06-13-2010

Start Fiction:

William Jones wandered down the street; wobbly, crooked. It was unbecoming for any man to be intoxicated before twelve bells of midday; however, had one stopped to take notice of the bloody matted hair on the back of William's head they might have realized he was suffering from great injury. Being alive was a grand feat for his state, but the true miracle was the fact that he was on his feet.

It was of no matter, in the end. After he was found in the mid afternoon face down in an alley behind Doc Wilson's office, it was assumed that he had injured himself from falling as he was witnessed to have been intoxicated before noon. Eveyone assumed, that is except Doc Wilson. His noted that the amount of blood that would have come from such a deep wound on his head would have left a puddle of blood in the least. No, Doc Wilson wasn't so inclined to jump to conclusions as his neighbors and townsmen did; he was a man of science and there was mush more than met the eye in the case of William Jones.

Awaiting the arrival of Officer Bacon, Doc asked several witnesses to his alleged drunken state the hours before the discovery. Many noted he wobbled to and fro, not making any eye contact as he seemed to be focused on his direction. Doc also inquired as to if anyone had noticed William Jones to be bleeding; none, of course, had noticed such a thing. In Doc's mind, there was too much amiss in the alley as there was nothing that would have cracked William Jones' head open so deeply. No, it seemed to Doc that William's troubles started in some other location and that it was indeed no accident.

Officer Bacon arrived, his uniformed stained with cream from the half dozen pastries he had consumed for lunch. As he approached and dismounted from his horse, he was short of breath. A portly man, unshaven and disheveled; a dishonorable appearance for a man of the law. However, even though he was at first hard to accept as a professional, Officer Bacon was actually an accomplished diplomat and skillful detective.

"Doctor," Bacon said. He extended his right hand as he wiped his brow with his left.

"Officer," Doc said. He moved close to Bacon. "I think he was murdered elsewhere, but I need you to disperse the crowd before I explain." Doc and Bacon had known each other since they were kids, and even thought they were never exactly kept close company, they had a mutual respect for each other. Bacon knew there was something here, something Doc understood would cause a lot of trouble for him and his deputies if not properly handled form the start.

He searched the crowd, noting faces and the general atmosphere. He was the first lawman to arrive, not something that was in his favor with such a crowd. "I am afraid I need all of you to please wait around front until we get a chance to ask of you a few questions," Bacon announced to the crowd. "I am sure Doc Wilson wouldn't mind if you needed to wait in the shade of his waiting room until we can get our wits about us?" he said, looking to the doctor.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," he motioned the crowd, hurrying to the front door to escort them all into his office. It would be cramped, but he knew Officer Bacon would need all the information out of them he could gather. After they were all in, he rushed back around the corner of the building to Bacon.

"Your theory?" Bacon said.

"It's obvious he received the wound on his skull elsewhere," Doc began. He knelt down over William Jones' body and explained that with the size of the wound, the depth, had that injury happened there in the alley, they both would be standing in a pool of blood. Bacon stood up and looked up and down the alley. He took several steps down the alley, away from the street.

"And had the wound happened elsewhere, why is there no trail of blood, Doc?" Bacon said.

"Obviously the bleeding had slowed enough for him to travel from where ever he received his injury," Doc said. "However, even with the bleeding slowed, or stopped, I am not sure how he regained consciousness, let alone walked at all."

Bacon stood at the end of the alley with his back to Doc. He was silent, still. "Well, I guess it's time to talk to the folks inside." He turned around and headed towards Doc who was still hunched over William Jones.

"Please, feel free to use my office," Doc said. "I'll wait for Henry to get here and collect the body."
Doc wasn't done examining the body, and it would be easier without Bacon looking over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Doc," Bacon said as he walked past and turned the corner. Doc remained focused on the wound; there was something about it, something in it that would have several answers.

End Fiction.