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 |  My book for the 30 Day Image Prompt Contest |
Hmm, let's see how this goes...  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I held the key under my flashlight. It was heavy and durable, just the way I had always imagined. Lawrence Babbit had the whole town fooled with his act of brilliant eccentricities. He was a peculiar fellow, no one had ever doubted that, but they thought he was entirely harmless. Squeezing the key until my knuckles went white, I knew I finally had him. Not an hour before, this key had come out of Lawrence Babbit's body. I had arrested him again, something I'd made a habit of in the last half decade. After twenty-eight years on the job, you know a sick person when you see them. You can pick out the child molesters and peeping toms. Babbit had every characteristic I looked for in a kidnap suspect. This time he'd simply been jaywalking. When I tried to stop him, he went on and on about getting his lawyers involved again, something about a harassment lawsuit. When I got out of my car to pursue him further, he ran. Lawrence Babbit had done a lot of suspicious things in his time as top person-of-interest in the rash of child abductions in our area, but he had never run away from me before, not that he was difficult to catch. We were four blocks from the station when it happened. Hands cuffed behind his back, Babbit fell forward, shoulders heaving like a hacking cat. "You sick there, Babbit?" I asked, peaking into the backseat at the next stoplight. That's when I saw it- the key. The hard brass reflected the third-quarter moon. I thought my heart might stop in my chest. I couldn't believe it. I had searched every inch of his house for that damn key. I nearly lost my job after the second search, sure that the key I'd found in his garbage had been the one. Babbit knew I was close to finding him out, no matter how impossible it would be for me to collect another legal warrant. I jumped out of the car and ran around to his side. "What have we here, Babbit?" I asked, lifting him up. Blood was dripping from his mouth, most likely a damaged esophagus from trying to keep the key down, or spewing it back up. Right where I expected it to be, I reached for the key on the floorboard. My eyes weren't lying to me this time. "That isn't mine! I don't know where you got that. You planted that. My lawyers are going to sue this city for all it's worth. This is harassment. Do you hear me?" As we pulled into the station, I knew this was my big break. The inside of the tornado shelter would now be mine for the taking. Their faces swept through my mind. Young kids who weren't old enough to scream for help, simply snatched up from their own yards. There were never any witnesses except the occasional car seen speeding away from the scene, always a different one and never helpful. I walked into Sergeant Mariano's office, ecstatic to see that she was still working so late. "We've got him, Sarge. This is our big break!" I announced. "Excuse me?" she asked, pulling that usual annoyed look as though I was a parasite encroaching on her territory. I slammed the key onto her desk with a loud thud that made her jump. She raised an eyebrow and picked it up, examining both sides. Her fingers ran down the the smooth side to the square end, feeling the elaborate design before tossing it back down. "What is this, Fitz? You think I got time for this bullshit? I'm up to my neck in papers here." My face fell as I took a step back. This wasn't the reaction I'd been hoping for, though I guess I couldn't be too surprised. "It's.. it's the key. The key, Sarge. I got him. We're finally going to put this scumbag behind bars." She shook her head, a look of disbelief spreading across her face. "This can't be happening." "What's wrong?" She stood up, looking past me through the windows of her office. "I thought you were better. Dr. Bradford said..." "Huh?" I looked behind myself to see what she was looking for. "What- what are you talking about, Sarge?" Before I could stop her, she was punching numbers into her phone, eyeing me cautiously, the silence between us palpable. "Yes, Doct- Doctor Bradford... This is Susan Mariano. It's.. I'm calling about my son, Fitz." She broke down into tears, glaring across the room at me. "No, no. He's having some sort of episode. I don't know. I thought he was better. I don't know. She cupped her hand over the receiver. "Fitz, honey, have you been taking your medication?" "What? What the hell are you talking about, Sarge? I have the key. I have the evidence we need. You told me to get the evidence!" "No, Doctor. It's like he isn't here. It's- it's someone else." She nodded, still keeping an eye on me as I shook my head. What the fuck is going on here? I started backing up toward the door. It was some sort of conspiracy. Jesus Christ. Thinking on my feet, I grabbed the key, shoes squeaking as I ran out the door of her office. "Fitz! Wait, no! He's running. Yes, send someone right away. Please." The broken voice followed at my heels. 906 Words |
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That last line is beautiful too.
It just... happens sometimes. 