Daniel James Mysteries: The Homeless Murder Mystery

By Betty Maxwell

Daniel was third generation law enforcement and proud of it. In the five years Daniel had been in Devanville, there had been very few major crimes. But something told him things were about to change. He hated to leave his parents, but he didnt miss the city where he was raised. He much preferred the small-town way of life anytime. As he sensed, it didnt take long for the change to come about as the body of a homeless man was found in the snow just blocks from the Shelter of Good Hope. Who was this poor homeless person? Why would anyone want to murder such a pitiful old man who possessed nothing worth killing him for? Daniel had more questions than answers, and as he searched for the murderer who was killing the homeless of Devanville, he learned there were more surprises in store.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512721980

Betty Maxwell

Betty Maxwell is a homemaker who resides in Upper East Tennessee with her husband and their many rescued pets. She has been publishing a monthly Christian newsletter, The Scepter, since 2002, which she places in the local medical center and VA medical center. She has also published a collection of poems, Psalms for the Soul. She has begun the Daniel James Mystery Series with Book 1, The Homeless Murder Mystery and Book 2, The Assassin Murder Mystery. At present she is working on Book 3, The Cold Case Murder Mystery. She considers it truly a gift from God to be a writer.

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Copyright © 2015 Betty Maxwell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-2199-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2200-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2198-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015919575

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/7/2015

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 1

It was a cold day, with the wind blowing so hard it would almost knock you down. Kelly hated to have to go out in such weather, but she could in no way avoid it. She knew that they would be in great need of help at the shelter where she worked, and it appeared that the weather was not going to get any better. It had been such a beautiful morning and with the Trustees meeting scheduled for that afternoon Kelly had chosen to wear her red flounce hem skirt with a matching long sleeved belted jacket and black patent pumps. By the time the meeting was over the weather had turned cloudy and the temperature had dropped drastically. The snow was now falling heavily and gave promise of a large accumulation. Kelly was irritated with herself both for not checking the weather forecast and for choosing her outfit so unwisely. She decided to run by her apartment and change her clothes before heading for the shelter.

It was already evening when Kelly arrived at her apartment. She hurriedly chose jeans along with a blue cable knit sweater that were far greater protection from the cold than her suit had been. She quickly changed her clothing, putting on her knee high black boots that zipped up the side, her jeans fitting snuggly into the boots. She then bundled herself into her three quarter-length black goose down parka zipping it snuggly up the front. Although the coat had a hood, she choose to wear a warm red knit wool hat with a matching scarf and gloves. She hastened her pace as she left her apartment taking the elevator down to the garage level where she parked her SUV. Kelly was glad that her apartment building had garage parking so that she would not have to go through the misery of scraping the windshield. It had cost her extra when she purchased her apartment but it had really been worth it. The busiest time at the shelter was in bad weather when the homeless came in to escape the elements. It was normally just a few minutes’ drive, but it would be slow going tonight. As she pulled up to the garage exit to the street she could see that it would take even longer to reach her destination than she had expected as there was no sign of where a road crew had even attempted to clear the snow from the street. She sat for a moment before proceeding and said a prayer for her safety and that of those who were trying to make their way in from the storm.

Kelly had worked at the shelter since she was a teenager. Her mother had been one of the chef’s who donated their time to help feed the hungry, and she had always loved going with her. Everyone thought she was crazy when she rejected the lucrative offers for employment she had received after graduating college just to work in the shelter but she knew that this was what God had called her to do. It broke her heart many times to see what the homeless had suffered through. Sometimes there was very little that she and the other workers could do to help them except give them a hot meal and a warm bed. They, as always, gathered in prayer for those individuals whom society had given up on. During the past five years that she had been employed at the shelter she had witnessed how God still does miracles as some who were considered the dregs of humankind were brought back to their once proud self to begin their life anew. Some were reunited with family members who had long ago given up on them, others found new places of employment, but most of all they found the Lord.

