Lost Souls by J. Bishop (the giving tree read aloud txt) 📗

then two weeks later, Chad takes an unexplained day off, and is murdered when Cissy goes to the grocery store. Video shows no one coming or going, but you two find cigarette butts in a vacant nearby apartment.” She looked up. “Rem called by the way. He dropped the cigarettes off at the lab.”

Mason nodded. “Great.”

Mikey resumed. “So, who is the murderer waiting in the apartment for Cissy to leave? Because it’s not Lydia.”

Trick tossed his empty box in the food bag. “And was Lydia’s death an accident?”

“And could Chad have killed Lydia?” asked Mason. “And then someone retaliated and killed him?”

Trick scoffed. “Chad couldn’t have killed anyone any more than Cissy could have.”

“In the heat of an argument, anything can happen,” said Mason. “You know that. Chad could have gone to talk to her, they meet by the pool, things get overheated and he either hits her, or she trips. Lydia falls, hits her head, and ends up in the water. Chad panics and takes off.”

“That could easily be answered by finding out where Chad was the night of Lydia’s death. Same goes for Cissy,” said Trick. “If they’re both at home, we’re good to go.”

Mason sat up. “Hardly. Cissy could say they were at home, or Chad went out, but without Chad to corroborate, it’s worthless. A good attorney will accuse of her of lying to protect herself. Unless they were somewhere with plenty of witnesses, it won’t help.”

“Then we’ll find out,” said Trick.

Mikey flipped the papers back. “Hell. This is a mess.” She eyed Trick. “I hate to tell you, Trickster, but this doesn’t look good for Cissy. Based on this, a jury could obviously see that she found out her husband was having an affair, argued with the mistress, killed her and then killed her husband.” She picked up her iced tea. “I can see why Bevins and Winkler are after her.”

Trick tapped a finger on the table. “Trickster,” he said. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”

“Mikey’s right,” said Mason. “You have to consider the probability that Cissy is guilty. The simplest solution is usually the correct one. That’s Ranger Rule one-o-one.”

Trick rested his head in his hands and ran them into his hair. “I’m sorry, but I don’t buy it. There has to be another explanation, and until we’ve exhausted all possibilities, I won’t stop looking. I have to be sure, and I’m not yet.”

Mikey shot a look at Mason, who shrugged. Taking that as consent to continue, she pulled out a small spiral-bound notebook from her backpack. “Okay, then. Here’s what I’ve learned about Lydia.”

Trick expelled a frustrated grunt. “Please tell me she spent time in a mental institution and someone overheard her hiring someone to kill Chad.”

“No such luck,” said Mikey. “But Lydia has her issues.” She flipped through the notebook. “I found Lydia’s mom after getting her name from the obituary. I sent her a message via social media, and she replied. We talked on the phone this afternoon.”

“That was fast,” said Trick.

“Mikey could find Jimmy Hoffa if I asked her to,” said Mason. He reached for a fortune cookie.

“Maybe one day when I have some free time,” said Mikey. “Anyway, her name’s Michelle, and she’s…well…different.”

Mason opened his wrapper and cracked the cookie. “How so?” His weary eyes told Mikey he wouldn’t last much longer and would need to lie down soon. He took a bite of cookie and read the fortune.

Mikey flipped a page. “Well, for starters, I’m pretty sure she was drunk when I talked to her, or else she’s got a speech impediment and she’s way too relaxed with strangers and her personal information.”

“That might work in our favor,” said Mason.

“I can’t deny that,” said Mikey. “Considering her daughter recently died, she didn’t act terribly grief-stricken. Complained about Lydia more than anything, and the more I tried to discuss her daughter, the more she wanted to talk about herself, but I still got some information out of her.” She sipped from her straw and studied her notes. “Lydia has two siblings, who Michelle didn’t seem too thrilled with either. A younger brother named Bradley and younger sister named Shay. Lydia and Bradley had the same father, but their dad died from a drug overdose when Lydia was eight.”

“Drug overdose?” asked Mason. “Or suicide?”

“You be the judge,” said Mikey. “Michelle didn’t elaborate.” She trailed a finger down her notes. “After her first husband died, she remarried a man named Douglas, who had money, but was boring, didn’t satisfy her in the bedroom, and snored.”

“Seriously?” asked Trick.

“Told you she was different.” Mikey flipped the page. “They divorced and she remarried Pablo, who in her words, was the best lover she ever had, and he didn’t snore.”

“Good for her,” said Mason.

“Shay was born a year later, but once there was an infant in the house, Pablo couldn’t keep the goods to himself. He liked to share his loverly skills with other women. Michelle kicked him out and raised Shay on her own. Pablo came around, but not much.” She paused. “Then she met and married Richard…”

“Jeez,” said Trick.

“Richard lasted two years, but he had a temper and yelled and screamed at her, and yelled and screamed at the kids, too. She put up with it for a while because she liked how the kids behaved when he was around.”

“I bet she did,” said Mason. “Let’s hope all he did was just yell and scream.”

Mikey tipped her head. “It may not have been. She caught him looking at Lydia in a way that he used to look at her. Said she couldn’t handle that, and booted him, too.”

“Before or after he abused Lydia?” asked Trick.

“I don’t know,” said Mikey. “Again, this wasn’t about Lydia, this was about her.” She went back to her notes. “Then she met and married Von. They’re in their eighth year of marriage, and she’s happy, at least for now.”

“What about her kids?” asked Mason. “How’d they handle the revolving door of fathers?”

“From what I gather,