What We Bury by Carolyn Arnold

Author:Carolyn Arnold
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: police procedural series;strong female protagonist thriller;murder mystery thriller;female police detective;female lead detective;strong female detective;homicide investigation procedural mystery;stabbing;corrupt cops
Publisher: Carolyn Arnold
Published: 2020-10-20T19:41:46+00:00

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Thirty-One

Just after three in the afternoon, and Madison’s doctor’s appointment was at four. She should probably let Terry tackle John Clayton on his own, but if necessary, she’d reschedule with her doctor. This was a solid lead, and she wanted to see the man face-to-face for herself, not hear about him from a second-hand account.

Clayton’s criminal background was clean, but he was employed as a chef at the Pig King in the north end. The restaurant specialized in barbecued meat, primarily pork, as their name implied.

They drove to the place figuring that, with the time of day, they’d most likely find him in the kitchen.

Madison stepped inside and slowed her breathing. The smell of slow-roasting meat and sweet barbecue sauce was overpowering and flipped her stomach. She flashed her badge at the hostess and requested to speak with John Clayton. The hostess nodded and went toward the back.

“John’s busy. Is there something I can help you with?” It was the manager who ended up coming to see what she and Terry wanted. He was a potbellied, middle-aged man. The only thing going for him was a full head of hair.

“What you can help us with is getting Mr. Clayton,” she said.

The manager sighed dramatically and opened his mouth, shut it, opened it. “Very well. I can spare him for no more than five minutes, though, and then he needs to get back to work. The crowds start rolling in just after five, and there’s lots to prepare. Follow me.” He took them back to the kitchen and shouted, “John!”

A large man, easily close to four hundred pounds, was chopping meat on a block. At the sound of his name, he suspended his cleaver in mid-strike. He squinted at Madison and Terry, his eyes small and beady and sunken in his face. “Who are you?” Obviously annoyed at the interruption and not in the mood to talk.

Well, too bad. “We’re detectives with the Stiles PD, and we need to speak with you about Chantelle Carson.”

The manager glanced from Madison to Clayton and slunk out of the room, seemingly not wanting to get involved in whatever this was about.

Clayton stared at Madison, and she could see his mind spinning and trying to decide whether he should run, but he wasn’t exactly in the shape for it. Score for her.

He set down the cleaver and held up both his hands. “I’ll stop calling her.”

“Huh, it’s only part of the reason we’re here.” Madison moved farther into the kitchen. “But why did you call her so much?”

Clayton’s eyes darted from her to Terry to the door, and he started to move. He only got as far as the other side of the counter since she’d darted quickly to block him.

“Let’s just talk. Okay?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. She did.” He clenched his jaw and crossed his arms.

“How do you figure?”

“She rejected my application, and she wouldn’t listen to reason.”

“This was all about insurance?” Madison asked.

“Ah, yeah.”

“So what? You intended to force her to hear what you had to say?” Madison said.

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