Non-challenge fic: A Policeman's Tale (Day 8)
Title: A Policeman's Tale Day 8
Author:
ytak
Word count: 562
Genre: General/Mystery
Rating: T (PG-13)
Comments: I was struck with writer's block. This chapter is rough but it is necessary. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
Gray, snow laden clouds rolled raced across the sky. A cold wind kissed any unprotected skin and chilled the lungs with every breath. It was on this backdrop that a high school girl made a sad discovery.
There lay the body of a young boy with one leg barely visible, sticking out of an alley. From the initial appearances, he had been bludgeoned and died from the head trauma. The weapon lay on the ground a few feet away.
Takagi interviewed a clerk at a store next door. They both paused as they watched the stretcher be placed in the ambulance. The clerk was silent a moment. “Look, I'm sorry, we had a rush today and I didn't notice anything off with any of the customers. And I had no time to be watching out the window.”
He watched the ambulance drive away and drew in a quick breath. “Have you talked to Hasegawa-san across the street? I think he was planning on putting a camera in the front of his business.”
“Thank you. Let's hope he did,” Takagi said, making a quick note. He jogged across the street and noticed that the clerk was correct. There was a camera on the front of the shop. It was not pointed in the right direction but that did not mean that it was useless.
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“Damn punks thought they could get away with vandalizing my business,” Hasegawa said gruffly. “They think I'm old and senile. Well, I've had the last laugh. Caught them on video two weeks ago.”
“Is the camera still running?” Takagi asked, hopefully.
“Yeah.” He gave Takagi a suspicious looked, “What do you want it for?”
Takagi went on to explain that it might provide some clues into an investigation. The gruff owner conceeded the point, after all, hadn't he done something like that to catch the vandals?
Takagi called over a forensic specialist and explained that they needed to pull the video from the camera. In turn, that man called over a very short woman and she made an immediate copy of the video, commenting on the quality of the equipment.
The gruff man snorted and said, “Just because I am old, doesn't mean I don't know technology. I believe in getting good quality, too.”
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“Takagi-san!” the technician said, excitedly, “You have to see this.”
Takagi looked at the screen and gaped at the quality. The people across the street were identifiable with little modification. And walking across the screen was the victim. A haggard woman whipped her head around at him as he walked by her, bumping into her slightly.
She changed directions to follow the child. They disappeared off screen.
Many minutes passed before the woman reappeared. They could see her awkwardly holding her arm, as if it pained her before she disappeared off screen.
“Can you blow up her face and print it off?” Takagi asked, turning to go get Terada.
The technician grinned, “No problem.”
A minute later, Takagi returned with Terada. The technician was printing out an enhanced photo with some other images lined up that she thought might be useful.
Terada studied the image a moment. The face was partially covered by a muffler but there was something about the woman that drew the eye.
He collected the other pictures of the woman, “Let's show these around the neighborhood and get them on TV.”
Author:
ytak
Word count: 562
Genre: General/Mystery
Rating: T (PG-13)
Comments: I was struck with writer's block. This chapter is rough but it is necessary. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
Gray, snow laden clouds rolled raced across the sky. A cold wind kissed any unprotected skin and chilled the lungs with every breath. It was on this backdrop that a high school girl made a sad discovery.
There lay the body of a young boy with one leg barely visible, sticking out of an alley. From the initial appearances, he had been bludgeoned and died from the head trauma. The weapon lay on the ground a few feet away.
Takagi interviewed a clerk at a store next door. They both paused as they watched the stretcher be placed in the ambulance. The clerk was silent a moment. “Look, I'm sorry, we had a rush today and I didn't notice anything off with any of the customers. And I had no time to be watching out the window.”
He watched the ambulance drive away and drew in a quick breath. “Have you talked to Hasegawa-san across the street? I think he was planning on putting a camera in the front of his business.”
“Thank you. Let's hope he did,” Takagi said, making a quick note. He jogged across the street and noticed that the clerk was correct. There was a camera on the front of the shop. It was not pointed in the right direction but that did not mean that it was useless.
------------------------------
“Damn punks thought they could get away with vandalizing my business,” Hasegawa said gruffly. “They think I'm old and senile. Well, I've had the last laugh. Caught them on video two weeks ago.”
“Is the camera still running?” Takagi asked, hopefully.
“Yeah.” He gave Takagi a suspicious looked, “What do you want it for?”
Takagi went on to explain that it might provide some clues into an investigation. The gruff owner conceeded the point, after all, hadn't he done something like that to catch the vandals?
Takagi called over a forensic specialist and explained that they needed to pull the video from the camera. In turn, that man called over a very short woman and she made an immediate copy of the video, commenting on the quality of the equipment.
The gruff man snorted and said, “Just because I am old, doesn't mean I don't know technology. I believe in getting good quality, too.”
------------------------------
“Takagi-san!” the technician said, excitedly, “You have to see this.”
Takagi looked at the screen and gaped at the quality. The people across the street were identifiable with little modification. And walking across the screen was the victim. A haggard woman whipped her head around at him as he walked by her, bumping into her slightly.
She changed directions to follow the child. They disappeared off screen.
Many minutes passed before the woman reappeared. They could see her awkwardly holding her arm, as if it pained her before she disappeared off screen.
“Can you blow up her face and print it off?” Takagi asked, turning to go get Terada.
The technician grinned, “No problem.”
A minute later, Takagi returned with Terada. The technician was printing out an enhanced photo with some other images lined up that she thought might be useful.
Terada studied the image a moment. The face was partially covered by a muffler but there was something about the woman that drew the eye.
He collected the other pictures of the woman, “Let's show these around the neighborhood and get them on TV.”