A Little Yuletide Murder by Jessica Fletcher Read Free Book Online Page A

do it, but only in conjunction with Sheriff Metzger and his department. I’m waiting for a call from him now, as a matter of fact. If you agree, I’ll tell him the situation and suggest we all go together to talk to Jake. That’s the only way I can be involved.”
    “I’m just afraid, Mrs. Fletcher, that if Jake sees the sheriff and his car, he’ll do something crazy.”
    “Maybe I can convince Sheriff Metzger to use a plain car, and to stay out of sight until I’ve had a chance to talk to Jake. Frankly, I don’t think this will work. There is no reason for your husband to trust me, or to listen to my advice.”
    “But maybe he will. I know one thing for certain, Mrs. Fletcher.”
    “What’s that?”
    “He sure won’t listen to me or anybody else I can think of.”

Chapter Six
    Mary Walther wasn’t gone more than a minute when Mort Metzger returned my call.
    “How did it go with Robert Brent?” I asked.
    “All right, I suppose, although he’s a strange young fella. Didn’t have much to say except for repeating over and over that Jake Walther killed his father.”
    “Did he offer anything tangible to support that claim?”
    “No, he did not. Well, maybe he did in a way. He said his father and Jake had a real altercation about a month ago or so. He says Jake came to the farm and confronted his father over something having to do with land and money. The kid says he didn’t know the details of what the argument was about, just that Jake threatened to kill Rory. Said he’d be back to ‘blow his brains out.’ ”
    “That’s something tangible, I would say. A direct threat of bodily harm.”
    “True, provided you believe what young Robert says. I’m not sure I do.”
    “Based upon what?”
    “Based upon ... well, gut instinct. You do what I do long enough and you develop a pretty good sense of whether people are tellin’ you the truth or not.”
    “I wouldn’t argue with that. Mort, Mary Walther just left my house.”
    “She did?”
    “Yes. She was very distraught when she arrived. She’s afraid that something really bad is going to happen because of the rumors about Jake having killed Rory. She told me Jake has holed up in his house on the property. He won’t talk to her brother or Mary. Poor thing, it must be so difficult for her being married to Jake. I’ve always admired her determination to become involved in the community while knowing what people in town are saying about him.”
    “A good woman, Mary Walther,” Mort said. “Sounds like Jake is actin’ like a damn fool.”
    “Sounds that way to me, too. I told her I’d get your advice on what to do.”
    “Doesn’t seem to be much question about what to do,” he said. “Because of Robert Brent’s accusation, my next move is to go out there and talk to Jake. But I sure don’t want to walk into a war.”
    “No one wants that,” I said. “I assume you intend to call the house before going.”
    “Sure, except the only phone is in Mary’s house in the middle. You know that setup out there. She lives in the middle house—more like a shack, it seems to me—Jake lives in the one by the road, and her brother lives up the hill in the third house. Calling out there will just reach Mary. And if Jake won’t talk to Mary or Dennis, doesn’t seem I have much chance to reason with him except in person.”
    I asked, “Did Jake have any friends in town, Mort? Anyone he spent time with, trusted, maybe would confide in?”
    There was silence while he pondered my question. Finally, he said, “None I can think of, Mrs. F., ’cept for maybe Doc Hazlitt.”
    “Seth? I didn’t know Seth was friendly with Jake Walther.”
    “He’s not. But Jake had a couple of medical problems over the last few months and went to Seth for treatment. From what I hear, Jake was pretty pleased with the way Seth handled things. Somebody told me—I can’t remember who—that Jake said Seth was probably the only honest doctor in Maine. I don’t think Seth