The Family Tree Murders

by Laura Hern

“Where are the patches? Did he smear them on me?” She screamed in terror at Sarge.

  Sarge had Nathan’s body off of her and onto the floor in seconds. He frantically looked for loose scraps of patches in Nathan’s hand and realized there might be some on Lainey’s skin.

  “Don’t move, Lainey!” He yelled. “I’m looking for any patches that might have fallen on you!” Lainey’s heart was pounding, and she was breathing very rapidly. She tried to lie very still.

  Finally, satisfied that no patches had touched her skin, Sarge untied her wrist and legs and helped Lainey sit up. She crumpled into his big shoulders… scared, cold, teary-eyed, and so very thankful for being alive.

  Chapter 10

  She was sitting in the break room at the police station, wrapped in a blanket and sipping hot cocoa when Francy, Vera, and Della arrived.

  “Oh, my Lord, Lainey!” Francy shouted as she gave her a big bear hug. “I thought you were dead!”

  Vera, wiping tears from her own eyes, was hugging her, too. “Now, don’t you ever scare me like that again young lady!” Vera scolded.

  Della hugged her. “Why didn’t you take me with you? After all, I got you into the creamery for a tour!” She winked and added, “I know it’s a crematory.” They all laughed.

  Sarge appeared in the doorway and smiled. “Looks like the Whoopee cavalry has arrived.”

  “I haven’t gotten a chance to thank you, Sarge, for saving my life. How did you figure out where I was?” Lainey asked.

  Sarge looked at Francy. “You want to tell her?”

  Francy squirmed a little bit and answered.

  “Remember when you left the message for me to call Sarge in an hour if I hadn’t heard from you?”

  “Yes and thank goodness you did!” Lainey replied.

  “Actually, I didn’t get your message for several hours,” Francy hesitated. “Mom and I went grocery shopping and met Della. We decided to have lunch and play a few hands of cards.”

  Della, Vera, and Francy all looked at Lainey, then at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

  “If you were playing cards and eating, how did Sarge know to look for me?” She asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  “None of the ladies called me,” Sarge confirmed.

  Lainey was stunned.

  “What?” Lainey sputtered. “How did you know where I was?”

  “We did get a search warrant for Chuck’s shop and also Ann’s cabin. Ann was there and not very cooperative,” Sarge began as he sat down. “While my officer was searching her computer room inside the cabin, an instant message notification appeared on her screen. The message read… we’re getting rid of her.” He leaned back in his chair.

  “At the same time, I received an anonymous text message saying your car was abandoned in front of Mary’s house. I took a squad with me and went straight to her house. We found your car with Mary bound and gagged in the back seat.”

  Lainey’s eyes were glued on Sarge. Francy, Vera, and Della were staring at him as well.

  “Was Mary hurt?” Lainey asked.

  Sarge shook his head. “She was badly beaten, but the doctor says she will be fine.”

  There was silence in the room as everyone tried to comprehend Sarge’s story.

  Vera broke the silence when she said innocently, “Wish I had those honey roasted almonds I bought in the store today. I could sure use a few of them right about now!”

  Everyone in the room laughed.

  “Sarge, did Chuck beat up Mary and put her in my car?”

  Sarge nodded. “Yes, and we found Doug bound and gagged in the trunk.”

  “Nathan, Chuck, and Ann were planning on killing me, Mary and Doug by putting us in my car and involving it in an accident, weren’t they?” Lainey shivered hearing her own words.

  “It looks that way, Lainey.”

  The ladies looked at each other and then back to Sarge.

  “Then how in the world did you know that Chuck had taken Lainey to the county morgue?” Francy asked.

  Sarge looked around the room and hesitated before responding. “I received a second anonymous text on my phone that contained two words. County morgue.”

  “I drove immediately to the county morgue, saw that Nathan’s car and Chuck’s cars were there. Luckily a deputy from the Sheriff’s office had just arrived to deliver a call for a coroner to work an accident,” Sarge continued.

