Ficlets

The Mark

Shane walked slowly around the studio apartment, glancing at the oddities displayed on various pieces of furniture, careful not to disturb anything. You can learn a great deal about a person just by observing a room. He passed the time looking, rebuilding her life in his mind.

Shane heard the envelope slide through the mail slot and onto the apartment floor. He leisurely made his way to the door, picked up the envelope, and tore off one end. He shook a single folded sheet of paper into a gloved hand and placed the envelope on the kitchen counter. The paper contained three lines.

14, Darwin
William Bledsoe
4/13/08

Shane scanned the page multiple times, careful to memorize every detail. Once he was certain he had the information committed to memory, he placed both the paper and envelope in a glass bowl, lit a match, and burned them. He washed the ashes down the sink, rinsed and dried the bowl, and let himself out. The only evidence he had ever been there was the dead woman on the living room floor.

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