A Murder In Milburn Book 2 Death Of A Deputy REVAMPED June 2016 SCRIVENER by Nancy McGovern Page A
Authors: Nancy McGovern
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sheriff, isn’t it? For justice to your family?”
“What?” Nora looked confused. “What justice? What was Harvey talking about? Wallis doesn’t have family here. His wife left him, he had no kids, and his parents are deceased, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” Joe said. “Maybe he was, but… well, that’s what Harvey said, and it wiped the smile off Wallis’ face, let me tell you. After that, Wallis picked up his guitar and went outside for a smoke, and Harvey was so angry, he just bolted. It was real awkward. Harvey’s girlfriend, that cute out-of-town girl, she tried to go after him, but Harvey had run off ahead and mixed with the crowd before she could catch him.”
“Wait, but did you tell any of this to the detectives?” Nora asked. “About the fight and all?”
“We-e-ll.” Joe looked a little sheepish. “See the thing is, Monty, from the band, he’s been in trouble over drugs before. We didn’t want… well, the police wouldn’t be too kind if they saw what we were doing. So we stayed silent about it then. After that it just felt awkward to bring it up. Besides, we saw Harvey run off into the crowd. No way he did it. Right?”
“Right,” Dr. Neil said, still pale.
Nora was watching Dr. Neil, whose teeth were bared in a smile that seemed almost feral. Sweat had gathered on his brow. What had happened to him? He had been fine all along, and now he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Dr. Neil, do you need a chair?” Nora asked. As a man in his mid-to-late sixties, she wondered if the stress of the atmosphere had gotten to him.
“I’m all right, my dear.” Dr. Neil said. “But I’d better head back home now. Give Mrs. Mullally my compliments, will you? I’ll be around your house for some of her excellent chamomile tea soon.”
“She’ll be delighted.” Nora smiled. “I’ll make some of that Blackberry pie you like so much, too.”
“Oh, I’m not allowed much more than a small bite at my age,” Dr. Neil said, “so I’ll only have about two of those pies.”
Joe laughed. “You ought to sell those pies, Nora,” he said. “I’ve heard all about them from Sean. He used to make us jealous with his rhapsodies about your food.”
Nora blushed. “Well, it’s all in a day’s work.”
“Where’s Sean, by the way?” Joe asked. “Haven’t seen him around.”
“Here,” Sean said, appearing at the top of the stairs. “Must have eaten something wrong for breakfast.” He smiled. “How are you holding up, Joe? Everything all right? I know losing him has been hard on you.”
“It is what it is.” Joe shrugged. “I knew him a long time, and I still can’t quite believe he’s gone.”
“It’s hard,” Sean said, putting a hand on Joe’s shoulder. After a few more minutes of conversation, he added, “Well, I suppose Nora and I had better get going too, Joe.”
Joe nodded and gave Nora a look, a look that seemed to plead with her not to tell Sean anything that he had told her.
Nora gave Joe a slight nod, as Sean took her arm.
She allowed him to lead her to his car, as she didn’t want to make a scene, what with people around them. As soon as they had closed the doors of the car, she turned on him, her face red with anger.
“How long?” she asked. “How long have you and Karen been seeing each other, Sean?”
*****
Chapter 21
“What?!” Sean’s instant reaction was to deny it. He shook his head and held his hands up, but Nora caught the fleeting look of anger and fear on his face, and she knew. She knew that he had been the man with Karen when Nora had overheard their conversation.
“How long?” she asked, again.
“It’s not like you think,” Sean said. “Karen and I aren’t exactly--”
“I heard everything,” Nora said, icily. “There’s no need to hide any more, Sean.”
Sean let out a deep breath. “I suppose,” he said. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and began reversing the car. “Will you at least allow me to drive
“What?” Nora looked confused. “What justice? What was Harvey talking about? Wallis doesn’t have family here. His wife left him, he had no kids, and his parents are deceased, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” Joe said. “Maybe he was, but… well, that’s what Harvey said, and it wiped the smile off Wallis’ face, let me tell you. After that, Wallis picked up his guitar and went outside for a smoke, and Harvey was so angry, he just bolted. It was real awkward. Harvey’s girlfriend, that cute out-of-town girl, she tried to go after him, but Harvey had run off ahead and mixed with the crowd before she could catch him.”
“Wait, but did you tell any of this to the detectives?” Nora asked. “About the fight and all?”
“We-e-ll.” Joe looked a little sheepish. “See the thing is, Monty, from the band, he’s been in trouble over drugs before. We didn’t want… well, the police wouldn’t be too kind if they saw what we were doing. So we stayed silent about it then. After that it just felt awkward to bring it up. Besides, we saw Harvey run off into the crowd. No way he did it. Right?”
“Right,” Dr. Neil said, still pale.
Nora was watching Dr. Neil, whose teeth were bared in a smile that seemed almost feral. Sweat had gathered on his brow. What had happened to him? He had been fine all along, and now he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Dr. Neil, do you need a chair?” Nora asked. As a man in his mid-to-late sixties, she wondered if the stress of the atmosphere had gotten to him.
“I’m all right, my dear.” Dr. Neil said. “But I’d better head back home now. Give Mrs. Mullally my compliments, will you? I’ll be around your house for some of her excellent chamomile tea soon.”
“She’ll be delighted.” Nora smiled. “I’ll make some of that Blackberry pie you like so much, too.”
“Oh, I’m not allowed much more than a small bite at my age,” Dr. Neil said, “so I’ll only have about two of those pies.”
Joe laughed. “You ought to sell those pies, Nora,” he said. “I’ve heard all about them from Sean. He used to make us jealous with his rhapsodies about your food.”
Nora blushed. “Well, it’s all in a day’s work.”
“Where’s Sean, by the way?” Joe asked. “Haven’t seen him around.”
“Here,” Sean said, appearing at the top of the stairs. “Must have eaten something wrong for breakfast.” He smiled. “How are you holding up, Joe? Everything all right? I know losing him has been hard on you.”
“It is what it is.” Joe shrugged. “I knew him a long time, and I still can’t quite believe he’s gone.”
“It’s hard,” Sean said, putting a hand on Joe’s shoulder. After a few more minutes of conversation, he added, “Well, I suppose Nora and I had better get going too, Joe.”
Joe nodded and gave Nora a look, a look that seemed to plead with her not to tell Sean anything that he had told her.
Nora gave Joe a slight nod, as Sean took her arm.
She allowed him to lead her to his car, as she didn’t want to make a scene, what with people around them. As soon as they had closed the doors of the car, she turned on him, her face red with anger.
“How long?” she asked. “How long have you and Karen been seeing each other, Sean?”
*****
Chapter 21
“What?!” Sean’s instant reaction was to deny it. He shook his head and held his hands up, but Nora caught the fleeting look of anger and fear on his face, and she knew. She knew that he had been the man with Karen when Nora had overheard their conversation.
“How long?” she asked, again.
“It’s not like you think,” Sean said. “Karen and I aren’t exactly--”
“I heard everything,” Nora said, icily. “There’s no need to hide any more, Sean.”
Sean let out a deep breath. “I suppose,” he said. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and began reversing the car. “Will you at least allow me to drive
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