Okay, so here’s what this is all about. One of my jobs requires me to work with—and I think, understand how to use—AI. As a result, I decided to explore a few different online AI websites and which ones were free or cost money. Which ones rendered well or were limited.
One of the websites I came across was perchance.org. It allowed me to generate images and text for stories. So, I did both. I asked the website to generate a story about: “A clandestine meeting causes a private eye to investigate a small-town murder.” And it did. Then, I asked the same website to generate an image of said detective. I will include these images within the stories.
I have only read through the story to clean up any… non-family-friendly situations and swears. Otherwise, anything that the AI could not keep track of is left alone. I allowed the website to generate possible outcomes, then I would pick one and let the story continue. I have broken this story up into multiple parts, over multiple weeks. Enjoy.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice tight as a wire.
“Come on, Janice. You’re smarter than that,” he replied, his eyes shifting to the side as a car passed by.
They stood in the shadow of an alley, the stark contrast of light and dark playing on their faces like a silent movie. The tension was palpable, a third party to their conversation. Janice’s hand trembled as she clutched her purse, her eyes darting nervously.
“Look, I don’t have time for this,” she said, her voice cracking like a twig under pressure.
“You made time to be here,” he countered, his tone colder than the concrete beneath their feet.
The quiet town hummed with the mundane sounds of evening: distant laughter, the occasional bark of a dog, the soft murmur of a TV through a half-open window. It was a typical scene, yet it felt eerily out of place given the gravity of their encounter. Janice took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the weight of the words she was about to say.
“Okay, fine. But if I tell you, you have to promise me you’ll stay out of it.”
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against the chilly night air. “I promise,” he said, his voice low and sincere.
Her eyes searched his for any sign of deceit, but all she found was a reflection of her own fear. She bit her lip and finally spoke, “I saw something I wasn’t supposed to.”
The private eye’s gaze sharpened. “What did you see?”
“It was Mr. Hargrove, the mayor,” she whispered, her voice a ghostly echo in the alley. “He was arguing with someone outside the office. It was late, and I was just locking up the diner. They didn’t notice me.”
He nodded, his expression unreadable. “And what happened next?”
“I heard a shout, and then… silence. I didn’t dare go closer, but when I left the alley, I saw him lying there,” she said, her voice quivering. “I didn’t know what to do, so I called the cops anonymously.”
The man took a step back, considering her words. “That’s all you know?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice barely audible. “But I think they’re looking for me. I don’t know who else to turn to.”
The private eye’s hand reached into his pocket, and he pulled out a small card. “You did the right thing,” he assured her, placing the card in her trembling hand. “If you need anything, call this number. I’ll look into it.”
Her eyes widened as she read the name: ‘Johnny McQueen, Private Investigator’. “Why would you help me?” she asked, her voice trembling with hope and doubt.
“Because someone has to,” he replied, his voice firm and unyielding. “And I’ve got a feeling this goes deeper than a simple argument.”
With a nod, Janice turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Johnny in the alley, the echo of her footsteps fading into the distance. He studied the card in his hand, his thoughts racing. The quiet town of Elmwood had just gotten a whole lot noisier, and he had the sneaking suspicion that this was only the beginning.
Johnny knew that to unravel this mystery, he’d have to tread carefully. The town was a tight-knit community, and poking around in the mayor’s business was bound to ruffle some feathers. But he’d been in tough spots before, and he had a reputation for not letting go once he sunk his teeth into a case.
He turned and headed towards the light at the end of the alley, his mind already piecing together the puzzle. The first step was to get a closer look at the crime scene. The cops had probably taped it off by now, but he had his ways of getting in.
As he walked, he felt the weight of Janice’s fear settle in his gut. It was a feeling he knew well—the fear of knowing something you weren’t meant to know. But fear was a powerful motivator, and it was about to drive him into the heart of Elmwood’s darkest secrets.
The night air grew colder as he approached the town square, the moon casting a silver glow on the cobblestone streets. The mayor’s office was just a few blocks away, the tape around it fluttering in the breeze like a warning flag.
NEXT WEEK: Part 2
Almost Heroes 