acorns and dead branches |
“How can you do the same thing every day,” Murphy asked sourly. “Don’t you get bored?” “Crossword keeps me sharp, Sarge, it's like solving a case. Follow clues, put the pieces together, fill in the blanks.” Detective Davis grinned, but his partner ignored him. “What’s this package, Ray?” “Dunno, it was here when I came in, addressed to Sgt. Murphy.” “What the hell, it’s full of bone fragments!” “Twenty-two evidence bags,” Ray mused, “all initialed by detective John Murphy, all dated 4/22/2000. And one empty holster.” “Those aren’t my initials and I’ve never seen that holster.” “It’s a skull! Twenty-two bones in the human skull, Sarge. Someone trying to give us a hint, maybe?” “Means nothing to me, Ray.” “Or, it’s what isn’t there. You ever work a case with a missing gun?” Murphy went pale. “What’s the matter, Sarge? You look like you saw a ghost.” “The skull belongs to the perp from an old murder case,” Captain Simons confirmed. “Slug was too beat up for a match, but Murphy found a gun. Perp got the chair, but then a different guy confessed last year. He had a gun, too. I guess Murphy couldn’t live with it, but why use a .22?” Detective Davis opened his mouth but didn’t speak. If the captain couldn’t see it, then why try to explain?” Author's note: ▼ (222 words) |