on the case

Happily, the parrots of the Wandering City do not feel obliged to talk like pirates, so I was able to understand quiet clearly when the green feathered one landed on the cafe table as I was taking some breakfast at the sidewalk cafe a little way down Baker Street.  "Mr. Dodge" the bird began.."At the corner of Apathy and Guile, in the Downside beatnik quarter, at eleven this same morning, someone will await you, tokened by a yellow rose in his lapel.  This person has information he might be willing to sell, regarding the whereabouts of a article of a certain hue."I tried to read something from the parrot's expression, but that's hard to do with a bird face.  They are great at poker.  It was just now eight in the morning, so I had plenty of time to get there.  "Very well" I replied to the bird..."I will be glad to keep the meeting."  The bird nodded politely and flew away.  I knew my partner had a horrible hangover, so I went by myself.  The invitation was to me alone anyway, I took it.  To get to the Downside beatnik quarter, first you got to go Downside...so around nine-thirty, giving myself plenty of time as is my habit, I set off on the tram to Hellsgate Station, so I could catch the Underground through the gravity reversal to Stygian Station, where I could get a local down Apathy Avenue.  I was at Guile Street twenty minutes early, but there was already a shifty looking creature looking furtive and anxious all at once standing in front of the corner taproom, with a yellow bloom in the lapel of his shiny and slightly too small dress jacket.  I sidled close to him....he eyed me nervously....when no one else was near, I muttered "The bird sent me."  "What?" said the character with the flower....it was some sort of extreme ectomorph biot...it was like talking to a bare skull...."What did you say?"  the creature asked.  "Well," I said, speaking up a bit..."I was told to meet someone here who might have some information about the Blue Ja...."  "Hush" I was interrupted..."Not here on the street!  Come with me to a place with some privacy!  he advised.  Down Guile we went, to a narrow alley entrance.  I was beckoned on by a bony finger into the dim alley, and I followed to what looked like the back door to shady establishment (I've seen a few of those in my time, I am not proud to say)....Bony knuckles rapped a complicated sequence beneath the peekhole of the door.  An eyeball glared through said peekhole, and the door swang open.  "Quick." someone said....we hastened inside....my skinny companion grinned horribly, and pointed me down a narrow hallway.  The door at the end of the hall swung open as I neared it, and I entered a low-ceilinged room with no windows....a striking figure was sitting behind a poker table....dark cloak, burning embers for eyes in the depths of the cowl, a scythe leaning against the wall.  "Damn" I thought "Looks like I've kept an appointment with the Grim Reaper himself!"