WHO DONE IT?

WHO DONE IT?

295 words

“Morning, Doc”

“Detective, what brings you to my autopsy room?”

“The autopsy you’re doing. The D.A. is convinced something bad happened here. He wants the killer.”

“Plenty of 53 year old men die, though maybe not at home in their cars.” Why’s the D.A. interested?”

“Well Doc, the wife’s sure his brother in law did it. Apparently he’s tied up with drugs. The deceased was a trucker. Just started a new job. Could’ve helped moving the drugs. The wife says he refused.”

“There are no marks on the body to suggest trauma, Detective.”

“Well Doc, suppose he was strangled with something soft? That wouldn’t leave a mark.”

“Not on the outside, but look at these muscles in the neck. No bruising, no bleeding, no strangulation.”

“Hey Doc, he died in his car. Suppose he was knocked out, or tied up, then left in the car with the engine running ‘til he died. The brother in law could’ve cleaned up to make it look natural.”

“True enough, but carbon monoxide poisoning leaves a red or pink coloring in the tissues. It ain’t there.”

“How about drugs?”

“Toxicology is pending, but a trucker would have been tested for his new job. If he was using, we would know. Put on a glove. Feel that white spot on the lung.”

“Doc, that’s hard as a rock!”

“Cancer.”

“He died of cancer?”

“Nope. Didn’t spread yet.”

“What then?”

“Look at this artery on his heart where I cut across it.”

“Hey! It’s all blocked and closed off.”

“That’s what killed him, Detective. Check his pockets. His clothes are on the table.”

“OK Doc. Keys…”

“Nope”

“Wallet?”

“Nope.”

“Change?”

“Nope.”

“Smokes?”

“Bingo, Detective. Cigarettes caused the cancer and blocked arteries. Tell the D.A. we found the killer.