A little mystery…usually hurts someone. A short story. Chapter ONE

“There’s a dead guy out back,” said Carla.

“What do you mean, a dead guy?” asked Mona.  “Dead how?”

“A guy who’s dead.  No idea why he’s that way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Seriously?” said Carla.  “Am I sure?  Have I ever told you there was a dead guy out back before?”

“Good point.”

“I have a lot of good points,” she said, sticking her chest out.

“Not as good as when you were twenty.”

“Hey, you don’t have to be mean,” she laughed.  “But when I was twenty, I was so hot!”

“About the dead guy.”

“What about him?”

“Did you call the police?” asked Mona, already knowing the answer.

“I thought about it but I just serve the customers tea, you’re supposed to do all the rest.”

“Fine.  I’ll be right back.”

Mona walked through through the door leading to her office in the back room.  She pushed a stack of cat Tarot Cards over and sat on the desk.

“Hey,” she said.  “We have a dead guy behind our shop.”

She listened for a moment then said, “Oh, I’m Mona from Tea and Other Stuff, on Montrose and Crystal.  No, I haven’t seen the body, my co worker found him.  Do you want me to go and look?  Great, see you guys soon.  Come around the back so you don’t scare the customers, okay?  Thanks.  You’re Jimi, right?  I thought I recognized your voice.  Of course no one here touched the body.  Gross and then some.  Yuk!  Okay, bye.”

“What did he say?” asked Carla from the doorway.

“Be here soon.  I told him you didn’t touch anything.  I mean you didn’t, did you?”

“Mmmmm, nothing important.  Just a few things,” she said, looking down.

“You are unbelievable.  What did you take?”

Carla shrugged.  “Well, it’s not like he needed anything anymore, right?  I mean he IS dead, after all.”

“Not the point.”

Carla held out her arm.

“You took his watch and you’re wearing it?” said Mona, horrified.

Carla nodded and took a wallet from her apron pocket.

“Oh My Great Gingersnaps,” said Mona, covering her face with her hands.  “You’re going to have to tell the pig…I mean cops when they get here.  Anything else?”

Carla shook her head.  “I don’t see what the big deal is.  Like I said, the guy’s dead.”

“You’re like an active grave robber,” sighed Mona.  “You took EVIDENCE.”

“Oh.  Yeah.  I didn’t think of it that way.  Do you think they’ll let me keep the watch?”

“NO! THEY WON’T LET YOU KEEP THE WATCH YOU CRAZY PERSON.  And they are not going to be happy that you touched everything.”

“He has brown eyes and his name is William Carter.  At least that’s what his Driver’s License says.  I know where he lives too.  Nice neighborhood.  Wonder what he was doing around here.”

The cops were suddenly in the yard, standing around the dead body.

“He’s dead alright,” said cop number one.

Another cop started cordoning off the area with yellow crime tape.

“If only we had a talking cat or dog,” said Carla, “like in all those cozy mysteries my mother reads.  I’m sure that would be a big help.”

Mona stared at her.  “How have we been friends since first grade?  How?  Explain that to me.”

Carla shrugged.  “Beats me.  You’re kind of weird.”