With daylight beginning to fade, Detective Blackhorse revised his previous decision to go down the list of suspects in order and selected a woman at the address closest to his motel. Weariness had settled on his shoulders like a heavy cloak. The sooner he got this next interview over with the better. After sleeping all folded up in his car, […]
Detective Blackhorse sensed that Alice Barnhill was about to end the interview, before it even began. While he found her reticence a typical small-town reaction to a stranger, it seemed exaggerated. Was she trying to stonewall him? One look at her dilated pupils and he realized that she must have recently eaten, smoked or snorted some illicit substance. Even if […]
The idea of ducking out of the summer heat for a mid-afternoon nap between cool sheets in an air-conditioned motel room was very inviting. However, Blackhorse was determined to make some headway on the case, by nightfall. He decided to see how many people on the list he could contact and interview. One good interview could set him on the […]
Detective Blackhorse remained unbothered by Officer Schneider’s dirty looks. Without missing a beat he said, “I came to see the crime scene photos and the evidence you collected at the scene.” “It’s down in the evidence room,” spat Schneider. He reared back in his seat with arms crossed, making no move to show Blackhorse the way. No matter, the precinct […]
A tow truck was pulling up, as Detective Blackhorse strode back to his car. It was clear from the driver’s sleep swollen face that he had rolled out of bed earlier than usual. The man was grumpy and uncommunicative. That suited Blackhorse just fine, he was in no mood to make small talk. His mind was going a mile a […]
Detective Blackhorse took his time surveying the crime scene, attempting to mentally reconstruct the murders. An hour later, he felt that nothing more could be gleaned onsite. His back was beginning to ache from bending over and the sun was beginning to go down. Blackhorse stood and stretched, before returning to his vehicle. Behind the wheel, he turned the key […]
How did someone manage to murder four presumably able-bodied men without a gun?
Nodaway County Sheriff Stone realized that his department lacked the personnel and expertise to handle a big murder investigation. This was a job for the state police.