The April Fools' Day Murder

The April Fools' Day Murder by Lee Harris Read Free Book Online

Book: The April Fools' Day Murder by Lee Harris Read Free Book Online
Authors: Lee Harris
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths
some builder will come along and that’ll be it.”
    I knew what she meant. All the open spaces were getting eaten up as the hunger for suburban houses increased.
    We talked a little more about the murder, then about other things. I could smell her dinner in the oven and realized that although I had no intention of eating again today, most of the rest of the world was anticipating another meal. I collected Eddie and we said our goodbyes.
    At home, Eddie ate a light supper and drank milk. Jack and I just passed.
    “I made a phone call while you were out,” Jack said that evening.
    “In between entertaining Gene and studying.”
    “Yeah.” He grinned. “Hey, Gene’s no trouble. And I get a kick out of his observations. He sees life in a veryinteresting way. Anyhow, I called our favorite police department and asked about Mrs. Platt’s accident.”
    “I’ve heard about it from the family. What did the police say?”
    “It was an awful tragedy. Happened maybe five years ago. She had picked up her grandson to take him home and she hit an icy patch on Oakwood Avenue. I guess the car spun around or something and hit a tree. The boy was killed. She walked away with scratches but I’m sure her psyche suffered the kind of pain that will never go away.”
    “That’s about what I heard. Her daughter-in-law, Doris, whose son it was, doesn’t blame her. But Roger does.”
    “Look, I can’t judge anyone in that situation. Something like that can make you crazy forever. And it’s not a motive for anyone to kill her husband.”
    “The son blames him for letting Winnie drive.”
    “He may as well blame the car manufacturer. If you’re going to kill, you kill the one who was behind the wheel.”
    “So this is all interesting but no motive. Do the cops have any leads?”
    “Not that they told me. Frankly, I think they’re looking at a blank wall. This is a guy who’s got friends and enemies, people who can’t stand him and people who think he’s the cat’s meow. What kind of a guy lies down on the cold grass waiting for a group of high school kids to find him and pull a fake knife out of his back?”
    “I think I’ll talk to Winnie Platt tomorrow. I’ve gotten her daughter-in-law’s view of things. Let me see how that compares with her view.”
    “Way to go,” Jack said. “I wonder if anyone’s got his eye on the land up on that hill.”

    Monday is a day Eddie and I are home together, so I took him with me on the trip up the hill. I had no idea when the funeral for Willard Platt would be but it usually takes an extra day or so for the autopsy to be performed, and he had died on a Saturday afternoon. There was no chance it would be today.
    As I drove up the hill past the nursery, I found myself hoping someone in the Platt family would be keeping Winnie company, but there were no cars in the drive when we got there. I parked outside the closed garage and Eddie and I walked up to the front door. I had some cheese, fruit, and crackers with me, and I had decided to ask Mrs. Platt if I could do some shopping for her.
    “Mrs. Brooks,” she said as she opened the door. “Come in. And you too, young man.”
    “This is Eddie. And I’m Chris.”
    “Yes. Chris.”
    I gave her the bag of food and she thanked me profusely. She was better dressed today, wearing a black skirt, a gray blouse, and a white cardigan sweater that looked expertly hand knit.
    “I wanted to ask you some questions,” I said when we were seated in a huge room with a cathedral ceiling and striking views.
    “About what?”
    “About your husband, his background, his relationship with the drama society.”
    “I don’t understand. What is your interest in all this?”
    “I happened to see your husband on the grass when he was waiting for the students in the treasure hunt. I called the police because I thought he was dead.” I looked overto where Eddie was happily munching a cookie and playing with some things on the floor near the

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