I’ve been looking for a new job for a while. Hope something comes through soon.”

“I’ve got a job tip for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Don’t become a security guard!”

She laughed. “Maybe you should become a comedian.”

Fred chuckled and they said goodbye to each other.

*

Tomorrow: Fred hits a brick wall with Master Lee’s get-rich-quick scheme but then gets a bit of luck.