Grave Consequences: A Sgt. John Wesson Mystery

By Jim Hutchison

Sergeant John Wesson is a detective with the major crimes division of the St. Brides Police Department. As such, he investigates everything. His side kick is Detective Bennet and together they are immersed in a set of disappearances involving college co-eds. No bodies have ever turned up, though murder is high on the list of possibilities. Wesson, Bennet, and an unlikely reporter combine to solve the demise of the three missing girls. Along the way, Wesson is bugged by the OCD like behavior of Bennet, an excellent detective with some unusual traits.
A young reporter for the St. Brides Tribune, Steve Newson, is assigned to write a story about the latest missing co-ed and finds himself deeply involved in the case. An internment site excavator (grave digger) by the name of Harry Scroggins finds himself mixed up with problems that reach beyond the scope of normalcy. Harrys son, Robin adds a complicated twist to the story.
The plot unravels when a mix-up in the burial of the mayors sister causes her to be exhumed and reburied in the proper location. Wesson finds that he must take Steve into his confidence so that he doesnt publish a story that might drive the guilty felon underground.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 12, 2009
• ISBN: 9781450002196

Jim Hutchison

I am retired from teaching science (Easy stuff like chemistry and physics). I have had a lifelong desire to write. Back in my college days, I would write off the wall articles of my random thoughts. In those days, desktop and laptop computers were not available and everything I created was written out in long hand (I wasn’t a typist then, though I may not be one now). That’s why so many of my early writings have not survived. Today, with computers, I can write and save anything, preserving my efforts. I have an intense interest in writing mystery novels without all the blood and gore. I have completed two novels (Grave Consequences and Antoine’s Antiques) and am in the midst of writing two others (Runestone Relics and Donna’s DNA). Two other novels are still in the planning stages (Fire on Deck and Circle of Protection).

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Jim Hutchison.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4415-9660-4

                Ebook           978-1-4500-0219-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

List of Characters

Sgt. Wesson is a major crime’s detective who works side by side with Detective Bennet in the city of St. Brides, located in the Midwestern United States. While St. Brides is a quiet city as compared to other cities of comparable size, it has its first missing person’s cases of the year. Three college co-eds disappear from school and no one has any idea where they are. The girls go to different schools but all return home to St. Brides on holidays and special occasions. A car belonging to the last girl who dropped from sight is found, and homicide is finally the only possible result. Sgt. Wesson solves this bizarre crime and arrests everyone involved, but the criminal is never really convicted. The strangest thing about this mystery is where their bodies were finally found.

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank Deloris Mackoul for her editing efforts that kept me from looking foolish. I still have trouble distinguishing between ‘then’ and ‘than’ and between ‘sit’, ‘set’, and ‘sat’.

Let me also name a few friends who have encouraged me. Jim Dudley, Eva Albers, and of course Dee Mackoul. Thank you all.

Chapter 1

Monday afternoon, May 2

St. Brides Memorial Cemetery

Harry Scroggins was already tired from a stressful day at the cemetery. He was the director of grave preparation. His duties included supervising all freshly dug graves and grave site cleanup after internment. Today’s work involved overseeing the digging of four graves and the closing up of three others. On a normal day, Harry would see to opening two new graves and the closure of two other sites. Harry was sure it seemed when the sun got hotter, the work got harder. It was only mid June, and the temperature was hovering around the upper eighties. He and Karl were opening the Bartlet site.

Hey Karl! Watch where you’re going with that backhoe! You just about took out a grave marker.

Don’t worry so much Harry, grumbled Karl. I’ve been driving one of these things for near bout twenty years. Let’s see you do any better.

Before he could lay into Karl anymore, Harry’s cell phone sprang to life, playing When the Saints Go Marching In Yeah, speak yelled Harry angrily What you want?"

It’s only me, quipped Randy. I was just calling to let you know that we’ve finished filling in the Morrison site. Butch wants to know if it’s okay to take a short break.

Go ahead and take your break and meet us back at the shed.

"Karl, I’m going to the truck to catch a smoke. Just leave the backhoe there when you’re finished and meet Randy and Butch back at the shed. I’ll load the hoe on the truck and drive back. Check with the office and