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**Another Wasted Sunday**
**Chapter 3**
I woke up around 3:43 AM on Sunday morning. I was off today, but I knew I had some paperwork to do on the last stakeout, which had yielded nothing. I messed around a bit, took a shower, got dressed, and made some coffee. By the time I finally got to the station, it was almost 5 AM.
As I was walking in, the janitor was mopping the entryway. As I passed by, he simply asked, "Have you heard the good news?"
I asked, "What good news?"
He said, "About the Lord!"
I simply replied, "No, I haven't."
"Would you like to, Detective?"
"From you, no thanks. I got to go," I whispered, "you snake." He was one of the biggest liars and gossipers at this station.He had more in common with patio furniture than Christianity.
Well anyway I finally got to the elevator, hit the second-floor button, and was on my way. I really didn't want to be here, but doing it now would make Monday go a little faster. Anyway, a little extra pay didn't hurt anyone. Plus, it would only take a couple of hours, maybe less, depending on how fast I got done.
While most people find some kind of peace in going to church and finding God, I'm here filling out paperwork on a stakeout that reaped no answers on a man who haunted my past like a ghost in an English cemetery. Well, I got to get to work, get this crap filed, and get out of here and go home.
The dingy old station was eerily quiet at this hour, the kind of silence that amplifies every creak and shuffle. I settled into my desk, the dim glow of the computer screen casting a soft light over the scattered papers. The stakeout report was waiting for me, a reminder of the fruitless hours spent watching shadows move across empty streets.
I took a sip of my coffee, now lukewarm, and began typing. The rhythmic clatter of the keyboard was oddly soothing, a steady cadence that helped drown out the nagging doubts in my mind. Why did this case bother me so much? Maybe it was the familiarity of the suspect, a man whose face I couldn’t quite place but whose presence felt like a splinter in my memory.
As I worked, the sun began to rise, casting a warm glow through the windows. The station slowly came to life, the hum of activity growing as the morning shift arrived. I was nearly done when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Burning the candle at both ends, huh?" It was Officer Daniels,just another face i see in the morning. He seems like a nice guy but so does that snakey janitor.
"Just trying to get ahead of the week," I replied, not looking up from the screen.
He pulled up a chair and sat down, his presence a welcome distraction. "You still on that cold case?"
"Yeah," I sighed. "Feels like chasing ghosts."
Daniels nodded, understanding the frustration. "You know, sometimes it's the ones that haunt us the most that end up giving us the answers we need."
I paused, considering his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe this case was more than just another dead end. I finished the report, saved it, and leaned back in my chair, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.
"Thanks, Daniels," I said, standing up and stretching. "I needed that."
"Anytime," he replied with a grin. "Now go enjoy your Sunday. You deserve it."
I packed up my things and headed for the door, feeling lighter than I had in days. As I stepped outside, the crisp morning air filled my lungs, and for the first time in a while, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe today wouldn’t be another wasted Sunday after all, but i doubt it.
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