Updating my old Noire story let me know what you think so far

THE GREENE NIGHT MURDER

It was a normal evening for private detective Alex Reed though most people simply called him Axel.

Rain tapped against the windows of his small office as he sat behind his desk, preparing a fresh cup of coffee. He had just reached for the sugar when a sharp knock echoed through the room.

"Come in," Axel called.

The door opened, and a woman stepped inside.

She wore a striking emerald-green dress that matched her eyes. From the way she carried herself, Axel guessed she worked at one of the city's upscale clubs. She looked nervous, clutching her purse tightly as she approached his desk.

"My name is Bonnie Greene," she said quietly. "My husband has been murdered."

Axel leaned back in his chair.

A murder case wasn't exactly unusual in this city, but something about the fear in her voice caught his attention.

"Tell me everything," he said.

Mrs. Greene explained that her husband, Larry Greene, had disappeared earlier that day. Hours later, his body had been discovered. According to witnesses, the last place he had been seen alive was a local carpenter's shop.

After hearing her story, Axel agreed to take the case.

"I'll find out what happened to him," he promised.

Grabbing his coat and revolver, he headed into the night.

The carpenter's shop sat on a quiet street near the edge of downtown.

When Axel entered, a small bell rang overhead.

A cheerful-looking man behind the counter looked up.

"Hello, detective," he said. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm here about Larry Greene," Axel replied. "He was murdered."

The man's smile faded slightly.

"My name is Lorenzo Esposito," he said. "What would you like to know?"

Axel glanced around the shop.

"Mrs. Greene said her husband came here before he died. What was he doing?"

Lorenzo hesitated before answering.

"He bought a traditional fur rug."

"Do you still have it?"

Lorenzo pointed toward a rolled-up rug resting against the wall.

Axel walked over and examined it carefully.

There were faint stains on the fabric.

Blood.

Not much, but enough to catch his attention.

As he continued looking around, something else stood out.

A snake cage sat in the corner of the workshop.

Axel frowned.

A carpenter owning a snake wasn't impossible, but combined with the bloodstained rug, it raised questions.

Why keep a snake here?

And why was there blood on Larry Greene's rug?

Axel turned back toward Lorenzo.

"Mr. Esposito," he said calmly, "why do you still have Mr. Greene's rug? And how did blood get on it?"

For a moment, Lorenzo said nothing.

Then his eyes twitched.

Axel knew he had struck a nerve.

Finally, Lorenzo slammed his hands onto the counter.

"Alright!" he shouted. "I admit it! I killed Larry Greene!"

Axel narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because he scammed me years ago," Lorenzo said bitterly. "I wanted revenge. I stabbed him and wrapped his body in the rug."

"What?"

"It's the truth!"

Axel pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"Lorenzo Esposito, you're under arrest for the murder of Larry Greene."

As Axel secured the cuffs, Lorenzo laughed.

"You think you've solved the whole case?"

Axel paused.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't acting alone," Lorenzo said. "A group of mysterious men paid me to do it. Dangerous men. The kind that make people disappear."

The detective's expression hardened.

"So this goes deeper than murder."

"Much deeper."

Later that night, Axel returned to his office.

The city lights glowed through the rain-streaked window as he tossed his coat onto a chair.

Waiting on his desk were two letters.

The first was a government letter regarding his military service.

The second had no return address.

Axel opened it carefully.

Inside was a threatening message from an unknown sender.

As he read it, the office door opened once more.

Mrs. Greene stood in the doorway.

Neither of them spoke.

They simply exchanged a look.

The case was far from over.

THE END... FOR NOW