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

“What about your beautiful wife,” I said, picking up a pillow and throwing it at him.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about her,” Gam then threw the pillow aside and smothered me with kisses.

When he finished, I asked, “Aren’t you going to be late for work?”

“I’m not going in until 9:00 am. I have a meeting downtown. So I’m going straight to the meeting.”

“Jackson is expecting a telephone call from me today. I can’t stay in bed. I’ve got to get up and gather my thoughts”.

“Stay just fifteen minutes more.”

It was 8:00 am when we both got out of bed. Both our exercise routines would have to wait until tomorrow. We took a quick shower together. Gam dressed and left for his meeting while I fixed a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee. I then walked into my office, setting my breakfast on my desk. My vision board caught my eye, and I went directly to it. I had been reviewing it for ten minutes when the phone rang. Thinking it was Detective Rivers returning my call from yesterday, I quickly grabbed the phone.

“Hello,”

“Hello, may I speak to Vett Brayborn?”

“This is she.”

“Mrs. Brayborn, my name is Luis Lopez. Solardette Wilkes gave me your number. My two daughters are missing. Solardette said you might be able to help us find them.”

“Mr. Lopez, call me Vett. I’m very sorry to hear your daughters are missing. How long have they been missing?”

“You can call me Luis. Daria and Carmen have been missing for a month now.”

“What are the police doing to find them?”

“They’re trying but haven’t found them. My wife, Josefa, and I are going out of our minds with worry. We go to church with Solardette. She said you’re good at finding people.”

“Luis, tell me what happened.”

“It’s in the newspaper. You may have heard about it. They were taking swimming lessons at the Y on Saturdays. It is a six weeks course. Saturday, a month ago, they left the Y and haven’t been seen since. Since Josef and I both work on Saturdays, we allowed them to walk back and forth to the Y. It is only two blocks from our home. Somebody took our little girls. Can you help us?” Luis said tearfully.

“Yes, I’m sure I can,” I said in earnest. “How many swimming lessons had your daughters taken?” I knew of the Y’s program to teach young people to swim in order to help them be safe around bodies of water. Simone, Dimma’s daughter, had taken the course a few years back. Dimma and I both attended practices with her; it was a good program.

“Three.”

“How old are they?”

“Daria is fourteen, and Carmen is twelve.”

“Luis, I’ve been busy on another case, so I’ve not read anything about your case. Nevertheless, I will do my best to find your daughters for you. Here’s what I would like for you to do. You and your wife meet me in my restaurant, Vett’s Place, at 9:00 am this coming Saturday morning. Bring me everything you have collected, police reports, newspaper clippings, the Y swimming lesson schedule, pictures of your daughters, and anything else you think I need to see. I’ll be finished with the case I’m working on by Friday. I’ll then be able to concentrate fully on your case.”

“Thank you, thank you, Vett.”

“Luis, you are welcome. We’ll find them.”

“You are a good person. Solardette said so.”

“Thank you. I’ll do some reading up on your case before we meet. Goodbye for now.” After giving Luis the address to my restaurant and my cell phone number, I sat in quiet reflection. God has sent me another case to solve. This meant I had all the answers to Duffy’s murder. He never sends me another case before the case I’m working on is solved.

I finished eating my oatmeal and drank the last of my coffee. I then called Aunt Clove and told her I would be at the restaurant around noon. Afterward, I walked to my vision board and began writing. Even though my inner voice had given me the who, the why, and the how, I needed a logical sequence to provide to the authorities. I combined everything I had previously written that required an explanation into one list:

The 8:16 pm arrival of the bus at the Jefferson Springtop rest area is directly related to the murder. Therefore, the murder was planned. By whom?

The murderer must have known Duffy’s bus routes and bus rest areas. Is it easy to get this information?

While at the rest area Joe McClain and Holt Pruitt, Jr. said they were standing outside in the cold, foggy, and misty weather, chitchatting and stretching their legs. Why would someone do that in such horrible weather?

After the sequestering, on the way home, Solardette Wilkes heard Marjorie Brown whisper to Carolyn Broadbent and Gwen Sonnack, “Where is the gun now?” Why would she say this?

Several people mentioned that Duffy drank too much, was a womanizer, and was not well-liked. Is this true?

Lanta Oakmoor, in her youth, dated Ms. Lacecap’s brother. They were hot and heavy back then. Though married, she still maintains a close relationship with him. It is rumored she slept with other Black men as well. How does this fit into the case?

Marjorie, Rebbie, Carolyn, and Gwen all live in the same zip code in Envyton County but appeared not to know each other. Yet, Marjorie was overheard asking Carolyn and Gwen, “Where is the gun now?” Do they not know one another?

Duffy wanted a baby, but it appears his wife Nancy did not. Is this important?

I saw Nancy embracing and giving a man a passionate kiss. Is this relevant?

Nancy doesn’t like Jackson. She thinks he may cheat her out of Duffy’s insurance money. Why does she believe this?

Marjorie doesn’t live on the street she gave Brightness Bus Tours as her residence address. Why would she give them an incorrect address?

My inner voice told me Joe and Holt Junior had a specific purpose for standing