A cool breeze ruffled the dirty lace curtains in the bedroom window, causing the girl in bed to shiver and pull a ragged woolen blanket tighter around her shoulders.  Finally unable to ignore the gooseflesh on her arms and legs she rolled out of bed and stretched.  A thin tabby wound its way around her legs and meowed in a hoarse voice.  She reached down to pet the cat, rewarded by a much smaller mew and a rumbling purr so loud it reverberated through the dimly lit room.    

"I'll feed you in a moment."  The cat butted her hand as if to say it understood and Cherry stood up and slipped on a pair of felt house shoes.  After her morning ablutions she fed the cat and started a pot of coffee in her new percolator, one of the few privileges she allowed herself.  The newspaper on her doorstep announced there was a vaccine for the Polio virus, which took all of Cherry's attention away from the small blurb on page three about the murder of a man in downtown.  She finished her coffee, got dressed and gave her napping cat one more pat before she stepped out into the rapidly warming sunshine of Spring.  

The motor of her 1937 rust bucket Plymouth grumbled to life and she sighed.  The car had been a gift from her brother on the occasion of learning to drive and had been through the wars before it was hers.  True, her brother had taken good care of the car and had promised her a new car when she was out on her own, but with the fire and prohibition ending and their assets being seized her brothers had gone underground and she was left with an old car and not much else.  She rolled up to an unassuming brick building and parked, the clunk of the engine causing her to wince.  

"Come on old girl, I know you have some more life in you."  She grabbed her purse and waved hello to another girl who worked in the same office.  A few minutes later she was situated at a small wooden desk, fingers placed neatly on an adding machine.  Several uneventful hours and a few cups of coffee went by and she was just about to clock out for break when a shadow covered her desk.  She looked up and was surprised to see a policeman.  

"Are you Cherry McCrannon?"  Cherry swallowed hard.  She had been using an alias for several years at her brother's request.  Finally she nodded. 

"I am, yes.  How can I help you?"  The officer looked down and doffed his cap.  For a brief moment Cherry thought he looked pained.  

"I need you to come with me."  

"May I please ask why?"   There was another uncomfortable pause. 

"I need you to identify a body."  Cherry swooned, then recovered, gripping her desk for balance.  Her heart rate sped up and her mouth was painfully dry.  After a few moments she reached for her coffee cup and took a sip.  Regaining her composure she nodded. 

"Of course officer. Please give me a moment."  She stepped into the office and was granted permission to leave, then gathered her sweater and nodded to the officer.  

The drive was silent and Cherry tried not to catastrophize the situation.  It could be a co-worker or a friend.  Perhaps it was someone she knew from her old life with her brothers?  No matter how many scenarios she let dance through her mind, she skirted past the most likely answer, unwilling to consider the possibility. 

The coroner was an older man and was gentle with Cherry as he led her into the exam room, his hands were soft, and his voice quiet.  The officer seemed to take up too much space, and squirmed when the doctor pulled out the shiny silver drawer.  There was a white cotton sheet over the body, creating an outline that could have belonged to anybody.  Cherry knew the truth though, her heart had been screaming at her since she'd first seen the officer at her desk.  The coroner asked if she was ready, and after taking several deep breaths, she nodded. 

All at once the world stopped spinning, there was no air in the room.  Cherry shook her head, trying to clear the fireworks that exploded behind her eyes.  She opened and closed her mouth trying to suck in air, only to find that the air tasted like hellfire.  As her vision dimmed and her knees gave way she was made briefly aware of how cold everything was.  The officer and corner stepped to grab her elbows as she fell, pulling her up directly face to face with the decedent.  Regardless of her hoarse protests, her burning eyes and the urge to throw up, there was no mistaking the frigid death mask in front of her.  On another day, in the distant past, that face smiled with kind eyes, laughing as he twirled her in circles.  It was her oldest brother Hamish.  He had been shot.  She let out a moan and gave in to the darkness that was already pulling her under.  Hamish was dead.  Now where was Honey? 

..

   Cherry slowly regained consciousness in a hospital bed, with Honey by her side. They both grieved over Hamish's death and realized they needed to find out what happened. Cherry, though weak, was determined to uncover the truth, and Honey promised to help. They knew they had to be careful as Hamish's death might be connected to something dangerous. They vowed to protect each other and seek Justice for Hamish, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Their bond grew stronger as they embarked on their Quest together..