SIDETRACKED

This week my goal was to write a mystery in 250 words. Here goes:

SIDETRACKED
“What you got there?” asked the old man.
“Spray paint,” said the kid. “Found it in the trash by the ticket window.”
“Put it back. And wipe your prints.”
“Like they’re going to dust the trash,” mumbled the boy.
“Don’t argue. Train’s coming.”
Harry hated working with kids. Still, there’s nothing like a cute little tyke to part suckers from their dough. They’d made a decent haul at the church social. He glanced at the briefcase by his foot.
Kids were more trouble than they were worth if you worked them too long though. Harry figured to ditch this one up the track. Why suffer the aggravation - or split the take?
“I should have swiped us a car,” said the kid.
“Told you, they’ll be watching the roads.”
“Won’t they watch the trains?”
“Who takes trains these days?”
The boy looked around the empty platform. Much as he hated to admit it, the old man might have a point.

“Our witnesses said the old man traveled with a boy.” said Detective Kirby.
“Yeah,” said Sergeant Phelps.
“Where do you suppose he is?”
“Ran off scared when the old man fell in front of the train. Uniforms are searching the woods.”
“Anything else?”
“Missing briefcase.”
“Maybe the kid stole it.” Kirby knew the station master undoubtedly filched it but he liked to needle Phelps.
“Yeah,” smirked Phelps. “And then he drove off in a stolen car.”
Kirby eyed the scary forest. “Poor little tyke,” he mused.
“Yeah, poor little tyke.”
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