We get emails.

One that particularly captured my attention on Monday read in part: “Mysteriously, a deceased turkey was found in the middle of Pennsylvania Ave on Wednesday morning halfway between the White House and the Capitol. The carcass remains in place as of this morning, November 26th, 2108. Is this a presidential scandal? Some political performance art? Inquiring minds want to know the circumstances behind this gross mis-carrion of justice.”

The email’s author followed up early on Tuesday morning. “The Street Turkey saga continues. No one knows what fate this bird shall meat … Day 6 and no one or no organization has claimed credit for this decapitation and disposal.”

The writer, who asked to remain anonymous because “I feel like I should have been doing work” rather than chronicling the adventures of the turkey carcass, wasn’t the only one to notice it. An entire Reddit thread was dedicated to it, charting the passage of time for the “raw seasoned turkey” on the street right by the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro station. “Day 1: It appears,” the thread says, similarly placing its debut on the day before Thanksgiving. “Friday: It was starting to smell,” the thread continues, before adding “Monday Why haven’t the rats taken it!”

As of Monday afternoon, the turkey remained in the street, now with flowers. Someone lay down next to it to take a selfie. Predictably, the turkey got its own Facebook group and Twitter account.

But by 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, however, the turkey carcass was gone, apparently picked up by a D.C. government truck. Nothing raw can stay.