Evil in Mind

Officer McNealson peered through the windshield of the beige Volvo sitting dead on the side of the road. It's front bumper curled around a tree, and the grill split like ribs. Dried blood spattered like an inkblot across the windows. McNealson wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a headless body in the front seat.

“What do we have?” Officer Coolidge asked. He opened the door of the patrol car and stepped out.

“We got a dead one for sure,” McNealson said.

Coolidge circled the car and studied the blood on glass.

“Yeah. Dead,” Coolidge said. McNealson wiped his mouth.

“You want to do the honors?” Coolidge glanced at the door and turned away.

“Not really,” He said.

The two stood silent for a moment. Coolidge clicked his tongue and touched the butt of his gun. McNealson looked at the door and sighed, but his breath stopped suddenly. Coolidge turned.

“You see this?” McNealson said. He pointed at the car. Coolidge looked. The window gaped open, and a new scratch slashed toward the taillights.

“Hmph,” Coolidge said. His glance drifted to the cab, and he jerked away.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s definitely a headless body in there,” Coolidge said.

“That’s what I thought,” McNealson said.

McNeaslon stared down the road.

“Let’s just call this in and get on with our day,” McNealson said. “Homicide will have a fit if we touch anything.”

“Yeah. Maybe we can get some coffee afterward,” Coolidge said, “or a drink.”

“Yeah,” McNeally said.

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