Free Blue Moon Rising: A suspense thriller by Lillian Francken

mansion. And Mabel looked more like the housekeeper than the lady of the manor.
    Mable tapped lightly on the door before opening it. Alan sat at the desk looking at his stamp collection.
    “I told you I didn’t want to,” Alan snapped but then did not continue when he saw Dan.
    Dan was somewhat surprised at the curt response Alan gave his wife. He never would have treated Kay like that. And it bothered him that even in marriage Alan had a way of appearing superior to his wife. He clearly should be thankful she provided him a continuance of his affluent lifestyle.
    “Sheriff Harter is here to see you, dear. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
    Alan waved his hand, dismissing Mabel as if she were his servant. Dan looked uncomfortable as Mabel turned and walked out of the room. He wondered if the woman was that desperate to have a man in her life that she would put up with such abuse. Alan walked around the desk and took Dan’s hand.
    “Long time,” Alan said shaking Dan’s hand profusely.
    “Yeah.”
    “I was meaning to stop after the funeral.”
    Dan was uneasy at the mention of Kay’s name, especially coming from Alan.
    Alan would not let go of his hand or his apology and continued. “It was too bad. Did you ever find out what caused the accident?” he asked.
    “Faulty brakes,” was all Dan said. The accident happened up in Little Rock and he had to trust that they did their job, but he had his doubts. Always did. He was meticulous in maintaining his vehicles and it bothered him to this day that Kay’s death was the result of faulty equipment.
    “What are the odds,” Alan said as he walked back to his desk and then turned back to Dan. “What brings you out?”
    “Your car,” Dan said.
    Alan rolled his eyes a moment and then with the look of innocence said. “Oh that. I was meaning to call that in.” But the he hesitated for a moment. “Fact of the matter I thought Finnegan would have had it out of the ditch by now.”
    “He didn’t get around to it. Too busy at the ranch, I guess.” Dan said as he looked around. “It’s against the law to leave the scene of an accident.”
    “What accident? A deer crossed in front of me. I swerved to miss him and landed in the ditch. I didn’t hit anything”
    Dan studied Alan for a moment. “Were you alone?” he asked.
    Alan swallowed hard. He looked at the door and then turned back to Dan.
    “Close the door, will you?”
    Dan walked over to the door and then shut it and turned back to Alan.
    “You saw Mabel.” Alan paused for a moment. “She spends her days cleaning this place whether it needs it or not.” Alan looked around in disgust. “She’s a freak.”
    “You married her.”
    “Yeah, the biggest mistake I ever made.”
    Dan laughed thinking of Allan washing cars for a living instead of working on a stamp collection. Somehow it would serve him right to do menial labor
    “She seems to be taking care of you nicely.”
    “Money isn’t everything.”
    It was funny listening to Alan talk about money. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never really had to work for anything. Even marrying a woman for her money and then he had the nerve to turn it around and say money was not everything. Dan laughed to himself.
    “Who was with you?” Dan asked.
    “Does it matter?”
    “Yeah, it matters.”
    Alan wrote down the name on a piece of paper and then handed it to Dan.
    “Be discreet, she’s married.”
    “Were you drinking?”
    “That isn’t what caused the accident if you know what I mean.”
    Dan studied the name. He smiled to himself and then glanced up. Alan always had a way of getting what he wanted no matter whose life he ruined in the process.
    “Were you at your father’s two days ago?”
    “For a little while.”
    “Did you see Richie Ames?”
    “Isn’t he the boy you found dead?”
    “Yes,” Dan said. “He worked for your father.”
    “I don’t know their names. They’re just the hired help.”
    It angered Dan