OPEN POST: Los Angeles Noir, 1947

Wouldn't you know it'd be a dame? It's always a dame. 

I was sitting in my shabby little detective office on Sepulveda trying to figure out which creditor I could stave off when in walked trouble - trouble being a tall redhead with big knockers and a fanny you could eat lunch off of. She sat down, dimpled sweetly, and cooed, "I'm Lorna, and I have a problem only you can solve." I answered, "If you've got a problem I'm the dick ('40s slang for detective) for you." She relaxed and put her feet up:

"Fatal Instinct," courtesy of MGM UA

She told me, "I've got a plot of land in Brentwood and I don't know how best to maximize my profits on it." After taking a gander, I suggested, "Maybe the erection of a big skyscraper would be the best thing for your plot." That seemed to excite her. She said, "But my acreage has always been residential.  Would such a big erection be legal?" I replied, "Trust me, I know all the zoning variances." 

She sighed. "Oh, you've relieved me so, however can I thank you?" Adjusting myself, I replied, "Well, for starters, maybe you could let me inspect your plot up close to see how well-irrigated it is." She purred. "Ooo, I'm sure you'll find it's positively glistening right now." I locked the door to the outer office and flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed," although she was definitely open for business, and in the next 48 hours taught me things I'd never even heard of before.

This post is inspired by a thread on skyscraperpage.com, the two nightscapes are from the first page, and there's 3,152 pages in all! It's fun browsing. Happy Open Post, darlings, and have fun, just be wary of stacked redheads named Lorna. They'll steal your wallet and break your heart, but they're so wild you probably won't mind.