Serialized fiction surged in popularity

during Britain's Victorian era, due to a

combination of the rise of literacy,
technological advances in printing, and
improved economics of distribution. A
significant majority of "original" novels
from the Victorian era actually first
appeared in either monthly or weekly
installments in magazines or newspapers.

The Bob Mysteries - Prequel

Chapter One
My name is Bob Hogstrom. Im a Police Major Crime Scene
Investigator. I only get called when the worst things that ever happen to
people happen.
It had begun ten days ago. It was a fairly quiet Sunday morning. I was
doing what I usually do; trying to catch up on all the crime scene reports that
my Lieutenant was very politely suggesting should have been submitted a
week ago.
I was sitting at my desk. Actually, I was sitting a bit away from my desk
with my feet up and my thoughts focused on going to Ala Moana for a 2K
swim. The phone jarred me out of my happy place and I picked up the
receiver.
Mr Bob, This is Kainoa Akana from D-4. I know you dont usually
come out for these kine cases but I have a bad feeling about this,
I know Kainoa, hes a solid officer. I listened.
He said Yesterday, a local Waimanalo girl, Malia was reported missing
by her mother. Shes a good girl, a community college student and always
dependable,
Go on I said
Well, shes always home from school for dinner but last night she didnt
show. She always calls if she cant make it but last night she didnt.
So, she went out with her boyfriend and nevah like tell her mom, I

said.
Nah, nah, its not like that. She called her mom and said she was gonna
drive back from town. Her mom said be careful Malia girl, it gonna storm,
So what do you have? I asked.
I got her car on Pali Highway and a very bad feeling,
I thought about it for a moment. Were not supposed to go out for simple
abandoned auto cases and were not supposed to go out unless were
dispatched by CID. Its not that we are so special, its just that there are not
enough of us to send running around the island for junk that can be screwed
up just as well by beat officers and it wont matter.
Then I thought about Kainoa. If he says somethings wrong, it probably
is.
Let me get my stuff together and Ill be over in about twenty minutes.
Where are you?
Jus makai of old Kailua Drive-in,
Got it, I said.
You got here pretty fast, said Kainoa. Its only been twenty minutes
since I wen call you,
It was either that or sit in the office and type reports. Is that the car? I
said
Yeah, the silver Toyota pulled off the side of the road
Did you find it Kainoa?
Nah, it was Milton on first watch. He called me to take over and wait for
the tow wagon when he went off duty,
What gave you a bad feeling about the car?

Malias my cousins friend. Her family called me when she didnt come
home last night. Theyre really worried. They said its just not like her. To
tell the truth, Im worried too. Malias a sweet girl
Anybody touch the car? I asked
I didnt. I called you as soon as I saw it was Malias.
Ok, Im going to treat this like a serious case. Ill photo the scene and
the exterior of the vehicle and then well open it up and take a look inside,
Thanks Bob, I knew you wouldnt blow me off,
Hey Kainoa, did Milton have chicken katsu for dinner last night?
I dont know, why?
Because theres a big fat greasy police officer thumb print on the door
handle. Tell the first watch commander to drag Miltons ass back down to
the substation and get elimination prints and a statement from him. Maybe if
we disturb his beauty sleep, hell stop being such a bonehead at crime
scenes,
Bob, did you see the skid marks in the dirt behind the car?
Yeah, there are actually two sets of tracks, one set from Malias. The
other set is from a bigger car, probably Detroit iron. I photographed the
tracks but theres not enough detail for comparison,
Kainoa, did you notice that the doors are unlocked and theres no key in
the ignition? Im going inside,
I have never seen such a clean six year old Toyota. Theres nothing in
here, I said.
Kainoa, come here and look at this,
Contrary to popular opinion, you can almost never recover any prints
from a steering wheel or a dashboard. That is unless youre Che from
Hawaii Five-0 but there are usually sweet thumbprints on the rear view

mirror. Especially when a different driver uses the car like say, an auto thief.
What do you see on the mirror Kainoa? Use my flashlight
Nothing, no wait, theres some kind of pattern, kinda like crosshatching,
Bingo, you got it. By the way, thats the pattern that a cotton cloth
makes when somebody wipes down the entire interior of a car. You know
what buddy? Now Im worried too. On your report, be sure and write all of
the stuff that you and I did and how the scene was preserved. I dont like
what I see here,
Get a tow wagon and have them take Malias car to the Police Impound.
Tell the guys at the yard to treat it like it was evidence in a homicide, I said.
Oh shit, said Kainoa.