It was night when Jorden Jones pulled up in his green Cobra Mustang GT to a parking lot in front of an old-style diner called: “Moe’s Diner – Home for Great Burgers and Fries” The long silver lined building was made from an old railroad dining car dating back to the 1950’s.

Jorden was dressed in a pink satin Jacket, black loafers, and faded Levi’s jeans. He looked about thirty years old with thick wavy charcoal hair and big white teeth. After leaving his car, Jorden opened the door to the establishment. A blonde teenaged girl with a white knit sweater made her way past him holding hands with her boyfriend dressed in jeans, converse sneakers and a faded black jacket. Turning his head to one side, Jorden smiled as he let the couple pass before entering.

Inside the place was busy. There were adults and teenagers of various ages. A haze of cigarette smoke hung over the entire place. People sat on stools across from the cooks working the grill and deep fryer. Outback was a full kitchen. Across from the stools was a long row of booths carved from wood that were right next to the long large windows that lined the diner. Jorden had a smile on his face as he made his way to an empty stool across from the grill. He took a seat and gazed over the whole room. He saw patrons eating burgers and fries along with coffee, tea, milkshakes and floats. The older folks seemed content with their coffees and cigarettes. Jorden leaned forward grabbing the shirt tail of the chief cook. The man spun around quickly holding his spatula in his hand. He had a white paper hat on and full set of white cook’s clothes. You could see the sweat on his face and clothing. Jorden leaned back on his stool before talking. “Hey Moe, how’s my favorite cook tonight?” Mo tried to smile as he flipped a burger before turning back to face Jorden. “Don’t you bug me enough?” Jorden smiled. “I can never bug you enough.” Moe grimaced as he turned to flip another burger. His fry cook served up some of fries on a platter. One of the two waitresses dressed in pink with white bonnets grabbed the platter and made her way to the end of the dining car to a man sitting at a booth. Jorden took notice. The man had a bald head, dark overcoat, wrinkled white dress shirt and a plaid tie. He looked about fifty. The same age as Moe. He was smoking a cigar. Jorden looked at him again. Moe turned to face him. “We’re closing early tonight. What can I get you?” Jorden peered at the man down the aisle before turning to face Moe. Moe looked tired as he held the spatula in his hand. Jorden looked directly into Moe’s eyes. “Has Shelia been around?” Moe leaned back from the counter before turning his back on Jorden. He flipped a few more burgers. His fry cook dunked a large serving of fries from a vat of hot canola oil. Moe served up two platters of fries and a burger handing the food over the counter to a waitress. Jorden kept his eye on the cigar smoking man watching him pick at his plate of food. “Well Moe, has she been around?” Moe wiped the sweat off of his brow before taking a step towards Jorden. “She told me to tell you she’s going to be late. What do you want with her anyways?”

Jorden smiled. “That’s between me and her.” Moe backed up and turned towards the grill continuing to cook as the waitresses hovered over the many customers with plates of food while working the cash register near the front door. Jorden perked up on his stool twisting from side to side looking a little distraught. He glanced at the man again. Jorden took his pack of Lucky Strikes out of his jacket pocket and placed them on the counter top. Moe looked around. He looked stressed. “You want the usual?” Jorden took a smoke out of his pack and put it in his mouth. He pushed his chin forward. “I’ll have what that guy is having…” Jorden sat up in his stool before pointing to the end of the dining car.

Moe looked a little distraught as he turned to his fellow cook. “One large plate of fries for the man with the wavy charcoal hair.” The fry cook tilted his head towards Moe before giving him a wink. After Jorden got his fries, he lit up a cigarette and took a big inhale. He blew a number of smoke rings that floated down the counter towards the man with the cigar. Jorden turned to face Moe. “How long have we known each other? It goes back to when you left the army.” Moe said nothing for a long time as he continued to serve his waitresses. Moe looked over his shoulder with serious anger in his eyes. “I don’t talk about Korea. None of us do. It’s not polite Jorden. You don’t know that world and you never will. You don’t know what it can do to a man. You weren’t good enough for the war. Am I right?”

As he took another haul off his smoke, Jorden felt slighted by Moe’s comment. It’s true that he was turned down by from the Armed forces. He was what they called “flat footed” He could not serve on the front or be in harms way. Jorden’s eyes squinted as he fell into silence saying nothing for quite some time. He turned his head and looked at the man. The two men seemed to lock eyes just as the bald man put out his cigar butt before digging into his fries. Jorden looked on before fiddling with the fries on his own plate. He took a few bites before dabbing his fries in ketchup. Jorden put his smoke out before taking a big bite. He looked up at Moe. “Shelia told me she’d be here before closing time. She wanted to talk about her acting career. She told me it was important.”

