Calling Card

The cell phone next to the bed chirped, he looked at the display, it was 2 o’clock in the morning. Detective Paco Miller enjoyed the sexy, warm body lying next to him, but knew he would have to leave her as soon as he picked up the phone.

“Yeah, Miller.” Paco answered the phone. He listened as he was briefed about another home invasion that left a family dead in their closet.

“OK, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” He said as he tossed the phone back onto the nightstand. “I gotta go, you can let yourself out when you get up,” he spoke softly to the beautiful brunette as he ran his hands down her back again. Before he could get too aroused, Paco swung his legs out of bed and hopped up.

“Do you really have to go?” She purred as she rolled over and stretched like a cat.

“Yes, yes I do.” He replied over his shoulder as he headed to the shower.

Detective Miller arrived at the scene. He was dressed in his usual charcoal gray suit, white shirt and red tie, he was suave and debonair and most ladies and some men always gave him a second glance. As he opened the door to his vehicle, his partner, Detective Hurley, who was the exact opposite of Paco, with his wrinkled gray suit that was a little too short in the leg and always showed off his white socks in his black loafers, shuffled up and started briefing him. “It’s the same as before, all the lights were left on and the victims were gagged and hogtied and left in the closet. All stabbed multiple times and bled out. No forced entry, nothing looks out of place to suspect any kind of struggle. It’s like they were just corralled into the closet and murdered.”

Both Paco and Chris flashed their badges at the crowd control officer and walked up the driveway. After noticing that every light in the house was on, both detectives ducked under the crime scene tape and made their way through the house. Paco took note of everything, he squatted down and surveyed the victims. Four of them hog tied. The carpet was saturated with the dark red blood. The closet was the only place where blood was found. After making notes about the gruesome scene and ensuring everything was dusted for fingerprints and all areas were photographed, as well, he made his way out of the bedroom. It wasn’t until he was in the living room, looking outside when he saw it. The red donkey. The red donkey was placed haphazardly on the edge of the sidewalk, just sitting there. Paco squinted his eyes and scratched the back of his neck, “Was that there when you got here?” He asked anyone standing around. He heard the echo of three ”whats” from different people.

“That red donkey on the sidewalk.” He pointed out as he turned to leave the house. He squatted down to look at the little red donkey. It was just a plastic child’s toy, but something niggled in the depth of his mind. “Get forensics on it, pictures, prints, everything.” He instructed as he walked around the strange little figurine, wondering what its significance was.

“It’s a toy.” Detective Hurley told him as he came out to join him.

“Is it?” Paco asked him. “I distinctly remember kicking one, just like it, out of the way at the last crime scene. I thought that was just a toy too. This is one weird ass popular toy.” He said.

They spent the rest of the night carrying out interviews and questioning all the neighbors. Paco’s phone kept chirping and he finally had to put his phone on silent. That beautiful woman was distracting him. He kept telling himself it was a fling. He had spent a few nights with her, enjoyed some great sex and now she was turning out to be an annoyance.

After excusing himself, he finally answered the phone, “I am working.” He told her, “sometimes it is hard for me to answer the phone each time you call.” He hoped she heard the frustration in his voice, if not he would just have to tell her to ‘fuck off’.

“OK baby”, she cooed. “How bout you just stop by when you can.”

“I don’t exactly know when that will be.” He told her honestly and “I’ve never been to your place.”

“I’ll text you, whenever you can get here is fine.” she told him.

“Sure baby.” He said as he hung up and placed the phone back into his pocket.

The next two days both Detective Hurley and Miller scrubbed through all the evidence photos of all the previous crime scenes with the same MO, house lights left ablaze, victims hogtied and left in the closet with multiple stab wounds and for the Red Donkey.

“No red donkey.” Hurley told him.

“I swear I remember the red donkey. I kicked it out of the way.” Paco sighed. “I’m going to take a break. Call me if you find something new.”

Paco arrived at the address that was texted to him. He wanted to see the girl again and feel her soft body next to his. He rang the bell and waited. When there was no answer Paco turned the knob and opened the door. He shouted her name, but there was nothing. He cautiously walked in. She wasn’t home. He would leave a note that he stopped by. He walked into the kitchen and saw the shelves. Each shelf was decorated with a single Red Donkey. Was this the calling card of his new serial killer? A woman, a beautiful woman, no one ever suspects….a woman.




956 wc

image is courtesy +Lindsey Clements