Kelly pulled out of the garage, onto the street and proceeded slowly. There was no sign of any other vehicles which suited her just fine as she could focus all her attention onto the now drifting snow. It took her several minutes longer to get to the shelter than usual, and she was glad when she arrived. She hurriedly got out of the warm SUV and was immediately assaulted by a cold blast of wind that almost knocked her down. As she felt her hat beginning to move at the force of the wind she quickly pulled her hood up to cover it, heading as fast as she could for the entrance. It was difficult walking against the wind but finally she reached the door of the shelter and entered. As she expected, the entry room was overfull with those in need of a warm place to stay. She recognized many of them but there were also several new faces. It never ceased to amaze her at the variety of people who were homeless.

Most of society seemed to have the idea that those who were homeless were drunkards or dope addicts that refused to help themselves to get better but that was so far from the truth. Those here tonight were families who were foreclosed on when one of the wage earners had lost their job and could not find another; there were board executives who had been pushed out because of their age, although that was not the reason given on paper; there were those who were sick and just wondered off with no way to find out who they were along with a wide variety of others. The saddest of all to Kelly were the veterans who had fought for their country only to become damaged whether physically, mentally or emotionally. The shelter always tried to put them in touch with the veteran’s hospital but they seemed to be the hardest ones to reach out to. To Kelly they deserved far better from their country than they were getting as, to her, they were everyone’s heroes.

As she hurriedly shed her outdoor wear and hung it in the closet, she turned to see the smiling faces of those she knew best. The Samuels family were always such a blessing, and as the children ran to greet her she bent down to give them each the hugs they were expecting. Joe was one of many who had lost their job when the major brand name clothing factory was closed because they could get the job done for less in another country. There was no concern whatsoever for those who had spent their entire life working so that the owners and stockholders could get rich while they barely scraped by. Joe had tried to find another job, but work was so scarce in Devan Creek County. He finally got on part-time at the local hardware store but that was only enough to insure that the children could get what they needed for their schooling. After the foreclosure Amy was no longer allowed to homeschool, so the children were enrolled in public school. There was always something that the teacher would tell them that the children had to have and, of course, they wanted their children to have a good education. Amy had recently been hired at the fast food chain a few blocks from the shelter, but still it fell short of having enough to rent an apartment.

The Jackson family were busy talking to Jack and had not seen her come in. Todd had been a corporate manager at the same clothing factory so he and Joe had been friends for several years. Todd would spend several hours a day at the computer in the office trying to get a new position but there just wasn’t any to be found. As they had no family in Devanville they were more than happy to relocate if he could obtain a position. The main problem in finding a job is that when you reach the age of forty-nine it is hard to compete with the younger applicants. For some reason experience was no longer what the business industry wanted. Instead, they chose the recent college graduates because they would work cheaper than a middle aged man with a family could. Todd’s wife, Jennifer, had been a receptionist at the same company and when both lost their jobs at the same time it didn’t take long for the foreclosure on their home to occur. They had lived there for fifteen years and had only five years to go on their mortgage. They had tried to refinance, but with no income after the unemployment ran out the bank would not even talk about it.

Kelly shook off the thoughts of the injustices done to most of the homeless at the shelter and headed for the kitchen to see how they were progressing with dinner. As she entered she immediately saw her mother, Sarah, instructing young Harry Chumley in the fine art of baking bread. Harry was the twenty-two-year-old son of Derek and Susan Chumley. Kelly had been in much prayer for Derek because of late he had been looking as though he were feeling bad. She wondered if it was just the stress of not being able to find employment or if the cancer was returning. She made a mental note to get him in to see Dr. Michaels who saw to the medical needs of those from the shelter.

Sarah looked up as Kelly entered the kitchen and with a broad smile said, I am so glad you finally got here. We have so many new faces and we are so far behind in getting the meal ready for tonight. It seems that the only ones who could make it in this weather were Gary and Terry so we are really shorthanded. Could you please start by chopping some of those vegetables for me? She then turned back to the task at hand giving more instructions to Harry on how to properly kneed bread.

