The awful din was enough to curl the hair on the back of his neck, making the usually cool and collected detective turn about on his heels to see the young woman yelling above the tranquility of nature. Before he has the time to give a response, the middle-aged man is off in a run as loafer do little to impede his speed.
When he rounds the corner, he spots the source of the screaming, drawing into his pocket to reach for his revolver.
...
With no success.
Looking about the ground, the Lieutenant reaches for a thick branch, dropped by the trees overhead for such an occasion. Taking it up like a baseball bat, he comes behind the somewhat intimidating looking beast, cracking it over the head with a fell "SWOOP" before the branch breaks in half. The monster spreads out upon the soil with a deep groan, knocked cold by the years of stickball that its attacked had amassed while in his youth.
"Ain't that somethin'. They got monsters here, too. Only they're a bit more on the gruesome side, with sideburns and dirtier shirts."
Dropping the rest of his impromptu weapon, the Lieutenant raises a hand and calls out to the would-be magic user.
"Uh- M'am! Excuse me, Miss! There's no need to run now! I uh-, I got the critter for ya', so no worries, huh? You uh-.. You all right? I could see why that'd be quite a scare, ya' know. But uh.." His hands pad around the worn-out trench coat her wears, digging into the opposite pocket as a smile comes to his lips upon finding the sought after identification. He flips it open, revealing his badge and picture identification. "Name's Columbo. I'm a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, though I doubt that has any swing here. I'm ah- I'm a cop, ya' see. I couldn't help but overhear your swan song on the other side o' the hedges here and figured I'd do my part. Public safety and all of that, no trouble at all, I assure you."
9
When he rounds the corner, he spots the source of the screaming, drawing into his pocket to reach for his revolver.
...
With no success.
Looking about the ground, the Lieutenant reaches for a thick branch, dropped by the trees overhead for such an occasion. Taking it up like a baseball bat, he comes behind the somewhat intimidating looking beast, cracking it over the head with a fell "SWOOP" before the branch breaks in half. The monster spreads out upon the soil with a deep groan, knocked cold by the years of stickball that its attacked had amassed while in his youth.
"Ain't that somethin'. They got monsters here, too. Only they're a bit more on the gruesome side, with sideburns and dirtier shirts."
Dropping the rest of his impromptu weapon, the Lieutenant raises a hand and calls out to the would-be magic user.
"Uh- M'am! Excuse me, Miss! There's no need to run now! I uh-, I got the critter for ya', so no worries, huh? You uh-.. You all right? I could see why that'd be quite a scare, ya' know. But uh.." His hands pad around the worn-out trench coat her wears, digging into the opposite pocket as a smile comes to his lips upon finding the sought after identification. He flips it open, revealing his badge and picture identification. "Name's Columbo. I'm a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, though I doubt that has any swing here. I'm ah- I'm a cop, ya' see. I couldn't help but overhear your swan song on the other side o' the hedges here and figured I'd do my part. Public safety and all of that, no trouble at all, I assure you."