Murder at Ketchman Springs: Inspired by Craig N. Tillotson

By Carl J. Haskins Jr.

Paul is a hard-working private investigator, whose daughter Lynne has been harassing him about his need for a break from bloodshed. He plans a peaceful fishing getaway in Ketchmnan Springs, and hell stay with his daughters godparents, Bill and Jean. When he arrives, however, he finds a terrible tragedy.

Bill and Jean have been executed, shot dead. Theres soon a third murder, as well. The crime scenes are all identicaleach lacking in any physical evidenceexcept for a golden German luger left behind. While dealing with his personal tragedy, Paul is left wondering; whats the motive?

Inconceivably, amidst all the mayhem, Paul ends up falling in love while trying to keep his daughter safe. He soon comes to believe there might be more than one murderer responsible for the mysterious deaths in this peaceful lakeside community. Will he be able to use his crime-solving expertise to catch the bad guys before they kill again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491781326

Carl J. Haskins Jr.

Carl J. Haskins Jr. retired after more than forty years as a professional portrait photographer. He started writing in high school and has written many short stories and newspaper articles. He is originally from New York.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

GETTING READY FOR VACATION

I thought private investigation was going to be great, that was until a year ago, when I quit the Amarillo Police Department and got my P.I. license. I went into business for myself. I found out that it was a lot harder than reporting to the police station each day.

After our friends in Ketchman Springs and my daughter Lynne pushed and prodded me to take some time off in January. I said, That I would take my vacation in April and I will go up to Bill and Jeans.

Work has been hectic, as my daughter Lynne told me she will be glad when I slow down and stop taking on so many cases. Then her work load would lessen.

Lynne would remind me every day when she got a chance. She would say, Grandma Jean called and wanted me to remind you it was fishing time and Grandpa Bill was catching some real big ones. They needed someone who likes fish to come help eat them. She also added, Grandpa had your fishing pole waiting and ready for you. After about three months of this, I started to back down on my work load and started getting ready for a vacation.

I did not believe it nor did Lynne, that the first few months of this year went by so fast. April was coming up in a month. I started to slow down and take fewer cases on, but I told Lynne to book the cases she could after my vacation. As we approached April, I happily found a few days that I could take off here and there, due to my backing off on my case load. All these events were taking place due to my vacation coming up next month.

Time flew by and April 7 was upon us. I was on my way to my vacation spot at Bill and Jean's place in the mountains.

Even though Bill and Jean said not to bring anything, I wanted to take something to them being the good friends they are. I have known them for many years and they have become family to me.

They were the only friends that kept in contact with our family after my wife passed away several years ago.

Besides all that, they are Lynne and her older sisters God Parents. I remember when we asked them to stand up for the kids. They were so delighted when my wife and I asked them to be the God Parents of our children.

When it was time for the Christening, they traveled down to our place and lived with us for a few weeks for the christening of the children. They did that for both of the girls. We had such a great time when they came down. The kids used to call them their second Grandma and Grandpa. They enjoyed being called that and acted like the kids grandparents.

I remember a sad time they came and stayed with me and the girls, when my late wife passed away. Thank goodness for that, I was so busy and the girls needed someone they could feel good about living with due to their mother's death. I can still remember the place the big truck crossed the double line and hit my wife's car head on. There was nothing she could have done, it ended so fast. We know she turned away from the truck, but it had a fifty-three foot trailer full of goods for the local store. Of course with that kind of weight there was no hope of finding my wife alive after the trailer was lifted off the car.

Bill and Jean stayed for about a month and then they said they had to get back to the lake house. We did not want them to leave. I told them they could live with the girls and me, but they wanted to get back home. That was several years ago and it was time for me to take a vacation. A vacation Lynne was sending me on, which I was very pleased. I was looking forward to traveling up to stay with Jean and Bill again. They were like a second mother and father to me and acted that way with me.

