FADE IN:

INT. STORE ROOM – DAY

TAGELLI (30s) and DAVEY (20s) look around a store room.

A few shelves line the walls, and an empty pedestal sits in the middle of the room. There are no windows, and only a single door. There’s a grated air vent in one of the walls.

MR. ST. JOHN (50s) stands expectantly.

MR. ST. JOHN

I’m afraid this is beyond even your powers of detection, Detective Tagelli. No way in, no way out, and still: the gem was taken right out from under our noses.

TAGELLI

Eh, it’s worth a look around.

Something on the pedestal catches his attention. Tagelli walks over to the pedestal a closer look, taking out a magnifying glass.

TAGELLI

No matter how good they are at stealing, the bad guys always leave something behind.

MR. ST. JOHN

I’ll leave you to it.

Mr. St. John leaves.

DAVEY

You found something?

Tagelli has picked up something minuscule with tweezers, and studies it through the lens.

Davey tries to get a look.

TAGELLI

A hair.

Tagelli notices Davey.

TAGELLI

Well, don’t just stand there, Davey -- se arch the place!

Davey heads off to look at the shelves.

TAGELLI

Red. Not dyed. Short, so most likely male. And not smart enough to use a hat to --

DAVEY

Detective!

Davey points at something on a shelf by the door. Tagelli gets a closer look while Davey keeps casing the room.

TAGELLI

Fabric. Red. Plaid. Flannel. Expensive, from the thread count. And from the placement, I’m guessing we’re dealing with a lefty.

DAVEY

What’s this?

Davey picks a bright, fuchsia-colored feather out of the air vent.

Tagelli and Davey both stare at it for a bit.

Davey hands it to Tagelli.

TAGELLI

I... huh. He. He had a boa? I don’t even --

Davey finds something behind a shelf.

DAVEY

Now this is just weird.

He drags out the object: it’s an axe!

TAGELLI

... the hell?

DAVEY

Oh, and it’s got a note attached: “Ha ha ha, you will never catch me Tagelli, because I am a big gay lumberjack. Ha ha ha ha.”

They both take this in for a moment.

Mr. St. John pokes his head in.

MR. ST. JOHN

Progress, gentlemen?

TAGELLI

I think you got robbed by a really clever fourteen-year-old.

FADE OUT.