Jillian Chantal

This week’s Tuesday Tales word is write. What a great word for a writer, right?  LOL

I’m still working on the gritty murder mystery. Our detectives are interviewing a man who lives in an apartment that looks down on the place where the victim’s body was found.

Check out the other tales here.

“What exactly did you hear?” Maggie was getting a bit anxious that Hayes would never tell them what he heard. Was he also lonely like poor Hattie Simpkins and want someone to be a companion? Was that why he was dragging this out?

“I can’t quote the exact words but I heard words about marriage, divorce, left her because didn’t want children and then it seems like the guy has a couple of kids now. That aren’t hers. I figure the two of them were married at some time and got a divorce because he didn’t want any kids and now he’s got some. She wasn’t happy about that turn of events.” Mr. Hayes moved away from the window. “They both left after that and it was a few hours later that I saw the woman out there dead.”

“Did you hear anything at all between when they left and when you saw her dead?” Jacob asked.

“No. I had the TV on and was watching some programs. I didn’t hear another peep until I heard the police out there.” He shrugged. “I may have dozed off. I tend to do that when I sit for too long. Getting old isn’t fun.”

“Can you describe the man you saw out there arguing with her?” Maggie asked.

“Tall, dark-haired. White. Maybe in his early thirties.”

It sounded to Maggie as if Hayes was describing Drusilla’s former husband, David. She knew they’d divorced because she wanted to try to have a child and he didn’t. He’d quit coming home for a number of months. Then one day, he showed up with divorce papers. Maggie hadn’t heard he was now a father.

Since he was their next stop, she made a mental note to ask about any children he had.

Jacob handed Mr. Hayes one of his cards. “Call us if you think of anything else. Try to remember exactly what you heard if you can and write it down. It could help us a lot.”

“I don’t think that guy she was with when I saw her did it.”

“Why?” Maggie asked.

“Well, the way I figure it, if he was gonna take her out, he’d have done it then. I mean, the lady was all over him. Acting like a lunatic.”

“Maybe he came back later when he could do it more quietly. If he’d done it then, there would probably have been witnesses since it sounds as if the whole neighborhood would’ve been able to hear them.” Jacob flipped his notebook closed.

“You might have a point there”—Mr. Hayes looked down at the card in his hand—“Detective Brown.”