My Case Files: A Collection of Mystery & Crime Short Stories

⠀ CASE NO. 2: The Death of Samuel Townsend (pt. 4)⠀

June 25, 1927

The following morning, Betty woke up late for she had stayed up all night trying solve the case. She'd overslept yet began her day still feeling exhausted. It was already two hours past noon. She was kept awake by the mere thought that a culprit had murdered her father and--poorly--attempted to make it look like a suicide. Especially, what for? She did not feel any better in her wake but she was not to rest just yet. She had to schedule an interview with the coroner. The suspicious coroner, who decidedly reported that her father's case was a suicide when it clearly said in the papers that it was not self-inflicted whatsoever.

She had to know what was the purpose of lying to her. What were they hiding?

She finished her meal and proceeded to walk to her office. She called her solicitor to schedule an appointment with the coroner, Ernest Ferry, in which her solicitor obliged.

She was reviewing the suspects' responses when the phone startled her. She picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

"Ms. Townsend, I'm sorry to say but I am not able to schedule the interview with Mr. Ferry," her solicitor said.

Betty's brows furrowed, "W-why is that?"

"Mr. Ferry has been found dead on the pavement near his home, madam," the solicitor responded as her face fell. She paused for a silent panic. The murderer must be on the move and covering his or her tracks.

It took her a moment to finally reply, "How?"

"He was shot outside his home--"

"Was the murderer ​identified?" Betty had foolishly hoped so, but her hopes were shattered by her solicitor's response.

"The perpretator has not been caught, unfortunately, madam."

Her mouth opened with a sigh and her bottom lip hung. She shut her eyes to recollect for a moment. She knew she needed to solve the case as soon as possible.

Desperate to solve the case, she hastily dismissed her solicitor without even thinking of asking for more information. Her nerves got the best of her, in that moment. She had no idea what else to ask that he would be able to answer, anyway.

After she ended the call, she did not think twice and summoned the driver as she hurriedly strided to the front door. The destination being the police station, to ask about the findings in the coroner's crime scene.

"Madam," Philips called which made her stop in her tracks. "Where are you off to?"

"Just to the police headquarters," she lowly replied and carried on.

"What time must I expect you to be back?" he pressed.

"I... Not for long, Philips," with that, she was out the door and into the carriage. Off to find answers which--hopefully--will bring her closer to who is rightfully responsible.

⠀

She remembered not to bother going to the crime scene because she was well aware that the investigators must have already been satisfied knowing absolutely nothing. Although, as self-centred as it sounds, she was secretly wishing the police weren't involved in the first place because only she could do actual good investigation on her father's case. 

As she arrived at the headquarters, she went directly to the detective inspector who was currently on the coroner's fresh murder case and was seemingly long over her father's case.

"Miss Townsend, we meet again!" the detective inspector greeted her, in an inappropriately giddy manner.

Betty had a stern look on her face as she shut the door behind her.