Read Online Leftover Dead by JIMMIE RUTH EVANS - Free Book Online
Authors: JIMMIE RUTH EVANS
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found a file, all right, but there were only two sheets of paper in it. Very few details.”
“And when you went to the library to look for information in the newspaper, you found that the issues you wanted were missing,” Ernie said, her brow furrowing. “Somebody tried to remove as many traces of the case as they could.” She shook her head. “I suppose I shouldn’t really be that surprised. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened around here.”
“Probably not,” Jack said. “But it does tell me there’s bound to be at least some useful information in the newspaper.”
“You go on ahead and look.” Ernie rose from her chair. “I think one of the bits of information you’ll find is the name of a suspect who quickly disappeared, as I recall. His name escapes me just now. I’m going to check something in our records, and I’ll be back in a minute.”
Jack nodded before he began examining the small stack of newspapers in front of him. Wanda Nell got up from her chair and went to stand beside him at the desk.
There was an item about the body in the April twenty-fourth issue. It didn’t say much—just that the body of a young woman had been found on the football field at the high school. There was no mention of the person who found the body. The Sheriff’s Department was investigating, and that was about it.
Jack laid that issue aside and began looking through the one for April twenty-fifth. The case earned a little more coverage on this date. The Sheriff’s Department had thus far not been able to identify the young woman, estimated to be eighteen to twenty years old. No one in town had come forward with any information by press time, and anyone who might know something was asked to call the Sheriff’s Department.
The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh were weekend days that year, and the local paper didn’t publish on the weekends. On the twenty-eighth, the paper stated that the Sheriff’s Department was questioning someone in connection with the case, but that was it.
Jack turned and looked up at Wanda Nell. “So far I sure don’t see anything worth stealing the microfilm over, do you?”
“No. It sure is strange.”
With a sigh, Jack picked up the next issue. The headline leaped out at them: “Tullahoma man questioned in murder.” Jack and Wanda Nell quickly scanned the item. According to the paper, the Sheriff’s Department had questioned one Roscoe Lee Bates extensively in the case, but no charges were pending against Mr. Bates, age nineteen.
“At least we have a name now,” Wanda Nell said, relieved. “That’s who Ernie was talking about. Didn’t she say he disappeared?”
Nodding, Jack laid the issue aside and unfolded the next one, April thirtieth. There was nothing about the murder on the front page, nor was there anything on the other pages. The May first issue was also devoid of any mention of the murder. Jack pushed the remaining few issues aside. There seemed little point in looking any further.
“I guess we know when the cover-up set in,” Wanda Nell said. She walked around the desk and sat back down in her chair.
“Find anything?” Ernie asked as she came back into the room. She was holding a file folder, her face alight with curiosity.
“We found one thing,” Jack said. “The name of a young man the Sheriff’s Department questioned in connection with the case. Then coverage of the murder stopped abruptly April twenty-ninth. We looked at April thirtieth and May first, and there was nothing.”
Ernie resumed her seat, brandishing the folder. “That fits with the information I have here.” She glanced from Jack to Wanda Nell. “This is a file of some of the records we keep on the provenance of donations to the Historical Society. I wanted to check the records for the copies of the paper we’ve received. I thought I remembered something odd.”
“Like what?” Wanda Nell asked.
“I was pretty sure I remembered that when we received
“And when you went to the library to look for information in the newspaper, you found that the issues you wanted were missing,” Ernie said, her brow furrowing. “Somebody tried to remove as many traces of the case as they could.” She shook her head. “I suppose I shouldn’t really be that surprised. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened around here.”
“Probably not,” Jack said. “But it does tell me there’s bound to be at least some useful information in the newspaper.”
“You go on ahead and look.” Ernie rose from her chair. “I think one of the bits of information you’ll find is the name of a suspect who quickly disappeared, as I recall. His name escapes me just now. I’m going to check something in our records, and I’ll be back in a minute.”
Jack nodded before he began examining the small stack of newspapers in front of him. Wanda Nell got up from her chair and went to stand beside him at the desk.
There was an item about the body in the April twenty-fourth issue. It didn’t say much—just that the body of a young woman had been found on the football field at the high school. There was no mention of the person who found the body. The Sheriff’s Department was investigating, and that was about it.
Jack laid that issue aside and began looking through the one for April twenty-fifth. The case earned a little more coverage on this date. The Sheriff’s Department had thus far not been able to identify the young woman, estimated to be eighteen to twenty years old. No one in town had come forward with any information by press time, and anyone who might know something was asked to call the Sheriff’s Department.
The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh were weekend days that year, and the local paper didn’t publish on the weekends. On the twenty-eighth, the paper stated that the Sheriff’s Department was questioning someone in connection with the case, but that was it.
Jack turned and looked up at Wanda Nell. “So far I sure don’t see anything worth stealing the microfilm over, do you?”
“No. It sure is strange.”
With a sigh, Jack picked up the next issue. The headline leaped out at them: “Tullahoma man questioned in murder.” Jack and Wanda Nell quickly scanned the item. According to the paper, the Sheriff’s Department had questioned one Roscoe Lee Bates extensively in the case, but no charges were pending against Mr. Bates, age nineteen.
“At least we have a name now,” Wanda Nell said, relieved. “That’s who Ernie was talking about. Didn’t she say he disappeared?”
Nodding, Jack laid the issue aside and unfolded the next one, April thirtieth. There was nothing about the murder on the front page, nor was there anything on the other pages. The May first issue was also devoid of any mention of the murder. Jack pushed the remaining few issues aside. There seemed little point in looking any further.
“I guess we know when the cover-up set in,” Wanda Nell said. She walked around the desk and sat back down in her chair.
“Find anything?” Ernie asked as she came back into the room. She was holding a file folder, her face alight with curiosity.
“We found one thing,” Jack said. “The name of a young man the Sheriff’s Department questioned in connection with the case. Then coverage of the murder stopped abruptly April twenty-ninth. We looked at April thirtieth and May first, and there was nothing.”
Ernie resumed her seat, brandishing the folder. “That fits with the information I have here.” She glanced from Jack to Wanda Nell. “This is a file of some of the records we keep on the provenance of donations to the Historical Society. I wanted to check the records for the copies of the paper we’ve received. I thought I remembered something odd.”
“Like what?” Wanda Nell asked.
“I was pretty sure I remembered that when we received
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