An Adrian Phillips Mystery #2: Lunch Hour Mysteries

By T. L. Pruitt

“May I speak with Chief Phillips?” said the woman on the other end of the phone.

“Speaking.  Who is this, please.”

“Hi, Chief, sorry to call you at home.  I don’t know if you remember me, but this is Millicent Bauer.  I own We’ll Go There Travel Agency.”

“Milly, I swear I was going to call.  My ex-in-laws were here for a week and between them and work, time just got away from me.  But I’m glad you called,” Phillips said, sounding very apologetic.

“We only went out once, Adrian, so you don’t owe me anything.”

“I had a great time.  Didn’t you?”

“I did, but that’s not why I’m calling.  My office was broken into and I was hoping you could handle it personally,” she said.

Adrian was trying to move on since the divorce of his wife but he wasn't as smooth as he thought he once was. 

His office doesn't understand why he's putting more importance on the break-in of his friend than he is in the murder investigation. 

Join me and find out why.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Motion Publications, LLC
• Release date: Dec 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519919465

Book preview

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 1

––––––––

May I speak with Chief Phillips? said the woman on the other end of the phone.

Speaking.  Who is this, please.

"Hi, Chief, sorry to call you at home.  I don’t know if you remember me, but this is Millicent Bauer.  I own We’ll Go There Travel Agency."

Milly, I swear I was going to call.  My ex-in-laws were here for a week and between them and work, time just got away from me.  But I’m glad you called, Phillips said, sounding very apologetic.

We only went out once, Adrian, so you don’t owe me anything.

I had a great time.  Didn’t you?

I did, but that’s not why I’m calling.  My office was broken into and I was hoping you could handle it personally, she said.

When was this? Adrian asked.

It must have happened last night.  When I came in this morning, I noticed that someone had been in here.

Was anything taken?

I don’t think so, but when I noticed that someone had been in there, I came out to my car and called you from here.  I wasn’t sure if someone was still in there, so I didn’t want to hang around.

That was a good idea, Milly.  I’ll be right there.  Wait in your car.  Adrian called Sergeant Forester and told her to meet him at the travel agency.

*****

Sergeant Sylvia Forester arrived just shortly after Chief Phillips.  What have we got?

Not sure yet.  I spoke briefly to Miss Bauer on the phone but have yet to interview her or go inside.  Let’s check inside first.  When she called, she wasn’t sure if someone was still in there.

Chief Phillips motioned to Millicent to stay in the car.  They went in and looked around. 

The drawers look like they’ve been rifled through.  Did she say if anything was missing? Forester asked.

She didn’t stick around to look.  She left immediately.  Go out and bring her in, please, Phillips said.

Millicent, can you look around, without touching anything, and tell me if anything is missing, Phillips said.

I’ll need to open some drawers to see if anything is missing, she said.

I need you to just look on the tops of desks and shelves.  We’re going to have to dust for prints before I let you open any drawers.  Sergeant, can you run out to the car and get the camera and the dusting kit.

I don’t see anything missing on the surface.  I don’t deal much with cash, so there wouldn’t be more than $100 petty cash in Martin’s desk drawer.  Speaking of, I better call him and tell him what happened.

Why don’t you go ahead and do that.  I’ll give you a call after we process the scene and you can come back and check the drawers.  Adrian escorted Millicent out to her car.  He hadn’t realized he stood there watching her car drive away until...

Chief, shall we?

*****

Milly, it’s Adrian.  Can you come back and look around, see what you can find missing?

Be there in ten.

"She’s on her way.  Considering she’s a travel agent with many people coming through here, the fingerprints are going to prove difficult.