Butcher's Meat

Mrs. Lambson

"Hi, Sam, a loaf of the whole wheat sourdough. Sliced, thanks...
"Oh, Harry's fine. He's out of town...
"No, some development in L.A...
"Sure, I'll tell him you said 'hi'."

Pretty funny, really. Being on friendly terms with your local baker. Sam's an all right guy. Eats too much of his own bread, though. Or something. Gotta remember to call Harry. Where did I put that number. Probably in the desk. God, there's Tina, what's she doing downtown in the afternoon. Long lunch, maybe. Who's that she's with. Another suit. A woman suit and a man suit.

"Hi Tina, neat day isn't it...?
"Oh, just grocery shopping...
"Yeah, but Harry and I had an apartment on Fifth and got to like the bread at Sam's bakery, so I keep coming back...
"Yeah, that's Harry, never let go of a good thing. What about you...?
"Pleased to meet you Richard. Are you two in the same business...?
"Really, what's new in fruit...?
"I've heard of those. What are they like? I've never tried one...
"Oh, no, you don't have to do that...?
"Really..?
"Oh, well, thanks. I'll try it tonight...
"Yeah, I never remembered the traffic being this bad. Its one of the reasons Harry and I moved up town...
"Yeah, well, I've gotta go too, Ralph runs out of chicken breasts regularly about two...
"Yeah, another of Harry's finds...
"Nice meeting you Richard...
"Yes, I will. Harry'll be back next week, I'll call you...
"B'bye!"

I wonder how she can keep up with all that work and still have time to look like she stepped out of Vogue. She can afford it I guess.

"No, I'm sorry."

He looks a lot better than most. I wonder where they all go at night. Subways probably. I wonder what kind of a bum Harry would make. Probably the only bum in history wearing Dockers and a Polo shirt. Wish he'd find something else to wear once in a while. Lets see; bread, chicken breasts, broccoli, carrots, onions. No, I'll just stop at Safeway for the milk.

"Hi Mrs. Hodges...
"No, just doing a little shopping...
"Yeah, Harry's fine, same as always...
"Ha ha, yeah, that's Harry. How's Mr. Hodges...?
"Oh, that's too bad, has he seen a doctor...?
"Well you tell him for me to hurry up and get better...
"So long."

"Hmm, h-hmm, hmm hmm h-hmm, hm hm hmmm hmm hmm hmmm."

God, why that old dirge. Where does it all come from anyway?

"Ralph, are you in here?"

Probably stepped out for a beer. Wonder he hasn't lost a finger cutting stuff up half drunk all the time. He should have run a bar instead of a butcher shop.

"Ralph!?"

Hmmph. What's that smell. He usually keeps the place cleaner than this. Lets see ... those two I guess.

"Ralph!"

Well, he won't mind. Lets see, where's the butcher paper. Two eighty-nine a pound ... half, no closer to nine ounces. Nine over sixteen ... lord ... how does he do it. Oh hell, half a pound, a buck forty, call it a buck and a half.

"Ralph?"

Maybe the cooler's broken down.

"Ralph?! Oh Jesus! God! Help! Help me! Call somebody! Jesus!"

 

Sargent Peterson

"Yeah, Mrs. Lambson, she found him...
"Says she came in to buy chicken...
"No, she was just going to leave when she smelled something funny and went back to look."

And what business is it of yours anyway. Old fart. Lets see; photographs, description of scene, blood samples, Lambson's address, phone, um ...

"Has anyone called the Coroner?"

Must have been here for a while to stink that much. Oh Damn.

"Elkins, will you see that Mrs. Lambson gets home?"

 

Mrs. Lambson

Jesus, jesus, jesus, jesus. Who would do something like that. Who'd Ralph ever hurt, all that blood, jesus, my head hurts.

"No, I'm all right, I think. What'd you say your name was...?
"Elkins, right. Well thank you Elkins. God that was awful...
"No, I've never seen a dead person before. Well I mean I saw my parents, but that was in the hospital. Not lying on the floor all covered ... Jesus!"

Jesus, jesus, jesus.

"Maybe you better pull over."

Oh god, mmmmmmnn!

"No, I'll be alright in a minute. Have you got anything to drink...
"Uh, anything really...
"Thanks, that was awful. Sorry."

 

Mrs. Lambson

Jesus, that was awful. Poor Ralph. Jesus. My head hurts. Christ who could that be, calling at this hour.

"Hello...?
"Jesus, Harry, thank god its you...
"Jesus Harry, it was horrible...
"Oh god, Harry, it was awful, he was lying there all covered in blood...
"Oh, no, I'm alright...
"I've been talking to the police all afternoon...
"Ralph! Can you believe it? I just went in for chicken...!
"Oh god. I smelled him Harry! He was in the back, covered with blood. I've never been so scared in my life...
"Oh god, Harry, it was awful...
"Oh, no, Harry, I'll be alright...
"No, really, I'll call Anne. I'm sure she'll be home...
"Yes, that's sweet of you, but really, I'll be OK...
"Yes, I'm sure...I don't know who you stood it...
"I can't imagine getting used to it. God, its so awful...
"No, I'm going to call Anne, you go ahead. I'll call you later...
"I love you too."

