Doctored Justice

by Earl Staggs

About the Author: Earl Staggs is a three-time winner of the Derringer Award for Best Short Story of the Year. He earned all Five Star reviews for his novels MEMORY OF A MURDER and JUSTIFIED ACTION. He served as Managing Editor of Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, as President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. He invites any comments via email at earlstaggs@sbcglobal.net He also invites you to visit his blog site at http://earlwstaggs.wordpress.co

Excerpt

Samuel Tredwell still insisted he didn’t kill Sally Hudson. Evidence presented at his trial convinced a jury of his guilt, however, and he would be executed in three weeks. That didn’t concern me at the time. He was not my reason for being in Lawson, Texas.

It was the day after my twenty-ninth birthday and the morning of my third day in Lawson. I’d planned to check out of my hotel and drive thirty miles to Millville to interview Marylou Grimes. Then I’d drive home to Fort Worth and write my article.

After looking around to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything, I closed my suitcase and was ready to leave when my phone rang. I knew who it was. I answered with, “Hello, Marcie. How are things in the Big Apple this beautiful morning?”

“Edward,” she said, “are you finished?” Marcie was my agent and not one for small talk.

“I’m finished here. Now I’m on my way to Millville to talk to Marylou Grimes.”

“How’d it go in Lawson?”

“Fine. I talked with a number of people who knew Sally Hudson. Her parents are dead, but her friends and classmates said she was bright, beautiful, and talented. Her church choir director said she had the voice of an angel.”

“Is that all you got?”

Typical Marcie. Never satisfied, always wanting more.

“No, that’s not all. She was an A student, class president, and after graduation, she was going to marry her high school sweetheart.”

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