The detective sat looking over the crime scene photos when he noticed the balls.
It was his case, and the pressure had really been piled on by the head of CID after the fifth man had been found dead in his home. They had all been struck down from behind; all single, in their early to mid-twenties and all with professional, well-paid jobs. This choice of victim was obviously the common factor. There was nothing else to indicate why these particular men had been targeted. The young detective felt a natural bond with the victims, as he himself fell into a similar category of society. Noticing that in two of the photos a small, Multi-coloured ball could be seen near the body. He remembered picking one up at the most recent scene. It was a soft, squeegee ball that people commonly use to relieve stress. He felt sure this would be an important break in the case.
After revisiting the crime scenes, he established that the same ball could be found elsewhere in each of the victims’ homes. He was soon on the phone to local shops and discovered that only one toy shop sold them. At the store, the owner said that he’d received a consignment of boxes, each containing six. He said it had seemed strange at the time, that a tall, heavy-set woman had come in, insisting on buying a full box.
Seeing that the address on the invoice was only a short distance away, on the edge of town, he made his way there. It turned out to be a vacated shop with a notice in the window that directed customers to new premises. Trying the door, he found it unlocked.
Inside, it was almost bare of fittings, with only the original counter left. A small cardboard box sat on the countertop. Looking inside, he found yet another ball, along with a note, saying, ‘I’ve been waiting for you. You complete the set!’
He was reading the note when, from somewhere behind him, he heard a noise…