Murder in the Choir Loft by Michael Allen Adam

Author:Michael Allen Adam
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9798385005352
Publisher: WestBow Press
Published: 2023-10-10T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

Thursday was a wash for the case because Officer Phillips had been long scheduled for tactical training in Blackwell. Tom did not like leaving the case and the potential for another murder, but he reasoned if the two murders were connected for the reason of sinful behavior, it seemed likely the murderer had to find someone new and then come up with a plan. The time between the first murder and the second was several months. He probably had time. Besides, he enjoyed these tactical training days because they enabled him to rub shoulders, swap stories, and see other police officers more of his caliber, age, and stage of life. The officers in Pierce were all young, like Jenkins, or old, like the chief.

Tom stopped at the police station before leaving town. He left a message with the receptionist/dispatcher for Mark Jenkins, and put a note on his locker to visit Mavis Birch to take a statement. He did so with a smirk on his face. It was a little mean, but it would give the kid some needed experience and wouldn’t hurt him much.

Mark Jenkins was surprised when he came in that morning. He was honored and excited that Officer Phillips had entrusted and requested him to be involved in the case. Mark went to his desk and called the number he had been given. After introducing himself, he asked if he could speak to Mavis Birch. Edna said, “Oh honey, this is Edna Crabtree. Mavis is my daughter. She’s out back. I’ll have to go get her. It may take a while.” Officer Jenkins could hear Edna walk a few steps away and yell, “Mavis, Mavis, oh Mavis! Ya got a phone call. Hey, has anyone seen Mavis?” A minute later, Edna came back to the phone. “I’m sorry, officer. That girl! I know she is here somewheres. I just can’t get her to the phone right now.” Officer Mark Jenkins politely asked if he could stop by in a few minutes to talk with her. Edna said, “Sure, that’d be fine. I’ll see if I can rustle her up by then.”

Edna Crabtree was a southern woman with a strong accent and crooked teeth. Edna and Mavis had been blessed with genes and had lived in sunny places their whole lives, giving them deep, dark wrinkles all over their leathery skin. Edna owned a large piece of property on one of the city’s main streets. There was a medium-sized bungalow house in front, in which Edna lived. It was surrounded by rows of small, one-room buildings with one larger bathroom shower building in the far corner of the property. Edna was one of Pierce’s slumlords. She rented to oil field and farmworkers, many legal or otherwise immigrants. She charged too much for what they got, but in Edna’s mind, she was giving them a chance to make something of themselves. Mavis lived in the nicest of the tiny houses. She was the handyperson of the compound, doing painting, light repair, and collecting the rent.

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