Crime In New York; Ch. 1
folder
S through Z › Sleepy Hollow
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,135
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
S through Z › Sleepy Hollow
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,135
Reviews:
2
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Sleepy Hollow, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Ch.5
Ichabod opened the drawer containing the dress the dock murder victim was found in. He carefully drew out the article of clothing and looked at it. “Burgundy red.” He folded it back in and made note of the new clue before glancing over his notes. As he read them he shook his head. “This case is almost perfect in its complete illogic. Even the case in Sleepy Hollow had some method to the madness but this one... a poor, nameless waif drugged, dressed in finery and killed down by the docks by a religious sect that doesn’t exist and apparently robbed of items she never had in the first place. And the finery she was dressed in belonged to no less than...the chief constable’s wife.” Ichabod closed the notebook. A chill went through him as he recalled Constable Erikson’s words to him, “Crime’s an illogical thing often, Crane. Not always suited to the scientific approach.” Ichabod didn’t want to believe the Chief constable could kill some innocent young girl simply because he didn’t like an underling’s method of working but that was the conclusion all reason was rapidly drawing him towards. “Why would he do it?”
“Why?” Ichabod spun around in terror at the sound of Erikson’s voice. His imposing figure stepped out from the shadow of the large door. “I’ve been a police officer in this city for 15 years, Crane. Tough, respected, feared, that’s what I am and what policemen should be. But you and your kind would make us something different, egg heads with test tubes and thermometers. Oh I know what your going to say, that your methods are still barely accepted, mine are still favoured. But that’s nearly done. Top brass may have been reluctant to accept your ideas even after Sleepy Hollow but they kept throwing you cases to solve, test your methods. They were impressed by your successes, very impressed. Rumors circulated that said you would be made chief constable.”
“What?” Ichabod staggered at that revelation.
“That is...if your methods were successful overall. I had to make sure they weren’t. I had to show top brass that there are still some crimes that are so strange, so illogical that all the poking, prodding and testing won’t do a thing.” He glared at Ichabod. “But even after all that you found me out. But I don’t think that has to do with your so-called ‘science.’ I’d say it’s an unholy alliance between you and that little witch you brought back from Sleepy Hollow.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Katrina like that!” Ichabod cried angrily, taking out his department issued pistol. “You’re one to talk about the unholy! What about slaying an innocent girl to save your own job just because you can’t learn something new?!”
The chief constable’s face twisted into a cruel smile, “So the ‘scientist’ wants to fight eh? Little brutish isn’t it?” He revealed his own pistol and pointed it straight at Ichabod. “Well go on, then.” Ichabod hesitated. He had never fired his pistol save into the air, never hurt anyone with it. Something caught his eye over Constable Erikson’s shoulder that made him lower his weapon. “I didn’t think so.” The chief constable’s pistol clicked as he took aim. Ichabod shut his eyes.
***
He opened them at the sound of a dull thud followed by something rather large crashing to the stone floor. That rather large something was the chief constable, now laying splayed out a few feet away from where Ichabod stood. Just behind his unconscious ‘superior’ stood Katrina with a big plank of wood clutched in her small, plump yet apparently strong hands looking quite frightened and a little surprised at herself.
Katrina stared down at the chief constable and waited a few moments to make sure he was out before dropping her weapon and running into her husband’s arms. He held her tighter than ever before. “Katrina...Katrina whatever possessed you to follow me? Don’t you know how incredibly dangerous...”
“Of course I do!” Katrina interrupted. “That’s why I followed you and Constable Erikson. I knew he was up to something, that he might try and hurt you because he was the one behind everything anyway!”
“What...you knew as well...how...”
“Come on, I’ll tell you on the way upstairs. Hurry before he wakes up!”She and Ichabod rushed up the stairs and Katrina briefly explained how she’d picked up on the head constable’s reaction to his wife’s description of the missing gown and and had thought his sudden obsession with police paperwork very odd and indeed sinister. They reached the top of the flight.
“Dear, me Katrina.” Ichabod said catching his breath. “I believe you are turning into a detective. Now I’d better get some other constables together, explain what’s happened and get their help with the...earstwhile chief constable.”
“Why?” Ichabod spun around in terror at the sound of Erikson’s voice. His imposing figure stepped out from the shadow of the large door. “I’ve been a police officer in this city for 15 years, Crane. Tough, respected, feared, that’s what I am and what policemen should be. But you and your kind would make us something different, egg heads with test tubes and thermometers. Oh I know what your going to say, that your methods are still barely accepted, mine are still favoured. But that’s nearly done. Top brass may have been reluctant to accept your ideas even after Sleepy Hollow but they kept throwing you cases to solve, test your methods. They were impressed by your successes, very impressed. Rumors circulated that said you would be made chief constable.”
“What?” Ichabod staggered at that revelation.
“That is...if your methods were successful overall. I had to make sure they weren’t. I had to show top brass that there are still some crimes that are so strange, so illogical that all the poking, prodding and testing won’t do a thing.” He glared at Ichabod. “But even after all that you found me out. But I don’t think that has to do with your so-called ‘science.’ I’d say it’s an unholy alliance between you and that little witch you brought back from Sleepy Hollow.”
“Don’t you dare talk about Katrina like that!” Ichabod cried angrily, taking out his department issued pistol. “You’re one to talk about the unholy! What about slaying an innocent girl to save your own job just because you can’t learn something new?!”
The chief constable’s face twisted into a cruel smile, “So the ‘scientist’ wants to fight eh? Little brutish isn’t it?” He revealed his own pistol and pointed it straight at Ichabod. “Well go on, then.” Ichabod hesitated. He had never fired his pistol save into the air, never hurt anyone with it. Something caught his eye over Constable Erikson’s shoulder that made him lower his weapon. “I didn’t think so.” The chief constable’s pistol clicked as he took aim. Ichabod shut his eyes.
***
He opened them at the sound of a dull thud followed by something rather large crashing to the stone floor. That rather large something was the chief constable, now laying splayed out a few feet away from where Ichabod stood. Just behind his unconscious ‘superior’ stood Katrina with a big plank of wood clutched in her small, plump yet apparently strong hands looking quite frightened and a little surprised at herself.
Katrina stared down at the chief constable and waited a few moments to make sure he was out before dropping her weapon and running into her husband’s arms. He held her tighter than ever before. “Katrina...Katrina whatever possessed you to follow me? Don’t you know how incredibly dangerous...”
“Of course I do!” Katrina interrupted. “That’s why I followed you and Constable Erikson. I knew he was up to something, that he might try and hurt you because he was the one behind everything anyway!”
“What...you knew as well...how...”
“Come on, I’ll tell you on the way upstairs. Hurry before he wakes up!”She and Ichabod rushed up the stairs and Katrina briefly explained how she’d picked up on the head constable’s reaction to his wife’s description of the missing gown and and had thought his sudden obsession with police paperwork very odd and indeed sinister. They reached the top of the flight.
“Dear, me Katrina.” Ichabod said catching his breath. “I believe you are turning into a detective. Now I’d better get some other constables together, explain what’s happened and get their help with the...earstwhile chief constable.”