Central City Book 1

The Whistling Dixie Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

The Whistling Dixie

The Whistling Dixie was on Arapahoe between 30th and Division Street, only a couple of blocks from Kane’s house, and he’d been going there since before the original owner, Dixie Whistler, passed away. She and her husband had opened the place in the late ’fifties, and the combination of good service and cheap food had …

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The Side Saddle Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

The Side Saddle

The Side Saddle’s red brick, windowless façade stood out among the concrete and glass storefronts of the more recent additions to the neighborhood’s business district. The mason had left an inscription near the front steps, House of Perpetual Succor, 1883. Run by the O’Malley sisters, two lay ministers of charity, and receiving a small stipend …

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Book 'Em's Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

Book ‘Em’s

Book ’Em’s, obviously a cop bar, was conveniently located across the street from St. Patrick’s precinct, sandwiched between a bail bonds office and a pawnshop. In the long, thin, watering hole with a proper bar along one wall and a row of booths along the other, they sat in the booth farthest from the street …

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Alfie's and Shady Pines Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

Alfie’s and Shady Pines

Alfie’s was an old shed on Hill Avenue between Grant and Columbus. Technically, Alfie’s was in Woodland Park, but everything south of Grant Street, from the western edge of St. Patrick’s to the eastern edge of Commerce City, acted as a no-man’s land providing for the less reputable commercial needs of the city’s southern half. …

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St. Patrick's Precinct Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

St. Patrick’s Precinct House

In front of the precinct stood a row of black-and-whites, the beautiful cruisers washed and polished to a high shine. The precinct had seen better days, the brick was stained by the elements, and the roof had lost a few tiles over the years. When it rained hard, the detectives had to turn their trash …

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Bruno's Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

Bruno’s

Little more than a watering hole for locals, Bruno’s was an aging bar in desperate need of repair. The bar smelled of stale beer and smoke. The ceiling was stained a dark brown and, when it rained, leaked almost as much as the pipes in the bathroom. A couple of windows had cracked or shattered …

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The Taproom Central City Books Illustrations Buildings

The Taproom

The Taproom was a bar owned and operated by Peter DiVittorio. The bar, an old English style pub, served as a base of operations for Petey V. His office sat in the back room, where he could monitor the footage from the surveillance cameras that gave him two views of the bar and one of …

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Mason's Cookhouse Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

Jimmy Mason’s Cookhouse

Jimmy Mason’s was a cookhouse that served as a flop for prostitutes and junkies. It was an eyesore with paint flaking off the front and a couch sitting in the yard, rotting, foam poking out of the tears in the fabric. Two patrolmen leaned against the back porch.  The porch door led into a lime-green …

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The Spanish Fly Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

The Spanish Fly

Around the corner from The Side Saddle, an unmarked door opened to a small entryway with a video camera mounted in the corner above a steel door. The second door opened to a waiting room with a radio, television, couch, three chairs, and a counter beyond which Andrews sat in his office. Next to the …

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The Dragon Mane Central City Book Illustrations Buildings

The Dragon’s Mane

The Dragon’s Mane was the hottest nightclub in Waite Park. Tran Van Kahn held court in the basement, and the security kept out the tabloid journalists, gossip columnists, pickpockets, con-artists, and general degenerates. To get in, you had to be beautiful or know somebody or both. No fleas in The Dragon’s Mane, only young professionals …

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