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Short stories: A narrow escape

It was already nightfall and the air was damp with a rising fog coming from the sea. All the boats were back alongside the quay and the last smells of the fishermen's activities were slowly fading away. In the far side of the harbour, between the two largest buildings, the blurry silhouette of a man was busy with some heavy load... he put it down gently on the ground, paid his respects with a bow and disappeared in what seemed to be vapours... it'd have been a very strange sight indeed to any passer-by... but no one was there.

At the flower shop, on the opposite side of the harbour, things could not get duller. Indeed, at this time of year, very few people bothered buying flowers therefore, the business was going slower by the minute. When things could not get worse, a police officer entered. He looked strange... not strange like spooky... rather like a worried "newbee" on his first solo assignment. He looked around and, with a shy smile, asked to the young lady at the counter:
- "Good morning miss!"
- "Good morning officer."
- "May I speak with Rebecca please?"
- "Certainly, I am she. What can I do for you?"
- "Could we speak in a quieter place?" he asked clumsily.

Even though the shop was nothing but quiet, he wished she would sit down before he dropped the bomb he was about to drop on her. Indeed, he believed (out of his experience with his girlfriend) that women tended to become hysterical if they stood while receiving that kind of news. He could not manage a straight face with that type of reaction... he needed her calm for everything to work out as he had planned. So, they went to the back of the shop where, to his relief, stood a very ugly couch and a coffee machine. As they sat down, Rebecca broke the ice... or froze it even more:
- "Alright here we are, now what is it?" she asked, without hiding her annoyance.
- "Well, we found the body of an unidentified woman at the harbour a few days ago..."
- "Pity! What has it got to do with me?"
- "Yes... Unidentified until this morning, but I am getting to this in a moment. The woman, you see, had a safe deposit key on... in her and, it seems, you are the only person allowed to use it..." He waited, but she did not react as expected.
- "You are the police, you can override anything..." she said dismissively.
- "I cannot override the law. To make a long story short, if one relative of the deceased is alive, the police must ask permission..." he answered, now thinking fast when she interrupted him, yet again:
- "Woh, wait a


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