God I wish you were here. What I really need now is a really good cry.

"Damn. Anne? Are you really not there? It's Lisa. Anne, please pick up the phone."

Damn.

"Please call me soon."

Damn, damn, damn. Calm down, she's probably just out for a minute. Damn. Oh thank god.

"Hello Anne, jesus Anne you'll never ...
"Oh, I'm sorry Sargent Peterson, I was expecting a call...
"That's alright...
"No, I'm fine...
"Elkins dropped me off about an hour ago...
"Oh, well, tell Elkins I'm sorry...
"Yes, really, I'll be ok...
"Yes, I'm expecting a call...
"Thank you Sargent, it was kind of you...
"Yes, I will...
"Good bye."

Jesus I hope Anne calls soon. Who could have done something like that. All those cuts. God, some kind of maniac. Why Ralph, who'd want to do that to Ralph. I can't imagine doing that to anyone. God, I wonder how many people Harry killed in Vietnam. Never like that though. Jesus, why. Oh, god. No, I won't call again. She'll call as soon as she gets in. God, I'm tired. My head hurts. Harry, make it stop hurting.

 

Sargent Peterson

Well, butcher business must not be too good. Probably just stupid people. Lets see; time of death, about nine PM last night. Pretty jagged. Huh, cow's blood. Must have carried it with him.

"I'm in here dear...
"Just looking over this case...
"Another cup'd be great, thanks...
"Yeah, that guy in the butcher shop...
"Uh huh...
"Yeah, the butcher."

Huh. Opened up his wrists pretty good. But what's the cow's blood for. Some kind of nut case.

"Thanks dear. Mmmnn! That's hot!..
"No, no, I just wasn't paying attention. Thanks...
"It's some crazy butcher down on 17th avenue. Looks like he committed suicide...
"You don't want to know."

Been watching too much TV Vera.

"Well ok. So the guy splashes himself with beef blood and then slashes his wrists...
"In the freezer...
"No, he left the door open...
"Yeah, starting to smell pretty bad...
"I don't know, chicken, I think...
"Well she knew the guy. Guess she was going to leave a note or something...
"How should I know...!?"

Ahh. Shit. Well, she'll get over it.

 

Mrs. Lambson

"Anne, thank god...
"Jesus Anne, you can't imagine...!
"It was horrible...
"Ralph...
"Ralph, the butcher...
"Ralph's Butchery, on 17th...!
"Yes. Oh Christ, Anne...
"He's dead...!
"Anne...
"Anne!"

Oh Christ.

"Anne...
"I went in to buy some chicken...
"You know how much Harry likes the chicken from Ralph's...
"Yeah, Ralph's choice chicken."

Come on, Anne, just shut up and listen will you!

"I went into the back ...
"Because he wasn't there! I mean ...
"Yes, that's right...
"Right, so I went behind the counter to pick out a couple of breasts...
"Yes, a note...
"Yes, I know how to work a register...
"Oh. So I went behind the counter and I could smell something...
"Well, you know. Like when you've left livers or something sitting out all day...
"Yes, it was...
"So I looked in back. Jesus Anne...!
"Jesus, it was awful...
"Oh, Jesus, I'm feeling sick again."

Breathe. Deep breath. Out. Deep breath. Out.

"It's ok...
"Yes I'm feeling ok now...
"Well then I started screaming...
"No, someone must have heard me and called...
"It took forever...
"Well, it seemed like forever...
"Yes, with Sargent Peterson...
"Yes, for an hour...
"I felt all stiff and numb...
"Yes, I threw up in his car...
"No, officer Elkin's car...
"Oh jesus, Anne, it was awful...
"Oh would you. I don't think I could cook anything...
"Shaking. Shivers every time I even ...
"Thanks...
"Yes, thanks, that's great...
"Ok, I'll see you...
"No, I told Harry not to come home...
"Well I'm ok really...
"Anne, he's got lots of work to do...
"Well, I''m not dead...!
"I told him not to, Anne."

Butt out Anne!

"Ok, see you."

God she can be a pain sometimes. Well, I can't go out looking like this.

