The Benoit Murder Mysteries: Crime Busting: Benoit Style

By Tim Conley

Ronald Benoit has assembled a team of private investigators that he calls the Gravediggers. Their proficiency at rooting out corruption is noteworthy. They are usually hired for jobs too intense for others to tackle. When time is of the essence, Ronald and his team are there - in the middle of things. They get the job done - catch the criminals and defend the innocent.
Crime Busting: Benoit Style is the fourth book in this series of six. In it Benoit and his team of Gravediggers fight against criminals who justly deserve to be put down or behind bars. During the accomplishment of their goals Ronald Benoit is kidnapped. It is up to his team to not only rescue their boss, but to solve the crimes they are investigating. Read & Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Conley
• Release date: Aug 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005028121

Tim Conley

Hi, my name is Tim Conley. I live in Philadelphia, MS with my beautiful wife, Carmela. My son,James (JD) is in the Air Force and has a son Joshua who is 21/2 with another boy on the way. Carmela's son - Enrik just graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in Teaching.I have been writing for over twenty years and have published 67 books so far - two recently with Amazon/Kindle. I'm currently working on a fantasy anthology of 28 books called The Rhumgold Sagas.I have always been interested in publishing via eBook format but just haven't found the venue until now. I'm really looking forward to participating in the eBook experience. There are 22 e-books available now and 16 more that are being prepared for release in 2020. Read, explore and enjoy!

Book preview

Crime Busting -

Benoit Style

DAVID PAFFRATH

& TIM CONLEY

Copyright © 2015 Tim Conley

Ghostwritten by Tim Conley

Dragon’s Breath Publishing

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1-5375-5319-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-5375-5319-1

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Rights

Dedication

About the Author

Other Books

C1 A Cause for Alarm

Timmy Moore just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His body was found in the park across from the Houck’s house – squirreled away beneath a low hanging Weeping Willow tree beside a small manmade lake. His body was crumpled up to conceal the fact that his guts had been cut out. The small dog that found him pulled them into a neighbor’s yard.

Ralph Houck was mowing his lawn when the police van pulled up in Moore’s drive. It was followed closely by a black coroner’s car and an unmarked cruiser. Ralph paused to stare at the entourage from the police station as they filed into the Moore house to interview all inside. The coroner went immediately to the small body of the fourteen-year-old and began processing the crime scene.

Ralph had never liked the kid – due to the fact that he was always getting into some of Ralph’s stuff, but he was shocked to see that the kid had been eviscerated and stashed underneath the willow. And that in broad daylight. Someone had done it during the day and not a person in the neighborhood had batted so much as an eye. According to police reports issued later in the day – there were no witnesses.

I tell you, Melanie, there had to be someone see something. You can’t just enter into a neighborhood like this and commit a heinous crime like that and no one sees something. It just doesn’t make sense.

You don’t know that. For Christ’s sake, Ralph. Most of the time you don’t even see the mailman when she opens our box and you don’t know when the garbage men come by. Anything can happen.

And obviously, has. Who would want to kill a fourteen-year-old boy anyway? He never did anything to anybody.

Except for you. You were always complaining that he had been inside your garage or into the plants back in your garden. Truth be told you probably complained to his folks about him more than anyone on the block. You think they’re going to forget that when the police begin their interviews? You got a big mouth, Ralph. Too big for your own good.

Ralph took exception to her analysis and went out to his garage to cool off. That’s when he noticed there was a bag of compost that had been torn open. He went over to it and found a knife sticking in the bag. It had fresh blood all over it. Ralph stepped back and didn’t touch it. His mind went blank – he didn’t know what to do.

A rap on the closed door of his garage got his attention. Two cops were standing there when he opened the door.

They showed their badges and introduced themselves. May we come in? the tall man in a brown trench coat asked.

Ralph finally nodded and stepped aside. It only took a couple of minutes before the murder weapon was found and Ralph was in handcuffs heading down to the precinct. He spent the night in lockup and finally was released on bail late the following morning.

His wife didn’t badger him when he got dropped off by a cab. Ralph related to her all the questions they had asked while they had him in custody. She only inquired when the court date was and then retired to her room. Ralph was left to fend for himself the rest of the day and around six o’clock in the evening wandered into his study.

He looked for a business card that he had been given almost a full year in the past. His cousin had become involved in a gang that holed up in Gulfport at one of the biker bars. A biker chick had given him her card during an investigation into a series of murders that had been going on in the area. She had told him he could call her if he needed to – day or night. Now he was looking at her name and the scene in the bar came flooding back.

Melinda Howard had really been a knockout in her biker leathers. He knew he would never forget her. Especially the rose tattoo on both of her ample set of tits. Yeah, she had been a knockout – as well as turning out to be an undercover cop.

He dialed her number and it went to voice mail immediately with You’ve reached my number. Wait for the beep and let me know how I can help you.

There were several beeps and Ralph talked. Then he hung up and started for the door to his bedroom. At the door – the phone rang, and he jumped – startled. He hesitated a moment, then hurried back over to his desk and picked up the phone.

