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Read books online Ā» Mystery & Crime Ā» A Life for a Life by Lynda McDaniel (best selling autobiographies .txt) šŸ“–

Book online Ā«A Life for a Life by Lynda McDaniel (best selling autobiographies .txt) šŸ“–Ā». Author Lynda McDaniel



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over for me, which made me worry I might lose some of the schooling Iā€™d had. I really missed going to school. Most kids wouldnā€™t never say that, but I reckoned they didnā€™t know how much theyā€™d miss itā€”and their friends. I hadnā€™t exactly had friends, but I did get to hang out with other kids.

I picked out three dimes and one nickel. I knew I was short on the tax, but I wanted to see what sheā€™d say.

ā€œIā€™ll take one more penny, Mister, but just put it in the penny jar to help someone else who needs one, okay?ā€

I picked up the rest of my change and stuffed it in my pocket. ā€œHowā€™s it going?ā€

ā€œWell, youā€™ve seen the parade of curiosity seekers. I just wish theyā€™d care as much about the young woman as the juicy crime story. She didnā€™t have any ID on her, and no oneā€™s identified her yet. I finally remembered why Iā€™d seen her at the store. She asked me to order some kind of bread she liked and gave me the money in advance. But she wouldnā€™t give me her name or a way to reach her when it came inā€”just said sheā€™d be back for it.ā€

ā€œWhat kind of bread?ā€

ā€œIā€™ve put a couple of loaves in the freezer over there. Some kind of healthy loaf. Iā€™ll probably end up eating it myself.ā€

I wandered over to the freezer and saw what looked like a couple of brown bricks with seeds glued all over them. Iā€™d stick to Mamaā€™s biscuits. ā€œIā€™d better scoot. Mama will have a fit if she sees me here.ā€

ā€œWhat time is it?ā€ Della asked, looking at her watch. ā€œOh, hell, Iā€™ve got to go see Brower in a few minutes. He wants me to sign something. You want to know the truth? Iā€™m almost looking forward to Brower instead of all these questions here at the store, over and over again.ā€

I musta looked at her like she were crazy, ā€˜cause she kinda laughed. ā€œYeah, I guess that was over the top. Iā€™ll just be glad for a little break. I wonā€™t be long.ā€ She patted my back as we walked to the door, then taped a ā€œSorry Iā€™m Closedā€ sign on the door, locked up, and drove off.

I went home for dinner, which was my favoriteā€”chicken and dumplings, green beans that Mama put up last season, and fresh rhubarb pie, first of the year. Afterwards, I started to head down to the store, where a couple of folks were sitting in their cars, waiting for a heavy rainstorm to move out. But Daddy called out and told me to clean up my mess in the barn. Thatā€™s what he called my hubcap collection. My mess.

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image Chapter 7: Della
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ā€œLonnie, get me that damn file. And is that Kincaid woman here yet?ā€

Deputy Lonnie Parker flashed an embarrassed look my way. Brower was never known as a cheerful guy, but his mood seemed particularly rank. Lonnie hesitated, then grabbed the file and headed into his bossā€™s office. I could hear a mumbled discussion before Lonnie returned with his head bowed.

ā€œHe said heā€™ll see you in ten minutes. Heā€™s got to make some phone calls first.ā€ 

ā€œThatā€™s fine, Lonnie. Iā€™m in no hurry to relive yesterday.ā€

ā€œMan, that musta been hard on you. Iā€™ve never been involved in anything like that.ā€

I just nodded, as I flashed on the similar incidents Iā€™d seen in D.C. But I didnā€™t want to relive those eitherā€”or get into one-downmanship with the deputy. He and the sheriff lived in Laurel Falls (Lonnie with his mother, Brower with his ego), but their county office was about ten miles from the store. I mostly knew them by reputation and, of course, through the rumor mill.

Lonnie had always been courteous to me, though I knew he could pick on Abit as badly as the rest. While I watched him go back to typing a report, I couldnā€™t help but feel a pang of pity. He lived in a culture that expected him to be tough, but he didnā€™t seem well suited to that role. He was just the flunky of a hard man, and together they played out the old kick-the-dog routine. Brower got dumped on by his boss, he took it out on Lonnie, who made fun of Abit, and so on. Except it seemed to stop with Abit. He just absorbed the jabs, as though he deserved them.

ā€œCoffee?ā€ Lonnie asked as he pulled the report from his typewriter.

ā€œThanks, but Iā€™ll hold off on any more. Iā€™ve had plenty today.ā€

ā€œYou just donā€™t want the sludge we serve,ā€ he said, as he walked to the kitchen. He came back with a drip-stained mug that made me doubly glad about my decision.

ā€œKincaid!ā€ Brower shouted through the office door. When I opened the door, I noticed that his face sagged with fatigue, and his shirt, buttons straining over his belly, looked as though heā€™d slept in it.

ā€œGood morning, Sheriff.ā€

He motioned to the chair. ā€œOkay, letā€™s go over this again. What were you doing in the woods yesterday?ā€

ā€œHaving lunch with Jake.ā€

ā€œWhy that area?ā€

I sighed. Iā€™d gone over all this last night. ā€œItā€™s a favorite spot.ā€

Brower smiled. ā€œNot any longer, I bet.ā€

I waited; I knew he was baiting me. I hadnā€™t left Abitā€™s house till about ten oā€™clock, and after that, Iā€™d had trouble winding down. I thought about a glass of wine, but alcohol had never been a good relaxer for meā€”Iā€™d fall asleep, then wake up a few hours later with jarring thoughts made worse in the dark. As it turned out, that would have been better than lying awake most of the night.

