MURDERED FLOWERS

“Who has murdered my beautiful flowers?”, Nellie Carson called out in fright.

At least four times a day the fifty five year old woman came to inspect her with care bred flowers. She spoke to them with loving words. Now the flowerbed was empty and deserted.

The flowers were removed roughly and there was soil lying on the ground.

“I go call the police right away. They will have to find out who has murdered my flowers!”, she said.

Not much later the police had come and they searched through the whole balcony where the murdered flowers had been standing.

“What has happened here?”, asked detective Lennie Briscoe.

“I have called you because someone has murdered my sweet flowers. You are from Homicide, aren’t you?”, asked Nellie on her turn.

“Yes, but …….”, Ed Green, the partner of Lennie began.

“My flowers are murdered so it is up to you to find the killer or killers”, replied Nellie.

Lennie and Ed looked at each other questionable.

“Well Ed, let’s do our duty then”, Lennie suggested dry.

“Mrs Carson, when did you see last that your flowers were still alive?”, asked Lennie.

“Let’s think. That was at 11 o'clock. I always go watch my flowers at regular times”, Nellie replied who was still very upset.

Again the two detectives looked at each other questionable. They thought the same thing but didn’t say nothing.

“Has someone been around?”, asked Lennie.

“Yes, my niece Sara brought her seven year old twins because she had to go away for a while. The kids love to be with me and we have enjoyed the lunch together”, said Nellie.

“What are the names of those kids?”, asked Lennie.

“Jimmy and Jenny. Not very original names if you ask me”, said Nellie.

“You just said that you have eaten together with the twins. What time did the kids got pick up again?”, asked Ed.

“At half past one. I wanted to take a nap before I went to my flowers”, was the answer.

“Do you have the address of the twins?”, asked Lennie.

Nellie nodded and gave the address where her niece with her kids lived.

“Thanks for your time, Mrs Carson. As soon as we know more we let you know”, said Lennie.

They walked past the kitchen and Ed bumped against his partner. Lennie nodded. They went into the kitchen and found on the kitchen table a vase with flowers. Next to the vase laid a note where was written on:

Ed walked into the living room and said to Nellie, “Mrs Carson, we have found new evidence.”

“How do you mean?”, asked Nellie not understanding.

“Just come along for a second”, said the detective.

Ed went ahead of the woman to the kitchen.

“Mrs Carson, your flowers”, said Lennie.

Nellie didn’t know what to say for a moment. Especially when she had read the note. But unfortunately that didn’t last for long.

“Still I want that you arrest those kids for murder”, she said determined.

Lennie and Ed went away silent. Quickly Nellie with the district attorney to make her complaint stronger.

Outside said Lennie, “That woman is completely loony. Just to charge a few kids for picking flowers.”

“You mean the murdering of her flowers”, Ed corrected him.

“You know that she doesn’t a chance to get the kids convicted. Even the DA doesn’t believe her”, reacted Lennie.

Though he wanted to see the face of district attorney Jack McCoy when he would walk with the kids into his office.

“We go and have a talk with the twins”, Lennie suggested.

They got into the car and drove to the address that they had gotten from Nellie Carson.

At the apartment of Sara Taylor Lennie knocked at the door. Sara answered the door being amazed.

“Police. I am detective Briscoe and that is my partner Green. May we come in for a moment?”, asked Lennie.

“Of course. Where can I be of help to you?”, asked Sara.

“It is about your twins Jimmy and Jenny. We came because of them”, said Ed.

They walked ahead to the living room where the twins were playing.

“Kids, these gentlemen want to ask you something”, Sara said to the kids.

“I am detective Briscoe and that is my partner Green. We have just been with your Aunty Nellie because you might have killed her flowers”, said Lennie.

“We haven’t done that.we have only picked them to thank her for the lunch”, said Jenny.

Sara and her husband David too couldn’t believe their ears.

“That woman is just gone crackers! She talks to her flowers like it are her children. Every fool has its fault and we have Aunty Nellie”, Sara said indignant.

Lennie and Ed looked at each other laughing.

“Erm, we won’t write down that last remark but will remember it though”, said Lennie.

“We just did it to be grateful. There was no sign hanging either with forbidden to pick”, said Jimmy.

