MELODY and MURDER (Melody The Librarian Book 1) by Leslie Leigh Page A
Authors: Leslie Leigh
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commitment to cover her story – having hit the stone wall “no comment” Michael had erected.
All in all, it was a grand day for Marian, and the kids from school hadn’t even arrived yet. It looked as if we would need more cake, after all.
Chapter 16
The next day was Saturday, and as I was finishing up my half-day at the library, Michael called. “Hey, just to let you know, there’s been a change in plans. I won’t be stopping by today.”
“Why not?” I asked, disappointed. “I was looking forward to running through your rogue’s gallery of suspects.”
“I decided to let my fingers do the walking and called Mom. It was a slow day at her shop so – without revealing exactly why – I asked her to provide a thumbnail sketch of each of the people on the list.”
“And whom did Mom finger as Most Likely to Murder?”
Michael chuckled. “She provided a little dirt on everyone, actually. Little character flaws, secretiveness, stuff like that. None of it very helpful.”
“So what’s the next step of your investigation? Where do you go from here?”
“We’re into the phase I refer to as the ‘dead calm.’ Unless we can add more links between Jacob Miller and the people who purchased the poison, we’re dead in the water.
“According to the coroner, the death took place between 10:00 and midnight. Of course, everyone on the list was at home in bed, either alone or with a spouse. And these street people tend to be loners. Their comings and goings aren’t observed by employers or landlords. They keep low profiles, avoiding confrontation.”
“There must be something you can do,” I said, hoping that there was some investigative technique that might apply.
“Do you know how most crimes are solved, Melody? Someone comes forward with a suspicion, or the perp brags to someone about what they did, or we’re lucky enough to catch something on a surveillance camera. Downtown Lake Hare doesn’t have any cameras, and so far, no one has come forward. I’m not giving up; I’m just saying that until a development presents itself, we’ve hit a temporary dead end.”
“I hate to even ask, but do you think Chief Benson might turn up something?”
“You never know,” Michael replied. “Like the saying goes, ‘Even a blind pig will find an acorn once in a while.”
That evening, Mom and I were watching TV. It was kind of a boring night. I’d hoped that maybe Gary Van Dyke would call and want to do something, maybe check out a movie, or go hang out somewhere. I guess I could have called him and made the suggestion, but I hesitated, wondering if he might take it the wrong way. Mom’s matchmaking noises pretty much put the kibosh on such a purely friendly overture, so here I sat.
We were both ready to call it a night when the local newscast began. The male and female anchors ping-ponged opening teasers between them, attempting to hook viewers with their lead stories…and it worked.
“Lake Hare police officials announced a breakthrough in the suspicious death of a homeless man. Stay tuned for details.”
“Oh, this must be about Jacob.” Mom said, picking up the remote to increase the volume. “Your brother said he may have been poisoned.”
Great. So I was sworn to secrecy, but Michael could reveal information as he pleased. I wondered how much he had shared with Mom.
“So what did Michael say about it, Mom?”
“Sssh!” she hissed. “Here it is!”
The anchorman assumed an appropriately somber expression as he read the story. “The mysterious death of a homeless man came one step closer to being solved, according to law enforcement officials in Lake Hare. Lake Hare Police Chief Benson issued a statement that a “person of interest” related to the death of Jacob Miller has been taken into custody for questioning. The individual’s name has not been released, and he is expected to be arraigned on Monday.”
“Oh, my god,” I muttered. “I wonder if Michael is aware of
All in all, it was a grand day for Marian, and the kids from school hadn’t even arrived yet. It looked as if we would need more cake, after all.
Chapter 16
The next day was Saturday, and as I was finishing up my half-day at the library, Michael called. “Hey, just to let you know, there’s been a change in plans. I won’t be stopping by today.”
“Why not?” I asked, disappointed. “I was looking forward to running through your rogue’s gallery of suspects.”
“I decided to let my fingers do the walking and called Mom. It was a slow day at her shop so – without revealing exactly why – I asked her to provide a thumbnail sketch of each of the people on the list.”
“And whom did Mom finger as Most Likely to Murder?”
Michael chuckled. “She provided a little dirt on everyone, actually. Little character flaws, secretiveness, stuff like that. None of it very helpful.”
“So what’s the next step of your investigation? Where do you go from here?”
“We’re into the phase I refer to as the ‘dead calm.’ Unless we can add more links between Jacob Miller and the people who purchased the poison, we’re dead in the water.
“According to the coroner, the death took place between 10:00 and midnight. Of course, everyone on the list was at home in bed, either alone or with a spouse. And these street people tend to be loners. Their comings and goings aren’t observed by employers or landlords. They keep low profiles, avoiding confrontation.”
“There must be something you can do,” I said, hoping that there was some investigative technique that might apply.
“Do you know how most crimes are solved, Melody? Someone comes forward with a suspicion, or the perp brags to someone about what they did, or we’re lucky enough to catch something on a surveillance camera. Downtown Lake Hare doesn’t have any cameras, and so far, no one has come forward. I’m not giving up; I’m just saying that until a development presents itself, we’ve hit a temporary dead end.”
“I hate to even ask, but do you think Chief Benson might turn up something?”
“You never know,” Michael replied. “Like the saying goes, ‘Even a blind pig will find an acorn once in a while.”
That evening, Mom and I were watching TV. It was kind of a boring night. I’d hoped that maybe Gary Van Dyke would call and want to do something, maybe check out a movie, or go hang out somewhere. I guess I could have called him and made the suggestion, but I hesitated, wondering if he might take it the wrong way. Mom’s matchmaking noises pretty much put the kibosh on such a purely friendly overture, so here I sat.
We were both ready to call it a night when the local newscast began. The male and female anchors ping-ponged opening teasers between them, attempting to hook viewers with their lead stories…and it worked.
“Lake Hare police officials announced a breakthrough in the suspicious death of a homeless man. Stay tuned for details.”
“Oh, this must be about Jacob.” Mom said, picking up the remote to increase the volume. “Your brother said he may have been poisoned.”
Great. So I was sworn to secrecy, but Michael could reveal information as he pleased. I wondered how much he had shared with Mom.
“So what did Michael say about it, Mom?”
“Sssh!” she hissed. “Here it is!”
The anchorman assumed an appropriately somber expression as he read the story. “The mysterious death of a homeless man came one step closer to being solved, according to law enforcement officials in Lake Hare. Lake Hare Police Chief Benson issued a statement that a “person of interest” related to the death of Jacob Miller has been taken into custody for questioning. The individual’s name has not been released, and he is expected to be arraigned on Monday.”
“Oh, my god,” I muttered. “I wonder if Michael is aware of
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