AMBER LOVE 05-APR -2021 This work is supported by the generous backers who adore my cat stories at Patreon.com/amberunmasked and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and podcast.
Where We Left Off:
The Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency discovered a new kind of cryptid in northwest New Jersey. It’s been named Pondo Sapien.
Avalanche:
It has been some time since Gus and I were able to get to the junkyard due to the snow piled up high and blocking any way to it. We could have conceivably descended down Garter Snake Ridge, but neither of us felt like doing that. Once the snow really started to melt away, I was even able to push Ollie’s carriage around all the stuff and get him back to a new crime scene. Something ruined the critter’s sacred circle made out of bricks that resembled Stonehenge. We called it the Junkyard Henge for obvious reasons. But now, what the hell? Who would do such a thing?
The case was originally opened in November 2019 and we left it as an open case status in case we could ever gather evidence about how this was created and specifically which critters were using it.
The crime scene presented with an amount of disarray (for a junkyard). There were some broken pieces of plastic. Large chunks too. I think it had been a five gallon big ol’ paint bucket like from Lowe’s or something. On the left next to building are multiple stacks of blocks and bricks somewhat neatly lined up. Let’s be truthful – it needs cleaning up. But of all the stuff back there, the cinder blocks are the neatest and Gus absolutely loves walking all over them. Gus and I were the first to discover the ruins of the Junkyard Henge. That’s why I couldn’t wait for Oliver to see it.
It seem possible to get fingerprints from the rough surface of bricks. That probably wouldn’t have helped anyway. I don’t happen to have luminol nor a black light. You’d think by now, I would. #epicfail. Should I add that to my Wish List? How weird would that be? “Oh, you want books about crime and… luminol?”
I mean, I was buying hydrogen peroxide by the gallon for a year while I cleaned bones. Knowing Amazon and Google have every single bit of information about me, likely more than I know about myself, I don’t think the people who have the jobs of alerting authorities would be surprised if I did add luminol and a black light to my Wish List. It took me two months to read through D.P. Lyle’s Forensics: A Writer’s Guide. I don’t recall any mention of animal tracks in any of Dr. Lyle’s books. It was time for Oliver’s observation skills and Gus’ Super Smeller.
There was still one “pi” (meaning the Greek 3.14 π) shape structure left standing on top of the stack of cinder blocks. We could tell it was a little bit shifted from how it was, but there was no danger of it falling. One other “pi” shape structures was tumbled on top of the cinder blocks. The formerly third structure was on the ground.
One might assume two hundred pounds of slushy melting snow slid off the roof of the hangar and crashed on to the lovely sacred Junkyard Henge, but it would not make sense that one of the shapes was left standing. It’s not a snow tornado — a snownado? — where it hopped onto two sets of bricks and skipped a third.
Critters are known to live in the pallets of cinder blocks like our high-rise apartments for humans. When the Henge on the roof of one of these apartment buildings crashed down, it must have caused alarm. Maybe even rocked some semi-hibernating critters out of their dreary state. It had to be scary like an avalanche falling on your house.
So that’s one theory, albeit a bland one. However, there may be another explanation.
On Sunday afternoon, the Butler, Gus, and I were enjoying the gorgeous mild weather. For once Gus was behaving himself on the balcony and not “playing Batman” as he loves to do. He was sitting there calmly when I saw him turn his attention quickly to the north side. I could see something in the distant running. I thought it was a squirrel, but Gus had a certain kind of tension in his body that I was reading as something less common than a grey squirrel.
I had to wait for the critter to run passed trees and Fort Winchester before I could get an unobstructed view. It was an adorable groundhog! They’re so fun to watch. They move like they’re swimming but they’re on land. It’s so weird and cute. This juvenile was heading towards the road and we’ve been worried. I haven’t gone out to make sure there’s no body there.
Anyway, the groundhogs have been known to burrow and live in the junkyard. I wonder if one got startled by the days of random falling ice and snow clumps, maybe it jostled the ground, and then that’s how the Henge toppled.
Case Findings:
Oliver and Gus investigated the sad sight of the wrecked Junkyard Hedge. After spotting a youthful groundhog running through the property, we believe one such critter was disturbed suddenly, bonked it’s head on the roof of its burrow under the critter condos; and that’s how the cinder blocks moved causing two of the three arches to tumble.
Case Status: Closed
