2005-08-16 7:36 p.m. Footsteps across the well-maintained lawn of a graveyard. It's night and the grounds are deserted. The two feet, sources of the aforementioned steps, are clad in polished leather shoes. They stop atop a grave with the name "Emily Sutierra." The two feet are connected to legs, connected to hips, connected (if one's gaze were to continue up) to a man wearing a hat, his jacket's collar up against the chill night air. His tie is striped. A bit skinny for the current fashion. He stoops in front of the grave and moves wilting flowers to the side. One flower remains upright, fresh. A daisy. Closer inspection reveals that the daisy is in fact artificial. The heart of the flower is mesh, covering a wide tube. "Emily?" the man says, inclining his head towards the tube. "You still okay down there?" His ears detect some sort of muffled response. "I got a tough case for you. Tougher than any of the others. That's why I came to you first... the 'Buried P.I.'" More muffled sounds from below the ground. "Here's the details as I have them. Girl's gone missing. Father is in the merchant marine, hasn't contacted the family for years outside of the occasional postcard. Mother called me in the case. No known boyfriends. Only clue in the girl's room is a Do-It-Yourself Tattoo Kit, yellow ink fitted into the needle, and a piece of paper with a black ink blot in the middle. "Any thoughts, Emily? I need help here. And you're the best." A wind blew up and the man had to lean close to the tube to strain for any details in the response. The wind whistled across the top of the false daisy like a young boy blowing across the narrow neck of a glass soda bottle. He squinted in concentration. He wondered what she ate down there. Was there some back way out? The false daisy had gone quiet. He gathered his thoughts. He brought a notebook out of his jacket pocket and took some notes. "Thanks, Emily. I knew I could count on you. Uhm... take care of yourself, all right? You're a lifesaver." The leather shoes whispered across the lawn on their way to the exit. The false daisy continued to transmit sounds but once the leather shoes got far enough away, he could easily pretend he didn't hear them. |
1. today is nice 3. happy yesterdays 8. thanks for hosting 4. doing other things |
(Proof that I am the only one reading.) |