Moe looked over his shoulder next to the cash register being operated by one of the waitresses as customers came and went. Behind the cash register was a wall clock. It was 9:03pm. Moe turned to face Jorden as he continued to eat his fries. “We close at 9:30pm. If your girl does not come by then, you’ll have to leave.” Jorden took a quick bite before looking up at Moe. “I hear you Moe. She said she’d be here. I mean you know Shelia as much as I do. She should come.” Jorden fiddled with his lighter as he glanced at his pack of smokes. He turned to his side catching Moe out of the corner of his eye. He started to lower his voice. “Who’s that guy down there, do you know him?” Moe turned his back on the man before speaking. “He’s been coming here every night for the past five evenings. He orders the same thing. Smokes the same cigars. He always seems to be waiting for someone.” Jorden turned to his side slowly taking a look at the strange man. After taking a few more fries Jorden pushed the platter away. He grabbed a smoke and lit up. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy. I want to talk to him but I don’t know what to say. What do you think Moe?” Moe continued to work while many patrons were getting ready to leave. Moe kept his eye on the clock near the cash register. It was 9:10pm. “Why don’t you stick around. Shelia is coming.” Moe rubbed his sweaty forehead with one hand while holding his spatula with the other. Jorden looked eager as he shook his head ever so slightly. “I think it’s important that I stay here till close. In fact, I’d like to stay a little longer.”

Moe looked a trifle bit angry as he raised his voice. “The only way you will stay past closing is if you agree to do dishes and mop the floors. Got it?” Jorden leaned back in his stool with smoke in hand. “I’d really like to know who that guy is. I wonder if he knows Sheila.” Moe said nothing. The crowd inside the diner began to thin out as the clock kept ticking. Moe took a brief brake heading into the kitchen behind the grill and the fry cooker. His helper took over the cooking as things began to shut down. Jorden sat on his stool taking a few small drags of his cigarette before looking down the length of the dining car towards the man. The man’s cigar butt was in an ashtray. His fries were gone. He was licking ketchup off his fingers as he peered down the length of the diner focusing on Jorden. Jorden took notice and felt uncomfortable. He took a final drag of his smoke before getting the attention of Moe’s helper working over the grill and fry cooker. “I need a black coffee.” The man tried to smile before looking at the clock. “I can’t, we’re closing soon.” Jorden nodded as he leaned forward pulling a ten-dollar bill from the wallet inside his pink satin jacket. “Take this and keep the change.”

The guy looked down with a slight grin. He grabbed the bill before putting it in the cash register. “Nice tip, but you got to drink fast.” After being served his coffee, Jorden took a bunch of small sips before letting the coffee cool off a bit. He looked at the watch on his wrist and the clock on the wall. It was 9:15pm. Jorden lit another cigarette as he glanced at the bald man. The large crowd that existed when Jorden arrived had gone including the waitresses. It was just Jorden, Moe, his helper and the man with the cigar butt.

Jorden thought about Shelia over and over again. He held his cup of coffee taking small sips. He looked across the counter at Moe’s helper. “What’s the name of the guy with the cigar?” The man shook his head as he began to scrub down the grill with a large brush dipped in canola oil. “I saw him here with Shelia three nights ago. They sat together at the same booth he’s sitting at now. Shelia looked a bit distraught. I got curious so I asked Moe. He said Shelia told him he was a film producer and that he wanted her in his next movie. That’s all I know. It maybe true. It may not be.”

Jorden had a frown on his face as he glanced all the way down the dining car. Jorden knew that Shelia was an actress but she never talked about meeting a producer. The man raised his hand, waving in Jorden’s direction. Jorden’s head tilted as he took a gulp of coffee. He raised his eye brow at the bald man poking an index finger in his direction. The man nodded while waving at Jorden to come join him. Jorden took one big gulp of coffee draining the cup dry. Then without hesitation, he grabbed his cigarettes and started to walk down the length of the counter before stopping at the last booth at the end of the dining car. The man looked at his cigar butt in the ashtray before adjusting his plaid necktie. He motioned Jorden to sit down. After looking at the man’s drab demeaner, Jorden sat down across from him. He put his smokes on the table before leaning back into the leather booth. Jorden put his hands on the table looking directly into the eyes of the man in front of him. “Got a name Mr.?” The man had a small smile. “My name isn’t important.” Jorden kept his eyes locked on the man across from him before his eyes went wide. “So, you work in movies? Is that it?” The man took his cigar butt out of the ashtray before lighting it. He took a few quick puffs before he tapped the ash from the cigar into the ashtray.