Hello, he said timidly.

Is this Ralph Houck?

Yes, it is. Who am I speaking to?

We’ll get to that in a minute. You said you had one of my business cards and was calling because there had been a murder in the house beside yours of a teenager. You considered the circumstances to be suspicious and you are now under investigation for the murder, is all that right?

Yes, it is. I swear I never killed the boy but the police found the knife used in the murder in my garage – stuck in a bag of compost. It is covered with his blood but has no fingerprints on it so they have nothing more than circumstantial evidence. I was mowing my lawn when they say it happened. But the cops think it is an open and shut case. Can you help me?

Yes, I think we can. We will need to meet with you. Is there a place where you can go that you know is private?

The best place for that would be in my garden. There a fence and trees surrounding it. A path down from the house that is covered and a small building at the end of the clearing where I go sometimes to be alone.

Very well. We will meet you there at ten o’clock tonight. Just make sure no one follows you. We’ll want to see the police report that they gave you. And say nothing to no one. We don’t like publicity – if you know what I mean. See you.

Ralph hung up the phone and sat down at his desk. He stayed there thinking until almost time to go meet with the woman he had called. He hadn’t been inside the shed for more than a couple minutes when there was a sharp rap at the door. He answered and Melinda Howard stepped in – followed by a couple men in all black attire.

You obviously know my name. This is Sammy Blackman and Russell Crowe. They are members of my team. May we sit?

Ralph nodded and they all perched on nail kegs that had been placed there many years in the past by Ralph’s father. Melinda opened their conversation. What makes you think there is something suspicious about the murder?

Ralph stammered for a moment then looked her in the eyes. I don’t know what it was exactly except for the fact that the man who was in charge of the investigation seemed to already know where everything was and knew what was coming next. It kind of felt staged. Especially how they located the murder weapon and the fact that the kid was killed in broad daylight and no one noticed a thing. I found it strange.

As do we, when it all comes down to it. We looked into the man you say was in charge of the investigation and he doesn’t exist. At least not as a police officer. And the coroner wasn’t a member of the local coroner’s office. We think the whole scene might have been staged. Can you think of any reason why someone might want you to go to jail for a crime you didn’t commit?

Have you pissed anyone off lately? asked Sammy as he crossed his legs to dangle a big size eleven shoe at an angle in front of him. Ralph was impressed that the shoe was all leather but looked supple enough to have fit on the man’s hands instead.

I don’t live an adventurous life, Ralph retorted and reached for his lighter so he could start up his pipe. Everyone waited as he did that and then the conversation turned to what he thought the group could do for him. He shrugged and admitted he didn’t know.

Melinda finally presented what she thought might be the reason for his call. Do you think that you are in any danger at all? Knowing what you know – is there reason to be concerned for the safety of you or your wife?

I don’t think so. Nothing has been conveyed to me that that is the case. I just didn’t feel like the investigators were taking it seriously, was all. And the fact that they clamped onto the knife and immediately decided that I was prime suspect number one. That bothers me but I don’t know what a private investigator can do for me.

Maybe clear your name, Russell Crowe spoke for the first time since being introduced. We do make it a habit to clear people of things they didn’t do.

Ralph bowed his head and accepted that they could help him. His heart raced as he thought they might just be able to do as they said they could. Melinda looked at her companions and then gave instructions for Ralph to contact her after he spoke to his attorney. Then the three joined their brothers outside the shelter and disappeared into the night – leaving Ralph to consider his fortune as he walked back up to the house that was sheltered by the night. He felt safe – though always before he had feared the dark. He walked upon his front porch and gazed out at the silver ocean that was reflecting the full moon’s glow. He was now at peace.

C2 A Call for Assembly

Melinda put in a call to Ronald Benoit as soon as they were on the road and away from prying eyes and ears. Her phone and his were connected on a secure circuit like the ones used by the government. There wasn’t a prayer’s chance in hell that they were going to be overheard.

So, what did he tell you? Benoit spoke softly into his mouthpiece.

That he is innocent and doesn’t have any idea who is behind the frame-up. I think he is just a tired old man who saw something he wasn’t supposed to see but isn’t aware that he is a witness.

Have Russell backtrack and pull them out of there. Take both to the Roadhouse but separate them. Don’t want to spook anybody but she could be in on the deal. Take all the vitals you need. We need to prove her identity. Everyone will meet you there in full battle gear. Benoit out.

Melinda passed on the instructions and the SUV stopped to offload a scooter. Russell mounted it and they parted ways. An hour later the Hook's car slid into a parking spot at the Roadhouse. Russell got out and opened the driver’s side back door. He lifted Mrs. Haouk and carried her inside.

Rose Morales took her while he went back for Mr. Haouk. She and Melinda supported her while they carried her into a private room and lowered her onto the mattress of a twin bed. Restraints were placed on her wrists and ankles. Then blood work and fingerprints were taken.

Later that morning Melanie Haouk woke with