“Why don’t you go along to the precinct to tell everything to our chief?”, asked Ed.

“With a police car?”, asked Jimmy.

“No but with our car. You both can come along as well with us”, said Lennie.

“Alright then”, said Sara.

They left for the 27^th precinct.

“Lieutenant, these are the killers of the murdered flowers like Mrs Carson says that, Jimmy and Jenny Taylor. Kids, this is our chief. She wants to hear your story too”, said Ed.

Lieutenant Anita van Buren said that she Ed and Lennie want to see in private. They went to her office and closed the door.

“What is this for an idiot case: the murdered flowers? Is that Mrs Carson happen to be loony?”, she asked amazed.

“She isn’t really normal. According to her niece she talks to flowers and she inspects them a few times a day”, said Ed.

“Why? Is she afraid that those flowers will runaway?”, asked Anita.

“Perhaps yes”, replied Lennie.

“Mrs Carson doesn’t think that the D.A. sends those two to prison for some picked flowers?”, asked Anita.

“Yes. Does McCoy know it already?”, Lennie asked sarcastic.

The look which Anita gave him said enough.

She said, “I shall listen to the kids. Just bring them to the interrogation rooms. Ed, you take the girl along and Lennie may question the boy.”

David and Jimmy got taken along by Lennie and Sara and Jenny by Ed. Meanwhile Anita made a quick call to the DA.

The detectives heard the whole story and Anita too didn’t know what she heard. Meanwhile Serena Southerlyn had joined them too and she heard everything.

“Nora and Jack were talking about it already because Mrs Carson had phoned. She insists that the kids will get punished”, said Serena.

“Knowing McCoy he will find this very strange”, said Anita.

“Let Briscoe bring the kids to us”, said Serena.

She went away to her office. Anita knocked at the interrogation room where Lennie was.

“You must bring the twins to the office of the D.A.”, said Anita.

“What an honor”, Lennie said smiling.

He took the twins by the hand and said to them and their parents, “The district attorney wants to hear your story. He looks strict but can have a thing or two.”

In the office of district attorney Jack McCoy.

There was a file lying on the desk with a note written on it saying: URGENT! District attorney Jack McCoy looked through the file quickly for a moment.

“What is that for a case? The murdered flowers?”, he asked his superior Nora Lewin.

“A woman who charges her grandnephew and grandniece for murdering her flowers”, said Nora.

Jack almost fell down of amazing. He was working in the world of law for many years but he had never heard of this.

“What sort of murder did they have commit?”, he asked.

“They have picked her flowers”, replied Nora.

The door went open and detective Lennie Briscoe came in with 2 seven year old kids.

“Kids, this is Mr McCoy. He will question you about what you have done to the flowers of your Aunty Nellie”, said Lennie.

Here after Lennie left again.

“Kids, sit down and tell me the whole story”, said Jack.

They went to sit at the table. Jack looked at the twins.

“Because mommy and daddy had to go away we got brought to Aunty Nellie. We have eaten there and also saw her flowers. We have learned to thank someone so we thought to thank Aunty Nellie for the lunch which we got from her. Because she was sleeping anyway we picked the flowers and put it into a vase on the kitchen table. Before she woke up mommy and daddy came to get us already”, said Jimmy.

“Mr McCoy, this is not worth a trail, is it? The kids meant well. Besides Mrs Carson in other words Aunty Nellie always has been different. She talks to flowers and inspects them each few hours”, said David.

Jack sighed and looked at the twins again.

“It is indeed not worth a trail. But has Mrs Carson been to the precinct to file a complaint about her murdered flowers?”, asked the district attorney.

“No, detectives Briscoe and Green have only questioned her only at home”, said Sara.

“Then she cannot charge them either. The kids meant well and if Mrs Carson doesn’t want to understand that we can’t do anything about it either. Concerning to me this case is closed”, said Jack.

“Thanks Mr McCoy, Mrs Lewin. Kids, give Mr McCoy and Mrs Lewin a hand”, said David.

That happened and Jack and Nora stayed behind alone.

“I thought that I was a bit different but someone like Mrs Carson is just completely disturbed”, said Jack.

“That makes this world only more colorful”, Nora said smiling.

The district attorney couldn’t do anything else than to agree with it.