Jorden shook his head as he looked at the strange imposing man. He looked at his watch. It was 9:20pm. Jorden refrained from taking a smoke as he made a fist. “I have a very important date with a woman. She’s not on time. It bugs me because she’s always on time. Her name is Shelia. You know her name?” The man rubbed his bald head. He leaned back in his seat while glancing at his cigar butt. “I don’t think you’ll ever see her again. Her and I have parted company. She was one of many you know. She put up a real struggle. I kind of like it when it goes that way.” Jorden looked perplexed with traces of anger. “I want to know who you are and why you come here so much. I want to know about you and Shelia. She’s a friend who promised to see me tonight.” The bald man giggled as he took a hit off the cigar butt resting in the ashtray. “There is always the jealous boyfriend when it comes to these things.” Jorden’s teeth rattled as he continued to grab onto the table. He looked over his shoulder at the row of empty stools in front of the counter. Moe’s fry cook was mopping the floors. Jorden’s temper hit a new high as he continued to sit. “I’m looking to meet Shelia Peterson. She’s a friend of mine. She said she needed some money. I agreed to meet her here tonight. We both know she wants to be an actress. I hear from the owner that you’ve been a regular here and that you’re some kind of movie producer. I hear that you’ve met with Shelia here at least one time this week.”

The man’s face became jubilant as he listened to Jorden’s every word. He leaned forward. “Shelia is closer than you realize. But you can’t talk to her. Not anymore.” Jorden continued to stew in his seat as the tensions continued to flare. “I don’t get you… It’s getting late. Where’s Shelia?” The man looked at the clock at the end of the dining car where the cash register was. It was 9:25pm.

The man had a slight childlike grin as his gaze covered the whole dining car before staring at Jorden. “You motioned to see me. You wanted to talk to me, didn’t you? Am I wrong Jorden?”

Jorden’s mouth grew wide as he leaned back in his seat while clenching both fists. “How the hell do you know my name?” “I knew Shelia remember?” Jorden looked incensed as he did all he could to maintain his composure. He nodded his head slowly as he peered into the bald man’s cold grey eyes. “Tell me two things. What’s your name and why do you keep talking about Shelia in the past tense?”

The man fell into silence. Both men looked at each other with mutual apprehension. The bald man said nothing as he contemplated Jorden’s questions. Lights above the grill and deep fryer were turned off. The fry cook headed for the kitchen leaving the dining car from the rear. There was little light left as Jorden and the man kept sitting across from each other. The man smiled before he broke his silence. “You see Jorden, I’m actually a police officer with a hobby. I like starlets. I play the producer role in order to seduce them. I always make sure there is a boyfriend I can pin it on. I always get away clean. You see, I’m a sick man. I do what I do for pleasure and I always have help. Tonight, is no exception. You don’t need to know my name or anything about Shelia. It’s all taken care of.”

Jorden looked completely confused and perplexed by what he heard. He didn’t know what to think or do. His eyes glazed over as he looked at the man and his cigar butt in the ashtray. The man began to rise from his seat. He turned his face towards Jorden. “Good night Jorden… Remember everything is taken care of. All you have to do is go home.”

The man turned his back on Jorden as he made his way out of the diner and into the night.

Shortly after the bald man disappeared, Jorden looked at his watch. It was 9:30pm. Moe left the kitchen. He could see the back of Jorden’s head as he sat in the booth. “It’s closing time Jorden. You have to go.” Jorden took a final look at the cigar butt before getting off of his seat. He headed towards Moe. He stopped at the cash register and paid for his food before looking up at the clock. It was 9:33pm. “What about Shelia? What do you know about the guy I just talked with? You said he was a regular.” Moe opened the cash register and took some cash before closing it. “Like I said he’s been coming here for the last five evenings. He met Sheila here one night. I haven’t heard from her since.” Jorden let his eyes hit the floor before looking straight towards Moe. “The man said he was a police officer not a movie producer. He said he had a thing for young actresses. He said he was a sick man. I think he’s done harm to Shelia. I just wish I knew where she was.” Moe had a strange curious look on his face. “I don’t know what to say Jorden. Sometimes bad things just happen to people. There is a chain of events in life that you just can’t control.”

