---
24
---
The next day, Mort had to do something. Anything. He was really freaked out by this Shooter guy. If he could kill a dog, there was no doubt that he'd be able to kill Mort.
Mort went over to the local Sheriff's department to discuss his case. Maybe they'd be able to do something for him.
"Chico? He killed Chico?" Sheriff Dave Newsome asked.
"Yeah. Last night, around 9. I was asleep," Mort said as the two walked towards the department building.
"Look, he left this," Mort said, holding out the note John Shooter had left him.
Dave took the note and read it aloud:
"'You have 3 days, I'm not joking. No police'. Hahaha. Anytime somebody sits down and writes 'No police' That's just about exactly the time that a fella should get himself over to the police," Dave said. He opened the door of the building. Mort went in, Dave following.
"Yeah, yeah. Well, that's what I figured," Mort said, still feeling messed up from his recent traumas.
They walked to Dave's desk and Dave sat down. "So what I've got is a detailed description of him, I've got a detailed description of his ca--"
"Type a little harder. You have to get through the carbon," Dave told his secretary.
Mort was shocked at the total and complete rudeness of Dave Newsome, but he kept his mouth shut about it and went on. "You know what, I didn't get the license plate number, but I'm sure they were Mississippi tags. I think that it started with an 'A'.. 'cause that's what I see in my mind," Mort said.
Dave picked up some needlepoint from off his desk. "Needlepoint! Can you believe it? Doc says it's good for the arthritis," Dave said, completely ignoring Mort's fear, and began to do some needlepoint.
"Yeah..," Mort said, using every fiber of his being not to knock that fucking needlepoint out of this geezer's damn old hands.
Mort glanced at Dave's secretary, then finally sat down. "Anyway, anything you can find out about this guy I would really appreciate--" Mort was cut off yet again by idiot Dave Newsome and his 'witty' comments. Oh, how he wanted to smack this bitch upside the head.
"I must cut quite an intimidating law enforcement figure, huh?" Dave remarked, laughing.
"I-I'd like to know what I'm dealing with here, because maybe he's got a violent history.. uh... maybe you find him, you could talk to him. I think that would probably be better," Mort insisted.
"So, you got yourself a member of the crazy folks tribe?" Dave asked.
Well... that was one way to put it...
"Yeah.. I mean, they pop up every once in awhile."
The secretary suddenly burst out into laughter on the phone, "Ha ha ha ha haa!" Mort looked at her, annoyed. Was every employee here a total idiot?
"Sorry..," The secretary apologized.
Mort smiled at her, then looked away. He grabbed a piece of paper that he had written a description of 'John Shooter' on from his pocket. "Here's the uh..," Mort began. He looked back at the secretary confusedly, becoming slightly flustered at her presence in the room. "...The description."
Dave looked up from his needlepoint. "Killing an animal is not like killing a man. I'm not even sure that it's a crime, come to think of," Dave said.
This blew Mort's mind. "Come on, it's gotta be. What about animal cruelty? What about destruction of private property? What about--"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah.. Maybe. Okay. First thing I'm gonna need...," Dave began. He put down his needlepoint and picked up a pen. "Is a description." He looked up at Mort for his response.
Mort looked back at him with complete shock.