ZZ Noir

ZZ Noir, also known as Zig Zag Noir, is an unfinished story by James Bruner, who started it in 2000. It stars James Sheppard as a detective in the LAPD during the 1940's. The story also stars Chris Foxx, as James' partner; and Zig Zag, as a nightclub singer.

Plot
James Sheppard and his mentor and parter, Chris Foxx are called in to investigate a murder. The neatness of the murder scene, and the outward sign of no forced entry, leads Sheppard to believe that the case seems destined to go nowhere. A chance meeting with an informant, gives him a seemingly unrelated lead to follow, Tommy Two-fingers. While investigating this lead, he chances on seeing Zig Zag perform at the City of Angels Nightclub. When he takes her in for "refusing to answer his interrogation", she is quickly released by a lawyer on retainer for Jared Pritchett, the City of Angels Nightclub's owner and suspected gangster.

Suspicious of the ensuing investigation, Pritchett sends Zig Zag to subtly find out from Sheppard their exact progress in the case. But Zig Zag has a plan of her own, fed up of life under Pritchett, who uses her as a little more than a sexual bargaining tool for his associates, she has vowed to escape his influence and take him down in the process and hopes to use Sheppard to facilitate this. She knows she must tread carefully as Pritchett might send his thug Tommy Two-fingers after her.

Did you know?
The lyrics of the song Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by A. Clarke, R. Cook and R. Greenaway was the inspiration for ZZ Noir.