Still Knife Painting by Cheryl Hollon

Author:Cheryl Hollon [Hollon, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2020-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Monday Afternoon, Wolfe County Sheriff’s Office

Coroner Felicia Larson normally discussed cases with her husband over dinner in their new apartment. Originally built in 1942, Wolfe County High School saw over sixty years as an educational institution. Then it closed in 2005. After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, the beloved Wolfe County landmark, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, had been transformed into nineteen units of mixed-income housing for residents fifty-five and older.

Although Felicia wasn’t yet fifty, Sheriff Larson had recently reached the magic number and they became eligible to move into the luxury apartments. She loved the freedom from gardening, chickens, and house maintenance.

On the downside, it meant she had to leave her precious flower beds with those ribbon-winning dahlias that she tended like children. It was also a struggle to live in only two bedrooms, using the second one as an office. But with her recent promotion, she had even been able to hire a weekly housekeeper who also handled the laundry.

Today, she marched into her husband’s side of their shared office and plopped down in his guest chair. She folded her arms, crossed her legs, and bounced one foot in a quick rhythm.

“I have a bone to pick with you.”

Sheriff Larson looked at his wife’s face and sat straight up in his chair, all attention. “I can see that. What have I done now?”

“It’s a case of what you haven’t done. You simply must get more involved in the Childers murder. I don’t care about jurisdiction, political issues, or old high school rivalries. This is murder. I just got off the phone with the coroner in Lexington. He’s been told the case is”—she finger-quoted—“an unfortunate accident.” She huffed, refolded her arms, and tilted her head awaiting his response.

“But, honey, your report is inconclusive. You’ve stated that the victim died of a stab wound that pierced the heart and that she bled to death.”

“Yes, but I also feel that the activities in the kitchen haven’t been properly taken into account.”

“Felicia, you need to be clear with me. What do you mean?”

She stood and leaned over the desk and pointed her finger. “Rick, I looked at the scene and the whole forensic team took pictures of the scene, but no one seems to have come to the obvious fact that nothing was being sliced in the kitchen.”

“But she had just made fried green tomatoes.”

“That’s right, and every tomato had been sliced, battered, and fried already. The cutting board was in the dish drainer by the sink. I would bet my life that the knife had been washed carefully and was sitting in the drainer, too. You can’t let a good knife sit around with tomato acid on the blade. This is not an accident.”

“Okay, don’t get in a snit. That level of detail is beyond the understanding of city officers. In fact, I doubt that I would have picked up on that, either.” Rich leaned back in his chair. “I’ll have to talk to Peterson.”

He checked his watch.

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