Murder in Lancashire

by Jane T O'Brien

“I don't blame you, it's a beautiful city. My boyfriend and I have only been here a few months although I feel at home.”

  Samantha could see the disappointment in Mike's eyes when he heard the word boyfriend. Her cupid instincts kicked in and she couldn't help but think what a cute couple these two would make.

  Samantha walked Mike out into the hallway.

  “Now I have two beautiful women as neighbors. if they weren't both taken, I'd be a lucky guy.”

  “Megan is sweet, I'm not sure about that boyfriend of hers, he's a bully and I don't trust him.”

  “You seem to have good instincts about people. Remember, if you need help, I'm across the hall.”

  “Thanks, Mike, would you like to come back for lunch? Fletch bought enough cheese and ham from the deli yesterday to feed an army.”

  “I'll take you up on it. Will Fletch be here? I'd like to thank him personally for the referral.”

  “He'll be here at noon unless something breaks in the Delaney murder. If that happens I won't see him for hours or days.”

  Samantha watched as Megan worked diligently. She was a good worker and a nice young woman. She and Mike would be good together. Mind your own business, Samantha.

  Her phone rang, and it was Fletch.

  “Hello beautiful, are you alone?”

  “I can be,” she said walking into the bedroom. “what's up?”

  “I ran those background checks. Megan is as clean as a whistle. Jimmy Lee Butler has an extensive record. Mostly petty stuff but he was arrested for an alleged beating of a woman. The victim refused to testify, and the case was dismissed. He's been involved in the alleged selling of drugs but never convicted. If the guy holds down a job, there is no record. He's a loser, Samantha. I don't feel comfortable with him having access to you through Megan.”

  “It's worse than I thought. I'll talk to Megan and perhaps let her go. I don't want to lose her, but I will not allow Jimmy in the apartment and she will undoubtedly choose him over her job.”

  “Good luck and I'll see you at lunch.”

  Samantha dreaded talking to Megan. She suspected she was a victim of verbal abuse. Knowing Jimmy had presumably beaten a woman, and Megan had obviously been injured last night, she was convinced her suspicions were correct.

  “Megan, why don't you take a break and come sit with me for a minute.”

  “Is there something wrong, Samantha? Have I made a mistake?”

  “No, it's nothing about your work. This is difficult for me to say; I don't feel comfortable having Jimmy in my apartment. Fletch ran a background check on him and it turns out he has a record of criminal activity.”

  “Oh, but that was a long time ago when he was a kid. He has told me all about the mischief he and his friends got into when they were teenagers.”

  “It's more than high school pranks, Megan. Did you know he was arrested for beating a woman? The charges were later dropped. Did he hurt you physically?”

  “No.”

  “Did he push you or raise his fist to you?”

  “He never pushed me, I swear Samantha,” Megan said tearfully.

  “Tell me why your side is hurting? Have you been injured?”

  Megan lifted her shirt to expose a swollen and deeply bruised area around her ribs.

  “It was my fault, I fell on the coffee table, Jimmy didn't touch me.”

  “Megan, you might not like what I have to say; I took a class in school about those who abuse women and children. I learned of the progression of abuse. It starts when the abuser alienates the victim from her family and friends. He will belittle the person he professes to love until she no longer feels she has any worth. Eventually, he becomes physically abusive. It could be as a little push or shove. He might raise his fist to show he's boss. After a while, those little shoves become bigger shoves and the clenched fist hits its target. The abuser is usually apologetic after the fact but blames his victim for provoking him. Does this sound like your relationship with Jimmy?”

  Megan looked at Samantha with tears streaming down her face.

  “All those things you said are true. Jimmy won't let me call my old friends. He allows only a five-minute call once a week to my parents, and he insists on being in the room when I talk to them. I feel so alone, I have no one to talk to, I thought I loved him; now I'm afraid of him. Oh, Samantha, I've ruined my life.”

