Murder Of The Mayor E-Book

Jim Riley

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Two alligator hunters never dreamed that their catch of the day would be the mayor. Soon after, Wade Dalton is called in to investigate.

After the mayor of Kiln is pulled from the Homochito River, Wade starts sifting through the long list of business associates and girlfriends of the now-deceased victim. The mayor's disgruntled wife also has a part to play in the investigation.

But even with his powerful deductive skills and keen questioning, can Wade sort through the steamy affairs and catch the killer?

Leseprobe

MURDER OF THE MAYOR

WADE DALTON AND SAM CATES SHORT STORIES BOOK 4

JIM RILEY

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Notes

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About the Author

Copyright (C) 2021 Jim Riley

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2022 by Next Chapter

Published 2022 by Next Chapter

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

To the Most Beautiful

You Always Were and Always Will Be

1

“What’s on the line?” Lionel asked.

“Feels like a dead alligator. It’s not pulling back.” Roland answered. “Come help me. It must be a ten-footer, for sure.”

The two men tugged and pulled until the weight on the end of the alligator line surfaced.

“Oh, my Gawd! It’s a body.” Lionel exclaimed.

“Not just anybody. That’s Justin Cross, the mayor of Kiln. Oh hell, somebody’s in trouble.”

2

“Wade, what killed him?” Emily Robinson peered over Wade Dalton’s shoulder with her fine blue eyes. “He’s yours since you’re the only Federal Investigator in the Homochitto Forest. Besides, I’m not sure I want any part of this investigation.”

“Looks like somebody stabbed him several times. But there are also lots of turtle bites. We’re lucky the alligators didn’t get to him before Lionel and Roland hooked him.”

“Hell, that’s the biggest thing those boys have caught all summer. They spend most of their time drinking shine. Makes it real hard to concentrate on finding gators.”

Wade laughed. “Makes it hard to find your toes if you drink enough of it. Who was mad at your beloved mayor?”

“How long of a piece of paper do you have? You can start with his wife. At least they’re still married, I think. Then his girlfriend. I’m not sure who the latest one is, but the old one was Mary Poche. From what I hear, she finally tired of all of his promises. Then try his business partner. After him, there are the rest of the people in town. He wasn’t the most adored mayor we’ve ever had. He even tried to hit on me and I’m the Chief of Police here in Kiln.”

Wade chuckled. “How did he get elected mayor?”

“Did I mention his business partner? The mayor owned the majority share in the only bank in town. Everybody within thirty miles owes his bank money. He wasn’t the kind of man to let them forget it either.”

Wade helped Emily lift and place the ex-mayor in a body bag and watched her zip it up. The crew from the Medical Examiner’s office arrived and picked up the body.

Wade motioned to them. “Keep this under wraps until I notify his wife and business partner. I wouldn’t want them to find out from the television station.”

“No problem, Wade.” One tech answered. “I wouldn’t have cared if they never found the body.”

3

Wade approached the front door of the two-story house sitting on a large lot on the banks of the Homochitto River. This was not part of the job he enjoyed. The door opened after only two knocks.

“Mrs. Cross, I’m Wade Dalton. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m the Investigator assigned to the Forest.”

“I met you at a Christmas function or maybe it was at the Mardi Gras parade. I don’t remember where I’ve met you, but I know I have.”

“Yes, Ma’am. May I come in?”

She led him into an immaculately furnished living room with a beamed cathedral ceiling. The ornate wall coverings rang out with an aura of wealth. Even the flooring came from the finest imported mahogany.

“Mrs. Cross, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

“Please call me Jane. What did my stupid husband do this time? Was it a dead girl or a live boy he got caught with?”

The response caught Wade off-guard. “Uh―neither one, Mrs. Cross. I’m afraid two fishermen found your husband’s body in the forest. Someone killed him. We don’t know all the details yet.”

Jane’s hand covered her open mouth.

“Mother of God! You’re kidding me.”

“No, Ma’am. I’m sorry. Is there someone I can call for you?”

“Oh, goodness no. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Probably one of his girlfriends. Or one of their husbands. Justin wasn’t very discriminating. He didn’t let little things like wedding rings, especially ours, impede his conquests.”

Wade saw shock on Jane Cross’s face, but no tears.

“Do you have any idea with whom he was last having a relationship?”

Jane laughed. “You make it sound singular. With Justin, he did nothing small time. No, he had to have every skirt in Kiln or he wasn’t happy. He didn’t line them up single file. If he could bed more than one at a time, he was all the happier.”

Wade nodded. “It sounds like you and the mayor had an open marriage.”

“Open isn’t the right word, Wade. We had a sham for a marriage and have had since the day we got married.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, then why did you stay with him?”

She eyed him closely. “Money. Simply money. We had a pre-nup. If he left me, I got half of everything he owned. If I left him, I got nothing. So we were both trapped in a business relationship and put on airs for everybody as if they cared. The whole town knew what was going on.”

“When did you last see Justin?”

Jane poured herself a drink from a canister sitting on the shelf. She motioned toward Wade, but he shook his head.

“Let’s see. What is today?”

“Tuesday.”

“Then I last saw him Sunday night. He hasn’t been home since then.”

“That didn’t bother you?”

She laughed out loud. “Honey, if that had bothered me, I would have been in the nuthouse by now.”

Wade stared directly at her.

“Did you kill him, Jane?”

She continued to laugh. “I wish I could have, but it isn’t in me to do something like that. When you find out who did, though, I want to give him a ribbon. He, or I guess it could have been a she, did the world a favor. If they hold the trial in Kiln, there aren’t enough people who didn’t hate Justin to sit on a jury to convict whoever killed him. And I get everything he owned now, in case you were wondering. Every last penny.”

“Where were you when he was killed?”

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. “When was he killed?”

“We aren’t entirely sure, Jane.”

“Then how the hell do I know where I was when he died?”

Wade looked down at the floor. “I had to ask to see how you would answer.”