CHAPTER 3
1st INTERROGATION
ROYAL WOODS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ROYAL WOODS, MICHIGAN
MARCH 13TH, 12:12 pm
Me and Hartmann walked into the station and found Bowie and Officer Schoffener from the R.W.P.D. waiting for us. "The tramp is sober enough to talk", said Schoffener. "Thanks Olivia", I said before turning to Bowie and Hartmann, "Let's start interrogating". We headed down the hall and entered Interrogation Room 3. D***, that tramp was quite a sad shame. Raggy clothes, thick beard and shaggy hair, I thought to myself "when was the last time this bum went to a barber". I then took a sniff and quickly coughed. "And when was the last time he took a bath?!" I thought.
Anyway, Bowie took a seat at the table while me and Hartmann stood. "Alright, you sober now?" asked Bowie. "Uh, yes. I think", said the Tramp. "What's your name?" "Folks 'round these parts call me Jack", said the tramp. "Do you know what you saw last night?" "Y-yeah", said the homeless man, "Last night, while I was drunk, I was sleeping in the bushes and I thought I saw what I believed was a small person throwing something in that dumpster". "Small person?" "It might've been a kid or a midget, I was drunk as a skunk in a trunk". "Interesting", said Bowie. "Then, a little bit after the "small person" left, a man came and began to drive in the dumpster. "I think I heard exclaim something when he saw what the "small person" threw in the dumpster".
"Go on?" "I think the man took something from the object". "Interesting. Do you know what this man looked like?" "I think he had a gray mustache, bald head, and he was very fat.", said the Tramp, "I think he was also wearing a red shirt". "A red shirt?", I asked. Then I remembered something. "This is guy smell like nachos and hotdogs?" "Come to think of it, he did", said the Tramp. I can only know one person who fit that description. "I think we're done here", I said before giving him my card, "If you have any other information, just call the number". I then walked outside the interrogation room and turned to Bowie. "Bowie, folla' me". "Where're we goin'?" "To Flips!"
FLIP'S FOOD N' FUEL, ROYAL WOODS, MICHIGAN
MARCH 13TH, 12:57 pm
We arrived at Flip's Food N' Fuel, the local conveniece store. We parked the '62 Chevy Impala patrol car in the parking lot and headed inside. One thing I forgot to mention is that Royal Woods is one of a few towns in the country to still use older patrol cars because the county doesn't have the money in the budget to buy new ones, so over the years, we had to modernize them by suping them up, adding SCMODS (State County Municiple Offender Data System) and bars on the backseat windows, etc. Me and the other law enforcement officers of the county don't mind. Anyway, we walked inside and found Flip at the counter. Me and Flip have a 'history'. Flip was known for trying to cheat his customers and breaking several health codes.
The slippery b*****d was bent down, looking for something. He heard me and Bowie walk up to the counter. "Ah, welcome to Flip's Food n' Fuel", he said before turning to us, "What can I do for-...oh, it's you guys". He suddenly tried to play honest. "What can Ol' Flip do for Royal Woods' finest". "Cut the bulls**t, Flip. We have some questions, and don't try to play innocent." "Alright! Alright! Sheesh!" Bowie started to ask questions. "Last night, a child was murdered". "Yeah, I heard something like that on the news, this morning". "A witness says last night, you were diving into the dumpster. What were you doing?" "Uh, nothin' much. I just...lost my wallet, yeah that's it". I wasn't fooled by Flip's long tongue, nether was Bowie. "You're lying Flip. You knew what you were doing!" "Wanna back that up, cop?" "The witness says you exclaimed something while you were in the dumpster! What did you find!? The body?" "Body? Errrrrrrr...no. I found my wallet." And he reached for his back pocket and pulled it out.
"Interesting", I said as I suddenly saw another wallet next to the cash register, "Then wh's wallet does that belong to?" "Uhhhhhh, some kid". "Mind if I see it?", I asked. "Why?" "Just show it to me". Flip, nervously, picked up the wallet nest to the cash register and gave it to me. I opened it and saw Flips identification in it. "Hmmm, this kid's wallet seems to have your identification in it!", I said, "Lemme see the other wallet. The one you have in your hand". "Oh! Uhhhhh, sure, just let me-" Suddenly Flip made a break for it. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!" I shouted, "Bowie, go after him! I'll chase him in the patrol car!". While Bowie chased after Flip, I ran outside, dashed into the patrol car, started the ignition, flipped on the red bubblegum light and old fire truck style siren and began chasing after the crooked cheapskate.
Then I saw Bowie, running towards me. "He's getting into his van!" "Get in!" Bowie climbed in and we began to chase Flip. I grabbed the CB Radio Handle. "This is Sheriff John Hughes of the Royal Woods County Sheriff's Department! I'm in pursuit of a 1977 Dodge Sportsman Panel truck, license: CHPSKT. Bowie then leaned out of the passenger window with his pistol drawn and aimed at van's tires. "Be careful, Bowie", I said. "Relax, Sheriff. I'm a crack shot". Flip then crashed into a mailbox and Bowie took a couple of shot, but they only punctured the back bumper. "Get me closer!" said Bowie. "I'm trying Bowie, that slippery sumb***h is too fast!" We then heard two other sirens and a couple of units from the R.W.P.D. came to join the chase. I pulled out the CB Handle again. "Attention all units! Suspect is now heading towards the interstate 39! Set up a roadblock!"
As we reached Interstate 39, we saw that the state police put up a road block. Knowing Flip, he'd swerve and go antoher way. In which he did. But then Bowie took a couple of more shots and finally penitrated his back tires. "GOT 'IM!" We watched as the white swerved and then crashed into Gus' Games and Grub! I immediately stopped the patrol car and me, Bowie, some R.W.P.D. officers, and a couple of state troopers ran inside the joint with our revolvers drawn at Flip. "COME OUT OF THE VAN RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND EMPTY!" I shouted. Seeing that he had nowhere else to go, Flip meekly climbed out of the van with his hands in the air. Bowie immediately handcuffed him. "Now let's see who's wallet you really have?". He pulled the wallet out of Flip's pocket and opened it. "Bingo! Take a look at this Sheriff!" I took the wallter from him and looked at the identification inside. The ID said "LINCOLN L. LOUD. AGE 11". "You've got some explaining to do Flip", I said. "Aw christ", said Flip as we put him into the back of the patrol car.
EVIDENCE SO FAR:
- The Tramp says that a 'small person' dragged Lincoln's body to the dumpster and threw him in there.
- Why was Flip dumpster diving and why did he have Lincoln's wallet?