and along came SPIDER ( A Martina Spalding Thriller ) (Spider Series Book 1) by J.R. WRIGHT Page B

right now.  The land this library sits on was donated by the Koffee
family back in 1875.  It was part of the original eighteen thousand acre
spread.  The original ranch was established by August Koffee in the 1840s.  He
died of cholera during an epidemic in the late 1860s.  His son Aaron then took
charge and it was because of him St. Louis was allowed to grow to the north, in
respect to the enormous amount of land he owned.
    “We have several books
that contain passages of …” The elderly woman started to go through her files
of index cards.
    “Actually, I was
thinking more recent.  Who of the family remains in the city?”
    “There are hundreds of
Koffees residing in St. Louis and the surrounding area.  But I’m afraid only
two of direct linage, Adolf and his son James.”
    Disappointed, Marti
said, “The one…  Isn’t there one named Raymond?”
    “Raym?”  The old
woman’s eyes became wide.  “Why on earth would anyone want to know anything
about Raym?”
    “Sounds like you know a
lot about him?”
    “I ought to… he was
married to my granddaughter.”
    With that, Marti put a
hand over her mouth and glared at the old woman.  It must have been her
granddaughter that was murdered, possibly by Raym.  “Actually, I was just
trying to locate a picture of him.”
    “I would like to see
one of those, too — of him on death row.”
    “Was it your
granddaughter that was killed…?”
    “Yes, and he did it. 
Everybody around here knows that.”  The old woman looked around to see who was
listening, if anybody.
    “But I thought he was
out of the country at the time?”
    “Phooey!” she near spit
the word out.  “I don’t believe that for a second.  Just because the family
plane went to the Bahamas for a holiday doesn’t necessarily mean he was on it. 
And of course they would lie for him.”  The lean old woman, eighty if she was a
day, drew back and folded her arms under her breasts as if what she’d said was
absolute fact.
    Marti focused in on her
name tag.  “Gwyn Raizel,” it said.  Then, below that in smaller letters:
‘VOLENTEER.’ 
    “What’s your interest
in Raym, anyway?”  Gwyn eyed Marti suspiciously.
    Marti instantly puffed
up, “Well, I know someone that knows him…  Curiosity I guess.  I just wanted to
see what he looked like.  You have nothing here with a picture?”
    “Why bother with a
picture when you can see him in the flesh, most any day of the week, right next
door at the Koffee Building.  He’s got an office there on the second floor.”
    “Would he be at the
office on a Saturday?”
    “Well, I wouldn’t know
about that,” Gwyn said, then began looking around the huge room, as if wanting
to be rid of her now.
    “Okay.  Well then,
thank you, Mrs. Raizel.  You’ve been very helpful.” Marti said, took the hint
and quickly turned away.
    “I didn’t catch your
name?” the old woman called after her.
    “Martina!” she said
over her shoulder and kept moving.
    “I know where he
lives!” the old woman called, apparently having a change of heart.
    Hearing that, Marti
turned back to her, hesitated briefly, then, seeing the urgency on Gwyn’s face,
walked the few steps back to her.
    “It’s my coffee break,”
she said, gathering her satchel-like purse and stepping from the cubicle. 
“Follow me!”
    Before long, they were
at a coffee shop across the street from the library and soon seated at a table
by the front windows.  “Here is where I sit near every day during lunch break. 
And most generally I see Raym, at some point, come from that building over
there and walk to his car in that parking lot next door.”
    Marti studied the
ancient two story building across the street.  Engraved in stone at the very
top was: “KOFFEE 1875.”  Apparently, that building and the library were built
the same year, she mused.  “How am I going to know it’s him, when I don’t know
what he looks like?”
    “I’m getting to that.” 
Gwyn