Dead Secret

"Give it up Slick," Dandy stated, "I am dead tired, and it is four PM already." Slick was leaving the subdivision when the voice of the dispatcher, a different one, came through loud and clear on the squad car radio asking their present location. The "chipper" voice of the new dispatcher just beginning his shift somehow irritated Dandy who wanted desperately to end his shift. Before they knew what was happening they were directed to the Polecat River Bridge on the Polecat Road north of Hunterville. They were about ten minutes away from the location, and knew they were stuck with the assignment. The dispatch explained that a woman motorist had observed a yellow plastic bag floating in the river near the bridge.

The significance of the yellow bag was obvious to both Dandy and slick. Approximately a month ago a yellow bag had washed up on high ground in a marshy area adjacent to the Polecat River. The farmer who owned the land investigated, and discovered that the bag contained a human torso. Sheriff Edward Fast recovered the torso from the scene. His investigation, and the preliminary investigation by the forensic pathologist at the state crime laboratory provided little assistance in identifying the victim. The cause of death appeared to be a knife wound, which penetrated the right ventricle of the heart, and traveled upward to sever the pulmonary veins and artery. Other stab wounds would indicate that the victim was tortured before his death.

Dandy and Slick were knowledgeable that yellow garbage bags were plentiful. It was more than likely that the garbage bag floating in the river was somebody’s careless attempt at disposing of his garbage. Unfortunately, this was not an unusual practice for people living in rural areas.

Dandy listened to the dispatcher, who informed them that the Town Constable had already arrived at the scene. The bag was confirmed to be in the river, apparently snagged on a fallen tree limb. Slick drove up behind the Constables auto, parked by the Polecat River Bridge. Dandy observed that the steel girded suspension bridge was similar to the one on the Federal Marsh. It was an overcast spring day, and the vegetation in the marshy approach to the Polecat River remained a drab dead brown resulting from the previously cold unrelenting winter. The whole scene seemed depressing to Dandy who watched Slick put on some boots. Slick had volunteered to go along with the constable to snare the bag from the river. He was convinced that the bag contained nothing more than garbage, and this whole matter would prove ridiculous.

Slick and Dawes reached the site alongside the river where the yellow bag lay moored to a fallen tree branch. Dawes first attempt at ensnaring the bag almost cost him his crudely fashioned hook as it got caught in a rock crevice. Both men were surprised to find that the bag was farther out into the river than they had originally thought. Dawes second attempt at throwing out his rope and hook successfully caught the bag, but attempts at moving it seemed futile. Dawes did not want to puncture the bag and lose its contents so he gently pulled on the rope. Slick moved closer to the rivers edge, and twisted the fallen tree limb freeing the bag, which began to bob, and float. Constable Dawes immediately pulled his rope, and the bag floated toward them. Slick over-reached to grab the bag, and the marshy water went over his boot top. Seconds later they had the yellow garbage bag out of the water, and laid it upon the canvas. They picked up the canvas by both ends and carried the prize catch to the road. Slick noticed a small hole in the bag, and its contents aroma escaped into his nostrils. Slick had a touchy stomach, and the whiff of aroma penetrating his nostrils almost made him gag. Slick immediately announced that he thought the bag contained rotten fish entrails. Both men puffing from their trudge up the hill lay the canvas at Dandy’s feet. Slick gagging, and coughing walked alongside the squad car and wheezed out the words, "Dandy you open it up, I can't." Dandy knelt down next to the yellow bag, knife in hand, and carefully penetrated, and slit the bag open expecting to see rotten fish entrails. To his surprise, his first glimpse through the slit in the bag was that of thick black hair. "It's a dead animal," exclaimed Dandy, "NO! It's a human head!" as he moved the contents into a better viewing position. Constable Dawes, who had been watching over Dandy’s shoulder stepped back in disbelief, confirming, "By God, it is a human head!" Dandy was examining the head very closely now, and observed that the facial features almost looked oriental, and one ear was cut off and missing. It was obvious to Dandy that he was looking at the results of a brutal homicide. Slick, had gathered his composure stating that, "We better get it on ice as soon as possible, and contact Sheriff Fast. The head was carefully, placed in the trunk by Dandy as slick obligingly opened the trunk lid for Dandy.

Dandy contacted dispatch requesting that the Sheriff meet them at the department in fifteen minutes. Not wanting to mention the find over the radio, Dandy simply confirmed that a positive development had occurred in the torso homicide case. Dispatch announced seconds later that the sheriff was on his way to the department.