There has been a Murder. Murder most Foul.

Isabelle Starr always had a knack for acquiring information purely by asking the right questions. I often would be astounded as she would ask a simple question and in the answer would obtain a mountain of information.

Allow me to introduce myself; I am Seriously Black a former detective now retired, who along with Mrs Starr find we have a tendency to get caught up in crimes of the most sordid nature.

Mrs Starr received an email from Chief of Police Dan White request our assistance in finding two women who the police believe have been murdered. The police had intercepted a message that read.

The flowers are dead. The bed needs to be completely replaced.

To a normal person this would appear to be nothing more that two dead flowers and a flower bed that needs replacing.

Alas this is not the case. The two flowers would be the two women that police are searching for, Miss Rose Patel and Miss Lily Pond, of course replacing the bed would mean disposing of those that committed the deed.

Starr and Black are on the case.

Dart Singstar would quite often get the murder cases as a reporter for the local newspaper. We would constantly bump into him whenever we were involved with a case. His astute eye for detail and meticulous work ethics made him a likable chap, but for me it was his and my love for bacon that brought us together.

Isabelle Starr can often be found at the local patisseries tasting the best in pastry and of course drinking coffee. I on the other hand could be found having a few drinks with the locals of supping a fine wine and wonderful food in Amedeos Italian restaurant.

It was through one of Dart Singstar’s snitches that we were able to locate a warehouse where Miss Patel and Miss Pond may be found.

We went in with the police and proceeded to search each area in a grid like fashion.

The sound of someone vomiting caught our attention. We made our way to a small room that obviously was used as a cool room. The two women were hanging there on hooks that pierced their necks and the tip of the hook could be seen protruding though the top of the skull.

The women had been severely beaten. Their fingers had been dislocated; cuts and what looked like burns were all over both of them, so cause of death would have to wait until an autopsy had been done.

Mrs Starr and I left with not a word spoken.

To be continued ..... We Need a Clue 

Author Steve Boddey