  “The outer office was dark, and we heard screaming or crying coming from the back. Chuck was coming out of a door into the hallway and the deputy dropped him with his nightstick before he knew what hit him.” Sarge paused. “I saw Nathan standing over you and shot him in the shoulder.”

  The room fell silent at the seriousness of information, what had occurred, and how thankful they were for Sarge and his officers.

  “Sarge, I can never thank you enough.” Lainey stated appreciatively.

  Sarge smiled and then in his semi-scolding voice said, “Next time I tell you to stop investigating something, listen to me.”

  Lainey smiled and nodded. “I’ll think about it!”

  “Where did these anonymous text messages come from, Sarge?” Francy asked. “You can trace them, can’t you?”

  Sarge stood up and with an odd look on his face said to Francy, “Oh, I know the source. It was from much higher up the ladder than my jurisdiction,” he said as he turned to leave.

  “Wait!” Lainey commanded. “What higher up? Who sent those?”

  “Police confidentiality, sorry.” Sarge smiled as he walked back to his office.

  Lainey was back to normal after a few days rest at home. Sarge had filled her in regarding the progress on the case. It seems in an attempt to get a plea bargain; Chuck Austin had spilled his guts that Nathan and Ann were lovers and had planned to steal Doug’s inheritance by murdering him and Mary.

  Once the DNA testing showed a link to the Sullivan fortune, the Sullivan brothers became their first targets. Chuck claimed Nathan threatened to kill him with Fentanyl patches if he didn’t help them.

  It was Whoopee group night and they had decided to meet at Lainey’s favorite spot, Babe’s House of Caffeine. She was getting ready when her phone rang. It was Raymond Sullivan.

  “Hello, this is Lainey.”

  “Hello, Lainey, Raymond Sullivan. Do you have a moment to speak with me?”

  Lainey’s cheeks began to flush. “Sure. What can I do for you?”

  “I was hoping you could meet me for dinner this evening. My car will be at your home in about twenty minutes to pick you up.”

  She was startled for a moment. “Oh, I would love to but…” She began to say when he interrupted her.

  “I’ve already cleared it with your Whoopee group. They were happy to reschedule with you.”

  Did he talk with the girls?

  “I don’t know if I appreciate your rearranging my schedule,” she began slowly. “But since it appears I’m free, I would love to have dinner with you.”

  “That’s good to hear. The car should be arriving shortly. See you soon.”

  She was still a bit stunned and looked at herself in her bathroom mirror.

  What just happened? Where are we going to eat? What do I wear?

  She hurriedly changed into her favorite black pants outfit and chose her deep purple blazer.

  She heard the doorbell and was greeted by a very well dressed chauffeur who took off his hat.

  “Mr. Sullivan is anxiously awaiting your arrival,” he greeted.

  She looked out to see a large, black limo in front of her house.

  Holy cow! This will give the neighbors gossip for a month!

  She thanked the gentleman and followed him to the car. He opened the door and when she got inside, she saw Raymond Sullivan sitting across from her. And he was holding two coffee cups.

  “Good evening, Lainey. Thank you for dining with me on such short notice.” He winked as he handed her one of the cups. “I hope you won’t be disappointed, but I added a litt
le bit of Irish Creme into our coffees this evening.”

  It was very rare that Lainey Maynard was left speechless. The smile on her face must have shown Raymond that she was surprised and pleased. She took her cup as Raymond lifted his. “To a lovely evening.” They touched their cups and then sipped.

  “You seem to know everything about me, Raymond, including my dinner plans. How did you know that I was meeting with my friends tonight?”

  Raymond’s warm smile would have melted a hundred-year-old glacier. It certainly seemed to be melting Lainey’s heart.

  “I wanted to thank you for your part in apprehending the Austin brothers and for finding the truth about Eugene and Harold’s death. I am forever in your debt.”

  “I’m very sorry about the murder of your brothers, Raymond. Sarge is the one you should be thanking.”

  “I’ve been in contact with Sarge and expressed my gratitude.”

  For a brief moment, Lainey saw a softness in his eyes she had not seen previously. Or, if she had, maybe she hadn’t taken the time to look for it.

