A Little Snippet of DN2

 I had this whole idea of a post to write for this morning, but I am not quite up to putting words in order yet, so here's a snippet of DN2.  If you've read DN1 - RUMOR HAS IT - this should give you a happy.  I hope.  It's totally first-drafty, so be kind.

The name on the door said Duke Noble, Private Investigator in gold letters.  I pushed the door open without knocking.  After all, it was my name on the door, even if I hadn't stepped past it in over a month. 

Pushing the door open took more effort than usual.  A stack of mail retarded its progress.  Sooner or later, I'd have to hire a new secretary.  The last one had left in a fit of pique the year before and I hadn't had the time or the inclination to replace her.  Somewhere along the way, she figured if she was my one gal in the office, she ought to be the one gal in my life.  I disabused her of the notion as soon as I caught wind of it and she was gone.  Afterwards, I came to value the fact that my life moved smoother without anyone to answer to or be responsible for. 

I threw my hat on a chair and a fine layer of dust rose into the sunshine slicing through my blinds.  I definitely needed to get cleaners in there before any paying clients arrived.  The fact that none were expected made my decision to delay the call that much easier. 

Striding past the unused and unlikely to be used desk where my secretary once sat, I entered my sanctum.  The dust wasn't as prevalent there, but most of the surfaces within had sheets to protect them.  Two utilitarian chairs sat facing a heavy mahogany desk and the opulent chair on the other side.  I eschewed my seat and went first toward the lone bookcase, pushed the tomes to one side, and removed a stack of newspapers I'd been meaning to read.  I grabbed a rag and cleaned a space for the weight I'd carried in with me.  As I set the urn into its new space, I whispered, "Welcome to your new home, Sara."