A Death in the Family

Chapter 1

The body was found in the southern bend of the Mississippi River, though detectives figured it had floated several miles until it was found by the police in a southern county of Illinois.

The body was decomposed enough that forensics had to turn to alternate forms of identification. The body was identified by dental records and engraving on her wedding ring as 40-year-old Lara Dooley, a self-employed artist and mother of two teenage sons.

The corner had ruled the cause of death drowning and that suicide was likely.

However, most of the people who knew Lara Dooley knew this was unlikely. Her husband, Steve Dooley, insisted his wife did not kill herself and there had to be more to it.

"This is not the answer I want for my sons!" He declared standing in the middle of the police station, "My family and I deserve better answers, my wife was a free spirit, she would have not done this!"

Detective Carl Cumberbatch and Sgt. Ferdinand Douglas, (Ferdie, to the guys in the department) were assigned to the case. They were stocky men in their early 40s, each with their patches of blonde and red hair on their respective balding heads. While they were both respected in the department this case made them squint and shake their heads. That wasn't what they wanted to bring back to the lieutenant later that week.

In the meantime it was back to square one and start retracing what they knew and putting together the pieces what they didn't, which at this point, was a lot.

They took turns flipping through the file on Detective Cumberbatch's desk, then reversing position while the other did the same thing.

"Even the murder down by Carbondale wasn't this tricky." Sgt. Douglas muttered. "Time to start pounding the pavement going door to door and interviewing friends and family, of course start with the husband," he consulted a piece of paper in the file, "Steve Dooley."

Detective Cumberbatch nodded.

"Right away sir, I'll get some men on it and get Mr. Dooley on the phone, see if he is willing to come down for a little chat."

Detective Cumberbatch left the office.

Meanwhile, since there was little more anyone could do with the body of Lara Dooley, it was released to her family and in a close casket ceremony she was buried.

Her family followed behind the pallbearers each in stark black suits the boys, 16-year-old Henry and 13-year-old Connor looking like somber scarecrows with their tufts of blondish hair the only things that stood out in the procession of black.

She was buried on a mild day in early March. Warm enough to be outside, but not warm enough that it said spring was on the way. As friends and family gathered they shared memories of Lara and the person she had been, the eulogy given by her best friend Melissa who would also was in her artists group.

"Lara was such a free spirit." Melissa began, "she saw beauty in everything even if weeds got into the garden, she usually drew them afterwards." She gave a little laugh, a hiccup, and a small sob before continuing.

After a brief sermon from the local pastor more friends came up to say a few words including Steve Dooley who was as somber as his sons though you could see the sadness and grief leaking through if you looked at him long enough.

"Lara was my best friend... So full of life and love and a wonderful mother to our boys. If they wanted to be different she let them be different because that's how she was and I wish more people could be like her." Steve cleared his throat as he concluded, "Please note that your condolences and words mean everything to our family, thank you."

Then maneuvering his bulky, square like body from behind the podium, he returned to his seat next to his sons.

The Dooleys return home, the house feeling strangely empty without the one person there. Life would resume next week but they all knew it would never be the same.