I lay in bed, staring at the #glow of the alarm clock's static time, willing the numbers to move faster than the laws of physics would allow. Time slowed to a glacial pace in my mind as my brain tried to make sense of everything that happened.
A minute ticked by slowly.
I knew I was off the case until tomorrow but I had to do something. Under cover of darkness, I left the house only to be greeted with driving sleet coming at me horizontally. There was already an #icicle or two hanging from the porch but I got into my car and headed out.
I figured the captain would have sent everyone home so I could question the woman without witnesses but there was one person who was still working.
"Hey #Pudding," a woman's voice said from the shadows.
"Hi Jaci," I muttered. "What are you doing here?"
"Stopping you."
"You knew I'd come?" I asked.
"Captain knew you couldn't stop yourself," Jaci replied as the janitor walked past humming an off-key #jingle as he picked up the trash.
"I want to know what the hell is going on."
"We all do. Might have a lead though."
"I'm listening."
"That Latin phrase Mrs. Grand said before she killed herself translates as 'A woman's work is never done.' Apparently it's the name of a cult led by a woman who calls herself #Grace of God, Daughter of Pandora."
"Oh joy. How many members in the cult?"
"We don't know."
"I've heard of them. The cult was called 'The Daughters of Pandora' when I was a rookie and then 'Pandora's Children' more recently. The Latin is their new catchphrase I guess."
"Don't tell the captain I told you. He'll kill me."
"He'll never #find out from me," I said.
"Now that's settled, what were you going to do?" Jaci asked.
"I was gonna talk to Mrs. Marcus. She must be a part of this cult."
"Come on," Jaci said.
I followed her to the cells. Mrs. Marcus lay on a cot.
"The #coral color walls are vile."
"It was cheap," I said.
Once Mrs. Marcus was in the interrogation room, Jaci and I discussed our strategy.
"Good cop, bad cop?" She asked.
I shook my head. "She'll see right through it. We need another approach."
"What do you suggest?"
"She's a musician, so let's try talking in #harmony."
We walked into the interrogation room together and said in unison, "Who ordered you to kill the conductor?"
"Grace of God," she said. "We're not a bunch of #circus clowns blindly following a master of ceremonies. We get lists of people to kill and we kill them. Simple."
"You'll tell us everything?" We asked.
"I'll tell you what I know. It does me no good to tell the truth wrapped in a #cocoon of lies. I've killed enough people that I'll get a life sentence, maybe even the needle."
Jaci and I dropped the act.
"Start talking," I said.
A minute ticked by slowly.
***
I knew I was off the case until tomorrow but I had to do something. Under cover of darkness, I left the house only to be greeted with driving sleet coming at me horizontally. There was already an #icicle or two hanging from the porch but I got into my car and headed out.
***
I figured the captain would have sent everyone home so I could question the woman without witnesses but there was one person who was still working.
"Hey #Pudding," a woman's voice said from the shadows.
"Hi Jaci," I muttered. "What are you doing here?"
"Stopping you."
***
"You knew I'd come?" I asked.
"Captain knew you couldn't stop yourself," Jaci replied as the janitor walked past humming an off-key #jingle as he picked up the trash.
"I want to know what the hell is going on."
"We all do. Might have a lead though."
"I'm listening."
***
"That Latin phrase Mrs. Grand said before she killed herself translates as 'A woman's work is never done.' Apparently it's the name of a cult led by a woman who calls herself #Grace of God, Daughter of Pandora."
"Oh joy. How many members in the cult?"
"We don't know."
***
"I've heard of them. The cult was called 'The Daughters of Pandora' when I was a rookie and then 'Pandora's Children' more recently. The Latin is their new catchphrase I guess."
"Don't tell the captain I told you. He'll kill me."
"He'll never #find out from me," I said.
***
"Now that's settled, what were you going to do?" Jaci asked.
"I was gonna talk to Mrs. Marcus. She must be a part of this cult."
"Come on," Jaci said.
I followed her to the cells. Mrs. Marcus lay on a cot.
"The #coral color walls are vile."
"It was cheap," I said.
***
Once Mrs. Marcus was in the interrogation room, Jaci and I discussed our strategy.
"Good cop, bad cop?" She asked.
I shook my head. "She'll see right through it. We need another approach."
"What do you suggest?"
"She's a musician, so let's try talking in #harmony."
***
We walked into the interrogation room together and said in unison, "Who ordered you to kill the conductor?"
"Grace of God," she said. "We're not a bunch of #circus clowns blindly following a master of ceremonies. We get lists of people to kill and we kill them. Simple."
***
"You'll tell us everything?" We asked.
"I'll tell you what I know. It does me no good to tell the truth wrapped in a #cocoon of lies. I've killed enough people that I'll get a life sentence, maybe even the needle."
Jaci and I dropped the act.
"Start talking," I said.
***
Comments
Post a Comment