Welcome Home to Murder by Rosalie Spielman

Author:Rosalie Spielman [Spielman, Rosalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: dog, small town, army, war hero, hometown, army veteran, female soldier, animal mystery
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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A half hour later, an old truck pulled in. I figured it to be a late seventies model Chevrolet. I didn't know cars quite as well as Aunt Edna, but, even in the dusk, I could see the thing needed some body work. The engine ran smoothly enough, and I suspected my aunt had something to do with that.

I stood from the rocker where I'd been pretending to read a book and went to the edge of the porch. "Mr. Proudfoot?" I asked when the man climbed out of the truck.

He was tall and lean, with longish hair, by Army standards, to about his shoulders. When he came closer and removed his cowboy hat, I could see his dark hair had some threads of silver running through it.

He approached the porch and squinted up at me. "You must be Tessa."

I wrapped my sweater tighter around me and nodded. "My aunt told me to let you know she's out in the barn. It's where she does her restoration work."

He glanced at the barn. "All right. It's okay if I go on out then?"

"Yes, sir." I had no idea why I was compelled to say sir. He just had a certain bearing to him that required it.

He nodded and put his hat on as he turned away. His gait was more of an amble than a stride, like he had all the time in the world to get out there. He didn't look grouchy or high strung in the least.

I was sure Aunt Edna had heard his truck, but I shot her a text as she'd asked me to as I sat back down. She had also requested I come intervene if it was more than thirty minutes. I figured I'd give them forty-five before I busted in there to make sure there was room for the Holy Spirit between them.

Aunt Edna had never been married. I thought she figured a man would take attention from her work and that was not satisfactory. Or "unsat," as we said in the Army.

Forty minutes passed, the sky had gone completely dark now, and I heard coyotes yipping off in the distance. I pulled myself up and headed out for the barn.

I stopped abruptly at the edge of the rectangle of light coming through the door when I heard a raised voice.

"Wait a second," Princeton Proudfoot nearly shouted. "Is that why you asked me out here? Why you put on perfume? To question me?!"

Before I could move farther into the shadow, he burst out from the light of the barn. He glared at me as he stomped away.

I had to do something.

I jogged after him. "Mr. Proudfoot, wait a moment."

He didn't turn until I called out, "Sir?"

"Why do you call me that?" He swung around and loomed over me.

I screeched to a halt. "What?"

"Why do you call me sir?" He annunciated carefully like I was a child.

"Habit," I shrugged. "I was in the Army. And, no offense, but you are my elder."

His stance softened a little, but he turned and kept walking.

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