Chapter 3

I had a meeting with the representatives from the chicken plant. I explained to them how I was expanding my operation by adding another chicken house. I also joked about getting home in time to take my wife to a new steak house in town. At lunch I sat with a couple of friends and commented about how this time next year I planned on being a father. They made a few jokes about it then I left for home.

When I got home I started calling around to ask if anyone had seen my wife, Linda. Of course no one had. My last call was to Roy’s mom.

“Aunt Brenda have you seen or heard from Linda in the last few days?”

“No I have not. Is she not home?”

“No, when I got back from the conference she was gone and I can’t seem to locate her.”

“That’s strange. You think you should call the sheriff?”

“I’m sure she will turn up. She probably just went to Memphis to shop and time got away from her. She likes to go shopping up in Memphis about once a week. I guess that’s where she is. By the way how is Roy?”

“Oh Roy is all mixed up these days. You know he was on recruiting duty in Memphis? Well he met a girl and he really fell for her. The problem is his recruiting duty is over and he is going to have go to the west coast to report to a ship that is going on a one year cruise around the world. He is really upset about leaving his girl. He started a two week leave a couple of days ago. I think he wants to spend as much time with her as he can before he leaves.”

I told her to wish him luck from me and got off the phone. Roy was going to get to spend eternity with ‘his’ girl under a pile of chicken shit!!!

Monday morning I called the Sheriff and reported Linda missing. He told me to stop by his office and fill out a missing person form. I went to town and filled it out then talked to him.

“Robert sometimes things happen in a marriage and one person just needs some time. Know what I mean?”

“Maybe. Linda was a little nervous about us starting a family. Maybe she just wanted to get away and think about being a mother for a few days without me bothering her.”

“I bet that’s it. If she’s not back by the end of the week give me a call and I’ll start an investigation.”

Friday I called and told him I still had not heard from her. He drove out with a detective from the state bureau of investigation. I was supervising the pouring of the concrete floor to my new chicken house.

After introductions and a brief explanation of what I knew the detective asked if he could inspect the house. I told him I was busy but my housekeeper was there, “The Sheriff knows her. Just tell her I said it was okay for them to look around.”

Lola Mae---I’ve worked for Bobby’s family for over 40 years as the housekeeper. I even do some cooking when needed. I have taken care of Bobby his whole life.

I knew something was wrong when that fat lazy wife of his told me I could take the rest of the week off after Robert left for that conference. She even paid me for my days off! When I came back the next Monday I was sure something had happened. You see the sheets on the bed were changed and the sheets I had put on last Friday were missing. Gone, nowhere to be found. Then I noticed a few drops of what looked like blood on the mattress. I poured bleach on them to get them out then I flipped the mattress. I made sure to mop the floors with lots of Pine-Sol.