Martin Argyle had been up since around 3:00 in the morning and it was beginning to catch up to him. He rubbed his bald head and then went back to typing up his report on the ancient PC in front of him, clicking save every couple of minutes because his computer had been acting up recently, and the damn IT depart hadn't gotten around to doing anything about it.
Martin had just turned forty eight the previous month and had been a detective for a little over twenty years now. He still hadn't gotten used to the early mornings. He wasn't a night owl, more of a go to bed at 10:00 get up at 8:00 type. When he had to pull late night shifts it threw everything out of whack.
"So I don't get it," Martin said to his partner who was sitting in a desk kitty corner from his.
Jose Soto looked up from the paperwork he was signing."What don't you get?"
"A guy breaks up a crime, gets shot in the process, and then leaves on foot …disappears," Martin said leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah that pretty much sums it up. What don't you get?" Jose went back to signing papers.
"Where the hell is he? We've checked the hospital. We've checked the neighborhood? And there's no sign of him,"
"Probably had something to hide? Or was a criminal?"
"How do you figure?"
Jose signed his last document, collected the stack, and straightened them with a couple of quick taps on the desk top. "What other reason could there be for running away when you have been shot. If the clerk was right, the guy is most likely dead. You don't walk away from the type of gunshot wounds she described. Gut wounds send you to the grave if they aren't taken care of. Any luck with the store camera?"
"Nope, nothing but fuzzy. Its messed up from the time our hero comes into the store." Martin said as he scratched his nose, leaned forward again, and began to peck at the keyboard.
"So we have to go on the description that the clerk gave," Jose said.
"Yeah – great description. White, almost six feet, brown hair, wearing a black jacket and jeans. That could be just about anyone."
"Maybe we should ask around the neighborhood some more. Go door to door-- get warrants?" Soto said joking.
Martin kept typing away at his report ignoring Soto. When Soto started joking it meant that there wasn't going to be an end to it. At least not until Martin got pissed. Finally Soto suggested search parties, dogs and volunteers and Martin threw a pen at his face.
"Hey maybe he was in on it?"Martin said after a few minutes of silence.
"You think the guy was a part of the robbery?"
"Makes sense to me. He goes in to scope out the store and if its empty and he calls or texts …" Martin paused to find the name of the robber, "… Clliff Boyer that its safe. But things go wrong when Boyer shots the clerk and mystery man tries to stop him."
"Sorry Martin, doesn't even come close to working. The clerk said Boyer was surprised that someone else was there. And if they were working together, don't you think the guy would have taken off in Boyer's car?"
"Hmm. Yeah, you're right."
"This guy just didn't want to be there when we showed up. He was a good guy—he made sure that the clerk was alright—called in the robbery. Hundred bucks says we don't ever find him." Soto said as he turned around and filed several folders into a beaten up gray file cabinet. "Besides,Boyer's dead and the clerk is going to make it. Seems like this one is all wrapped up."
"Just doesn't feel right..."Martin said as he finshed his report and hit save."What time is it?"
"Little after 11:00," Soto said looking at his watch.
"I need to get something to eat. Blood sugar is crapping out on me," Martin said standing up and putting on his jacket.
"I'll come with you."
"Starbucks first?" Martin said as they walked out.
"Yep."
"Rich person coffee. Don't understand why you don't just drink the free stuff we have here."
"Free stuff tastes like crap."
Why isn't this blog ever updated? I thought it was going to be weekly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not paying for this, or I would really make some noise.