Double-Barrelled

by David Glyn-Jones

RCMP Sergeant Wills stared at the chalked outline.
"Someone finally caught up to him. Arrogant bastard. Acid tongue, acid pen.
Acid asshole."
"You knew him?" asked his junior.
"Met him once. My daughter took writing classes from him. He ripped up her
final piece without even reading it. Broke her heart."
"I took some of those classes with her. She was very lovely."
The sergeant sighed. "That was years ago. Her mother couldn't take what
happened and killed herself too, within the year."
"I didn't know until I came back to town. "
The sergeant stirred. "So let's see what we can find on this."
"I've looked. There isn't much."
"He must have been expecting someone Yet though he was in his library, there
are no papers or open books around. There's a whisky bottle and a glass over
there. Only his fingerprints on them. Same brand you drink isn't it?"
The constable nodded, and watched the sergeant pick up the letter-opener
murder weapon. "This is real sharp," said the older man.
"No point having such things unless you keep them sharp."
"You'd hardly notice this one sliding between your ribs."
There was a silence broken by the younger man. "I loved her," he said.
"Is that why you killed him?"
"Me?"
"I've kept tabs on him. He was in AA. The scotch is your brand. And I'll bet
that weapon came from your workshop."
There was another silence'
"He destroyed so many people with his arrogance and vile tongue," said the
young man.
"Too many to produce a viable suspect?"
"Yes."
"Good."