Figments & Fragments

Twenty-Two

“How can you do the same thing every day,” Murphy asked sourly. “Don’t you get bored?”

“Crossword keeps me sharp, Sarge, it's like solving a case. Follow clues, put the pieces together, fill in the blanks.”

Detective Davis grinned, but his partner ignored him.

“What’s this package, Ray?”

“Dunno, it was here when I came in, addressed to Sgt. Murphy.”

“What the hell, it’s full of bone fragments!”

“Twenty-two evidence bags,” Ray mused, “all initialed by detective John Murphy, all dated 4/22/2000. And one empty holster.”

“Those aren’t my initials and I’ve never seen that holster.”

“It’s a skull! Twenty-two bones in the human skull, Sarge. Someone trying to give us a hint, maybe?”

“Means nothing to me, Ray.”

“Or, it’s what isn’t there. You ever work a case with a missing gun?”

Murphy went pale.

“What’s the matter, Sarge? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“The skull belongs to the perp from an old murder case,” Captain Simons confirmed. “Slug was too beat up for a match, but Murphy found a gun. Perp got the chair, but then a different guy confessed last year. He had a gun, too. I guess Murphy couldn’t live with it, but why use a .22?”

Detective Davis opened his mouth but didn’t speak. If the captain couldn’t see it, then why try to explain?”



Author's note: ▼

Written for the September, 2022 round of The Whatever Contest

Prompt: Write a short story up to 222 words long. Must relate to or include the number 22.

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The Whatever Contest -- Closed for Now  (13+) This irregular contest will change each round. Nature poem? Horror story? Whatever. #2232242 by Schnujo's Doing NaNoWriMo?

(222 words)