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

Junior is the father of Sybil Lloyd’s yet-to be-born-baby, Holt Pruitt, Sr. agreed to pay Mildred Lloyd $500 a month in child support until the child reached age eighteen. Also, Holt Sr. agreed to use his influence on the board of supervisors to help Ms. Lacecap maintain her women abused and battered safe haven business, which she conducted from her residence. Should she lose her safe haven business before the said child reached eighteen years of age, Holt Sr. agreed to increase the child support to $1000 a month. There are some other agreements in the document, but I think the name of the father of Sybil’s baby is what you are interested in.”

“Good grief, did Holt, Sr. really sign this agreement?”

“Yes, he did. I say it again, Ms. Lacecap was one smart cookie.”

“And she probably insisted that Sybil give Diantha the middle name of Angeline, the same name as Diantha’s paternal grandmother. This was another safety precaution in case Holt Sr. tried to screw her over.”

“I guess you can look at it that way.”

“I still don’t see what the big deal is? Young people fall in love and have babies. It happens.”

“You must remember the times. The Holts were a prominent family in Envyton County back then and still are to this day. They own businesses, rental properties, and a huge tobacco farm, though nobody works it now. They couldn’t afford a scandal. Their White son getting a Black girl pregnant was considered a scandal back then.”

“That’s it, that’s it, oh my God, that’s it!”

“That’s it what? What are you talking about, Vett?”

“Marjorie Brown and Rebbie Shields.”

“What do you know about them? They have been reported missing.”

“I know where they are. They were passengers on the Tennessee trip. I’ve tried to reach them several times regarding Duffy’s murder. They have never returned my calls.”

“They have never returned your phone calls because, after that Tennessee trip, they walked off the face of the earth. No one has seen them since they walked into Rebbie’s home. The next door neighbor of Rebbie’s saw them come home from the trip with luggage in hand. The neighbor said Marjorie had been staying with Rebbie for a few weeks. After a few of the neighbor’s phone calls to Rebbie went unanswered, the neighbor knocked on Rebbie’s door. After the third day of getting no answers to her knocks, the neighbor called the police.”

“They’re at the vegetable garden! I know they are there. You’ve got to listen to me.” I knew I wasn’t making sense, but I knew they were there.

“What! What are you talking about?”

“Holt Junior told me that he and his wife have a big vegetable garden at their old farm. Marjorie and Rebbie are there. Please trust me on this.”

“Why would they be there?”

“They’re being held there. They saw something on the Tennessee trip home they shouldn’t have seen.” The words coming out of my mouth surprised me, but I kept talking. “They saw Whirley. He was not on the Tennessee trip with us. He shouldn’t have been at the rest area.”

“Vett, you are not making any sense.”

“Please go and find them. They are being held somewhere around the plot of land used for a vegetable garden. There are no vegetables in the garden now. I know who murdered Duffy, and I will explain everything to you later. Please save them.”

“Alright, calm down. I’ll put in a call. We’ll go check it out. Did you know Marjorie and Rebbie worked for Ms. Lacecap? They were both prostitutes.”

“No, but that explains how they could easily recognize Whirley.”

“You stay put. Let me make a few calls, and I’ll call you back. Are you okay?”

“I am. Just two quick questions before you go. Is it okay to share the information you gave me?”

“I prefer you keep it quiet until after Armie is picked up tomorrow, but if you must provide information to Jackson Stevens, ask him to keep it quiet until after 5:00 pm tomorrow. All my ducks will be in a row by then.”

“Okay, I will. Now my last question. Did Gwen Sonnack leave a suicide note or a letter for Carolyn Broadbent?”

“Good gracious! How do you know so much about what is going on in my county? My God, Vett, what else do you know. Uh, no, she didn’t. But I’ll tell you this, those two sisters of Ms. Lacecap had no love for Duffy. They’re the ones, along with Whirley and Sybil, who kept the story circulating that he murdered Ms. Lacecap and Diantha. Give me a couple of hours, and I will call you back.”

“What! Did you say they were Ms. Lacecap’s sisters?”

“Yes. You didn’t know?”

“I do now, and it all makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Detective Rivers asked.

“I’ll tell you everything when you call me back.”

CHAPTER 27

After Detective Rivers hung up, I sat holding my phone, stunned at the information that had flowed from my mouth. I could only assume that Marjorie and Rebbie were in immediate danger. The urgency had to be made apparent to Detective Rivers. And God used me.

I got up and went to the ladies’ room. I then went into the kitchen to Aunt Clove’s office. She was on the phone but gave me the sign to wait. After twenty seconds, she said goodbye to who she was talking to and hung up the phone.

“Are you ready to continue with the walk-through of your case?”

“No, I no longer need to do that. I think I have everything I need. Thanks for being open to doing that. I talked to Detective Rivers longer than I had planned, and I now need to call Jackson, then finish some paperwork.”

“Not a problem. Any time you need help, I am willing.”

“Detective Rivers and some of her people will be here at 9:30 tomorrow morning. I’m helping them get information to close the Diantha Lloyd murder. They are going to wire my phone, and I’m going to talk to their suspect. I’ll tell you more about it later.