Evelyn David - Sullivan Investigations 02 - Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David
Authors: Evelyn David
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turned back to Mac. “Twenty minutes or until the coroner gets here. Whichever is sooner. And if you touch anything I’ll shoot you.”
Mac nodded. “Fair enough.” He wanted to add, “The same goes for you,” but held his tongue.
Chapter 5
While Rachel entertained the sheriff with tales from their teenaged years, Mac searched the house. It was a typical two story, clapboard structure. He guessed it had been built in the late 1950s. The front door opened into a small entrance hall with a living room on one side and a dining room on the other. Wide center staircase. He could see Bridget in the living room, chatting with the deputy. He could tell she was barely listening to the young man, as she moved around the room, her eyes scanning the bookshelves and the overflowing desk in one corner.
“This is the man I was telling you about,” Bridget announced, gesturing for him to come meet the deputy. “Mac Sullivan is the best private detective in D.C.”
“ Actually I’m number 11 or 12,” Mac joked, remembering his earlier conversation with Bridget.
“ That’s cool,” the deputy answered. He shook Mac’s hand and added, “Is there actually a list, with the rankings and everything?”
“ Sure,” Bridget said. “Published once a year. They use a bunch of statistics to get the number. Top ten get their photo taken with the mayor.”
The deputy nodded. “Sorry. Maybe next year.”
“ It’s okay. Gotta have a goal in life, son. Something to strive for.” Mac put his arm around the deputy’s shoulder, leading him towards the hallway. “Have you been upstairs?”
He saw Bridget out of the corner of his eye, going through the papers on the desk.
“Yes, sir. When I arrived I had to check to see if Mr. Crager…well, I needed to know if he needed an ambulance or not.” The deputy’s face whitened at the memory. “He didn’t.”
“ I need to go upstairs. View the body. Can you escort me?”
“ Sure thing.” He paused. “The sheriff was okay with–”
Mac nodded and moved them closer to the stairs. “Oh yeah. The sheriff is one of my biggest fans. Begged me to take a peek. But to keep everything professional-like, he wanted you to take me up.”
The deputy preceded him up the wooden stairs. Mac looked back and saw Bridget sit down at the desk and power up a computer.
***
Mac shoved Edgar ‘s scooter in the back, then slammed the cargo door shut with a little more force than was probably necessary. The touching farewell scene between Rachel and Sheriff Andy Taylor, aka Wonderboy, was giving Mac indigestion.
“ I’ll be down in Warrenton the week before Christmas and will probably stay through the New Year,” she’d answered in response to the sheriff’s question about when Rachel would be returning to the area. “Aunt Ella is opening up the old farmhouse for the holiday season. She’s thinking of remaining through the winter.”
Wonderboy immediately pounced. “Give me your number. We’ll catch up that week. My kids will be with my ex–at her folks’ down in North Carolina. I was planning to take off some time anyway.” The guy had the eagerness of a new puppy being let out of the whelping basket for the first time. Mac expected him to trip over his own feet as he ran to grab Rachel’s business card on which she’d written her cell phone number.
The private detective was more than a little miffed at Ms. Brenner. Picking up another guy while on a date was plain tacky. His head hurt as he tried to figure out the number of etiquette rules she ‘d broken.
On the other hand, he was reluctant to admit, investigating a potential murder scene wasn ‘t much of a first date. There hadn’t even been any food. No wonder she was interested in the guy from Mayberry. Mac looked on as the two lovebirds finished their conversation. The sheriff settled into the patrol car and drove off.
Whiskey nudged his leg, but the rank smell of his dog was enough to make him hot
Mac nodded. “Fair enough.” He wanted to add, “The same goes for you,” but held his tongue.
Chapter 5
While Rachel entertained the sheriff with tales from their teenaged years, Mac searched the house. It was a typical two story, clapboard structure. He guessed it had been built in the late 1950s. The front door opened into a small entrance hall with a living room on one side and a dining room on the other. Wide center staircase. He could see Bridget in the living room, chatting with the deputy. He could tell she was barely listening to the young man, as she moved around the room, her eyes scanning the bookshelves and the overflowing desk in one corner.
“This is the man I was telling you about,” Bridget announced, gesturing for him to come meet the deputy. “Mac Sullivan is the best private detective in D.C.”
“ Actually I’m number 11 or 12,” Mac joked, remembering his earlier conversation with Bridget.
“ That’s cool,” the deputy answered. He shook Mac’s hand and added, “Is there actually a list, with the rankings and everything?”
“ Sure,” Bridget said. “Published once a year. They use a bunch of statistics to get the number. Top ten get their photo taken with the mayor.”
The deputy nodded. “Sorry. Maybe next year.”
“ It’s okay. Gotta have a goal in life, son. Something to strive for.” Mac put his arm around the deputy’s shoulder, leading him towards the hallway. “Have you been upstairs?”
He saw Bridget out of the corner of his eye, going through the papers on the desk.
“Yes, sir. When I arrived I had to check to see if Mr. Crager…well, I needed to know if he needed an ambulance or not.” The deputy’s face whitened at the memory. “He didn’t.”
“ I need to go upstairs. View the body. Can you escort me?”
“ Sure thing.” He paused. “The sheriff was okay with–”
Mac nodded and moved them closer to the stairs. “Oh yeah. The sheriff is one of my biggest fans. Begged me to take a peek. But to keep everything professional-like, he wanted you to take me up.”
The deputy preceded him up the wooden stairs. Mac looked back and saw Bridget sit down at the desk and power up a computer.
***
Mac shoved Edgar ‘s scooter in the back, then slammed the cargo door shut with a little more force than was probably necessary. The touching farewell scene between Rachel and Sheriff Andy Taylor, aka Wonderboy, was giving Mac indigestion.
“ I’ll be down in Warrenton the week before Christmas and will probably stay through the New Year,” she’d answered in response to the sheriff’s question about when Rachel would be returning to the area. “Aunt Ella is opening up the old farmhouse for the holiday season. She’s thinking of remaining through the winter.”
Wonderboy immediately pounced. “Give me your number. We’ll catch up that week. My kids will be with my ex–at her folks’ down in North Carolina. I was planning to take off some time anyway.” The guy had the eagerness of a new puppy being let out of the whelping basket for the first time. Mac expected him to trip over his own feet as he ran to grab Rachel’s business card on which she’d written her cell phone number.
The private detective was more than a little miffed at Ms. Brenner. Picking up another guy while on a date was plain tacky. His head hurt as he tried to figure out the number of etiquette rules she ‘d broken.
On the other hand, he was reluctant to admit, investigating a potential murder scene wasn ‘t much of a first date. There hadn’t even been any food. No wonder she was interested in the guy from Mayberry. Mac looked on as the two lovebirds finished their conversation. The sheriff settled into the patrol car and drove off.
Whiskey nudged his leg, but the rank smell of his dog was enough to make him hot
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