A Dead Husband (Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery) by Anna Burke Page A
Authors: Anna Burke
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papers shortly, if it hasn’t been reported already . Laura’s husband Roger Stone was killed, Aunt Evelyn. Laura wasn’t there so she doesn’t know exactly when. I was hoping Uncle Don could give me some advice about how best to help her under the circumstances. She’s worried that the police see her as a suspect, and I’m a little concerned about her safety.”
“Oh my goodness, Jessica, that’s so horrible! Her husband murdered. They couldn’t think such a thing about Laura. She’d never hurt anyone. You shouldn’t have let me go on so long with such a pressing matter on your mind. Don, Don, your wanted on the phone. It’s Jessica, you know Hank Huntington’s girl? She needs to speak to you. It’s important.”
“Okay, okay . I’m here. Jessica, what’s up?” Don asked as he took the phone from Evelyn without even letting her say goodbye.
“Uncle Don, I’m so glad I reached you . It’s about Laura Stone. She was Laura Powers when we were all in high school and used to visit all the time. Her husband, Roger, was killed Friday night or Saturday morning. He was shot in their home in Cathedral City. She called me as a friend, but she also thinks she might need a lawyer. I’m trying to figure out if she’s right. Do you have any idea who would be handling the investigation? I was hoping you would know who I need to talk to about what’s going on.”
“That’s terrible, Jessica . Let me think for a sec. A lot of folks have been given their walking papers all over the valley. That shouldn’t matter too much, in this case. George Hernandez is the lead detective on homicides. He’s been around for a while so I doubt his head’s on the chopping block. Homicides don’t happen often in Cathedral City, maybe 2 or 3 a year. When they do, they’re a high priority, so I’m sure the investigation is well under way. Do you know who the responding officers were?”
“Uncle Don, I don’t know anything for sure yet , other than what Laura told me. She wasn’t in the best frame of mind by the time the officers got there. She did say there were two of them, a man and a woman, both in uniform. The female officer turned up later at the hospital. Laura passed out and hit her head at some point. The EMTs she’d called to help Roger ended up taking her in the ambulance instead. By the time they finished with Laura at the ER, the coroner was at her house. The officer at the hospital told her they were going to take Roger to the morgue at the County Coroner’s facility in Indio. That was yesterday a little before noon when Laura called me.”
“The detectives would have been at the house then, too. They may have asked the County Coroner to send their forensic team to collect evidence at the scene in addition to taking possession of the body. Listen, Jessica, let me touch base with George before you contact him. I’ll get back to you after I speak to him. If I can get a bead on the direction in which the investigation is headed I’ll let you know that too. You should plan to touch base with him yourself tomorrow. He’s a stand-up guy; doesn’t get out ahead of the facts. So, he’s going to be cautious this early in the process and not jump to any conclusions about Laura that he’ll regret later. If I can get to him this afternoon, I will. You do have to give these guys time to do their jobs, though Jessica. I know I don’t have to tell you to stay out of their way. Their job is hard enough without an untrained person poking around, no matter how well-intentioned.”
You could always count on Uncle Don to call it the way he saw it . Jessica only hoped she’d have enough sense to know when she was getting in the way beforehand. She knew all too well where good intentions could lead. The road to her divorce was paved with them.
“I’ll take it easy, Uncle Don . I appreciate your help on this. Laura will be grateful
“Oh my goodness, Jessica, that’s so horrible! Her husband murdered. They couldn’t think such a thing about Laura. She’d never hurt anyone. You shouldn’t have let me go on so long with such a pressing matter on your mind. Don, Don, your wanted on the phone. It’s Jessica, you know Hank Huntington’s girl? She needs to speak to you. It’s important.”
“Okay, okay . I’m here. Jessica, what’s up?” Don asked as he took the phone from Evelyn without even letting her say goodbye.
“Uncle Don, I’m so glad I reached you . It’s about Laura Stone. She was Laura Powers when we were all in high school and used to visit all the time. Her husband, Roger, was killed Friday night or Saturday morning. He was shot in their home in Cathedral City. She called me as a friend, but she also thinks she might need a lawyer. I’m trying to figure out if she’s right. Do you have any idea who would be handling the investigation? I was hoping you would know who I need to talk to about what’s going on.”
“That’s terrible, Jessica . Let me think for a sec. A lot of folks have been given their walking papers all over the valley. That shouldn’t matter too much, in this case. George Hernandez is the lead detective on homicides. He’s been around for a while so I doubt his head’s on the chopping block. Homicides don’t happen often in Cathedral City, maybe 2 or 3 a year. When they do, they’re a high priority, so I’m sure the investigation is well under way. Do you know who the responding officers were?”
“Uncle Don, I don’t know anything for sure yet , other than what Laura told me. She wasn’t in the best frame of mind by the time the officers got there. She did say there were two of them, a man and a woman, both in uniform. The female officer turned up later at the hospital. Laura passed out and hit her head at some point. The EMTs she’d called to help Roger ended up taking her in the ambulance instead. By the time they finished with Laura at the ER, the coroner was at her house. The officer at the hospital told her they were going to take Roger to the morgue at the County Coroner’s facility in Indio. That was yesterday a little before noon when Laura called me.”
“The detectives would have been at the house then, too. They may have asked the County Coroner to send their forensic team to collect evidence at the scene in addition to taking possession of the body. Listen, Jessica, let me touch base with George before you contact him. I’ll get back to you after I speak to him. If I can get a bead on the direction in which the investigation is headed I’ll let you know that too. You should plan to touch base with him yourself tomorrow. He’s a stand-up guy; doesn’t get out ahead of the facts. So, he’s going to be cautious this early in the process and not jump to any conclusions about Laura that he’ll regret later. If I can get to him this afternoon, I will. You do have to give these guys time to do their jobs, though Jessica. I know I don’t have to tell you to stay out of their way. Their job is hard enough without an untrained person poking around, no matter how well-intentioned.”
You could always count on Uncle Don to call it the way he saw it . Jessica only hoped she’d have enough sense to know when she was getting in the way beforehand. She knew all too well where good intentions could lead. The road to her divorce was paved with them.
“I’ll take it easy, Uncle Don . I appreciate your help on this. Laura will be grateful
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