ā€œSo did you recognize this girl?ā€

Brower called every woman a girl, but that time he wasnā€™t off by much. ā€œSheā€™d come by the store once. Thatā€™s where I see most people, and I knew there was something vaguely familiar about her face.ā€

ā€œSo, you did know her?ā€

I ignored that. ā€œHave you identified her yet?ā€ I asked. I didnā€™t mean anything by that comment, but he took offense.

ā€œNothing from her prints,ā€ he said, then added, ā€œWeā€™re doing the best we can. Itā€™s not easy on our limited resources.ā€ Brower moved on to other details weā€™d gone over last night. I didnā€™t understand why we were doing it all over again. Where was the damned typed statement I was supposed to sign?

Finally, he slid a sheet of paper over with a pen. ā€œI better not find out you messed with anything. Itā€™s bad enough you touched the body, but under the circumstances, Iā€™ll let that pass. You sure you didnā€™t mess with anything else?ā€

I just looked at him.

ā€œOkay, thatā€™s it for now. Looks like suicide. Weā€™ll get the tox screen in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, as they say, donā€™t leave town.ā€

I dug my fingernails into my palm to keep from saying something snide. I tried to think that somewhere inside him, deep down, there was something that would allow me to feel compassion for him, but at the moment, it alluded me. I stood and turned to leave his office.

ā€œBy the way, thatā€™s a damn fine dog youā€™ve got. I never went much for mongrels, but I believe he got all the best features from his mixed parentage,ā€ Brower said. ā€œLet me know if you ever want to give him away.ā€

ā€œSure, Sheriff. Iā€™ll put you at the top of the listā€ ... of bastards, I thought to myself.

ā€œListen, Missy, no one invited you to move here. Lose the bitch attitude if you want to stay in business.ā€

I turned, my hand still on the door knob. ā€œWhat did you say?ā€

ā€œYou heard me. Iā€™ve always wondered why you came here. Running from something back there in the crime capital of this fine country?ā€

ā€œThis fine country, Brower, letā€™s people move wherever they want.ā€

ā€œSo why here?ā€

ā€œI bought that store fair and square. I fixed it up, and now people want to come there because itā€™s more convenient, and because, well, it doesnā€™t have your ornery father in it.ā€

Brower stood, his face burning red. ā€œGet out.ā€

As I closed the door behind me, I knew Iā€™d gone too far, taking a slap at Brower because I was tired and couldnā€™t stop myself. Lonnie kept his head down and typed a line or two on what looked like a blank sheet of paper.

ā€“ā€“ā€“ā€“ā€“ā€“ā€“ā€“

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On the way back to the store, I stopped off to see Kitt Scanlon and check out what was showing in her gallery. Kitt had become one of my best customers, her taste in food and wine similar to mine. About the same time I bought Coburnā€™s, sheā€™d moved to Laurel Falls from somewhere east of here. Raleigh, I believe she told me. Rumor had it she and Brower had something going on.

I should have rushed back to the store, but I needed to shake off that experience with the sheriff. And I wanted to support her new ventureā€”if only with goodwill. I didnā€™t have money right now for art, not to mention the art was more edgy than my taste. It must have cost a fortune to redo the old gas station and add the moveable gallery walls and track lighting, but sheā€™d done it right.

When I opened the door, she had her back to me, hanging a cumbersome piece of wall sculpture. She looked the part of gallery ownerā€”tall, slim, black leather boots over tight designer jeans, a gorgeous purple silk top, and long blond hair, perfectly highlighted. A guy magnet. No wonder those rumors were flying about Brower, though I couldnā€™t imagine what she saw in him.

ā€œHey, do you need a hand with that?ā€ She jumped. ā€œOh, sorry, I didnā€™t mean to startle you,ā€ I added. ā€œI just came from a meeting with Brower, and I wanted to stop by and see what was new.ā€

She set the sculpture on the floor and wiped her hands on her fancy pants. ā€œOh, Della. That must have been so roughā€”finding that girl and then having to deal with our sheriff. I bet you need to get the taste of that experience out of your mouth.ā€

I wondered if her last statement was more about her own experience with Brower than yesterdayā€™s tragedy. ā€œHe thinks itā€™s a suicide, but Iā€™m not so sure.ā€

ā€œReally? I thought it was a done deal.ā€

ā€œWell, yeah, Brower would like it that way.ā€

ā€œWonder who that poor girl was?ā€ Kitt asked.

ā€œNo one seems to know. Maybe just a tourist passing through.ā€

ā€œStrange. Someone looking for a beautiful place to kill herself.ā€ She shivered, and we were both quiet for a moment. ā€œWell, if I were you, Iā€™d try to get that scene out of my mind. Take a look at the art,ā€ she added, sweeping her arm through the air. ā€œThat always makes me feel better.ā€ 

I glanced at the tortured sheet metal sculpture splashed with red paint and quickly said, ā€œI will another time. Iā€™ve got to get back to the store. Just wanted to say hi. Oh, and Iā€™ve got

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