Non-challenge: A Policeman's Tale (Day 47)
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 47)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1129
Rating (chapter): K (G)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: Any mistakes present are because I'm too lazy to properly edit the story. :p
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 47
Takagi followed Sato out of the elevator and to her parked car. He had to move quickly to keep up with the pace she set. A call came in from one of the contractors hired by the city government to clear debris out of the local waterways.
A motorcycle that fit the description of the burglar from Takagi's apartment complex. The description of it in the system had sent up flags that had been forwarded to Sato just half an hour earlier. After talking to the man who pulled it up, they decided that they needed to check it out while the vehicle identification number (VIN) ran through the system. The license plate was missing and the VIN scratched up but a couple of possible numbers had come up. The people at the yard knew how to read numbers from attempts to remove them.
Both the officers hoped that a name would come up very shortly. They knew just how efficient the police department was at gathering information. A VIN was a very good place to start.
The drive passed quickly, with Takagi and Sato throwing around the information that they knew, speculation, and Takagi giving directions to the junk yard where the motorcycle was located. Depending on how good it matched the description decided if it was to be scrapped or if it would be moved into evidence.
Sato pulled her car up to the gate of the junkyard. She flashed her badge at the employee manning the gate and was waved in. Takagi pointed to the garage, “The owner said he was keeping it in the garage.” His partner nodded and parked next to the painted steel building.
They step out of the car into the nippy air and walked into the little building set off from the garage for an office. A bell above the door rang as they stepped into the little chilly office. “Excuse us,” Takagi called out, projecting his voice.
A man in greasy overalls came through a door that lead to the garage. He wiped his hands on a greasy rag. He nodded to them while he grabbed some wipes that removed the rest of the grease. With a big grin, he finally shook their hands. “Good morning. Sorry about that. I've learned other people care about grease,” he said, laughter underlying his words. “I'm the owner, Shibata. How can I help you today?”
Sato returned his friendly grin before her face became more serious, “We're with the police. We talked with you earlier today about a motorcycle your company found.”
He blinked, like he had not been expecting them just yet. Takagi noticed a slight shrug. “It's in the garage. I stuck it an unused space,” he lead them through the maze composed of disassembled automobile parts to a relatively clear space near the garage door. The only thing there was something, quite possibly the motorcycle, cover in a blue tarp. Shibata said, as he moved to remove the tarp, “Let me know if this is evidence. Despite the water damage, I can do something with this. It's too much of a beauty to simply scrap.”
Sato let out an appreciative whistle as the tarp was thrown off, uncovering the motorcycle underneath. Mentally, Takagi echoed Sato's whistle. It was a beautiful bike despite the scratches and the river muck stuck to it. And it was vaguely familiar to Takagi. The notes in hand did a better job of describing the bike of the burglar and this one did more than a fair job of matching the description than anything he could remember right now.
Shibata grinned at their reactions. “I'm going to be in the office. Best to do it while I'm cleaned up. My sec doesn't like grease on the paperwork,” he said with an amused laugh. He excused himself and worked his way through the maze with hardly a glance.
Sato pulled on a pair of gloves. She chuckled, “Not that the gloves will make much of a difference. There won't be any finger prints left.”
Takagi began to pull on his own pair (better safe than sorry) when he wondered out loud, “Did we call anyone in the forensics department to come by to take photos?”
Sato blinked and face-palmed herself. He could hear her mutter, “I knew I was forgetting something.” She sounded a little embarrassed as she asked Takagi if he would call for a photographer.
He had his cell phone out the moment she realized that they had forgotten to get photos arranged and dialed as she asked him call.
Arranging the photographer only took a few minutes. Takagi turned his attention back to Sato. She was reading over the copy of the burglary report and glancing at the motorcycle every now and then. She handed to folder to Takagi so he could make his own observation.
The next few minutes he spent focusing on the description of the motorcycle and the burglar. The victim fit reasonably well, from what he could recall. While the description of the motorcycle was sketchier than he liked, considering the speed at which the driver had been going, he was almost surprised that the description was as good as it was. He looked at the bike, On the other hand, it is hard to forget a bike like that. I just wish I could remember more than the color. He would not admit it to anyone but he was embarrassed that he did not get a better look at the motorcycle as it had flown by.
The report in hand was actually a relief. The descriptions given by the witnesses meshed well. Inconsistencies and inaccuracies could easily be explained by knowledge (of vehicles, motorcycles in particular), age (he still remembered the case where the elderly man still called 'green' 'blue'), and interest. The important details matched up.
“Takagi-kun,” Sato said, startling Takagi. “The photographer is here.”
“Ah, sorry, let me get out of the way,” he said, moving away from the motorcycle. “Any of the forensic people here yet?” he asked.
Sato shook her head and was about to say something when her phone rang. “Hello? Sato speaking,” the expression on her face became intense as she listened to the other person. She quickly scribbled some information in her notepad. A minute later, the conversation ended. Turning to Takagi, she said, “The owner of the vehicle has been identified. The koban officers in his neighborhood report he hasn't been seen for some time.”
In the next few minutes, a member of the forensics team showed up (and was throughly intimidated by Sato as she barked at him to take the motorcycle up as evidence) and the two detectives headed out to learn more about the missing owner.