  “You didn’t answer my question, though. How did you know my schedule?” She grinned.

  “I thought Sarge might have told you.”

  Seeing the confusion on Lainey’s face, he added, “Please, let me explain.”

  He put his cup down, leaned forward and took her cup from her hand. Then he clasped her hands in his.

  “I hope you will not be upset, but the first time we met, you drenched me in hot coffee. I want to make sure you are unarmed now when I tell you this!” He smiled and they both laughed. He let go of her hands and sat back in his seat.

  “After you came to my office to ask about Doug and Mary Reynolds, I spoke with my attorneys again concerning the possibility of my brothers being murdered,” he said as he looked out the car window and then back at Lainey.

  “They agreed to investigate further,” he paused, then continued. “They decided it best to keep you under surveillance as well.”

  Lainey’s mouth dropped open. “You had me followed?”

  “Yes, but only as a precaution. I never felt you were a threat to me or my family.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Your detectives or agents or whoever followed me are the ones who sent text messages to Sarge, didn’t they?”

  “They are undercover FBI agents and yes, they did text Sarge about your car. They knew you had been taken to the county morgue.”

  “Lainey, I was not aware of any of this until after the arrests and your rescue had occurred. But as it turned out, I am very grateful they followed you.”

  Lainey sat back, picked up her coffee cup and took a drink. Then, looking at Raymond, she said, “I’m glad, too. Thank you for having them follow me.”

  She reached out to take his hand in hers. Their eyes met and he leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

  “I would miss having coffee spilled on me.”

  Preview: Curtain Call At Brooksey’s Playhouse

  A Prequel to the Lainey Maynard Mystery Series

  The rain that had welcomed Lainey to Mirror Falls on Friday had continued all weekend. It was early Sunday morning when a sudden flash of lightning followed by a loud crackle of thunder jolted Lainey awake, forcing her to jump up from the recliner where she had fallen asleep.

  “Jeepers,” Lainey said aloud, rubbing her eyes. “No one told me it rained so much in Minnesota.” She stood up, stretched, and looked around at the stacks of moving boxes left to unpack.

  Lainey had decided to make the move from Houston to Minnesota a few years after her husband had passed away. Whether it was to try and hide from the many memories they had made during the 8 years they lived in the Woodlands or if she was ready for a new adventure alone, she hadn’t decided. Her boss said they needed an agent in the Minnesota Twin Cities area and she accepted.

  She had done her research about the area and figured that while it was smaller than Houston, there would be less traffic and she would still have access to the theaters, sports, arts festivals, and activities that she enjoyed. It wasn’t until she had agreed to move and started looking for apartments online that her boss broke the news to her.

  “Looking for an apartment, Lainey?” her boss had inquired.

  “I’m trying to see whether Minneapolis or St Paul will be a better fit for me.”

  She could still see his face as he paused, then answered. “Oh, actually we’re moving you a little bit west of the Twin Cities area. Mirror Falls to be exact.”

  “Mirror Falls?”

  Lainey quickly typed the city into her Google search box. “Uhm, Mirror Falls is more than two hours west and north of Minneapolis.”

  “Business is brisk in that area and we need our best agent to handle it all.”

  Lainey grimaced. “I’ve known you for years, sir.” She shook her finger at him. “Don’t give me that spiel. What’s the real scoop and why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  Her boss shrugged his shoulders, chuckling a bit.

  “You’re right. It’s much smaller than the Twin Cities. We have several key clients in the rural areas of Minnesota and we feel that Mirror Falls is the best central location for you.”

  And that was that.

  One of the first tasks Lainey completed once she arrived in Mirror Falls was finding a church to attend. She had decided to visit a Lutheran church located a few miles from her apartment. She showered, dressed, and looked up the website for the time of the service. She thought if it started at 8:15 a.m., she should leave earlier to beat the traffic and get a good parking spot.

  She left her apartment about 7:20 a.m. and arrived in the church’s parking lot at precisely 7:22 a.m.

