Kill Game: A Cold Poker Gang Mystery by Smith Dean Wesley

Author:Smith, Dean Wesley [Smith, Dean Wesley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: WMG Publishing
Published: 2015-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

October, 2014

Foothills

Boise, Idaho

JULIA SAT THERE STUNNED for a moment at Carl’s question.

“You are correct,” she said. “I was Stan’s wife in Reno. I was the one informed about his death. I didn’t know he had family, let alone other wives. He never mentioned a thing about his life, otherwise I would have contacted you at once.”

Carl nodded. “I know you would have, Detective.” He then asked the next logical question that Julia would expect a rich person with a mess on his hands to ask.

“Why investigate my brother’s death now?”

Lott explained about the group of mostly retired detectives who worked on cold cases for the Las Vegas Police. “Your brother’s case was my first case to go cold as a detective. So I have a personal interest in getting it solved.”

“And I joined into the group when I retired and moved to Las Vegas,” Julia said. “So how did you know about your brother having a number of wives?”

Carl shrugged. “He told me.”

“You’re kidding?” Julia asked, again shocked. “That’s not like people who do that sort of thing. They are usually very secretive about it. Did he tell you why?”

Carl nodded. “Sure. He said he loved you all and just couldn’t help it. Honestly, I tried to get him to get professional help, but he didn’t want it. I just kept hoping that the house of cards he was building with all four of you wouldn’t come crashing down.”

Julia laughed slightly and Lott glanced at her with his worried look she was starting to really like.

“That makes sense for the Stan I knew,” she said. “He hated hurting anyone’s feelings. He would rather just go along with something instead of complain at all.”

Carl nodded. “That was my brother. From a distance I sort of kept track of all four of you for a time after he disappeared. Stopped about ten years ago after it was clear Stan wasn’t coming back either here or to any of you.”

“And I assume you have kept this all from your parents?” Lott asked.

“I kept everything about his four wives from them except this news about his death,” Carl said. “I didn’t know he had been murdered until I got a call from Denise Miller after you spoke to her. I told my parents then that Stan was dead. I think they knew, but having it confirmed really set them back. Especially mom. She somehow, after twenty years, kept thinking he would walk in the door at any moment.”

Julia couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

“We met Denise,” Lott said after a moment of silence.

Carl nodded. “She’s a real piece of work, that one. Never met her, but the phone calls are always interesting. She’s the only wife Stan told about his parents.”

“Do your parents know they have grandkids?” Julia asked.

“I have three kids,” Carl said. “At the moment that’s enough for them. Detective, realize my father has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t remember anyone anymore and my mother has congestive heart failure. Both of them have very little time to live.

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