Pity and a Shame

Chapter 11

Arthur Wegman sealed the envelope and handed it to the UPS driver, feeling the weight of his obligation lift from his weary shoulders. The way his partner had treated the sheriff and the citizens of Split Oaks did not sit lightly with Detective Wegman, he felt they deserved a little more respect, and in keeping with his promise, the envelope he was sending to Brian Weller was a copy of the latest report on the Ingersol police investigation of the Paynter Gough homicide.

Wegman figured that the Split Oaks sheriff, if he wanted, could extend his own investigation from that end. The UPS driver initialled the delivery form and hurried out of the squad room. Wegman had tracked the name of Gwen Armitage to a last known address in Wiesbaden, Germany then lost her. Both had just disappeared. The interview with L.T. Winslow produced nothing of value except the first name of her companion – Mickey, but couldn't follow up on him either.

Winslow had left Gwen Armitage in Germany with no further contact. The case was running dry. Money was not a viable motive; Paynter Gough was living on a small, old pension from his insurance and the property was nothing to get excited over. Revenge? But for what? If anyone should have been killed it would have been Gwen, or her pal Mickey, from what Wegman learned.

Random was the department conclusion. Someone thinking the old man had loot stashed or something; kills him and moves on. Cased closed - or at least, in limbo. The circumstances of the case still irked him; the double beating and the stabbing constantly niggled at his thoughts, but with absolutely nothing else to go on, the powers that be said to put it aside and get on with other, more pressing cases.

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Janet held the dryer away from the long strands of hair she was combing, bringing it closer as the comb slid through the tresses. Carol Tzajke leaned her head forward and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"What's the latest gossip, Janet," she murmured.

"I'm fresh out. You people are going to have to start stirring the pot a little."

"No new people in town?" The question sounded forced and Carol hurried on. "Nobody choosing Split Oaks as their retirement paradise?"

"As if. Nope, nobody I know of. Why?"

"No, no reason. Just making chatter."

"The treatment has done wonders, Carol. Your hair is looking much better."

"I thought it might all fall out," she said with an exaggerated chuckle. "Doc Butler says part of the problem is stress."

Janet nodded in the mirror. "Stress can do a lot of damage in many ways so I wouldn't doubt it in the least. But if that's the case, you must be free of it now."

Carol caught her eye in the mirror and chewed her lip. "It's this damned affair I've gotten myself into. My god, Janet, I'm a married woman and a mother of a wonderful child, what's the matter with me? Why would I jeopardize that?"

"Stress?"

"Not funny, Janet. Although..." She stared at her reflection thoughtfully.

"Although what?"

"Nothing. Just stupid fantasy. How are you and the sheriff getting on?" She said, suddenly changing the subject.

Janet stopped combing and gave her an arch look. "I thought I had the market cornered on gossip."

"In this town? Good luck."

"You just answered your own stress question, Carol." Janet turned the conversation back to her customer and away from she and Brian.