The Smell Tester

Photo by: Yarnspinnerr.

Detective Sarawut Kurusarttra had solved an amazing twenty-three unsolvable cases in the city of Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Chief of Police, Kongpaisarn, demanded to know how he did it. Always honest to a fault, Sarawut showed him.

Chaiprasit sat beside a row of incense oil burners. The thin, weathered man looked homeless.

“Him?” scoffed Chief Kongpaisarn. “A beggar is your source?”

“His sense of smell is astonishing!” enthused Sarawut. “Chai can tell you almost anything. He burns these oils to avoid constant information overload from smell.”

Kongpaisarn spat angrily. “Bullshit, Kurusarttra! This worthless beggar knows nothing! You’re avoiding telling me your real source. I am your boss! You must tell me by tomorrow or you’re fired!” He stomped away angrily.

Sarawut sat on the curb, dazed. He wondered aloud, “I solve more cases than anyone, and now I’m losing my job?”

“You won’t lose your job,” said Chaiprasit.

“Really? Do you smell a lie?”

“No.”

“So…how?”

“Chief Kongpaisarn’s mistress is pregnant. His sexually deprived and depressed wife regularly cleans her gun. You do the math.”
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Written for: Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/fffaw-challenge-week-of-august-22-2017/