It was a dark stormy night; the man in the blue shirt had thrown his spare key in the forest on his way home thinking it was a cabbage paper, he had reached his home before he remembered and had gone back in search of the key.
He could have waited till morning but his wife will make a fuse about it , he knew amd he smiled at his own thoughts as he walked through the forest with a touch light.
Suddenly, he saw a shadow under the moonlight, he turned back and when he saw nothing, he decided it was his.
His steps retreated when he heard a sound just behind him, he turned and saw a branch that he had passed by snapped into two already.
Maybe it was a squirrel, he thought and when he turned back, his suspicion was right as he was hit on the head with an heavy metal.
He tried opening his eyes to see who it was, but another hit landed right in his stomach and he lost consciousness.
That night, it was as if the heavens mourned the death of the man in the blue shirt.
That night, hell became paradise.
////////////////////////////
The siren was a product of police patrol in the neighbourhood. Dogs were on patrol sniffing the bare ground for any evidence, the whole neighborhood were out of their comfy homes and stood by the street to see what was going on in their society.
It was during one of the police patrols through the street that a body was discovered. Even if the body was not yet identified, it had thrown the whole police force into a turmoil.
Freedman,The officer who was in charge that night stood next to the body with his hands folded against his chest, he waited for the sheriff and the ambulance to take the body to the morgue.
"From my rough investigation here, there is an injury in the head but the body has been stabbed over and over. This is a work done by a demon, no normal human can do something like this" The forensic scientist who lived in the street had been called on by the officers to check the body.
"Do you know who he is?" The scientist was about to reply when he was cut off by the sheriff.
"Is that not the first thing you should have found out before calling me or the ambulance?" He questioned with a stern look.
He is a man in his early forty, had quite a good and impressive record. Solved 32 out of 34 cases and was honoured the best Police officer in his locale.
This was his 35th and last case before he transfer to join the army. He was more than determined to solve this case. When he got the call from Freeman, he had ran out of his office and made necessary phone calls on his way.
"We didn't want to cause any uproar among the people, that's why we didn't and I was about asking this gentleman here if he knew anything about the man" He said pointing to the forensic officer.
"Who is he?" The sheriff asked
"I don't know much about him but I think he lives in no four, and I've seen him a number of times at my wife's shop down the street"
"You can go now sir..... I need him identified in thirty minutes and I need every single detail-who found him and how he was found to every picture taken here tonight on my table before dawn" The sheriff didn't wait for the officer's reply before he started moving into the forest.
"Follow the sheriff and help him in any way you can" Freeman instructed one of the officers standing there with him.
Freeman walked closer to the residents and asked for their corporation politely to help identify the body. One man who was bold enough for the horrible scene walked up to Freeman and they both went to where the body was.
"Oh my God" Shock was evident on his face
"Do you know him?" Freeman asked while turning the man's face away from the body.
"Yes, he's........... Married and a father of two kids, he lives just two plots away" The man buried his head as he walked away in horror to meet the others.
"Has he been identified?" The sheriff asked and Freeman could only nod his head and led the way for them to meet with the family of the deceased.
"Get the body into the ambulance and move it to the morgue for forensic analysis" The sheriff instructed his assistant who got to work almost immediately.
"Good morning, ma'am" Sheriff made his way into the house even before he was invited in; one major character that he was known for-he was rude not only to his officers but to every other person around him.
He had been charged once for intrusion of privacy when he walked into a non crime scene without regard for the owner and the scene he met was rather way too obsure-a threesome service. The owner of the room had gotten mad and sued him before thinking twice. The case was solved amicably rather than taking drastic steps; the judge's words.
He looked up to see one of the kids sitting on the staircase leading to the upper floor crying hard as the second one sat on a chair looking sober. The wife's eye were all swollen from the effect of tears. He had no pity for family or relatives of the victim as he had solved cases where the killer was family or a close friend.
"Observed from the situation here I can see that the news had gotten here. I'm sorry people, but at some certain point in our lives, we have to experience stuffs like this.I'll tell you to take heart and accept this as your burden." Another attribute, he was heartless.
"He's your husband, right" the woman nodded
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"Last night" the woman replied quietly.
"I need the precise time"
"Around 10pm"
"Around 10pm or 10pm. Be precise" his reply made the woman wonder what this was all about
"I'm not really sure because I was sleeping when he came in, I only woke up when I heard his footsteps and I went back to sleep thinking he'll get to bed" He noted it down in his book before asking another one
"Did he fight with anyone recently?"
"None that I know of" The woman replied before bursting into tears.
Questions roll into questions, seconds into seconds, minutes into minutes, hours into hours and what seemed like yesterday turned into weeks.
Still, the Sheriff was unable to find out who the suspect was.
"You've been relieved of your post for a week now and all you do is stay put in that office without letting the new sheriff take office" The police commissioner stated.
"I have an unsolved case sir and I mist finish it before I join the army, sir" he replied still standing.
"That won't be the first case to be unsolved. Leave it or pass it to the next person"
"That man had a family, and they deserve an explanation..." The commissioner shut him off.
"We both know better that you don't do pity. Son, leave the Gospel"
"Can you please give me a month more, I'm this close to finding the answer sir"
"Mr, with due respect, please leave my office. The only suspect you have is an eleven years old girl which is baseless. It's not possible Sheriff. Close this case and move to the army. Is that difficult to ask?"
"It is not, sir. She murdered that man and I need just a month to finish this case sir" The commissioner looked at him for a while..
"It's not a request, it's a command. Close and kiss the case goodbye.
He finally left the office without passing the case to the new sheriff.
Even if it'll take him 10 years, he'll solve that mystery amd what Dave promises, Dave fulfill.
