Monday, February 23, 1948
It's a holiday. The birthday of the father of our country. Well, truth be told, it's the day after and the schools and some of the stores are closed in observance.
Meanwhile, Nick Williams is feeling blue.
He got off his shift at the hospital at 6 in the morning and managed to sleep until noon before he got up to scramble some eggs and make coffee.
Wandering around town, with his hands in his pockets, Nick is certainly feeling sorry for himself.
And it's all because his best guy, Carter Jones, is working hard at Station 3 on Post Street, protecting the City by the Bay from fires, large and small.
They've been going together for six months and Nick's still not figured out how to handle the lonely days and nights when Carter is at work.
After catching a movie at the Paramount on Market, Nick wanders over to Gene Compton's Cafeteria at Van Ness and finds his friend, Mack, sitting at a table in the back.
Maybe a bowl of navy bean soup and some friendly chatter might cheer him up...
Welcome to a year of holidays with Nick Williams and Carter Jones!
This is the fourth in a series of short stories all centered around specific holidays.
Each story is a vignette that stands on its own and takes place from the 1920s to 2008.
There's no plot, no surprise reveal, and not much happens other than we get to know more about Nick Williams and his good friend, Kenneth "Mack" McKnight, during the first few months of Nick's long relationship with Carter Jones.
Washington's Birthday, 1948, is just a snippet of time in a world that is long gone, but not forgotten.
This is a short story of about 5,300 words.
First, this is yet another new author to me and I definitely loved what I read and have put Frank W Butterfield on my authors-to-watch list.
Second, despite being a series-read-in-order kind of gal, once again I started not at the beginning and though I'm definitely missing something, I wasn't lost. Looking at the author's website, it looks like Nick Williams has his own mystery series and I am guessing he meets Carter at some point within that series and that Nick & Carter Holiday series is a collection of holiday snippets in their lives, either together or individually. Perhaps there is more to it but I know I look forward to delving into their journey down the road. I say "down the road" because as I've mentioned before, the pandemic has zapped my reading mojo and though it has returned some it isn't back fully. When it does, this is definitely a world I'm looking forward to getting lost in, until then I'll be checking out the further holiday tales of this pairing throughout the year.
Third, as for Washington's Birthday, 1948. As mentioned above, I don't know much about this Nick and Carter world Frank W Butterfield has created but I have a sneaking suspicion that this entry is a short, sweet, and very intriguing look at Nick and a few of his friends. If you're like me and new to this world, as a series-read-in-order person I recommend starting at the beginning but if also like me you're reading mojo isn't quite solid and you're looking for something fun and new, this will certainly fit the bill. Lovely blend of humor and friendship with historical tidbits that make it obvious the author has respect for keeping the era alive and true.
Gene Compton's Cafeteria
Market and Van Ness
San Francisco, Cal.
Monday, February 23, 1948
Half past 6 in the evening
With only a bowl of navy bean soup, a couple of slices of bread, and a cup of coffee on his tray, Nick Williams stood and surveyed the room. Off in the back corner, he spied his friend, Kenneth "Mack" McKnight, seated at a table for four. Nick headed in that direction.
On his way over, he passed by several tables of families with mostly well-behaved children, but none of the usual crowd. They wouldn't be out and about until half past 8 or later. Nick planned to be long gone by then. He wasn't much in the mood for that sort of fun and games.
Mack's head was buried in a copy of the late edition of the Examiner. He was just about finished eating one of the two turkey sandwiches on his tray. A cup of coffee completed his meal.
Nick was just about to put down his tray when, without looking up from his paper, Mack said, "Hey, sailor." That was his usual greeting.
Grinning, Nick sat, dropped his napkin in his lap, and picked up his spoon. "Whatcha readin' there?"
Folding over his paper and placing it to the side of his tray, Mack said, "The Arabs exploded a bomb in Jerusalem, the commies are about to take over Czechoslovakia, and, although there's flooding in Oregon, our drought has no end in sight."
"And the governor is talking about rationing electricity," said Nick as he dipped his spoon into his bowl of soup and began to swirl it around.
"Yeah," replied Mack. "So, how's your day been, sailor?"
"Boring."
"You work at the hospital overnight?"
"Yeah. Got off at 6 this morning. Took a cab home. Tried to sleep and made it until noon. Scrambled a couple of eggs and made some coffee and then headed out for a walk."
Mack grinned lecherously. "Meet anyone while you were out and about?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He lowered his voice and leaned forward. "Carter Jones is the real deal." He was feeling hot under the collar, like he had several times in the last few months when talking about Carter with not only Mack, but a few other friends.
For his part, Mack didn't reply. He just bit into his sandwich and went back to his paper.
Nick Williams Mystery Series
In 1953, the richest homosexual in San Francisco is a private investigator.
Nick Williams lives in a modest bungalow with his fireman husband, a sweet fellow from Georgia by the name of Carter Jones.
Nick's gem of a secretary, Marnie Wilson, is worried that Nick isn't working enough. She knits a lot.
Jeffrey Klein, Esquire, is Nick's friend and lawyer. He represents the guys and gals who get caught in police raids in the Tenderloin.
Lt. Mike Robertson is Nick's first love and best friend. He's a good guy who's one hell of a cop.
The Unexpected Heiress is where their stories begin. Read along and fall in love with the City where cable cars climb halfway to the stars.
Long before the Summer of Love, pride parades down Market Street, and the fight for marriage equality, San Francisco was all about the Red Scare, F.B.I. investigations, yellow journalism run amok, and the ladies who play mahjong over tea.
Nick & Carter Holiday Series
Welcome to a year of holidays with Nick Williams and Carter Jones!
This is a series of short stories with each centered around a specific holiday.
From New Year's Day to Boxing Day, each story stands on its own and might occur in any year from the early 1920s to the first decade of the 21st Century.
Saturday Series Spotlights
Frank W. Butterfield is the Amazon best-selling author of 89 (and counting) self-published novels, novellas, and short stories. Born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, he has traveled all over the US and Canada and now makes his home in Daytona Beach, Florida. His first attempt at writing at the age of nine with a ball-point pen and a notepad was a failure. Forty years later, he tried again and hasn't stopped since.
Washington's Birthday, 1948 #4
Series
