This book is written differently than any I’ve written before. I hope you will accept and enjoy it. At the end of the book, under the pages “Dear Readers”, I’ve included some historical facts about the first female detectives in the early and middle eighteen hundreds.
As usual I’ve included some recipes of the area about which I’m writing.
So many of you have told me that you look for the recipes first before you read the book. I hope you enjoy these.
In all my books, I’ve taken true news and events and spun a story around them. Of course the characters are fictional. I’m still amazed at the number of men who read my books. God bless you all, and thank you sincerely.
Chapter One
Hannah Rutherford ambled across Oak Street, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, looking with pride and a little trepidation at her brand new office:
THE LOST CAUSE DETECTIVE AGENCY
HANNAH RUTHERFORD
INVESTIGATOR
Lost Cause, not because she was lacking, but because she took on cases that offered little or no encouragement to the client. With her reward money for finding the kidnapped child and turning in the offender, her pension from her deceased husband’s work, and her inheritance from her maternal grandparents, she felt that she should give back to the community that had been so faithful to her.
Her heart was a little heavy knowing she had set out on a sea that she was not truly prepared for and was sailing on faith and intestinal fortitude, Hannah’s father, Andrew Rutherford, was a well-known, successful prosecuting attorney and wanted Hannah to follow in his footsteps. Because she was an only child, he had wrapped his heart and life around her. His wife, Hannah’s mother, had been worshipped by him. When she died with cancer soon after Hannah was born, he almost lost his mind. His sister, Marilee, had helped take care of Hannah until she had to retire due to crippling arthritis. Andrew kept Hannah close and made her the heart and center of his life. She tried to follow in his footsteps, but liked law enforcement better, first as a police officer and now as an investigator.
Bouncing gaily into the office she greeted her small staff with sincere love and appreciation. Her golden hair framed a lovely face, not beautiful, but attractive. Eyes as blue as a summer sky sparkled with love of life.
Victoria Stallard, a perky twenty-four year old college graduate was suffering after a drunk driver ran up on the sidewalk and ran over her. She now had braces on one leg and chronic pain in her back and leg. It would have been difficult for her to hold a steady job with anyone who required a nine to five employment or a minimum of forty hour a week. She was grateful for Hannah’s understanding and made a promise to herself to love Hannah and be loyal, faithful and helpful. Her ebony face was always smiling and kind.
Hannah, too, had a back injury that left her in almost constant pain.
She had been following a two hundred pound plus carjacker and pedophile. He turned and tackled her landing on her. She had called for back-up and he was arrested but Hannah suffered a painful back.
Herbert Mueller, better known as Herb, was a thirty - two year old ex policeman with two years of law study. He had been a viable officer with a glowing future. He had started studying law with the intention of becoming an attorney. During his second year of study, his wife of eighteen months, hugged him and told him they were expecting their first child. They were both ecstatic and looking forward to the birth.
One day she had gone to the bank to deposit his paycheck. A bank robbery had resulted in her death and the loss of the eight month fetus. Three men, armed, came into the bank and had a shootout with an off duty policeman. She had been hit in the stomach and chest by stray bullets.
Herb had been so crushed he began to drink and didn’t report for work or classes. He was given a warning and finally fired from the force. Hannah had offered him a chance to shake loose from the grief and alcohol and become a useful worker again and gain self confidence. Hannah encouraged him to take pride in his work and in his daily life. He would lay down his life for her.
“Good morning all,” Hannah burbled with love of life and joy in her choice of future. She stood barely five feet five inches but faced her cases as if she were six feet and two hundred pounds instead of one ten. She had just turned twenty-eight last week.
“Hey boss,” Victoria limped over to give Hannah a quick hug. Her own dark eyes were sparkling and full of joy. Her curly dark hair was styled to suit her five feet four frame. Thankfully she weighed only one hundred five pounds or she would suffer trying to carry more weight with her injuries. Her heart-shaped light milk chocolate face was always smiling and pleasant to see. The drunk driver who plowed on to the sidewalk and ran her down did not take away her sweet personality.
Herb lumbered toward the front from a back office. He picked Hannah up and swung her around. His six-three frame was too heavy carrying two hundred eighty pounds, but he was trying to cut out the desserts and tighten his muscles with daily exercise. His green eyes and wavy chestnut hair were ideal for his tanned complexion and dimples.
“Put me down, you oaf,” Hannah laughingly ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered with mock bow as he carried her to an office down the hall and deposited her at her desk.
“What has gotten into you?” Hannah asked laughing.
“Look around you,” both Herb and Victoria spoke as one.
Taking her first look around didn’t satisfy her curiosity until she looked at her newly painted cream walls. Her certificates from college, her law degree, her license to operate and all necessary certificates were framed in beautiful soft pine and hung with care. A large Peace Lily stood in a tub near the floor to ceiling six feet wide window. Light blue vertical blinds covered the window. Beside it was a private door leading to the outside. Two tall metal filling cabinets were in a corner. A new blue carpet, with darker swirls of blue was on the floor showing her polished oak desk and swivel rocker padded oak chair to the best advantage
“When was this done? When I left here Friday this room was empty and smelling of fresh paint.”
“We came back on Saturday and did the work so you’d be surprised this morning,” Victoria beamed.
“Yeah, my brother-in-law, Merle Boggs, agreed to help. He and my sister are so relieved that I’ve turned my life round that they’re willing to do anything I ask,” Herb stated with a grin. “Come see the rest of our space.”
Hannah kicked off her spike heels and padded across the hall to the office that Herb used. She was pleased to see a beige runner on the long hall. In the room used by Herb, the walls were the same cream color and his certificates were also framed and on the walls. His oak desk was bigger than Hannah’s and the chair was a high-backed, swivel rocker that would accommodate his huge frame. There was a four by six window with blue vertical blinds in his office. Two large filing cabinets were against one wall. A private door was near a corner that would allow him to come and go from the alley without coming through the front.
Next door to Hannah’s office was a large conference room with a long table and six comfortable high-backed padded chairs. A table in one corner held materials for coffee, tea, or snacks. A large water cooler burbled in a corner. Two long six by three windows were up high.
Across the hall was a small, well-equipped kitchen with a stove and a microwave, a side by side refrigerator, a sink with a disposal, a table and four chairs. The floor was a mahogany and tan tile. The window was a three by six and high on the outer wall.