Cal.E.'s Korner

C.: And now, part eight of D.C. Scott's short story,...

MIURDER OR MERCY?

As the jurist finished their pizzas and washed their hands, they discussed the case. Michael sensed that it was time to ask for a verdict. “How does everyone vote?”

As he went around the room asking for votes, everyone voted “not guilty” except Fred. He wasn’t sure that his blood sugar was at an adequate level to make a rational decision. One look from Jeremy, though, quickly changed his mind. He took a hard candy out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. He thought for a moment and then said, “Not guilty.”

Michael voted with the other jurists, and Joaquin was released. Michael was glad that the verdict had only taken a few hours to reach, because he had things to do. As he drove to the local feed store, he thought about what his roommate had said about his job. Tellez said that he could tell when someone was going to die, and when they were in severe pain and weren’t close enough to death to relieve it. He relayed how two of his clients, Jim Payne and Alfredo Salazar, were in severe pain. Tellez said that, if it were legal, he would have put each man out of his pain with an overdose, because it hurt him to see anyone suffer so much after he’d watched his parents die. Michael felt for his big brother figure. 

“One thing I don’t understand, though, Tellez,” Michael began. “How do you get into the house if the night nurse has left and the family is asleep? You say that they’re usually so exhausted that they never even hear the doorbell or a knock on the door.”

“When they know that I’m coming, they just leave the front door unlocked. I can usually be at the house just after the night nurse leaves, so they aren’t vulnerable for long. Most burglars are too lazy to get up early enough to do any damage at that time of day anyway.” Michael turned his car off and went inside the feed store.

C.: Tomorrow, we will have the conclusion of this short story. I see Joaquin was acquitted, but who is the real murderer?