Gumbo Agog — a murder mystery classic

The Florida Gulf Coast was awash in the fiery hues of a setting sun, casting long shadows across the palm-fringed streets. Danny Gumbo, a middle-aged private investigator with a perpetually unshaven face, leaned against his battered car, gazing out at the tranquil waters. It had been a while since he’d taken on a new case, and he was content to let the world pass him by. But fate had other plans.

The shrill ring of his cell phone shattered the quietude, jolting Danny from his reverie. He answered with a gruff voice, “Gumbo Investigations.”

“Mr. Gumbo, I’ve got a situation that requires your… unique set of skills,” a voice on the other end declared. It was Victor Prescott, an insurance adjuster for a company that Danny had crossed paths with more than once.

“What is it this time, Prescott?” Danny sighed, rubbing his temples. The insurance man always seemed to bring him the messiest of cases.

“Simple enough, Gumbo. We need you to pick up a car,” Prescott said. “There’s a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, abandoned by the docks. The owner filed a stolen vehicle report, and we’d like you to retrieve it.”

Danny reluctantly agreed, thinking this was just another routine job. Little did he know, this case would soon become a tangled web of mystery, murder, and intrigue.