Flash Fiction by Terence Thomas

Little Mary-Jane

 

"What the hell is this?" said Lieutenant Adams.

 

"What the hell is what?" replied officer James at the next desk.

 

"I can"t make any sense of this case."

 

He stood and walked over to the coffee maker and poured a cup. Then he took a sip and leaned against a desk with a confused look on his face.

 

"What's got you all bent out of shape Rick?"

 

"This case doesn't really make any sense."

 

They both stood there for a few minutes, officer James just coming on duty and anxious to help Lieutenant Adams in any way he could.

 

"What's the problem?"

 

"Some strange things...a little 9 year old girl was followed into a wooded area by a known child molester."

 

"Have you spoken to the child yet?" asked officer James.

 

"Yes." He replied. "She was frightened and crying so I tried to calm her down."

 

"Have you located her mother?"

 

"No, strangely enough, and the little girl wasn't hurt." he said with a confused look on his face. He reached for the coffee pot again and poured another cup and then started the pacing."

 

"What's bothering you?" asked the officer.

 

"Most little girls want to see their mothers when something like this happens but she hasn't once asked for her mother. And we have a witness."

 

"Someone saw the molestation?" asked officer James as he turned to face Lieutenant Adams.

 

"Not exactly."

 

"You know that junkie that's always hanging around fifth street?"

 

"Hubie?"

 

"Yea that's the one."

 

"What did he see?" asked officer James with growing interest.

 

"He said that he saw the little girl lured Ray Dauber through a hole in the fence to the junkyard."

 

"Ray Dauber, that scumbag? is he the suspect?

 

"Kinda." Lieutenant Adams replied.

 

"Kinda...What does that mean?"

 

"He's dead. When he went through the fence a refrigerator that was sitting on a washing machine, fell on him and he was killed."

 

"You mean natural justice was done for once?" said officer James with a smile on his face.

 

A knock on the door and officer Manning entered. "Lieutenant Adams, The mother of the little girl has arrived."

 

"Put officer Cooper on it, she'll add the needed feminine touch."

 

Officer Manning left the room and the two men poured more coffee and paced the room. Nothing was said for a few minutes and then officer James broke the silence was broken. "You didn't seem so convinced that justice had been done."

 

"I'm not. There are to many questions that remain un-answered."

 

"Questions like what?"

 

"Questions like why is this little girl so far from home, she lives ten miles away and why was her mother not near by? A surveillance camera seems to confirm Hubies testimony."

 

"What?" said officer James. "This sleazebag just got careless and knocked over a refrigerator that fell on him and fortunately for the little girl, justice found its own way."

 

"Not exactly." said lieutenant Adams to the amazement of officer James.

 

"What the hell does that mean?"

 

"There was a rope tied to the top of the refrigerator."

 

"What are you suggesting?" asked Officer James with an odd look on his face.

 

"The rope was laying on the ground and lead to where the little girl fell."

 

"Are you suggesting the little girl put a big refrigerator on top of a washing machine?"

 

"No...she just took advantage of the circumstance. She lured her victim through the hole in the fence and when he was in the right place she pulled the rope and the refrigerator fell on her pursuer"

 

"Now what makes you so sure that's what happened?"

 

"When I said she had no injuries I was not being totally honest. She had rope burns on the palms of her hands."

 

Officer James looked up quickly. He was clearly shocked and astounded. For a few minutes both men stood silent as if they couldn't believe what they said. Lieutenant Adams poured another cup of coffee as if to sober up from a night heavy drinking.

 

"I'll have another cup too lieutenant." said officer James. With the coffee pot still in his hand, he pour another cup for Officer James. Both perplexed, they stood looking into space like zombies and then officer James broke the silence. "What the hell are we going to do about this?"

 

"Do you think any one would even believe that a little girl planed and killed her stalker? I hardly believe it my self."

 

"It does sound far-fetched. I wouldn't want to be the DA on that case. No body would have the nerve to try to press charges on little Mary Jane." They looked at each other and smiled. 

   

"Molesters that pursue little miss Mary Jane Johnson are going to be in for a special surprise." said Lieutenant Adams. The two looked each other in the face again, smiled and left the room.