Note: I had entirely too much fun writing for this prompt. So much fun, in fact, that the current word count is over 1800! As such, this is only part 1 of the story. I hope to release a little more of the story each day, so check back tomorrow if you want to read more! :-)
"Are you sure this is the right place, Miss?" asked the cab driver, his brow furrowed. "This isn't kind of place a Lady like yourself should be wandering around."
"I'm fine," she said flatly as she looked out of the grimy window. Warehouses lined the large concrete lot, but it was one particular cluster of buildings near the service road that caught her eye. A small fleet of police cars were haphazardly parked around one of the alleyways between buildings.
"Yes, this is the place," said Ida, handing the driver his fare.
She emerged from the taxi and immediately inhaled deeply, thankful to be free of the stench that had permeated every inch of fabric within the run-down cab. That would be the last time she used that cab service for travel, no matter how late she would be. Though, judging by the creaks and groans it made as it pulled away, the life of that particular car was nearing its end.
Ida took a few moments to straighten the wrinkles from the skirt of her dress, deftly tugging and smoothing the soft fabric until she was satified that she was once again presentable. Then she quickly opened her parasol and made her way over to the circle of police cars.
"I beg your pardon, my Lady, but I'm afraid a crime has taken place here," a young deputy said, halting her as she approached. "We can't permit civilians to enter this area."
"Oh, but I am permitted," Ida informed him. "Now, if you'll excuse me—"
"I'm quite sorry, my Lady," he insisted, blocking her path. "I cannot permit you to enter this area."
Ida sighed and tried not to roll her eyes at him. She knew that he was simply doing his job, but the unexpected call and unpleasant taxi ride had already set her on edge. She didn't have much patience left to spare. Still, she was a Lady and she kept herself polite.
"Very well, then. Please let Detective Bowen know that Lady Ida is here."
The deputy tensed for a moment, perhaps a little unsure of how he should proceed, then caught the attention of one of his fellow officers.
"Hey, Lady Ida is here to see Detective Bowen! Could you let him know?" called the deputy.
"And do hurry!" added Ida. The deputy frowned slightly, so she smiled, "Victor becomes quite irritated when I arrive late."
This prompt was provided by @mariannewest and can be found here.
Image sourced from Pixabay.