Moonshine Murder [Hawkman Bk 14] by Betty Sullivan La Pierre Read Free Book Online Page A

or her, it may help us get a handle on this whole situation."
    [Back to Table of Contents]

CHAPTER TEN
    Friday morning, Hawkman grabbed his clothes, sneaked out of the bedroom and closed the door. He doubted Jennifer had received much rest, considering what she'd been through the last couple of days. After he dressed, he filled Miss Marple's food dish and water bowl, whispering to the spoiled feline who'd wrapped around his leg. “I hope this keeps you from yowling. Let your mistress sleep. You have my permission to stay mad at her for another day."
    He left the cat at her feeding station, downed a bowl of dry cereal, and departed. Fortunately, he only had to drive into Yreka to the county courthouse where he'd find the property listed. The only problem he foresaw would be if the land was subdivided between several owners. If his memory served him right, he remembered several years ago a discussion among homeowners about a man who'd bought a huge portion of land in the area near the old railroad. He'd heard nothing about it since, so he hoped it was still held by only one proprietor.
    Arriving in Yreka, he drove straight to the courthouse and went inside. He knew a few of the people and spotted Sally behind the counter. “Hi, Sally."
    She glanced up and smiled. “Mr. Casey, it's been quite awhile since you've graced our doors. How can I help you?"
    "I want to find the owner of some property, but I'll need to look at a map, as I have no statistics to help me."
    "Sure. Let's go to my station."
    She moved through a swinging gate and he followed her to a desk tucked in the corner of the room. Motioning for him to take a seat, she slid into her chair behind the computer. “Okay, where do we need to go?"
    "Slightly northwest of Copco Lake, near the old railroad tracks."
    Her fingers flew over the keys, and she soon turned her computer toward him. She pointed. “Is this the area?"
    He studied the screen for a moment. “Yes.” Then ran his finger along a line. “I'd like to know who owns the parcels west of this road."
    "How far do you want to extend the boundary?"
    Hawkman pointed to a creek. “A bit past here."
    Sally jotted down the numbers on a sheet of paper, then typed them into the computer. “There are two forty acre parcels, owned by a Jacob Hutchinson. There's a small house, a barn, and several outbuildings on one piece, nothing on the other."
    Hawkman leaned forward and furrowed his brow. “Did you say Hutchinson?"
    She nodded. “Yes, Jacob Hutchinson."
    "How long has he owned this property?"
    "Over ten years."
    "Where do you send the property tax bills?"
    She glanced at the monitor. “Medford, Oregon. You want his address?"
    "Yes, please."
    She took a pad of paper and wrote it down. “Here you go,” she said, tearing off the sheet and handing it to him.
    Hawkman stood. “Thanks, Sally. Appreciate your time."
    "No problem. All part of my job. Wish more requests were as easy as yours."
    He left the courthouse, baffled by the land being owned by a relative, possibly a father or a brother. Jeb obviously spoke the truth when he said he had permission to be on the property.
    When he arrived home, he told Jennifer of his discovery.
    She tapped her chin. “I find your bit of news fascinating. So how are you going to move on this information?"
    "Jacob Hutchinson has lived in Medford for many years. I might be able to find him on the computer and get a bit of history."
    "You think he'll talk to you?"
    Hawkman shrugged. “All I can do is try."
    "I have a feeling it's the father of Jeb Hutchinson."
    "Hard to say. Could be a brother, grandfather or the dad. I'll know more when I see him in person."
    "Good luck. Keep me informed,” Jennifer said, as she turned toward her computer, and Hawkman continued down the hallway to his home office.
    He decided first to check the Medford phone book out of curiosity, and see if the man was listed. Not finding it in his side desk drawer, where he normally kept it, he wandered