The Splitting Fire

Chapter 2: She Slips Up

Detective June and Sheriff Hallow reaches an old brick house at the end of 5th street.

Climbing out of the car, Kara stares at the mailman walking up to the cruiser.

"Good afternoon, Sheriff."

"Good afternoon, Pete."

"I was going to drop this off after I completed my usual route. But since you are here, I have some mail for you."

Pete walks up to Sheriff Hallow and hands him an envelope. An envelope that seems all too familiar.

Kara walks around the cruiser towards Pete. "Where did you pick this letter up?"

"I retrived it from the mailbox by the Mayor's office."

"Did anyone else touch it?"

"No, Ma'am... I don't think so..."

"Sheriff Hallow, please contact Officer Ace to come down here to fetch the envelope." Kara's nostrils flare as she breathes heavier.

Sheriff Hallow looks at Kara with confusion all over his face. "Why?"

"Because it is evidence. Enya sent it. We need to follow proper protocol on this, so let Ace take your fingerprints and Pete's fingerprints to rule out and take it to the coroner's office immediately to analyze for particulate evidence. We will go down there to read it after the interviews."

Sheriff Hallow calls Ace at the station and Kara continues to stare at the envelope in his hand.

It is time to finish building this puzzle. The more pieces Enya hands to them, the closer they come to catching her. She will be caught. She must be caught. With every case, Kara's patience is growing thinner.

As soon as Sheriff Hallow ended the call with Ace, he turns to Kara with the letter still in his hand.

"How did you know it was from Enya?"

Kara sighs. "She is consistent with her letters. The envelope is always orange. With the cursive handwriting. If you turn it over you will find a small flame in the right bottom corner at the back of the envelope."

Sheriff Hallow slowly turns his hand to see the back of the envelope. "There it is. Do you think the coroner will find any particulate evidence on it?"

"I doubt it, but we still have to keep an open mind. Maybe this is the day she messes up and we find something."

Kara shuts her eyes and inhales deeply. Please, let this be the day she messes up...

Ace arrives at the Polls' residence and collects the evidence and Kara explains the process to him. The mailman climbs in the police car with him and they head back to the station.

The Sheriff turns towards the Polls' residence. "Let me take the lead with the interview. I know his wife. You can fall in with questioning once you get a feel of who she is?"

"I agree, Sheriff." Kara walks behind the Sheriff, towards the house. She rolls her eyes slightly. She despises it when people tell her how to conduct an interview. As if she has not conducted hundreds of interviews regarding Enya in the past five years. But if this case was going to run smoothly, Kara will have to let the Sheriff run things.

The Sheriff rings the bell and a few moments later a woman opens the door with puffy eyes and a red nose.

"Jason, I am so glad you came. Come on in, I will boil water for some tea."

Sheriff Hallow gives Polls' wife a hug. "I truly am sorry for your loss. Polls was family to all of us at the station."

The Sheriff turns towards Kara. "This is detective Kara. She is assisting us on the case."