Carla Cassidy - Scene Of The Crime - Who Killed Shelly Sinclair?

“I told you it’s really just a glorified hamburger joint. Most people order and take out. There are only five stools at a counter inside. George has everything from fried gator to shrimp scampi on his menu, but most people come here for the burgers. It’s a dive but he makes the best burgers you’ll ever wrap your mouth around.”

The interior of the small establishment was empty and held the gamy odor of the swamp and hot grease. “We’ll eat in the car,” Olivia whispered, finding the variety of cooking smells unpleasant.

At that moment a big man lumbered out of what she assumed was the kitchen. Jowls bounced as he greeted them with a smile and slapped two menus in front of them.

“I heard there was a new sheriff in town.” His deep voice resembled that of a croaking bullfrog. “George King,” he said. He swiped a hand on his dirty white apron and held it across the counter to her.

Olivia shook his hand and mentally thought of the small bottle of hand sanitizer she kept in her purse. “Sheriff Bradford,” she replied as she shook his thick, meaty hand.

“So, what can I get for you two? I got some fresh gator meat in this morning,” George said.

“No gator,” Daniel replied. “We’ll take two of your special burgers and a couple of sodas to go.”

“Got it.” George disappeared back into the kitchen area.

“Did he know Shelly?” Olivia asked.

Daniel smiled. “Everyone knew Shelly. Why?”

“George is a big man with big hands. It would have been easy for him to strangle a young woman and then toss her into the lagoon.”

Daniel’s grin widened. “Once a lawman, always a lawman.”

“Exactly,” she replied, wishing his smile didn’t create a ball of heat in the pit of her stomach.

Minutes later they were back in her car. She used her hand sanitizer, placed a couple of napkins on her lap and then took the gigantic burger wrapped in foil from Daniel. Daniel, too, had placed a napkin across his lap.

Two beef patties, two kinds of cheeses, tomato and lettuce, bacon and barbecue sauce, the first bite created an explosion of flavor in her mouth.

“Tell the truth, it’s the best you’ve ever tasted,” Daniel said with a knowing smile.

She finished chewing and swallowed. “Okay, I admit it.”

They ate in silence and when they were finished, Daniel took their trash to a nearby bin and disposed of it and then they were back on the road headed back to the station.

“Still listen to blues music?” he asked.

It had been part of their conversation at the bar, the fact that they both loved old blues classics. “These days my music list mostly exists of ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider,’ ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and any songs from kids’ shows. What about you?”

“Still love my Billie Holiday and of course B.B. King,” he replied.

They spent the rest of the ride talking about the old masters of blues music. Once they returned to the station, Olivia headed to her office and Daniel returned to his desk.

It sat in the middle of her desk, a brown-wrapped package addressed to her. It didn’t belong there and she had no idea how it had gotten there.

She opened her office door and saw Daniel and Josh talking together. “Josh... Daniel, could you come in here?” She hoped her voice didn’t betray a faint whisper of fear the presence of the unexpected package had wrought inside her.

Both men got up and when they entered her office she pointed to a brown-wrapped box on her desk.

“That was here when I came in. I didn’t touch it, but it doesn’t have any postage and it’s addressed to me.”

Daniel frowned in obvious concern. “How did it get here?”

“I don’t know. It was just here,” she replied.

“I’ll go get Betsy,” Josh said. He left the office. Betsy Rogers was the dispatcher/receptionist.

“You weren’t expecting any deliveries of any kind?” Daniel asked.

She gave a curt shake of her head. “No, nothing.”

“I’ll grab my fingerprint kit,” Daniel said.

By the time he returned to the office, Josh and Betsy were also there. “It was left just outside of the front entrance,” Betsy said. “I don’t know how long it was there. Ray noticed it when he came back from lunch and gave it to me and I brought it in here.”

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