Read Online The East Avenue Murders (The Maude Rogers Crime Novels Book 1) by Linda L. Dunlap - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda L. Dunlap
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a darker red in the harsh lights from the police vehicles. She felt a shiver run down her arms.
“Do you want the bomb squad?” Benworth asked.
“Sure, call them out. Not nearly enough guns here.” she said.
Maude waited for the men with the detectors and the iron suits to show up and test for explosives before she looked in the box. Joe, her partner, arrived soon after and the two of them went together to make sure Mary Ellen was alright for they knew that the girl might have been caught up in the drama. A polite knock on the door of the rent house produced a grumpy man who appeared to be on the plus side of forty. He opened the door a crack, peering outside through bleary, sleep filled eyes.
“I’m Maude Rogers, Mary Ellen’s landlord. Tell me your name then ask Mary Ellen to come to the door.”
“ She isn’t here, she’s working late tonight at The Plaza,” the man said stumbling over his words at the sight of the officers standing behind Maude. “My name is Chris Cole, and I’m a friend of Mary Ellen’s. What’s wrong? I haven’t done anything.”
“What do you do, Mr. Cole?” she asked.
“Mostly I go to school, but I work as a courier to help pay for my tuition . To pay for my rent I cook and keep the house clean.”
“Aren’t you a little old to be a full -time student Mr. Cole?” Maude asked.
“Why are you asking me all these questions? It’s my business.” Cole said, with an edge to his voice.
“ You may be right, but Mr. Cole, you don’t have a lease on this house and if you want to continue living here you will answer the questions. What school do you attend?” Maude continued unfazed by the man’s objections.
Cole named off a local community college and showed his school identification, his eyes no longer bleary but watchful. He said he had changed careers a couple of years back and the extra education was necessary. He said that staying there had been Mary Ellen’s idea and she didn’t tell him he needed to be on the lease.
“Were you out tonight?” Maude asked, a little less harshly. “Did you see anyone else around?”
“No, I was asleep,” he said angrily, “and unless you intend to arrest me for something, I’m going back to bed,” the man said as he began closing the door. Maude put her foot out, catching the wooden door with her shoe.
“Mr. Cole, if I have any more questions I’ll call you to come downtown. See that you’re available.” she added, moving her foot out of the doorway.
The man nodded assent with his eyes on the floor. A moment later he slammed the door.
She made careful notes, determined to call her renter at the Plaza Restaurant where she had a second job. Mr. Chris Cole must require fancy foods and strong house cleaning products if Mary Ellen needed to work two jobs to keep him happy. Maude knew the young woman was in nursing school and also worked in the school dispensary as her first job so she couldn’t have a very large income. Unable to change her first impression of the man, Maude decided she didn’t like Mary Ellen’s new friend. She wrote down in her book to check him out later.
The bomb squad arrived. T wo men began setting up the robotic equipment and the yard was quickly cleared of personnel as the bomb team did their thing with the package on the porch. After a short time, she heard one of them gagging, calling her.
“Detective, you need to see this. It isn’t a bomb,” the officer said, over his distress.
“Best be gloved up ma’am.”
The white box with its pretty ribbon was open, revealing a grisly secret inside. Maude recoiled when she saw it. Missing flesh and nipple from one of the women in either Apartment 507 or 509 lay in the box, nestled in red paper, the garish brightness making the contents appear even more obscene. The skin had dried but enough moisture remained in the tissue to produce the foul odor of decayed flesh.
Maude called the lab and told them to hustle out to her house, giving the
“Do you want the bomb squad?” Benworth asked.
“Sure, call them out. Not nearly enough guns here.” she said.
Maude waited for the men with the detectors and the iron suits to show up and test for explosives before she looked in the box. Joe, her partner, arrived soon after and the two of them went together to make sure Mary Ellen was alright for they knew that the girl might have been caught up in the drama. A polite knock on the door of the rent house produced a grumpy man who appeared to be on the plus side of forty. He opened the door a crack, peering outside through bleary, sleep filled eyes.
“I’m Maude Rogers, Mary Ellen’s landlord. Tell me your name then ask Mary Ellen to come to the door.”
“ She isn’t here, she’s working late tonight at The Plaza,” the man said stumbling over his words at the sight of the officers standing behind Maude. “My name is Chris Cole, and I’m a friend of Mary Ellen’s. What’s wrong? I haven’t done anything.”
“What do you do, Mr. Cole?” she asked.
“Mostly I go to school, but I work as a courier to help pay for my tuition . To pay for my rent I cook and keep the house clean.”
“Aren’t you a little old to be a full -time student Mr. Cole?” Maude asked.
“Why are you asking me all these questions? It’s my business.” Cole said, with an edge to his voice.
“ You may be right, but Mr. Cole, you don’t have a lease on this house and if you want to continue living here you will answer the questions. What school do you attend?” Maude continued unfazed by the man’s objections.
Cole named off a local community college and showed his school identification, his eyes no longer bleary but watchful. He said he had changed careers a couple of years back and the extra education was necessary. He said that staying there had been Mary Ellen’s idea and she didn’t tell him he needed to be on the lease.
“Were you out tonight?” Maude asked, a little less harshly. “Did you see anyone else around?”
“No, I was asleep,” he said angrily, “and unless you intend to arrest me for something, I’m going back to bed,” the man said as he began closing the door. Maude put her foot out, catching the wooden door with her shoe.
“Mr. Cole, if I have any more questions I’ll call you to come downtown. See that you’re available.” she added, moving her foot out of the doorway.
The man nodded assent with his eyes on the floor. A moment later he slammed the door.
She made careful notes, determined to call her renter at the Plaza Restaurant where she had a second job. Mr. Chris Cole must require fancy foods and strong house cleaning products if Mary Ellen needed to work two jobs to keep him happy. Maude knew the young woman was in nursing school and also worked in the school dispensary as her first job so she couldn’t have a very large income. Unable to change her first impression of the man, Maude decided she didn’t like Mary Ellen’s new friend. She wrote down in her book to check him out later.
The bomb squad arrived. T wo men began setting up the robotic equipment and the yard was quickly cleared of personnel as the bomb team did their thing with the package on the porch. After a short time, she heard one of them gagging, calling her.
“Detective, you need to see this. It isn’t a bomb,” the officer said, over his distress.
“Best be gloved up ma’am.”
The white box with its pretty ribbon was open, revealing a grisly secret inside. Maude recoiled when she saw it. Missing flesh and nipple from one of the women in either Apartment 507 or 509 lay in the box, nestled in red paper, the garish brightness making the contents appear even more obscene. The skin had dried but enough moisture remained in the tissue to produce the foul odor of decayed flesh.
Maude called the lab and told them to hustle out to her house, giving the
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