Brokenhearted in Bakersfield

 

72 - A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

For all our talk, down here in Broken Heart Park we sort of shy away from splashy murders and multiple homicides.  That’s why I was shocked to hear Joe say, “I swear it was all in self-defense.”

Maggie walked up to the sweating cop and cut right in, “Officer, I’m Maggie Gato, the fiancée of the Park Manager of this trailer court, and the mother of his unborn heir.  What seems to be the problem here?”

While Maggie and the cop chatted I walked over to Joe.  “Joe, you’re bleeding all over.”  I pointed to the gush of blood coming from a gash on his head.  “What happened?”

Another cop looked up from writing something in his little black book and answered me direct, “Two officers down in a shootout with the perp here,” he was pointing his pen in Joe’s direction.  “Apparently both officers surprised the perp as the perp was attempting to conceal the nude bodies of two gentlemen we found over in that conveniently located ditch.  The nudes appeared to have been bludgeoned to death in a possible crime of passion gone horribly awry.”

“Officer,” Joe pleaded, “lemme tell it like it really was.”

The cop shook his book at Joe.  “That’s what I wrote down, so that’s what happened.  Do you want me to call a paramedic, or do you wanna stand around here and argue?”

Maggie spoke up, “Easy, officer.  I don’t know how you run things at the police department, but I wonder if blue eye shadow is considered regulation for a Sheriff’s Deputy?”

With an exasperated sigh, the cop bent over and flashed his light on the face of the corpse.  I recognized that face immediately.  The blue eye shadow was a dead giveaway.

“Officer,” Maggie intoned, “you’d better call the Minister."