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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 21, 2016 22:43:56 GMT -5
Literary Mosaic 3
Emerald Ideals It was a tranquil night, midway through August, and for once there were no air raids to worry about. As darkness covered the London skyline, in a quiet street a scuffle takes place on a building top. "you're not going to get away Malcolm; I'm sick of your games!" Screamed a man to the other as he was held over the ledge of a 12 story building. "Please! I'll get your money! Just don't..." "too late!" And the crook shoved Malcolm over the edge. He died the moment he hit the ground. The crook was quite smart though, and dropped a bottle of wine that landed near the body. "and just like that; this murder became a suicide" he said to himself as he casually walked away to go home. Police were called in to investigate a dead body, and for them, the case was open and shut. "drunk guy fell off the roof; its suicide" a constable said. "what a way to go though" another observed. "Well, I'll go get a phone to call Gent; you see if foul play was involved." "why?" "because it's standard procedure! Now, get going" the sergeant said as he went to the only apartment he saw with a light on. "hello sir; would you mind if I used your phone; it is urgent that I talk to chief Gent" he said to the resident. "of course; right this way" Gunnarson said as he went back to making breakfast while the officer talked on the phone. |
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Post by Eyes on Apr 21, 2016 23:00:57 GMT -5
(But wouldn't it be an accident, not a suicide?)
Gunnarson was making an omelette.
He loved omelettes.
"Would you care for one?" he asked the officer.
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Post by Toz76 on Apr 21, 2016 23:39:39 GMT -5
"No thanks, I'm on duty." The officer said.
Suddenly, the phone rang. The officer picked it up.
"Hello, Gunnarson residence, Officer Kenneth speaking."
He turned to Gunnarson. "It's for you."
Gunnarson took the phone. "Gunnarson speaking."
"Mr. Gunnarson, sir! I'm Zoie Gadfrey, owner of Gadfrey acres up in Furness. I need you to come to my farm and help me solve a mystery... someone's been shooting my livestock!"
"Of course. Just give me the address and I'll be along as soon as possible."
Gunnarson took down the address and hung up. Officer Kenneth was staring slack-jawed at him. "You're THE Gunnarson? Famous detective Gunnarson?"
"I wouldn't say famous... I just am really good at spotting the not-so-obvious." He said."
"Well, I know you've got a case, but could you spare a few minutes to look at a body for us? We think it's either a drunken accident or a messy suicide, but we could use your opinion."
"Okay, I have some time."
So off they went.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 22, 2016 0:03:22 GMT -5
When they arrived at the crime scene, Gent was waiting.
"Why! Gunnarson! Splendid to see you, old chap!"
"You too. I believe there is a body..."
"Come right this way and I'll show you."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 8:06:57 GMT -5
"Well, it's pretty open and shut, guy fell off the roof. Drunk by the look of it, since we've got a broken wine bottle. No doubt, he was inebriated, then either fell off of jumped off; we are just not sure which" he explained.
Gunnarson and Gent finally got to the body. Not even 2 feet away was the broken wine bottle.
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Post by Toz76 on Apr 22, 2016 9:02:40 GMT -5
"Huh." Gunnarson said, looking at the corpse. "So the assumption is that the wine bottle landed at the same time as him, because he was holding it when he fell?"
"Actually, in most cases like this, they drop whatever they're holding before they land, so it lands first."
"But if the wine bottle had landed first, then there wouldn't be these wine splashes on this man's coat. He would have landed on top of the place where the wine splashed if the wine had landed first, but it looks like the wine bottle landed after he did and splashed him in wine."
"That could mean anything."
"Including a cleverly disguised murder. We should investigate this more fully."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 9:46:56 GMT -5
"We'll see what we can do" Gent said as he gestured to the sergeant. "Kenneth, keep looking down here; I'm going to the roof with Gunnarson."
In the roof, they came to the area where he fell off.
"Part of his shirt got caught over here and ripped; this must be where he fell" Gunnarson concluded. They looked around, but did not find anything out of the ordinary.
