Who Murdered the Devil?

By Ellie Oberth

A rather nasty man in town has been killed and there’s no shortage of suspects in this fifth case. When Chloe Bishop stumbles upon her husband’s body, she panics and runs to the police station. Raymond Bishop is well known to the Andover, NH officers as they’ve responded many times to disturbances at the Bishop household throughout their five years of marriage. Could it be as simple as his wife finally cracking and ending the quarrels? Chloe is the obvious culprit, but Sister Marie Catherine disagrees. Has the old nun finally lost her touch? Hazel and Chief Rasmussen have their hands full when it seems the whole town is lining up to confess.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ellie Oberth
• Release date: Dec 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215215050

Ellie Oberth

A Chicago resident, Ellie Oberth’s love of mysteries began at an early age with an introduction to the works of Agatha Christie.She’s a life-long member of Sisters-In-Crime National and also a member of the Chicagoland Chapter where she served as Secretary in 2009 and served as Treasurer from 2010-2011 and 2017-2019..These days, when she’s not busy writing, she’s travelling. Ellie pops up in the most unusual places. She’s been known to scour the beach at midnight with a flashlight, looking for a place to bury the body or tramping through the deserted woods with the same goal in mind or...For more current activities, visit her blog at www.ellieoberth.blogspot.com

Book preview

Who Murdered The Devil?

Hazel Cartbell Mystery #5

by: Ellie Oberth

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2023 by Ellie Oberth

This is a work of fiction. Andover, NH is a real town and some of the places mentioned are real places, but names, characters and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to persons, living or dead is coincidental.

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Dedication

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To my Aunt Kaye & Uncle Sam

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Acknowledgements

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Thanks to Jennifer Oberth and Renae Oakes-Janecek

for their wonderful edits.

And thanks to the Cozy Crew who keep me sane throughout the process!

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Cover Photo by Canva

Cover Design by Ellie Oberth

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"Who Murdered the Ghost? by Ellie Oberth introduces a group of very memorable characters …a traditional whodunit with some very untraditional characters."

– Evelyn David, author of Murder Off the Books

Who Murdered The Devil?

It all started when Chloe Bishop burst into the police station and announced her husband was dead. Then she charged past Coralynn Prescott—our volunteer dispatcher—and me—a lowly police officer—straight into the chief’s office. Startled, Chief Rasmussen pushed back his chair, banging it against the wall, his right hand hovering above his gun.

Our six-man—well, five men and me—police force was familiar with Raymond and Chloe Bishop. Andover, New Hampshire’s population barely exceeded twenty-four hundred and our police station covered the several villages that made up our town. As keepers of the peace, we’d responded to countless domestic disturbances at the Bishop residence with each incident ending the same—Raymond explaining the couple was just having an argument and Chloe mutely agreeing with her husband.

I joined the alleged widow in the chief’s office in time to hear his question. Why didn’t you call 911, Mrs. Bishop?

She was an attractive girl in her late twenties—high cheekbones, curly brown hair framing baby blues and a button nose. Whereas we were alike in a strictly physical description, differences in attitude shone through. While I exuded an energetic, cheerful, yet somewhat sarcastic nature, Chloe’s demeanor screamed crushed soul. Pain lurked behind her haunted expression and she gave off the impression of defeat—someone who’d seen it all and hadn’t much liked it.

Chloe dabbed her cheeks with a tear-soaked tissue. I got back from the grocery store, and he was lying on the floor. There was so much blood… Her voice choked. I was scared. What if someone’s still in the house?

The chief’s steady brown eyes met mine over the bowed head of the now weeping woman. Donovan’s working this shift. Hazel, I know you’re off duty today…

I grabbed my car keys from my jeans pocket. No problem, Chief. I’ll notify Donovan and we’ll check it out.

Chloe Bishop took time out from her weeping to press her house keys into my hand.

Excusing himself from his own office, the chief left Chloe Bishop to escort me outside. "Thanks, Hazel. Donovan’s good for bar fights and traffic tickets, but he’s not ready for the big time yet. If Raymond Bishop is dead, you’re my go-to partner. He studied me so intently, I felt like a lab specimen. Breaking eye contact, Rasmussen hustled back to the station, calling over his shoulder, I’ll dispatch an ambulance to meet you there while I question Mrs. Bishop."

Leaving the station, I radioed Donovan to join me at the alleged crime scene. Today our rookie cop was the officer scheduled for duty. The chief and I weren’t supposed to be working—our small police force allowed for one cop to be on duty at a time—but we’d both shown up at the station