Entry #25

In the Arms of Angels
by Sandra Seamans


Detective Joey Russo knelt beside the chalk outline on the sidewalk. Mary Cates, his best snitch, had died here early last night. The coroner figured it was suicide, but Joey had his doubts. He felt the whisper of a hand touch his shoulder. He turned to find a little girl in a soft, pink nightgown, hugging a teddy bear to her chest.

"What are you doing out here in the cold, sweetie?" he asked.

"Mary was my friend."

"Did you see her fall?"

The girl nodded her head, "The angel tried to catch her. I saw the sparklies from her wings when Mary grabbed the wires up there. I guess Mary was too heavy, cause the angel only caught her soul."

"Just her soul?"

"Uh-huh, you can see it there -- on the wall."

Joey looked at the wall, saw the black outline of Mary's body burned into the wall and the white stain of angel wings behind it.

"Did you see anything else?"

"I saw Tommy Bones chasing Mary across the roof. He was shooting at her with his gun. Do you suppose she saw the angel before she jumped?"

Joey crossed himself, "I think maybe she did, little one."

"I'm glad the angel caught her soul."

"I am too, baby."

Joey sighed as he watched the child dashed back across the street and into her mother's waiting arms. With any luck, there’d be no angels around when he caught up with Tommy Bones.