Mystery of the Walls

I turned and walked off without saying a word.  I couldn’t believe Chris was gone!  He was so young and had a wedding planned for just next month.  What will we tell Jenny?  Chris was making a good game warden with such a bright future ahead of him.  I was so stunned and numbed that I ended up back at the station without remembering the drive back.  When I got back, I noticed I had a message on my telephone, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for conversation, so I ignored it.

I leaned forward and put my face into my hands.  “Why and how?” kept racing through my mind.  Was the explosion an accident caused by something like a leaking gas line or was it intentional like a planted bomb? 

After a long period of solitude, I listened to the phone message.  I heard a muffled and disguised voice saying, “Scroggins, back off.  That article in the paper cost you your partner.  Next will be someone closer.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!  I played it over and over trying to recognize the voice, but couldn’t.  Carl came in and I let him listen to the recording.  He too was shocked as much as I was.  “This is getting real ugly and serious,” Carl said.  “This operation must be a lot bigger than some local peddlers.  It’s big enough to kill one lawman and threaten to kill others.”

  “Carl, what should I do?” I asked.