Confession

by

Joseph T. Manning



You sit at your desk, wondering for the hundredth time how you could have done this to yourself. You told yourself you could handle it. You could quit any time you wanted. Coffee has no hold over you, right? Right? So how come your face is smooshed against your case report?

Way to go, champ.

You firmly wrap each of your hands around the edge of your desk and force your body into a more work-like posture. So far so good, but now it seems as though your eyes have closed. With a deep breath and a barely audible groan, you force them open.

And the first thing you see is a very tall heavily tattooed man stealing a stack of papers from your desk. You force your legs to propel you after him, feeling at your hip for your gun, and glancing down at the badge in your left breast pocket.

Summoning your best cop voice, you open your mouth to freeze him in his tracks. And you stop, realizing he doesn't quite seem to be fleeing. In fact, he looks like he knows exactly where he's going. You follow him into the interrogation room and watch him take a seat. As he settles his pilfered papers on the desk, you realize they are the confession forms with the mimeographed lines. Looks like he took the whole stack. He holds out his hand expectantly.


Do Nothing                              Give Him the Pen                          Cuff Him