by Nicholas A. Levack

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

A Turkey-Day Struggle

Section I: The Suspects

- Jack
- Mrs. Rachel Olem
- Aunt Diane
- Cousin Chris

Section II: The Body

Two dogs walked side by side. One yipped, and the other yipped as if an echo. When the first wagged its tail, the other bit at the tail. No, the second dog was not mimicking the first; it was actually startled by the presence of the second dog, who had been brought by one of the relatives as they piled into the home for Thanksgiving. Cousin Chris had brought along the robotic dog for his amusement, but Jack - the actual dog who lived with the residents - was not at all pleased by its intrusion. It was much like a dog in the way it acted, and was almost the same size as Jack. Mind you, it was little better than something you can get from Wal-Mart; but still surprisingly detailed, so that its paws even looked incredibly realistic.

Chris had been watching his aunt, Mrs. Olem, while she worked furiously in the kitchen, preparing a meal for the family who had, like every year, come to temporarily board in her home as she waited on them hand-and-foot. She was as annoyed to have all these visitors as Chris was annoyed to be there; he was not one for holiday trips to see family, and he figured the sooner they got it over with the better. All of this was well known amongst the family, and yet they made no effort to help Rachel, nor did they seek to entertain Chris.

Everything seemed to be going routinely (other than the robotic dog), until a shriek came from the basement. Jack, his tail between his legs, was the first react, darting underneath the table while his robotic counterpart found itself walking steadily into a wall. The family - including those who had been playing football outside - quickly went downstairs, everyone abandoning their usual activities, to find Aunt Diane - Rachel Olem's sister-in-law - standing furiously over the table that had once been the bearer of a soon-to-be-cooked turkey. "The turkey is gone!" she screamed, spit flying from her mouth.

Rachel looked relieved, some of the family members noticed. But the rest of the family was in an uproar. Accusations began to fly. But before things could get too out of hand, Rachel's father stepped forward, silencing everyone with a hand. He had been the only one not outside with the family (other than Aunt Diane, Mrs. Olem, Jack, and Chris), and he had observed the whereabouts of all the possible culprits (naturally, everyone but those who had been outside, amounting to the before mentioned people).

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