Read Online Murder in the Garden District (Chanse MacLeod Mysteries) by Greg Herren - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Greg Herren
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to be having an affair with?”
Abby licked her lips. “This is where it gets really good. Wendell Sheehan.”
“Are you serious?”
“According to the gossips, it had been going on for several years, but it wasn’t like anyone had pictures to prove it. I should charge you combat pay. You have no idea how tedious it is going through all of those old society pages, even if it is fun to read between the lines.”
Abby slurped down more Coke.
“Let me backtrack a bit. The accounts made it pretty clear that the police thought foul play was involved in Roger’s death. It was all over the papers for two or three days. When the coroner’s report came back with a judgment of accidental death, the case was officially closed.”
“And?”
“It didn’t smell right to me, so I tracked down the lead detective on the case. That’s what I was doing in Kenner this morning. This guy—Archie Barousse—was just happy to have someone to talk to, poor thing. His wife died a couple of years ago, and his kids all moved away. Retired cops are really nice, you know?”
“I’m sure it didn’t hurt to have an attractive young woman with her shirt unbuttoned asking questions.”
Abby looked down, and sheepishly corrected the situation.
“Anyway, he believes that Roger Palmer was murdered, and it was covered up. The mayor ordered him to close the case before the coroner’s report came back, and talk around the station was that the pressure on Mayor Delesdernier came from Baton Rouge. Archie is still bitter about his investigation being shut down before it got started.”
She leaned across the table.
“And who was in the governor’s mansion then? That would be none other than the sainted Bobby Sheehan—Wendell Sheehan’s father.”
“But Bobby Sheehan and Gaston Delesdernier were enemies. He wouldn’t have done Sheehan any favors—nor his family.”
“You think it’s all just a bunch of coincidences? Let’s see.” She started ticking things off on her fingers. “Roger Palmer dies in a ‘fall’ down the stairs. His much younger wife is rumored to be having an affair with the governor’s son. The mayor himself orders the investigation closed, under pressure from the governor. And did I mention that five months after Roger Palmer died, his young widow gave birth to a daughter? They were politicians , Chanse. They probably traded favors. You close this investigation and I’ll give you this . That’s how things get done in this state.
“This is what I think. Wendell knocked up Barbara and Barbara was afraid Roger would show her the front door when he found out. He became inconvenient , and shortly thereafter he was dead. Under mysterious circumstances.”
“It’s an interesting theory, but there are no facts.”
I found it hard to believe Barbara might have killed her husband. Maybe I just didn’t want to believe it. Barbara never talked about her daughter, Brenda. I heard Barbara’s voice in my head: I owe her .
“It’s circumstantial, to be sure,” Abby said, “but poor people who don’t have friends in the governor’s mansion get convicted on a lot less than that every day. Anyway, there’s your connection between Barbara and the Sheehans. It was the only thing I could come up with, outside of some associations between Barbara and Cordelia on charity committees and so forth. There’s nothing I can find that would warrant Barbara owing them a big debt of gratitude. Not on the scale of helping her cover up a murder.”
She finished her second slice of pizza and leaned back in her chair.
“Alleged murder.” I corrected her. “Nice work, Abby. Type up a report for the file and e-mail it to me.”
“How’s the Sheehan case coming? Need me to do anything?”
“There is something. According to a volunteer at the campaign office, Wendell had dinner at the Delacroix every Monday night. Can you talk to the staff? See if he was there the night he died? Find out if he ate dinner alone or if he
Abby licked her lips. “This is where it gets really good. Wendell Sheehan.”
“Are you serious?”
“According to the gossips, it had been going on for several years, but it wasn’t like anyone had pictures to prove it. I should charge you combat pay. You have no idea how tedious it is going through all of those old society pages, even if it is fun to read between the lines.”
Abby slurped down more Coke.
“Let me backtrack a bit. The accounts made it pretty clear that the police thought foul play was involved in Roger’s death. It was all over the papers for two or three days. When the coroner’s report came back with a judgment of accidental death, the case was officially closed.”
“And?”
“It didn’t smell right to me, so I tracked down the lead detective on the case. That’s what I was doing in Kenner this morning. This guy—Archie Barousse—was just happy to have someone to talk to, poor thing. His wife died a couple of years ago, and his kids all moved away. Retired cops are really nice, you know?”
“I’m sure it didn’t hurt to have an attractive young woman with her shirt unbuttoned asking questions.”
Abby looked down, and sheepishly corrected the situation.
“Anyway, he believes that Roger Palmer was murdered, and it was covered up. The mayor ordered him to close the case before the coroner’s report came back, and talk around the station was that the pressure on Mayor Delesdernier came from Baton Rouge. Archie is still bitter about his investigation being shut down before it got started.”
She leaned across the table.
“And who was in the governor’s mansion then? That would be none other than the sainted Bobby Sheehan—Wendell Sheehan’s father.”
“But Bobby Sheehan and Gaston Delesdernier were enemies. He wouldn’t have done Sheehan any favors—nor his family.”
“You think it’s all just a bunch of coincidences? Let’s see.” She started ticking things off on her fingers. “Roger Palmer dies in a ‘fall’ down the stairs. His much younger wife is rumored to be having an affair with the governor’s son. The mayor himself orders the investigation closed, under pressure from the governor. And did I mention that five months after Roger Palmer died, his young widow gave birth to a daughter? They were politicians , Chanse. They probably traded favors. You close this investigation and I’ll give you this . That’s how things get done in this state.
“This is what I think. Wendell knocked up Barbara and Barbara was afraid Roger would show her the front door when he found out. He became inconvenient , and shortly thereafter he was dead. Under mysterious circumstances.”
“It’s an interesting theory, but there are no facts.”
I found it hard to believe Barbara might have killed her husband. Maybe I just didn’t want to believe it. Barbara never talked about her daughter, Brenda. I heard Barbara’s voice in my head: I owe her .
“It’s circumstantial, to be sure,” Abby said, “but poor people who don’t have friends in the governor’s mansion get convicted on a lot less than that every day. Anyway, there’s your connection between Barbara and the Sheehans. It was the only thing I could come up with, outside of some associations between Barbara and Cordelia on charity committees and so forth. There’s nothing I can find that would warrant Barbara owing them a big debt of gratitude. Not on the scale of helping her cover up a murder.”
She finished her second slice of pizza and leaned back in her chair.
“Alleged murder.” I corrected her. “Nice work, Abby. Type up a report for the file and e-mail it to me.”
“How’s the Sheehan case coming? Need me to do anything?”
“There is something. According to a volunteer at the campaign office, Wendell had dinner at the Delacroix every Monday night. Can you talk to the staff? See if he was there the night he died? Find out if he ate dinner alone or if he
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