Flash Fiction: When the Hunted Criminals Become the Hunters

Blood spattered photos covered her kitchen table as she stirred a heating pot on the nearby stove eye.

A knock at the door brought a sigh and she placed the pot spoon back on its rest, wiping her hands on the attached apron circling her waist as she traveled the distance to her kitchen door.

"Oh, hey, come on in," she said to the tall thin man before her.

The elderly gentleman went to place the bag of groceries on the table, quickly halting as his eyes caught sight of the gruesome scenes before him, and dropping the bag in shock.

"Oops," the woman said, quickly grabbing up photos of a murder scene and stashing them back inside a big black notebook. She bent to collect the rolling cans and other grocery items now covering the hardwood floor as she took in her guests' startled demeanor.

"Oh,' she said, finally getting it, "You think I'm into something kinky or criminal. Don't you?" she asked, taking in the man's distant stance.

"Let me put you at ease,' she said, grabbing her badge from her purse, "I'm a profiler. I analyze crime scene photos. I'm not into morbid art or anything illegal."

The older man heaved a sigh of relief, removing his hand from across his heart.

"You gave me quite a scare there for a minute. Do you mind putting your gun away too, as it unnerves me as well. You see, I'm the one who found that girl's body showing in those photos."

Ali considered how fate had dropped the very man into her lap that she had been searching for since beginning the case. She hastily took her gun, badge and murder book into another room of the house, out of sight.

"I had no idea you worked at my grocers, as I'm new to the area,' she said, returning to the kitchen. You must be Mr. Walters,' she said, extending her hand. "I've been trying to locate a working phone number for you since I began the case, as the cold case files only have your old number."

"I changed it after that crime," he said. "I changed a lot of things after that crime." And with that the older man proceeded to train his own gun on the profiler as he turned and locked her door.

Visit Associated Content writer Radell Smith's fiction author website for her most recent Amazon.com published book, the "Ali Brown Criminal Profiler Series: Group of Three Murder Mystery."