From The Seduction of Emy and Other Stories

Copyright 2023 A. R. Gregory

 

Who Killed Tippy?

Detective Henson checked his watch — Saturday, 8:25 a.m. He glanced back around the cavernous, near-empty parking garage. The lone attendant on duty had said he heard shots, but saw nothing. Since it was a city garage, only half the security cameras worked, and not one on this level. Henson shook his head, exhaled tiredly.

He stooped to examine the note lying on the small of the victim’s back, careful not to touch the blood-soaked paper. That was forensics’ job. He scanned the ruled lines, the shredded edge where the page had been ripped from a spiral-bound notebook, the BURN IN HELL CLOWN scrawled on it with a wide, black marker.

Watt, his new partner, thrust his smartphone before Henson’s face, a photo of the victim glowing on its screen. “It’s him, all right,” Watt said with a dismal sigh. “Art James, aka Tippy the Atheist Clown. You know, from Tippy’s Truth Time on TV.” Watt shook his head reverently, then nodded toward the late-model Toby Rover parked next to the body. “His car too.” He shot a glance toward the nearby concrete column. “Bastard musta waited behind that. Popped him as soon as he got out....”