A NAIL IN HIS COFFIN

Jim was not feeling too good. Not too good at all. What had they put in his drink ? When his mother said that they should do away with the tradition of a stag night, she knew what she was talking about ! He had planned to drink very little and leave as early as was polite, but someone had spiked his wine and he really did need to pull over before..... He gulped and swung the wheel towards the side of the road, opened the door and extricated himself from his seat belt as speedily as he could, then he half ran and half stumbled to the barrier and threw up.

He was still bent over and close to the metal barrier, when two shots rang out in rapid succession, close by and seemingly in front of him. He straightened up and looked over the barrier. Below was another road angling away into semi darkness. The lights from the upper road showed him the area from where the shots had come. Lying in the road, sprawled face down, lay a woman, blood staining the back of her white blouse, a tight black skirt and high heeled black shoes registered before Jim turned to look for the shooter. He, Jim assumed it was a he, was partially concealed by the shadows of the underpass, through which the road ran.

Realizing that there was probably nothing to be done for the woman, Jim knew he must alert the police to what had happened. Had the murderer been aware of his presence ? He had instinctively drawn back when he realized that the shooter was in the shadows and fully able to shoot at him. He must call the police right now, they might catch the culprit before he got away. Jim turned and hurried back to the car where he had left his cellphone on the passenger seat. He reached for it and punched in the emergency number.

It was not simple. Where was he ? They asked. Well, were was he ? He described the spot as far as he knew and as best he could. He waited for the police to arrive. Two patrol cars arrived, one very soon after the other. They divided the tasks between them. The two officers in the first car came to question Jim and the two in the second car drove down to the lower road to the scene of the crime.

The cops were not impressed with Jim's condition. He had clearly been drinking. He smelt of alcohol and vomit. They asked him what he had seen and eyed him with suspicion. One of them stayed close beside him and took notes, having first relieved him of his car keys. The other cop, the passenger, ambled over to the barrier and looked down. He stood there for a moment, then called to his partner " Hey Hank !" He jerked his head to indicate Hank should join him. Hank took Jim by the arm and guided him to where they could both view the scene below. Jim felt no desire to do so until he was told to " Take a look Buddy." by the cop standing indicating the road below. Jim looked. There were two other police officers there who were looking up at their colleagues and raising their hands to show that there was nothing untoward to see.

" Is this your idea of a joke Buddy ?" asked the officer beside the barrier.

" Better take more water with it next time. " the driver advised.

" But I saw it ! I heard the shots.....she was lying there. He must have moved her."

" Did you see him ?" asked the driver.

"No of course I did't , I was calling you."

"From here ?" asked the cop beside the barrier.

"No I had to go back to the car....I'd left my phone on the seat."

" Did you hear a car ?" Hank asked.

" Well, there was traffic passing here....not much, but some. I might not have noticed.... I didn't notice."

" That road is little more than a local road, not much traffic at any time and none in the early hours, would be my guess." Hank's partner volunteered.

They were joined by the second car and the two officers ambled over to join their colleagues. Jim excused himself and threw up again. He could not have said if it was still the effect of the booze or just the shock of finding the body gone and seeing the reaction of the cops.

They talked some more, took his particulars, learned that he was due to get married in a little over nine hours and elected to go easy on him. No drink driving charge, no wasting police time charge.

"I don't know what happened Pal, " said one of the officers from the second car, whom the others called Steve, " But I guess it was a sort of hallucination. Just take it easy and don't go to any more stag nights, O.K. ? "

Jim nodded and was glad to be driven home by Hank's partnere, with Hank following behind in the police car. They were considerate enough to drop him off quietly and allow him to sneak into his apartment unheard.

jim slept like a baby, much to his surprise. His alarm woke him and he was immediately aware that he had to be alert,immaculate and ready to perform the duties of a bridegroom at the ceremony and the reception afterwards. He had no headache for which he gave thanks and he was determined to put the incident of the early hours out of his mind. He could not. Repeatedly he told himself that the police were right. It had been an illusion of some sort. It had not ! He was certain it had not. He must not think of it now or he would not be able to cope. Later. Later, he thought. Now he should eat some breakfast to settle his stomach.

He made some toast and when the toast popped up, he seemed to hear the gun shots. He spread some strawberry jam on his toast and he remembered the blood on the woman;s white blouse. He would be okay, he had to be today of all days.Jim went ahead as planned and did not mention a thing to anyone. It was better that way.

Jim was of course unaware of what was happening a few miles away. Steve 's partner,Phil was waiting for Steve to get some coffee and donuts from their favourite spot and he took the opportunity to stretch his legs and use the ATM . On his way back to the car he noticed that one tire looked low, and investigating he saw the head of a nail showing in the tire. Might as well get on with it right away, so he opened the trunk to get the spare. All thoughts of tires left his mind as he stared open mouthed at the body of a woman in a black skirt, and he assumed a blood stained white blouse, because the top part of her body was hidden by the black garbage bag which had been pilled over her head. Thinking quicker than he would have given himself credit for, he slammed the trunk shut and looked toward the coffee shop door. Two guys were going in and Steve was waiting to come out with his purchases. This gace Phil a chance to slip back into the passenger seat and hope that the tire would hold out until they got back to the station, In any case he knew that Steve would handle the change himself if necessary and one way or another they would arrive at the station O.K.

Eating, drinking and driving meant that little conversation was required, and on their arrival at the station Phil lost no time in reporting to the sergeant the events of the previous night and his discovery of this morning. Steve , who thought he had everything well in hand, was shocked to find himself handcuffed and in custody.

When Jim and his bride returned from honeymoon they learned that Jim would probably not be required to give evidence at a trial. The physical evidence was so damning and Steve had confessed to the murder of Elena Montez. She was a hooker who sometimes took clients back to a small motel not far from where she had been killed. Steve had recruited her as a police informant and gradually he had persuaded her to act as a go between in the illicit drug deals which he had going. She had asked to meet him on that fateful night and Steve had left Phil drinking coffee in a nearby diner, saying he had an errand to run. He met Elena as planned and he drove her to the underpass. He tried persuasion, bribery and threats to get her to continue as his liaison with the drug dealers, but she would have none of it, and she was foolish enough to tell him that he had more to lose than she did, and she could turn him in to the police. He hit her and she scrambled out of the car and ran. He fired two shots into back and then saw Jim on the road above.

Jim had turned away to head back to his car and Steve hurried to the trunk of the car where he always had a garbage bag. He rushed back and slipped the bag over her head to keep the blood on her upper body away from his uniform. She was very light weight and easily dropped into the trunk. He then sped back to the diner, picked up Phil and they answered the call to the crime scene. Steve ensured that it was their car which took the underpass, and when their lights showed no body in the road, he told Phil to take a flashlight and search the tunnel area while he took the road. giving himself the opportunity to remove or obscure any evidence. The fact of being called to the scene was a bonus because the car and he,himself, had legitimately been there if there was evidence of their presence, Altogether Steve had felt pretty smug. Until they picked up that nail in a tire.

ENDS.