The apartment door gave way to the crowbar with a resounding a crack.

McDougal cursed his futile effort to locate the spare key.

“ I wonder what happened to old lady Wilson anyway”, he muttered under his breath.

“No body’s seen the old bat around here in a month or more.”

The interior of the apartment was dim and dusty. McDougal crossed the living room to the large window overlooking the street and pulled open the drapes.

“Hmph,” he exclaimed. “Not much here.”

His eyes wandered slowly around the space.”

“What’s that in the corner?” he said to the musty emptiness.

“Looks kind of like a Walrus tusk. What the hell was she doing with that in here.”

As his eyes adjusted to the low light, Mack looked around to see what else old Abigail Wilson might have left behind.

“Pretty bare…something over on the far end of the window sill…Four pennies. Well I’ll be damned. All Indian heads.” Not much else here. Oh wait a minute. Something over there on the floor near the bedroom. A book. “Geeze!” Basic Hog Skinning by D. Crockett.

By Wayne McDonald