This is Day 27 of #MarchusAnnus challange. More On the Edge of Sight. Links to the other parts are available at the bottom of this post.
With a gentle push the manager’s office door opened to a desk with a computer terminal on one side and a monitor for the security system on the other side. Miles held the door and gestured Ray to lead the way. They circled around the desk where Ray waited for the show to start. Miles pressed the rewind button on the old fashioned, VHS recorded, closed circuit camera system.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, last time you had one of these you couldn’t even set the clock,” Ray jabbed, trying to lighten the air.
“Yeah, yeah, I know what I’m doing,” Miles scoffed. “Just watch.” He instructed when his finger hit the play button. He pointed Ray’s attention at the middle right of the screen.
Ray watched as the scene played out from the beginning. The store was empty. The shelves and products were all in the black and white gradient that is suggestive of an infrared camera. It was dark and the camera did not capture in high resolution. Everything was still, just like it should have been. It was silent, but that was inferred since the cameras did not capture sound.
Within 30 seconds of starting something quickly came into picture from the bottom of the screen, it looked like it would have to have been from the rear of the camera. It hit a shelf and fell to the ground. Almost instantly after the first object entered, it was followed by a shimmering that indicated it was the glass from the window. This meant the first object was the rock that broke the window.
The shadow of a person could be seen cast across the floor of the store thanks to a street light outside. Occasionally the shadow would jitter with the video tape tracking mechanism, but Ray notice there was no tracking and the rest of the image remained still. The shadow moved left across the image the faded into the shadow of the wall. Though it was off camera, it was clear that the person did not enter through the window. They came through the door. Ray thought, “the door was unlocked? Why go through all the trouble of breaking the window without trying the door first?”
The individual entering the store was wearing a hoodie and facing away from the camera when they entered. The height strip, conveniently located at the end of the first aisle, gave away that the robber was five foot, eight inches tall. The creeper was an average build, stood up straight, and had shoulders broader than hips. The given information and all the stats told Ray that this was a male perpetrator.
The suspect walked with a purpose, he moved towards the fourth aisle, turned abruptly, and walked a few paces before turning towards the camera. His face was obscured by the shelving fixture that held the, now stolen, heavy duty cleaning chemicals. The camera caught him grabbing cleaners off the shelves by the armfuls.
This criminal turned back toward the cash register in the same fashion as before, and looked like that was his next destination. However, when he made it to the end of the aisle he turned again, toward the exit, fully facing the camera with no coverings on his face.
Ray immediately recognized him. It was Bobby Pelson, one of the students that had been acting suspiciously recently, and therefore one of the students Ray has been following. Ray’s notes read as follows.
Bobby Pelson: Slacker and lay about.
5’8”, 145 lbs
Hasn’t been to a single class for at least 3 weeks.
Spotted occasionally around campus for the past 2 weeks, per eyewitnesses “looked to be on drugs other than the usual.”
However, Ray refused to get his notes out and tip Miles to the idea that he knows the suspect.
“Here it comes,” Miles light up with anxious anticipation, “just watch!”
There have been 27 day(s) since the last non-creation day. This marks 27 consecutive day(s) of posting for #MarchusAnnus. #UnusAnnus #MomentoMori. Check out UnusAnnus and subscribe to their channel before it’s too late.
If you’re liking this story, please share the link anywhere you like, and consider following, liking, and leaving a comment with what you think or any ideas.
The Original A.J. Young 