The local Police were at last called by the Molly Maid service when the Fuller family never returned home. Detective Ambrose Martin was the man assigned to investigate the crime scene. He had also worked on the disappearance of Professor Simmons some months before.
Looking about the home it seemed as if the family just got up and left with the idea of returning. Games were still set and active on the Tv in the son's room as was the computer left on in his older sister's room.
The kitchen was a ruddy mess as Mrs. Fuller was not a cleaner and a cook. Dishes heaped in the sink still caked with food scraps, while others stood on the counter where they were used. The Molly Maids had cleaned the dust, swept the floors, and cleaned the bathrooms but never set foot in the kitchen.
If this was a kidnapping then why were both cars gone from the garage? Then too was the Professor's study where he had a folder on his desk which listed names of student and had animal species written in behind each name.
Officer Martin pointed to this item and then others as the Crime Lab workers duster them for alien prints. Sitting in the Professor's chair he looked over the Cherry desk. It was smooth everywhere until he moved a tray of papers place oddly in the front and center.
As the tray was slid over deep gouges and scratches appeared. Officer Martin directed the Lab man to photo this and take an impression of the deep marks.
Working his way around the study it took just a couple of minutes before the private safe was found behind a set of dummy books on the shelf. As the Lab man looked at the safe and then with a quick and hard slap to the handle from a mallet, the safe door flew open.
"That was easy!" said Officer Martin.
"Cheap safe Sir, must have bought it at the Five & Dime!" replied the Lab man.
Now the sorted and special items of the Professor came into view to the authorities. Office Martin called in two other Officers to act as witnesses and help list the valued items he might find. Stocks, Bonds,
jewelry, Coin collection, Last Will and Testaments for both the Professor and his wife.
Officer Martin looked about the study and muttered, "It's here that something happened, I can smell it!"
Again he sat in the Professor's chair and watched as the impression was made of the gouged desk. A check of the unlocked desk draws proved useless till he saw the small date book for appointments. A look inside brought a sudden thought!
In a scramble to find the list of names among the many papers on the desk Officer Martin had an idea. "There they are!" he said as the slip of paper came into sight. "Capra.....Capra the genus meaning Goat!" he said aloud as the two Officers look up.
"Look here, the list of names, Wilma....Capra, Ammos...Capra, Melody...Capra, Georgia....Capra, Lyle...Capra, Scott...Capra, Jean...Capra, Jenny...Equine, David ... Bovine, each name has an animal genus written behind, strange, but a clue for sure!" said Officer Martin as he handed it over to the Lab Tech for a loge number and stowage.
As the troop of officers and Lab Techs headed for their vehicles a one and only Officer Kenneth Crosby had to stand guard over the lock box filled with clues. Awaiting the Lab's truck he had time to wander the premises. At last bored of waiting he sat down and opening the clue filled box took a look at all it's sorted contents.
Just then a knock at the front door.
"Hello, Oh yes Officer I'm Professor Schneller from the University." said the noisy little man.