Dig Deep
Thursday 23 May 2013 - Filed under Writing
Dig Deep
by Marilyn Brandt Smith
“I need a bathroom break,” Ginger Carson told the officers. They weren’t the ones she’d told how the home invaders forced their way in, stole the emeralds George had given her for their anniversary, knocked her out, and then killed her husband. Officers Davis and Marcos were digging for something she couldn’t give them. She hadn’t expected two hours of stalling and tricky questioning when she’d agreed to come to the station with Officer Smith from the crime scene.
“That’s fine,” officer Marcos, the “good cop,” said, “you’re here voluntarily. It’s just around the turn here.” He pointed down the hall as they left the interrogation room together. “How about another coffee while we finish up?”
“Okay,” she agreed absentmindedly. Surely they’d be done soon.
“I’m at the station now,” Ginger said softly as she entered the first stall. Her cellular reception showed four bars. The frazzled young woman at the mirror was about to walk out.
When she heard the door close Ginger continued her conversation. “I have to go to the hospital after I leave here…Oh, I was quite clever. Everything that needs to be out of the way is buried in that big barrel of used kitty litter in the utility room. No one’s going to dig through that. It’s all most people can do to walk around it without gagging or at least holding their noses…Of course the gun is safe. I put it in plastic. We need to get it out of there, maybe tomorrow? You may need to help me with all that insurance paperwork and with the funeral arrangements. I’m a grieving widow now, you know…Oh, they won’t keep me here. At the hospital they’ll do X-rays and, should they find anything…I had to hit myself pretty hard with that damn flashlight to make it look like I was attacked. If they’d give me something to get rid of this headache I wouldn’t mind a night of relaxation in their care…Okay Sis, see you tomorrow.” She straightened her dress and brushed a few stray cat hairs away before primping at the mirror. Those detectives had been such sissies about her precious babies. You’d think they’d never had cats jump in their laps and climb up for a hug.
Lieutenant Davis turned to his partner, “You want to write up the search warrant and run it out to the judge? I’ll call the hospital and make sure they keep her.”
“Can’t use what we got from that bug she’s wearing as evidence,” Marcos reminded, reaching for the appropriate form.
“No, but Smith told me when he brought her in that something didn’t feel right about that scene. We’d better not wait for those followup guys to go back tomorrow. A few things didn’t add up when she retold her story to us either. That’s enough to justify a search warrant.”
“What did Smith say, eleven cats and their kittens?” Marcos shrugged.
“When we move up in the department we’ll think cat hair and nasty litter were worth it,” Davis laughed, “but I’ll grab some gloves and masks and capes while you’re off to get the paper signed. This is exactly why we bought those extra security measures on the sly. I’ll tell her you got called away and wrap up pretty fast. Wonder what she’ll say when she finds out we have a warrant.”
“Here she comes,” Marcos mouthed as he started down the hall in the opposite direction.
Davis motioned her to the table and prepared to take notes. He wondered if she’d get that peaceful night at the hospital after all. It would probably be the last one she’d get for a while. He’d have to remember to grab that ID tag they’d made her wear when she came in for questioning. Throw the tag away; stash the bug for the next suspect.
2013-05-23 » Marilyn Brandt Smith