Kelly took up her position at the chopping board and in short order had all the vegetables ready to go into the beef broth for her mother’s famous vegetable soup. Just thinking about it made her hungry. She then turned her attention to the vegetables for the salad and in no time had everything ready to be placed in the serving line. As she looked around for something else that needed to be done she made a mental note that Agnes had been in earlier in the day, before the snow began to fall, and had made several pies and cakes. Her mother had turned the bread over to Harry and was now putting the finishing touch on the sandwiches that would round out the evening meal.

As everything was now under control in the kitchen, she headed for the sleeping quarters to see what was still to be done. The families with children were full time residents and had been assigned private quarters so the family could be together with some privacy. She knew they would not need to be checked on because each was responsible for their own room but the communal sleeping area usually needed something done. As she thought there were several beds still to be prepared with clean bedding for the night, especially with so many extra. Where they had their regulars on a nightly basis they were sure to have additional on a night such as this. From the looks of the dining room downstairs they may even have to set up additional beds from the storage room.

When she finished the task of preparing the beds she then checked to insure that everything was as it should be in the bath areas before returning to the dining area. As she came down the stairs she saw that some more of the homeless had made it in as well as the new Pastor at the 9th Avenue Worship Center. She had only spoken with him briefly when he came to introduce himself to everyone. He seemed like a really nice person who was going to be an asset to the shelter. The last Pastor was an elderly gentleman whom they saw infrequently due to his health. Kelly was actually glad when he handed in his resignation and turned the church over to someone younger who could be of more help to the community. She really loved Pastor Joseph but she knew just how bad his health was and he really needed to slow down so that he could recuperate better.

Kelly did a quick headcount and as she thought they were going to be three beds short in the communal sleeping area. Looking around she saw that Abner and David had arrived and as the kitchen was winding down she could use them to get the extra beds ready. They both saw her at the same time, their faces lighting up with a smile. They were always glad to see Kelly.

Hi, Kelly said as she approached them. I am so glad that you finally got back. Is everyone in from the streets?

There are still those few who refuse to come but we did what we could to get everyone in from the weather, Abner said.

What is important is that you tried. If they won’t accept our help we certainly can’t make them. All we can do is trust that the Lord will take care of them. Kelly said.

I just about didn’t make it back. Those roads are getting really bad and there is no sign of a road crew. Abner said shaking his head.

When I left home the power had already gone off so I’m just as glad to be here where it’s warm. It was a blessing when the church raised enough money at their yearly auction to install the generator system so that the shelter would never be without power in the storms, David said. I plan on staying right here until this weather clears up.

It certainly looks as if all of us are going to be here for a while, Kelly said. I made a head count and we are already three beds short in the communal sleeping area. Could you get three more cots from the storage room and set them up for me. I’ll take care of the sheets and blankets. You two can use room six upstairs it you don’t mind sharing. It has twin beds in it and I think you will be more comfortable there.

Sure Kelly, Abner said. We were just wondering what we could do next, weren’t we David.

Yeah, David replied, It’ll be a pleasure, and thanks for the room.

Kelly got the extra bedding and proceeded to prepare the beds. When she finished the upstairs work she again returned to the dining area. She saw that almost everyone was through the serving line and seated. She suddenly realized that she had not eaten since early that morning so she joined the kitchen workers who were getting their meals. Everything smelled delicious! The shelter was so blessed with the best chefs the town had. Her mother had been raised in a kitchen so it was just natural that she went to culinary school and became a world class chef. She had pioneered women becoming chefs and written several cookbooks as well as appeared on several cooking shows. Even though she was now retired from the restaurant she still spent most of her time in the kitchen of the shelter preparing meals and teaching anyone who desired to learn, especially young Harry. He had such a passion for cooking and was quick to grasp every nuisance of the cooking techniques and blending of spices.

