“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” asked Shannon Sanders over the telephone. A twenty-five year old woman with full and rich brunette hair and some freckles on the tip of her nose, was friends with Terry Panya.

“Yah, I feel lonely now that Thomas is gone,” Terry said with sadness. Thomas was her pet hamster, and he had passed away recently.

“Okay, maybe we could go back shopping tomorrow! I need some more Levis…..oh….and maybe a couple nice shirts, but we have to leave sometime after three o’clock because, remember, I have a lunch date with Barry tomorrow.” Barry was Shannon’s boyfriend. They had been going out for a month now.

“Oh, yeah! I almost forgot that it’s you and Barry’s one month anniversary tomorrow! Congrats from me!” said Terry with relief that she didn’t forget. She wasn’t to fond of Barry, but it was her friend’s boyfriend, not hers.

“Well, I better get to bed, now! I have to work at six in the morning tomorrow. They want me to come in early to file things!” Terry explained.

“Yeah, working at that secretarial position will soon boost you up to that manager spot that is warm and waiting for you!” Shannon encouraged. Terry worked at a fancy clothes shop called “Body Clothes”.

“Thanks. Well, goodnight! Bye!”

“Bye!” The sound of a click ended the conversation over the telephone. That would be the last time Shannon would hear Terry’s voice.

THE NEXT DAY

“Barry! Hi, I missed you!” said Shannon. She was wearing some boot cut khakis and a thin sweat shirt. Barry and her were standing outside the Carlyle, the best restaurant to eat at during the day.

“Hey, Babe!” said Barry. He was wearing blue Levi jeans and a blue and white plaid shirt. He has a country accent, but is a true city boy.

“So, you wanna go in? I’m really craving some sweet and sour chicken!” Shannon said pleadingly.

Over lunch the two talked about their lives and how they were doing. Then, Barry wanted to know something.

“Hey, Babe what’s your ring size? It was supposed to be a surprise anniversary present, but I didn’t know your ring size!” he admitted. So, they went to Kay Jewelers to buy an anniversary ring.

“Wow! It’s beautiful! Thanks Barry!” said Shannon. The ring had a diamond in the middle with a fourteen karat gold rim.

“You’re welcome! Happy Anniversary! I bought another one just like that for my Mom. Today’s her birthday!”

“Well, tell her “Happy Birthday” for me! See you later!” said Shannon. As she walked down first avenue, she remembered, when she got home, that she needed to call Terry and go shopping with her. She couldn’t wait to tell Terry about her anniversary ring.

When she got to her apartment, she decided to call Terry at that very moment.

“Ring…..ring…..ring…..ring!” Shannon’s phone was on a never ending quest to call Terry. Then, she heard the line disconnect.

“Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep!” the phone sounded. I wonder where she is? Shannon thought. So, she decided to go and get Terry for herself. As she was walking up eleventh Broadway street, and heading to room one-zero-six, she saw Daniel Marril, Terry’s ex coming around the corner from Terry’s apartment.

“Hey Daniel, I was just heading over to Terry’s, do you wanna come with?” Shannon asked.

“Well, I was just going back to my apartment, I just moved here this week, but yeah, sure I’ll go!” said Daniel. Daniel was wearing long, brown, dress pants and a v-neck sweater. He looked kind of preppy or nerdy, but has a kind heart. “Oh, yeah I forgot to tell you I saw Barry in the bathroom.”

“That’s kind of weird. Oh wait! I forgot today was his mother’s birthday, he must’ve come to visit his mom. I’m always forgetting things!” laughed Shannon. When they were walking towards her apartment room, they saw a busboy sitting close by there. He seemed kind of fidgety and nervous.

“Knock...knock! Terry are you home. CREEEEEK!” Terry’s door was open some. Then, Shannon saw the telephone lying the ground, the cords cut. Shannon was getting kind of worried now.

“Terry? Terry are you alright?” she asked. Then, she would never forget what she saw, next. Lying on the kitchen floor was Terry’s cold body.

“Oh my, God! Terry! Daniel call nine-one-one now! Terry! Oh, Terry!” Then, all went black.

