Edwin was finally able to fire George outright. He ended up taking a job in a small corporate law firm for less than half his pay. Edwin also kicked him out of the house. George found an apartment in West Little Rock the last I heard. He was still married to Maime at least for now.
Maime was declared incompetent and sent to a psychiatric prison in the northwest part of the state. Her parents were making sure she got clean from the drugs and finally received the mental health services she needed all along. It’s unlikely she will ever get out of that facility. If she does, she will be sent directly to Arkansas state prison to serve out the remainder of her life sentence.
I heard from Emma that both Dean and George separately make the trip twice a month to visit her. It’s unlikely their friendship will ever be what it was, but it seemed neither could quite get over Maime.
I attended Maime’s sentencing. The victim’s families all read victim impact statements. They are all still trying to make sense of the violence and loss of their loved ones.
The one remaining victim’s family, the one Dean identified, had been notified. Michelle had been on a business trip that was scheduled for three weeks in length. No one knew she had even been missing.
The city of Little Rock placed a nice plaque with the victims’ names in Murray Park in honor and remembrance. Luke spoke at the event.
Most of Little Rock was in agreement that Ben Prosser got what he deserved. The evidence in his house was overwhelming. We never really had a clear answer about how exactly he met Maime or how they came up with the plan. Maime wasn’t talking.
Cooper is quite the hero around town. His business was booming. He’s had more dates than I could count. Cooper tells us he’s embarrassed by all the attention. We don’t believe him.
Cooper and Luke had some great bonding time when they agreed to drive my stuff across the country back to Little Rock from upstate New York. I was too weak to make the trip myself. I decided to stay after all. I had very little case work in New York. Winters were always slow, and Cooper had more work than he could handle. Plus, Cooper and I both decided that we liked having a business partner. My mother kept my dog. I missed him, but it was my gift to her for leaving.
The biggest surprise of all was that my mother loved my house. She came down for Christmas and had stayed through the New Year.
My sister Liv moved in with my ex-husband Jeff, and by all accounts, they were doing really well. With Jeff’s income, my sister didn’t have to work, which was good because I didn’t think Cooper was going to let her keep the fake job and real paycheck I had been giving her. She’d never say it, but I think my mother was actually enjoying having her house to herself for the first time.
Emma was thrilled to have me back in the neighborhood and kept looking in on me. But the best thing that came out of everything that happened without question was Luke and me. He was currently in the kitchen putting the finishes touches on dinner. Who would get rid of a man that cooks?
“Baby, here you go,” Luke said, bringing in warm bowls of chili for the both of us. He set them down on the coffee table, flipped on the television and snuggled under the blanket with me. He handed me mine and watched as I took a big bite.
“Delicious, thank you,” I said and leaned over and kissed him.
“That’s not the only thing that’s delicious,” Luke said as he planted sweet kisses on my face. He wore his heart on his sleeve more than I ever could, but it really is a pleasant addition to my life. I’m definitely going to enjoy every minute of it.
About the Author
Stacy M. Jones was born and raised in Troy, New York, and currently lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a full-time writer and holds masters’ degrees in journalism and in forensic psychology. Stacy is an avid reader of the mystery genre. Whether a reader likes their mysteries more hard-boiled or prefers a cozy, Stacy offers two series – the more hard-boiled Riley Sullivan Mystery Series and the cozy Harper & Hattie Magical Mystery Series.
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The Bone Harvest - Sept. 2019
Seventeen years after the disappearance and murder of Lily Morgan, her brother Det. Luke Morgan receives a letter from the killer who calls himself The Professor. The killer claims “23 pretty little girls harvested dead” - and he’s not done.
It’s the clue Luke has been hoping for all these years, but can he really trust a serial killer at his word? When the killer strikes a little too close to home, Luke is hot on his trail – the killer taunting him at every turn. Meanwhile Luke’s investigative team – private investigators Riley Sullivan and Cooper Deagnan - work to unravel long-forgotten cold cases across states and uncover decades old witnesses who still have stories to tell.
The cat and mouse game has only just begun. Luke, Riley and Cooper must stop a diabolical serial killer before he goes underground until the next harvest.
Just how far will Luke go to bring his sister’s killer to justice?
Deadly Sins Page 29
