A Matter of Style

a short story by E.W. Farnsworth

The victim lay sprawled on the pavement. After falling thirty-two floors, every bone in the corpse’s body was probably broken, but some clue might remain to inform about a homicide.  The police detective had received orders to handle the case “efficiently.” Detective Olson knew that code.  After all, the victim, Fyodor Brzezinski, was linked to the Russian Mafia, which had arranged for mob hits by defenestration in four public cases in the last eight months.

            “While the forensics crew combs forevidence down here, I’m going back up to the thirty-second floor to look forclues.”  Olson took the elevator.  He went to the window where the body hadfallen.  He looked down at the ant-sizedfigures working on the pavement. 

A hotel manager sidled up beside him.

            “How do you do, Detective.  I’m Steve Holbrook.  I was the night manager on duty when the manfell.”

            Olson did not turn around but kepthis eyes fixed on what was left of the window. “What would it take to make a hole like the one in the window?”

            “You’d need a sledge hammer orequivalent.  The window was built towithstand a hit from the outside flying at over one hundred miles an hour.”

            The detective nodded.  “So, where’s the sledge?” He stepped aroundthe glass shards and searched the room looking for the tool.  Not finding one, he asked, “Where would thenearest fire ax be located?”

            “We have a fire station halfway downthe hall on the right.”

            Olson found the fire station, but itdid not contain an ax.  He called theforensics detective on the ground level and asked whether there was any sign ofan ax near the body.  Since there wasnone, he ordered that the entire area be searched for a fire ax.

            He told the night manager, “I’d liketo see all your surveillance tapes of this floor immediately.”

            In the security room of thebasement, the night manager showed Olson the tapes.  Two burly men with gloved hands had enteredthe victim’s room at 3:28 am.  Onewielded the fire ax he had worked free from the fire station.  When the two men emerged from the room onehour later, the tapes showed the same man carrying the ax.  Olson confiscated and bagged the tapes.

            On the ground level near the body,Olson found the forensics detective.

            “Detective Olson, we found the axyou were looking for in the dumpster across the street.”

            “Good work.”

            Detective Olson called to update hischief.

            Chief Reilly asked, “Do we haveenough to make this case Federal?”

            “Definitely.”

            “I’ll call the FBI. Between us, whathappened?”

            “Fyodor Brzezinski was defenestratedby two Russian Mafia thugs.  The new modus operandi was using a local fire axto break the window.”

            “Keep that thought private.  Let me know when we can close the case in ourrecords.”

            “WILCO.  It seems some methods are a matter of stylewhile our case handling is the same, regardless.”

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