  “You might have made some poor choices, Megan, but you haven't ruined your life. The first step is to move out of the apartment you share with Jimmy, are you willing to do that?”

  “I don't think he'll let me and I don't know where I'd go, I can't afford to live on my own.”

  “Do you think your parents would let you move back home with them?”

  “I don't know, they were awfully mad at me when I ran away with Jimmy.”

  “You could stay here for a while until you decide where you want to go. There isn't much room in the office but I'm sure we could find space for a bed for you.”

  “I couldn't impose on you like that.”

  “Nothing has to be decided now, why don't we both get back to work. Fletch and Mike will be here for lunch, we can discuss this again after they leave.”

  “Thank you, Samantha, you are my only friend.”

  They both got back to work. Samantha had a difficult time concentrating, she was worried about Megan and her fear of Jimmy was growing as she wondered what he would do if Megan left him.

  Chapter Eight

  Shortly before noon, Samantha set the table for lunch. She and Megan prepared a big plate of sandwiches. Fletch and Mike arrived at the same time.

  “Where's Robin, I thought you were bringing her along?”

  “She had a thing at school for the kids and asked for a rain check.”

  The four of them talked and laughed until every sandwich had disappeared. Megan hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

  Suddenly, they heard a banging on the door. Megan's heart skipped a beat and the color drained from her face. She heard the familiar voice shouting from the hallway.

  “Let me in or I'll break the door down.”

  Fletch stood up and slowly walked to the door opening it up to an outraged Jimmy.

  “So, this is your new job? It doesn't look like work. Who is this bozo?” he said glaring at Mike.

  Mike was not perturbed by the comment and held out his hand.

  “I'm Mike Thompson, I live across the hall, Samantha was kind enough to invite me to lunch.”

  “Yeah, Samantha is good at stickin' her nose where it doesn't belong. Why did you give this job to a dummy like Megan? Are you trying to cause trouble?”

  “That's enough Jimmy,” said Fletch. “Calm down and let's take a walk outside.”

  “I'm not leaving here without Megan.”

  “I'm not going with you, Jimmy, I have more work to do. Please leave and we will talk later, that is, if you come home before midnight.”

  Mike thanked Samantha for lunch and walked across the hall to his apartment. He thought it best to leave because his presence might be interpreted the wrong way by Megan's boyfriend. He was sorry the lunch had been interrupted, he enjoyed himself. Megan was a nice girl, too nice for a jerk like Jimmy.

  Fletch calmed Jimmy down. He walked him to the front door of the building and warned him not to make trouble for Megan and Samantha. He went back to the apartment.

  “Megan, do you want me to stay for a while to make sure he doesn't come back?”

  “No, Fletch, I don't think he will. He gets mad but cools off quickly.”

  He gave her his card, “Call me anytime, I'll be here or at your apartment in a matter of minutes.”

  Fletch left the women alone to finish their workday. He didn't feel comfortable with Jimmy being free to roam the streets of Lancashire. He didn't have a choice, the guy was obnoxious, but had done nothing illegal.

  “When will that woman schedule her husband's funeral?” Margaret Wakefield fumed at Forrest. “I can't live in limbo forever.”
>
  “No one is asking you to live in limbo, Margaret. Our lives won't differ from what they have been all along.”

  “Forrest, I am First Lady of Lancashire. There is a vast difference between me and the former first lady. That woman never deserved the title.”

  “I could never understand your dislike of Sophia Delaney. When has the woman been anything but gracious to you?”

  “Forrest, you are a typical man. You can't look beyond a pretty face and an enlarged bust-line. You don't think those things are real, do you?”

  “I don't know, nor do I care. There must be more to your negative feelings than her looks. You can be a harsh woman, Margaret.”

  “You would never understand, Forrest. It doesn't matter because she and that sex maniac husband of hers will be gone from our lives the day he is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.”

