Dominick Kinsey: PI (boyxboy)

Case 10: Takes a Stripper

Since solving that murder case I have been getting steadier business and better cases. Gone were the days of cats and Christmas lights. Alright, that was a lie, but the number of small cases had lessened and I got to solve more challenging cases with my puzzle solving brain. I hadn't had any more murder cases which I was relieved about. I can't even imagine the toll it would take on me and the community if we had regular murders in this area. The quiet town I live in would freak out and probably erect a barrier to keep out all outsiders. Which would also keep in the problem, but that's definitely what they'd do.

I was reading a letter asking for help with a case in a neighboring area. I say area rather than town because it encompassed several towns to the east of my own happy little bubble. Apparently, there was a thief stripping rooms of all of their belongings. Nothing was left including evidence and it was leaving the local police baffled. Since there were no bodies involved, my visions weren't going to be much help but I certainly wasn't useless without them.

Decision to help made, I called the chief of police and set up a time to get briefed about the case in person. She apparently wanted this whole ordeal over with quickly and agreed to meet with me that afternoon.

When the time to meet her came I drove my car to their station and walked inside. Wasn't really sure where to go so I did the socially acceptable thing and stopped at the front desk. Where I then had to wait for the man running it to stop texting and pay attention.

He gave me a bored look and drolled, "Can I help you?"

Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes I responded, "I'm here to meet with Chief Rebecca Saunders."

Giving me an unimpressed look he called the chief. I could tell from his very audible phone call that he thought I was an idiot and that I had made up the meeting for some reason or another. "What's your name?" he asked while still on the phone.

I replied ignoring the snotty look he was throwing me, "Dominick Kinsey." Once I said my name his whole demeanor changed. He became coy, flirty, and was doing anything to flatter me. Kiss ass. And let me tell you, if I would have had more time I would have gladly let him kiss my ass, along with a few other pieces of my anatomy.

As it turned out, Chief Saunders wanted to get this whole thing over with pronto and briskly came out to meet me. She shook my hand and ushered me back to her office.

Once she closed the door and offered me a seat I plopped into the chair in front of her desk. Not bad. "That man was so pleasant," I informed with a pleasant tone that's sarcasm couldn't be missed.

"Oh, Jimmy?" she inquired. "He's just angry because he was demoted."

Well, that explained his IDGARA attitude.

"So... these cases..." I began awkwardly.

"All I have right now is a case file," she threw a packed folder in my direction. "I'm hoping that, by some miracle, we'll get a call that someone's house has been stripped."

What is the likeliness of that?

No sooner had I thought that than the phone was ringing giving the chief the location of the next stripped room. "Just call me the miracle worker," I joked as she ushered me out of the building and towards her car.

Once at the crime scene, I looked around searching for anything that stuck out to me. There were plenty of people hanging around outside, we were in an apartment building, after all. The person who had been robbed was crying in the arms of a neighbor.

There was nothing in the room. No odors. No fabrics. No blood. No prints of any kind. It was like our thief took a vacuum, cartoon style and sucked everything up. I was honestly a little stumped. There was quite literally nothing for me to go on.