Holtzmann's Murder Mystery

Let's Catch A Murderer

I reluctantly left Erin's bedside. The doctor promised that he would call me as soon as anything about her condition changed. So, I begrudgingly walked out the hospital's swinging doors with my shoulders slumped.

"Aw cheer up", Patty said while slapping me on the back. "Nothing is definite yet. Don't give up hope!"

Yeah, easy for her to say. She wasn't the one waiting by her girlfriends' hospital bed for 11 hours straight.

Outside waiting for us was the familiar white and red hearse. The window was open and Kevin had his arm hanging out of it. His brown hair was slicked back, perfectly in place. He smiled his charming toothy grin at us. Man, if I were straight, this might have actually appealed to me. I shook my head and got in the back seat, while Abby got into the passenger seat.

Of course. She's been hitting on Kevin nonstop this past month. I don't really blame her.

We drove back to headquarters. When I unlocked the door, I expected Erin to be sitting in her usual spot wearing her classic professor's outfit. And then reality hit me...hard. Tears welled at my eyes, but I refused to show them. I've never even cried before Erin was stabbed, and this feeling is was new to me. It felt crushing.

"Alright. I'll grab the maps", Abby called as she strolled into storage.

"We're going to find them Holtz. I can feel it.", Patty whispered as she hugged me. I hugged her back.

"Okay, here are the maps of the surrounding area." Abby rolled out the maps onto a large table.

Weird. I don't remember these markings on the map. I try to look real hard and recall the last time I've seen these maps. It must have been when we went on that ghost hunt a few months back. I remember a sewage hole on 43rd Avenue (I always did have a superb memory, if I do say so myself)...but it appears as if it was erased deliberately, telling by the leftover eraser shavings. Someone did this in a rush for them to not cover their tracks. And this person must have access to the headquarters. Which means they must have a key.

I looked around the room. There was a traitor in our midst.

It looks like I'll be taking a trip to the sewage hole on 43rd.