The Adventures of Two Crappy Cops

Part 9

Smitty straightened up and I placed the fries down, my head going a million miles a minute. "Pregnancy is a good motive. The killer could have been a lover or something and they had a wife or another girlfriend and didn't want to get caught." Smitty said. "But who could have gotten her pregnant?" "Penelope said that her and Balker where dating and that she was pretty sure He was just using her for sex." I said and met Smitty's eyes.

"Are you saying Balker is the killer?" Christian asked. "It's a possibility. But how would he have gotten access to your computer?" Smitty asked. "I have no idea. I don't go anywhere without it and you know I don't leave the lab unless it's to go home." I jumped off the counter and turned to Smitty. "We should go interrogate him. See what he'll say." I suggested and he nodded.

"Christian, can you send those files to my personal computer and please don't tell anyone else about them?" Smitty asked. Christian nodded and me and Smitty left. We made our way through the building till we where outside Balker's office. I quickly pulled out my phone and set it to record and Smitty knocked.

"Come in!" Balker called through the door. He glared when he saw it was us two. "What are you two incompetents doing here?" "We know you murdered Annabella." Smitty said, his voice solid and unyielding. "Is this another one of your 'memes'?" Balker asked "because if it is I don't have time for this. I'm actually doing my job."

"Why did you kill her?" Smitty persisted. "I didn't kill anyone! What motive would I even have?" "Annabella was your girlfriend and she was pregnant." Balker's eyes shot up and widened. "She was pregnant..." he clenched his hands on his desk and lowered his head. "Why did you do it?" Smitty asked. "Get out." He said with gritted teeth. "Not until you answer our questions." Smitty said with a voice of steal. "JUST GET OUT!" Balker roared.

Both me and Smitty exchanged glances. This was not someone who could kill their pregnant girlfriend. This was a grieving man.

We turned and left and I cut the recording on my phone. "Not Balker. I almost feel sorry for him, ya know?" Smitty nodded. "Who else could have deleted the file though?" "And what motive could they have had?"

We walked outside and stopped in front of my car. "Would you be offended if I took the rover home?" Smitty asked. "Nah I understand. You wanna go get your hands on that file." I said and he nodded. "I'll come over later and we can go over everything." He suggested. I agreed and slid into my car and he walked off to get the police rover.

~~~~***~~~~

I parked in front of my apartment building and hopped out my head filled with thoughts. Who's the killer?

I waved to Agatha, the receptionist and owner of the apartments, and started towards the stars. "Deary." Agatha said, her voice thin from old age. She was nearly a hundred now. "What's up miss landlady?" "You've got mail." She pointed to the mailboxes and turning I saw that, indeed there was something in my box.

I walked over, plucked it out and turned it to see who it was from. I swallowed thickly when I saw the name and pushed through the door next to me and into the stair well. I took the stares two at a time and burst out into my floor. I sprinted down the hall and shoved my door open before closing and locking it behind me.

I looked at the name on the letter again. My hands where shaking and my breath coming out in gasps. I read it over and over again expecting it to change at any second but it still read the same.

Penelope Dayholt.

I ripped the letter open praying that this was the breakthrough me and Smitty needed. If this letter had something useful, even only a little useful, that would be a huge jump in the case.

Dear John
I bet this is a bit of a surprise, getting a letter from a dead girl.

I sucked in air. She knew she was going to die. Why didn't she try to do anything?

John I'm dying. I smelled that perfume, I smelt a shit ton of it and i was incredibly stupid for doing so. Looking back I should have given it to the police the moment i heard she was dead but I couldn't lose the last piece of Annabella I had. Still I guess part of me is glad that I didn't hand it over till it was to late. Someone was clearly out to get me and if they hadn't done it this way you would have done it another way but I didn't write this to talk about my death. I wrote this to tell you that in my dying state I remembered what I was going to tell you and your partner. Annabella never really cared for technology, hence the vintage store. Her phone and computer would be of no use as I'm sure you have discovered. Annabella kept a diary however. She wrote everything down in it. I'm sure the hints you guys need are in there. I can't tell you where she hid it though aside from it's in her house somewhere and it's hidden extremely well. Her diary was her prized possession after all. I hope this helps and please avenge me and her deaths. And John don't worry, your partner likes you to.

Penelope~

A diary! That's exactly what we need! I kissed the piece of paper and cheered. All I need to do is go find the diary! I reached into my pocket to call Smitty but slowly withdrew my hand.

He's busy and it's not a huge task. I can get the diary myself and then surprise him with it when he comes over later. Besides I needed time to myself to think over that last sentence. I set the letter down on my coffee table, grabbed a jacket, and headed out.