MICROFICTION
One Step Closer
A much-awaited breakthrough
Puffing a cigar, Sam spaded the soil and planted a row of turnip seeds for the new season. His pager beeped another plumbing assignment in the same block. Desperate to get rid of every distressing reminder of his unrequited affection, he waited for the dustman to collect an old rucksack stuffed with diving trophies.
Having dragged the rucksack to a spot near the picket fence, Sam hurried inside the shed to pack his plumbing supplies. He changed his mind as soon as he realized his toolbox was missing something.
The detective took one step closer to the edge of the cliff. Holding a wrench with gloved hands, he gazed down at the restless sea. Wave after wave crashed on the boulders lining the coast, which had witnessed its first murder in half a century.
The wrench was Ian’s first breakthrough in a case which had disquieted the residents of a secluded borough. On his insistence, the case remained open. It was almost shut on the presumption of death by drowning. The victim’s diving trophies put an end to that contention.
The absence of a murder weapon made it impossible to secure an arrest warrant for the sole suspect on Ian’s list. That is, until the wrench was discovered on the cliff.
With trembling hands, Sam plucked the change from the counter. He turned around, adjusted his eye shades, and proceeded cautiously towards the dock. As the ferry was mooring, the unexpected happened. Sam came face-to-face with Ian.
