“Isn’t this how a bad joke starts?” Jerome belted out, stomping down the stairs.

Walter looked up from the dilapidated bar. “How’zat?”

“You know, one that goes ‘Two ghosts sit a bar, one turns to the other and says…’”

Jerome took the seat next to Walter, continueing the joke. “‘What’s a fella have to do get a drink around here? And the other goes, I know! It’s like they can’t even see me!’”

Walter’s expression didn’t change. “Don’t get it.”

“Walter, they’re ghosts, right? And ghost are see-through – aah forget it.” He waved a hand, brushing off the dead joke. “Told you it was bad.”

They sat at the bar in silence. A piece of plaster crumbled off the wall and crashed to the floor.

“Old girl Chisca’s not doing so hot.”

Walter looked at him, his eyes full of concern. “Are they going to tear her down, Jerome?

It was a regular worry for them. Their only worry.

“I don’t know, Walter. They haven’t yet. Might not ever.”

Another bit fell off the wall, echoing in the emptiness.

“Was the joke supposed to be funny ‘cause we’re ghosts too, Jerome?”

“Let it go, Walter. Just let it go.”

Memphis Note
The Hotel Chisca is one of the most notable buildings in downtown Memphis. Notable for its location at the corner of Linden and Main. Notable for its history as the place from which Elvis’s first record was broadcast on the radio and where he gave his first radio interview. Notable for the complete and utter ruin it has been allowed to fall into by its owners, the Church of God in Christ, who, at last check, had racked up a half million dollars in fines over the condition of the building. The Chisca, if revived, could be one of the crown jewels of Memphis. But in the meantime, it’s left decaying and full of ghosts.

Carlson hooked the corner, turning into the alley off the street. James Pealson, Jimmy the One-Eye, was there waiting for him.

“You got it?” Jimmy asked, his voice low.

Carlson pulled out two hand-rolled cigarettes from the breast pocket of his uniform and handed one to Jimmy.

“Got the light?” Responded Carlson.

Jimmy struck a match off the brick of the building beside them and lit their cigarettes with it. The fire from the match twinkled in his one good eye.

The other boys had give him his titular epithet on account of Jimmy One-Eye only having one eye.

No one ever said the boys were very smart.

But for the most part, you didn’t need to be smart to do the job. You just had to keep the rich folks safe, the Irish and Italians from killing each other, and hope to God you never pissed off anyone bad enough to be assigned a night patrol on the docks.

“Still can’t believe those sons of a –,” Jimmy started up.

“Hey, hey, hey! Watch your mouth, you know the rules.”

In unison, they erupted into laughter.

Swearing, as well as smoking, was forbidden while in uniform.

Memphis Note
In 1861, the state of the Memphis police was so shameful that the chief of police was forced to give an address to his men, which was reprinted in the local newspaper, instructing them of the proper way to behave as uniformed police. Among his list of things were clean dress, a civil attitude, refraining from speaking to anyone not directly involved with police matters, an abstention from smoking and a prohibition on any and all profanity. Also, keeping an eye one troublemakers and in general doing their jobs. Apparently, these were all things that the Memphis police were having trouble accomplishing at the time.