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

I calmed myself as I continued on.

The drive to Pine Hope was a straight shot from Serenity, as Detective Rivers had said. I was there in front of the hotel in twenty minutes, though I had thought the truck incident was going to delay me. Five minutes later, I saw a white van pull into the parking lot. Detective Rivers pulled around so that her driver’s side was next to my driver’s side.

“Hi, you must be Vett. I’m Detective Rivers. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Detective Rivers.”

“We’re going inside. I know the owners. We can sit in a corner and talk.”

“Okay,” I said, opening the car door. We shook hands. As we did so, I realized I had on Gam’s shirt underneath my jacket. I quickly took off my jacket, took off his shirt, and then put my jacket back on.

“What’s all that about,” Detective Rivers asked while watching me curiously.

“I’ll tell you about it once we’re inside.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Detective Rivers said, leading the way to the inside of the hotel. She was taller than me at five feet ten inches tall, with medium size facial features. She had a square face void of any make-up. She was sort of manly looking. Her short black hair was brushed to the back of her head, and her 250-pound frame had on jeans, a white tee-shirt, and a jeans jacket.

After sitting down near a front window section of the lobby, I was eager to speak first.

“I don’t want to put you in any danger, so I have to tell you something before we get started.”

“Danger. What do you mean?”

I took my time telling her about the letter I received last night and about the truck incident on my way here. She took notes and asked a lot of questions about the truck. I told her everything I remembered.

“So I wrapped my tee shirt on my head and wore that big shirt you saw me take off to disguise myself from the police. I had promised my husband I would not leave the hotel today. But I just couldn’t miss this opportunity to talk to you. He’s playing golf today, and I didn’t see the police when I left Serenity. I’m praying I get back before he does.”

“What time is he due back?”

“It’s eighteen holes, so I’m thinking 3:30- 4:00 pm. Or somewhere around that time.”

“Oh, you’ll be back before then. Now, let me say this first. You have really stepped on someone’s toes. However, whoever sent you that letter and whoever was in that truck was trying to scare you, not harm you. If they wanted to harm you, you would’ve been harmed, but we still need to take these incidents seriously. Okay.”

“Okay,” I said compliantly. Believe me, I was taking the incidents seriously. I just wished that familiar awareness of I was going to be okay and of feeling like I could conquer the whole world would reappear.

“I’ll make sure you get back before your husband gets back. Now tell me why you think Duffy’s murder is connected to the Lloyd murder. Let me hear what you know.”

“From what I have uncovered, the Lloyd family believes Duffy murdered Diantha. He was heard propositioning her several times. She is his first wife’s sister/cousin, and she despised him. Several people mentioned that Duffy drank too much and was not well-liked. I guess what I am saying is the motive is Diantha’s rejection. He knew about her walks in the park, so he accosted her in the park and raped her, not really intending to murder her. But murder was the end result of the blunt force trauma she sustained to the back of the head. Besides all this, the family believes he was involved in Ms. Lacecap’s murder. This is because of his connection to the two men who were convicted.”

“Duffy didn’t do it.”

“How do you know this? His alibi of being home alone doesn’t cut the mustard.”

“I know it is not a strong alibi, but I haven’t found evidence to dispute it. The guys he was drinking with claim they dropped a drunken Duffy off at his apartment around 2:00 am. A neighbor heard a car and people talking outside at that time. This neighbor didn’t get up to go to the window to see who was out there. No one saw Duffy leave his apartment the day of Diantha’s murder until after the body was found. Duffy’s apartment was in a low-income area with a lot of kids outside playing. There is no back entry/exit to his apartment. If he left before the murder took place, someone would have seen him. Someone saw him get into his car at 12:35 pm and drive away. Diantha was reported dead at10:17 am.”

“Where did he go?”

“He went to Jumping Jill’s Chicken to get lunch. We have a video of him in the drive thru lane at 12:45 pm. Jumping Jill’s is down the street from the apartment complex.”

“I take it no one saw him in the park.”

“That’s correct. However, we do have a witness that gave our sketch artist a rendition of a man we have not completely identified. But it favors one of the friends Duffy was out drinking with Saturday night.”

“Who?”

“I have to keep that confidential for now.”

“Confidential! I’m sharing all my info with you, and you’re pulling the confidential crap routine on me.”

“I have to, Vett. Though people don’t believe it, Diantha’s murder is not a cold case. I’m still working on it in addition to all my other cases. I’ve been a sheriff for twelve years, and three years ago the case was turned over to me. I’m going to solve it. There are naysayers in the Sheriff’s Office who say I can’t do it. I’m going to prove them wrong.”

“Then let’s work together.”

“I don’t know you that well yet. Plus, the cases are in two different jurisdictions. My main focus is finding Diantha’s murderer,