Who Killed Charity? a Stratton and Davis Mystery

Barbara Bailey

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Sujets

• Fiction

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• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 31 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669854159
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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WHO KILLED CHARITY? A STRATTON AND DAVIS MYSTERY
Barbara Bailey

Copyright © 2022 by Barbara Bailey.
 
ISBN:
Softcover
978-1-6698-5414-2

eBook
978-1-6698-5415-9
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 10/31/2022
 
 
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
848268
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22

Many thanks to my beta readers : Christine Bell, Bonnie Johnson, and Jacqui Winther. The time, patience, and assistance provided were most valuable. Thanks also to Howard Winkler for discussing some of the finer points of wine with me.
My husband has given me much continued support. For that I am always grateful.
ALSO BY BARBARA BAILEY
Who Killed Love? A Stratton and Davis Mystery
Who Killed Hope? A Stratton and Davis Mystery
Who Killed Faith? A Stratton and Davis Mystery
CHAPTER 1
“M urder! I need to report a murder. Can you talk?”
Those were the first words Detective Sergeant Alexis Stratton heard as she answered her private phone. Although agitated, the voice on the other end was crisp and clear, much like a typical day in Devonfield Township, a small town in the northern part of Illinois. Only a few people had this number and even fewer used it.
The detective had looked at the caller ID, so she knew who was on the line. She’d planned to get in touch with this caller on a social basis, once the men involved in a deadly case she’d helped with had their appeals exhausted. The two in question had been convicted and incarcerated in an out of town facility. Devonfield didn’t keep those serving lengthy sentences for serious crimes in its jail.
“Yes, of course, we can talk, Mrs. Powers.”
“Please call me Leticia. ‘Mrs. Powers’ sounds as though it’s my mother-in-law who’s being spoken to and she’s even older than I am.” The chuckle released some of the tension in her voice.
“Okay, Leticia, you don’t murder people. You help catch murderers. What’s this about a murder? What evidence do you have?”
Although sounding calm and professional, Alexis was worried. Things in this township had been almost too calm, if that was bad. Already she’d asked two questions instead of waiting until the first had been answered. Detective Sergeant Silas Davis, her partner, was constantly reminding her to ask a single question and then to wait for the reply. Indeed it was a reminder because at the police academy they were taught to ask only one question at a time. You might end up giving the person a choice of which to answer and not get the really important information that was actually sought. Alexis rationalized that she’d only asked one question. She’d asked a single question in two different ways.
“A scantling. I’ve been sheltering-in-place because of the COVID-19 situation. Situation. That’s not the right word. Pandemic is the correct word. I’ve been sheltering-in-place because of the pandemic and I’ve had lots of time to think. Charity Blaine, my very good friend, died unexpectedly —”
“Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused a number of us to lose loved ones. I’m so sorry about your friend, but —”
“No, it’s not that,” Leticia Powers said before Alexis could complete her condolences. “My friend died before the pandemic. It was said to be a heart attack, but she was a healthy woman. We were about the same age and people our age talk with frequency about our health and we talk truthfully and frankly among friends.”
“So you knew quite a bit about her health status?
“I definitely did. And so did all our close friends. We know what medicines and the dosages each other is taking. We know what specialists we’re seeing and when our appointments are scheduled. Sometimes we even accompany a friend who doesn’t want to go alone to the doctor’s, or whose spouse can’t make the trip.”
“You’re a close knit group of women.”
“That we are. In short, we know how well we are or aren’t. But it’s not just that.
Her children, her two daughters, weren’t themselves at her funeral. No matter that they are adults, we still think of them as our children. Anyway, her daughters weren’t themselves.” Leticia could hear herself and thought she was beginning to ramble so she stopped talking.
“That’s not so unusual, is it?” Alexis was careful to wait for a reply.
“In this case it was unusual. That’s why I need to discuss this with you. What I called to ask is if we could meet and talk. We’ll social distance, of course, but something’s not right about my friend’s demise and I’m confident you’ll see that when we talk. You’re the first person I’ve said any of this to because I definitely don’t want to upset any of her friends or family with my speculations.”
“When would you like to meet? We’ve plenty of room here at our headquarters and we’re being very cautious ourselves,” Alexis offered.
“I appreciate that, but we could meet at my house just as easily perhaps. It’s super sanitized,” Powers said with another chuckle as she thought about supersized hamburgers and such they’d shared before. “I don’t want to venture out unless I have to, so I’m really hoping you can come here. I have tea and coffee and some unopened digestives, those English biscuits that I simply love. I think you’d call them cookies. So far there’s no shortage of them.”
“Sounds like a plan to me. We’re light on work here because Devonfield’s folks are doing like you, staying at home and staying out of trouble.” Alexis hadn’t intended to divulge any information about her light work load. That might give Leticia the impression that there was lots of time available to respond to her request. Alexis quickly glanced at her calendar before adding, “I can come at noon today if that suits you.”
“Yes, noon is fine for me, but you may want more than a couple of digestives at lunch time. Do you remember where I live?”
“How could I forget! A lot happened at your place.” Alexis was referring to how instrumental Leticia Powers was in helping the police find those responsible for the death of the young teen, Kevin Faith. Leticia was the one who noticed a change in the behavior pattern of the two temporary construction hires at Sun Rise Village, the newest and largest housing development being built in Devonfield. The men were renting her carriage house. Rather than get rid of the expensive Scott Addict 30 bicycle as instructed, one of the pair had hidden it in Leticia’s garage because his partner had a strong desire for that particular bike. After going to all the trouble of stealing the bike, and a beautiful one at that, it seemed such a waste to dump it in the lake as he’d been told.
“Yes, a lot did happen. I think about many things with so much time on my hands. It was a tragic ending for such a nice young man, only a teenager really. He had a long life to look forward to and it was cut short because of greed. If people weren’t so greedy, I think we’d all live better and longer lives. Speaking of young men, how’s that handsome partner of yours? He’s certainly easy on the eyes if I might borrow that expression.”
“Leticia, I think you’re being naughty.” This time it was Alexis’s turn to chuckle.
“Oh goodness no. I would never say anything louche. I’m simply observant and truthful.”
Leticia sounded very serious. Alexis hoped she’d not misread Leticia. Somehow the detective didn’t think so. That was the problem with simple phone calls. So much could be missed because it wasn’t being observed. That was another lesson from their police academy.
“All right. I’ll be there at noon and if Silas is available, he’ll be with me.” In the back of her mind, Alexis was wondering how she’d get Leticia to avoid using so many unfamiliar words. One needed a dictionary when talking with her.
“That’s fine with me. No doubt you’d tell him anyway because I think you and your partner will want to look into this unless you or he can persuade me that it wasn’t murder. That’s a harsh word for me to use. I don’t deal with matters like that as you do. But I think my friend was killed. Yes, I definitely think Charity was murdered no matter how much I want to be persuaded that it was otherwise. A weak heart. What nonsense. Charity Blaine didn’t have a weak heart. She had a generous heart, not a weak one.”
“Okay. I think it’s settled. Either both of us or just me will be at your home at noon. If you’d like hamburgers and fries, we’ll bring them.”
“That would be absolutely divine. I have several flavors of pop, so we could substitute that for the coffee and tea. I try to limit my intake to a cup a day and I’ve had one rather large one already.” Leticia laughed softly as she again thought of supersized.
“I look forward to seeing you again. I hadn’t forgotten our agreement to keep in touch. See you at noon, Leticia.” Using the first name felt comfortable; the subject of their meeting didn’t. This meeting could hardly be the social one Alexi