After Kelly had filled her tray with her evening meal she sat down with her mother and Harry who were busy eating the salad she had prepared. It was a simple salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing that everyone seemed to enjoy so much. Without speaking she joined them in delighting in the feast that was before her. She ended her meal with the mixed berry pie that Agnes had made before leaving earlier in the day. Words could not describe how delicious the pies were that Agnes baked for them. She was the retired owner of the local pastry shop just two blocks from the shelter. As she lived alone she hesitated to stay late in the day. She usually came in around 8:00 a.m. and had the day’s delicacies prepared by noon. They had tried to get her to stay with them longer but she insisted that she must be home in time to feed her cats their lunch. Everyone loved Agnes because she spread such joy to everyone.

Kelly seemed to be the last one to finish eating so she hurried to the kitchen with her tray so she could assist in the clean-up. She saw that Amy and Jennifer were busy washing the dishes so she turned her attention to cleaning the cooktop and counters. It didn’t take very long to get the kitchen ready for the next day. When they were all finished with their tasks Kelly made a quick inspection to make sure that nothing was missed. She had to admire how clean and neat everyone was who came to the shelter. It saddened Kelly to think of how misjudged the homeless were and how badly they were treated by others. It wasn’t as if they decided one day to stop what they were doing and become homeless. Each one had their life disrupted by circumstances beyond their means to control. Kelly switched off the lights on her way back to the dining area where she saw that her mother and several of the others were chatting while they sipped the last of the coffee.

It is about time you came out and joined us, her mother said. Would you like a cup of coffee before I empty the pot?

No, thanks Mom, Kelly replied. I really need to make sure that everyone has everything they need for the night.

Girl, you work too hard, Amy said with a smile. You just come over here and sit down. We’ve got some catchin’ up to do.

Well, just for a few minutes, Kelly said. How has everything been going? It seems like days since we last had a chance to get together for more than a passing hello. Is there any news about the job Joe put in for over in Juppstown?

No. There hasn’t been a word, but I take that as a good sign. At least he has not been turned down like the last time. He is more than qualified for the job and we surely do need it, but I would hate to leave Devanville. The shelter has become our home and I love everyone here so much. It would be like deserting my family if we have to leave, Amy said.

God will work it out for you. I have really been praying about the new factory that is considering building a new plant in Devanville. It would be just perfect for so many of our friends that were displaced by the Denim Company’s greed when they outsourced the plant to Mexico. By the way, I hear that their sales have really declined since they moved all of their plants to other countries, said Kelly.

I heard that too, said Amy. I know that I have to forgive, and I do, but it serves them right for being so greedy and hurting so many people that were loyal to them.

I know that it is hard to get past how they treated all of the employees towards the end. They lied to us about what they were planning, and even worse than that they took all of our retirement funds that we had been paying into. Todd and I could have paid off our mortgage with what was due to us, but instead, we were put out on the street and no government agency would help us at all. They actually said what they did was legal. If it were not for the shelter, I don’t know what would have become of us, Jennifer replied.

Sarah heard what Jennifer said as she was approaching from the kitchen where she had went to clean the coffee pot along with the last of the dishes. You must have faith that God always has a plan and a purpose for our lives. We don’t always understand when something bad happens, but remember Psalm 37:23 says, ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.’ He will guide us in all things when we are faithful to His word, she said in her quiet, loving way. It was the Lord who led you to the shelter. Before you lost your home you had never heard of the Shelter of Good Hope and now it is your home. You are here to be blessed and to be a blessing to others. When the Lord is ready He will provide for you a new home but for now you have us.

Well, we don’t know what we would have done had the Lord not provided for us, Sally said. "When Derek was diagnosed with cancer we didn’t know what to do. Things got really bad financially after the bank laid me off and then foreclosed on our home but Dr. Michaels prayed with us and brought us here. He is certainly a God-send to us and so are all the wonderful people here. We have made so many new friends.