Murder Of The Philandering Father

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Murder Of The Philandering Father - book excerpt

One

Tommy Larson eased the window open. He had never done anything like this before, evidenced by his nervous twitching and trembling hands. But the window was unlocked just as Marie had promised. He squeezed through the portal and turned on his penlight to find his way in the dark house. Marie had told him to go up the stairs and down the hall to the second bedroom. He took one short step after another, careful not to bump into a table or a chair. Ascending the stairs, Tommy held firm to the rail. After reaching the balcony, he tip-toed to the second bedroom.

Then his world got rocked! The sound of a gunshot exploded from the bedroom at the end of the hallway. The door to the bedroom flew open and a figure in black rushed by him. When the figure bumped into him, an object fell on the carpet. He watched the figure run out of the front door and then bent over to pick up the fallen object.

It was a gun!

Suddenly a door downstairs opened. He heard a woman scream. Then a door right next to him burst open. He saw Marie come out of her upstairs bedroom. She instinctively placed her hand over her mouth and gasped. Marie’s mother stared up at him from below. Tommy panicked, leaping down the stairs only touching every third step. When he reached the front door, he realized he was still holding the pistol and dropped it on the welcoming mat.

Two

“Detective Ranger, you just have to help him.” Mindy pleaded.

Wade Dalton looked at her sympathetically. “Mindy, I’m a federal investigator, not a detective or an attorney.”

“But Mandy wants you. Not some detective or attorney she doesn’t know. Mindy said referring to her twin sister. “Tommy can get his own lawyer, but he can’t get you.”

“Why is Mandy involved in this case? Sam arrested a young man and from what she told me, the Sheriff’s Office has a strong case against him.”

“Because it’s Tommy Larson, that’s why.” Mindy was almost in tears.

“Okay, settle down. Who is Tommy Larson and how does Mandy know him?”

“He’s a boy that takes night classes with us at college. Mandy has the hots for him.”

“I see.” Wade rested his arms on the rocking chair on the veranda at his lodge.

Mindy rested her hand on one of his arms. “Please, Detective Ranger. Please help Mandy.”

Tears flowed down Mindy’s cheeks. Wade rubbed his free hand through his hair. Then he patted Mindy’s hand.

“I’ll go talk to Sam and see what she says. If, after I talk to her and if I think I can help, I’ll talk to Tommy. That’s all I can promise you, Mindy.”

Mindy stood, put both arms around him and kissed him on his cheek.

“Thank you, Wade. Thank you so much.”

It was the first time since he could remember Mindy had called him by his name and not ‘Detective Ranger’. He watched the tears roll down her face and gave her a huge hug back.

Three

“Hey, Sam. How's the most beautiful lady in Mississippi today?”

Sam Cates looked up from her desk to see Wade enter her office.

“If we weren’t already engaged, I’d say you were trying to hit on me. Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“And―?”

“Not what you’re thinking. It’ll get you the information on the Warner Howard case.”

Wade sat in the chair opposite of Sam.

“Not as exciting as what I had in mind, but I’ll take it. What do you have?”

“Your client―”

“Hold on. He’s not my client yet. I told Mindy I would look into it for Mandy’s sake. I want to see what you’ve got on him before I get too involved.”

“Then I’m sure you won’t 'get involved', as you say. Tommy Larson, that’s the young man’s name, was seen standing outside Howard’s bedroom holding the gun that killed him just seconds after the fatal shot was fired. Howard’s wife and daughter both saw him. He fled the scene after he dropped the gun by the front door. The only prints on the gun belong to Tommy. He had gunpowder residue on his hands when we found him hiding at his parents’ home an hour after the shooting.”