Read Online The Stone of Sadness (An Olivia Miller Mystery Book 3) by J A Whiting - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J A Whiting
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now.”
Mrs. Bradford sighed and adjusted herself in her chair. “Emily and I had an altercation earlier that evening.”
“About Kenny?”
“Amazingly, no. I had gone to Boston to meet a friend for shopping and dinner. The friend took ill and we had to cancel our dinner plans and I returned home earlier than expected. When I came into the house, I could smell smoke coming from the living room. I ran in and Emily was standing at the fireplace. A fire was blazing and smoke was filling the room. I yelled at her, ‘What are you doing? Did you open the damper?’ I rushed over to her. She wheeled on me…she had such a look of hate on her face. She had the fireplace poker in her hands and as I approached her, she lifted the poker with both her hands, horizontally to the floor, and she smashed it into my chest. She yelled, ‘Don’t come over here, leave me alone.’ I was completely caught off guard. The force she hit me with sent me reeling backwards and I hit the floor. I smashed my head into the coffee table. I knew there was animosity between us, but that day I clearly understood her hatred of us.”
“Why did she have a fire going?” Olivia asked. “It was June.”
“That’s what I asked her. I pulled myself up off the floor. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of thinking she injured me. I stood there seething. I asked, ‘Why the hell do you have a fire going in June?’ She glared at me and told me she just felt like it. I stormed over to the fireplace to put the screen across it…Emily had it wide open with the roaring fire going full blast…sparks could have ignited the rug. I told her if she touched me again, I would call the police and have her arrested. She threw the poker on the floor and told me to go ahead and call them. She stormed out of the room. It was a terrible, terrible day. My own daughter striking me like that. Can you imagine?”
“I’m sorry to hear how difficult it was,” Olivia said. “Did you send her away immediately?”
“No. My husband and I thought it best if we stayed quiet until the end of the summer. We thought if we kicked Emily out right away it would just drive her into Kenny’s arms. Once Overman was suspected, we were hoping that he would be taken into custody before the end of the summer. That didn’t happen. When September came, we told Emily that we would pay for that year’s college expenses and that would be it. She would have to take loans for the final two years of school or find a job and pay for it that way. We told her it was time she got her own place and started her life as an adult.”
“Did you notice if she was burning something in the fireplace?” Olivia asked.
“I assumed it was wood,” Mrs. Bradford said with an edge to her voice.
Angela asked Olivia, “What do you mean?”
Olivia turned to Angela. “Is it possible that she might have been trying to destroy something? Burn it to get rid of it.”
“You didn’t notice anything mixed in with the wood? Or in the ashes later on?” Olivia asked Mrs. Bradford.
Mrs. Bradford sipped her tea. “I don’t recall looking into the fireplace. What could she have been burning? Since you asked, you must have something in mind.”
“I wondered if she might have been helping Kenny by burning something related to the case. His shirt. Something he took from the victims. To get rid of evidence,” Olivia said.
Mrs. Bradford looked over her porcelain cup at Olivia with a steely gaze. “My daughter went to New York City that day. I don’t believe she would have had time to be an accomplice to that ne’er-do-well.”
“Oh. No,” Olivia said. “I didn’t mean to imply that Emily was an accomplice. I just wondered if Kenny may have asked her to get rid of something for him without telling her what was going on. Maybe she burned something for him because he asked her to.”
“I doubt it. She was fooling around with the fireplace before Overman showed up here.” Mrs. Bradford placed her
Mrs. Bradford sighed and adjusted herself in her chair. “Emily and I had an altercation earlier that evening.”
“About Kenny?”
“Amazingly, no. I had gone to Boston to meet a friend for shopping and dinner. The friend took ill and we had to cancel our dinner plans and I returned home earlier than expected. When I came into the house, I could smell smoke coming from the living room. I ran in and Emily was standing at the fireplace. A fire was blazing and smoke was filling the room. I yelled at her, ‘What are you doing? Did you open the damper?’ I rushed over to her. She wheeled on me…she had such a look of hate on her face. She had the fireplace poker in her hands and as I approached her, she lifted the poker with both her hands, horizontally to the floor, and she smashed it into my chest. She yelled, ‘Don’t come over here, leave me alone.’ I was completely caught off guard. The force she hit me with sent me reeling backwards and I hit the floor. I smashed my head into the coffee table. I knew there was animosity between us, but that day I clearly understood her hatred of us.”
“Why did she have a fire going?” Olivia asked. “It was June.”
“That’s what I asked her. I pulled myself up off the floor. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of thinking she injured me. I stood there seething. I asked, ‘Why the hell do you have a fire going in June?’ She glared at me and told me she just felt like it. I stormed over to the fireplace to put the screen across it…Emily had it wide open with the roaring fire going full blast…sparks could have ignited the rug. I told her if she touched me again, I would call the police and have her arrested. She threw the poker on the floor and told me to go ahead and call them. She stormed out of the room. It was a terrible, terrible day. My own daughter striking me like that. Can you imagine?”
“I’m sorry to hear how difficult it was,” Olivia said. “Did you send her away immediately?”
“No. My husband and I thought it best if we stayed quiet until the end of the summer. We thought if we kicked Emily out right away it would just drive her into Kenny’s arms. Once Overman was suspected, we were hoping that he would be taken into custody before the end of the summer. That didn’t happen. When September came, we told Emily that we would pay for that year’s college expenses and that would be it. She would have to take loans for the final two years of school or find a job and pay for it that way. We told her it was time she got her own place and started her life as an adult.”
“Did you notice if she was burning something in the fireplace?” Olivia asked.
“I assumed it was wood,” Mrs. Bradford said with an edge to her voice.
Angela asked Olivia, “What do you mean?”
Olivia turned to Angela. “Is it possible that she might have been trying to destroy something? Burn it to get rid of it.”
“You didn’t notice anything mixed in with the wood? Or in the ashes later on?” Olivia asked Mrs. Bradford.
Mrs. Bradford sipped her tea. “I don’t recall looking into the fireplace. What could she have been burning? Since you asked, you must have something in mind.”
“I wondered if she might have been helping Kenny by burning something related to the case. His shirt. Something he took from the victims. To get rid of evidence,” Olivia said.
Mrs. Bradford looked over her porcelain cup at Olivia with a steely gaze. “My daughter went to New York City that day. I don’t believe she would have had time to be an accomplice to that ne’er-do-well.”
“Oh. No,” Olivia said. “I didn’t mean to imply that Emily was an accomplice. I just wondered if Kenny may have asked her to get rid of something for him without telling her what was going on. Maybe she burned something for him because he asked her to.”
“I doubt it. She was fooling around with the fireplace before Overman showed up here.” Mrs. Bradford placed her
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