The Case of the Murderous Mermaid and Other Stories by Andrew MacRae

Author:Andrew MacRae [MacRae, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Published: 2013-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

The Case of the Silver Suspect

A voice both familiar and unwelcome greeted Detective First Grade Kelly Stone as he entered the coroner’s lab in the basement of police headquarters.

“Take a look at this, Stone. Let’s see if you can figure this one out.”

Sergeant Ferguson, Stones’ senior partner on the homicide squad, and Doctor Armbuster, the coroner, stood next to an examining table upon which a naked corpse lay.

“The kid’s only a few months a detective and already he thinks he knows everything,” Ferguson complained to Dr. Armbuster.

Stone ignored his partner’s gibe and studied the body. The dead man was surprisingly short with a thin, almost frail build. A knife wound marred his chest, just below the ribs. The dead man’s skin was pale white except for his hands and face, which glistened with a silvery shine.

Doc Armbuster nodded toward a heap of clothes on a nearby table. “He was dressed in these when we fished him out of the river early this morning.” He pointed at the chest wound. “Death was by drowning but this stab wound was bad enough that he would have bled to death anyway if left unattended. My guess is that he was stabbed and then tossed into the river.”

Stone finished his study of the body. “Any estimate as to time of death?”

“Sometime last night before midnight, but don’t quote me on it,” replied the doctor. “I’ll give you a more firm timeframe this afternoon.”

Stone walked over to the second table and peered at the clothing, which consisted of a pair of silver tights and a stretch shirt of the same color. A pile of sodden cardboard lay next to the clothes. A stale scent of watery decay clung to them. He took a pair of forceps from a nearby tray and lifted the top piece of wet cardboard. It was about a foot square and was attached to the other pieces with worn shoestrings. The pieces of cardboard were painted silver, matching the clothes. A pair of sneakers, also painted silver and soaked with river water, rested off to the side.

Stone returned to the table where the body lay. He pointed to the wound. “Can you tell us anything about what he was stabbed with?”

Doc Armbuster chewed his pen. “I’ll know for certain after I open him up but it looks like a short, sharp blade, maybe three inches long by half an inch wide.” He took the pen out of his mouth. “I’ll tell you one thing that’s strange, though.”

“Stranger than that getup of his?” Ferguson asked.

“As a crime doctor I’d say yes. He was stabbed with an upward, almost vertical thrust as though his attacker was at least a foot or more shorter. But your victim here can’t be more than five-two himself.”

“Great. We’ll put out an alert for midgets carrying knives. Thanks for nothing, Doc.” Ferguson turned to Stone who was looking thoughtfully at the corpse.

“Well?” he demanded. “Going to work another one of your miracles and tell us who he is,

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