From Amy's Own Words

 Sheriff Marlings had enlisted me to help. I decided to do some serious sleuthing.

                                                          CONSIDERING MURDER

                                                                         Part 16

Noise at the front door. Someone fumbling with the lock. I scooted out the back door of the trailer, slithered around the backside and sped down the field toward my pond. As a sleuth I was mediocre at best.

Entering the trailer through an open window was easy. I was not prepared for the mess I found. Strewn throughout the trailer was what appeared to be everything Amy Hayes owned. Enough make-up to open a salon: clothing: books (I never imagined she might read): dishes, pots and pans. Harold, it seems, left behind all reminder of Amy.

From my pond I sauntered back up to my house and set to work in the yard, determined to stay there until the trailer visitor left. Just as I was sure that would never happen, down the road came a gray Ford Focus driven by a middle aged woman.

After learning from a quick call to Sheriff Marlings  it was most likely Amy’s mother, I went back to the trailer and entered the same window. Several large boxes near the front door were filled with clothes, kitchen items and other personal items. Two smaller boxes: one held baby clothes, mostly used and likely hand-me-downs from friends and relatives: the other books. As I surveyed the titles I found the diary, which I began to read. Fearing someone might return I climbed out the window, diary in hand.

At my table I began to read what can only be described as a teenager’s diary, so full of shallow and emotional sentiments. Half way through the drivel I found:

  

“Nancy swears that last night she saw Harold at the Dixie Cafe with a woman. I told her she was wrong for Harold was in Tennessee on a run. She said if it wasn’t Harold it had to be his twin brother.”

No date. I checked passages before and after. No dates on anything.

“Jennifer,” I said into her home answering machine, “when you get home from work give me a call. Got something really interesting to share with you.”   I settled down to more diary reading.