Twenty Days of Stories: Day One
“Detective Toller,” the young officer handed him a thick sheaf of papers, the ink from the fax machine smearing slightly under his thumb. “The reports you requested, sir. All the information we’ve been able to gather on this sonofa...”
“Thank you, Officer Underwood. That will be enough.” Detective Gerald Toller took the papers gingerly, minding the wet ink that threatened his own fingers, and began to turn back to his desk.
“There’s one more thing, Detective.”
Toller raised his eyes expectantly to the young officer’s now-sweaty face. “What is it?” He asked in a clipped, get-back-to-work kind of tone.
“It’s your wife, sir. She’s here to see you.” The beads of sweat on the young man’s round face began to grow under Toller’s sharp gaze.
“That woman!” Toller muttered. “Show her in,” he exhaled. “Might as well get it over with.”
The young officer nodded and squeezed out of the room, avoiding the stacks of papers that had been piled all around. Toller began reading the smeared report that Underwood had left in his hands. He skimmed over the description of the brutal carvings that had been engraved all over the young girl’s body. Skipping the forensic reports entirely, he thumbed right to the page with the description of a red-haired woman in her mid forties, the clearest potential witness they had found yet.
“Honey?” His wife’s timid voice reached out to him, a tendril of smoke in the chimney of police station noise that funneled through his door.
“Yes, dear. Come in.” He put the pages down and walked over to her. He gave her a peck on the cheek and, shutting the door gently behind her, ushered her to the only chair that wasn’t filled with yet more stacks of papers. At first, she stayed planted where she was, but after a moment’s reconsideration, moved toward the seat.
“What can I do for you, darling?” His voice sounded strained to him, but conveyed none of the impatience he was feeling. Or at least, he hoped it didn’t.
“I...” she paused, a thoughtful frown wrinkling her forehead. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“And it couldn’t wait?” He could hear the impatience in his own voice now, guarded as he was trying to keep it.
“This case has been positively running your life for the last two weeks.” She shot back, her face reddening in what he knew was the beginning of an angry tirade.”
“Listen. This isn’t the best time. We’ve finally gotten a lead on a possible eyewitness to the girl’s murder. Whatever we need to discuss, we can do it at home. Later.” His neck tensed, voice rising to match the argument he knew she was about to launch into.
“That’s just...” The phone rang, and he turned quickly to it, breathing a sigh of relief for the interruption.
“Toller here...” He paused, listening. “Yes, I got them,” another pause, “Yes, I saw that also.” His breath caught, “The report I received didn’t say that, Captain! Yes, of course. I’m headed down there immediately.”
He dropped the phone back on its hook unceremoniously, then glanced at his wife who immediately lowered her hand from the strand of curly brown hair she had been pulling on. Looking down at her, he saw that her face was sallow and more pinched than usual.
“Look, I’m sorry to do this, but I’m going to have to go. We’ll talk later.” He leaned over to the coat rack and pulled his blazer down. Opening the door, he held it for her and pointedly watched her as she hesitantly stepped towards it.
“It’s really quite important, Gerald.” She paused before stepping through the door, looking up at him with eyes that glinted with... tears?
“Later.”
He put his right hand lightly on her back and guided her through the door. Once they had both stepped through, he gave her another peck on the cheek and began to run towards the parking lot.
She exhaled slowly as he departed, one hand on her chest as if to calm a heart that would leap out of her ribs. Walking slowly back to her car, she opened the driver’s door and climbed in, closing the door gently behind her. Her right hand reached over to the passenger seat and touched the grocery bag that was sitting on it, opening it just enough to reassure herself that the red-haired wig was still there.
“Thank you, Officer Underwood. That will be enough.” Detective Gerald Toller took the papers gingerly, minding the wet ink that threatened his own fingers, and began to turn back to his desk.
“There’s one more thing, Detective.”
Toller raised his eyes expectantly to the young officer’s now-sweaty face. “What is it?” He asked in a clipped, get-back-to-work kind of tone.
“It’s your wife, sir. She’s here to see you.” The beads of sweat on the young man’s round face began to grow under Toller’s sharp gaze.
“That woman!” Toller muttered. “Show her in,” he exhaled. “Might as well get it over with.”
The young officer nodded and squeezed out of the room, avoiding the stacks of papers that had been piled all around. Toller began reading the smeared report that Underwood had left in his hands. He skimmed over the description of the brutal carvings that had been engraved all over the young girl’s body. Skipping the forensic reports entirely, he thumbed right to the page with the description of a red-haired woman in her mid forties, the clearest potential witness they had found yet.
“Honey?” His wife’s timid voice reached out to him, a tendril of smoke in the chimney of police station noise that funneled through his door.
“Yes, dear. Come in.” He put the pages down and walked over to her. He gave her a peck on the cheek and, shutting the door gently behind her, ushered her to the only chair that wasn’t filled with yet more stacks of papers. At first, she stayed planted where she was, but after a moment’s reconsideration, moved toward the seat.
“What can I do for you, darling?” His voice sounded strained to him, but conveyed none of the impatience he was feeling. Or at least, he hoped it didn’t.
“I...” she paused, a thoughtful frown wrinkling her forehead. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“And it couldn’t wait?” He could hear the impatience in his own voice now, guarded as he was trying to keep it.
“This case has been positively running your life for the last two weeks.” She shot back, her face reddening in what he knew was the beginning of an angry tirade.”
“Listen. This isn’t the best time. We’ve finally gotten a lead on a possible eyewitness to the girl’s murder. Whatever we need to discuss, we can do it at home. Later.” His neck tensed, voice rising to match the argument he knew she was about to launch into.
“That’s just...” The phone rang, and he turned quickly to it, breathing a sigh of relief for the interruption.
“Toller here...” He paused, listening. “Yes, I got them,” another pause, “Yes, I saw that also.” His breath caught, “The report I received didn’t say that, Captain! Yes, of course. I’m headed down there immediately.”
He dropped the phone back on its hook unceremoniously, then glanced at his wife who immediately lowered her hand from the strand of curly brown hair she had been pulling on. Looking down at her, he saw that her face was sallow and more pinched than usual.
“Look, I’m sorry to do this, but I’m going to have to go. We’ll talk later.” He leaned over to the coat rack and pulled his blazer down. Opening the door, he held it for her and pointedly watched her as she hesitantly stepped towards it.
“It’s really quite important, Gerald.” She paused before stepping through the door, looking up at him with eyes that glinted with... tears?
“Later.”
He put his right hand lightly on her back and guided her through the door. Once they had both stepped through, he gave her another peck on the cheek and began to run towards the parking lot.
She exhaled slowly as he departed, one hand on her chest as if to calm a heart that would leap out of her ribs. Walking slowly back to her car, she opened the driver’s door and climbed in, closing the door gently behind her. Her right hand reached over to the passenger seat and touched the grocery bag that was sitting on it, opening it just enough to reassure herself that the red-haired wig was still there.
posted by Erin @ 11:04 PM
1 comments
