The Dead Murderer

The Murder and The Murderer

It was the fourth time Detective Sagan was reading his letter. I should post it, he thought as he smoked his finest pipe weed and blew out the smoke. His peace was disrupted by a phone call. It was Senior Investigator Tyson. Sagan put his letter into his pocket.

"Yes sir," he answered the call.

"Sagan, my boy," Tyson said from the other side. "You've been idle for a while, how about you take on this case we just got?"

"I would love that sir," Sagan said, noticing how Tyson was out of breath. Means, he thought, he is walking as he talks.

"Lovely!" Tyson replied. "I will drop by this evening and give you the details."

"That would be great," Sagan said, he noticed the sound of vendors coming from the call. He is in a market place, Sagan deduced. Is he...! His line of thought was broken off by a loud, "Try our cakes sir!" from the call background.

"So, sir!" Sagan said before Tyson could disconnect the call. "How is the world treating you?"

Sagan didn't care for the response, with his ears intently fixed on the background noise he flung the window open, threw his pipe out of it.

"Three steps," he thought as he sprayed a liquid around the room.

"Eight steps," he thought as he drank some of that liquid and turned on his recorder. "Nine steps."

"and..." he disconnected the call. "The door," said he as he opened the main door of his flat.

Tyson was standing there, wide eyes.

"Welcome, sir" Sagan smirked.

"How did you know I was coming right now!" Tyson asked bewildered.

"Well," he chuckled. "I heard you coming upstairs."

"My boots gave me away, huh?" Tyson said rather bitterly as he sniffed around the room and took a seat. Sagan sat opposite to him.

"Why all the sniffing, sir?" Sagan asked with a smirk.

"Eh, I was making sure you are not smoking that pipe weed again," said Tyson. "It is my duty you see."

"I do not smoke that, sir" Sagan said. "Anyway, tell me about that case."

"Alright," Tyson said bluntly. "Inspector Hector, posted in fifth division was found dead by one of his friends a few hours ago. There are no clues except a tub of corrosive acid. Our people are at the scene, they have been instructed to make as little changes as possible. You have to avenge inspector Hector, he was an honest man"

"In fifth division you say," Sagan said thoughtfully. "Great Detective Wenloc lives there, why not talk to him?"

"The bastard returns out calls and we have zero records of him," Tyson said indifferently as he raised from the seat. "Well, I have mailed you the address already. Best of luck." 

They shook hands and Tyson left. Sagan peeked out of the window, saw Tyson leave and a young boy asking him to try cakes in front of the bakery above which Sagan lived. Tyson refused and walked off, the young man looked up at Sagan winked and threw his pipe back to him. Sagan caught it and, winking back, threw a buck to him.

Sagan sunk into his chair, put his pipe back in his mouth and said, "How did an idiot Tyson become a Senior Investigator?"

"He was lucky," said a gentle from behind.

Shocked! Sagan jumped off the chair, pulled a pistol out of his pocket and pointed it in the direction from which the voice had come. A man was  standing there, dressed in a black coat and a hat.

"Who the hell are you!" Sagan shouted at him. "How did you get in here."

"I am," the man in the black coat replied. "Timothy Smith and I am the murderer of inspector Hector."

Sagan was shook, he did not know what to do, there was a murderer in his house!

"So," said Sagan with obstinate confidence. "You want to surrender?"

"No, no," replied Smith. "I want you to solve my case, detective."

"Well you just confessed," Sagan said. "And I have recorded it so that is the proof. I have my recorder always on."

"Why is that?"

"I will tell you," Sagan said pulling out handcuffs from his pocket. "Once you are in jail."

"How about you play the recording," Smith said with a smirk. "And if you indeed have the proof, I will let you arrest me."

Sagan reluctantly played the recording, it played first the shocked Tyson asking Sagan how he found out about his arrival, then Tyson and his conversation about inspector Hector's murder then there was a silence, followed by Sagan shouting "Who the hell are you! How did you get in here." This was followed by Sagan saying "So, You want to surrender?......Well you just confessed and I have recorded it so that is the proof. I have my recorder always on..... I will tell you once you are in jail."

"What the..." Sagan whispered. "Why the hell," he shouted at Smith, "is your voice not recorded!"

"Because," Smith said with a smirk. "I am a ghost"