LAST NIGHT

A car alarm blasted the night air--I woke and peeked through the venetian blind to see a car flashing its lights. My block is dark with few streetlights but I could see a young man emerging from the car and running down the block. His movements were that of a lanky teen and he wore a hat reminiscent of one worn by the Dead End boys in an old movie I'd seen on television that starred Humphrey Bogart as a gangster. I believe it was called Dead End. The thief was fast and before I could reach the phone to call the police, he had disappeared from sight.

I went back to bed and perhaps ten minutes later the alarm sounded again. I got to the window and before he disappeared, I saw him halfway down the block with a bag dangling from his arm. An unmarked police car drove the wrong way down the street, stopped and two men wearing tee shirts with NYPD stenciled on the back ran in the direction the thief had taken. A minute passed before they were joined by several other cars.

A duo of officers began searching the car--the alarm sounding every time they opened or closed the doors.

I wondered why the thief had chosen that car--though it was dark, I had the impression it was old. Perhaps he knew the owner and thought the bag was filled with drugs. Why did he return when he knew the alarm would go off? How did the police get to the scene so quickly? Why did they search the car for so long a period? Could they have staked out my neighborhood? My block?

I'll never know the answers to my questions. Unless, unless I write a short story that will satisfy my curiosity.

Any theories?

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery eBook titled Scene Stealer is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by audible.com


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