It was a detail Bates couldn’t ignore. The delay was frustrating, but necessary. Without an official homicide finding from the coroner, there was no case. No case, no charges, no charges, and he gets away with murder.
The unseasonably warm weather had worked against him. After dumping her body in a shallow marsh, the ice floe should have concealed his crime. An absence of freezing temps left the evidence exposed to the elements, otherwise it would have been months before anything surfaced.
Bates enjoyed the irony that a single grey feather, a symbol for protection, was what gave him away.
Thin spiral notebook 
Intriguing. You pack a lot into a few words!
LikeLiked by 1 person
you had me at Bates! Very realistic, Ms. Tara.
LikeLike
Like the name, your pacing was brilliant and you nailed the prompt. So much craft. well done
LikeLike
I could see his face contorted with frustration and amusement at the same time. The way you used the prompts was very well written.
LikeLike
What an intriguing short.
LikeLike
I like that you name your protagonist Bates! The symbolism in that choice is perfect.
LikeLike