“Oh, nobody special,” he said.
I gave him one of my looks.
As we headed back to the kitchen, Billy filled me in.
“It was Russ Shank. He wanted to tell me about a case he’s
working on. He has a client who needs our help.”
“What kind of case is it?”
“I don’t know all the details, but Russ said something about
a killer running around in
Greene
County
.”
“Where in
Greene
County
?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t go into specifics. He was getting
ready to walk out the door and I told him I was having dinner. He’s going to
call back later tonight.”
“Should we be concerned?”
“We should always be concerned when a killer is on the loose
and might be in our vicinity. Russ also wanted to know if your mom was at her
home in
Dogwood
Valley
,
since
Dogwood
Valley
is in
Greene
County
.
I told him she was here with us.”
“Did I hear you say you were talking to Russ?” Mom asked
Billy as we walked over to the dining room table.
“Yes, you did,” Billy replied. “Russ has a case he wants to
discuss.”
“Oh, good,” Mom said. “You two need more work. You’ve been
hanging around the house too long. Maybe I can…”
“Before you say another word, you can forget about it. Your
days of playing amateur sleuth are over,
Mother Elk
,” I demanded. “No
more playing private detective for you! You have four grandchildren who need
you.”
“But...”
“What would Benny, Carrie, Maisy and Ethan do without their
grandma? It is not going to happen! Besides, I’d hate to have to shoot someone
dead in the road for messing with my mother… and you know I would do it.”
“Jesse, we have kids in the room! Billy, talk to your wife!”
Mom pleaded.
“Billy can’t be worrying about you on a stakeout, Mom. He has
enough to worry about with me.”
“How true!” Billy agreed. “No more hiding in the bushes for
you, evil Grandma! You’ve lost your private eye badge and can’t play with the
big boys anymore. You have been reduced in rank! You are the grandma. No more
mystery capers for you!”
Mom laughed. “Billy Blackhawk, you’re a mess!”
“You must stay home and be a slave to us and our children. I
will take care of you.”
“You always do,” Mom said with a big grin on her face.
“Yes, you do, heap big warrior!” I gushed. “It is you who
makes the sun shine bright in the sky and the stars glow at night. You are…”
Billy smiled as he put his arm around my neck and said, “I’m
such a lucky man. I have a loving family and a terrific wife. I couldn’t ask
for anything more.”
I hugged him and said, “That’s the way it should be. Family
is the most important thing in life.”
I
would like to say a special thank you to all of those who help make my life
easier by being there for me. My family will always be number one on the list.
Without their love and support, none of my books would have ever made it out
the door. Thanks to Jo Ann Peach, Larry Mayhew, Teresa Durrer, Alex Carrier,
Katherine Page, Kelley Cleaton, and Sheriff Scott Hass, for all your help in
different ways. And thanks to Minnie Crumpler for being my mom.
Look for my next book:
Greene
County
Killer
A Jesse Watson Mystery
Book #5