Blue In The Face Day!
"She breathed in the gas from her oven until she was blue in the face."
All of the uniform cops stopped what they were doing and looked at Detective Pinsky.
"Why'd you say that Kip?" Pinsky's partner, Detective Karr, asked.
"Just tryin' to make a joke I guess. Like when you do something until you're blue in the face. Screaming or talking. You know?"
"Yeah, I know," Detective Karr said. "But it wasn't funny."
The uniform cops went back to what they were doing.
"I was just…"
"Lady just killed herself. No one's looking for somebody to crack wise with a joke about it," Karr said. "Especially not one of your jokes."
Pinsky crouched down and peeked into the oven. Without looking up at Karr he muttered, "Sorry."
Karr just continued writing in his notebook. Pinsky stood up and looked around the kitchen. He looked like somebody who was considering signing a lease on the place. Then he said, "Jesus, I'm sorry."
"Forget it," Karr said. He and the other cops left Pinsky there in the kitchen, where he stayed until the coroner came for the body. He followed the body bag out to the stoop, and then he sat there on the top step until Karr told him it was time for them to go home.
Happy Blue In The Face Day!
