Cuffs
The boy sighed happily. It was a calm, lazy afternoon, and he was enjoying it out at the park. His dad always trusted him around this area, mainly because it never reported any crime. It was a bit of a shock to find out someone had been murdered in the neighbourhood.
The local policeman was called in. He didn't have much experience with crime, and went through things slowly. He spent more time learning how to do things than investigating, so the boy decided to help out. There were almost no suspects; everyone had been inside because of the rain earlier. So the boy checked the crime scene, since the body had been taken away earlier. Something half hidden in the mud glittered faintly; the boy took it home and washed it clean. It was a shiny gold cufflink, with an intricate design on it.
The boy's father walked through the door, draping his damp coat over a chair. He sighed and held up his coat again, saying how he really needed new buttons. The boy nodded and went up to his room silently, staring into his mirror and fiddling with his sole clue. His mirror showed none of the thoughts that went through his brain.
The next day, the boy headed out to the police station. He asked to see the chief. Walking into the chief's room, he closed the door and quietly explained to him about his findings. He held out the gold cufflink. The chief blinked and gathered his men together. He asked the policeman to stand up. The policeman looked confused, then shocked, and finally guilty. Wearily, he stood up and held his arms out. Another officer put handcuffs on his wrists while the boy stared.
"Why did you do it?"
The policeman sighed. "The neighbourhood was far too calm, too quiet. I needed something to do."
The boy was silent for a while before answering.
"Take care, dad."
