The flapper at the club was lying broken on the ground,
The jazz age in full swing undeterred by the siren's sound,
And a few coppers jumped out of the screaming vehicle,
As it pulled to a sudden stop and no longer appeared full.
For they gathered round her body her blond bob all red,
As the blood poured like fizz from the crush of her head,
And her stockings were visible leading to her pale thighs,
One leg twisted so bad it looked an oddly angled surprise.
And the traffic was halted as they noticed her real pearls,
She wasn't just another of those dime a dozen floozy girls,
This was a looker and a real classy dame they would bet,
Her expensive scarf, gloves and her dress were a designer set.
This could mean trouble if the press got here too soon,
So they cordoned off the area by the light of a waning moon,
Hoping the dark cobbles and shadow of night would hide,
Another murder had taken place not a hapless suicide.
Again a speakeasy within two hundred yards just the same,
The fifth one this month the killer's playing a dangerous game,
Someone this high profile would mean the mayor'd go all out,
To get the killer's end before public opinion put him in doubt.
The chief frowned and looked up at the roof above him,
Sent an experienced officer up there to check on a whim,
Asked him to take a young rookie too for added protection,
Her body looked fresh so the clues would need inspection.
Meanwhile the clubbers were piling into the street curious,
Come to gawk at the grizzly scene and check out all the fuss,
So he had them pushed back far no need for prying eyes,
It was going to be another late night home so he heavily sighs.
Then a shout goes up from the rooftop by his men,
And he rushes up the alley to the fire escape and then
As he started up noticed a perp rushing down the other way,
His men in hot pursuit maybe this was going to be their lucky day.
The guy was trapped between the police with no hope,
So he dived through a window as he jumped from a slope,
Shattering glass everywhere and causing a loud commotion,
The guy's mad to take the risk or plain desperate not to be outrun.
He took his gun from his holster as in the dark he had a good eye,
Reckoned his chances were good if he could get close nearby,
But he wasn't as young as he used to be and as he stepped through,
Caught his arm on a shard of glass and tripped as he caught his shoe.
Lucky the guy had made off already leaving a trail of spatters,
He forgot his own wound in the heat of the hunt nothing matters,
Just the sweet scent of justice served as the chase was begun,
The killer was going to end up facing the barrel of his gun.
A scream came from the apartment and a door slammed,
The chief followed the noise issuing his authorative command,
People got down on the floor in terror as he goes on past,
The two other officers catching up with him at long last.
Now they had him in the stairwell with the lights all low,
There was only two ways he could now possibly go,
Downwards to the street where his men flooded the road,
Or up to the roof where they heard an escape door explode.
They must have him cornered now so they were on high alert,
As they crossed the threshold and tried his attention to divert,
Each going a separate way in the hope they had him in a trap,
Warily stalking him slowly they closed the only possible gap.
But he had vanished into thin air leaving them perplexed,
How could he have escaped the chief was sorely vexed?
Until just as they were about to leave he saw a movement new,
Over on a floor opposite a long jump but not impossible to do.
This was it the final show down and they had the edge now,
It would be embarrassing if they lost him here somehow,
So they lingered a while longer pretending to search more,
Whilst he sent a man to go fetch help and get up to that floor.
It didn't need much time before the coppers came into view,
The assailant jumped but was in no fit state to fight his crew,
They had him and the apprehension had turned good,
Now to get attention for his arm as he noticed his blood.
As he descended the stairs he worried it was too easy a collar,
The serial cases were usually more complicated by far,
But he would find the truth when he could interrogate the man,
But it didn't sit right with him and his instinct rattled like a can.
He was a seasoned cop and he liked a clean cut case solved true,
But this was having his stomach in knots his mind was in two,
One half suggesting he get the perp in the van and be speedily gone,
The other wanting to stay and check for evidence alone.
He made his excuses after a mere bandage was hastily applied,
Ascended the fire escape again and when he got to the other side,
Hit the roof in a position of a cautionary crouch,
He felt sure the guy was a diversion but he was no slouch.
And as he rounded the corner where the pipes met in a bunch,
A knock to his head had him bowled over into a hunch,
Almost passed out from the pain but he kept conscious just,
As another blow came down that he dodged slightly concust.
A fight ensued and the blows rained thick and fast in the dark,
Just two men trying to gain the upper hand and hit their mark,
A nasty business and not to be witnessed by the feint hearted,
As a bone cracked and a wrist snapped and screams soon started.
At last the victim was in the chief's cuffs his hand bent real bad,
Recompense for that leg let him get a sample of what she had,
Again his cop's gut feeling and training had won him the day,
As he led villain number two gruffly by gunpoint safely away.
Turns out the guys were thieves who got sloppy and greedy,
The broad was an heiress who'd done something seedy,
And the guys were blackmailing her but she wouldn't pay,
They dangled her from a gutter but the rusty pipe gave way.
Looks like the case was an open and shut one after all,
And he went home that night bruised ribs from his fall,
The other man had slugged him a few times he'd be sore,
But home with his family he's happy once more.