from Louisa and we’d like to see the senator if at all possible,” Holly told him.
That got a reaction, quick but well hidden. He looked away from them, pretending to study the schedule on the desk in front of him. Slowly he shook his head, still not looking up. “I’m sorry but his schedule is full.”
Just then a door opened to Gemma’s right and an older man with neatly combed gray hair and thick glasses stepped out. He had a kind, easy going look about him as if he was someone’s grandfather. She pictured him sitting in a rocker on a porch, an old dog by his side, smoking a cigar.
“Are some of my constituents here to see me?” he drawled, slow and easy. He beamed a welcoming smile at Gemma and Holly.
“Why, yes sir,” Gemma stepped forward and offered her hand. “We’re from Louisa.”
“Well, come on in and tell me what I can do for you,” he said, opening the door wide to allow Gemma and Holly into his office.
The last thing Gemma saw was Chuck Miller’s face, nearly purple with rage.
“So, what can I do for you?” he asked, once they were seated in comfortable chairs in his office.
“Sir, this is about a young woman named Opal Sparrow,” Holly began.
“I don’t rightly think that I know the name off the top of my head,” he said, leaning back in his big chair and lacing his fingers across his middle. “Tell me more.”
“Opal Sparrow was a young woman living on the streets here in Richmond. She was originally from Louisa. That’s where her family is burying her,” Gemma said, watching his reaction closely. There was a slight flinch, a flicker of the eyes and she didn’t miss it.
“I’m very sorry for the loss,” he said. “But I’m not sure how I can help.”
“I found her body in the trunk of my car,” Gemma continued, not mincing any words making this sound as cold and stark as she could. “And I also found this ring.” With that she placed it on the desk between them.”
“That’s a beautiful ring,” he said slowly, turning it over in his hands. “She must have been quite petite.”
“I don’t know. She was mostly a skeleton when I found her,” Gemma said.
“How horrible for you,” he said, placing the ring back on the desk.
“Yes, it’s haunted my dreams for the past few nights,” Gemma confided.
“I still don’t see how...”
“This ring is very expensive,” Holly cut in. “We know where it was purchased and who bought it.”
“Your aide, Chuck Miller,” Gemma said. “And I’m kinda thinking he doesn’t make that kind of money.”
The room was silent and finally the senator’s chin dropped.
“Okay, here’s what happened. I didn’t recognize the name because Chuck was the one involved with her,” he said in that slow, southern drawl. “That boy was so love struck. I warned him against it. I mean knowing her reputation and all. He wanted to buy her this expensive engagement ring to show her how much she meant to him. I helped pay for it.”
“End of story?” Gemma asked.
He spread big hands in front of him in surrender. “I think she was getting off the streets, getting clean, moving back to Louisa. I paid for a bus ticket for her as well.”
“Why?”
“Ladies, Chuck had a girlfriend at the time,” he said, leaning forward, forearms on the desk. “He wanted time to break it off with her before he could be with Opal. I was just willing to help.”
So what happened to her?”
“Well, evidently she somehow got into trouble again or she wouldn’t have ended up in the trunk of your car would she?” he said with a little smile.
Gemma shivered. Despite his grandfatherly demeanor, she was pretty sure he was capable of killing someone if necessary.
“Chuck hasn’t mentioned her?” Holly asked.
“I don’t pry into my employee’s personal lives unless I’m invited,” he told her. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I believe I have a meeting.”
Gemma didn’t want to leave. She still had questions, lots of
That got a reaction, quick but well hidden. He looked away from them, pretending to study the schedule on the desk in front of him. Slowly he shook his head, still not looking up. “I’m sorry but his schedule is full.”
Just then a door opened to Gemma’s right and an older man with neatly combed gray hair and thick glasses stepped out. He had a kind, easy going look about him as if he was someone’s grandfather. She pictured him sitting in a rocker on a porch, an old dog by his side, smoking a cigar.
“Are some of my constituents here to see me?” he drawled, slow and easy. He beamed a welcoming smile at Gemma and Holly.
“Why, yes sir,” Gemma stepped forward and offered her hand. “We’re from Louisa.”
“Well, come on in and tell me what I can do for you,” he said, opening the door wide to allow Gemma and Holly into his office.
The last thing Gemma saw was Chuck Miller’s face, nearly purple with rage.
“So, what can I do for you?” he asked, once they were seated in comfortable chairs in his office.
“Sir, this is about a young woman named Opal Sparrow,” Holly began.
“I don’t rightly think that I know the name off the top of my head,” he said, leaning back in his big chair and lacing his fingers across his middle. “Tell me more.”
“Opal Sparrow was a young woman living on the streets here in Richmond. She was originally from Louisa. That’s where her family is burying her,” Gemma said, watching his reaction closely. There was a slight flinch, a flicker of the eyes and she didn’t miss it.
“I’m very sorry for the loss,” he said. “But I’m not sure how I can help.”
“I found her body in the trunk of my car,” Gemma continued, not mincing any words making this sound as cold and stark as she could. “And I also found this ring.” With that she placed it on the desk between them.”
“That’s a beautiful ring,” he said slowly, turning it over in his hands. “She must have been quite petite.”
“I don’t know. She was mostly a skeleton when I found her,” Gemma said.
“How horrible for you,” he said, placing the ring back on the desk.
“Yes, it’s haunted my dreams for the past few nights,” Gemma confided.
“I still don’t see how...”
“This ring is very expensive,” Holly cut in. “We know where it was purchased and who bought it.”
“Your aide, Chuck Miller,” Gemma said. “And I’m kinda thinking he doesn’t make that kind of money.”
The room was silent and finally the senator’s chin dropped.
“Okay, here’s what happened. I didn’t recognize the name because Chuck was the one involved with her,” he said in that slow, southern drawl. “That boy was so love struck. I warned him against it. I mean knowing her reputation and all. He wanted to buy her this expensive engagement ring to show her how much she meant to him. I helped pay for it.”
“End of story?” Gemma asked.
He spread big hands in front of him in surrender. “I think she was getting off the streets, getting clean, moving back to Louisa. I paid for a bus ticket for her as well.”
“Why?”
“Ladies, Chuck had a girlfriend at the time,” he said, leaning forward, forearms on the desk. “He wanted time to break it off with her before he could be with Opal. I was just willing to help.”
So what happened to her?”
“Well, evidently she somehow got into trouble again or she wouldn’t have ended up in the trunk of your car would she?” he said with a little smile.
Gemma shivered. Despite his grandfatherly demeanor, she was pretty sure he was capable of killing someone if necessary.
“Chuck hasn’t mentioned her?” Holly asked.
“I don’t pry into my employee’s personal lives unless I’m invited,” he told her. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I believe I have a meeting.”
Gemma didn’t want to leave. She still had questions, lots of
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