Kelly Miller A Collin Carter Mystery

By Kathleen Steed

Twenty-four years old and as attractive as only a platinum-blonde country girl can be, Kelly Miller is passionate about fashion. Her meteoric rise to fame as the fashion blogger at Gorgeous Rags, an online fashion magazine in our nation's capital, is cut short when she mysteriously disappears and a dead body is discovered in her apartment. Private detective Collin Carter is on the case. Will he find Kelly and figure out who murdered the mysterious man found lying bloody and dead in her living room? And, a chilling thought - Could it have been pretty little Kelly who did it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathleen Steed
• Release date: Aug 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311804341

Kathleen Steed

I was born on September 12, 1953. I graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Medical Technology. I worked in various laboratories for twenty-nine years then changed jobs to regulating laboratories. I am a member of the United Methodist Church and was Lay Speaker from 2007 to 2013. I live in Maryland with my husband and a Jack Russell Terrier named Spanky.

Book preview

Kelly Miller:

A Collin Carter Mystery

By Kathleen Steed

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2015

Kathleen Steed

Book cover illustrated by: Dawn Smith at: http://www.darkdawncreations.com

Chapter One

I am not staying, Willis. Stop asking me. You’re so exasperating, said Kelly, her long, straight, platinum-blonde hair swishing angrily about her shoulders, as she continued to place items into her suitcase.

Kelly was twenty-four years old and thin; her most remarkable physical feature was her white blonde hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, yet everyone thought she was beautiful. She quickly finished packing and waited for Willis to take her bags out to his pickup truck. Willis was stone silent as he drove his now ex-girlfriend to Atlanta’s airport. He stomped on the brakes to stop the truck at the departures lane. He got out and left the luggage on the curb for the skycaps to tag and put through for the plane.

This isn’t over, Kelly. We’ve been together too long, he told her firmly. When she refused to respond he turned abruptly away and drove off squealing the tires on the old pickup truck.

She shook her head in disgust as she watched him drive away. She’d thought it would be difficult for Willis to let go, but she wanted this change. She had to have it. Georgia was stifling her, Atlanta had been an improvement over the tiny town of Temple where she and Willis had grown up, but this opportunity for a new and exciting life was never going to come again. She tipped the skycaps with three of the eight dollars she had, then she headed for security and the gate where her plane would arrive in about an hour to take her to an exciting new job, a new life far from Temple and Willis. The Nation’s capital… the heartbeat of the nation was there. She had been hired by Gorgeous Rags, a popular online fashion magazine, to write a blog about the fashions worn by the Washington rich and famous, most notably the first family, President Jon Mohr, his wife Clarissa and their three little girls.

Kelly ate the crackers and peanuts on the plane, that and the half can of soda the stewardess gave her were the only lunch she was going to get as she didn’t have money for even a burger at the airport. She’d been making a tiny salary in Atlanta and she’d spent so much on paying off funeral expenses for her aunt Grace there wasn’t much money left. It had been late stage cervical cancer that took her aunt. Kelly was her only living kin but Kelly had moved from Temple with her boyfriend Willis a year before when she got a job at the Atlanta Times as a freelance fashion writer. It was hard for Kelly to meet the demands of her job and to care for her aunt.

Kelly helped Grace find a doctor that would provide home nursing care and was willing to take a promise of payment in installments using Grace’s house as collateral. This allowed Kelly to attend events in Atlanta as her boss demanded, but write her articles and submit them online. It was hard watching Grace go through Chemo and Kelly spent as much time as she could in Temple to be with her. Grace, who’d been tough on Kelly all her life, softened toward Kelly as she got sicker and sicker and Kelly felt a deep despair as she watched the once strong woman fade away. She’d cried for days after the burial. But she had to work to pay off the bills and she was back in Atlanta as soon as she made arrangements for the sale of Grace’s house. She made Willis spend weeks clearing out the house of the remnants of Grace’s life and making small repairs so the house would sell. When it did all of the proceeds went to the doctor who had cared for Grace.

After the short flight, she disembarked, nervous and thanking Jesus that Charlene King, the editor of Gorgeous Rags, was sending someone to pick her up. She walked bravely to the baggage claim and looked for a man with a sign. Her aunt’s old luggage was oversized and didn’t have wheels. She was embarrassed to be using such outdated suitcases, but they were all she had.

There he was, a well-dressed young black man with a sign that said: Kelley Miller.

Well at least they spelled my last name correctly, she thought as she approached him with determination to set him straight.

Are you Kelley Miller? he asked.