I called Bill, we spoke about how things were going and I told him that it was busy enough for two, if you want to come down and work with me? He wisely said, No, I am fine right here and don't want to get involved with anyone else's problems. I laughed and then he turned the call to a timelier question.

Bill asked me, When are you coming up to the lake for a vacation. I said, In the morning, if it was ok with them. He said, Come right now it would be great to see you.

I told Bill, I would start out early in the morning around three or four a.m., in order to be there for breakfast with you both. Bill said, What would you like for breakfast? I said, Anything will be fine, he insisted, no tell me what you like the best? I said, Eggs over easy, linked sausage, toast, coffee and my two great friends to share it with. Bill said ok, we will expect you about eight or nine a.m. I said fine and hung up the phone.

I felt I heard some very strange concerns in his voice and sat for moment thinking about what we talked about and I still could not get that feeling out of my mind. I felt something, which he did not say anything about was bothering him and Jean.

I glanced over at the pile of things that had to be put into the car for the trip. It was going to be a six hours drive to get there, eight hours with the two or three stops I make. I would not have any problem getting there, this is a repeat of several trips my wife and I have made to the lake cabin to see our friends.

I had finished what I was doing and looked over- or through my appointment book, my daughter Lynne, had taken care of everything and notified everyone I would be out of town for several weeks.

This morning was just about gone and I hadn't done much in the way of getting ready for my trip, like packing the car. I had gotten all my equipment in the car spoken to several people on the phone and to those who had dropped by.

By then it was late afternoon and I had taken care of just about all my business deals and headed home for dinner and put the last few things in the car.

I thought I was going to spend the evening by myself, but as I pulled up into the drive-way there were three (3) other cars in the drive so I parked out front;. My next-door neighbor and 3-4 other couples were in my kitchen fixing dinner for all of us.

I walked in and said hello to everyone, they were all glade to see me and said they had a surprise for me in the dinning room. I walked into the dining room and there was dinner fixed for all of us. I said thank you very much but they did not have to go to all this work.

Mary said you gave us the key and we knew you would be busy today and we wanted to send you off with a good meal. I said I would need to sleep for about 5-6 hours before I leave. Mary said Hank and I knew you would need a good meal before you rest so we came over to fix it for you. I said thank you very much, what did you fix to eat? Mary said your favorite, Spaghetti and Meatballs. I said great and invited everyone to sit and eat and we all did that.

At the end of the meal Mary said, you men go to the living room and sit us girls will take care of the dishes and Paul you get ready by putting the last things in the car and the other two men said what do you need to put in the car we are very happy to help you, just show us what you need done. I said well thank you and showed them what was left to put in the car and they grabbed the things and off to the car we went and in minutes the car was loaded.

About 2 hours later and with dinner out of the way our other friends went home, Mary and Hank were in the kitchen cleaned up and put the last of the things from dinner anyway. I thanked them again before they went home. Soon after that I headed off to bed for the next 6 hours.

CHAPTER 2

THE TRIP TO KETCHMAN SPRINGS

It was not long and the alarm clock went off. I got up and started putting things in my suit case and taking it along with the very last of everything out to the car.

After putting the odd and ends in the car I locked up the house and I headed for Bill and Jean's place.

I always enjoyed driving during the early morning when there is no traffic to deal with. I was headed out of town and there was still dew on the ground so the streets were a bit wet. As I headed out on the four lane highway things started to dry and traffic started to pick up. Thank goodness the traffic was the type of trucker's business men trying to get to an early morning appointment, or moving from town to town representing there companies or taking product to out of the way stores. I have had the pleasure of talking with them all now and then. They are for the most part very nice people.

Once in a while we will get someone on the road in a real big hurry and I loved it when the truckers see him/her coming and they would pull out to slow them down then after a few miles they would pull over and let them by and they would give the trucker the middle finger and cuss them out. The truckers would just laugh and say slow down and live.

