Wordzzle #15

The words for this week's ten word challenge are: perpendicular, carpentry, garage, lute player, radishes, tin roof, wild flowers, stop light, gargantuan

The Mini Challenge: gravy boat, cat carrier, Madison, Wisconsin, March Hare, gratitude

Go here to read the other stories.

"That's a Rap"

"I'm sorry we didn't have more time when I was in town Zan" Sgt Johnson said to his long time girlfriend Zandilla Morris. "This case takes priority over my personal life and you knew that going in" he finished. "Yea baby, I knew it, but living with it is something else" she countered. "I miss you darlin and there's no fixing it till you come home."

"Let me talk to you more this evening Zan, maybe you can fly down here for the weekend" he finished. "Bye baby" she answered and he replied with the same.

As Sgt Johnson hung up with his paramour he focused his thoughts and vision on the photos from the front yard. What was it about the picture and how did it connect to the brutal murder of famous rapper Eminem? Inside the house the slashed body of the hip hop star was still laid out in gruesome and grisly fashion. The "Alley Cat" murderer had sliced the skin off in ribbons and the resulting pain had left the stars face frozen in a most disconcerting rictus of death. The work had been done meticulously with neat perpendicular cuts. Some of the lines reminded Sgt Johnson of carpentry layout drawings, like the ones he'd used when he added on to his garage.

This had been juxtaposed against an intricate and bloody skin picture of a lute player. "Crazy' he thought to himself as he sidled through the garden. He noticed the radishes were looking good and as he looked up he caught the glint of sunlight from the tin roof on the neat garden shed tucked in the back corner of the lot. It had wildflowers bordering one side, a plaque that looked like a stop light on the wall next to the door and a gargantuan metal sunflower nailed to the back wall.

As he stepped through the door he noticed an ancient gravy boat lying on a shelf under the potting bench. In the far corner a brand new looking cat carrier stood with the door open. A wooden container for a cheese wheel labeled "Land O' Lakes Cheese Co." Madison, Wisconsin was tacked to the wall above the potting bench. A small plastic garden statue that resembled the March Hare of fairy tale fame owned the left hand side of the shed. On the opposite wall had been placed a plaque that simply read "Gratitude".

Sgt Johnson wondered about the owners of this home and garden shed as he placed the pictures on the bench. Then, as he looked at the tumble of children's toys in the photos for the umpteenth time he saw something. Racing back to the front yard he donned gloves and carefully picked up the light saber with the professional looking leather handle. It weighed more than a cheap plastic toy should, he thought to himself. Then he grasped the plastic cylinder used to depict the laser blade and felt it give. He gently removed it to reveal a sharp and blood stained sword. It resembled most a samurai weapon but without the slight curve given to the deadly Japanese Katana.

He called out to one of the crime scene techs. "Let's get this to the lab ASAP; it looks like the murder weapon."

RT