Chapter 25–Wednesday, 6:15AM

Herb was wide awake. The clock on the wall opposite his couch read 6:15am. He could just see it in the dim morning light. Between the paint fumes and the loose ends he was trying to tie together in his mind, the chief hadn’t slept much. He’d dreamed of creepy vegetables and rhubarb gangsters.

He stumbled to the compost room. Flipping on the light he wondered again at its undisturbed state. Why had the previous day’s intruder left this room alone? Herb shook his head, chasing the cobwebs from his mind. He stepped into the sprinkler.

Herb finished up his morning routine a half hour later. He never took that long, but the cold water on his leaves had felt so refreshing.

Walking to the kitchen, Herb flipped on the undercounter TV set. GFOX came on. Tony Snowpea sat behind the news desk, a concerned look on his face. “In Garden City yesterday, another murder. An officer at GCPD, working late on the still unsolved serial choppings, was shot and killed.” A picture of String filled the screen. Herb wilted. The bean’s smiling face was too much for him. “Officer String,” Snowpea continued, “will be sorely missed by his friends and family. Mayor Redman, in a written statement, vowed to bring his murderer to justice. The chief of police was unavailable for comment.”

Herb jumped up and snapped off the set, anger once again replacing his sorrow. He stalked to the fridge and pulled out an energy drink – PhotoSynthesize, his favorite. He normally wouldn’t down one this early in the morning, but he felt the need.

Can in hand, the chief walked to the front door. He closed the door behind himself, jiggling the knob twice to be sure it was locked.