Killing America's Sweetheart: A Natalie Miller Mystery Read Online Free PDF

70’s and as you can imagine if you’re somewhat decent at math, I was a late in life child. I do have one older brother named Alex, but he lives in San Francisco where he owns a successful pizza parlor. Mom lives alone with no pets and definitely no husbands. She’s been married three times and each time was a failure. Husband number one was a cheater and alcoholic and produced Alex. Husband number two was my father Seaburn Miller, which also ended because of chronic cheating and drinking. Husband number three was slightly different. He was about twenty five years younger than her, but again a raging alcoholic, cheater and drug addict. So, to say she’s sworn off men is an understatement. She now gets her passion from Steele and McComber.
    “Oh, I went to the library this morning and got some books,” I said getting up from the table and retrieving them from my car. I brought them back and handed them over for her inspection. I sat back down and resumed eating.
    “Have you read them before?” I asked.
    She looked them over carefully, reading bits of the inside jackets. “I don’t think so, but these look good. Thank you. I was running out of books to read, I’m so glad you brought me these!” She said with excitement in her eyes. Some women get all misty eyed and weepy over clothes and jewelry, us-we do it over good books.
    After pigging out on what was probably a million calories my mom suggested we take a nice stroll. I grabbed Honey and her leash and off we went for a nice evening walk. October in California is a bit strange. Elsewhere people are already donning jackets and thick boots, but here it could be 60 degrees one day and 90 the next. As we walked around the neighborhood children were still outside playing, some in short sleeves and shorts, while their parents and grandparents sat on the front porches digesting dinner, reading and gossiping. This was typical small town Treeville at its finest and one of the reasons I didn’t want to move. Even though the town had recently had an influx of gang activity, as a whole, it was still a great little place to live.
    “So, I’m guessing you went down and saw Zack? What did you find out?” my mom asked pulling me out of my thoughts.
    “Well, of course he asked me not to repeat what I had been told.”
    “Of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”
    I smiled. This is why I loved my mom so much. She knew I was terrible at keeping secrets.
    “It’s just so shocking,” she said as we walked past the old town court house after I filled her in on the hottest story in town, minus the dream.
    “I know. I mean I imagine there are a lot of people who hated her, but who would actually act upon it?”
    “Maybe it’s the ex-wife Bebe? Women have been known to kill out of jealous before. Hell, I’m surprised you didn’t go after Carrie Marks, when you found out about her and Matt.”
    “ Christ, don’t remind me of those two assholes,” I grumbled.
    “I saw them at the store earlier, looking all happy and picture perfect with her two kids. You know the ones from two different daddies? I bet she thinks she’s won the lottery with him. No more welfare for her. Now that they’re married, she’s got it made,” my mom said bitterly.
    I wouldn’t call Carrie’s life made, but it was definitely a far cry from living off of food stamps and cash aid. Remarkably that’s where I first met her; she had been one of my clients when I was an eligibility worker. I knew she had been friends with Matt, but I didn’t know the full extent of their relationship until it was too late. Now she lived in a nice house, drove a nice car, had a decent job as a bookkeeper and I was the one living at poverty level. Life sometimes sucks donkey dick.
    Honey must have sprayed her scent about a hundred times by the time we got back to my mom’s. It was just about dark and I was feeling tired and I could tell my mom was eager to start reading her new bounty of books. We