Surveying the town, the Detective realized he was facing a unique challenge. His task was to apprehend the suspect responsible for the laundry mat break-in. Some witnesses described the suspect as an unusual figure. He towered at 6’5 and had distinctive pointy ears. His face was furry.
Wanda, the laundry mat attendant, was first to be interviewed by Detective Jim Roff. She told him the suspect had furry knuckles, too. She had watched through the office’s one-way mirror. He pried open washing machines’ coin boxes. Then, he filled a pouch in his front coat pocket. A coat, she said, was very blue and sparkly.
Merle was standing on the sidewalk outside. He was picking up cigarette butts along the walkway. He said the thief bumped into him while making his getaway. A few of the coins managed to roll down into the parking lot, where Merle had captured them.
“Fifty cents,”
Merle said.
Detective Roff asked Merle if he knew the person who had broken into the machines. Merle told the Detective that the suspect was known on the streets as Carpet Face.
Merle told the Detective,
“The dude used to work for a local carpet layer.” He got right down to his face, stretching the carpet across the floor. They called him Carpet Face. But I don’t think that is why he was named Carpet Face.”
The Detective asked out loud,
“Then why did he have such a furry appearance?”
A doctor who had seen the incident spoke up,
“It’s because of his genes.”
Detective Roff replied,
“His Blue Jeans?”
The Doctor laughed,
“No, his g-e-n-e-s”. “
“Oh,”
Roff said,
My bad.”
“That is ok, he should have been nicknamed Furboy. His real name is Lickery Nickery. He lives on the south side of town. His home is in an alleyway near an old garage. This garage is falling off Hickery Street.”
Doctor Badd, sadly proclaimed, Dr. Badd listed in the phone book as ‘Badd Doctor,’ played a significant role in the case. He informed the Detective that he had been discreetly treating Nickery, attempting to help him achieve a more conventional appearance. Yet, all his efforts with various medications had been in vain.
Detective Roff got into his police car and drove to the area where Nickery was supposed to live. Sure enough, there stood the suspect. Tall, furry, and stirring outside an old garage in an alleyway. Nickery still had a pouch attached to his waist just below a bright blue coat. As the Detective approached, Nickery stood in an offensive position. Detective Ross had brought Dr. Badd with him. This was in case medical attention was required. It would be needed as a result of the pending arrest of either the suspect or the Detective.
Nickery almost instantly stood ready for the capture. He told the Detective he had broken into the machines and taken the coins. It was his only way to get funds to buy food. The Detective asked him about his old carpet-laying job. Nickery told him he was fired after the clients saw him stretching carpet in their home. This frightened them.
The Detective asked Nickery.
“So you thought a life of crime was the answer?”
Nickery -ugh Carpet Face replied in kind,
“Not really, I thought it was a way to get food.”
Dr. Badd chimed in at this point and said,
“I have literally tried everything and can’t get anything to work.”
Detective Roff looked at Nickery, then at Dr. Badd, and finally at the furry blue coat.
The Detective, after a moment of contemplation, shared his insight with the others. He said, “Gentlemen, sometimes the most straightforward solution is the one we fail to see.”
Both stared back at him, puzzled. That’s when Roff pulled a small electric trimmer from his pocket.
“Try this.”
The hum of the clippers filled the alley. Within minutes, Carpet Face began to look less like a legend and more like a man. The crowd that had gathered gasped. Children laughed. Wanda from the laundry mat even clapped.
Nickery blinked at his reflection in a car window and whispered,
“I… I look normal.”
“You look like yourself,”
Roff corrected.
“Now go make something of it.”
And he did. Lickery Nickery was once the scourge of washing machines everywhere. He became a barber’s apprentice. Then he became a shop owner. Finally, he became a beloved mayor. His campaign slogan?
~ Sometimes the simplest solution is the one we overlook. ~
By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | 2025
benandsteve.com 
I like that you punctuate humor in this story, Benjamin. Another wonderful story!
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Hazel, thank you for your comment. It draws from a true story, and those who know the actual events will notice a few carefully placed “Easter Eggs” — hints that pay tribute to what really happened while shining a subtle light on those who fell short of decency.
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