John sat cuddling his wife Alice on their well used couch, while she watched a horror flick. He was only half watching the movie, more interested in spending time with her than the film.  The phone rang right when he was starting to drift off, making him jump. His work as one of the only two cops in town meant when duty called he had to go. It had been a hectic couple if days with a lot of domestics, making him hope that this wasn't just another worked up family that needed calming down.

He got his wish but not in the way he hoped, the job was a murder. He took down the details quickly glancing at his wife who knew what she was in for, giving him a supportive look.

"Is everything okay?" Alice asked

"Sorry baby. I have to go." John said hanging up the phone.

"It's okay hun." She reassured him "It's been a rough couple of days out there."

"Yeah and it doesn't look like it's getting any better." He sighed. "You promise you'll lock the doors immediately?"

"Sure, I promise. Besides, I'll be in bed before a half hour's gone... with your pillow beside me." She replied switching off the television and moving in for a goodnight kiss before he was away and into the cold night.

Several hours later and Officer Crawly sat at his desk waiting for the only other person in town who could relieve him. He had grown up in town his whole life, the training and mandatory placement were the only real time he had spent outside his comfort zone. When the opportunity came to transfer to his local department, he had jumped on it. Really this had been all he had wanted to do ever since he had first watched cop shows as a child. He had no illusions about the job, he knew how quiet life could be for a country police man. Between himself and James who was serving his mandatory second year there was no other police for miles. That suited John Crawly fine, born and bred local he believed in the serve and protect slant on policing. Sure if the offence was grave enough he had no problem issuing fines or even locking people up for the night. Mostly though he was a friendly reminder to people who were occasionally forgetful or even on occasion irresponsible.

This night was different though, he touched the strange wooden knife through the evidence bag as it lay on the desk in front of him. It was ornate, probably used as a show piece more than any practical use a knife might have. It reminded him of a ceremonial prop, something made to feel as though it held some importance. To him it was just the piece of wood that had killed its former owner, a Mr Wand, avid collector of island style pieces and retired school teacher.

The murderer was locked in one of the towns two holding cells. Designed for little more than just that, holding a prisoner until a transfer could be arranged. There seemed to be something going on lately, people going missing, strange reports of people suddenly falling out with family and now a murder. James had been gone since just after lunch and had been due back hours ago. It wasn't far to the Davies farm and it was unlikely that he would have run into any trouble.

Pushing back his chair he stood, deciding that it was time to talk to the suspect again. The man had been a raving lunatic when he first arrived at the scene. If the other guests at the time hadn't secured him, John doubted he would have been able to do it alone. In all his years he had never been called to a murder before but it still struck him as strange. The people hadn't seemed bothered by the corpse of their friend which still lay where he fell. None of the people present had attempted to help the victim instead they focused in detaining the murderer. John could see how that made sense emotionally, a deep urge for vengeance or even justice, except the only person who seemed to have any emotions at all was the suspect. Something didn't add up and he intended to find out why.

Walking briskly he reached the man still sitting in the cell where he had locked him earlier. The Man seemed calmer now, he sat on the fold down bed staring at the wall.

"Do you want to tell me what happened tonight?" Crawly asked the young man who looked up at the question.

"There is not anything to tell." He spoke after a brief pause.

"Well you could tell me why, why you did it or maybe if you didn't do it why are your friends putting you up for it?" Crawly studied his face but in complete contradiction to the sobbing distressed mess he had bought in, the guy was calm collect and as emotionless as the companions who had given him up earlier.

"I did it! I took the wooden three bladed knife he had been showing us and I sunk it to the hilt into his chest." He admitted. "If you don't mind I shall wait for my lawyer now and we can get this sorted tomorrow. I suspect you will want me to sign something then."

A strange thought entered into Johns head, 'hes crazy. It is like somehow his mind just snapped.' This thought gave way to another, that if this mans mind was gone, then what had happened to the other people at the house. What would cause a mass mind snap like that? And why would only one person kill? There were too many questions and this mans compliance didn't help one bit.

"No Novocain. It dulls the senses." John muttered aloud, thinking of the movie about a killer plant, he had been watching with Alice.

The man in the cell gave him a funny look, right before his expression changed and he twitched involuntary. 'Just another thing not right in a week that's not right' thought John right before a blinding flash sent him flying hard against the cell bars. Dropping to his knees he looked up to the confessed murderer as he stared down at him still twitching. Firm hands grabbing him from behind pulled his head back and into the cold face of his partner, James.

'What the ..." John managed before James fist came down on his face.

Beaten and unsteady as he was, John wasn't going down that easy. He forced himself to stand up and willed his legs to move.