Under Suspicion

Credit Where Due

“Credit Where Due”

Scene:  Office of the Watch Commander, after watch.  Present are Officers Wry and Earnest, Sgt. Fitzwilliam, and two detectives, Miller and Washington.

Miller:  So that’s your theory, is it?  (Holds up folder he had been given.)  That’s what you think is behind the so-called rash of peeping-tom and trespasser calls?

Fitz:  I know that simple trespass calls aren’t much of a crime-wave, but I have to say that after hearing the information that Wry and Earnest have dug up....  It sounds like it could be something.

Miller:  (Looks at Washington, then back at Fitz.)  I agree.  So far it sounds like it could be a whole lot of something.  So, Pete, Jim, what was it that led you to your conclusion?

Wry:  (Shrugs.)  Well, it just didn’t smell right, this sudden surge in prowler calls.  There were too many of them—seemingly harmless calls—to be a coincidence, so there had to be more to it.

Washington:  So you decided to look into the calls, for some common denominator?

Earnest:  (Points to Wry.)  It was Pete’s idea.  He was pretty sure there was something there, even if we couldn’t see it, so he kept at it.  All I did was act as a second set of eyes.

Wry:  That’s not true.  Earnest and I were talking it through, and he’s the one who came up with the final piece of the puzzle, the one that made everything start to make sense.

Earnest:  To you, maybe.  (To detectives.)  I didn’t understand what he was so excited about until he explained to me what I’d said and why it was important.

Washington:  And that was...?

Wry:  The bus stops.  Kids getting off school buses.  That’s when it clicked that every call about prowlers came from a house with young kids in it.  Which, I grant you, isn’t all that surprising in the type of neighborhoods we’re talking about.  But once we looked at the data again, we realized that it wasn’t just that these homes had kids, but they all had girls—girls who rode the bus.  The bus stops were all from a local junior high school, so the kids are probably eleven, twelve, thirteen years old.

Miller:  So, the way you figure it, our neighborhood pervert watches kids get off the bus, and follows one of the girls home and peeks in her windows?

Wry:  (Nods.)  Well, yeah. So in a way, he is casing the house, just not in the way you’d think.  I also wonder if he might have something else—something worse—in mind regarding those girls, other than just window-shopping. I mean, I know with some perverts, one thing leads to something bigger... maybe from just looking at the girls to, well, snatching them.  Like maybe he’s looking for a likely target.  (Shrugs somewhat self-consciously.)  I admit it’s not the most profound theory in the world, but it fits, and I think it makes sense.

Miller:  No, you’re right.  I believe in giving credit where it’s due, and this makes a lot of sense.  (File in hand, he and Washington stand.)  If you don’t mind, we’ll take this info and look into it more closely.  We might be able to check our records and find someone who fits the profile for this type of thing, or has a similar MO.  That work for you?

Wry:  (Shrugs again.)  You’re the detectives.  Work your magic.

Miller:  Okay, then.  We’ll get right on it.  (Heads toward the office door.  Puts hand on Wry’s shoulder as he goes past.)  Good work, Wry.  Earnest.  (To Fitz.)  Sergeant, we’ll get back to you on this, keep you posted on what we learn.

Fitz:  Sounds good.  Thank you.

(The detectives leave the office, closing the door behind them.)

Fitz:  Well, color me impressed.  It’s not often we can hand detectives a brand-new case on a platter.

Wry:  It’s not over yet, Fitz.   All we did was give them a possible scenario.  They still have to look into it, see if amounts to anything.  And then solve it.

Fitz:  Still, it was very good work.  Well done, you two.

(Earnest and Wry stand and head for the door.  Earnest exits.)

Fitz:  Oh, Pete....

(Wry stops and turns to Fitz.)

Fitz:  Nicely done.  All of it.

Wry:  It was a joint effort, Fitz.

Fitz:  Of course.  Good night.

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                                                                      To be continued.....