Flash

It was Monday night. The beer was chilling in the fridge. Vince had the temperature down low. His partner, Spencer, was going to meet him at his place after their shift to watch the Jets play the 49ers. Vince was just promoted to detective. Spencer had been in the department for decades, and was showing Vince the ropes. They became good friends along the way.

But Vince was preoccupied and couldn't keep his mind on the game-- even though his case had to do with the game.

They were trying to catch a stalker. One of the players, Lucas Price, had been receiving threatening calls . The voice was electronically distorted, and always hung up before a trace could kick in. Today they got a lucky break. A letter arrived for Lucas at the clubhouse. It stated that Lucas should "Repent or you will pay for your sins in front of the whole world! You are a fornicator! Repent or pay!" Forensics did a work up on the letter and found traces of oils on the paper it was written on, and pigments. It was determined that the oils and pigmentation were from make-up, narrowing the possibilities slightly.

"Have you upset anybody recently who wears make-up?" Asked Vince.

"I did get Leslie Harper mad at me, you know, the sports reporter from KSPN TV. She caught me in the locker room not long ago, giving me grief about all the women I've seen. 'Used and abused' as she put it."

"Did you have a relationship with her?" Spencer asked.

"No way. I had a girlfriend-- Brenda Fletcher, but she caught me with my ex last month, broke it off between us. Couldn't be her, though-- she took off on a trip to Europe."

"Anyone else?" inquired Vince.

Put a tail on the girl, and check on the ex's whereabouts," Spencer ordered. "I'll stick with Price. Sorry Vince, you're on your own tonight."

Vince relaxed as he watched the game. The camera panned over the screaming crowds. Vince shook his head, frustrated, convinced that whoever the stalker was, she or he was there, at the game, right now. It was about the end of the second quarter when the Monday night commentators segued to Leslie Harper for an on field interview with the 49er's coach. "How is your injured running back looking for next Sundays game, coach?"

"Well Ms. Fletcher, oops, sorry Leslie. I forgot you remarried... He'll be 100% come Sunday."

Vince choked on his beer as he sat straight up in his lounger. He lunged for the phone. He called Spencer's cell. "Spence, its Vince here. Grab Leslie. That's the ex's mom!"