A Simple Case of Murder: A Cozy Mystery (Lost in Alaska Book 4) by Leigh Mayberry

Author:Leigh Mayberry [Mayberry, Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Alta Myers was a powerful woman. It came with the years of dealing with the bureaucracy of state and federal politicians who had big plans for rural Alaska and no follow-through. Meghan experienced a little of that working as chief. There were a lot of empty promises. People told her one thing, usually what she wanted to hear. Only to walk back those empty promises like telling people they recycle, when all ends up in the dump in the end.

The magistrate had years more practice than Meghan. She learned to take broken promises and make something useful out of them. Alta wasn’t afraid of telling people to their faces. They were liars. She didn’t worry about burning political bridges because, in the middle of the Arctic Circle, people didn’t need bridges. If they waited around long enough, either everything sank into the ground, or froze sufficiently to walk over without falling.

Alta liked Meghan. She knew that because she was still around, and Alta wasn’t shy about telling the truth.

“Peanut Butter,” Alta said the moment Meghan slipped through the door to the courthouse in the crosswind. The slanting sleet turned into pelting freezing rain. It hammered on the windows and side of the double-wide trailer that made up the Kinguyakkii courthouse.

Alta’s hypocorism for Meghan had nothing to do with disrespect. It was a quirky title she earned from a case that brought Meghan notoriety, and a few perks with the magistrate.

“You look like someone ran over your cat,” Alta said.

“Just my ego,” she replied.

“We’ll talk about it.” Alta wore the traditional black court robes. When she called a recess, cleared the front of the trailer that made up the official courtroom, people had to find other places to be when Alta locked the door.

Sometimes, her court clerk played bailiff and pushed people outside, rain, snow, or misery. It didn’t matter. Until Alta said the court was in session again, people had to wait.

Fortunately, it was after-hours when Meghan showed up. There was no word on the troopers’ arrival. Alta pulled off the black robe and threw it at her clerk. He accepted it without words. He was a law clerk who had worked for Alta as a summer intern. That was six years ago. Meghan didn’t want to know if the judge paid him, or where he put down his head at night. Alta was a single confirmed woman. From the little Meghan knew about her, perhaps Alta was a former federal judge who pissed off the wrong mob boss in some big city in the lower forty-eight. She continued the practice in the heart of Alaska under the witness protection program.

That was one of many town rumors Meghan picked up. She knew Alta was an Alaskan Native because she saw the native pride tribal tattoo on her thigh once when Alta took off her court robes and wore shorts and a tank top during the summer.

“You don’t like ADA Spanswick,” Alta said. They were alone in the courtroom. Any other double-wide trailer space was a living room.

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