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

grown and wanted nothing to do with farming and were pressuring Mr. Willie to sell the farm, which he did not want to do. On top of that, he had financial problems. Daddy said that Mr. Willie was depressed about losing the farm he loved so much and over the fact he couldn’t get funding to keep the farm. One morning Mr. Willie’s son found him hanging from a rafter in the barn.”

“This is so sad.”

“It is. So yes, I have come across victims of suicide several times. In Mr. Willie’s case, I guess he had lost all hope and didn’t see how he could make things better, so he committed suicide. When I was a boy about eight or nine, my favorite TV action hero committed suicide, though I didn’t really understand what that meant back then. I loved watching the Adventures of Armorman. Do you remember that show?”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

“You don’t? That was the best action show in the early sixties. Armorman was the strongest man on the planet. He was a real man’s man. I wanted to be just like him. I can’t think of the name of the actor who played him. I was told he shot himself in the head because he was depressed over not finding other acting roles. He became an alcoholic and some of the articles I read on him in later years said he had mental problems. He was married twice, and both wives claimed domestic abuse, eventually divorcing him. What is so sad to me about this suicide is that back then, it took a tragedy for his agent, family, and friends to finally admit there was a problem. They all said something like he has a starring role in a long-running TV show. What problems could he possibly have? None of them saw that he needed help. It was written in the media that he had demons and risk factors for suicide. How the media knew these things when those closest to him didn’t is beyond me.”

“I can see how people turn a blind eye to something that is right in front of them.”

“Donahue Adams. That was his name. I remember now. There are support groups available for people with suicidal thoughts nowadays. Not sure such groups were available back in the early-to-mid- sixties. The families of these people must help get assistance to their loved ones. I realize that there are people who refuse to accept all offers of help. We just have to keep trying to help the people we love.”

“That is so true. I wonder if Carolyn knew her friend had suicidal thoughts.”

“You can ask her when you get back. For now, why don’t we get some sleep? Enough talk about suicides.”

It didn’t take me long to perform my nightly bathroom rituals. By 11:00 pm, I was in bed on my way to sleep. Gam stayed up watching TV. When I turned over, the bedside clock illuminated 12:15 am. Gam’s steady snoring let me know that he was fast asleep.

CHAPTER 21

I awoke at 6:00 pm, ready to ride the treadmill in the small exercise room downstairs. It was Saturday and my birthday.

“Happy birthday, Baby,” Gam said as I turned over to get out of bed. I thought he was still asleep.

“Thank you. It’s going to be a glorious day, and I want to exercise some of last night’s delicious food off me before we start our day,” I sang out.

“Don’t get up yet,” Gam said, pulling me into his arms. “You had a revelation last night, didn’t you? I could tell you did. Tell me what happened.”

I wasn’t ready to discuss with him what my inner voice told me. I wanted to walk the treadmill to get some time alone—to be totally open to what was coming to me. And I wanted to be unencumbered to clearly understand what my inner voice was making me aware of, and I wanted privacy to formulate my next steps. However, that could wait. My being here in Gam’s arms, enjoying each other, was far more important to me.

“I did, but I haven’t had time to analyze the meaning. Let me tell you about it later after I’ve had time to probe the meaning.”

“That’s fine. What was your reading on Kay and Mercy?”

“Mercy is funny and amusing. I do believe at some point in his younger years, he visited Ms. Lacecap’s brothel. Don’t you?”

“I do. And he probably knows the names of prominent people who visited it as well. What do you think of Kay?”

“She is sweet. She definitely has the bug—the mystery-solving bug. Did you notice how strongly she believes there was a secret plan going on by powerful people or by a couple of people to let Ms. Lacecap stay in business?”

“You know, she could be right. There could be some type of behind the scene deal that was brokered that allowed Ms. Lacecap to stay in business.”

“Like what?”

“That’s the million-dollar question.”

“Yeah, I guess Kay could be right. Forty-five years is a long time for a house of prostitution to stay in business.”

“Uh-huh, darn tootin’ it is,” Gam exclaimed.

“I must say, Kay and Mercy, are a delightful couple and exactly who I needed to talk to.”

“They sure knew a lot about the Lacecap Hydrangea Murders for people who didn’t know either of the murdered people.”

“I know, but Envyton County is not a big county. From what I’ve learned, it was big news back then and stayed in the media for a while.”

“A couple from Envyton County at Serenity at the same time we are here, who would have thought that would happen?”

“Not me, by any stretch of the imagination.”

“God certainly provides what you need to solve your cases. I know I’ve said this to you before, but the things that happen to you are so . . . so paranormal.”

“It’s God, Gam. Make no mistake about it.”

We lay there for thirty minutes talking about some of the other beyond explanations and unordinary experiences