The Cigarette Package

Chapter One

Dedication: This story is dedicated to a wonderful author, @Hobnails. Thank you Peter for your never-ending support and confidence. Your nudges have had the desired effect. Anyone who hasn't had the pleasure to read his work here on Wattpad or his published story on Amazon, 'The Stopover: A New Road', you simply must look them up and start reading. He has an amazing talent!

     Detective Hunter Faber almost overlooked the crumpled cigarette package as he appraised the old crime scene. If not for the fact that it was his brand, the faded 'Marl' standing out just barely on the dry grass, and the fact that he had quit smoking several weeks ago and was still craving them, Hunter may have taken no notice of the discarded package.

     Detective Faber was fairly new to the small town police force, but he wasn't rookie enough to pick up the alleged evidence before taking measurements and pictures, pulling on a new pair of latex gloves he grabbed the discarded package placing it in an official evidence bag.

     Bending down, he caught his reflection in the cracked window of the old house beside him. Detective Faber stood 6 feet tall with an athletic build, brown medium length hair with a slight curling around the ears, dark charcoal eyes and the Benson county, Nebraska gold shield clipped to his belt-an all around attractive package to some folks he supposed, but Hunter was more interested in sustenance than looks and worked hard to maintain integrity in his personal and professional life rather than relying on his boyish good looks.

     Sealing the bag according to police procedure, it was now ready to be labeled. Taking the ink pen from his inside left pocket of his black blazer, he consulted the beat up Timex on his left arm and filled in the time, date and exact location it was found. Signing his name with some trepidation, realizing the effect it could have on the fledgling career he'd worked so hard for. Hunter examined the completed label carefully, knowing how crucial precision would be to the evidence chain. If this find proved to be revealing and likely to be used in court, it had to be handled right. Placing the sealed, labeled clear plastic bag with the innocuous cigarette pack in his pants pocket made him crave a smoke. His determination to quit, coupled with not wanting to contaminate the scene saved him from acting on the urge.

     With the sun  fading quickly, there was no time to waste. He inspected the rest of the small sun-burnt yard. The rusty swing set by the crumbling brick patio obviously hadn't been used in years. A seat was missing from one side, the gnarled rusted chains broken and swinging in the light wind. No sign of happy, laughing children or anyone else here now. The wooden fence had seen better days, leaned precariously, it's rotting boards falling down in some places, the thick square posts decaying at the bottom wouldn't withstand another Nebraska winter.

     The small yellow cat perched on the dilapidated fence watched with curiosity as he walked a search pattern over the sad little yard. Back and forth from east to west, when that was done, the same back and forth pattern from north to south. Finding nothing new not surprising as this had to be the thousandth time for this exercise in futility. The scrawny cat followed his progress with its own lazy pattern, slowly creeping along the top of the run down fence, stopping to stare boldly in Hunters' direction.

     The crime scene unit working the original scene found only one piece of evidence. They found a dirty bandana ten feet from the victim's body. The filthy threadbare thing was later linked to a transient named Thomas Miller. Neighbors reported seeing the disheveled old man wearing the faded head decoration in the area the week before the murder and he was subsequently arrested, charged and eventually convicted of the crime.

     Thomas was a convenient suspect without any money or family to help in his defense. It was an easy conviction with the circumstantial placement of the blue checked bandana so near the victims corpse. The harried, court appointed lawyer was of very little help in the case and uninterested in filing any appeals on his client's behalf.