Simon Says: Case of the Sidewalk Santa Scam (standard:mystery, 3474 words)
Author: pjlawton	Added: Oct 03 2004	Views/Reads: 3339/2258	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Someone is killing Sidewalk Santas. PI Winston Simon is hired to find out why and runs into some old friends. Did I say friends?

Simon Says: Case of the Sidewalk Santa Scam 

By P.J. Lawton 

Simon Says - - It's the season to help those in need, right? - - Depends
on just what it is they need. 

‘Tis the season to be jolly' was blaring from the outside speakers of
the gift and candy shop just across the street. Yeah right, I thought 
as I lifted my coat collar up over my exposed neck to try to fight off 
the biting wind. Sometimes I wondered why I bothered staying here. On 
days like today, especially around the holidays the city could be 
pretty depressing. But hell, where else would I go? I was born and 
raised here; guess I'll probably die here. Actually I have come close 
to doing just that a couple of times.  My name is Winston Simon and I'm 
a private detective. 

I had once been a police officer until a little thing called the Gulf
War came along. As an Army Reserve Officer I was invited to attend 
where an errant shot from one of Saddam's Scud Missiles ended my 
military and police careers. I took my meager savings and bought a 
failed detective agency. That was several long years ago. 

When I turned the corner to my street I saw that a rather large crowd
had gathered right across from my building. I had always been the 
curious one, a good trait for a police officer some said, so I wandered 
on over to see what the excitement was all about. Politely elbowing my 
way to the front I saw two legs sticking out of a stairwell that led to 
a rundown basement apartment. 

The legs were encased in cheap black vinyl boots and red pants. When I
got a little closer I could see the rest of the body. It was dressed 
completely in red. I immediately knew who it was, or had been. It was 
the sidewalk Santa that I had seen hanging around the last couple of 
days. It looked like someone had taken a major dislike to this 
particular guy. A bullet from a heavy caliber handgun had struck him 
just above the left temple and had taken off the whole right side of 
his head. Somebody had lost his Christmas Spirit for sure. 

The shooting must have just happened because I was now hearing the first
sounds of sirens coming our way. The shooter had to have been using a 
silencer because I hadn't heard any shots as I approached. A heavy 
weapon like that should have made a big bang. 

When I looked around I noticed that the crowd had disbursed. Sirens will
do that to a crowd you know. I decided to beat feet across the street 
to my office too since I really didn't know anything that would help 
the police. Besides, it was very cold today. 

I was watching out my window an hour or so later when they started to
cart the stiff away. Seeing him made me think of something that I found 
to be a little out of character. As you probably guessed, my office cum 
apartment wasn't exactly in the nicest part of the city. What was out 
of character?  Sidewalk Santa's. 

During the last few weeks I had seen what appeared to be an over
abundance of bell ringers. It seemed like every other corner had one. 
That might be normal for some neighborhoods but not this one. Or, maybe 
the winos, junkies and hookers were starting to get in a holiday 
spirit. I didn't think so. 

*** 

A couple of days later I was sitting staring out my window when TJ
called. TJ is a Detective Sergeant with the Metro Police Department, my 
best friend and ex-partner. 

“Hey Bro, how's it hanging?” 

“Hi TJ, day to day, just day to day.” 

TJ knew that I would be depressed, especially at this time of year. It
was around this time while I was away in the Desert that my ex-wife, 
old what's her name, had decided she didn't want to be married anymore. 
She took my daughter Jacki and slipped off to Las Vegas for a quickie 


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