dwasson
04-13-2006, 08:32 AM
Detective Ford answered the phone on the first ring.
“Dear?” the caller said with a quavering voice.
“Hi Ma,” Ford replied. “How are you?”
“I’m fine son, but the car won’t start again,” his mother answered.
“Does it turn over,” Ford asked, looking at the ceiling, as he did when thinking?
“No it doesn’t,” the older woman said. “Can you fix it?”
“I’ll try Ma”, Ford said wearily. “How long has it been since you drove it?”
“What’s today … Thursday,” she answered. “I went to church Sunday.”
“Ok Ma, I’ll be there after work.” Ford hung up the phone and went back to reading crime reports.
Ford drove up to his mother’s house and stopped the car. He scanned the scene before he shut the car off. There was 2 inches of snow on the ground from the squall that passed through a few hours ago. The roof and truck lid of the white Grand Marquis in the driveway was snow covered.
He parked the car and walked up the snow-covered driveway toward the house. As he reached the front bumper of the car, the front door opened.
His mother called out, “Oh son, I’m glad you are here. I wanted to go to the senior center today and car just wouldn’t start.”
“No problem Ma,” Ford replied. “I’m glad to help.”
He stared at the car for a minute, taking in the snow covered roof and trunk and the dry hood.
“Did you look under the hood Ma?”
“No,” his mother said. “Nobody touched it. When it wouldn’t start, I came in and called you.”
“What year is the car again,” Ford asked?
“It’s a 2003,” his mother said. “We bought it just before your father died.”
“I know what it is,” Ford said decisively.
What did Ford identify as the problem?
“Dear?” the caller said with a quavering voice.
“Hi Ma,” Ford replied. “How are you?”
“I’m fine son, but the car won’t start again,” his mother answered.
“Does it turn over,” Ford asked, looking at the ceiling, as he did when thinking?
“No it doesn’t,” the older woman said. “Can you fix it?”
“I’ll try Ma”, Ford said wearily. “How long has it been since you drove it?”
“What’s today … Thursday,” she answered. “I went to church Sunday.”
“Ok Ma, I’ll be there after work.” Ford hung up the phone and went back to reading crime reports.
Ford drove up to his mother’s house and stopped the car. He scanned the scene before he shut the car off. There was 2 inches of snow on the ground from the squall that passed through a few hours ago. The roof and truck lid of the white Grand Marquis in the driveway was snow covered.
He parked the car and walked up the snow-covered driveway toward the house. As he reached the front bumper of the car, the front door opened.
His mother called out, “Oh son, I’m glad you are here. I wanted to go to the senior center today and car just wouldn’t start.”
“No problem Ma,” Ford replied. “I’m glad to help.”
He stared at the car for a minute, taking in the snow covered roof and trunk and the dry hood.
“Did you look under the hood Ma?”
“No,” his mother said. “Nobody touched it. When it wouldn’t start, I came in and called you.”
“What year is the car again,” Ford asked?
“It’s a 2003,” his mother said. “We bought it just before your father died.”
“I know what it is,” Ford said decisively.
What did Ford identify as the problem?