Sand left his bicycle leaning against the fence that bordered the address he had been sent to. A police car was parked outside. He walked up the path to the front door, which lay open. Giving the door a cursory knock, he entered the house.
‘Hello,’ he called out. There was no answer but he heard voices from further back in the house. Walking through the hallway he saw through to the kitchen. There sat a frantic looking woman being gentled consoled by a female police officer. Sand nodded as he entered. The police officer motioned him to the back door which lay open. Sand moved past the distraught middle-aged woman with tear-rimmed eyes, who didn’t seem to notice him.
Outside another police officer stood over something on the ground. Sand recognised him.
‘Afternoon, Håkon.’
Officer Håkon Berg turned round at Sand’s approach. ‘Anders, what have they sent you out here for?’
‘That’s what I’m about to find out,’ Sand shrugged.
‘Well, see for yourself.’
Håkon stepped aside and Sand saw the familiar colour of deep red blood pooled on the patio slabs. In the middle of it was a pulpy mess of black fur and skin. The cat had been sliced open along it’s stomach. It’s intestines lay around the empty skin, small white bones scattered among the remains. The four paws had been positioned to spread-eagle the cat in a star position. The head had been decapitated and lay a foot from the body.
‘Nasty,’ Sand commented. He had never been a lover of cats and having seen human bodies in various states of torture and dismemberment, he took the appearance of the cat in his stride, without a misstep. ‘You a cat person, Håkon?’
‘No, Anders. Seen anything like this before?’
‘Not with a cat,’ Sand replied.
‘Think it’s anything other than kids?’
‘Not sure. The fact it’s been killed and left here gives us trespass, breaking and entering, animal cruelty. Best alert the Animal Protection Alliance and get them working on it with a police liaison. Get a couple of people to interview neighbours. See if anyone saw anything or any grudges or feuds between them and the owner. What’s her name?’
‘A Ms. Brit Moen. Forty-two, lives here on her own with six cats. Well, five now I suppose.’
‘Get a statement from her. Let me see the reports when you’ve done all that. If nothing suspicious crops up we’ll leave it to the Animal Protection guys.’
Sand took a last look at the dead cat nestling in the middle of it’s own blood, organs and bones and walked back into the house. Ms. Brit Moen was vomiting into the kitchen sink. The police officer was holding back her hair and rubbing her back. Sand left them to it. He picked up his bicycle from the front of the house and began cycling back to the station.
This is part three of my A to Z Challenge 2017. More information on the challenge, and other stories and blogs taking part in it, can be found HERE.
Throughout April I hope to publish a section a day, relating to a letter of the alphabet, which in the end will make up a continuous story, all based round the objects found in this children’s jigsaw:
Other entries in the challenge, and a version of the final complete, joined up story can be found here: A TO Z CHALLENGE 2017.
53 responses to “C IS FOR CAT”
It so reminds me of the TV series Bones. Blood and gore and bones everywhere. I’m generally a patient person but your posts are going to make me the ‘Queen of Patience’ this month 😀
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Thanks, I’m glad you’re impatient for more 🙂
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Intersting and engaging so far! I couldn’t help be be reminded of the scene with Johnny Walker in Murakami’s Kafka on The Shore.
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Not read that one but happy to have reminded you of Murakami 🙂
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Interest is picking up…..Eager how the story unfolds itself!
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Thank you, it should pick up pace quickly now 🙂
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I don’t believe this is kid’s stuff. I mean, it looks like a ritual.
There’s something about it.
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
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Come back tomorrow to see if you’re right! 🙂
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Wow, Iain, gross! But very chilling and effective. Animal cruelty always seems a precursor for something worse. Can’t wait to read on!
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I think you have guessed where it’s heading…
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It’s fascinating and I know how hard it is to tie all that together! Great job
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The plot thickens…can’t wait to see where this goes next!
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Bubbling along nicely 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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[‘Not with a cat,’ Sand replied.] … Gruesome as the descriptions were, this was possibly the most chilling line. Yikes.
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Thanks Addison, that line is also a big clue to the next part of the story, hope to see you there! 🙂
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For some reason this reminds me of Nesbo’s Harry Hole series–
Not bad at all!!
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High praise Liz. I hope to keep you coming back over the month to see how it develops. Thanks.
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Oh my! No cozy here. I’ll be back tomorrow.
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Thanks Jacqui, glad you will be back for more 🙂
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Oh my. Please tell me there was no cat hurt in the making of this story. 😔 And yes I am a cat person. And oh how I’m keen to find out where it will lead Sand next!
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Hopefully Sand can get revenge for all cats and cat lovers out there 🙂
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Hope so too!
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Oh my! The description made my insides squirm
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Thanks, that was the idea. Hope I haven’t scared you off!
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No no. Not yet, at least 😁
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I put like for the writing, though I didn’t like the gruesome cat, of course. I thought maybe you were playing the A to Z bingo card – you got the square for ‘Image of a Cat or Dog’ – not quite the image they’d imagined when making the game perhaps. 🙂 But I see you’ve made a type of bingo game of your own with your children’s jigsaw. I’ll be back to see further installments…
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Thanks, look forward to hearing from you again. Hopefully the cat will be avenged!
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I feel something catastrophic coming. Sorry, couldn’t resist. But I wonder what it will take to get Sand’s full attention.
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Ha, nice pun. Catastrophic for the cat certainly. Hopefully Sand will fair better…
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Yikes, it’s kind of frightening how it’s suggested that this might be the work of kids. Maybe if those kids were Children of the Corn or Manson followers. Poor kitty.
Intrigued! 🙂
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Thanks Sascha – they would have to be nasty kids for sure, hopefully this is just fiction and no one would really do that!
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Well, it’s certainly spawned an idea of a gang of serial killers in the making…. 🙂
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Oh it’s getting exciting now 🙂
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I hope so, thanks for sticking with it 🙂
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I’m not a cat person either but jaysis that was shocking!! See you for D day tomorrow 😉
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Glad it had the desired impact.
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I’m happy you visited my Photo Junkie blog because it led me here, and this is a wonderful piece of writing. Thank you.
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Thank you, really appreciate the compliment.
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I thought for sure Sand was gonna comment on some ants milling about the cat’s remains, but it’d get crazy if you were gonna try and use each word in each entry. By the end of the month, you’d have to get 26 words in and — no way!
Anyhow, I guess we can agree this cat isn’t getting nine lives. Good stuff, as usual, Iain.
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Maybe I can just save all 26 to reappear at the end, or maybe not…
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Oh my goodness. 😦 I’m a cat lover. *sigh* I hope they find whoever did this!
Meanwhile, I will be vomiting in the sink with Ms Brit Moen. A sympathy vomit, if you will. lol
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Nice image! Thanks for reading 🙂
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LOL Sorry!
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Not a cattish person myself, but I wouldn’t even wish that on the horrid little creature that lives next door!
Another day in Amble Bay!
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Yuk. You need a strong stomach to read this one.
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No real cats were harmed in the writing of this story.
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I’m thinking this was no kids’ job. The meticulousness suggests something sinister – part of a larger plan.
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Yikes! I’m not a cat person but I wish the murderer would be brought to justice. Heading over to the next part now!
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Poor cat and poor Brit!
Anna
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Lot of sympathy out there for Bjarne the cat.
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Your description about Sand’s last look at the cat gives the reader a feel of the cat’s soul brutally hurt. Guess that’s what brilliant writing attributes to! Splendid slaughter at the writing!
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Thank you, really pleased you appreciate it! You should enjoy the following posts as well in that case!
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You bet! My mind is racing against the loading wheels of my browser 🙂
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