Yes, except that you’ve spelt my first name wrong, said Kelly.

That’s a charming accent you have. How do YOU spell Kelley?

K e l l y. Only one ‘e’. What’s your name?

Wayne Mason. I promise to spell your name right from now on.

Thank you, said Kelly. A correct beginning is a good beginning, my aunt Grace used to tell me that all the time.

The baggage claim alarm started clanging, the light started flashing, and, in a moment, the carousel began turning as bags were ejected from the top, slid down the sides and began their circular trip ‘round and ‘round the bottom of the carousel. Kelly handed Wayne the baggage claim tags.

I’m afraid they are kind of old.

Three right? What color are they?

Light blue, there’s one of them now.

An ugly, huge, solid piece of light blue luggage was coming around near where they were standing. Wayne didn’t flinch. He’d experienced what it was like growing up poor. He dragged the three suitcases over one at a time, then went and got a cart from the self-serve luggage corral. He placed the luggage on the cart and headed for the parking garage with Kelly following beside. Kelly smiled when Wayne pushed the cart up to a shiny silver BMW in the parking garage. He placed the bags in the huge trunk and opened the passenger side door for Kelly. She waited in the car admiring the wood inlaid dashboard and the rest of the interior while Wayne pushed the cart to a collection stand, then returned to drive her to her new home. Sitting silently with Wayne’s smooth Jazz music soothing her nerves, she was happy being chauffeured to her new life; it made leaving Georgia and all its memories easier.

The apartment building lobby was spacious and grand. Wayne introduced her to a chubby, fifty year old white man, Ralph Clayton, at the front desk, then he took a baggage cart out to the curb and brought in Kelly’s luggage. Ralph and Kelly were talking politely when he returned with the luggage.

Ralph can you watch my car while I get Kelly situated?

Certainly, Mister Mason.

Wayne pushed the cart to the elevators and they proceeded to the fourth floor.

This is where you live until Charlene says otherwise. Here are your key and ID card. Don’t lose them, Ralph and the rest of the guys can’t help you if you don’t have the card and key. If they did Charlene would fire them.

Would she fire me? Kelly asked incredulously.

Probably not, but there are worse things and depending on her mood you don’t want to find out.

She took the key and the card and nodded quietly. Wayne stopped by the door to room 438 and waited for Kelly to use her key. Embarrassed, she fumbled with it then opened the door and entered. The room was small, but exquisite with a living room, kitchenette, small office, and a bedroom with bath. The artwork on the walls looked like originals from the masters’ hands, beautifully framed and in one corner on a small table stood a two foot high statuette, a miniature of a statue by Rodin known as Jean d'Aire. The furniture looked expensive, almost too expensive to sit on, not like anything Kelly had ever had before, but just like all the magazines she drooled over since she was little. Wayne placed the luggage into the bedroom and returned to the living room where Kelly was admiring the statuette.

I hope you like this stuff, Charlene picked it all out. I can change something if you want, but don’t break, sell, or give away anything.

I love the works of Rodin, especially this statue. Someday I might see the real one in Paris.

Have you traveled much?

No. I’d love to. Right now I’m just excited to be somewhere other than Georgia, she said with a gentle smile.

She followed him to the kitchen.

There is some food in the fridge to keep you until you have a chance to go shopping. Sorry but the cable and internet won’t be active until Friday. Any questions? Ooops, I almost forgot here is your cellphone, my name is in it if you have a problem. There will be a cab here at 7:30 tomorrow morning to bring you to the office. Ask for me at the security desk and I’ll come sign you in. Got it?

Yes. Um, thank you, Wayne. Do you know if there is a place I can get internet until Friday? I don’t think I can go for four days without it, she said as they walked to the apartment door.

Hmm, try the Brown Fox. It’s a nice bar and restaurant, sometimes it gets a little rowdy at night. It’s across the street and down less than a block. Don’t be late tomorrow.

I won’t be, thanks, Wayne.

He nodded and left. Kelly watched out her balcony drapes which faced the street and saw Wayne drive away. She smiled in excitement and ran to the bedroom. She opened the middle sized suitcase and pulled out her laptop. She grabbed her purse, key and identification card and left the room. She was so excited to be in Maryland she was breathing shallow quick breaths and looking around wide eyed. She took the elevator down to the lobby and almost jumped out of her skin when Ralph asked, Going out?

Yes, just down to the Brown Bear.

That would be the Brown Fox.

Oh, how silly of me.

Have a good time.

Thank you.

Kelly exited her building and breathed in the warm air. So much like back home. It was May and the weather was wonderfully warm but not