When Autumn Ends

Chapter Three

"You didn't buy the flour?!" Brian's voice echoed around the still-closed bakery the next day, causing the birds outside to fly away in frenzied fashion.

I cringed. "I'm sorry! Maybe we can get flour now?"

Brian waved his hands, almost hysterical. "Autumn Rose, the bakery opens in twenty minutes, we have no food to sell, and the nearest open store at this hour is a thirty-minute walk away! We cannot. I cannot."

Mika rubbed her brow. "Maybe we can take a day off?"

"Unacceptable! One day off just because of flour?" Brian countered.

I shook my head. "We all know we can't open on schedule today. What about opening after lunch? We'll say it was due to 'technical difficulties'".

Brian wrung his hands. "Okay, fine, but we have to get back to business by then. You guys have to buy flour by then. It's your fault we can't open."

Mika rolled her eyes. "We can't open after lunch because we only have a few hours left of business. It's not worth it. Besides, didn't you spill the flour?"

Brian crossed his arms. "You provoked me."

"But you did the physical-spilling-of-thy-glorious-flour."

"Well, 'thy glorious flour' was only caught in the crossfire of last night's discussion."

"Still your fault."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

I watched amusedly as the two of them bickered like two children. "Okay, kids, let's settle it. I'll buy the flour for real this time, and we'll open tomorrow, okay? Stop the blame game. I'll see you all later." Grinning, I stepped out of the bakery, humming to myself, knowing that the two of them were still glaring at each other back there.

Now I had free time. But I was never one of those people who didn't know what to do during it.

I spent most of the day at home, poring over details of murder cases, hoping there would be something I would find, something I could use to appeal to the court, something I might've missed all these years.

I even took out a copy of the case file that they had given me when they dropped the case. It was tattered from years of use. The brown folder had been replaced multiple times, but the documents inside couldn't be, and they were starting to yellow. I flipped through it, ignoring the details on the front pages.

Suspect Profile...
Summer Izabelle Rose, blah blah blah...

Victim Profile...blah blah blah...

Time of death, blah blah blah...

Details related to the case...

Forensics examination...

Health profile and recent criminal records of involved parties...

Items related to the case identified...

Bingo.

I read through the details for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Weapon used- Kitchen knife, 12 inches long. Found at crime scene.

Victim has been identified with seven stab wounds, mainly focused on torso.

Fingerprint identified as S.R.'s. Suspect has been sentenced for life for first-degree murder.