It was about 3 hours into the trip and the rain started coming down. Not hard at first but then it came down like cats and dogs. It was time for a break anyway and I was about half the way and close enough to the old restaurant I always stop at, I believe it is about 20 miles, yes, there is the sign, 20 miles to Spankies Home Cooking.

As I drove along I was thinking that Bill and I would be going out in his boat fishing. I loved fishing on the lake and Jean was always happy to clean and cook the fish. I told her one time the fisherman is the one to clean his own fish - she so warmly said only when he is not on vacation and to be relaxing and she would tell me to go sit down on the porch that she would tend to dinner. Bill would laugh as I walked out to sit and watch the sunset with him. He would look at me and say I told you so. I thought to my-self those were the good times and I was hoping to do it all over again. That was one of the very important reasons I always loved coming up to Bill and Jean cabin.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant I noticed they had the parking lot black topped. I parked the car and walked in. The Hostess did not remember my name but she greeted me as though she did. I sat down and she asked what can I get you? I said coffee and by the way what kind of pie just came out of the oven? I had remembered from my last trip that they baked the pies for the day early in the morning. She started listed all the pies they had. I interrupted her by saying asked which just came out of the oven. She said the pumpkin I said I will have an oversized piece of that. She left with my order and I turned to look out the window. Not much to see but the slow traffic and of course the rain.

As the waitress brought back my coffee and pie she remarked about the rain - been raining for the past four days but it's going to stop this afternoon I said thank you for both - she said the weather forecast was free and we both laugh - a lady behind me laughed also and remarked that she hoped the rain would stop like the waitress said.

As I paid the waitress she asked how was the pie? I said it was very good and I loved the fact that it was warm. She said I should have eaten a full breakfast, I responded with I have that waiting for me up the road. She said, eating at a competitors place and I said no, good friends are waiting for me about three hours away. As I was leaving she said, have a good trip.

After getting in my car and back on the road I turned the local radio station on and listened to that station for some time. It was not as long as I thought and the station was out of range. I turned to the station at the lake. They said it was clear and sunny -- I could not tell because it was still coming down. I was about 15 min. away and all of a sudden the rain stopped, it was like driving out of a sheet of rain. I was amazed as the weather turned clear and sunny.

CHAPTER 3

THE SAD DISCOVERY OF BILL AND JEAN'S MURDER

As I got close to the house two cop cars passed by me very fast. I was wondering where they were going. I drove on down the road and before I could turn into Bill's driveway I saw 4 cop cars, 2 local and 2 state police. I pulled over and walked over to one of the officers - I took out my I.D. and showed him as I asked what happened. He said what business you have up here. I responded I was coming to spend 2-3 weeks with Bill and Jean's. He said I think you better speak to the sergeant in charge. He radioed his sergeant and told him I was on my way up to the house. He told the sergeant I was a private investigator and friend of the family.

As I was walking up the driveway to the house the sergeant who I come to know as Roger met me about half way. He introduced himself to me and we spoke for a few minutes. We spoke about who I was and where I came from and of course why I was there. I explained to him I was on vacation and I was going to stay at Jean and Bill's house. He said he was sorry but they have just been murdered. I said I want to go and see.

Roger as I come to call him said it is not a very pretty sight, I said with my experience I have seen it all. He said but these are your friend and it can make a big difference, I said I know. But I also knew what he was talking about due to a very good friend getting in a car accident a few months back and I had to photograph the accident.

As we approached the house my heart started beating faster and of course harder. The sergeant I mean Roger had already looked in and told me about it. I asked him if he had a camera and he said just a Polaroid I said that is not good enough.

I told him that I had my full camera outfit in my car and I felt we needed to photograph the crime scene before anyone went in the house. I had brought my high speed camera but not with the idea that I would be photographing Bill and Jean's dead bodies. I was hoping to photograph them sitting on the porch together. More so I was hoping to take some photos of big fish that I had caught in the lake.

