The Gravedigger by Kacie Clement (short books for teens .TXT) 📕

at her watch, she saw her flight back to Shadowbank left in an hour.

“Ladies, thank you for your time. My flight leaves in an hour. I will get back to you as soon as I know more.”

Joy Ault looked at the card Kamira had handed her. “You find Charles, Detective, and you bring that man to justice for killing my daughter.”

“I will do my best, Joy.”

Lucy walked Kamira to the door, thanking her for coming.

Kamira raced to the airport, returned the rental car, and boarded her plane. Putting on her headphones, she re-listened to the Ault women's’ interview in flight.

Terrance was waiting at the airport gate when Kamira touched down from Harpers Ferry.

“How did the interview with the Ault’s go?”

“Our case just took a 180 turn. Any luck finding a relative of Daniel Billings?”

Terrance opened the trunk of his vehicle, tossing Kamira’s bag inside. Grinning, he winked at Kamira, saying, “It wasn’t easy, but I found a cousin of his.”

Once inside of the car, Kamira asked, “What did the cousin have to say?”

“Mark Billings, born 1949 in Oregon, same year and place as Daniel. Now 72 years old. He said he and Daniel grew up together, went to the same elementary school. Daniel was a bright student. A genius really, his IQ level was 179. The school recommended he transfer to a school for gifted children.

Mark said he was moving towards a promising future. Daniel’s goal was to be a chemical engineer. At the start of his senior year, Daniel received notice of acceptance from the University of Texas, one of the best chemical engineering schools in the United States. But all that changed in 1967, when Mark and Daniel, at 18 years old, were drafted straight from high school into the Vietnam war.

Mark said they attended boot camp together, but two weeks in, the Army staff sergeant saw how well Daniel could shoot and transferred him to sniper school. Mark never saw him again. His thought was that after the war, Daniel wandered around the United States. His uncle, Daniel’s father, told him he had received a phone call from Daniel after being discharged. Daniel told his father that until he could get his head wrapped around the war years, it was better for all if he stayed away. He never came home and no one ever heard from Daniel again.”

Terrance watched as Kamira added her phone to the Bluetooth.

“You need to hear this,” Kamira said. “This is the Ault’s interview.”

Parking in front of the police department, Terrance looked at Kamira and asked, “Two questions. Why would Charles Chestfield kill his wife, and could it be possible Charles Chestfield is still alive? He would be in his 80s now.”

Walking into the department, Kamira frowned as she responded. “The other question is, did Charles Chestfield kill Daniel Billings?”

Seeing Kamira and Terrance walking through the door, Jack said, “Kamira, can I have a minute?”

Handing her bag to Terrance, she said, “Give me a few minutes. Can you call Greta Garrison and arrange an interview with her for the morning? She seemed to be close to Faye Chestfield. She may know the woman the pastor was counseling.”

Terrance nodded. “On it.”

Kamira followed Jack into his office, closing the door behind her. “What’s up, Jack? I wanted to check in with Willie Mae. Is she in her office?”

Jack tensed. “No, she didn’t come in today.”

Kamira sensed the next thing Jack told her would not be good.

“Suzie ran Willie Mae out to Arnie Bailey’s place this morning with a pot of gumbo. When she got back into the car, she asked Suzie to drop her at home. She had a headache and wouldn’t be working today. But that is not the worst of it. While I left to visit with Arnie, Suzie ran a background on the work crew that helped set up the Bellow estate for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding for the next day.

There were two from the work crew with known ties to the State Line Mob. Suzie and Marty Montgomery are on their way now to bring them in for questioning.”

Kamira felt her anger rising. “You’re telling me the State Line Mob is behind the failed pipe bomb at the rehearsal dinner? What did Arnie say, Jack?”

“This is where it gets interesting. Willie Mae asked if he knew who was leading the State Line Mob currently.”

“I need to talk to my auntie. She’s making a connection here, and it’s dangerous for her to be poking around in this.”

Kamira pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Dialing Willie Mae’s number, concerned when Willie Mae didn’t answer. Kamira left her a message saying she wanted to talk to her as soon as possible. She disconnected the phone. Her next call was to the landline at the Bellow estate.

“Hattie, this is Kamira. I can’t seem to reach Willie Mae, and I understand she wasn’t feeling well today. Could you call her on the phone?”

“How was your trip, Kamira? Willie Mae? She is busy right now. She is performing a healing session at the moment. Now, don’t you worry, Willie Mae is just fine? We had a fantastic day out in the garden today.”

Kamira, her mind racing, asked, “Hattie, did you ladies locate Alyce Ann Buchanan?”

Hattie, chuckling lightly, said, “No, we have not. It is quite a mystery. But we are still searching.”

Kamira, frowning, said, “Please tell Auntie I called. Tell her I would like a call back when she has completed her healing.”

Disconnecting her phone, she looked at Jack, who looked anxious.

“Now what, Jack?” Kamira asked.

“There’s no sign of the two men, and it looks like they packed up and left town.”

Kamira, feeling a chill run through her body, asked, “Alyce Ann? Any luck on finding her?”

Jack quietly replied, “Not a trace, Detective.”

Chapter 5

Sitting at the kitchen table, Kamira and Terrance were finishing up their breakfast, preparing to go into the department to start their day.

“Terrance, would you mind if we drove separately this morning? I want to go pick up