Murder in Her Stocking by G. A. McKevett

Author:G. A. McKevett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-08-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

After dropping Savannah discreetly down the street from her mother’s house, Stella headed directly to the sheriff’s station. She found the front desk manned by a bored, sleepy Deputy Mervin Jarvis.

A solitaire card game was in progress on the desk. From the way he was slumped forward in the chair, his face nearly in his cards, Stella surmised that he was losing.

But then, something about Mervin Jarvis just seemed to announce to the world that he lost most challenges that life threw his way.

She asked to speak to Sheriff Gilford and was told, “The boss went home for a couple of hours. Said he had to get something to eat and would maybe catch a nap if he could. I’d leave him alone, if I was you.”

Figuring that was all she would get out of Deputy Mervin, Stella left him to his card game and hurried out the door.

Once back in her truck, she did a U-turn on the street and headed toward the river.

Many years ago, Manny Gilford and his wife, Lucy, had bought a decrepit little fisherman’s cabin set high on a bluff overlooking the Pine River. They had refurbished it with every spare penny they could save from his job as a deputy sheriff and hers at Sherry Ann’s Bakery in downtown McGill.

Once the house had been converted into a charming, cozy cabin, they’d set about attempting to raise a family. Their efforts had been short lived, like Lucy Gilford.

One hot July day, while Manny was away on a drunk-and-disorderly call at the tavern, Lucy decided to take a swim in the river, probably to escape the heat.

When Manny returned an hour later, his pretty Lucy was nowhere to be found.

It was three terrible weeks before her body was finally located downstream.

Lucy had never been known as a strong swimmer. Manny was, but of course, he had been out on a call.

The county’s handsome young sheriff had never forgiven himself.

The town of McGill grieved with him and for him. When he refused to answer the door, cakes galore were left on the cabin’s porch, along with casseroles and fried chicken, condolence cards, and every flower that the local florist had in stock.

Widow Maxwell even crocheted a little cross bookmarker.

Manny buried it with Lucy.

But, although their grieving deputy performed his duties impeccably, as though nothing at all had happened to shatter his heart and his world, Manny Gilford held all his well-meaning neighbors at arm’s length.

Even his two closest friends, Arthur and Stella Reid, had never been invited to the cabin again.

If Stella wasn’t so worried about her grandchildren, she would never have invaded his privacy by just dropping by unannounced. Plus, with a murder investigation under way, she knew he had to be exhausted, and heaven only knew when he had eaten his last solid meal.

But Stella reminded herself of the sincere look in his eyes when he had told her not to hesitate to ask, should she need his help.

She had never needed help more, and she had no doubt that he would understand her desperation.

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