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

Duffy is guilty of murdering Diantha and involved in the murder of Ms. Lacecap.”

We continued to talk about Lanta, Whirley, Sybil, and Duffy but could not connect the dots to either murder.

“Vett, I hate to end this, but I do need to get to my family reunion meeting. I don’t want to be too late. Give me your business card. I’ll stay in contact with you. I’ll expect you to contact me if you come up with any new information.”

With that statement, Detective Rivers sounded just like a typical policewoman, but in her, I knew I had found a sounding board who was eager to show her boss she was up to the job.

I reached into my bag, pulling out a business card and a pen. “Here’s my card. I’m giving you my home phone number, too. If you can’t reach me via my cell, call my home number.” I handed the card to her.

“Thanks. I’m going to follow you for ten minutes or so to make sure no one is following you. I’ll honk my horn twice when I’m ready to turn off.”

“Detective Rivers, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure I’ll be okay. I don’t want you to be late for your meeting.”

“I’ll just be a few minutes late. I’ll call my cousin now and let her know what time I’ll be there.”

“Detective Rivers, really, that’s not necessary.”

“I want to do this. You’ve gotten me involved now. I need to do this. If it involves Diantha’s murder, I want to be the first to know. If someone starts following you again, I can pull over that person.”

Detective Rivers pulled her phone from her pocket and began punching numbers.

“While you’re doing that, I’ll go use the ladies’ room.”

“Okay.”

I walked into the ladies’ room and then looked in every stall to make sure no one was there. I went into the last stall and listened for footsteps while I used the toilet. No one came into the room. My nerves were shot.

“All set?” Detective Rivers asked as I walked back into the dining area.

“Yes.”

When we reached our parked vehicles, I said, “Detective Rivers, thanks for meeting with me. You’ve given me information to chew on, especially about Diantha’s murder. When I met with Duffy’s best friend, Armie Bledsoe, he wasn’t sure whether Duffy murdered Diantha. That’s where I am now. Unsure.”

Detective Rivers was looking at me with a shocked look on her face. Her eyes were widened, and her mouth was slightly opened.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Call me when you get back to Serenity. If I don’t answer, leave me a message.”

“Okay, I will.”

Detective Rivers followed me onto highway 220. After ten minutes with no sight of the white truck that had followed me earlier, she honked her horn twice and turned off the road.

I decided to stop by the drugstore on my way to Serenity to pick up some aspirins in case Gam noticed that his car had been moved. Once inside the store, I bought gum and a candy bar as well as the aspirins.

Driving onto Serenity’s parking lot, I noticed that the parking space where Gam had left his car was taken. I parked in the space next to it. I took Gam’s shirt off the seat, my tee-shirt, handbag, drug store bag, and walked quickly into Serenity. The police car was parked on the road in front of Serenity. I didn’t look back to see if the officer

noticed me.

I rushed into the room, throwing my things onto the bed. I picked up the note I had written and began tearing it into pieces. I threw the pieces into the toilet, then flushed it.

I opened the bottle of aspirins, took two out, and then flushed them down the toilet. I left the bottle on the dresser. I was not going to tell Gam about my meeting with Detective Rivers until later. However, if he wanted to know why his car was moved, I had my story ready.

I sat on the bed and made a call to Detective Rivers. She didn’t pick-up. I left her a message. The mystery books I had bought at the book show yesterday were sitting on the dresser. I picked up the one titled, Bled Forever Red. I took the book with me, closed the door, and then headed toward the stairs.

I stopped in my tracks, then said out loud, Armie Bledsoe. The artist sketch of a man who favored one of Duffy’s friends who he was out drinking with him the night before Diantha’s murder was Armie Bledsoe. That’s why Detective Rivers looked so shocked. She didn’t know I knew Armie Bledsoe. She was trying her darndest to keep from me that he was a suspect. Why was she being so pigheaded? She should have agreed to work with me. I wasn’t trying to steal her thunder.

“Armie Bledsoe?” I questioned out loud. When we met he never mentioned that he was out drinking with Duffy the night before Diantha’s murder.

I strolled down the stairs to the dining area with Armie Bledsoe weighing heavily on my mind. The smell of the freshly baked blueberry muffins overshadowed my thoughts of Armie. I put two on a plate, then poured a cup of coffee. With my muffins and book in one hand and the cup of coffee in the other hand, I crept to a seat in the small lobby area. Before I could set my items down, my phone began ringing. I quickly put everything down, then took my phone out of my pocket.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Baby,” Gam said.

“Hey. How is your game going?”

“It’s going good. Mercy has a good iron shot, but not as good as mind. We have the same handicap. Are you okay? Did you get any reading done?”

“I’m fine. I do enjoy the beauty of this place. I went to the drugstore earlier to get some aspirin. I’m okay now. I’m in the lobby now with one of my books. I do miss you.”

“Did you