Bullet To The Heart: Sam Bennett's Case Files

By Terry R Barca

From the author of THE LONG WEEKEND and KEEPER OF SECRETS comes BULLET TO THE HEART - Sam Bennett’s Case Files.
Before Sam met Scarlett, he was a private investigator and a mystery writer. He was supposed to retire to help Scarlett run her father’s empire.
But mystery won’t leave Sam alone. Some of these stories are from the time before Scarlett, and some are after Scarlett, either way, Sam’s adventurous life is never dull. Sam and Scarlett's love story continues, with danger and adventure around every corner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terry R Barca
• Release date: Jul 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370844975

Terry R Barca

I’m an author who lives and works in the Dandenong Ranges, on the eastern edge of Melbourne Australia.I take one day at a time but occasionally I’m attacked by several days at once.My amazing wife and I have lived in The Hills for forty-three years.My favourite colour is green and so is my favourite car.I started my working life as a Primary School Teacher in the early 1970s.Since then I have been a stained glass craftsman, furniture restorer, restorer of Player Pianos and music rolls, author (twenty one books so far, seventeen audiobooks, another on the way), photographer, basketball trading card manufacturer, basketball coach, basketball player, basketball referee, part-time shop assistant, newspaper columnist, homeschool dad, husband, father, grandfather, and a few other bits and pieces, and not in this order.I’m fascinated by people, but I prefer the company of dogs.I’m not frightened of dying, but sometimes life scares the hell out of me.I think that birds are cool but I don’t believe that they spend any time thinking about me, even though I give them lots of stale bread, and the occasional pizza crust........ ungrateful bastards!

Book preview

Bullet to the Heart:

Sam Bennett’s Case Files

Sam and Scarlett Book 2

Terry R Barca

Copyright © 2017 Terry R Barca

All rights reserved.

Published by

Written With A Pencil

Distributed by Smashwords

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 ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

Other Books By Terry R Barca

The Long Weekend

Loyal and True.

Passerby.

Slightly Spooky Stories

Schoome

Trust

The Red Wheelbarrow

Rufus

Keeper Of Secrets

COMING SOON

Dot, Dot, Dot…

Secrets Kept (Keeper of Secrets 2)

Dedication

To Scotty, the love of my life — my Scarlett.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dianne for helping me edit this anthology. Her love and support are what keeps me going. I would also like to thank the many people who have inspired the stories in this book — you may not have known that I was watching, taking notice - but I was, and you live on, anonymously, between the covers of this book. Thank you also to my two dogs, Honey and Zed, for being so patient and for being such good company while these words were being applied to paper.

Foreword

From the author of The Long Weekend and Keeper Of Secrets comes BULLET TO THE HEART - Sam Bennett’s Case Files.

Before Sam met Scarlett, he was a private investigator and mystery writer. He was supposed to retire to help Scarlett run her father’s empire.

But mystery won’t leave Sam alone. Some of these stories are from the time before Scarlett, and some are after Scarlett, either way, Sam’s adventurous life is never dull.

Table of Contents

Other Books By Terry R Barca

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Bullet to the Heart

An AK 47 and a Banana

Sulfur McWilliams

A Suitcase and a Fan

Stephen

Airstream: Fully Loaded

Lord Newry

Big Eddie

Fireman Ken

Never Say Never

Scars

The Big White Whale

Antonio

She Sells Egg Shells, and Other Things, by the Seaside

White Gloves

The Secretary

Passing By

Life and Death

Tram Ride

Where It Ends

About the author

Other Books By Terry R Barca

Coming Soon

eBooks

Bullet to the Heart

The envelope had been lying on Sam's desk since the mail arrived earlier that morning. All other correspondence had been dealt with, but the letter from a firm of Adelaide solicitors, Coen, Coen & Coen, was just lying there like a grenade waiting to go off.

Who did I piss off in Adelaide?

It was a rhetorical question mostly because there was no one in the office to answer it.

Better get it over with I guess, said Sam reaching for the silver letter opener which was a trophy from a particularly challenging case.

Thick paper, probably bonded, and the letter opener had to work hard to slice through it.

Bloody solicitors, I'll bet they can afford expensive stationery. Always hassling good upstanding citizens like myself. Sam was smiling at his joke and some of the anxiety that had been circling him over the past few days was dissipating. Sam had been experiencing an uneasy feeling for some time, and it was reasonable to assume that this letter had something to do with that.

As it turned out, the envelope held several pages: single-spaced, and full of legal speak. What it boiled down to was a request. Coen, Coen & Coen were acting for a family that just received a coroner’s verdict — death by misadventure. The family’s verdict, although the letter didn't phrase it this way, was one of outrage and disappointment.

In their world, bullets didn't come out of nowhere and strike down innocent people without there being an explanation. The police had investigated for more than a year, and the inquest spanned three days of testimony, but, in the end, there were no definitive answers.

