Chapter 4

I called dispatch and told them to have the officer backup for Simpson to swing by the courthouse to pick me up. It took about twenty minutes for the chubby little blond twenty five or so year old to show up in my office. She was cute in the thirty pound overweight way.

"Hi there, I'm Deputy Melissa Osborn. Dispatch said to report to you," she said.

"Yes you and I are going on a little road trip," I said. "I'm going to Dobson and I need a ride. So you get to be my driver."

"Of course Ma'am," she said.

"Have you had lunch yet Osborn?" I asked.

"No Ma'am," she said.

"Are you a health food nut or have any special requirements in your diet?" I asked.

"Well I try to eat healthy," she said.

"Okay it's the salad bar at the steakhouse on the way to Dobson," I said.

"That sounds fine," she said. "But if you would prefer somewhere else I would be fine with that as well."

I could tell she was the chubby nerd in high school. Way smarter than anyone of her friends, but not very athletic or any of the other things that wins you peer approval. "So Osborn I hear you are a brilliant deputy."

"I don't know what to say to that," she said.

"You don't have to say anything but if I were you I would start reading all the FBI manuals on investigation and forensics," I said.

"Detective Simpson said the same thing when he saw me in front of the station yesterday," she suggested.

I nodded, then I gave her the GPS coordinates for Moose and Son lawn service and Landscaping. Deputy Osborn went right to it. I walked in to find a skinny man. I would never have expected anyone to call moose behind the desk.

"This is Deputy Osborn and I'm Sheriff Porter from Warren County," I said.

"You are out of your jurisdiction aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes we are that's why the Dobson Police are on the way. If you would like we can wait for them and then do this in the police station," I said calmly.

"Oh hell you are going to do it anyway, what you want?" he asked.

"Is your son Seth around?" I asked.

"He's out on a job," he said.

"Out on a job or out at the Widow Mathew's house?" I asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Well you have to admit someone shoots her husband, and three months later your son is all wrapped up with her. The rumors are flying about her relationship with Seth."

"Look, she has been good for Seth. She calmed him right down, and he is a better man for it," Moose said.

"And what did he do for her?" I asked.

"I don't think I have anything else to say to you," he said.

"Like I said we can take you in as a material witness. You have to know something to help with our investigation. That's what material witness means. So suit yourself."

"Look, that husband of her's was a real piece of work. According to Seth he never came home. He also had a string of girls on the side. I mean real girls not women."

"He was a tow truck driver what could the appeal have been for him to have girls?" I asked.

"I have no idea, but Seth said there were plenty," Moose suggested.

"Can you call Seth on the phone and ask him to meet us downtown. Just to give us a statement and to straighten this out," I suggested.

"Sure I'll call his cell and then his lawyer," he said.

"If you really think he needs one. My lawyer charges $100 an hour from the time she walks in the door. You could wait to see what he has to say, unless you are sure that he is going to have something to hide," I said.

"I don't like your attitude," he said.

"Well Moose you are going to have to forgive me. You see when Burt was killed his kids lost their father. Now you and your son might think that wasn't much a loss, but those kids probably think otherwise. You call whoever you need, just let me know what your son decides, I said. I handed him a card with my cell number on it as I pointed Osborn to the door.

"Gee what was that all about," she asked just like a good partner would.

"Osborn, you and I were on an exploration mission. We found out that Seth and Mrs. Mathews were seeing each other before the murder, giving Seth a motive for murder. He believed, rightly or wrongly, that Burt was seeing other women, which in his mind might have been justification for murder. That's how I build a temporary scenario," I said.

"You sure gave him enough rope to hang himself," she said.

"Well if he killed for love, he won't want to leave without her. He will probably stay and try to bluff it out. Hell even if he runs, we learned something," I said.

"Alright Sheriff," Osborn said skeptically.

Within two minutes my phone rang. "Seth has agreed to meet you in County Seat. He does not want the Dobson Police involved," Moose said.

"He's in the driver's seat right now. I'll be in the office till five," I said.

"I know Simpson worked with you once," Osborn said.

"Actually I was a rookie and he was the detective," I said.

"He said you had a feel for the job that was better than all the FBI training in the world. He said you were devious and understood how the bad guys thought," Osborn said.

"I was just a lucky Deputy and I'd rather be lucky than good any day," I said.

"Yes I heard that to," she said smiling. She waited a long second then added, "You know I saw that u tube video."