Book by its Cover
DANGER!
Murderous criminal is on the loose!
Wanted for multiple murders.
Thought to be a male raccoon, of about six foot, possibly wears glasses
If you have any information, please contact local officials.
Posters like this were hung up all over town. Andrew knew. He had hung most of them up himself. The feline detective sighed to himself. There would be a generous reward for him if he caught the murderer. But with everyone looking, why should he have any more success than everyone else? He was a plainclothes detective, so he did have strategy and experience behind him, but there were people more experienced than him looking for this murderer, so he simply decided to play it safe and not jump into the fray.
Andrew pulled the coat around himself a little tighter. It was chilly, and the air was crisp. He thought about what he knew about the murderer. It was definitely male. The MO was stabbing, always to the back. The victims seemed to have nothing in common, save that they all had jobs using computers, they all went to the same gym, and they all wore the same high school sweater. Andrew thought about it. The male raccoon, the murderer, could have met the victims at the gym. They offended him in some way, so he stalked them down and stabbed them. Stabbings are always personal. The jacket and the computers seemed unlikely, as they could hardly amount to some sort of grudge. The raccoon was probably criminally insane.
Andrew sighed again, his breath materializing in front of him. He turned along the street, walking into his favorite bar. There were about eight people inside, a lone female sitting by herself up front. Andrew decided to try his luck.
Andrew walked up to the female, and took a seat beside her. The raccoon female turned an inch, looking at him idly out of the corner of her eye. "What is it with raccoons today?" Andrew thought. But aloud, he said, "Barkeep! A Sam Adams for myself and this lovely young lady."
The female now actually turned his way, smiling sadly. "Good evening to you, sir," she said, "I'm actually not too thirsty now. If you-"
Andrew cut her off. "Nonsense. You look down on your luck and there's nothing a beer won't help heal. I speak with experience on that one."
The female's smile widened into a grin. "Very well, I thank you for buying me one in advance."
The two, domestic cat and raccoon alike, drank their fair share and conversed freely to one another. Andrew noticed, after awhile, that the female didn't seem to know her limits. She was sliding around on her stool, resting her head on the bar, and occasionally hiccupping. She shook her head, then began to choke. Andrew knew the symptoms and what was about to happen all too well. He gripped her paw firmly and pulled her off the stool, rushing into the lady's restroom with her.
Andrew spent about two minutes leaning on the stall door as the raccoon was heaving into the toilet bowl. He felt it was his fault for buying her the drinks, and decided to apologize as she walked out. She came out of the restroom stall, nearly tipping over, and fell into him. "I'm sorry for being such a nuisance," she said immediately, her chest still pounding up and down. "My name's Hillary Johnston. You?"
Andrew held her against him, enjoying the privacy and comfort between them. It was probably just because she was drunk, but he didn't mind. He wiped a small amount of vomit off of her nose, smiling lightly. "Andrew Meade. Nice to meet you, Hillary. What brings you to this bar?"
Hillary laughed abruptly and for no reason. "Oh, I'm just trying to escape life for a while."
Andrew smiled. "Same here. This murderer is supposedly in town. I'm a bit wound up about looking for him."
Hillary began to laugh hysterically. When Andrew got her to calm down, she said, "Can't you see? You know exactly where the murderer is. You've been talking to her."
Time stopped for Andrew. This raccoon had admitted something very dangerous on accident while she was drunk. Andrew didn't even think about what he did next.
Within two seconds he had her in a full-nelson, on the ground facing downwards. He checked her body, even her shoes, for a concealed weapon, but found none. He soon realized that Hillary, if that was her real name, was unconscious. She might have hit her head going down, or it might have been the beer, but she was out cold. Andrew took her to the police station, cradled in his arms.
Andrew received a phone call in the early hours of the next day. "We're questioning Hillary. She won't respond to anything. Upon being notified that she had been brought in by you, she asked that you question her. We've tried everything else, so if it wouldn't be inconvenient..."
Andrew swore into the phone, got dressed, and got to the station as quickly as he could. He arrived at the interrogation room, and looked through the two-way mirror. It was true. Hillary just wouldn't cooperate with them at all. Andrew sighed and stepped into the room.
From the recorded file of the interrogation.
H: Thank God, Andrew. I need to talk to you.
A: What is it?
H: No, I mean, alone. Get the others, including the guards, out of the room. I don't care if they listen from outside.
A: Hear that, officers?
A: Did you murder those three people?
H: Yes.
A: Why do you admit to it so readily?
H: I was gonna get caught sometime. I've made a mistake and now I'm going to be incarcerated for it. Fair's fair.
A: Why did you murder them?
H: They were bullies at my high school. They beat on other kids, and occasionally me, and never got punished for it.
A: That seems a slightly drastic way to deal with a bully.
H: If they hadn't picked on me, not only would they not be dead, but I wouldn't be a murderer by nature.
A: So they brought it on themselves?
H: Yes. Enough about them. I'm more interested in you.
A: This isn't the time or place, and you're not the person. How did you kill them?
The scene played itself out for hours, before Andrew finally retired from the room. "You guys get all that?"
The cadet nodded. "It's all on tape, sir."
"Personally, I don't buy it. She says she's a murderer, but she's awfully amiable and polite. She seems sane enough, too, and she confesses readily. I bet she's doing this so the real criminal will give money to her family, or she's a relation to the real criminal." Andrew shook his head sadly. "And she seemed so nice..."
Andrew requested that Hillary wouldn't be put under full guard, with her privacy in mind. When it was morning, the officer left to guard her was lying on the ground, dead, with six stab wounds to the back. Hillary was nowhere, but a note was left behind.
"Andrew" it read:
Going out of town for a while. I might be back when things calm down a bit. I'd like to meet you for dinner sometime, but for my safety I decide the time and place. Sorry about the guard, but he was between me and freedom. I hope none of this changes your opinion of me, because you're nothing like the bullies I used to know. I'll be in touch, unless the force tries to track you in some way.
Love, Hillary.
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I was timing myself, to see if I could write a short story in an hour or less. This is the result. Hope you guys like it.
~Ranko.