MURDER AT THE PIER (A Sister Sleuths Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Another officer cordoned off the area with yellow cones.
    "You better hang around long enough to let them get your
fingerprints, Lea. They'll be taking all the prints they can get off the van.
Yours will show up because you opened the back doors to let Gracie out. Then
you can go home. I'm sure Paul's worried sick. Stop by the station tomorrow to
sign a statement detailing what you told me."
    Lea ran her fingers through her long hair tucking it behind
her ears. "What a night. The first dead body I've ever found; I hope it
will be the last. At least you'll have a witness if you catch those burglars,
or should I call them murderers?"
    "That's the first thing I
need to figure out. Whether or not these crimes were committed by the same
perpetrator. Was the victim meeting the burglars and got into a confrontation
that ended in them killing him? Or was he already dead when they arrived?"
    "Too bad your witness can't
tell us what the burglars did."
    Tom scratched his head.
"What witness are you talking about, Lea?"
    "The four-legged one in the
back of the van. At least she'll let you know if she ever sees . . . or smells
. . . those guys again."
    Tom smiled, looking over to where Gracie sat in the car
with her head hanging out the window. "Unfortunately, her identification
wouldn't hold up in a court of law, but it will sure let me know if I've found
the right guys."
    The Detective turned to the man approaching him.
"We've identified your vic, Tom," the coroner reported.
"Driver's license in his wallet says he's Neal Henderson. Age twenty-eight. Local address."
    Lea overheard the coroner's remarks. "Oh, no; I know
him. He worked for one of my clients."
    "What can you tell us about him?"
    "Not a lot. He works for Don Carson, the big real
estate developer. Don's son Adam and Neal went to high school together.
Football heroes at Viaje High, surfers, heartthrobs from what Don complained about.
Girls used to distract both of them but his son was more studious. Neal was the
Casanova."
    "Do they both work for Carson?"
    "No; Adam went back East to one of the Ivy League
schools. He hooked up with a girlfriend and found a job there when he finished
graduate school. Don thinks his son will come back here once he's married his
girlfriend and they're ready to start a family.
    Neal stayed out here and went to the state university. He
went to see Don about a job as soon as he got his business degree. Since he was
like a second son to Don, he was given a management position right away. Didn't
have to work his way up the corporate ladder."
    "Was there any resentment about the favoritism Don
showed?"
    "Not that I’ve heard of, but I'd be surprised if there
wasn't. Don has always been one of the most influential business people in the
County and his son is well liked and respected. From all accounts, Neal was
considered to be a 'pretender to the throne' so to speak."
    "Interesting," Tom
mused, "And definitely worth looking into. There could be a motive for his
murder other than the burglary."
    "Besides, what possible
reason would Henderson have for meeting with a gang of burglars?"
    "What possible reason,
indeed," Tom pondered. “Right
now, I've got to get back to my crime scene investigators. See you at the
station tomorrow."
    Lea didn't need further convincing to get her
fingerprinting done and leave the scene as quickly as possible.

Chapter
Four
    Driving to Valle Verde the
next morning, Tom punched in Ken Crosby's address on his handheld GPS unit. He
was familiar with the small town where Ken lived, but didn't recognize the name
of the street Ken recited when Tom called to ask if he could stop by. Tom
didn't want to call attention to the person unnecessarily by requesting that he
come to the station for an interview. At the same time, Tom hoped the man might
be a little more forthcoming if he was interviewed in the comfort of his own
home.
    Fifteen miles north of Buena Viaje, Valle Verde got its
name from its location in a small valley surrounded