 

Sargent Peterson & Mrs. Lambson

"Yes, its Sargent Peterson."
"Oh, Sargent, not more questions."
"No, nothing like that, Mrs. Lambson. I just thought you'd like to know what we came up with."
"Oh, god, Sargent. Do you really think I need to know this?"
"Well, I thought it might, you know, kinda reduce the shock a little. You know, take off some of the stress?"
"Well. I suppose. If you really think so."
"Yeah, well, if you'd rather not..."
"No, I suppose you're right."
"Ok. Why don't you sit down. Are you?"
"Yes. Ok."
"Ok. Well, the coroner concluded that it was suicide."
"Suicide?"
"Yeah, suicide."
"But Sargent?"
"Yeah?"
"All that blood?"
"Beef blood."
"Beef blood?"
"Yeah, beef blood."
"Beef blood?"
"Yeah. Everywhere."
"Beef blood."
"Yeah."
"But then how ...?"
"Well, some of it was his."
"Some of it?"
"Yeah, from his wrists."
"His wrists?"
"Yeah. Slashed 'em."
"Oh Jesus."
"Just relax."
"Relax."
"Relax, breathe."
"Oh. Jesus."
"Yeah."
"Jesus. Suicide."
"Yeah. That's what the coroner said."
"His wrists?"
"Yeah. With the meat slicer."
"With the ...?"
"Yeah. 'Fraid so."
"Jesus!"
"Yeah."
" ...!"
" ... "
"Why?"
"Well ..."
"Why, Sargent. Why would Ralph do such a thing. Jesus. Everybody loved Ralph."
"Yeah. Well, we're not really sure."
"Not really?"
"Not really, no."
"What does 'not really' mean?"
"Well. Not really."
"Not really?"
"Well, sure, we have some ideas."
"Ideas?"
"Ideas."
"Ideas!?"
"Well, I'm not really supposed to discuss them, Mrs. Lambson."
"Not really?"
"Yeah, not really."
"Really, Sargent Peterson. Can't you say anything?"
"Well..."
"I mean, Jesus, I was there."
"Yeah."
"Yeah!"
"Well ..."
"Well?"
"Well, we think, maybe ..."
"Maybe?"
"Well, his books."
"Books?"
"Account books."
"His ledgers?"
"Yeah, his accounts."
"What?"
"Well, they were splattered with blood."
"Splattered with ..."
"Cow's blood."
"Splattered with cow's blood?"
"Yeah."
"Jesus."
"Yeah."
"But why?"
"Well, we're not sure."
"You think he was losing money?"
"Well."
"Ralph?"
"Well ..."
"Jesus. Ralph's been there forever."
"Twenty years."
"Twenty years?"
"Well, nineteen and a half."
"So ...?"
"Well, the neighborhood. You know."
"The neighborhood?"
"Yeah."
"The neighborhood?"
"You know, bein' a cop, you see it all the time."
"The neighborhood?"
"Going downhill."
"The neighborhood."
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Oh. Poor Ralph."
"Yeah."
"Oh. Damn."
"Yeah."
"Poor Ralph."
"Yeah."
"Sargent?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, thanks for calling. I guess."
"Yeah."
"It's still awful."
"Yeah. I just figured you might feel better, knowing."
"Yeah?"
"I mean knowing it wasn't someone else. That did it, I mean."
"Yes. I guess that does make a difference."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well, ok. Mrs. Lambson. I'm glad I called then."
"Yeah."
"I mean, I wasn't sure, but ..."
"Yeah."
"Well, ok."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Sure, Mrs. Lambson."
"Yeah."
"Ok. Well. I'll call if we need anything else from you."
"Oh?"
"But I'm sure we won't."
"Oh."
"So. Are you ok?"
"Yeah."
"Well, ok then. Well, good bye then."
"Good bye Sargent. Oh Sargent ..."
"Yeah?"
"Sargent, the chicken."
"The chicken?"
"The chicken. That I went in for."
"Yeah?"
"Well ..."
"Yeah?"
"What should I do with it?"
"Do with it?"
"Well, it was in my bag when I got home."
"Oh."
"I guess officer Elkins ..."
"Yeah."
"So?"
"Well, just keep it I guess."
"Keep it?"
"Well, you paid for it, right?"
"Well ..."
"So keep it."
"Well, I guess I paid for it."
"Yeah. So you just keep it."
"Well."
"Just keep it. Don't worry about it."
"Well. I guess you're right."
"That's right."
"Ok. Well, thanks again Sargent."
"Yeah, no problem."
"Yeah. Jesus."
"Yeah. Well, good bye."
"Bye bye Sargent. Thanks."
"Yeah. Bye."

 

Mrs. Lambson

"Harry, bring me some more hot water will you...?
"Thanks honey."

God what a pain. I hate doing this.

"Harry...!
"Honey, when are we going to get rid of this old thing and get a frost free...?
"Oh yeah. You're right dear."

Phooey. Tightwad. God, what's this?

"Ouch! Damn...!
"Oh, I just broke a nail...
"Pulling this thing out of the glacier!"

Ha ha ha, very funny. What is it anyway. God. Chicken breasts.