Time is of the essence

The body at the curb was still warm but had no pulse. Must have been a hit 'n run and very recent. I was about to call 911 but a patrol car careened around the corner and lurched to a stop not ten feet away. The blue and red lights flipped through the early morning darkness.Two officers, guns drawn shouted for me to lie on the pavement and place my hands behind my back. I complied. At headquarters I was grilled for several hours before calling my wife. We were told that the man was stabbed several times and the knife was found embeded in his side. The same kind of knife that is used by the night shift meat cutters on the fifth floor at Rayco Meats, the floor I supervise. The deceased also worked as a maintanance man at Rayco Meats. I needed an attorney.



That was eight years ago. I was found guiIty,imprisoned and am scheduled to die in the electric chair tonight at 11:00 PM.My loving wife believes in my innocence and visits me as often as possible. Ironically the warden, Tim Tanner, and I played football together in college, he too believes I am not guilty. In chains I have met with Tim in his office several times, Together we reread the evidence trying to find a flaw but to no avail.

I had no motive. I was not wearing gloves yet no prints were found on the knife. The man was not killed at the scene but dumped on 12th and Farnam yet no blood was found in my pickup. And I passed the lie detector.



However, strands of my silver hair were clutched between the fingers of his left hand. Go Figure. A note stuffed in his shirt pocket had four circles drawn on it and two were filled in. A month eariler another man was found dead not fifty feet from this scene. He too worked at Rayco and was stabbed and dumped at the same location. They found hairs belonging to me in his hand too but could not match the DNA at that time since I had no police record. Now they can. There was also a four circle note at this scene with only one filled in. Two circles left to fill in but the murders stopped once I was incarcerated.Okay, Steven Wright inmate #379235 has been framed. Why? In eight years I haven't a clue. My wife and I said our farewells this morning. A terrible ending to a thirty year marriage. Tim and I had our last talk in his office. I asked Tim for one last favor. Truely a shot in the dark.



"At eleven o'clock please test the electricity so the prison lights momentairly dim and those outside shouting for my execution will cheer. Please give me one more hour to live".

"I can't do that Steve. I have to follow procedure, besides whats the difference", he said. "Tim I want to have my two brothers stake out 12th and Farnam. My advisary would hear on the 11:00 news that I was dead and may try to embarrass the law by making another statement. If he did attempt another murder my brothers would call the hotline to stop my execution. Tim, I am innocent!"

The warden hesitated, "Steve, I'm sorry. Eight years and no new evidence. Please face the facts and prepare yourself and may God bless you".

The priest arrived to spend a couple of hours. I ate my last meal. The Warden arrived with his assitant at 10:55 to read the documentation that has legalized my death by electrocution. Mark and I shared a look of sorrow, of hopelessness. Mark nodded to his assistant.



"The state of Maine has evidenced the guilt of Steven H. Wright, inmate # 379325 and will carry out his execution according to the penaltys described by law".  The assistant looked at my clothing then back to his paper, then again to my clothing. He pointed to a line on the paper and showed Mark. Mark grabbed the paper from the assistant and glowered at it.

"Who typed this order!, He demanded. "I'm not sure", said the assistant. Deep furrows formed on the Wardens face. "This isn't going to happen on my watch", he said. "Tell the observers we have a problem, that there will be a slight delay". "Mark, I don't think it really matters. It is so minor", said the assistant. Mark glared at his assistant, "Will you take responsibility for this mans life?" The assistant looked away sheepishly, "Well, no". "Take this paper to my office and correct it. I'll have no mistakes". The assistant Strides angrily away. He is not looking forward to walking a block to the elevator, ride down three floors, walk to the other side of the prison, retype the document then return. Mark turns to the electricans, "Test the power once more. I''ll not allow another mistake". At 11:02 the prison lights dimmed. The assistant returned just in time to hear the hotline ring. "Yes", answered Mark. The conversation was brief.  "Okay, thank you". Mark faced his friend, "Well Steve, seems a couple of  detectives caught a fella dumping a body in the Farnam area a few minutes ago. The body has silver hair in it's hand and a note with all four circles filled in. Wording that sez 'Thank you Maine, I couldn't have done it without you'.

Steve slumped exhausted onto the prison cot. "Thank God for the error on that document. What was the problem Mark?"  Mark shook his head, "Seems someone had transposed a couple of digets in your inmate number. By law that stops everything. C'mon, lets get you home". The two walked toward the elevator and Mark turned to catch Steve's eye, "Remember back in college, how I couldn't type worth a hill of beans".