I was just waking up and getting ready for my day, I looked outside to see the typical october weather in michigan. The sun was just starting to come up and the wind was just enough to push the leaves around. Everyday at the same time the mailman would come down the street delivering his mail for the day. But today he was late, normally he comes at seven but today he was twenty minutes late, I didn't think anything of it because we're human and stuff happens. I continued on with my day and left for school. I rode my bike home from school that day because I like looking at the fall colors and halloween decorations, but only to turn down spooner street to see police tape sectioning off old lady Jenkins house across from mine. I ride by and see old lady Jenkins getting wheeled to an ambulance but to my surprise under a body bag. I walk into my house to see my dad and mom talking to officer Rodney, officer Rodney knows my family well, due to my older brother Eric who has been in trouble with the law before and sense its halloweve they were asking Eric if he had seen anything walking around the neighborhood with his friends.

“What did you do today” Rodney asked

“Nothing much” said Eric

“You weren’t walking around with you friends as you usually do?”

“Not today, no sir, not with old lady Jenkins being dead and all”

But to officer rodney's surprise talking to Eric got him nowhere,

“Alright well you and Eric better be good tonight and don't let me catch you doing anything you're not supposed too, I'd hate to bring you home.”

I sat in my window looking out at the Jenkins house thinking who could have done this, she was so old and living alone. I overheard my mom talking to my dad saying who could have done this in such a good neighborhood. I tried talking to Eric about it but his door was locked, but he is nineteen and my mom tells me not to bother him because he is his own person now. I just get upset because I know he has a drug problem but my parents refuse to accept it. I ran back to my room to watch the crime scene unfold. I saw officer Rodney talking to Harold the mailman. They took him down to the station for questioning. It came time for dinner and the talk of the table was who could have done this.

“I think it was a homeless person just looking for money because Officer Rodney said the place was ransacked,” said dad

“But why would they have picked Old lady Rodney's house she lives alone and her house isn't even that nice.”
“Maybe they weren't from the area and were just trying to score some money” said Eric

“ I bet it was one of your dumb drug friends since none of them have jobs and they were just trying to get money but something went wrong and old lady Jenkins got the boot”

“Shut up you don't know anything about me or my friends.”

Later that night when everyone went to bed I sat there unable to fall asleep just wondering what happened step by step, my brain running through every possible situation. I decided tomorrow night when everyone is out trick or treating I’m going to sneak in and take a look for myself. The next morning I woke up and ate my breakfast, mom said school was cancelled because the wind knocked out the power. This was perfect now I can have the cover of darkness tonight because none of the streetlights or house lights will be on. I spent most of my day today outside because it was too dark inside to do anything. I was in the backyard when I saw the siding was messed up right under Eric's window but I didn’t think it was anything more than him sneaking out or the wind. I got called in for dinner and scarfed down my food due to the anxiety I had about later tonight. I ran upstairs and through all the black clothes on I had and ran out the door. My mom stopped me and asked what I was doing.

“What are you doing youngman”

“Going trick or treating with friends” I said

“In that get up”

“Yeah what's wrong with it, I’m a robber”

“Yeah just what we need you to be running around, be safe and be home before midnight”

I ran down the street to meet up with friends and walk around to get candy for a while but after a few hours I told them I had to go home. I got to Old lady Jenkins house and went around back knowing the back door would be unlocked because she always left it unlocked, a few summers ago when she was out of town she paid me to go over there and feed her cat or should I sat cats. But I remember Officer Rodney telling me there was no sign of forced entry so this must have been the way the intruder entered. I walk into the smell of cleaning products and musty cat pee. There did seem to be a robbery but nothing really seemed to be taken, even the silver spoon collection was hanging on the wall. If someone of knowledge and hurting for money they would have stolen that. It almost looked liked someone was looking for something. I walked passed the bathroom and the medicine cabinet was open, all of her meds were gone. I knew right then the person that did this knew Old lady Jenkins. I ran out the back door and across the road into my house. I pounded my brothers door open with no surprise the bottles were laying there. Across his bed, pills money and a knife, I go to turn around and run out of the room to tell my parents and as I turn my brothers standing in the doorway with a gun. I stood in shock thinking he was about to shoot me, but he closed the door behind him and locked it then sat down next to me.

“I know what this looks like and I can explain”

“Explain what because right now it looks like you killed old lady jenkins”

“I can promise you I didn’t just let me talk’

“okay talk”

“ I broke into lady jenkins house the night of the murder, I was just looking for stuff i could sell to make money. But in the middle of me looking for stuff I heard someone coming in through the door, at first I thought it was lady jenkins but then I saw who it was, it wasnt lady jenkins it was the mailman. I ran out the door and ran to my friends house I didn't know what to do or who to tell because I didn't want to say how i knew because i knew i would get in trouble.

“So you just thought it would be okay to just not tell anyone what you saw and let a murderer get away with it?”

“Im sorry okay I didn't know what to do or who to go to”

“You need to go tell the police what you saw and own up to your actions because that isnt fair for her death to go without justice”

“I know okay I'm sorry but Im scared of what there going to do or if i'm going to go to jail, there’s not even evidence to prove the mailman did it so I would just be turning myself in for no reason”

“Okay then we will go find our evidence”

“What do you mean?”

“ I mean were going to go and get our own evidence and prove the mailman did it and your going to help”

The next day

I sat awake in my bed all morning trying to figure out how I was going to prove the mailman did it. I sat there thinking what evidence I would have to find, what would happen if he caught me in the act, I thought of every possible outcome and thought of the pros and cons to every single one. But the same worst con for each outcome was the same for all of them, he catches us and kills us both adding to his murder list. The thought of death scared me but not as scared as having someone who everyone trusts not be the guy they think he is. I wanted to talk to my mom about it but I knew if I told her she would think I was overthinking it and being crazy.