Open Writing

Sam was the owner of Archie's Antiques. If there had ever been an Archie he was long gone, and Sam ran the shop with the occasional help of his young niece, Sandra.

One hot afternoon a man rushed into the shop dragging a boy about Sandra's age. She knew them both. Big Sydney Bulloch, whose uncle lived across the road, was holding her friend Peter.

Bulloch leaned across the counter and screamed at Sam to ring the police just as a fat corgi, which had followed them into the shop, nipped at his leg. The man gave it a kick and Peter wriggled free.

Sam was in no hurry to reach for the phone. Peter's family were good customers and he wanted to know what the fuss was about before he got involved. While he was wondering what to do Edward Destranger walked in, and Bulloch turned to the new audience.

'That one,' he yelled, pointing at Peter. 'He killed Uncle Fred and I want the police.'

Destranger put himself firmly in front of the screaming man and tried to make sense of the accusation.

'What's going on? I'll show you what's going on.' Bulloch grabbed Destranger, and dragged him across the road. Sam and Sandra followed with Peter trailing behind and the corgi waddling after them.

The front of Uncle Fred's house was hidden under a tangle of creeper but Bulloch led them around the side, where the yard opened onto a lane. He pulled Edward Destranger into the house.

Destranger came out looking sick. 'We will have to phone the police,' he said. 'An old man's in there with his head bashed in.'

'I told you,' Bulloch said, 'the boy did it. Those are his footprints.'

The marks, heel - toe - heel, were easy to see in the soft garden soil. Sandra looked at the dirt on Peter's shoes.

'I did go into the yard,' Peter said. 'Bozo squeezed in through the back fence and I went after him. But I didn't go near the house.'

'You liar. I was in the kitchen and I saw you outside, running away. You killed Uncle Fred.'

It started to rain and Destranger led them into the kitchen.

'Uncle and I were playing Scrabble.' Bulloch showed them a board on the table and two racks, each with seven tiles. 'I was putting down a 'G' when the phone rang. Uncle must have heard something in the front room and gone to see what it was. I listened to some salesgirl's spiel, told her I wasn't interested and hung up the phone. That's when I saw a boy running across the yard and rushed out. I dragged him inside and there was my uncle in the front room with his head bashed in.'

'It wasn't like that, ' Peter said, ' I told you, I was after Bozo and he,' pointing to Bulloch, 'burst out of the kitchen and grabbed me. I didn't kill the old man. I wasn't near the house until he pulled me in.'

'The boy did it.' Bulloch lunged at Peter, who dodged behind Sam. 'Get him.'

Destranger grabbed Bulloch instead and after his first gasp of surprise Peter moved over to help.

How did Edward Destranger know Bulloch murdered his Uncle Fred?

Later that afternoon, when the police had taken the murderer away, Destranger explained. 'Bulloch claimed Peter was running away but those footprints, with the heavy toe and heel marks, were made by somebody walking: Peter with a fat dog in his arms. And that scrabble game—Bulloch said he was putting put down a 'G' when the phone rang. One rack should have six tiles but they both had seven. He must have set up the game after killing his uncle. Then he saw Peter in the yard, and thought he'd improve on the plot.'

Nobody had to be told that Bulloch was his uncle's heir.

© Robin Hillard

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Robin writes for Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au