Chapter Text
“Sheriff, you got a letter,” Deputy Smith walks into the office.
“Who’s it from? Maybe I’ll read it for once, who knows?” Sheriff Jameson always said this, but it had never once been true.
“No name, no return address, not even a stamp. Nothing that could trace it back.”
“That’s on purpose. Whoever it is has my attention. Give it to me.”
For the first time in 3 years of being the town sheriff, he is finally reading a letter. He always just thought “his adoring fans were trying to get him to notice their sorry little lives.” Even Deputy Smith couldn’t explain that that was not the case.
Sheriff Jameson had had a fling with just about every girl in town. Every girl thought they were special until they saw the headline that he chose one of them to be his girlfriend. He would have said girlfriend for about a month or two and move on. One girl even made it three months before getting dumped, and everybody raved about her for weeks until the next headline came around. He had only had 6 girls up until this, and they were considered to be an honor to their friends and a threat to their enemies. And friends can become enemies quicker than you think.
He opens the letter. He goes pale.
“Sweet sarsaparilla! We have to tell everyone about this. Phone Miss Gene right now. And then Sheriff Elmer from the next town over. And have him phone other people. And phone everybody in town right now-“
“Sheriff if it’s really this important,” the deputy interrupts, “I recommend we keep it under wraps. You can make an address to the town if it gets worse. What does the letter even say? I bet it’s not even that bad, drama queen.”
Deputy Smith reads the letter. He, too, goes pale in an instant. He regains his composure but not in time to stop the sheriff from calling Miss Mary Gene, the bartender.
“Miss Gene, we need you downtown immediately-“ The deputy snatches the phone.
“Never mind that, and sorry to bother you, Miss Gene. The sheriff had a concern that in actuality means nothing. Not to worry, we don’t need you. Please do not come down here. We do not need you.” He hung up.
“Why would you hang up? We need her!” The sheriff is angry.
“We don’t need her! We are the ones appointed to do this type of work, not a bartender, let alone a woman!”
“She works all day, every day with drunk, angry, stupid, disagreeable men! She can practically do anything!”
“You’re giving her too much credit. Besides, I think you just are ready for your next relationship and want it to be her! You need to be focused on the task at hand instead of fantasizing over women!”
“She is the one woman in town who I do not want to be with. The respect I have for her is strictly respect, and we need her to succeed in this case.”
“Alright. But now she thinks nothing is wrong, and we don’t need her. Now let’s go. We have a case to solve, after all!”
The two walk out, but leave the letter behind.
Almost immediately after they leave, Mary slips in. She grabs a strange looking letter from the office.
“He’s right. I’m the only girl in town he hasn’t slept with, and I don’t really care. But I do know something is terribly wrong, and I will get to the bottom of it.”
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Mary goes back home. Well, she closes the bar and goes home, much to the dismay of many a drunkard. She sits down at her desk and opens the letter. She is excited to read it, because, judging by the fact that there is no name or address, it hopefully contains the message that had freaked out the sheriff. She is not disappointed.
“Hello Sheriff. If you are receiving this letter, then I am ready. For what, I bet you are asking, fully aware this is a one-way message? I am ready for you to know that trouble is coming. I have ways of getting what I want, and you are what I want. Take that as you will, because either outcome will be satisfactory. Yes. I am a murderer. You’re a little slow, you know that?” Mary can’t help but giggle at this comment, but remembers she is reading a threat. Then she keeps reading. “I won’t console you, or tell you not to worry. You should be worried. Because I am ready. You should be ready for me too. XOXO, The Crimson Crow. PS, if you are still confused, too bad.”
Mary knows that if this person was ready, the murders would come soon. She has to be on guard. She has…to be…on guard. What is happening? The room begins to spin. Someone before her picks up the letter. She can’t tell who it is, but it is a woman. She has…to stay…awake. The woman says something about not getting involved in matters that don’t concern her, or they will concern her. She walks out. Ominous. Foreshadowing her first victim? No, she couldn’t be the murderer. Then Mary’s head hits the desk. She falls asleep.