Read Online Murdered in Argentina: A Jack Trout Cozy Mystery by Dianne Harman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dianne Harman
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will do what we can to try and find out who did this. Senor and Senora Trout, do you have anything to add to what Senora Martin told me?” the police chief asked.
“No. We were asleep and were awakened by Lisa pounding on our door and yelling for us. That’s really all we know. How long do you think it will take to find something out?” Jack asked.
The police chief rose as his deputy came down the stairs with the whip in his hand. “We will try to get back here in the next day or so to talk to the others. We have several cases at the present time which will take precedence over this one. I am sorry, but San Martin is a small town, and we have very few policemen on our force. I will sign a death certificate so you can fly Senor Martin’s body back to the United States when you leave here. If there is anything else, I’ll be in touch. His body will be at the mortuary in San Martin. Ahh, I see the coroner’s van now.”
There was a knock on the door, and Santiago answered it. Shortly afterwards the coroner and his assistant carried a gurney up the stairs. A few minutes later they came down the stairs with Ray’s body under a sheet strapped to the gurney. The police chief and his assistant followed them out the door.
As soon as the front door closed Carola looked at Jack incredulously and said, “I don’t believe this. Ray was murdered, and this is all we’re going to get from the police? I mean, I know the police in some of these South American towns are not like they are in the United States, but this is ridiculous. I know for a fact it gets harder and harder to find the murderer as every hour goes by. From what the police chief said, it sounded like this case was at the bottom of his priorities.”
“Carola, I agree with you, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it,” Jack responded.
“Senora Trout, you’re South American,” Santiago said. “You know that each police force has its own way of dealing with crime. I’m sure this doesn’t come as a complete shock to you.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never had to experience it in person,” she said.
“There is a spare bedroom we always keep for emergencies at the end of the hall. It is empty.” Santiago turned to Lisa and said, “I imagine you don’t want to sleep in your room tonight. I’ll show you to the other room. Would you like me to get something from that room for you?”
“Thank you. Yes, I would like the make-up kit that’s on the bathroom counter and the pajamas and robe I laid out earlier should also be in there. I’ll wait and decide what I’m going to do about all this tomorrow.”
“Santiago, thank you for everything. Go on home. There’s nothing more that can be done here tonight. I’ll take care of Lisa and get her things out of her room. I have a tranquilizer I keep on hand for emergencies, and I’ll give one to her, so she can get some sleep.” Jack said as he turned to Lisa and said “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
Lisa looked faint when she stood up, and Carola and Jack each put an arm around her, gently guiding her up the stairs. They walked her to the far end of the hallway and opened the door to the room Santiago had mentioned. Jack led her over to the bed and helped her into a sitting position. “Carola, stay with her. I’ll be back in a moment with a sedative and her things.”
He returned a few moments later with a glass of water, the sedative, and the other things she’d requested. “Carola, I think you should help her get in bed, but I do have one question. Lisa, when I went into your room before the police chief came, and I got Ray’s Rolodex, money, the passports and his ring, I didn’t see his antique fishing gear. Was it in the room when you left?”
She wrinkled her brow deep in thought. “Yes. Ray had propped that stupid fly rod up by the door. I remember when I slammed the door it clattered to the floor behind me.
“No. We were asleep and were awakened by Lisa pounding on our door and yelling for us. That’s really all we know. How long do you think it will take to find something out?” Jack asked.
The police chief rose as his deputy came down the stairs with the whip in his hand. “We will try to get back here in the next day or so to talk to the others. We have several cases at the present time which will take precedence over this one. I am sorry, but San Martin is a small town, and we have very few policemen on our force. I will sign a death certificate so you can fly Senor Martin’s body back to the United States when you leave here. If there is anything else, I’ll be in touch. His body will be at the mortuary in San Martin. Ahh, I see the coroner’s van now.”
There was a knock on the door, and Santiago answered it. Shortly afterwards the coroner and his assistant carried a gurney up the stairs. A few minutes later they came down the stairs with Ray’s body under a sheet strapped to the gurney. The police chief and his assistant followed them out the door.
As soon as the front door closed Carola looked at Jack incredulously and said, “I don’t believe this. Ray was murdered, and this is all we’re going to get from the police? I mean, I know the police in some of these South American towns are not like they are in the United States, but this is ridiculous. I know for a fact it gets harder and harder to find the murderer as every hour goes by. From what the police chief said, it sounded like this case was at the bottom of his priorities.”
“Carola, I agree with you, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it,” Jack responded.
“Senora Trout, you’re South American,” Santiago said. “You know that each police force has its own way of dealing with crime. I’m sure this doesn’t come as a complete shock to you.”
“No, it doesn’t. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never had to experience it in person,” she said.
“There is a spare bedroom we always keep for emergencies at the end of the hall. It is empty.” Santiago turned to Lisa and said, “I imagine you don’t want to sleep in your room tonight. I’ll show you to the other room. Would you like me to get something from that room for you?”
“Thank you. Yes, I would like the make-up kit that’s on the bathroom counter and the pajamas and robe I laid out earlier should also be in there. I’ll wait and decide what I’m going to do about all this tomorrow.”
“Santiago, thank you for everything. Go on home. There’s nothing more that can be done here tonight. I’ll take care of Lisa and get her things out of her room. I have a tranquilizer I keep on hand for emergencies, and I’ll give one to her, so she can get some sleep.” Jack said as he turned to Lisa and said “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
Lisa looked faint when she stood up, and Carola and Jack each put an arm around her, gently guiding her up the stairs. They walked her to the far end of the hallway and opened the door to the room Santiago had mentioned. Jack led her over to the bed and helped her into a sitting position. “Carola, stay with her. I’ll be back in a moment with a sedative and her things.”
He returned a few moments later with a glass of water, the sedative, and the other things she’d requested. “Carola, I think you should help her get in bed, but I do have one question. Lisa, when I went into your room before the police chief came, and I got Ray’s Rolodex, money, the passports and his ring, I didn’t see his antique fishing gear. Was it in the room when you left?”
She wrinkled her brow deep in thought. “Yes. Ray had propped that stupid fly rod up by the door. I remember when I slammed the door it clattered to the floor behind me.
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