Well, the Astros won again last night. And in other news, the sun DID come up today. I’m Ben Dunn, substituting for weather anchor Sarah Sunshine and sports anchor Junction Jack Jones. That’s all the news, sports, and weather worth mentioning today.
C.: d.c. is at work today, but The Kennel gave me the whole weekend off for doing such a good job filling in at both kennels until they get enough workers to cover every shift. I am glad to have the time off, but I am bored! I am accustomed to working now. I have two whole days to fill with activities, but I work so much that d.c. is the only friend I have. When he is not available, I have no one to whom to talk. d.c. writes on his days off from The Kennel. Maybe I should give that a try. It was a dark and stormy night. NO, that has already been done. Okay, I will try again. Call me Cal.E., for I am a calico cat. Hmm, I think that my qualify as plagiarism. Let me try again. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the winter of our discontent. Nope. Already in print. This writing thing is harder than I thought. Let me read the opening lines of this novel d.c. wrote called “Precision; A Crime of Passion.” I bought this paperback on Amazon for less than five dollars! PRECISION THE ORIGINAL MAGRUDER MYSTERY BY: D.C. SCOTT L I B E R T Y H I L L P R E S S
- This book is the first in a series of five books. Although he is not the main character in the first book, the “Magruder Mysteries” takes its name from the one character who is essential to all fi ve books: First-grade detective Jay Magruder. Jay retired from the Houston Police Department in good standing. The parti ng was (supposedly) amicable. He finds his new job boring enough to read his hometown’s newspaper from cover to cover each day. PREFACE Magruder views his job as the most important thing in his life. It is more important than his nine children or his three ex-wives, all of whom demand child support for each of their three children. His reasoning is that he needs the money that his job supplies him to pay child support to each of his ex-wives. (Alimony is not paid in the state of Texas. Child support is, therefore, the main means by which his ex-wives pay for their children’s needs.) It is Magruder’s hard-driven personality, as well as his desire to be the best at his job, that led to all three of his divorces. He always put his job first, much to all three wives’ chagrin. Magruder has his reasons for doing this, although he truly loved all three of his wives. Jay IS a hard-driven detective, but he desires a more slow- paced job after thirty-plus years on the police force of the nation’s fourth-largest city. Jay had been assigned, for most of his career, to Houston’s dangerous Third Ward. Although it houses a major university and more than a few mansions, the Third Ward has the reputation as the fifteenth most dangerous neighborhood in the U.S. Jay enjoyed being assigned there, at first. However, as he aged, having such a stressful job led Magruder to job induced burn-out. He wants to slow down with a less stressful and slower-paced job. He also would like to get out of the hustle and bustle (not to mention the ever-present traffic) that Houston offers. He finds such a job with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The real attraction is that the job is in a small town seventy miles due north of Houston. A supposed bonus is that he gets a (technical) promotion. This will mean a significant bump in pay. This, along with his police retirement fund, makes the detective flush with cash. The new job, however, bores the veteran detective to tears in less than six months. He then asks for permission to review TDCJ’s cold case files. He recognizes the victims’ names in one of the files. His curiosity is piqued. He becomes more curious as he reads and rereads the file. Although the case was determined to be closed, it was place in the “Case Unsolved, Investigation Discontinued” file. While he is a first-grade detective, Magruder decides that he needs help to solve this particular case. He encounters a very tall, large young man who answers his ad on social media. He seems to know every detail of the story. This is where the first book begins. DEDICATION This book is dedicated to the memory of “the real-life Peggy Thurmond.” “Peggy” passed away from a glioblastoma (a brain tumor with “fingers” into the brain, thus making it inoperable) that had metastasized (spread into other parts of her brain) before it was diagnosed. “Peggy” was one of the best and closest friends that I have ever had in my enti re life. To say that she was, for all intents and purposes, a (slightly) older sister to me would be a very accurate statement. Unfortunately, I did miss her funeral due to a scheduling conflict. This is a fact that I have regretted since she passed. “Peggy” may be gone, but her legacy will live on in perpetuity. Her ability to be a friend who would tell those closest to her the truth in love was a blessing to me as well as her other close friends. Her ability to keep a secret (an important and unique skill) was also comforting to those that needed someone in whom to confide. Although I miss my close friend, I am comforted by the knowledge that we will spend an eternity together. Until my time is done, rest in peace, “Peggy.” I will look forward to our reunion!
THE COLD CASE FILE
Medical Examiner’s report. September 12, 2020: 34 County Road 10, Orchard, TX:
At 0900 hours Fort Bend County Sheriff ’s department was notified by an unknown female that murder was suspected of being committed at the above address.
Upon investigation, male Caucasian, age 55, identified by juvenile male as John Riley Logan, Sr. found deceased at late parent’s estate. Male victim died of hypovolemic shock related to 2.54 cm laceration of the right carotid artery. Time of death is estimated between 2300 hours on September 11, 2020 and 0100 hours on September 12, 2020.
Female Caucasian, age 56, also died of hypovolemic shock related to 2.54 cm laceration to the left carotid artery. Found deceased in the same bed as Mr. Logan. Identified by juvenile male as the estranged wife of Mr. Logan. Esti- mated time of death is also between 2300 hours on September 11, 2020 and 0100 hours on September 12, 2020. Wound appears to be self-inflicted on female. Large kitchen knife with eight- inch blade found in female’s dominant (right) hand.
Case is determined to be murder/ suicide by the Fort Bend
County District Attorney’s Office. The murder/ suicide is believed to have been committed by female victim. Cause of murder/suicide is assumed to be temporary insanity related to anxiety and extreme stress secondary to separation from family and familiar environment for an extended period of time.
The District Attorney’s office of Fort Bend County has determined that no further investigation is warranted by the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department or the District Attorney of Fort Bend County.
However, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department has notified the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of these findings, as a precautionary measure. Three prisons are located in the Richmond-Rosenberg area of Fort Bend County. The prisons are located less than twenty miles east of the site of the homicides. TDCJ has not reported any inmates escaping from these facilities in recent weeks. However, one prison is a pre-release facility. Another is a maximum-security mental health facility that houses high- level security criminals. No investigation is believed to be warranted by TDCJ.
This case is considered to be closed as of 1700 hours on this date.
C.: Well, I guess I COULD read the rest of the book. I have all weekend, and I did spend some of my hard earned money on it.
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