  “Guess it’s going to take me a little while to adjust to small town traffic,” she said to herself, noticing that the Pastor, getting out of his car, waved at her. She got out of her car and walked over to meet him.

  “I see you are eager to get to church today,” he said, putting his hand out to introduce himself. “I’m Pastor Klein. Most people call me Pastor Pete. Welcome to our little church.”

  Lainey shook his hand.

  “Thank you Pastor Pete. I’m Lainey Maynard. I guess I am a bit early.”

  “It’s never too early to come to church.” He put his hand to the side of his mouth to whisper, “Be careful not to make it a habit or Vera, our welcoming committee chairperson, will recruit you for something.” He smiled and laughed.

  Lainey grinned. “I’ll be sure to watch for her.”

  As they walked inside, Lainey told him briefly about her move to Mirror Falls and that she was looking forward to getting to know the community.

  “We’ll do our best to help you get acquainted.” Pastor Pete said, waving to someone coming down the hallway.

  “Morning Pastor Pete,” the older lady said loudly as she hurriedly walked toward Lainey. “I see we have a guest this morning.” She was still several feet away from Lainey when she put out her hand, dropping the Cub Foods grocery bag she was carrying. The bag hit the tile floor making a clanking sound that echoed in the empty hallway.

  “Oh, shoot!” the lady exclaimed. “I hope the bag of coffee didn’t spill out.”

  Lainey hurried over to help her, picking up a 5 pound tin of coffee grounds and the plastic bag.

  “I don’t think it spilled out. I’m Lainey Maynard. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Vera Abernathy, the clumsy parishioner,” she said with a big smile as she took the bag from Lainey. “Welcome to our church. I’m the Welcoming Committee Chairperson. Thank you for picking up my can.” She paused a bit awkwardly, then chuckled, “I meant my coffee can you know!”

  “You’re most welcome,” Lainey grinned. “I love coffee and am very glad we aren’t picking up coffee grounds from the tile floor this morning.”

  Vera laughed. “It’s for the coffee hour after church. The coffee committee take turns making the coffee and bringing bars or treats for everyone.” She looked at Pastor Pete, stood c
loser to Lainey, then said, “Don’t tell Pastor, but visiting at coffee hour is the highlight of our Sunday morning!”

  “Now Vera, I’m sure you meant that after my sermon, visiting is the highlight, correct?”

  They all laughed.

  “Would you please help me get the coffee pots brewing?” Vera asked.

  “I’d love to,” Lainey replied not wanting to hurt her feelings. She glanced at Pastor Pete who was grinning.

  “I told you Vera would put you to work,” he said almost gloating.

  Lainey nodded, smiled and followed Vera to the kitchen.

  “Now, tell me all about you, your husband and family,” Vera said as she began taking large coffee pots from the cabinets and placing them on a counter.

  “I’m an insurance investigator and moved just a few days ago from Houston. I’m a widow and have no children, so there isn’t much to tell.”

  Vera stopped moving coffee pots and instantly had tears in her eyes as she turned to face Lainey.

  “I’m so sorry you’re alone! I lost my dear husband, too.” Her voice broke for a second, then she wiped a tear that had rolled down her cheek.

  She gave Lainey a big hug and said, “You have to meet my daughter and Della.”

  Seeing the sadness on Vera’s face, Lainey said, “I am sorry if talking about my late husband upset you or brought back sad memories. I would be happy to meet with your daughter and what was the other person’s name?”

  “My daughter is Francy and Della is the other person in our little group. You’re going to fit right in!”

  Vera was finishing the coffee pots and Lainey was cutting the bars and arranging them on trays when another loud voice sounded. Lainey looked up to see someone who appeared to have been running, carrying many bags and a desk fan.

  “Mom, I told you to wait for me to help you with those heavy pots,” the lady almost shouted.

  “I’ve got Lainey to help me. She’s new and is going to join our group.” Vera answered, putting her hands on her hips.

  This must be Vera’s daughter? What was her name again? Fran?

  Lainey walked forward to offer to help her carry something.