Jake Solved the Murders?

We had split a list of ten suspects up into three lists for investigation. I was not enthusiastic about it. 

                                                         PART 23

I spent most of the day pondering what I had gotten myself into and exactly two minutes looking at my list of six. I needed Calvin. Calvin Harris, the best detective I knew, one I had used as a consultant of many of my books. Where did I have his number? The phone rang. “Yes”, I said curtly.

“Oh you old crab ass.” I could see Jennifer’s  smirky smile. “Are you detecting yet?”

“Nothing beyond staring at the list and wondering what the hell I’m doing. And I’ve changed my mind about the fairness of six-two-two.”

“Doesn’t matter. Toss your list, Jake’s got what we need.”

“Who, what?”

“Not now. I'm pressed for time. Tonight. Ok to come by at seven? And call Mike.  He needs to be there.”

“And tell him what?”

“That Jake’s solved the murders. Both of them. See you at seven.” She hung up.

She hung up. Why did I stay in this – what did my agent call it?- the asshole of the whole civilized world. I was beginning to think she was right. But then she did think there  was a book in this mess.

*                      *                       *                        *

“So give,” I said opening the door to Jake and Jennifer.

“Hello to you too,” Jennifer said. “Mike coming?”

“He said he’d try.”

“Try. Try?” she shouted just as Mike exited his car.  “Mike, Jake’s solved the murder. Both of the murders.”

“So I was given to understand.”

“Harold did it. He killed both of them.” Her enthusiasm elicited smiles from all three of us.

Then Mike shook his head. “You got me out here for this? Jen, I know you’re smitten by detective work—or what you think is detective work. But this is nuts. Pure unadulterated nuts. Harold was not in town when his dear little wife was killed.”

Jake who had been silent said, “It’s possible he did it, Mike. Just hear us out.”

                                                                     

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Lovers Galore

We had decided the logical and sensible thing to do was check out the romantic interest of Callie Everson, other wise know to us as Sweety-Pie

                                                                PART  22

Enthusiasm gushed from Jennifer’s words. “And you’ll not guess in a gazillion years how promiscuous she was.”

Jennifer leapt at the chance to do what she called ‘gossip sleuthing’. A service to truth she insisted. “I’ve got a list that doesn’t quit. Half is a little shaky; half are done deals.”

At that moment I knew that only my appreciation and admiration of Jake kept me from kissing her.  “So where do we go from here? To the sheriff?”

“Good gods no. This is ours. Our investigation, your book.” Jennifer produced her two lists, the iffy one, the for sure one. “I think we start with the for sure list. We’ll split them up.”

“But Jennifer, I don’t know these people.”

“And you think I do?” She rolled her eyes. “For god’s sake, if detectives checked out only those they knew, they would have limited and short careers.”

“Let’s hire detectives. I have the money up front and can claim it as expenses when the book is done.”

I ducked to avoid her hand flung at my face. “Do that and I’m out of here.”

“Whoa,” I said. “So how do you propose we proceed?”

“You’re the mystery writer. You tell me.”

I made up stories out of pure imagination. I manipulated facts to meet my plot. I knew nothing about detective work. But I knew a few detectives, who had helped me on various occasions. I could get advice from them. Jennifer need not know. “Okay,” I said. “Let’s start with the for sure list.”

-                        -                            -                           -

By the time Jake and Jennifer left we had organized the ten for sure lovers into graph form with the information we had. Location, career, age, length of relationship, and spaces for additional categories as needed. Looking at the chart I said, ”It seems we have our work cut out for us. Let’s split the list.”

“Great. You take 6; Jake and I will take two each. That seems fair.”

“Fair,” I said. “Six, two, two seems fair?”

“More than fair. This is your job. Jake and I have other jobs. We’re doing you the favor. Unless you plan to split the profits from the book you’ll get out of with us.”

It seemed fair.