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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4160168" data-attributes="member: 3285">Love's Lonely Children: Part 2 – Hammonds Adult BooksThe street consisted of small storefronts with apartments above.  Hammonds was sandwiched between a butcher’s shop and a place specializing in electronic goods.  A green sedan was parked out front.  The bookshop’s front window was painted over, and the words “Hammonds Adult Books” lettered upon it.  A handwritten sign on the door warned patrons not to enter if “nudity offends.”  The hours indicated it was open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., six days a week.As they pulled up, a woman entered—rare in a place whose customers were most often nervous adolescents and skulking men.  She was wrapped in a coat and scarf.  Moments after she entered, a “Closed” sign appeared in the front window and the door was locked. Hammer went down the alleyway to cover any escapes from the rear entrance.  Blade, Archive, and Guppy knocked on the door.After more insistent knocking, an unremarkable, weak, unassuming man answered the door.  He was older and balder than he appeared in the discarded photograph.  “We’re closed,” he snapped.Blade pressed his badge against the window. “We’re federal agents.  We’d like to speak with you a moment.”“I said we’re closed…”Blade put his foot in the door.  “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.”The man sighed. “Fine, come in.”Inside, the fluorescent-lit store was stocked with inflatable plastic sex dolls, row after row of shrink-wrapped magazines, clinically gleaming toys of plastic, leather and steel, and a glass-topped counter displaying dope pipes, condoms, and lubricants.  Presiding over it all, leering at the agents from behind the counter, was the weasel-like Hammond.“Do you know Kathy Hammond?”The man’s features twitched.  “That’s my daughter, yes.”Blade and Archive exchanged a look.  “You haven’t heard?”“Heard?”  The man’s head swiveled from Blade to Archive and back again.  “Heard what?”“She’s was found dead this morning.”“Dead?” The man’s gaze wandered to the counter.  He bit his lip.  “I had no idea…”“What’s your name, sir?” asked Blade.“Colin,” said Colin.  “I live here with my wife Edith.”They could hear the thumping of the woman as she stalked around the upper floor.  Judging from the heaviness of her footsteps, she must have been huge.“When was the last time you saw your daughter?”Colin sighed.  “Kathy was always a difficult child, but as a teenager she became wild and uncontrollable.  At fifteen she began listening to that dreadful punk music. It’s media like that Rising group that corrupted her mind, you know.”Archive blinked.  “He’s serious…?”“By sixteen she was addicted to heroin.  Kathy ran away from home shortly after her seventeenth birthday,” said Colin.“When was that?” asked Archive.”Eight months ago.  Ever since then we’ve been dreading, but half-expecting, the worst.”Guppy held up a magazine cover.  It was a recent issue of the sadomasochistic magazine Dungeon, featuring a photograph of Colin on the cover.  Though bound and gagged, enough of his face was visible for him to be recognized.  Posed with him was a grossly obese woman dressed in black leather and carrying a whip.“How much for this?” asked Guppy.“Five dollars,” said Colin.“I will give you two.”Colin’s nose wrinkled.  “I don’t know what country you come from, mister, but we don’t haggle here.  It’s five dollars.”“Fine.”  Guppy put the magazine back on the shelf.  “Can we speak with your wife, Mister Hammond?” asked Blade.Colin sighed.  “Edith? EDITH!”There was more thumping upstairs.  “What?” she shouted.“There’s some men here who want to speak with you!”“What NOW?” More rumbling.  “I’m coming down.”Edith surged through the double doors behind the counter, a great, blubbery mountain of a woman, dressed in a floral print dress the size of a small tent.  Her tiny eyes glared out at the world from a red and angry face.  Although her hair was long, it was pulled back in a tight bun.  She ordered Colin out of the room. “Let me deal with this.” Her breathing came in loud, heavy gasps, sweat dotting her brow from the exertion of climbing down the steps.Colin slunk away and Edith turned back to stare at Blade.  “Now.  What can I do for you gentlemen?”“We were asking about your daughter.”“Yes, our daughter,” she huffed.  “Ungrateful little bitch.”“Are you aware we’re conducting a murder investigation?”“No? She’s dead then?  Good.”“You seem be taking this awfully well,” said Archive.“Look.”  She leaned forward, and Edith’s pendulous rolls of fat consumed the counter.  “Kathy was nothing but trouble.  Good riddance to her, I say.”“Where is the woman who just entered the bookshop?” asked Guppy.“A private customer.  She is in our parlor.”“We’d like to speak with her,” said Blade.“Absolutely NOT.” Edith drew herself up.  “Our shop prides itself on providing privacy to our clients.  Now unless you have anything further to ask me, I will bid you good evening.”“We can get a warrant and search this place,” threatened Blade.Edith moved around the counter and ushered them out with her great bulk.  “You have no cause. Now get off my property.”She slammed the door behind them.“That went well,” said Archive.“Now what?” asked Guppy.Blade jangled the keys as he walked towards the van.  “Now we wait.”</blockquote>

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