"THE RING"

This morning's newspaper headline was a shocker: My husband is a murderer. The steaming mug slipped from my trembling fingers, and crashed to the floor, splattering my numb feet with scalding coffee. It shocked my system back into motion, and, sidestepping the spilled coffee, I quickly scanned over the article.
Gareth had been arrested early last night, and was accused of committing the 12 murders that had destroyed our small town's winter, and many people's lives.
Dubbed Jack Frost by the local media, he had killed all his victims by driving a long, sharp shaft of ice through their skull, and then covering the body completely in ice. He would leave these grisly statues in public places, such as city hall or the town park. He was not picky with his victims; he would kill anyone.
The police had a hard time tracking this killer. There were never any fingerprints, and, of course, no traceable murder weapon. But he had slipped up. He had been found standing in front of the 13th statue. Gareth had been found standing in front of the 13th statue. The victim's name hadn't been released.
The paper felt like a lead weight in my hands, and my head was beginning to throb. Tightening my bathrobe, I sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. I could not believe my husband could be a murderer. There was no possible way. Gareth was just too sweet. There had to be more evidence, evidence that would show that he couldn't be connected to these murders in any possible way.
And then I heard the soft chiming of the doorbell. The doorbell Gareth had installed for me because I thought the first one was harsh and blaring. Drawing a deep breath, I slowly shuffled my way into the living room, and to the front door. I knew who would be standing there. I opened the door.
"Carrie Winfield?" A tall man with dark hair and equally dark eyes in a suit was standing on my doorstep. I nodded my assertion, and motioned for him to step inside.
"My name is Kent Dabus. I'm an investigator from the Hickory Falls Police Department. I just wan to ask you some questions."
He looked past me into the kitchen, and saw the paper lying on the table. He smiled apologetically, and continued, "I see that you've already read the paper, ma'am, and are aware that your husband is under arrest for murder.
"Yes, I am aware that you arrested Gareth, and I want to tell you that there is no way he could be involved with the murders!" I was beginning to get angry with this man, and I had only known him for five minutes.
"Mrs. Winfield, your husband was found in front of the body, which is under autopsy as we speak. Which is another reason I came here today. The latest victim was your twin sister, Rachel."
I looked at my feet as tears sprung into my eyes. Gareth would never have hurt her; he knew how much she meant to me.
"Carrie, can I call you Carrie?" I didn't care. "If you'll get dressed, I'd like to take you down to the station. I have some questions that have to be asked, and it would be easier there."
I turned without answering, and went up the stairs to our bedroom. I pulled a pair of jeans and a sweater on, and looked in the mirror. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted the picture of Gareth that I keep on my dresser. Slamming it facedown, I exited the room.
Det. Dabus was waiting for me in the living room and taken a seat on the couch. He stood up when he saw me coming.
"Let's just get this over with."

They were polite at the police station, or at least they tried to be, questioning me about Gareth. They wanted to know what he did for a living, what his hobbies were, and how he treated other people. After four hours of grueling interrogation, they told me I could go home.
I was just about to walk out the door when I heard someone calling my name.
"Carrie, Carrie!"
I turned around, and saw Gareth's best friend Jamie walking towards me. James Chester is almost an as permanent fixture in my house as the couch. He's always been there for us during times of trouble.
"Jamie," I started, but couldn't finish. The lump in my throat was choking me.
"Oh, Carrie," putting an arm around me shoulder, he guided me out the door, "Everything's going to be al right. Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

* * *

Kent sat his desk, rubbing his temples. The evidence from the Jack Frost case was spread out in front of him. It didn't amount to much, and the little he had all pointed towards Gareth Winfield. But the facts just didn't add up, and he couldn't even see where they didn't add up. He had no alibi for each of the other cases, and he had been found at the crime scene, but other than that, there was nothing on him.
"I guess I'll just have to wait until the results from the autopsy come in," he muttered to himself. If Gareth really had committed the murders, then he might've left some evidence on this one. Or the real killer might've.
Kent stood up slowly, and walked over to the door, ready to revisit the crime scene. As his fingers touched the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open to reveal his partner, Gina. She was still wearing her lab coat.
"I'm done with the autopsy."
"Good. What were your results?" Kent sat back down at his desk, as Gina closed the door behind her and leaned her hands on the other side of his desk.
"Nothing conclusive.
"What do you mean? There had to be something on that girl's corpse that would help us catch the prick who did this!" Kent was beginning to get angry.
"But we already have Gareth Winfield locked up!" Gina looked at him incredulously. "Look, you can't seriously think that this guy could be innocent! Every piece of evidence we have points towards him."
"There was evidence, but it didn't seem relevant. It didn't point towards Winfield, or away from Winfield. It just doesn't seem to point anywhere, or at least anywhere we're looking."
Kent hung his head in his hands, and whistled softly through his teeth. "What was the evidence?"
Gina smiled, "I was waiting for you to ask that. We found a silver band in her mouth."
"You mean, like a ring?"
Gina nodded in affirmation, "Exactly. A woman's silver ring, size 6, and the only marking is on the inside."
Kent looked at her, his eyes wide, "So what was the marking?"
"Flowers looped around a line, all around the inside of the ring. It's only got her fingerprints."
Kent began looking through the papers that were piled on his desk.
"What are you looking for?"
"Carrie Winfield's phone number. I want to know if she knows anything about this ring"
"I'll bring it to you."
He finally found what he was looking for, and picked up the phone. Dialing Carrie Winfield's number, he examined the ring Gina handed him.
"Hello?"
"Yes, Mrs. Winfield? This is Kent Dabus. I was just wondering, have you ever seen your sister wearing a ring? A silver ring?"

