Goldilocks: Chapter One

To mix things up a little, I'm going to share chapter one of a novel I wrote ages ago. After polling a few friends, it was decided that, of my seven completed novels, this would be the first to go into an editing round (mostly bc it's a shorter novel and it's fun!) If all goes well, I hope to self-publish this story in mid-2019

Please note that this chapter is still unedited so I cannot 100% guarantee it will stay the same once we clean it up! Also, it's a fairly short chapter!

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We’ve all heard the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears, haven’t we? A young girl is seen breaking and entering a home while the occupants are away. She then proceeds to go about the home destroying property.

The end says she got away, having received no punishment other than the shock of being discovered. Well, I’m here to tell you the real story, the story all the others were afraid to tell.  

My name is Wolfe, Detective Harry Wolfe. My partner’s name is Detective Gray Fox. We’re just one of the few homicide teams working this beat in the city of Grimm.

Since you think you’re familiar with the beginning, let’s jump to when the home’s true occupants arrived at the scene. Mr. Papa Anderwitz Bear, Mama Pricilla LouEllen Cassie Marie Bear (maiden name Honeypaw), and their child Baby Buga Bear had just arrived home after a walk through the woods to find the door of their house open and a window smashed.

Mr. Bear called the cops, fearing that the perpetrator was still on the premises. The Pigs came and after checking things out they called the Grimm homicide department. Seems they got a shock when they found a DOA in the baby’s bed.   

It may be important to add that Fox and I were not next on the list to pull this homicide. The detectives in our department were on a rotational schedule. The only way you jumped the schedule was if the lieutenant found some reason that he thought it necessary. In this case Lieutenant Horner thought it necessary.

Fox and I were sorting through the witness statements from our last case, one that involved a teen shooting, when Lieu came up to our desks.

“Guys, we have a homicide down in the Woodsville estates. I want you two to handle it.” He said placing the paper with the address of the scene on my desk.

“Sir, not to be disrespectful, but aren’t Nimble and Tink up next on the call sheet?” I said referring to another pair of detectives on our squad.

“Technically, yes, but this case has some minor difficulties that I think you two would be better able to handle.”

“Meaning what exactly?” I asked.

Fox had yet to say a word since Lieu walked up to our desk. He was busy looking at the address on the paper.

“Meaning,” Fox said, handing the paper back to me, “we have a human victim in the home of creatures. The Woodsville estates have a high number of creatures that reside there. And this call came in from the owners of the house, a Mr. and Mrs. Bear.”

“Ah, I see.” I said “Is that the reason, then? You don’t think that if we investigate it there will be talk of us going easy on the suspects?”

“First of all” Lieu said “I don’t think any of my detectives would be bias or turn a case to fit their own theories or prejudices. Second, you’re going because I believe the witnesses will be more willing to talk to the pair of you than to Nimble and Tink.”

“Think so?” I asked. “Hmm, I always thought Tink had a magical way about her when it comes to witnesses. She can usually make males of any species tell her their whole life stories. Sometimes I wonder if she’s not a witch of some sort.”

“That’s true,” agreed Fox, “however if there is a female anywhere in the case then Tink will have the exact opposite effect on them.”

“To avoid this issue altogether I am sending you two.” Said Lieu “If those with information will tell you when you first ask that can usually get the case solved faster. Don’t you agree?”

I had to admit that his idea had merit. Any homicide case that is likely to be solved usually has a solid lead within the first forty-eight hours after the homicide has been committed. Every hour after that and the trail usually becomes colder and more difficult to follow. If anything can be done to make a case proceed to its final conclusion then any good detective will see that it is done.

I shrugged to Fox and headed out to our car. What argument could we possibly present now? For better or worse this case was now ours.