I quickly went back out to the car and got this suit case, well it was a bit smaller then a suit case. As I was wheeling it back toward the house Roger approached me and said you really did come to stay. I said these are not my clothes, this is my camera equipment.

I opened the case and the Roger said wow I have never seen so much camera equipment. Do you know what all that stuff does? I said yes, some of the filters are special for trying to get the best detail of a crime scene.

Roger said do you only investigate killing? Just murders that is all. He asked how about other types of crimes? I said very little because they only leave fingerprints and the job of taking fingerprints I leave to the police who usually do a great job.

Roger asked so I take it you are a murder investigator specialist am I right? I replied with yes and enjoy my work and as you can see I have the right equipment to make sure I don't miss a thing.

What about those CSI people the police have in the big cities? Well believe it or not I have up staged them a few times due to there not looking for things I look for. Studying the crime scene is often so important but they have the chemicals to bring out more stuff then me. But when it comes to photograph evidence, and I don't mean to boost, but I am the best. Roger looked over at me and had a grumpy tone to his voice for the rest of the time we spent doing the photographing. I took out a camera and filters in order to make sure I got what type of blood splatters so that everything will show.

I also took some chemicals in with me to make the gun shot powder residue near any blood would come out strong. I photographed Bill and Jean, It was hard because seeing them dead was hard to deal with but I wanted to make sure the people were caught.

While taking about 40- 50 shots inside and outside the house I was fully aware they did not have a CSI unit out here in the sticks. I had to make sure I photographed everything and then some.

Of course the sergeant (Roger) came in and took about two packs of photos with his Polaroid Camera. I say two packs because if I remember correctly each pack held eight (8) pictures for the police. The people from the coroner's office took some photos that will help with the autopsy.

I asked Roger where a good place to stay. He said there is a motel right across from the restaurant we were going to get coffee from when we were done here. I was hoping to stay with Bill and Jean but given the circumstance that was out of the question. We took a lot of photos and headed to get a well-deserved cup of coffee. Due to the fact it was about 2:30 P.M. and the last thing I had to eat was the pumpkin pie early this morning.

CHAPTER 4

THE COFFEE MEETING WITH ROGER

Roger and I went to get coffee and go over the day's events so far they were truly nerve racking to say the least. We talked about the evidence we found and just why I was there and see if we could piece together what happened.

Roger made a call to his office and spoke to the women there and I don't know what she asked him but I heard him say I don't know where this guy came from or when he planned on coming up just as this thing took place. I wished they would have waited a few more weeks. That tad-bit of information made me think that Roger knew who the killers were.

So as bold as I usually am I asked Roger what he meant when he said you wished they would have waited a few more weeks. Roger said my secretary asked me about a problem we had in the offices. Someone came to see me when we were up at Jean and Bill's house. I told her not to bother me during our investigation of the crime scene. So the people made an appointment for three or four weeks from now. They left and won't be back for a few weeks. The reason for their visit will hold for the next 3 or 4 weeks am I correct. And Roger said oh yes it was information about several cases I was working on with them for a project for the governor.

Roger said are you going to get a print of all the photos and I said yes and he said can you make me a set? I said of course that is if you are going to pay for both sets I said in order to save me some cost. Roger gruffly said tell them to make 2 sets of 4 X 6 photos and he asked if I would wait and bring the photos back to him.

I said did you want me to get copies of your Polaroid and he said yes please as he handed me a stack of prints to turn into digital copies for him. As a quick photo the Polaroid was a good photo. I copied all the photos with my digital equipment. Not for Roger but for my own purpose in order to have a copy of his photos. Now days you can take a photo with a Polaroid and scan it and it is just as good as if you took it with a digital camera.

I finished up with Roger and drove over to the motel to get a room. The lady at the check in desk was very nice. I said do you have a room with a microwave oven in it often I like a cup of coffee late at night or real early in the morning. She said how long you staying and I responded with I don't know. But it looks like about two weeks and very well could be longer. She said she would give me the end room that is the quiets in the place and no one will be walking by your room