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Back Murder Past Due Save as PDF
Chapters (36)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just a bit winded from being the landing spot for a large cat.”

Melba laughed. “I can see it now. He’s pretty big for a lap kitty.”

“Try to tell him that,” I said as I shifted in the chair to redistribute some of Diesel’s weight. “Okay, now I can breathe again.”

Diesel chirped at me, and I rubbed his head with my free hand. He would be happy to sit like this for an hour or two—or until my hand cramped and my legs went to sleep, that is.

He laid his head against my chest, and when he did that, I forgave him everything. He was such a loving companion, and if it hadn’t been for him, I don’t know what I would have done the past couple of years.

“Thanks for all the information,” I said. “So far, though, I don’t think any of these people—especially you—sounds like a good suspect, though. Can you think of anyone else? I believe Godfrey’s parents have passed away, but did he have any other family?”

“Some distant cousins, I think,” Melba said. “On his father’s side. But they live in south Alabama. I don’t think Godfrey’s parents had much contact with them, though.”

I was about to ask another question when Melba continued.

“The only other one I can think of is his half brother,” she said.

“Half brother?” That was news to me. I didn’t remember ever hearing that Godfrey had any siblings.

“Yeah, he’s about ten years older. Godfrey’s mother was married to someone else before she married Mr. Priest.”

“I never knew that,” I said. “And I sure didn’t know about a half brother.”

“You know him. You just don’t know you know him,” Melba said, an impish tone in her voice.

“Okay, I give. Who is it?” I said. I really had no idea.

“Rick Tackett, the operations manager.”

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FOUR

“So Rick is Godfrey’s half brother,” I said.

Was that why he was so interested in the value of Godfrey’s papers?

“Yeah, I guess a lot of people probably don’t know that. I don’t think they ever had much to do with each other,” Melba said. “What I heard was that the boys’ mama left her first husband, Mr. Tackett, and Rick for Godfrey’s daddy. This was back in the fifties, and I reckon it was a real scandal for a while.”

“She left both her first husband and her son?” I said. “That’s really sad for the son.”

“I know,” Melba said. “I’ve always felt a bit sorry for Rick on account of it. His daddy wouldn’t let him have anything to do with his mama. But apparently Godfrey took after his daddy in a lot of ways.”

“So old man Priest was a ladies’ man, too?”