Wordzzle 46 or 45 or 47 or something like that

It seems that during the holiday season I became confused about the wordzzle count and when I was expected to be wordzzling.

Along with this we had our anniversary, a road trip, Christmas and New Years. So..... It will be necessary for you to go here to read the first of my new series.

Then if you like what you read come on back for the next episode.

While you're at it, why not swing on over to the Raven's Nest. There you'll get the lowdown on the stories and the scoop on the wordzzle.

This Week's Ten Word Challenge: We were born on the same day in the same hospital, Weeping willow, Two for one sale, Highway robbery, Burial ground, roll of paper towels, gospel singer, gallows, weirdo, volcano

Mini Challenge: Symbiosis, Sagging breasts, Navajo blanket, Frogmen, Who says I got no heart?

This weeks Episode: Suspicion

Cpl Stoddard had grown up in Kingman, Arizona and worked in the town's police department before taking the higher paying job in Laughlin. Since the city didn't have the standard residence requirement that most communities did, he was able to keep his house in Kingman and make the commute from 3300 feet on the Arizona side of the Colorado River to the basin on the Nevada side.

Stoddard had seen little violent crime since the motorcycle gang shootings back in 93. Most crime here was cheating, mugging and the domestic disputes between husbands and wives after losing too much money at the Casinos. He'd spent many nights breaking up fights between aging wives with sagging breasts and elderly husbands. Usually a roll of paper towels to help clean up the blood and puke before he put them in his car was his most needed tool.

Now he had to be on the lookout for an actual murder, no, not just a murderer, a predator. He thought these things to himself as he drove his squad car up the hill towards the outskirts of town. He'd gotten a call to check out a suspicious vehicle out by the extinct volcano. (Just a molehill now)

Back in town, the captain who had been told by Stoddard "We were born on the same day in the same hospital" more times than he cared to hear, was reviewing the file on the "Jane Doe" homicide. It would be a few more days till he could expect a report back from the FBI with an identity and then only if the victim had a federal file. He wondered if his department would be able to find the killer, if the killer was still in the area. Even with Casino business way down, there were still thousands of visitors a week and any one of them could be the killer.

Captain Jenkins had his clerk contacting all the Casinos and motels for their guest lists, but the chances were just as good the killer had come to town to find a victim and then left. The only real clue was a Navajo blanket the team had found downstream. There was a chance the body had been wrapped in it and would produce some forensic evidence. The State Police Frogmen had been unable to find anything else in the section of the river where the body and blanket were found. The extreme current next to the piers would have washed any smaller items far downstream.

Dan was working the day shift at the Pioneer today. His shift started at 9:00, though he always came early to hear about any previous incidents or worse yet, ongoing incidents, that he would be handling. This Tuesday morning was uneventful. The night crew had dealt with a fist fight; a guy caught stealing a bucket of quarters. (Yes, the Pioneer still used coins in their slots) and a young couple attempting to consummate their relationship in full view of the hotel guests.

As a sort of two for one sale, they had found the couple's friends in the parking lot already in flagrant delecto. Both couples were escorted to their rooms and nothing more was said. The security guards made it clear that if it happened again they would be removed from the property and blackballed with the rest of the Casinos. No reason to involve the police in these types of occurrences. It had been a personal call for the guard on duty, George Hofner. "Who says I got no heart" he explained to Dan. "Those kids were just doing what comes natural." "And in a real big hurry to do it" laughed Dan.

Dan felt a natural symbiosis with George, they were both ex-cops and both knew not to sweat the small stuff. He headed over to the cafe for coffee before checking in at the security station. "How much is the coffee today?" He joked with the counter girl. "Just a buck Dan" she laughed. "Anything over 50 cents is highway robbery" he shot back, "this ain't Starbucks, ya know" he finished. The truth was that the coffee had been free till the slowdown and it still bugged Dan a bit to pay for it. At least the refills were free.

Stoddard pulled the cruiser up next to the Weeping Willow tree and got out. He knew the Indians thought there was once an ancient burial ground here. The cowboys had not cared and once a put a gallows where the entrance to the sacred site would have been. The site certainly had some historical significance but from his perspective it was just another place to pick up some weirdo smoking pot or crack or digging up things that belonged to the state. He approached the Suburban idling by the side of the road. It was marked with a decal on the driver's door. It read, "Connie Liplin your Real Estate expert". He knew Connie; she'd been a part time gospel singer in a group that performed in his church in Kingman. Stoddard opened the driver's and door and immediately shut it. He bent down and vomited. Then he vomited some more. It was some time before he made it back to his car to call it in.

RT