The Case of the Twisted Affair
A tall lean woman with warm brown hair walked into the bar of Adelles and scanned the crowd. She walked toward the Delightful Diner cocktail hour.
She said “Hi I’m Luanne. ”
Cathy spoke up and said to the first time Diner “Welcome Luanne. I am happy you joined us.”
She pulled out a five and Cathy exchanged it for the coveted Delightful Diner name tag.
Everyone peppered her with questions including the muscular bartender – What do you do for a living? What town do you live in? What do you want to drink?
She answered in the reverse order “a martini – shaken not stirred, Troutville and Private Detective.”
“A private eye!” Exclaimed Peggy. “That job has always fascinated me. I bet you have great stories”
“Well as a matter of fact I just closed a very interesting case” Luanne sipped her martini and related the story.
It began a year ago. A woman named Tracy Olsen contacted Luanne. Her husband, Steve had just died and the police were calling it a suicide. She was sure he would never kill himself. Tracy met with Luanne and said the police indicated Steve died of a prescription drug overdose.
“If he didn’t kill himself – how do you think he died” asked Luanne.
“The only person I can think of is Dr. Warren. My husband and I have known him for years. Recently he has been calling me and sending me little gifts. I think he is in love with me.”
Tracy sat down on the sofa and looked thoughtful. “In fact, I came home the day before Steve died and found the doctor just leaving my house. He said he was there visiting my husband. I didn’t think anything much of it at the time.”
Luanne told Tracy she would stop by Dr. Warren’s office the next day and see what she could find.
“Were you close with Tracy?”
“Oh no! I barely know her. We were just casual acquaintances.”
“Was Tracy ever in your office or you at her home?”
“No, I don’t think so” came the response.
After a few more questions that did not reveal any more insights. Luanne left. The nurse asked Dr. Warren, why didn’t you tell her that Tracy was her this morning right before the detective arrived.
“She asked me not to. We have been having an affair for the last 6 months and she didn’t want anyone to know.”
The nurse shook her head and she walked away and said “This can’t end well.”
Luanne knew someone was lying. She went unannounced to Tracy’s house. There was a black BMW in the driveway with vanity plates that said “DOC”. When Tracy answered the door, she seemed flustered. “May I come in?” Luanne asked.
“I … I guess so.” Luanne stepped into the living room and there stood Dr. Warren.
“I thought you two didn’t know each other?” She asked.
Luanne told the doctor that Tracy had indicated that he was infatuated with her and that he may have been jealous.
Dr. Warren admitted they had been having an affair and Tracy had asked him not to tell. He was shocked that she was trying to imply that it was only one sided.
Luanne told him that Steve had been killed by prescription drugs and he had access to those. Dr. Warren looked at Tracy and said “I noticed I was missing some drugs after she had been in my office alone but I never thought she might have taken them.”
Both Luanne and Dr. Warren turned to Tracy who had crumbled and was curled up on the couch crying. “I did it! I am so sorry”
“Wow! What a story!” Said Peggy. “But, I don’t understand why she would hire you to find the murderer if she did it.”
“Since the police called it a suicide the insurance would not pay off. She thought she was smart enough to pin it on Dr. Warren. She had met a new man and was planning to break it off with Dr. Warren. “