The Longest Day

[couchgrouch]

The Longest DayJoe's pager started beepingas he drove home for the nighthe whipped a U-Turn on that two-lanehit the siren and the lightstwo fishermen from Brownsvillefound the woman by a streamJoe wondered how that poor ladygave someone motive and meanshe watched the moon bloom in violetfrom the heat of summertimelotsa local superstitionssay heat and moons affect the mindbut he knew there's no myst'ryfor how most people behavelove and hate can both lay groundworkfor a victim's early graveand the longest daykeeps his spirit on edgebut he understands, the longest day beganwhen he put on his badgewell, Joe talked to the husbandwho sat weeping for his wifehe asked what kind of madness it takesto take someone else's lifeJoe met friends of the victimand heard a story or twobefore the killer went through with ithe should've thought it throughand while downtown Joe smelled whiskeyon that old coroner's breathev'ryone working these caseshas ways of handling deathhis deputy has a mistressthe desk girl has rosary beadsJoe wonders how wide the line isbetween them and what killers needand the longest daykeeps his spirit on edgebut he understands, the longest day beganwhen he put on his badgetroopers caught that woman's husbandheaded for the borderlineit wasn't heat or the full moonjust a small and jealous mindthey'd been going through the motionshis wife wanted to move onhe committed a crime of passionbecause their passion was gonemost people think such murdershide in a soul deep and darkbut the reasons are always simpleand can spring from any heartthe moon set low that morningas Joe sat with his best friendbut he put away his paintbrushwhen his pager beeped againand the longest daykeeps his spirit on edgebut he understands, the longest day beganwhen he put on his badge(c)2004 Robert George