Read Online Stranger At My Door (A Murder In Texas) by Mari Manning - Free Book Online Page A

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    Ms. Pittman:
    Please accept our condolences at your father’s passing. He was an outstanding prisoner and helpful to the other inmates. After his cancer diagnosis last year, he became a God-fearing man and spent most of his last days in Bible study.
    This letter was dictated by your father shortly before his death. We apologize for the many “indecipherables,” but he was quite weak at the time and on pain medication. This transmittal was gathered over several days.
    He requested that it be sent to you along with his belongings.
    “Di—
    I have thought about you every day, though I don’t [indecipherable] it. Don’t feel sorry for me. I deserved everything that came. I have accepted Jesus…in this [indecipherable] and He has seen me thru comfort [?]. I pray that he has been yours, too, although you are too much like your daddy for me to hold much hope of your spirit [sounded like] surrender.
    [indecipherable] teaches the truth shall set you free…my final lesson. Don’t believe anything you hear…from [indecipherable] and Teak [sp?]. We did it…all 4 but it was my idea—mad about my [indecipherable] desk job so I wanted to show them…what would happen if I was off…the force. Don’t let temper…ruin your life…like I did. [Monday, 09:18]
    It was…wrong. I said give the…money back…but [indecipherable] said…turn me in if I did. So I took it and [indecipherable] so he couldn’t…find it. But they turned me…anyway. I am sorry about your…momma and what I did. But God has [indecipherable], and…my days are filled with….[sounded like] hope. [Monday, 14:05]
    You won’t know where it is…[sounded like] under nose. Remember the [sounded like] parable…God’s kingdom…is a vinyard [sp?] and each [indecipherable] penny a day. Then think…historic [indecipherable] where [sounded like] moon [indecipherable]. [Tuesday, 06:07]
    You must make this right, Di…[indecipherable] careful. Trust…no one. Take the gold…straight [indecipherable] in Austin or he…say it’s his. I…love you [sounded like] truly. [Tuesday, 06:34]
    Note: Patient lapsed into coma at 06:41.
    A copy of this letter has been forwarded to the authorities in your region for follow-up as required by law.
    I love you truly . She stared at the words. Her daddy’s last words, maybe his last thought, had been for her. Her eyes began to water again. Don’t let him get to you.
    She skimmed the letter again and stopped at the last entry. It didn’t make sense. Why did he say gold? He’d stolen a quarter-million dollars in greenbacks. If there was a quarter-million dollars in gold floating around, it would probably fill a decent-sized closet, wouldn’t it? He could have buried it in the backyard like Gerry said, but wouldn’t he have said so? Besides, the letter made it sound like Dinah knew where the money was, and it was just a matter of returning it to its rightful owners.
    She sighed. Whatever. Like she’d told Gerry, if it turned up, she was giving it back. Every penny. If it didn’t, nothing changed. She was selling the bungalow and getting the hell out of El Royo.
    Dinah’s eyes drifted over the last entry again. Trust no one. The words seemed to jump off the page at her, and the anxiety drifting around the edges of her consciousness hardened into genuine fear. Maybe Teke wasn’t the only one slated for a nasty fall. Maybe she was, too. But why? Dead or alive, she was of little value to anyone, wasn’t she?
    “Miss Dinah? I’m back.” Hollyn’s voice drifted up the stairs.
    Dinah jumped. She’d hadn’t heard Hollyn come home. “I’ll be right down.”
    She began to stuff the letter back into the box and stopped. Trust no one . She folded the paper into a small square as her eyes slid across the bed—under the mattress was too obvious—over her dresser—forget the jewelry box—and past her bookshelf—the first place someone would look. Then she turned back to the bookshelf. Her old doll, Itsy Bitsy. The