Short stories

a special present for christmas

He finished writing down all that he had learnt on his little black note pad and left. Leaving the manor gate, Wood started thinking about how Mrs Bloodstone reacted to his questions. And thought about very particular suspects. A well-elaborated scenario appeared in his mind.  

   Back at his office, he began writing down this scenario.

"So, it has been four years this year that the Bloodstones have been living here. Fifteen years that Warren died and Garrett is here for the party again like every year." He said out loud to himself just before a  police officer came in, interrupting his thoughts.

"Sorry sir, but here is the Warren Bloodstone file you wanted." Wood came to him, took the file and gave a sign to the officer to leave.

 He immediately started to read it and wrote on the board what was bothering him in this file. 

"Kitchen knife with a trace of his blood, a glace of brandy with poisoned holly in it. Supposed cause of death: burnt alive". He stopped reading, sending the room into silence as he processed all the information.

"The murderer really wanted him dead!"  he continued reading "NB= body never found." All seemed to add up.

 Wood yelled "Urika! It all seems to become clear." 

All pointed to Warren. The four years of his parents being here represent the four years he's got apart with his brother. And these three years that he has failed to kill his parents, it's because Garrett was there and somehow knew what was going to happen. He stopped and his face lit up like if like he'd won one hundred pounds.

 He continued,"of course! Garrett killed his brother that evening of 1900 and Warren somehow managed to survive all that Garrett did to kill him. But why hasn't Warren tried to kill his brother?"

    After a whole night trying to find an answer to that question with no luck.  It was finally the day of the party and the frustration on Woods' face was still present. He only had a little sleep since he arrived, and decided to go tell the Bloodstones what he knew. Once that was said to the Bloodstones they sent Wood back out. Mr Bloodstone said "Liar! Garrett would never do such a thing!" Mrs Bloodstone continues her husband's thought "Warren was always with the wrong people, his so-called friends must have killed him! But not my baby Garrett, my angel!" hugging her son. Garrett than replied, "Warren was never one of us anyway!" Mr Bloodstone spoke again "You must leave now. Can't you see that you are causing enough trouble as it is."

    Wood decided to clear his mind and place his ideas in the right order by going for a walk in town. Walking down the street he was mumbling to himself and was writing and erasing on an invisible blackboard in front of him. No need to say that he was badly looked upon by the present town folks walking by him. He was pretty much in bad shape when he woke up from this thinking trance after a few hours and looked at his watch. It was ten to seven. Another bright thought crossed his mind. 

"I've got ten minutes till the party starts if I was Warren I would be early at the house to kill my family."  He said to himself and off we went to try and save the Bloodstones.

   He arrived in front of the manor door and heard one gunshot and the sound of another one shortly after. Wood opened the door to find in the front hall by the Christmas tree the body of Mr and Mrs Bloodstone. Wood approached the shadowy figure talking to Garrett while checking if he had enough bullets for the 3rd shot. Wood ran to jump on the shooter with the strength he left. He turned him around only to see the burnt face of a man who looked like the boy on the photo. 

"Don't just stand there! Kill my brother and untie me!" Garrett screamed

But Wood had no time for that. Warren grabbed Wood's service gun and shot Garrett right in the head. Wood powerless had no time to stop him. Wood was so tired to do anything. Warren took advantage and placed one gun in his hand and the other beside him. Then looked into Wood's eyes and said "well-done inspector. You solved the case. But not in time I'm afraid."

 Wood whispered, "you won't get away with this."

"Oh, on the contrary, my friends, the guests of the party will be here soon and when they will come in and see you here with the murder weapons in your possession, they will assume it's you," he smirked.

"I wrote down all the evidence against you." Wood fought.

"You mean the blackboard that I erased when you left my parent's house and the notebook that you have in your pocket?" Warren took out of wood's pocket the notebook, then threw it into the fireplace. And continued "what evidence?" after those words said he left with what seemed to be a smile from his partly burnt face.

   The prediction that Warren said came true. Wood was considered the killer and was judged mad and was placed in the local crazy house. No one heard from murder December man ever, but every Christmas eve, broken Christmas ornaments could be found but with no evidence of who done it. Christmas was never the same after that.

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