  Forrest cringed at his wife's coldness. It was true, he would never be in the place he was in today if it hadn't been for Margaret. She wasn't satisfied that her husband was the head of a prestigious accounting firm. She pushed him into accepting the position of deputy mayor. He had to admit, it had worked out well for him. Now that Richard was no longer in the picture, there was no telling where Forrest's destination would be. He'd been humming to the tune of Hail to the Chief since the day he'd been informed of Mayor Delaney's demise.

  “Sophia, arrangements are completed, Richard's funeral will be tomorrow morning at Saint Augustine's Church. It's time to say goodbye, dear.”

  “Thank you, Eloise, I could never have done this on my own. Don't you think Saint Augustine's might be bit hypocritical? It's the largest and most esteemed house of worship in Lancashire. You and I both know Richard hadn't stepped inside a church in his entire adult life.”

  “Hypocrisy and politics go hand in hand, my dear. Now, it's time to try on the dresses Winslow's Department Store sent over for your approval. You want to look your best and make Richard proud.”

  “Richard was never proud of me when he was alive, why would be now?”

  “Hello, Samantha, is it quiet over there? You haven't heard from Jimmy Lee again, have you?”

  “No, Fletch, Megan says he is off sulking somewhere. I hope she gets out of that relationship soon, I worry about her. She and Mike seemed to hit it off, don't you think?”

  “It looked that way to me, and unfortunately, to Jimmy too. I'm not condoning his reaction, but I do understand it.”

  “He's the type of jerk that doesn't want the girl unless someone else does. I worry that he will come back again, I don't want him hanging around my apartment.”

  “I should plan to move in for a while. I can be your personal rent-a-cop. No charge.”

  “I've already told Megan she can bunk here; it would be a tight squeeze for the three of us.”

  “I don't mind tight squeezes, especially when you are involved. The other reason I called is to let you know Mayor Delaney's funeral is tomorrow morning. I thought we could go together, that is if you'd like to go at all.”

  “I should go. I'll tell Megan to come in after one o'clock tomorrow. That should give us plenty of time for the funeral and reception. Will I see you later?”

  “I'm here until about eight, do you mind if I check in with you on the way to my lonely apartment?”

  “I don't mind at all.”

  After Samantha's call ended, she talked to Megan about the funeral and coming in later in the day.

  “Do you think I should go to the funeral?”

  “Only if you want to, Megan, I'm sure there will be reporters there and I know you don't want to have any encounters with them.”

  “I'd rather not face reporters; I will take time in the morning to pack up my things. While you were on the phone, I called my mother. She and Daddy are wiring me money to put down on an apartment of my own. Mom cried when I told her I was planning to leave Jimmy. I feel guilty because I made them worry about me.”

  “Do you know where you will live?”

  “No, I was hoping there was a studio apartment available in this building. I need little room.”

  “Let's talk to the superintendent. That is if you're sure, I don't want to rush your decision.”

  “You aren't rushing me at all. I decided to do this weeks ago, I didn't have the courage to tell my parents I'd made a mistake.”

  “Good news, Margaret, Richard's funeral will be tomorrow morning.”

  “Tomorrow? I can't possibly be ready by tomorrow. I must get my hair done, and find a suitable outfit to wear, and look at my nails, they are a mess. Oh, Forrest, that woman is the bane of my existence.”

  Forrest shook his head and walked away, there was no pleasing that woman. He wondered why he put up with her nonsense although he knew, despite everything, he loved her. He loved her so much he would gladly commit murder if it would make her happy.

  Samantha and Megan visited the rental office of the apartment building. A furnished studio apartment was available on the first floor. Unfortunately, they couldn’t rent it to Megan without a background check that would take a minimum of a week. The super had a slight crush on Samantha and when she offered to vouch for Megan, he waived the waiting period.

  Samantha wrote a check for the deposit and first month's rent. Megan would pay her back when her parent's money arrived.

  Megan was nervous driving to the apartment she shared with Jimmy and relieved he wasn't home.