Jorden poked his head towards Moe before turning towards the door. As he took a step forward into the parking lot, red and blue lights began to flash, flooding the windows of the diner. Jorden turned to face Moe. “It looks like the cops. What the hell is going on?” Moe said nothing. “What are the police doing here Moe?” Moe shook his head trying hard not to smile.

Jorden took his car keys out of his pocket and walked out the front door. He stood in the parking lot across from his car. There were two parked police cruisers with their lights flashing. Two police men leaned on the hood of each car with shotguns drawn. Two officers stood at the trunk of Jorden’s car. One of them was tall the other average height. The tall guy stepped forward. “Are you Jorden Jones?” Jorden held his breath as he held his car keys in his hand. “Yes, I am. What’s the problem officer?” The cop turned to his partner with a dark grimace before facing Jorden. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Shelia Peterson.” Jorden shook his head as his jaw dropped. He began to shake. Both cops took a step towards him. The shorter cop stuck his hand out. “Are those your car keys?” Jorden nodded. “Hand them over.” Jorden complied. The short cop turned to his partner with a slight grin after facing Jorden. “He smells like an old cigar. Can’t you tell?”

Jorden said nothing. Moe kept standing near the door to the diner. Moe began to shout: “What’s going on? Are we under arrest?” The short cop poked his head in Moe’s direction. “Stay where you are. You’re not involved.” Moe said nothing as he stood at the front door to the diner with his arms in the air.

The short cop turned to his partner once more with Jorden’s car keys in hand. The two cops headed for the trunk of Jorden’s green Cobra Mustang GT. The taller cop took the key from his partner and opened the trunk. Jorden looked on trying to see past the two cops as they opened the trunk. Both cops peered inside. They shook their heads at each other before turning to face Jorden. Moe looked over the whole event trying hard not to smile. The cops looked at each other once more. The short cop began to talk. “She smells like an old cigar. She smells like him. Cuff him and stuff him. This guy’s our killer!”

Both cops turned to face Jorden. The taller one had his gun drawn. The shorter one pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. Jorden was visibly shaken. “Who’s in there! I got to know!” The shorter cop took a night stick and kneecapped Jorden. Jorden hit the ground in pain as the cop rushed towards him. “It’s your sweetheart Jorden. That’s who we found in your trunk: Shelia Peterson. The two of you both smell like the same old cigar. It’s obvious you two have been together tonight. That’s what’s going to send you to the gas chamber. We know you two have a history.” “I think we have an open and shut case. Don’t you?” The cop turned to his partner with a smile as he brought Jorden to his feet handcuffed. They began to drag him towards one of the police cruisers. The cops with their shotguns drew back. Jorden turned to Moe before being placed inside one of the cruisers. “Moe, you know I’d never kill Shelia. You got to help me Moe! Remember the guy with the cigar? We’ve got to find him!” Moe slowly put his hands down as Jorden was slowly placed inside the back seat of a cop car. Moe opened the door to the diner. A man came out of the shadows from within the diner. He stood behind Moe. Jorden spoke up once more. “Tell the cops about the cigar smoking man! Tell them I was set up!” Moe stood to one side next to a man behind. He raised his voice. “Jorden, I know all about the smoking man.” The man behind Moe stepped forward. It was the cigar smoking man! Moe and the cigar smoking man stood next to each other. Moe had a smile on his face as he spoke up. “It takes a team to pull off the perfect crime Jorden!”

The cops didn’t seem to hear as Jorden looked at Moe and the cigar smoking man confused, distraught. He lost the ability to speak as he sat in the backseat of one of the police cruisers. As the cops left the scene, an ambulance arrived to take away Shelia’s body inside Jorden’s trunk. Moe and his friend smiled and waved at Jorden as the tears streamed from his eyes. Moe turned to his friend with a smile. “We had a good night tonight. Wouldn’t you say?” The cigar smoking man smiled. “I could use a cigar, couldn’t you?” Moe had a grin on his face as the two men entered the parking lot of the diner. Moe turned to his friend. “I know a diner not far from here. We can smoke cigars and drink coffee. What do you say?” “Sounds like a great idea.” The man pulled a cigar out of his coat pocket and smiled. He lit the end and started to puff as the two kept walking into the night towards another diner across town.