LATER

“Shannon? Shannon Sanders? We’re the NYPD. We want to ask you a few questions.”

A body bag was taken away filled with Terry’s limp body.

“I’m sorry Shannon.” Daniel said, “She didn’t make it. They said she died a few minutes before we got here. She lived for a few minutes after she had her throat slit. Terry was murdered. I’m sorry!”

“Shannon, do you remember anyone who was around here about five to ten minutes before you got here?” Detective Sleuth asked.

“Well, Daniel was with me, but not before I met him in the hall. He said he was in the bathroom, which is quite close by here. Umm…..the busboy was around here, too. He looked kind of nervous, and umm…..oh yeah, my boyfriend, Barry, was in the bathroom with Daniel, also. He must’ve come to visit his Mom on the count of it was her birthday today. Other than that, those are the only ones I knew were around here,” she confirmed.

“John,” said Detective Sleuth, “get all them rounded up here. We need to have a talk.” Then, Deputy John Markin went to go and get the suspects. The busboy, Barry Carol, and Daniel Marril.

While John was doing that, one of the officers came in to give the description of Terry’s state.

“Ms. Sanders, as you know, Terry was murdered by someone slitting her throat, which cut her and jugular vein. She lived a few minutes after that, but then died. It looked like she was getting ready to go somewhere because she was wearing black shoes, khaki pants, and a matching overcoat, with a black blouse under it. She was also wearing a diamond ring on her left index finger, and a pearl necklace around her neck, which was cut off by the blade. When we put them back together, some pieces were missing.” He said.

“Have you brought everyone in, John?” asked the detective.

“Yes, here they are,” answered John, “I just got done searching them all. If this might help be any help, all three men had a pocketknife on them. Barry Carol had an empty ring box, Daniel Marril had a piece of the victim’s necklace, and the busboy, also known as Leroy, was just really nervous. They all have an alibi.”

“So, what are these alibis?” asked the detective.

“Well, like Ms. Sanders said, Daniel was in the bathroom. He saw Barry Carol go into the bathroom just seconds before he left the bathroom, and he admitted he went into the bathroom to wash the blood off his hands. He went in to see Terry when he saw she was dead. He fled the scene, still having the necklace, scared that this would happen.

Barry Carol says he had been in the bathroom before and after Daniel Marril was there. He said he was visiting his mother. Although, he didn’t say anything about Daniel and the blood. The busboy said he was at the apartment across the hall from Terry’s apartment. He says he was nervous because he thought his boss would fire him for not doing someone’s needs on time. So, he sat down to try and calm himself. He had just sat down when Ms. Sanders and Daniel Marril were walking towards Terry’s apartment,” John explained.

“I see, all likely stories. W…..” the dectective was cut off by Shannon’s truthful interruption.

“Wait a minute! I know who did it and I can prove it!” she exclaimed, “It was Barry Carol, my boyfriend!”

“How do you know this Ms. Sanders?” Detective Sleuth asked.

“Well, this morning, Barry wanted to get me an anniversary ring, so he bought an exact replica of it, supposedly for his mother, but it was actually a bribery for Terry so, she wouldn’t tell me about the affair. When she wouldn’t except the ring, he killed her with his pocketknife,” she explained.

“How do you know about an affair?” asked the detective.

“I should’ve listened, but yesterday, Terry was trying to tell me she saw Barry and another girl at the Neary’s place a couple of days ago. I didn’t believe her!” Shannon answered.

“I see, John, take Mr. Carol’s pocketknife to the forensics lab and test it for Terry Panya’s DNA.” He commanded, “Jacob, get t” she police to investigate the mother, to see if Barry visited her today!”

“Yes, sir!” said Deputy John Markin.

All of the suspects were in custody for a day until the answer the detective wanted to hear was revealed to him.

“Dectective Sleuth, Barry Carol’s pocketknife tested positive for Terry Panya’s blood. He’s guilty! The two other men’s knives were negative towards her blood,” said John.

Barry Carol was put into prison for murder with a minimum of forty years without parol. Daniel Marril and the busboy Leroy, were sent free. As for Shannon Sanders, she finally got her Levi’s and those cute t-shirts.