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

“I think you are missing a big opportunity because I know solving one murder will solve the other, but okay, do what you want. Do you know who Diantha was meeting?”

“No, not yet. The theory is she was meeting a man, perhaps a married man.”

“How did you come up with that theory?”

“Through tenacious investigation. She was a very attractive young woman. She wasn’t gay, according to her family and friends, but she wasn’t seen with a steady boyfriend. They are the ones who believe she was seeing a married man secretly. They just couldn’t tell me who the married man was.”

“Well, that would make sense. A rendezvous in the park with a married man is not farfetched. Perhaps, Diantha was threatening to tell his wife,” I surmised.

“Perhaps. I believe it was more like breaking up with the man. I believe this because an unmarried man, whose name I am not going to reveal, has come forward claiming he and Diantha were dating and were serious about each other. He claims he was going to ask her to marry him.”

“Did the family and friends know about this man?” I asked.

“They did but didn’t think it was anything serious because she didn’t talk about him much or bring him around them frequently.”

“Perhaps, it became serious. Diantha realized this man was the one for her and decided to break it off with the married man,” I replied.

“I can go along with that. So, if this is true, where does your presumption that Duffy murdered Diantha fit in. She despised him. She would never have allowed him to get next to her,” Detective Rivers said.

“I don’t know, but I do have a question for you. What do you know about Holt Pruitt, Sr. and Holt Junior? I’ve come across information that Holt Sr. abused his authority on the board of supervisors in ways to keep Ms. Lacecap’s prostitution business afloat. I’ve been told that when Holt Junior was a teenager, he may have raped one of Ms. Lacecap’s prostitutes, fathering a child. To cover it up, Holt Sr. paved the way for Ms. Lacecap to stay in business.”

“Hmm, you have done your homework. How does this fit into your case?” Detective Rivers asked.

“I don’t know yet. What do you know about the rape?”

“That rape story has been floating around for years,” Detective Rivers said.

“So it’s not true.”

“The rape isn’t true, but I do believe Holt’s Sr. used his position as the chair of the board of supervisors to keep Ms. Lacecap in business.”

“Why would he do that?” I asked.

“Uh . . . uh . . . I will tell you what I have recently uncovered since what you know already is close to the truth. This is information I’m asking you to keep to yourself until I say it is okay to reveal. Do you swear to do this?”

“I swear to keep it secret until you tell me otherwise. I promise.”

“Holt Junior didn’t rape a prostitute. As teenagers, he and Sybil were in love. She was fourteen or so and he was sixteen or so when Sybil got pregnant. When she began to show, she was sent to a home for unwed mothers in Pennsylvania. I’ll keep the name of the place confidential for now. While Sybil was away, a rumor spread from Ms. Lacecap, no doubt, that Sybil was sent to help Ms. Lacecap’s sister, who was having a difficult pregnancy. In October of 1965, Sybil came home, and a few weeks later, a rumor spread that Ms. Lacecap was raising her sister’s child.”

“So there was no rape?” I asked.

“Not at all.”

“I believe Ms. Lacecap’s and Sybil’s price to remain silent was Holt Sr.’s help in keeping her business open,” Detective Rivers explained.

“Do you have proof of any of this?”

“Diantha’s birth certificate is hard to get. I have someone helping me. I’ll have it soon. And I have another piece of information I am keeping confidential until I get confirmation of authenticity.”

“Maybe that’s why Holt Junior’s name keeps popping up in my investigation. I was on that trip to Tennessee, and so were Holt Junior, his best friend, and their wives. Whenever I receive information about Duffy’s case, Holt Junior’s name pops up in it. When all of us passengers were at that rest area using the restroom, Holt Junior and his best friend Joe said after using the men’s room, they stood outside in the cold, foggy, and misty weather chitchatting and stretching their legs,” I said.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Who does that in that type of miserable weather? It was cold, awful weather. After using the restrooms, the rest of us headed straight to the bus to get out of the awful weather while Holt Junior and Joe stood around in it,” I explained.

“Stood around doing what besides chitchatting and stretching their legs?”

“Just stretching their legs and chitchatting,” I said facetiously.

“So you think they murdered Duffy?”

“Not really, but their behavior that night is suspect.”

“What other questions do you have?”

“What do you know about Ms. Lacecap’s brother Whirley?”

“I’ve spoken with him. He is a handsome man, even now in his seventies. He’s six feet seven inches tall and walks with a pronounced limp he sustained when a tractor overturned on him. He’s known as a jack of all trades in Envyton County, Attribute, and Martinsville. He’s a locksmith by trade, works in plumbing, construction, maintenance, and God only knows what else. He and Ms. Lacecap were very close. He worked for her from time to time. He has no record and appears to be a straight shooter. Why do you ask?”

“His name came up in my investigation.”

“From my investigation, I learned that he loved Ms. Lacecap, Sybil, and Diantha very much. He never had any children of his own. He’s never been married. It is rumored he still carries a torch for your client’s sister, Lanta,” Detective Rivers said.

“Yeah, I know about that.”

“I can tell you Whirley hated Duffy, as did Sybil. All the Lloyds believe