Chapter 8: Details of a Crime
664 Words
Chapter 8: Details of a Crime
I had limited pages of important details regarding Evan Sting’s murder. One page consisted of a list of his family members:
Benny Sting—Father, 49. CEO of Sting Oil.
Dunny—Uncle, 47. CEO of Rough Ranch Cattle Exchange.
Diane—Mother, deceased when Evan was 14, breast cancer
Dale—Brother, 22
Marshall—Brother, 25
Ian—Brother, 30
* * * *
Another page detailed his friends:
Kennedy Ryandale—18, son of Paul and Eva, Ryandale Oil, wealthy, a loner, mathematics whiz. Works part-time at Peaches Produce.
Lucia Fernendez—17, daughter of Estaban and Ria, El Paso Street, downtown. Cellist, color guard, average student.
Myer Colt—22, son of Vince and Pauline, Colt Branding. Wisecracker, a bad boy, jockish. Employed at his daddy’s business.
* * * *
A third page consisted of Evan’s daily routine:
(Monday through Friday)
8 A.M.—shower, breakfast
9 A.M. to 1 P.M.—classes at Stockton College
1 P.M. to 8 P.M.—works at Rough Ranch for his uncle
Saturdays: Varies.
Sundays off. Church and family time.
* * * *
There were other notes on Evan William Sting that described his hobbies, a local pizza place he liked to hang out at, and a bookstore he visited. Although he was underage he found a way into Pete’s Place, a gay bar on Poke Lane in downtown West Stockton, which was only four blocks away from my agency. There was no girlfriend or boyfriend that I was aware of as of yet, and no enemies that I had learned about. The facts I had obtained on the young man were hardly a case and disgusted me. Frustration surfaced, which only caused me to want a strong drink even more.
Of course I had a copy of Sheriff Thomas Lord’s report of the crime, which stated the time, date, and few details of the murder scene. There were a dozen pictures in Lord’s file that I had obtained and added to my leather notebook. I can’t tell you who I obtained them from, but I can share with you that one of Lord’s team members had a simple crush on me and provided the pics for me.
All of the pics were of the bloody crime scene. Evan’s naked body was slumped inside an embankment of thick brush on Shotner Hill, which just happened to be a mile away from Blue Ranch. The four-inch gash along his stomach looked as if a knife had been used, but I wasn’t an expert in forensics. There were two pictures of the brand on the right side of his neck, both were blurred and useless. His eyes were open, as well as his mouth. Blood covered the boy’s private parts and thighs. And three of the photographs were undistinguishable body parts, which perturbed me. There was nothing that offered specific clues about the pics and presented very little help, if any, in determining who had murdered Evan.
Six months had passed since the death of Evan Sting. Sheriff Lord and his team of three should have been ashamed of themselves for not learning who Evan’s killer was, allowing such time to pass. The crime needed to be solved because Benny and Dunny Sting needed closure in their lives, to grieve in a normal way over Evan. Although I was frustrated regarding my notes, I wasn’t about to give up. Not a case had passed over my desk that I couldn’t solve. I just had to concentrate on the details in front of me a little more, process questioning, and let the case come alive, opening to be solved, just as others had done so in my past.
* * * *
Lilith sent me an e-mail that said: I did a state-wide check on the branding symbol—U)(U—to determine its owner or where it derived from. I learned that it isn’t used by any ranch or cattle owners in the state of Oklahoma. I sent a JPEG of the brand to Sam Houston, as you instructed. He told me he believed the brand was privately made and owned, and not on any record books in the tri-state area. On a personal note, we’re having dinner this weekend. I’ll wear something slinky.
I hit her back with: Thanks. Job well done. If you learn anything more, let me know. And enjoy your dinner with the stud.
- Writer
