CRIME OF RETRIBUTION: A Gripping Crime Mystery Full of Twists Read online

  “What are your plans, Richard?” Lea asked.

  “As soon as my current term is over, I’m going back to run Rancho Hidalgo with the help of my old friend Whitey. I talked him into coming out of retirement to oversee the administrative end of things and keep me out of trouble. He’s already taken over for Carl and improvements are underway. We’re converting into pesticide-free organic farming. Our goals are to increase workers’ wages, enforce the laws protecting them, and get their children out of the fields and into school.”

  Warren commended him. “That sounds like an admirable and much-needed undertaking.”

  “We hope to become a model for other farms in the state and throughout the country. I also promoted Pedro to the position of assistant manager. Among other things, I put him in charge of representing the workers to ensure their rights are carried out to the letter. He’ll receive a salary commensurate to management compensation in other industries and improved housing for his family and the girlfriend he intends to marry.”

  “I don’t mean to pry but what’s the status of your own plans to remarry?”

  “Andrea is happy to leave Washington and begin a new life here with me. It will be a fresh start for both of us.”

  “That’s a gratifying outcome for this case,” Warren commented after the call ended.

  Dan looked at Lea out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t suppose you had anything to do with mending fences between Richard and Whitey.”

  A smile played across her lips. “There are ways of accomplishing things without breaking down doors or intimidating people.”

  He grinned. “We each have our own style but I admit I sometimes underestimate your ability to get results.”

  “There’s a price to be paid for underestimating either of my daughters,” Warren said.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Lea said, smiling.

  “Rightfully so,” her father replied. “And in light of these rewarding developments, I proclaim the Pedro case officially closed.”

  Lea walked to the writing board on the wall and erased the list of suspects who might kill Dan. “It’s the end of this matter as well. How do you feel now that you no longer have to watch over your shoulder?”

  “Mighty relieved. Maybe I can finally get a good night’s sleep.”

  Before the meeting dispersed, another call came in on Lea’s speaker phone.

  “Where’s our schedule of chores, Mom?” Jon asked querulously. “Dad thinks it’s my turn to mow the lawn. I told him it’s his turn.”

  She winked at her partners. “No need to make things difficult, son. Just flip a coin.”

  • • •

  Later that day, Dan stopped by Lea’s office.

  “If it’s okay with you, I’ll be gone the rest of the day. I’m meeting with the real estate agent to sign the lease on the house I’m renting. Then I’m going to the kennel to get Scout.” A smile spread across his face. “Before I do that, I need to go home and fry some bacon.”

  “Feel free to bring the dog to work with you tomorrow. Gracie will be happy to see him.”

  He tipped his hat and walked out the door.

  The meeting with the agent went smoothly and Dan received the keys to the house. Because of the limited space on the boat, he moved only essentials from Texas and left the rest in storage. Transporting those belongings to the rental could be accomplished in a matter of hours. Before dark, he and Scout would be settled in their new home.

  He drove to the boat to cook the bacon with growing excitement. Things aren’t the same without a dog. I look forward to hiking with Scout and taking him to the beach.

  At the marina, he hurried down the dock to the Dixie Cruiser. To his surprise, he found an envelope taped to the door of the cabin.

  For one frightening moment, he thought he had received another threat and that his nightmare wasn’t over.

  He pulled out a picture of a glass of bubbling champagne and smiled when he read the message:TO FRIENDSHIP AND STARLIT NIGHTS ON THE WATER

  * * * * * *

  AFTERWORD

  In one scene of CRIME OF RETRIBUTION, Lea’s husband tells her: “I’ve seen children working in the fields when I drive past on the freeway. I barely consider the fact I see them at times when most kids are in school.”

  This book came into being because I myself frequently drove past agricultural fields in the area where I lived paying little attention to the people stooped over picking crops. Still, I imagined how difficult their work must be and wondered what their lives were like.

  My search for answers led me to the complex, often heartbreaking story of how food gets from those fields to our tables. Although events and characters in this book are fictitious, accounts of working and living conditions are based on actual experience.

  The migration story is one of the biggest issues of our times and one for which there is no easy solution. I think it’s going to get more significant as increased numbers of people driven by poverty and conflict cross our border.

