Meri Christmas: Mysteries of Meri (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 28) by Sara Bourgeois

Author:Sara Bourgeois [Bourgeois, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

I decided it was time Thorn and I paid a visit to Walter’s mother. If anyone could provide insight into Walter’s character, it would be her.

We drove out to the small blue house on the edge of town where Walter’s mother lived. As we walked up the stone path to the front door, I noticed the yard was a bit unkempt, with overgrown bushes and knee-high grass. Thorn gave me a knowing glance - it appeared Walter’s family was struggling financially as well.

I knocked on the faded wooden door, which creaked open to reveal an elderly woman with curly gray hair. “Mrs. Bennett?” I asked. “I’m Kinsley Wilson and this is Sheriff Thorn. We were hoping to ask you a few questions about your son Walter.”

“Oh, yes, please come in,” she said, opening the door wider. “Can I get you some tea?”

We politely declined and took a seat on the worn floral couch in her cluttered living room. I explained that we were investigating the recent burglary at Santa’s Workshop and wanted to learn more about Walter’s background.

Mrs. Bennett sighed. “That boy has always been obsessed with toys, ever since he was little. He used to spend hours organizing his action figures instead of playing with them. When he got older, he started collecting rare toys and models. I always thought it was a harmless hobby, but I suppose it’s possible he got carried away...”

I asked if Walter had shared any details about his termination from the toy shop. Mrs. Bennett shook her head. “All I know is he was devastated. He loved that job. Working there was like a dream come true for him.”

“Did Walter ever discuss any financial troubles with you?” Thorn inquired. “We’ve learned he was struggling with some debts recently.”

Mrs. Bennett nodded sadly. “I wish I could help him more, but I’m on a fixed income. He’s borrowed small amounts from me now and then when he’s been desperate. But I had no idea it had gotten so bad.”

She went on to tell us that two of Walter’s brothers had loaned him larger sums over the past year that he had struggled to repay. It seemed Walter had exhausted all his family resources.

We thanked Mrs. Bennett for her time and headed back to the station to dig deeper into Walter’s financial records. The picture that emerged was bleak - overdue bills, credit card debt, payday loans with exorbitant interest rates. Stealing and reselling the rare toys could have been Walter’s way of raising quick cash.

Our next stop was to talk to the brother Walter had borrowed the most money from - Brad Bennett. We met Brad at his auto repair shop on the edge of town. Brad confirmed loaning Walter several thousand dollars that hadn’t been paid back yet.

“I feel bad for the guy,” Brad said, wiping greasy hands on a rag. “But I’ve got my own bills to pay. Couldn’t keep floating him cash without getting anything in return.”

According to Brad, Walter had proposed various business schemes over the past few months to try to pay back what he owed.

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