"Hawkman convinced me to question a homeless man living in the alley behind your house."
Lilly gasped and stared at the detective. “Frank!"
"Yes. He'd seen Burke beat you several times and decided the man didn't deserve to live. Appears Frank took you on as family and vowed to protect you. He knew you left food on the porch for him and Burke. One night after he found the paraquat in your carport, he seasoned Burke's portion."
Maryann put her hands over her face. “Oh my God!"
Hawkman sat forward, leaning his elbows on his thighs. “I'd searched the carport and figured something had been taken out of the cabinet recently, but didn't know what until I accidentally found the square box with a bottle of paraquat buried in the field behind Madux's house. After the lab reported that Lilly and Maryann's prints were on the food and drink containers, we came to the conclusion the three of you had plotted to get rid of Parker. If it hadn't been for Sam telling me about the homeless man living in that alley, we'd have never questioned him and the three of you would be behind bars for murder."
Williams put out his hand. “Madukarahat, I admire you for protecting the ones you love, but from now don't fool with evidence. It could get you into serious trouble for obstruction of justice."
Lilly wiped the tears from her eyes. “I can't believe Frank would do such a thing. He was such a nice man."
Hawkman stood and slipped his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans. “We caught him in a slip of the tongue, but I think he would have come forward once he saw that you were going to be put in jail for a murder he committed. He couldn't have stood the idea of you suffering anymore. You were good to him Lilly. Maybe the only one in town who seemed concerned. To him, you were family."
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Cause for Murder Page 22