  Backlash against undocumented immigration continues unresolved as politicians and media consistently cast immigration as a national security crisis that can only be solved by stopping illegal border crossings. However, what also continues is employers’ demand for less expensive immigrant labor and consumers’ demand for the low prices this labor makes possible.

  Whether it’s the food we eat, the buildings we work and live in, or the hotels where we stay, almost no American goes a day without benefiting from the labor of undocumented immigrants.

  Indeed, while U.S. citizens claim they want to stop undocumented immigration, their spending habits say otherwise. Price-driven Americans are unwilling to absorb the increased labor costs that would result from the lack of undocumented workers.

  We like to drink inexpensive milk and eat affordable meat which could double in price without cheap labor. We want to eat fresh strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, and lettuce, much of which is picked by migrant workers. When we dine out, we don’t want to shell out the extra money required to replace undocumented cooks, dishwashers, and busboys.

  To put an end to undocumented labor, we have to ask ourselves the question: Am I willing to pay more for food, construction, hotel stays, and other goods and services? The answer must be considered in determining the future of immigration.

  My desire to know more about the people who labor in the fields gave rise to the writing of this book. There are many resources available for anyone who desires to learn more about the plight of migrant farmworkers. I enjoyed sharing bits and pieces of their story in this latest case of the Conley and Austin Detective Agency.

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  As special thanks for reading this book, I would like to give you a FREE copy of THE NUT CASE, the Prequel Novella which tells the story of how the sisters began their sleuthing adventures.

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  WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE NUT CASE

  “Excellent book, very well written.”

  “A well written book that was enjoyable. Contains realistic characters and plenty of action. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.”

  “Entertaining”

  “I really enjoyed this book. It was good to read how it all began. I look forward to reading more.”

  “First book I've read from this author it won't be the last. I'll be looking out for the next book.”

  EXCERPT FROM THE NUT CASE

  The driver’s eyes narrowed, piercing the morning fog in search of a familiar landmark. After navigating miles of roads with sharp curves and falling rock, the truck stop was a welcome sight. He exited the interstate and pulled his vehicle to an open pump.

  The driver, a man with a long, patchy beard wearing a nylon windbreaker, hopped out, stuck a nozzle in the tank, and wiped the windshield with a squeegee. While he waited for the tank to fill, he threw his jacket onto the seat of the cab and ran a comb through hair sticking out under a Dodgers baseball cap.
/>   He walked inside the convenience store to pay the cashier, a woman with steely blond hair and dark sunburn.

  “I’m going to Buena Viaje. They still working on the road to the coast?” he asked.

  “Yep. The westbound lane is closed for six miles. I guess we should be grateful the state has enough money to fix the potholes. I blew a tire on one of those things last month.”

  “I’m hitting the traffic wrong, just in time for the morning commute,” he grumbled. He looked over her shoulder at pictures on the wall showing glimpses of breakfast specials at the 24-hour diner.

  She caught his eye as she handed him the change. “The waffles are good. I had ‘em this morning.”

  “Yeah, I might as well be sitting here eating as waiting twenty minutes for a flagman to wave me through.”

  “Move your truck to the lot in the back.”

  “Sure thing.”The driver emerged from the diner thirty minutes later rubbing his belly. Approaching his vehicle, he noticed one of the cargo doors swinging open. He ran around to the back and saw the broken lock dangling. The Sunny Orchards truck was empty. He threw his baseball cap on the ground and swore.

  * * *

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  BOOKS BY RAYNA MORGAN

  Sister Sleuths Mysteries

  The Nut Case

  Murder at the Pier

  Murder Act Two

  Murder Western Style

  Three-Day Weekends Are Murder

  Murder After Hours

  Hit and Run

  Sizzling Cold Case

  Deadly Deception

  Murder by Fire

  Crime on Campus

  Austin Archer Mysteries

  Crime of Retribution

  FROM THE AUTHOR

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  raynamorgan.info

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for joining Lea, Dan, and Warren in solving the latest case for the Conley and Austin Detective Agency.

  If you enjoyed your time spent with them, would you please consider posting a review? Reviews are very helpful to other readers and are greatly appreciated.

  If you have questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. Also, if you encounter errors, please let me know. Even with all the editing, mistakes can slip through.

  Best regards,

  Rayna

  Email: [email protected]