Graven Images: A Rock Creek Village Cozy Mystery (Callie Cassidy Mysteries Book 6) by Lori Roberts Herbst

Author:Lori Roberts Herbst [Herbst, Lori Roberts]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lori Roberts Herbst
Published: 2024-04-23T00:00:00+00:00

A few minutes later, I arrived at my first stop—the police station. Marilyn, the department’s administrative assistant, greeted me. “Morning, Callie. Why am I not surprised to see you?”

“Hey, Marilyn. Did Raul and Lynn catch the killer?”

“Not yet. Hope it happens before my last day.”

I’d forgotten Marilyn was scheduled to retire at the end of the year. How would the station survive without her? She’d been a fixture there since my father’s early days as Chief of Police. No one knew more about the inner workings of the department than Marilyn.

“They may have to shut the place down when you leave,” I said. “I hope they’re offering you a hefty severance to keep their secrets.”

She chuckled. “I definitely know where the bodies are buried. So to speak. Frank tells me he’ll be hiring my replacement soon so I can train the person. After that, life will go on. One thing age has taught me is that no one in any job is irreplaceable.”

I considered her words. I’d been an award-winning photojournalist at the Washington Sentinel, once considered a fixture there myself. My ego had tried to convince me how valuable I was to the newspaper. But when I’d chucked it all a few years back, the paper hadn’t folded. They hadn’t stopped covering crimes or wars or corruption. No, it had been business as usual.

“Life does indeed go on,” I said. “Honestly, I find that freeing.”

“Then you’re wise beyond your years, my dear. For many of us, work is a source of pride, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I recognize how much I’ve meant to this place, to this community. Nothing can erase that. But I’ll find other joys, other ways to be productive. And someone else will get the chance to contribute here.”

I smiled. “I wish you the happiest of retirements, Marilyn. You deserve it.”

“You’ll be at my party, right? The Saturday before Christmas.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

She straightened in her chair. “In the meantime, there’s still work to be done. You’re here to see Detective Sanchez, I assume?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Years of practice. Besides, there’s been a murder in the village, and you’re predictable. He’s in his office. You remember the way.”

“You don’t need to call ahead?”

She shook her head. “He’s predictable, too. Besides, what are they going to do, fire me?”

I grinned as I walked down the hallway toward Raul’s office. Marilyn was right—I remembered the way, all too well.

When I made it to Raul’s open door, I paused at the sound of low voices inside—Raul’s first, then Lynn’s. It sounded like a tense—and personal—conversation.

Nosy as I was, I wouldn’t allow myself to eavesdrop. I cleared my throat loudly enough to be heard and rapped my knuckles against the open door. “Morning, detectives,” I said with faux cheer.

Raul sat behind his desk, and Lynn stood with her hands on her hips near the opposite wall of the closet-sized office. They looked surprised and embarrassed, as if I’d caught them in an intimate moment.

A glance passed between them. Lynn dropped her hands to her sides and attempted a weak smile.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.