Sisko the Evil Nephew

Chief Williams dispatched Kyson Hunter and his K-9 partner, Sisko, to the residence of Arthur Reeves, a 72-year-old man with a terminal illness given six months to live. A robbery had been reported. Uniformed officers secured the scene. A shattered window indicated forced entry.

Kyson, a thin, fit man with short dark hair, knelt beside Sisko, a lean, muscular black Lab/shepherd mix. He clipped a small, GPS-enabled tracking device onto her collar. “Find them, girl,” he whispered, pointing to the disturbed area near the broken window. Sisko, her keen nose twitching, immediately began her investigation.

Sisko worked methodically, tracing a path through the house, her tail low and her focus fixed. She sniffed at a discarded coffee mug, then a rumpled throw blanket. She paused for a longer investigation at the overturned dresser, her black fur practically disappearing against the dark wood. After approximately ten minutes, Sisko stopped in the master bedroom closet, her head tilted. She nudged a partially hidden, expensive-looking watch box with her nose and then began barking softly.

“Something here, Kyson,” the radio crackled. It was one of the uniformed officers securing the perimeter. “Looks like someone tried to burn a pile of papers in the backyard.”

Kyson approached the closet. Inside, among neatly folded clothing, lay a discarded glove, stained with what appeared to be trace amounts of blood. Sisko had also marked a small, almost invisible hair fiber clinging to the glove.

“Find the source of the blood and the hair, Sisko,” Kyson instructed, pointing. Sisko immediately took off, leading them to the back patio. The burned papers were smoldering in a metal bucket, and next to it, lying half-buried in the flowerbed, was a small, bloodstained knife.

Kyson secured the evidence. “Chief Williams,” Kyson reported into his radio, “we have a possible suspect. The glove, blood, and burnt papers suggest an attempt to destroy evidence. Sisko’s tracked something down in the backyard.”

“Good work, Hunter,” Chief Williams responded. “Get it to Forensics. I’ll send someone out to investigate the burnt papers. We need to find the connection between Reeves and this unknown assailant.”

Later, at the precinct, Kyson received the preliminary Forensics report. The blood matched a known individual: Reeves’ nephew, Daniel Miller, with a history of petty theft and drug use. The burnt papers were Reeves’ financial documents, indicating a motive for robbery.

The next day, Miller was apprehended. The hair fiber on the glove was confirmed to be a match for Miller, thanks to Sisko’s keen nose and Kyson’s quick thinking.

“This was a quick one, Kyson,” Chief Williams said, observing the files with a grim smile. “Good work. Both you and Sisko were excellent.”

Kyson nodded. “Reeves’ terminal illness must have been the motivation, but Miller likely didn’t know that it would be his last chance,” he observed. “It seems he panicked and tried to cover his tracks.”

“Indeed,” Chief Williams replied. “Another case closed. Thanks to your work, and Sisko’s excellent nose.”