Homeless (Blogophilia 30.6)

In the Memphis Homicide of Ronald Duck, found bludgeoned on Beale St...

Sgt. Sullens and Farthing go the last known address of Duck, a homeless shelter located behind the Stax recording studio.  The manager, Mr. Sole, is a volunteer and is dressed in his mailman's uniform ready to go to his other job when they arrive.  Sullens shows Sole Duck's picture and he recognizes him immediately.  He states that Duck had been evicted from the shelter four days ago after being caught playing with a rubber duck.  The manager gives the detectives an emergency contact, a cousin named Si Robertson in West Monroe, LA, about 200 miles away.

[Montage of the full moon rising over Police Headquarters]

Back at the office, Brick calls the number provided for Si.

"Is this Si Robertson?"

"Yeah. What about it?

"

"This is Detective Brick from Memphis Homicide.  Do you know a Ronald Duck?"

"That fool?  He was one of my decoys until I fired him for telling me lies.  Last I heard, he was heading up there to be a lake duck. All he was good for, really.  He was weird, always going his pwn way and wanting to mess with the wood ducks. We wouldn't eat him. And we always eat what we shoot."

"We need to tell you he is dead."

"Really? And that's suppose to hit me like a landslide?  No Loss. Call back some other time." <Click>

[Det. Brick stares at the receiver just a moment.  Then softly puts it down.]

"That was a first, a next of kin who didn't break down...Hey, Cheap.  Looks like our deceased was not the tastiest fowl on the menu."

"Kind of tragic, isn't it.  He never could find himself or his place in the world."

Just then, there is a break in the case.

Riiinnnngg

"Sgt Farthing, Memphis Homicide."

A woman calls in stating she saw the murder.  She agrees to come in for an interview.

An hour later, the witness arrives.  Her name is Sue King.  She had come down from Ontario to attend the same writers conference as the earlier witness, Siskens. Brick and Farthing are chosen to do the interview.

"Ms. King, I'm Det. Brick and this is my partner Sgt. Farthing.  We appreciate you taking your time to come in.  As you know, we are investigating a homicide and we need you to tell us everything you saw from the beginning."

"Well, My husband, Bernie and I had spent the evening down on the waterfront.  We don't have anything quite like the river where I'm from so we walked along taking pictures. Anyway, we were heading back to the hotel when we noticed what looked like two men fighting over a stiff looking, half naked woman outside a theater..."

 She goes on to describe the other man as a kind of chunky, older white man with a short hair cut and no facial hair.  She stated the older man grabbed the shorter on by the neck and swung it around like a chicken, then smashed the head into the wall next to the sidewalk.

"I guess the hands of time stopped for him there."
 
She then said the man left going down the alley, dragging the woman behind him. Ms. King and her husband then went back to their hotel by taxi.  She gives them the name of cab company from the receipt in her  purse and she is allowed to leave. Brick, Farthing and Sullens are left to ponder their new lead.

"So, we are looking for an older white male.  Maybe a Chicken Hawk that got surprised? What do you think Metal?"

"Hitchcock would have loved this case. Reminds me of  The 39 Steps. Well, let's check with the Vice unit.  Maybe they have somebody that rings a bell."


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This is part 4 of an ongoing series for Blogophilia, a weekly writing group currently based on Facebook.  If you have an imagination, we would like to see it.  Link to Blogophilia


Part 1-Summertime Blues
Part 2- Three Hours In
Part 2-At the Orpheum