The Invisible Hand - A crime novel

Chapter 4

"It's Wil Reynolds. I'm sure of it," Sheriff Red Smith says.

He tucks in his shirt for the third time that day. He's crouched down thrice now. Head soup sticks to his boots.

So much for an undisturbed crime scene. Red doesn't particularly care, though.

"Very philosophical, Red. I'm sure he'll come running back to us then," Gus says. Cracks a smile. Lights a cigarette.

"Put that out," Red says. Paces to the Joe and Elma's kitchen. Grabs a mug off the wall. "Seriously!?" is printed on the side.

Game show coffee mugs. That's Joe for you. No gimmick he wouldn't pass up. Used to say it summed up his take on life.

Used to.

Red pours himself a coffee. Been scalding in the ancient machine for about a day now. Extra black. Like drinking a cigarette.

"Elma smoked like a prescribed burn when Joe wasn't around," Gus says.

Gus is what the county calls a "reserve deputy." A sort of on-call citizen backup. That's not what Red calls him.

"Shit for brains," Red says. "Show some respect."

Red enjoys saying "shit." It's the highest acceptable cuss on the prairie for a respectable person like him.

"Fuck" is out of the question. Any curses involving "God" are also frowned upon. "Ass" or "asshole" is a gray area.

The unwritten rules weed out the people who don't belong on the prairie. Makes Red's job easier. Especially since the oil boom hit.

"You're right. Respect the dead and all," Gus says. Grinds the cigarette into the carpet. "So are we gonna play 'Smokey and the Bandit' today or what?"

"No. We're going to play, 'Where Did Joe's Truck Go?'" Red says. "Don't overthink the math. Joe is here. The truck is gone."

Gus checks the window. "Yup. That truck is gone. Gone-gone. Not here anymore, I can tell you that," he says.

"Wil and Joe drove off together from the bar in town. I was eating lunch inside. Watched them leave," Red says. "Find Joe's truck, I bet we find Wil."

"Tell me, Mr. Ace Detective. How do know so much about this? You swung by this house on a whim earlier today. Found Joe and Elma in a mess like this. And you also know Wil is our killer," Gus says. Cracks his knuckles. "You're the greatest, luckiest detective this planet has ever known. Or you know something I don't."

"It's him. It was Wil," Red says.

"But how do you know? Probably one of those freaks passing through."

Red fingers the badge in his pocket. It's never had a matching uniform. He's only flashed it once before. People around town know him well enough.

"Because I caught him in the act," Red says. 

*** PLEASE SUPPORT MY WRITING! ***

This story will only be posted on Wattpad for a limited time. If you'd like the full version, head to your favorite online e-book/book retailer and pick up your own digital/print copy. Search for "Invisible Hand Sobieck." Or leave a review of the book on Amazon once you're finished reading on Wattpad. Thank you. ~Ben