Ruby and the Ruby 2 (1): Back Again

Jacques Hammer stood at the window of his office.  The rain pelted against the glass as the trees swayed in the wind.  He was reflecting over his last case, which he had solved about three months ago.  Business was slow, the late rent was piling up, and no one had come into the office in weeks.

His work hours usually ended at 4:00 PM.  However, he was holding out hope that a client would come in.  It was foolish, and he knew it, but someone had to come in.

The time was 10:03.

Every few minutes, he looked at the clock and knew that he should leave.  But, there was something keeping him here, even at this hour, and it was not allowing him to leave.  It was as if the office was like a magnet.

The time was 10:07.

He glanced at the clock again.  This time he knew that he would have to leave soon.  He decided that he would leave when the rain stopped.  It wasn't because he hated getting wet; it was because he needed an excuse.

The time was 10:08.

It was up to Mother Nature now.  Hammer didn't know if he wanted to rain to stop his waiting or if he wanted it to drag his time up.  He looked at the clock again.

The time was 10:09.

If someone didn't come, he would file for bankruptcy and close the place for good on that night.  He remained at the window, wondering what had gone wrong.  His last 23 cases had ended with no conclusion.  Why couldn't he recapture the old magic?

The time was 10:14.

Jacques thought about the details of that case for a long time and stared out the window without actually seeing what was in front of him.

The time was 10:23.

Hammer snapped back into focus and saw the drips of the rain.  Except, this time, there were only a few.  The rain had stopped, the wind had stopped, and Jacques Hammer's procrastination would have to stop.

The time was 10:25.

Jacques picked up his bag and placed the things on his desk into it.  He grabbed a picture of his mother, her mouth forever fixed in a cheery smile.  This was no time for smiling.

The time was 10:27.

Next were the smaller things.  Five pens.  Three pencils.  Two notebook tablets.  One place mat.  All went into the bag.

The time was 10:28.

The last thing to remain was his trusty magnify glass.  He kept it in his hands for a moment and twisted it around and around.  He traced his hands around the edge of the glass.  It was then deposited in the bag.

The time was 10:30.

Jacques Hammer opened the drawers of his desk and emptied the clutter that remained inside.  He moved to his filing cabinets and removed all of the files.  He made his way around to other areas of the room and cleaned out the place.

The time was 10:32.

Hammer made his way to the door.  He looked back at his office one last time, reliving his glory days.  He then saw that a single paper had fallen out of a file and was now laying on the floor.  He walked over to it and picked it up.  He looked at the picture that was above the paragraphs of text and smiled.  It was of the ruby that he had once found for a nice, young lady.  Jacques allowed himself a smile.

The time was 10:34.

The door opened and a woman walked in.  She spoke.  "Mr. Hammer?"

Jacques was shocked.  He slowly turned his head.

It had been ten years since he had seen the woman who stood before him.  She was still ravishing in the shiny red dress and pearls.  Her blonde hair still flowed as a breeze came in from the open door.

"Hello, Ms. Ruby.  It's nice to see you again," Hammer said, with the smile still on his face.

"I'm sorry to come at such a late hour, but I have a very serious issue that I need to deal with and you are the only person who I trust," Ruby said.

"Come sit down," said Hammer simply.

The time was 10:37, and Jacques Hammer was back on the case.

To Be Continued