The Letter

by Matthew Jordan

Detective Inspector David Kent, of Scotland Yard, opened his office door, hung his hat and coat up on the stand and, sighing wearily, sank into his old, worn desk chair. It had been a long day. The case of the Kensington Killer was the biggest murder enquiry that London had seen since the Ripper case, over 15 years ago. Reporters were pressuring Kent more and more for answers, but he had nothing he could give them, even after weeks of investigation. He was exhausted, and the stress of the case was getting to him.

His gaze fell upon the letter on his desk, addressed to him in neat Copperplate writing. He picked up the letter and started to read the contents:

"Dear Davey

I can't believe that no-one is near catching me yet. There are plenty of clues, if anyone was clever enough to look.

It is so entertaining, running rings around the dim-witted Met. It is laughable how easy it is, to literally get away with murder, when the supposedly intelligent detectives are so obtuse.

It has been fun while it lasted but I think I shall retire now, safe in the knowledge that I am free from suspicion. I shall live a good life, and as long as I am left alone you shall never need to hear from me again. I am sure you will be glad of that.

I feel sorry for you, Davey. The press and the public must think you police are all idiots. I would think you were idiots too, if I did not know the truth. As it is, I know how ingenious you really have been. Your fancy new Fingerprint Bureau could easily have been the end for me, if you had not managed to switch the prints for that tramp's. I will be a free man for a while longer, and it is all thanks to you, brother."

Kent folded up the letter and slid it back into its envelope. He walked over to the small fireplace in the corner of his office, where embers were still smouldering. He touched the corner of the letter to the embers and watched as flames engulfed it, destroying all trace of his betrayal.

At that moment, as the last of the letter disappeared, the office door opened and Commissioner Edward Henry entered the room.
"I just wanted to come to congratulate you in person, Kent, for another case well done. It has been a long and difficult investigation but I am pleased to say, we have a result.

The fingerprints you found are confirmed as those of the vagrant John Thomas. We finally have something to tell the press, and I have arranged a conference for you this very afternoon."

Kent smiled and thanked the Commissioner for his kind words. "You are too modest though, Sir. After all, it was your commitment to the Fingerprint Bureau that was key to our success. Without that evidence, we may never have caught him."

Case closed.