Death by misadventure.

Misadventure, indeed!

The shooting had happened in a leafy Melbourne suburb nearly two years earlier. Although most of the family lived in Adelaide, the woman in question had followed her heart to Melbourne. In just under three years, her heart was broken, but she had fallen in love with this amazing city.

On the day in question, she'd been walking along a quiet suburban street in an up-market part of Melbourne. Witnesses responded to the yelping of a small dog. The little dog was trying to wake her up, but the bullet that struck her heart made sure that her little dog’s efforts were in vain.

The transcript from the coroner's court described her as tall, elegant, and well dressed. It told nothing of the person behind this appearance. Discovering who she was, what she loved, and how she spent her days and nights, would be one important aspect of Sam’s job. Knowing who this woman was might lead to her killer.

Her name was Linda McAndrews, and the McAndrews family is a big deal in the city of churches. The patriarch of the family, Andrew McAndrews, had followed his heart from Melbourne to Adelaide where he married a local girl and together they built a family and a fortune.

Having deep pockets gets you attention in any city.

Don't they have any decent private investigators in Adelaide?

Sam’s question was just as rhetorical, but he would ask that question again in the days that followed. There was a flurry of correspondence between Sam and the Adelaide solicitors. Sam tried to shorten the experience by phoning the person named on the bottom of the letter, but they insisted that all correspondence be in writing.

Fucking solicitors!

This time, Sam wasn't talking to himself, but his part-time secretary ignored him. It was best to leave Sam alone when he got annoyed.

It seems that Linda McAndrews had led a quiet life in Melbourne. She had family money so she didn't have to work, but she did volunteer at the thrift shop near her home. Her father insisted that she should be a contributing member of her community.

Sam had visited some strange and unusual places in search of answers, but this was his first visit to an ‘Op Shop’.

The ladies on duty were helpful and sad. They knew Linda, and they liked her. Most of the staff were at a loose end. Combine this with a kind heart, volunteering for Charity, and you got an interesting mix of humanity. They all agreed that Linda was different. Other wealthy ladies had time on their hands, but they came with a certain type of attitude. Linda and attitude did not go together. She was fresh and real — some would say a bit naive, but in a gentle, happy sort of way. No one ever heard her say a negative thing about anyone.

"When she spoke to you, you felt you were the most important thing in her life. She was like that with everyone. The lonely ones loved her. She never fobbed them off. She listened patiently and always asked pertinent questions. She was the gentlest soul I have ever known." The lady speaking had tears in her eyes, and Sam believed every word she said.

Did anyone ever give her a hard time? Speak rudely to her? Threaten her in any way?

No, not that I can remember. We sometimes worked on different days, but I’m sure that I would have heard if something like that had happened. Interesting news travels fast in a place like this. It’s a way of passing the time.

The woman speaking to Sam was in her late fifties. A runaway husband and an empty nest had led her to work here, Because I get to talk to people who don’t pity me. We are all in a similar boat. With experienced eyes, Sam surmised that this lady had once been stunning. She was still attractive, but the sadness in her life had left its mark on her face. Her eyes reflected this sadness, but they were clear and bright. She was enjoying the attention of this handsome man. Sam too knew how to listen when the occasion demanded.

One of the other ladies had obviously overheard this conversation. She approached them confidently.

It was a while ago now, but I do remember that there was a man who came into the shop on two different days asking about some clothes that had been left on the doorstep. They had been sold, but he wanted to know who had bought them. We told him that we don’t collect names and addresses, but he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to know who had sorted the clothes and who had sold them. I didn’t like his tone so I told him to leave. He came back the next day, and I happened to be working that day as well. He was talking to one of the other women, and the conversation was getting heated by the time I intervened. I told him that if he ever came back, I would call the police. I lied and said that one of the ladies was married to a policeman. It seemed to work because I never saw him again.

Did you tell the police when Linda was killed?

They never spoke to any of us, and in any case, I only just now remembered. There is a chance that he may have gotten a name from my colleague before I threw him out. Unfortunately, this lady died not long after this conversation. She was run over by a hit and run driver, just outside the shop. It was horrible. I’d never connected any of these events until now. There are shivers going up my spine.

I don’t think you need to worry. Sam wasn’t at all sure that this was true, but what else could he say? Do you know what kind of clothes were donated?

The usual things, nothing out of the ordinary — some women’s clothes and a man’s suit — all quality stuff. I remember it being mentioned that most of the clothes were expensive and hardly worn. We don’t get a lot of splendid clothes being donated. It’s not that sort of area.

Did anyone go through the clothes when they came in?

That’s standard procedure. You wouldn't believe what people leave in the pockets. Some of the stuff finds its way back, but mostly people don’t ask, and the anonymous donations are impossible to trace.

In a sea of dead ends — finally a lead.

Linda had either found something that someone didn’t want to be found, or more tragically, she died because someone thought that she