Sequestered with the Murderers by Dr. Tanner (books for 8th graders TXT) 📕

her Mrs. Angeline, worked for the school board. She’s the one who let everybody know about Ms. Lacecap’s contributions,” Kay said.

While Gam, Kay, and Mercy continued to converse on the subject of Ms. Lacecap, my mind was on the name Angeline. My inner voice had spoken. This name is important, it had said.

I had read in the police report that Diantha’s middle name was Angeline. Other than that, the name meant nothing to me—another wild card piece of the puzzle like the name Whirley.

“I think what I am hearing is that since Ms. Lacecap wasn’t hurting anyone, contributed money to the community, and I am assuming she paid her taxes, she was accepted as part of the community,” I said.

“Vett, I wouldn’t say accepted. I would say left alone. There was always one group or another in an uproar over her business,” Mercy explained.

“But she was never shut down. What’s up with that?” Gam said, then threw his hands in the air.

“I believe Ms. Lacecap had something on Holt Sr. and that whole old regime. A secret they did not want to be revealed,” Kay said, with that look of discernment on her face.

My inner spoke again. Pay attention, it said.

“Yeah, they paid her money to have sex with her girls and don’t want anyone to know about it,” Gam said sarcastically.

“No, I believe it is more than that. Every woman in Envyton County probably thinks her man has visited Ms. Lacecap at one time or another,” Kay said, then looked at Mercy with a sly smile on her face.

“Don’t look at me. I’ve never visited that woman,” Mercy said.

We all burst out laughing.

When we finished laughing, Mercy said, “It’s true, I’ve never been there. There are a lot of men in Envyton County that have never been there. However, it may be something to my wife’s theory. She is a mystery zealot,” Mercy said, putting emphasis on the words mystery zealot by using his index finger on both hands to indicate quote marks.

Mercy continued with, “I’m not condoning Ms. Lacecap’s business or opposed to it. It happened, and everyone chose to turn a blind eye to it.”

“Do you think Duffy Radley was involved in both murders?” I asked.

“Absolutely not. I think he was a victim of circumstance. He was married to Sybil, and they had a tumultuous relationship. The marriage only lasted five years, if that. The rumor is he paid too much attention to Sybil’s sister/cousin, Diantha. She was a very attractive girl, bi-racial, beautiful auburn curly hair, and was very shapely. It is also rumored that Sybil and Ms. Lacecap gave her everything she wanted, like the breast implants she wanted. So it could have been a little bit of jealousy there on Sybil’s part, and accusing Duffy was her way of getting back at him,” Kay explained.

“I told you my wife is a mystery zealot. She has an answer for every detail of a mystery,” Mercy said, then smiled at his wife. “I don’t believe Duffy had anything to do with Ms. Lacecap’s murder either. The two men who were convicted were criminals and were seen at the house during the time-frame the murder was committed. The police could not find any evidence whatsoever that Duffy was involved. So I believe he wasn’t, even though the murderers were acquaintances of his, and he had been out drinking with them the night before the murder. As far as who is the murderer of Diantha, I’m not so sure.”

“It’s time for dessert,” Haiden sang out as she approached our table, Boyd walking behind her with a tray of chocolate lava cakes. She quickly cleared the table, and Boyd set one single-size cake before each of us.

“Would anyone like coffee?” Boyd asked.

We all answered with, “No, thank you.”

“Enjoy,” Boyd said as he walked to the table behind us.

We all spooned into the chocolate. It was so delicious. After three spoonfuls, I said, “Mercy, do you think Duffy may have been involved with Diantha’s murder?”

“He never gave a strong alibi where he was the morning of the murder.”

“Where was he?” Gam asked.

“According to the news media, he was home sleeping off a drunken stupor.”

“And no one can corroborate his story?” Gam asked.

“You’re exactly right,” Mercy said.

“Besides that, people had heard him making sexual advances to Diantha. She despised him. I would, too. The audacity of him to make sexual advances to his wife’s sister/cousin,” Kay said.

“Alcohol makes you do strange things,” Gam said. By now, he had eaten half of his cake.

“That’s no excuse,” I said, “Do either of you know Armie Bledsoe?”

“Oh, yeah. He’s a friend of Duffy’s. One of his drinking buddies,” Mercy said.

“He wasn’t any better than Duffy making passes at Diantha, and he was married,” Kay said.

“What’s Armie got to do with this,” Gam asked.

“He’s a driver that works for Brightness and a friend of Duffy. I met with him after Brightness’s board meeting. He gave me background information on Duffy.”

“Rumor is they were two peas in a pod, and both had eyes for Diantha,” Mercy said.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah, everybody knew that. That’s why I can’t completely rule Duffy out for the murder of Diantha. I don’t know about Armie either. He could have done it, too. She was meeting someone in the park, but we don’t know who. Armie and Duffy both moved away after the murder, which in my book is suspicious. Why move away?” Mercy said.

“They moved away to divert suspicion from themselves. I’m telling you the meeting in the park was a clandestine meeting,” Kay said.

“There she goes with another one of her theories. But why hasn’t the person she was meeting come forth? If she was meeting someone legitimately, there isn’t a reason for the person not to come forward,” Mercy said.

“Because she was meeting someone in secret,” Kay said.

“With a bouquet of hydrangeas?” Mercy asked. “Do you really believe she would take a bouquet of hydrangeas to a clandestine meeting?”

“What was the deal with Ms. Lacecap’s love for