Free Dirty Deeds by Liliana Hart Page A

hospitality of your community. It’s a community that takes care of its own, works hard, and supports itself on the means it has. It’s very impressive what you’ve built and how you’ve thrived.
    “You can all imagine my surprise when Joe asked my wife and I to help yesterday when one of your own was murdered.” Jack put an emphasis on the word and paused to let it soak in. “The teachings of the church are very clear about cardinal sins.”
    There was some uncomfortable shifting in the pews and the tension skyrocketed.
    “I did a little research into your community, and I discovered that the entire south side of the island is actually owned by Sunshine Inc., which is headquartered over on the mainland. I noticed it the other day when I was driving around that it’s the only undeveloped land on the island, and the beach is closed to tourists.
    “And then I started digging a little more and discovered early last year Sunshine, Inc. decided it was time to develop that area of land and the plans were drawn for three high rise resorts right there on the beach. When the hotels were filled to capacity it would double the size of the island instantly. And all of a sudden the community you know and love is no longer yours. You’re working harder and longer hours, and the view is obstructed by ugly buildings and too many people.
    “And then last summer Father Fernando went to the mainland on the community’s behalf and asked if the land could be purchased to prevent the building of the high rise. And Sunshine, being respectful of the church and Father Fernando, agreed and offered to sell the property for just over eight million dollars. The problem was no one on this island had eight million dollars. And even combining your resources you fell several million short.”
    “We don’t need a history lesson, young man,” Father Fernando called out from the lectern where he’d been standing quietly. “We all know the outcome of my meeting with Sunshine. You’re wasting our time here when we should be mourning the man in the casket behind you.”
    “Where could you possibly come up with that amount of money?” Jack asked, ignoring Father Fernando and keeping eye contact with the crowd. “And then I started doing deeper background checks and discovered Maria Stein had spent several weeks on the mainland last year.”
    He paused to look at Maria who was seated on the front pew. Her children and grandchildren surrounded her, and though her back was stiff as a board there was a smile of satisfaction on her face. I couldn’t say I blamed her.
    “At first I thought it was because she’d suffered from pneumonia and she was being treated. But come to find out she’d found papers from a bank she didn’t recognize and a key. And the law here gives you the right as his wife to have access to Leon’s personal accounts and storage units even if your name isn’t on them.”
    “Get to the good stuff, boy,” she called out. “I’m ready to wake my husband.”
    “You’ve waited a long time for him to die, huh?” Jack asked. “You should’ve conspired to have him killed much sooner.”
    Her children gasped in outrage, but her gaze stayed steady on Jack’s.
    “What did you find in the storage unit your husband had rented?” he asked her.
    “Paintings, letters, photographs,” she said. “Horror. Cruelty. Brutality.”
    “But you already knew who he was. Had known since the moment he’d forced you the first time.”
    Her lips pursed together and tears filled her eyes. She nodded her head and didn’t waver. “He delighted in telling me. And when my girls came of age I sent them to boarding school until they were too old for him to have any interest in. He deserved to die.” She said the last words on a whisper.
    Jack nodded and I could see the compassion and respect in his gaze for this woman. A woman who’d shown years of patience and had sacrificed her own life and happiness for something better for her children