* * *

"What are you talking about, a ring?" I asked the detective. I couldn't see how a ring could be relevant to my sister's murder.
"Just a silver band. The only markings are on the inside, flowers looping around a line. Have you ever seen this ring?"
"No, I've never seen any ring like that," I was beginning to get flustered. Jamie, who had been keeping me company for the past hour, saw that, and came over.
"Look," he said viciously into the mouthpiece, "Just leave Carrie alone, she has enough to deal with without you bothering her every minute of the day!" He slammed the phone down on the receiver, and turned to me.
"I'm sorry, Carrie, I don't know why they're doing that."
Jamie hugged me, and then guided me towards the kitchen, "Let me make you a cup of tea." He went about getting the tea until he realized there were no clean cups. Removing everything from his hands, he washed two cups.
"Would you mind pouring the water?" Jamie asked me, "I have to use the bathroom."
"Al right," I responded, standing up. Jamie left the room and I walked over to the sink. As I was pouring the tea, I realized that he had left his jewelry next to my sink: a Rolex, an intricate gold ring, and a plain silver one.
The silver one. I thought back to what Kent Dabus had said to me on the phone, "Just a silver band. The only markings are on the inside, flowers looping around a line."
I didn't even want to touch the ring. But I had to. Jamie was going to come back any minute, and I had to see the inside. I slowly raised it to the light. Flowers looped around a line. It had to be the match to the one that had been found in my sister's mouth.
I heard the toilet flush, and quickly put the ring down.

* * *

Kent Dabus was sitting at his desk when the phone rang. It turned out to be a breathless Carrie Winfield.
"Det. Dabus?" Her voice shook, and he could hear the fear in her tone. "I have something to tell you."
Kent stood up, and began pacing the room. This case was about to break. "Come on in, I'll be in my office."
Swiftly running out of his room, he went to find Gina. She was filing the autopsy report.
"Gina! Carrie Winfield just called. She has something important to tell us."
Gina smiled, and nodded.

"I saw a ring that looked exactly like what you described to me." Carrie said, seated in the chair opposite Kent and Gina.
"Where?" Kent exclaimed, "It could be the ring to the set! If you tell me where you saw this ring, Carrie, your husband might get off!"
"James Chester had it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure! He was going to make me a cup of tea, but there were no clean cups, so he took off all his jewelry to wash one. When he went to the bathroom, I looked at them, and the one looked exactly like the one you described to me."
"I want him brought in here, arrested for the murder of those 13 people. Gina, go tell the chief!" Kent was getting excited. He had known Gareth Winfield was innocent!

"You did it, didn't you, Mr. Chester?" Kent leaned closer to Jamie's face.
"You've got no proof."
"That's where your wrong, Mr. Chester," Kent laughed sardonically as he paced in front of the mirrored window, "That ring you've got? The silver one? Its partner was found in Rachel Martin's mouth. You framed Gareth, didn't you? You were getting bored of your game, but just for the finale, you wanted to give your best friend the death penalty."
"You'll never pull that story off in a court of law, Dabus," Jamie shook his head derisively.
"Oh, yeah? Watch me. Lock him up."
"You'll never get away with this, I fight you every step of the way!" Jamie screamed as he was dragged out of the room.
"Well, I guess you were right, Kent," Gina commented. "Next time, I won't take your intuition so lightly."
"All in a day's work, Gina, all in a day's work. I mean, I could give an innocent man the death penalty."
"You've got too much conscience, Kent."
"That's what makes me such a good detective." Kent turned off the light and shut the door behind him.