...
..
Return to newsletter landing page
The Writer Solves a Mystery Series
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
by Paul R. Lloyd
“Watch out,” Bertie said once I had cleared the reception area and was safely back in my office. I sat on the top of my old linoleum top, battleship gray desk
“Show her in, Bertie. It’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s your business as a writer and private eye to talk to anyone who saunters in here, but just be careful. I don’t trust this one.”
“You never trust the lookers, do you, Bertie?”
“That’s right.”
“Neither do I, kid.”
Bertie showed a thirty-something blond into my office. I offered her the seat in front of my desk and a cup of joe. She took both and then opened up like a spigot in a foreclosed slum house – all rust and sludge.
She told me her name was Martha. She lived out in one of those fancy suburbs with the too big houses. Turned out her husband had been cheating on her. She got the word from her brother. Then the husband’s girlfriend turned up dead.
“And you think your brother did it.” I poured a bit of gin into her java to calm her nerves.
“Nah, he wouldn’t do that.”
“Then your husband did it?”
“Why would he kill her? Look, it’s my butt I’m trying to keep covered here. Cops think I did it.”
As if on cue, I heard the outer office door squeak open.
“Gotta oil them hinges. I keep telling you.” Lieutenant Lawson strutted in with a thumb in the hitchhiker position pointing back to the office door in the reception area.
I stood up. “What can I do for you?”
“Ain’t here for you this time. Came for the lady.” Lawson’s eyes meandered up and down Martha like a wolf hunting sheep in a pasture. "Come on, you’re under arrest.”
“Hold on a minute, Lawson. What’s she done?” I put a hand on Lawson's shoulder.
“Killed her old man’s girlfriend. Law against that, you know.” Lawson pulled out his handcuffs.
I put my hands palm up to stop him. “She says she didn’t do it.”
“They all say that.” Lawson’s lips formed a snarl.
I locked eyes with Lawson. “There’s three suspects – Martha, her husband and her brother. So why you picking on her?”
Lawson smiled like that cat that ate the dingus. “There were three suspects. Now’s there’s just her.”
“Look, Lawson, it’s dinner time. What do you say the three of us go downstairs to the Black Dingus and talk this over? Let’s invite the husband and the brother, if you think they’ll come.”
“Oh, they’ll come if I do the inviting, but I’m telling you you’re wasting my time.”
Two hours later, the five of us were sitting around a table at the Black Dingus. I had learned the following facts about the three suspects:
Tom claimed he was picking up his car from the repair shop when the murder occurred.
Martha’s brother stated that, at the time of the murder, he and Martha were busy picking up his Beamer at the repair shop.
Fred said he saw his sister’s husband with another woman and they were fighting. The girlfriend threatened to call Tom’s wife and tell her about the affair.
Tom’s wife agreed with everything her brother said and added that she had driven her Bug to pick up Fred and take him to the repair shop.
I excused myself to make a phone call. When I came back, I announced, “That clinches it. There’s one liar in this group and it’s the killer. The guilty party is…”
Whodunit?
| Hint | Fred | Martha | Tom |
Paul is available as a motivational speaker covering marketing communications and general business topics. He also is a workshop leader and speaker on creative writing. Call Paul for your business writing and marketing communications needs.
...
©2006-2009 Zuk-Lloyd
Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
All copy, art, photographs, jpegs, gifs, logos, design and animation
are property of Zuk-Lloyd Associates, Inc.
Web site designed by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd.