Death Makes The Front Pages: Lizzie Crenshaw Mystery, #2

By Teresa Watson

Lizzie Crenshaw, who is now working at the local newspaper, sees someone assaulting her boss, Dale Gordon. Hours later, Dale's assailant ends up dead. As Lizzie helps Sheriff Owen Greene investigate, details about Dale's past come back to haunt him when they learn he has a past connection to the dead man. Did Dale exact a dish of cold revenge, or is someone setting him up to take the fall? It's up to Lizzie and her friends to discover the truth, before she ends up a blurb on the obit page in the newspaper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Teresa Watson
• Release date: Nov 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502262691

Book preview

Death Makes the Front Page

A Lizzie Crenshaw Mystery

By Teresa Watson

Copyright 2012 Teresa L. Watson

This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Obviously, my family and friends have not found a good treatment center for demented writers yet, so I have been free to write another story with another fantastic support group.

First, a thank you to Kristi Brown and Lonnie Wolgamott for playing hours of Words with Friends, which allowed me to bounce story ideas off them. I used an idea from each of them in the story.

To my beta readers: Lonnie, Kristi, Mom, and April Denton. Thank you for the hours you spent painstakingly reading each line and pointing out the not so obvious things I missed. You all made the story better for my wonderful readers!

To Jamie Lee Scott, who again designed a fantastic cover, and who took precious time away from her writing and film projects to help format my book. You have been a God send, and have become a good friend. Thank you so much for everything!

To Bente Gallagher: you are so busy with all your writing, yet you always take the time to listen when I need to rant, or I just need to bounce ideas around. Thank you very much! It means a lot to me.

To my son, who despite having final exams to finish, listened to me read each chapter and made his own suggestions (sorry there are no explosions in this one, son, maybe the next one!). I love you very much!

To my parents, who have always encouraged me to chase my dreams, no matter how goofy they were. Thank you for all the love and support. I love you both very much!

To the Dotters group on Facebook: once again, you have been my biggest cheering section! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you did the last one! Keep throwing your ideas out there. I do listen and I do use some of them!

Dedication

Years ago, I wrote an ongoing story for an online group that I belonged to. I based the characters on the people I chatted with. One of the people in this group was Gene Hohnholz; his counterpart in the story is Sheriff Owen Greene. Gene was a fun-loving guy who always made me laugh. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but we became friends from the hours we spent talking. He always encouraged me to take my writing to the next level and to publish it. He was very happy for me when I told him I was publishing Death of a Cantankerous Old Coot last year.

Gene passed away November 29, 2011 after battling a series of health issues. His death has left a empty place not only in my heart, but in the hearts of his family and friends. This book is dedicated to him. We all miss you, Gene. God bless.

Books in the Lizzie Crenshaw Mysteries series:

Death of a Cantankerous old Coot – published November 2011

Death Makes the Front Page – published June 2012

Death Stalks the Law – published September 2012

Death Goes to the Dogs – published December 2012

Death Catches a Killer –

Death Makes the Front Page

Prologue

Tuesday afternoon

The man looked around nervously. He had met his clients in some unusual places, but he had never had a meeting in a cemetery before.

He wasn’t sure why he felt uncomfortable. It’s not like anyone was going to talk about what was going to happen here. He thought about his wife, waiting for him to finish his business so he could spend more time at home with her. Looking at the freshly dug hole a few feet away, he wished he was any place but here.

A rustling sound to his left caused him to turn. About time you got here, he said, pushing his cap up a little. May I ask why we are meeting here?

The other person snorted. "How many people do you know that come voluntarily to a cemetery?

No one in his right mind, that’s for sure, the man replied. It’s just a bit creepy.

Afraid of the boogeyman?

Let’s just get this over with.

Do you have any new information for me?

The man reached into his jacket pocket and produced what looked like a small, silver pen. Just plug it into the USB port on your computer.

I know how it works. Did you learn anything from the newspaper guy?

Not really. The guys at the home office think they have a lead, though.

What part of the country are they focusing on this time?

Pacific Northwest, near the Canadian border.

Bit far from home, isn’t it?

Our subject has been known to do the unpredictable.

I’ll let you know if I hear anything from my end.

A lot of people are going to be upset when this hits the fan, the man said.

I can’t worry about that. I have a job to do.

Just make sure no personal entanglements get in the way of that job.

Never have before.

The man watched the contact leave, shaking his head. Another rustling sound made him turn around. What are you doing here?

A whistling sound, followed by a loud thunk as the shovel made contact with the side of the man’s head was the only response he got. He stumbled backwards a few feet, and fell backwards into the hole. The shovel landed next to him, and retreating footsteps were the last thing he ever heard before everything went black.

Chapter 1

Tuesday morning, 10 hours earlier

Purple?

Nope.

Neon Blue.

Nope.

Yellow.

Nope.

What color can you paint it?

Pistachio green.

Hank, that’s the color it is now!

I know that, Miz Lizzie, Hank Turner said. Amos was the only person who ever asked me to paint his truck, and he always painted it the same color.

I know, I know, pistachio green, I sighed. Even from beyond the grave, Amos Gardner, my deceased grandfather, was being a pain in my behind. "If I request a color,