Odd Jobs: Det. Lt. Nick Storie Mysteries, #2

By C. D. Moulton

An extremely handsome man finds a body in a flower bed. Who would kill her? Why?

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. D. Moulton
• Release date: Jun 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201923303

Book preview

Chapter one

That was really a nice wedding, Sgt. Marsha Blevins, aide and secretary to Capt. James Paddy James (and real power in the office), announced. Jim and Eileen are going to be a perfect couple for us to compare to.

It really was nice, Paddy agreed. "Nick, when you and Janet get married, we'll have another party and he can take over your shift for your honeymoon.

For our night shift man, you spend a lot of days here.

Oh, well, that's life, Det. Lt. Nathaniel Nick Storie replied. Pat ran off and married the politician's daughter and didn't even bother to invite any of us low-class slobs he worked with.

He's running for the senate, Sgt. Ed Goins, the new head graveyard shift homicide cop said. We must expect him to act like a politician, which merely means he didn't see any way our inclusion could advance his career. The sad truth is that he'll probably win. The way people are fed up with Washington after all their scandals and total inability to deal with reality, people will vote for anyone not there now.

He's as bad as the worst of them! Paddy snorted. I know I won't vote for him. He invited Kathy and me, but Kathy said she had a previous engagement. We went up to Miritello's for dinner.

They were discussing the Wednesday wedding of Jim Hill, day shift homicide and the graveyard shift homicide cop Ed was replacing. Nick was the regular night shift. Jim would have a two week vacation and honeymoon leave, so Nick would take the day shift for him.

Who's taking my regular shift for the next two weeks? Nick asked.

Paddy, who was head of the violent crimes operation, answered, Bill Jenks. It's a slow time of the year, so he can  handle it. I'll put Ellen Vickers on with him. She's coming along very well, and needs the experience. We're all here if they get in over their heads.

Sgt. Shirley Kiser, the receptionist, waved for someone to pick up the phone. They'd all heard the attention buzzer sound and had seen the flashing attention light, but had been deliberately ignoring it. Paddy picked it up, and said, Homicide. James.

There was a short pause, then, One moment. I'll turn this over to Sgt. Blevins. He handed her the phone. She spoke for a moment, rapidly writing all the while. The others started paying close attention when she said, Mr. Micks, are you absolutely sure it's a human body? ... A whole human foot is visible?

She handed Nick a note. He saluted and headed for his car. Ed said he'd ride along, seeing he was there anyhow.

What is it? Ed asked, when they got in the car.

Gardener found a body buried in a fresh vegetable plot in somebody's back yard or something. Those things are usually simple enough cases. Husband kills wife or wife kills husband and buries the body in the new rose bed. These are almost always open and shut cases. Marsh'll send Tiny (Anthony Tiny Menthorne, medical examiner) and the lab truck out, but we'll probably have it sewn up before they ever get there.

He checked his map at the corner of Idlewild and Ficus Lane, turned right on Ficus Lane, went to the second block and turned right again.

Forty seven nineteen Floralee. Right there where the pickup truck is, Nick said. Vegetable garden should be around back.

He parked and they strolled around the house, admiring the health and design of the plantings. He could see the neat annual bed in front with the birdbath was recently planted, as was the bed of lush tropicals under a large water oak. There was a weeping elm in a round bed by the front door, with huge white spathiplyllums surrounded by bright amaryllis, driftwood on the stone wall to the left of that, with colorful bromeliads attached and a row of Aechmeas in a narrow bed under it.

An extraordinarily handsome man in his early twenties saw them and came to meet them. Nick saw something innocent and likeable about him, an open friendliness that was immediately sensed. It was what they called charisma a few years ago. An older man and woman were standing back, gawking at a freshly dug bed with a rich top coating of soil mix spread over most of it. Nick presented his ID, then introduced himself and