Body Found: Hampton Murder Mystery Chronicles, #1

By Joyce Haggard

A body is found inside the mansion, Richard Hampton's own bachelor pad nestled in a tranquil Tennessee country setting. While visiting the Hampton residence, amateur investigator, Knox Lambert, and his friend, Nick Farley, look into the disappearance of their gracious host and its connection to the sound of a gunshot heard from inside the massive dwelling. What happened inside the Hampton house to promote such violence and will they find the missing person alive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joyce Haggard
• Release date: Jan 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224566884

Book preview

BODY FOUND

Hampton Murder Mystery Chronicles

Book 1

Joyce Haggard

Copyright©2024JoyceHaggard

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

Dedications

This book is dedicated to my precious treasures with all my love. You are my greatest gift, my joy, my happiness, and my inspiration.

My children: Jeremy Matthew, Brandon Ryan, Susan Renee, Shannon Marie

My grandchildren: Hunter Chase, Sarah Elizabeth, Ryan Edward, Serenity Grace, and the twins, Cullen William and Eva Victoria

Contents:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 1

IT WAS A HOT SUMMER afternoon and everyone at the Hampton house was taking it easy. Two of them were taking time out from a hard day’s work and sitting on the screened-in back porch with the ceiling fan on, drinking iced tea and looking out over the enormous back yard that led to the beautiful flower garden. There was a lazy murmur of bees hovering over the flowers near the fence. You could hear the sounds of people mowing their yards in the distance and that was the most restful of all country sounds.

It was the time when even those whose purpose it is to attend to the care of others, have a few moments for themselves. The assistant housekeeper, Amber Murphy, talked idly to her aunt, Nora Murphy, the cook and main housekeeper of Mr. Richard Hampton's bachelor home.

Amber took a sip of her iced tea and then set it down on the small table beside her. You know it's a strange thing about Mr. Hampton's brother. Imagine not seeing your own brother for fifteen years.

Well, like I told you this morning, her aunt responded, I've been working for Mr. Hampton for more than five years, and I didn't even know he had a brother. Mr. Hampton has never mentioned him, at least not while I'm around. I've never met him.

I couldn't believe my ears when Mr. Hampton talked about his brother at the breakfast table this morning, Amber's aunt continued. I thought that I had imagined the whole thing. What brother? I don't know what was said before I came out of the kitchen, walked up to him, and poured him a fresh cup of coffee. Mr. Hampton turned to look at me and told me that his brother was coming to Tennessee to see him this afternoon. He said that he was expecting him at about three o'clock. He asked me to show his brother to his office when he gets here. I was never so surprised in my life. I had no idea he had a brother. Why would he keep his brother such a secret all these years? His brother from North Carolina...? Makes you wonder what other secrets he's been keeping.

Well, his brother may have been in North Carolina, said Mrs. Murphy. I don't know anything about North Carolina, but what I do say is his brother has never been here. Not in the last five years at least, since I've been here.

I heard Mr. Hampton say that his brother hasn't been here for fifteen years. Mr. Hampton was telling Mr. Brooks that this morning, Amber told her aunt.

I'm not saying anything about fifteen years, Amber. And if Mr. Hampton's brother has been living in North Carolina, as you say, I'm sure he has his reasons for staying away from his brother all these years.

What reasons? said Amber lightly.

Never mind what reasons. Being in the place of a mother to you, since your poor mother died, I will say this, Amber....when a man travels to North Carolina, he must have his reasons. And when he stays in North Carolina for fifteen years, as Mr. Hampton says, and as I know for myself for five years, he has his reasons. And a respectably brought-up girl doesn’t ask what reasons.

My guess is that he got into trouble, said Amber carelessly. They were saying at breakfast he’d been a wild one.

The ringing of the service bell brought Amber