For my anonymous feeder-back J and her wet knickers...here you go, the continuation...
Things were going along swimmingly. I had closed my case with Sabrina, she took her husband for a bunch of money and gave me some which I used to pay off my house. I was in the middle of an annoying divorce case I was trying to close quickly. I sat in my office smoking a Camel and drinking coffee. Ginger was out of town visiting her mother in Texas so I left my office door open. Doolittle and his courageous crew had just dropped some five hundred pounders in the Jap's front yard and support for the war was very high. I was just past the age where I would be re-called to the Navy or so I thought when two suits opened the anteroom door. They looked around for a secretary, and, finding none, they walked through my open office door. They were dressed identically, navy suits and ties, white shirts and navy fedoras. One of them carried an attaché case; he would be the underling. I didn't deal with underlings.
I said, "Gentlemen, come in."
The boss said, "Mr. Steele, I'm Captain Cary Douglas, United States Navy, this is Lieutenant Ross."
We shook hands all around. "Can I get you gentlemen some coffee?"
Douglas nodded. Ross shook his head. I poured Douglas' coffee and re-filled my own cup. "What can I do for the United States Navy?"
Douglas sipped his coffee and pulled out a corn-cob pipe. He lit it with a long kitchen match. He said, "I carry matches because I like the flavor better."
I nodded. "Now, you were interested in what you could do for the Navy." He nodded slightly to Ross. Ross opened the attaché case and produced a file. Douglas flipped through it briefly and said, "You were a Lieutenant, originally a fighter pilot, then transferred to Intelligence."
"Yes, do you want me to come back and fly Wildcats?"
He smiled, "Hardly, we want to use your other skills."
"Which skills would those be?"
"Since you resigned your commission, you spent four years on the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department, as a detective. From all reports, we understand you're an espescially effective interrogator. That's what we wish to employ you for. We'll return you to active duty in an intelligence billet at the rank of Commander."
I took the last drag on my Camel and stubbed it out while I mulled over their offer. I knew I didn't have a choice and said offer was never going to get any better. "Do I have any negotiating room here?"
He smiled slightly and said, "No, not much, needs of the Navy and all that. Why, what did you want to negotiate for?"
"Staff."
"Sure, you'll have a small staff, probably a yeoman and a deputy, probably an Ensign or a J.G." By J.G. he meant Lieutenant Junior Grade.
"Excellent, so that means I won't have to do my own typing." I mused. "When would I have to report?"
He handed me a plane ticket from Tampa to Pensacola; it was dated three days later. But, it was First Class which was rare. "I guess this answers my question."
Douglas nodded. "We're going to leave you now to take care of your affairs. Your orders will be here by noon tomorrow. Just take your orders to the Officer of the Day at the Air Station in Pensacola and report to him. From there, you'll draw uniforms and your staff. After that, you'll be sent where we need you most, probably England, but we don't know yet."
"Who is my immediate superior?"
