The Gravedigger by Kacie Clement (short books for teens .TXT) 📕

bait shop, and when I asked where he was, old Charles Durbin said he was up visiting George Buchanan at the prison. Said he goes every week. I figure George is still running things, and Buddy is nothing more than George’s puppy dog.”

Willie Mae smiled and said, “I will let Jack know, Arnie. I will be back next month with another pot of gumbo and a longer visit. I need to get home now. I have a new woman coming today for healing.”

Willie Mae said goodbye and got back on the passenger side of the police car.

Seeing the paleness of Willie Mae’s face, Suzie asked, “Are you okay, Willie Mae? Did that old man say something to upset you?”

Willie Mae looked at Suzie. She needed to think this over. Again, Willie Mae wondered where Alyce Ann was. She would feel better if she could talk to her.

“No, Arnie never upsets me. I think I just got up too early, and I have a headache. Do you think you could drop me back at the Bellow estate? I need to rest for a bit. Thinking I will take the day off.”

While Suzie was walking into the police department to start her day, Willie Mae was tending her new garden at the Bellows’, wondering what her next step should be to protect her family.

Jack, seeing Suzie entering the department alone, came out of his office.

“Where is Willie Mae?”

Suzie smiled at him and said, “Sorry, I am late. I ran Willie Mae out to an older man’s cabin. An Arnie Bailey with a pot of gumbo. She didn’t want to bother you or Kamira. I dropped her off at the Bellows’. She had a headache and took the day off. I am pretty sure she had been up most of the night making that pot of gumbo.”

“So how was old Arnie?” Jack asked.

Suzie laughed, “The man came out of the door with a shotgun. Willie Mae told me it was best if I stayed in the car.”

Jack frowned, “Yea, Arnie doesn’t like strangers. So you didn’t hear what they talked about then?”

Suzie, puzzled, replied, “Is there a reason I should have, Chief?”

Jack grinned, “No, I was just wondering what was new with Arnie. Marty is looking for you.”

Jack turned, frowning. He walked back into his office, thinking Willie Mae never gets headaches. I better go on out to Arnie’s and see what’s up.

Grabbing his car keys, Jacked walked out of his office. Looking at Sally behind the desk, he said, “Sally, I have to go out for a bit. Call me on the radio if you need me.”

“Sure, Chief,” Sally replied.

Kamira walked up to Joy Ault’s front door in Harpers Ferry, ringing the doorbell.

Kamira watched the door open, seeing an older woman looking at her quizzically and saying, “You must be Detective Jackson, I presume?”

Kamira smiled. “Mrs. Ault, I presume?”

The woman laughed. “I am Lucy Ault. My mother Joy is in the kitchen waiting for us. She doesn’t get around much anymore with the wheelchair, but she is looking forward to talking with you. I hope you like tea.”

Kamira followed Lucy Ault into the kitchen, seeing an older woman pouring tea into three delicate teacups.

“Mrs. Ault, I am Detective Kamira Jackson. Thank you for allowing me to come and visit with you this morning. I hope not to take up too much of your time today.”

Lucy, pouring a dash of milk into her tea, responded, “So finally someone is investigating how Charles killed my sister?”

Kamira’s hand holding the teacup stopped mid-air. “Ms. Ault, you believe Charles Chestfield killed your sister, Faye?”

Joy Ault slammed her teaspoon onto the table. “Now, Lucy, we don’t know that for sure. I don’t want you starting trouble again where there is none.”

Kamira, watching the interaction between the two, took her questions in a different direction. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a tape recorder.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to tape our discussion this morning. Would that be alright with you, Mrs. Ault?”

“Call me Joy, Detective. Yes, it would be fine. What would you like to know?”

Kamira started recording. She stated her name, the date and time, and both Joy and Lucy Ault’s names.

Ready to start, Kamira asked Joy, “Can you tell me how Faye and Charles met and a little about their family?”

Kamira watched as the older woman’s eyes clouded in to reminisce.

“My daughter Faye and Charles Chestfield met in college and married after just three months of dating. It was a whirlwind romance. Soon after, they began a family. They had my little granddaughter, Cassie. I watched her, but one day, she stumbled and fell. I knew something was wrong. Three weeks later, Cassie was dead from a brain tumor. It was a hard time for my Faye, but she made it through with her faith and family. It’s hard to believe Faye’s life came to an abrupt end by snuffing out the storybook romance with a drink and a bottle of sleeping pills.

Faye was a perfectly healthy mother of two daughters. She was a perfect pastor’s wife, always visiting the elderly, teaching Sunday school, and helping the parishioners in any way she could. She even had a plan to build and start a private Christian school in Shadowbank. There was no note to us, her children, her husband. Through the years, I have often wondered why she would take her own life?”

Kamira nodded. She asked, “Ms. Ault, Lucy, what can you tell me about Faye? Let’s cover that before we discuss Faye’s death.”

Lucy Ault spoke.

“Faye and I were twins. We did everything together. Throughout elementary school, Faye and I were in the same classrooms and always dressed alike. The teachers had a hard time telling us apart. We had the same haircut, got our driver’s license on the same day, and attended Columbia together. We dreamed that we would take over a hospital, with Faye working in healthcare management and me in Human Resources.

One night while we were in college, we went out