  After she collected her things and locked them in the trunk of her car, she had another look through the apartment. She didn't want to forget anything because it would be awkward to return. The note she'd left on the kitchen counter was waiting for Jimmy's return.

  Jimmy,

  It isn't working for us and I'm leaving.

  I hope you will find someone who makes you happy. It's obvious I don't.

  Megan

  It wasn't much of an explanation although Megan knew Jimmy wouldn't care why she was leaving. He would be mad, but he'd get over it. She didn't want to tell him he'd embarrassed her this afternoon with his behavior. She was having the best time she'd had in months until he barged in and ruined everything.

  What a fool she'd been when she let him talk her into leaving her home and her family. He'd said they would go to California. That was months ago, and he hadn't mentioned it again. She was happy they ended up in Lancashire and didn't want to leave. Jimmy could go off to California if he wanted but she would stay right here.

  The door opened, and he surprised her.

  “If it isn't the town tramp,” he bellowed. “It didn't take you long to get over your boyfriend, the dead mayor, and now you've latched on to someone else.”

  He raised his fist and swung it at her. Megan ducked, and he hit his hand on the doorway.

  That made him madder than he already was, he swung and missed again.

  “Jimmy, you're drunk. When you sober up, you can read my note. In the meantime, I'm leaving, you can't stop me.”

  “You aren't going anywhere, no one leaves Jimmy Lee Butler.”

  He grabbed her arm and threw her down on the floor. Megan was stunned, she tried to get up, but he held her down with his foot on her chest. At that moment, she knew what real fear was. His eyes were filled with hate.

  “Jimmy, please don't hurt me.”

  “I should kill you and you will be with your boyfriend, rotting in Hell.”

  “Jimmy, I don't have a boyfriend, you are the only one, I promise.”

  Megan was shocked when Jimmy sobbed. She had never seen him like this before.

  “Oh baby, I don't want you to leave. I can't live without you, please give me another chance. I'll be good, I promise. I'll never hit you again.”

  Although her arm was throbbing, she held Jimmy while he continued to cry like a baby. She reluctantly told him she would stay with him that night. He finally passed out.

  She reached into his pocket and found several pills. She wondered what he had taken and whether they, mixed with alcohol, were the reason he was acting l
ike a crazy person.

  Megan left Jimmy sleeping on the floor. She brought his pillow from the bed and a blanket. She couldn't move him to the bed if she tried.

  I'll sleep on the couch tonight, there is no way I will get into our bed with or without him. I'll make sure he's all right until morning and then I'll leave.

  Megan slept fitfully through the night, her arm was painful and bruised, but it wasn't broken.

  Chapter Nine

  Cindy Matthews applied a third coat of foundation below her eyes in an attempted to hide the puffiness. She had cried her heart out since that horrible day when Richard said her services were no longer needed.

  Cindy worked for the newly elected mayor the day he took office. She was executive assistant to the university president when Richard Delaney gave a speech in the auditorium. Cindy thought he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. She worked tirelessly on his campaign while never shirking her responsibilities at the university. By the time she discovered Richard had a wife, it was too late; she had fallen in love.

  At first, Richard treated her as he did every pretty girl, with a hint of flirtation. As the campaign wore on and she made herself available, he took notice.

  The people of Lancashire took the office of mayor seriously and Richard obliged. After a Saturday filled with speeches and town hall meetings, he asked Cindy to join him for a late supper at an inn outside of town. He asked her to head up his staff, and she quickly accepted his offer.

  For the first several months after Richard's election, Cindy accompanied him to the many social affairs the mayor attended. Cindy was often mistaken for the first lady. After a while, she stopped correcting the mistake; she enjoyed being thought of as Mayor Delaney's wife and thought t of herself as his wife too.

  Her bubble burst the day Eloise Kittredge paid her a visit.

  “Cindy, my dear,” Eloise said condescendingly, “It is becoming obvious that you have fallen for the charms of the mayor and that will never do. He will attend an informal gathering of supporters this evening and you will make an excuse why you won't be there.”