Jessica Waters apparently died after consuming berries from the doll’s eye plant, after experiencing severe side-effects related to the consumption of the poisonous the berries. Her boyfriend, Blake, had told the police that she died as result of falling on her head on a hard stone. They had gone hiking, he and Jessica, it was his idea because he had planned on proposing to her on that day. However, the crazed and erratic detective Newton had his doubts about, Blake’s story; it sounded too perfect.
“You know Marshal, this marriage rubbish is nothing but a decoy,” detective Newton said to his partner. Detective Marshal was a very promising detective who was fortunate to be partnered with senior detective Newton. However, his stern and serious demeanour didn’t fit their partnership. Detective Newton had a very carefree manner when it came to serving justice.
“But sir, why would you suspect him of murdering the woman he wanted to marry?” Detective Marshal asked.
“Instinct, my boy. Remember this, with every person affiliated with a case, you must search the roots of their lives to get to the truth,” detective Newton said in his erratic and bizarre nature.
Assigned to their first case as partners, they decided to visit the university Jessica had attended. While following standard detective protocol procedures, they soon learned that she was very popular with the male students. The case seemed hopeless to detective Marshal who wished to apply his time on more important cases.
“Can I ask a question sir?” Detective Marshal said.
“Sure go ahead,” Detective Newton said nonchalantly.
“What was the purpose of questioning the students about both Jessica and Blake?”
“Simple my boy, now we know that Blake attended the same university as Jessica,” Detective Newton said.
“But what significance does that even have on the case. Forgive me Detective Newton for saying this, but it seems the rumours of you being a great detective are false to say the least,” Detective Marshal said, frustration evident in his voice.
Leaving his senior partner behind, Detective Marshal left the university and headed for the precinct on his own.
***
“Crazy old fool,” Detective Marshal said to himself as he looked over other cases on his desk at the precinct. Having wasted his time on the ‘Doll’s eye case’, Marshal was contemplating making a request to have a new partner. However, being a rookie had limits he had to adhere to.
“There you see my boy,” Detective Newton said as he approached detective Marshal’s desk waving a piece of paper. “See! What did I tell you? Always dig through the roots of a person’s life. Blake it seems, studied horticulture,” Detective Newton said excitedly but Detective Marshal merely sat behind his desk unimpressed.
“Sir, stop obsessing over this case!” Detective Marshal said in frustration, his patience was now running thin at his senior partner’s obsessive habits. “Besides detective, how did you even get this information?” Detective Marshal asked skeptically.
“Simple, I went to Blake’s house and threatened him with violence then told him if he was innocent he should comply. Consider it a false sense of security,” Detective Newton said with a sly smile.
“You did what! You idiot just let it go! This case is solved get that through your head,” Detective Marshal said as he pushed detective Newton aside to stand in front of his desk. “Now I have to go visit Blake ad apologise for what you did. I better have been assigned a new partner when I get back or I’ll quit,” Detective Marshall said as he walked to the exit.
***
“Who is it?” Blake asked as he stood behind the door of his apartment.
“Detective Marshal I’m here on behalf of my partner to offer you an apology,” Detective Marshall said embarrassed for how Detective Newton treated Blake.
The door then opened slowly, Detective Marshal saw that as an invitation to enter. When he entered the apartment he didn’t see anyone but felt the blow behind his head that knocked him unconscious.
***
“Hey Newton your partner sure has been gone for some time,” one of his co-workers said. He didn’t respond because he knew that something was wrong with detective Marshall’s absence. His gut feeling was in a state of unease, he knew that this meant something bad was about to happen. Exiting the precinct office, Detective Newton said that he was going to be hiking.
When Detective Marshal opened his eyes, he saw that his arms were bound behind his back and that he was in the boot of a car. His kidnapper was driving on a bumpy road. Blood was trickling from the wound on the back of his head onto his clothes as he felt the bump on it. He was about to ask where he was when the car came to a sudden stop.
He heard footsteps approach the back of the boot. A bright light burned his eyes as he saw Blake standing over him with a cynical sneer on his face. Blake grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him out of the car. That’s when Detective Marshal saw that they were in the same area where Jessica’s body was found.
“You know that crazy partner of yours was on to me from the beginning. How the hell he knew that I killed Jessica is something that baffles me. Everyone was easily fooled but him,” Blake said as he sat Detective Marshal against a tree stump.
“Well, well, well what do we have here, look at you Marshal, getting yourself all tied up,” Detective Newton said emerging from the other end of the woods, surprising both Blake and Detective Marshall. “You must be wondering how I knew where you were,” he said pointing his service firearm at Blake. It’s simple, my partner here helped me,” he finished before looking towards Detective Marshall.
“How is that possible? I took his phone before I tied him up,” Blake said surprised.
“You see, I provoked the boy into visiting you. When he left the office he bumped into me by accident that’s when I placed a tracking chip in his pocket. A great detective uses whatever means he can with the resources available to him, remember that lesson boy for when we are assigned to our next case,” Detective Newton as he stepped closer to Blake.
“Damn you old man! Just who the hell are you?” Blake screamed in anger.
“Now here’s the best part,” Detective Newton went on, “I found out that Jessica was cheating on you. I guess you making her death look like an accident made you think that you would get away with it. Seeing that Doll berries are in season, you know how poisonous they are, you studied horticulture, where you learned about the effects of that specific plant. You somehow got Jessica to eat the berries and when they didn’t kill her, you did it yourself by bashing her head in with a rock,” he finished.
Blake lit his lighter and held it ready to set Detective Marshall on fire. Detective Marshall saw what Blake was about to do to him and bumped him with his shoulder, which resulted in Black falling forward. The lighter fell out of his hand sending the flames rushing towards Detective Marshall.
“Quickly, jump into the river!” Detective Newton screamed.
Detective Marshall hesitated for a second then flung himself into the river just when the flames reached him. As Blake stood up to make a run for it, Detective Newton shot him in his left leg then handcuffed him to the small tree next to him. Detective Newton then jumped into the river to save his partner because Detective Marshall couldn’t swim. Detective Newton then dragged Detective Newton to the riverbank.
“Yhew!” detective Newton spat after Detective Newton removed the cloth from his mouth and untied his hands.
“Remember this so long as your heart is pure, play dirty against criminals. In that way, you are all the more certain to find them,” Detective Newton said when his partner started crying.
“I’m…I’m so sorry sir,” Detective Marshal said embarrassed for getting himself in danger’s way with Blake. The other officers arrived just then as Detective Newton wiped his face.
“Well done you two,” the chief of their precinct said when he approached then still sitting on the riverbank.
“Now Marshal, do you still want to change a new partner after I’ve deceived you?” Detective Newton asked with a smile.
“Never sir,” Detective Newton said returning his smile.
***
Tell us what you think: Do you think that Detective Newton would still have captured and arrested Blake for Jessica’s murder if his partner, detective Marshal, had more faith in him?
