A Stranger on the Pavement

Chapter Five

You kept prodding Dan's limp body with your foot until you gave up completely and just left him in a heap on the cold ground. You lifted the police tape and entered the crime scene. You had only gone a couple of steps when your boss called your name and walked over. On his way towards you he spotted Dan's body as he stopped dead.
"Oh my god! Is he alright (y/n)?"
"Well I did try prodding him a bit but I'll think he'll come round in about 30 seconds." You pulled up your sleeve to look at your watch whilst your boss just stood there, his mouth slightly open.
"5"
"4"
"3"
"2"
"1"
Dan stirred and got to his feet groaning a little. His face was covered in blood and his clothes were caked in mud and dead leaves. He brushed his clothes off the best he could.
"Do you need someone to look at you," asked your boss slightly concerned.
Before Dan could open his mouth you replied, "No, he'll be fine."
"Who is he?"
"My assistant."
"Right."
"Is there any point in asking how this happened," he asked pointing out Dan's bedraggled figure.
"Nope. Could you fill me in with the crime, please?"
"Suspected murder," is all the boss replied with.
"Anymore?"
"You're clever enough to fill in the rest."
"I guess I am," you said smiling at the compliment and striding off to the heart of the crime scene.
Your boss lifted up the police tape to let Dan in.

There was a body hanging from an oak tree by a rope and evidence of a small fire next to it.
"Must have hung himself," Dan said.
"Obviously not," you replied.
"Why?"
"It wouldn't be a suspected murder would it?"
"Guess not."
"Not a hard mistake to make."
"Really?"
"No."
"Oh..."

You went and inspected the body.

"25 year old. Male. Banker. Newly married. Has two cats and smokes," you reeled off looking at different aspects of the body.
"How do you know all of this?"
"Well the age and gender is obvious. He's a banker defiantly. Look at the clothes he's wearing. Smart. As for newly married? He is wearing a new wedding ring on his finger. The cats are obvious. Two different colours of fur on his clothing. And smoking? His finger tips are stained slightly," you said.
"How did he die then?"
"Stabbed."
"Where's the blood?"
You pointed at the pile of ash.
"The clothes he was murdered in have been burnt. The murderer took a spare pair of clothes to dress the victim in once he had stopped bleeding. It, therefore, makes it look like the victim has committed suicide," you explained.
"Who and where is the murderer?"

You traced the bark of the tree round the trunk until you found an engraving. It was a mixture of lines and dots. Pigpen cipher.
"Dan come and look at this."
"It's just a bunch of lines and dots."
"No it's not."
"Isn't it?"
"No it's a cipher. A code. Got any idea what it says?"
"No. Do you?"
"Of course I do!"
"What does it say then?"
"It says," you traced your fingers along the lines and dots, "Come and get me. I'm right here."
The colour drained from your face.
"EVERYONE MOVE NOW!!!" You yelled, as you did so you heard gun shots.

You reached into your inside pocket and pulled out your gun.
"Cool. You have a gun," Dan said studying it.
"You may not realise but now really isn't a good time for this."
You grabbed his wrist and ran, the police had already left. You heard a gunshot and felt a searing pain in your knee.
"Any chance you've still got my scarf?" You asked.
"Yeah why?"
"Can I have it back?"
"Course," he said and passed your scarf to you. As you was running you managed to somehow tie the scarf tightly around your knee.
Dan look down, "Oh my god you haven't?"
"Just shut up and run," you said through gritted teeth.

(A/n)
Thank you all so much for 100 reads! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Over and out,
Loony🐌