"I'm not really seeing anything" Gent said to Gunnarson. "Guess this was an accident after all" the chief sighed to himself.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 22, 2016 12:24:31 GMT -5
"Ah, my friend, clues mean nothing whatsoever without a head. It is all in here." And he tapped his head. "It is better to think about the psychology of the crime than look for clues that may mean nothing."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 12:25:34 GMT -5
"I'm not sure I understand where you are coming from... what are you referring to?" Gent asked in confusion
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Post by Toz76 on Apr 22, 2016 15:11:21 GMT -5
"Motive, my friend, motive! Why would someone murder this man without a motive?"
"No one murdered this man. It was a drunken fall." Gent sighed. "Look, Gunnarson, I'm worried about you. Ever since the Elvira case you've been seeing things that aren't there. I think you should take some time off from detective work."
"But I've just taken a case for a Ms. Gadfrey up in Furness!"
"Fine, but that's the last one for now. And take Kenneth with you. I need to stay in London, but he's nearly as good as me when it comes to police work."
So that afternoon, Gunnarson and Kenneth took an LMS train to Askam-In-Furness.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 15:27:31 GMT -5
"I still just don't get that last case; so you're telling me that it was an elaborate cover up by two people to murder three people, and have a fourth man arrested, just so this man and woman could fall in love?" Sergeant Kenneth asked as they sat in the train car.
"Very much so- I'm still not so sure why Walter Farley got murdered, but the press has been eating up this case like there's no tomorrow" Gunnarson explained.
Gunnarson still had the "accidental suicide" on his mind during the ride... there had to be something.
Back in London, the victim had finally been identified as Malcolm West, but there was little else available.
The wine bottle had broken into several large pieces, rather than a few smaller ones, so Gent decided to figure out if this was an accident or not once and for all.
"Check the pieces for fingerprints; if any are found on there that do not belong to West, only then will we pursue this case any further" Gent explained.
So the bottle was sent over to the lab, but a couple blocks down the street, a man watched with interest.
"Good luck finding prints... but I think you will find that rather... difficult" the man smirked as he held his gloved hands.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 22, 2016 15:36:04 GMT -5
*Pause Toz76, Gunnarson is a private investigator, Gent can't order him around. |
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 15:43:29 GMT -5
I think he meant that more as a "friendly advice" kind of thing, not so much an order as a show of concern.
I wrote last, so the next poster should write the next part
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Post by Eyes on Apr 22, 2016 15:54:58 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Gunnarson and Kenneth had arrived.
"Oh, Mr. Gunnarson, who good of you to come!"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 22, 2016 16:11:55 GMT -5
"Ms. Gadfrey; I wasn't expecting us to meet you here" Gunnarson said to her on the station.
"Yes, but I cannot afford to lose another animal, so I wanted to meet you as soon as possible." She explained.
"I see; well then, I suppose we should start with the beginning. What has been happening?" Gunnarson asked.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 22, 2016 16:25:50 GMT -5
"Every morning, I find a dead sheep on my farm... with a bullet in its neck!"
"Is it only the neck that is ever shot?"
"Strangely enough, yes."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 23, 2016 18:41:26 GMT -5
"Something must be afoot; this is clearly no coincidence. Let us go to your farm an figure this out". Gunnarson said as they made their way to a vehicle to take them to the farm.
"How many animals so far?" Gunnarson asked.
"Six sheep and 2 cows; its only a small part of my flock, but I can't help but worry" she said with fear.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 23, 2016 23:10:06 GMT -5
"Interesting... where did you find the bodies?"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Apr 24, 2016 9:05:07 GMT -5
"Well that's just it; they are never in the same place. Sometimes it's out in the field, other times it's near the barn, and once it was near the food troughs" she explained.
"Could it have been a neighbor?" Gunnarson asked.
"I doubt it; my nearest neighbor lives two miles away" she explained.
"What about farmhands?"
"I currently employ eight... Oh no, could one of them be behind it?!" She said in horror.
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Post by Eyes on Apr 24, 2016 13:00:06 GMT -5
"It is always possible, madam. Are you married?"
"My husband died last year, sir."
"Oh, my apologies."
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