Free Just Intuition by Makenzi Fisk

side of the trail. Concealed in the brush sat two shiny beer cans, one upright and sealed, but the other keeled over, almost empty. Red and white Budweiser cans. In a flash, she remembered the can Allie had spent so much time looking for at the barricade. The can Erin had unceremoniously tossed into the ditch, glinting red and white in the moonlight.
    From her position, she found herself with a perfect view of the charred back steps to Dolores ' house through a gap in the brush. The weeds lay flat in a semi-circle at her feet. Someone had spent time here, and had planned to spend more time before they were interrupted. She unfolded an evidence bag from her pocket and carefully retrieved the cans. This was something. Better than the nothing Derek had come up with.
    On her way back in the gate, she made sure to latch it securely. As she walked to her car, she slapped vigorously at her pant legs until soot clouds rose around her and crusty black particles rained down. With ash in every pore, she wiped the back of one hand across her brow to staunch the flow of sweat stinging her eyes.
    She had just placed the evidence into a box in the trunk when another patrol car pulled up beside her. The crewcut young officer behind the wheel rolled down his window and hailed Erin.
    "You are walking a thin line, my friend." Chris Zimmerman, known as Z-man, or just Z to his friends gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I didn 't think you could resist mucking around out here the first chance you got," he said. "You are like a dog with a bone, but you should learn to keep your theories to yourself at the station. This is Derek's investigation and he's convinced the rest of the crew you might be a little bit insane." He pinched air between index and thumb.
    "I know what I 'm doing out here, but what are you doing out here?" she countered.
    "I 'm your wing man, girl." His baby smooth face broke into a wide smile and then his expression melted to a more somber one. "Besides, I knew Dolores too, and I'm not buying it that she was a forgetful old fool who died accidentally. I think there's more to this story."
    "Are you sure you want to get mixed up with me and my crazy theories?"
    "Game on." He winked at her again. "Have you found any evidence Derek missed?"
    Erin had been on the same patrol crew with the slightly quirky Officer Zimmerman since she 'd been hired on the department. Despite his eccentricity, they had always worked well together. He was intelligent, loyal, hard-working and a solid investigator. She had implicit trust that he would watch her back.
    "I 'm not sure," Erin said, "but I think someone has been watching the house from the bog side. I found a little spot where the grass was flattened and I picked up a couple of beer cans. Maybe Kathy in Forensics can get some prints." She sure hoped Kathy was working today. Dave was the only other Forensic Tech, but she had less faith in his skills.
    "Interesting." Zimmerman, steepled his fingers and squinted his eyes in a parody of a comic book character. "Anything else, my little sidekick?"
    "No, you're the wing man this time, remember?" She loved the wacky repartee they had. It made working together so much more rewarding. "That makes me the superhero."
    "Foiled again," he quipped. "No, seriously, Superchick, what else you got? Someone drinking beer out by the swamp is not quite enough for a murder investigation."
    "It's Wonder Woman, and I also took some close-up photos of the gas stove. All four burners were cranked wide open. That did not happen by chance when the stove fell through the floor. Someone turned them on deliberately." She handed him her iPhone and he zoomed in on the pictures.
    "Dolores was totally obsessive-compulsive," he said, startled. He handed the phone back. "She checked things two or three times. She never would have left the house with the gas on, let alone all four burners on high!"
    "Exactly."
    "Compelling evidence, but still not much to go on. What can I do to