driving past and waving, all of them understanding exactly why I was parked. We’ve all been here, done this. At least those of us who have been forced to carry a cell phone.
“A purple umbrella with panties inside is a good start,” I told her. “But it doesn’t give us the next lead. And we don’t have fancy DNA equipment.” Although that was a thought. I wonder how much it would cost for a machine.
“There were initials engraved in the umbrella handle,” Cora Mae announced. “Are you ready?”
“Cora Mae, I’ve been ready for awhile now!”
“The initials are D.A.”
Diane Aho! “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I said.
“You mean that Diane Aho had an affair with my Chet?” Cora Mae didn’t sound exactly thrilled at the idea. “Those were some pretty fancy panties, too. I think she left them there intentionally, so if he opened the umbrella, he’d think of her. I wish I’d come up with that. I better try to outdo her.”
“I’ll call you back,” I said before Cora Mae could launch into details. If she put half as much effort into her investigator job, she’d be the best in the business. “Keep your phone on.”
I pulled back onto the road, thinking hard. There’s something about driving my truck that brings creative thoughts into my head. Maybe it’s the monotony of the road ahead that clears my mind of all the clutter. This time was no different. For every question I posed to myself, I came up with a pat answer.
Like had Diane been cheating on Harry with Chet?
You bet she was.
Seriously though, would she actually kill her husband?
Maybe, to be with Chet. Passion is a powerful emotion. Besides, Harry Aho would have killed her first for even looking at a Hanson. She just beat him to it.
What about Frank Hanson? Did she kill him too? And if so, why? Had he seen something or found out something he shouldn’t have?
And why hire the Trouble Busters to find evidence against Chet if Diane had killed her husband to be with Chet?
Then I remembered that she hadn’t hired us. Her sons had. She’d actually wanted them to hold off, but they wouldn’t listen. The last thing she’d want is for anyone to find out she’d been sneaking around with Chet.
But she wasn’t with Chet Hanson now. Cora Mae was. Were those two laying low because of Harry’s murder? Maybe Diane had asked Chet to stay away a respectable amount of time, at least until after the funeral.
Then why was he seeing Cora Mae?
Did Diane know?
I thought back to the report I’d given her. How she’d studied it? Had I imagined it, or had there been a certain harshness in her voice after she read the part about Cora Mae? I didn’t like where my analysis was taking me. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Diane Aho had an umbrella just like Mary Poppins.
Only Diane was more like Scary Poppins.
I must have been a little under a mile from home, when I saw Diane’s car go by. And it was heading in the direction of Chet’s place. Of course, that was the way to her house, but still... My heart pumped faster. I had a ginormous lump in my throat. Because I’d seen the expression on Diane’s face as she passed, and if looks could kill…
If she’d murdered her husband to be with another man, imagine what she might do about another woman coming between her and Chet.
And Cora Mae was over at Chet’s right now all by herself.
I jerked the wheel to make a U-turn, but I misjudged. The truck slid sideways into the swampy ditch and got hung up at the base of a tamarack tree. The truck leaned dangerously, making me wonder where a vehicle’s tipping point really was. My heart thumped hard. I didn’t want to find out.
Fred was standing up on the seat, first looking at the ditch then back at me. He’s good at picking up on emotions, so he sensed our dilemma.
I tried calling Cora Mae. She didn’t answer. Worse, she never set up her voice message service, so she wouldn’t get my warning that way.
Fred and I abandoned
“A purple umbrella with panties inside is a good start,” I told her. “But it doesn’t give us the next lead. And we don’t have fancy DNA equipment.” Although that was a thought. I wonder how much it would cost for a machine.
“There were initials engraved in the umbrella handle,” Cora Mae announced. “Are you ready?”
“Cora Mae, I’ve been ready for awhile now!”
“The initials are D.A.”
Diane Aho! “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I said.
“You mean that Diane Aho had an affair with my Chet?” Cora Mae didn’t sound exactly thrilled at the idea. “Those were some pretty fancy panties, too. I think she left them there intentionally, so if he opened the umbrella, he’d think of her. I wish I’d come up with that. I better try to outdo her.”
“I’ll call you back,” I said before Cora Mae could launch into details. If she put half as much effort into her investigator job, she’d be the best in the business. “Keep your phone on.”
I pulled back onto the road, thinking hard. There’s something about driving my truck that brings creative thoughts into my head. Maybe it’s the monotony of the road ahead that clears my mind of all the clutter. This time was no different. For every question I posed to myself, I came up with a pat answer.
Like had Diane been cheating on Harry with Chet?
You bet she was.
Seriously though, would she actually kill her husband?
Maybe, to be with Chet. Passion is a powerful emotion. Besides, Harry Aho would have killed her first for even looking at a Hanson. She just beat him to it.
What about Frank Hanson? Did she kill him too? And if so, why? Had he seen something or found out something he shouldn’t have?
And why hire the Trouble Busters to find evidence against Chet if Diane had killed her husband to be with Chet?
Then I remembered that she hadn’t hired us. Her sons had. She’d actually wanted them to hold off, but they wouldn’t listen. The last thing she’d want is for anyone to find out she’d been sneaking around with Chet.
But she wasn’t with Chet Hanson now. Cora Mae was. Were those two laying low because of Harry’s murder? Maybe Diane had asked Chet to stay away a respectable amount of time, at least until after the funeral.
Then why was he seeing Cora Mae?
Did Diane know?
I thought back to the report I’d given her. How she’d studied it? Had I imagined it, or had there been a certain harshness in her voice after she read the part about Cora Mae? I didn’t like where my analysis was taking me. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Diane Aho had an umbrella just like Mary Poppins.
Only Diane was more like Scary Poppins.
I must have been a little under a mile from home, when I saw Diane’s car go by. And it was heading in the direction of Chet’s place. Of course, that was the way to her house, but still... My heart pumped faster. I had a ginormous lump in my throat. Because I’d seen the expression on Diane’s face as she passed, and if looks could kill…
If she’d murdered her husband to be with another man, imagine what she might do about another woman coming between her and Chet.
And Cora Mae was over at Chet’s right now all by herself.
I jerked the wheel to make a U-turn, but I misjudged. The truck slid sideways into the swampy ditch and got hung up at the base of a tamarack tree. The truck leaned dangerously, making me wonder where a vehicle’s tipping point really was. My heart thumped hard. I didn’t want to find out.
Fred was standing up on the seat, first looking at the ditch then back at me. He’s good at picking up on emotions, so he sensed our dilemma.
I tried calling Cora Mae. She didn’t answer. Worse, she never set up her voice message service, so she wouldn’t get my warning that way.
Fred and I abandoned
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