*****I want to apologize that I haven't had time to review all of my fans' posts. I attempted to get caught up some yesterday. I've been putting in 12-14 hour days at school. It seems governmental bureaucracy has entered the elementary school systems and it is NOT beneficial to young children. Teachers do too much paperwork and not enough time teaching in my humble opinion.*****


It's Tuesday afternoon. McKenzie and Logan have known each other 7 days. They've made it an entire week. LOL


Ending of Previous Post:


About an hour later, Bill called Logan and told him the rental was parked in the employee parking garage and gave him the parking slot number. He also said a nurse would be handing him the keys.

As McKenzie and Logan prepared to leave, Jose asked, "Mac, this isn't one of The Lou's finest neighborhoods, are you prepared?"

Tapping her right side's waistband, she nodded. "I'm good." She glanced at Logan. "I'm worried about you."

Before Logan could answer, a police officer knocked on the door. When Logan answered, the officer said, "This is a special delivery from DA Abbot for a Major Logan Nelson."

Logan accepted the envelope. "Thank you." He watched the officer leave before he opened it. "Good. Now, I don't have to worry."

McKenzie leaned over to see what it was. "How or why or who did you get this from?" She shook her head. "It's a concealed weapons permit. Are they handing these out to everybody now-a-days? You don't even have a gun."

Jose grinned. "I think you need to let her in on this."

Logan raised his shirttail, revealing the gun. "Bill gave this to me. He wants to ensure your safety."

Opening the door, McKenzie said, "Let's get going. So Bill's behind this. I need to think about this and then have a chat with him." She turned around. "Jose, Lucy, this shouldn't take long. We'll be back."

*****
Logan drove slowly down the street in front of Donny's small, rundown house. "This looks way too peaceful. Something doesn't feel right."

"I agree. Drive a few houses down and park. We can decide how we want to approach it."

TODAY'S POST:

ST. LOUIS CHAPTER 17 PART 1 post 39

After they had parked, McKenzie sighed. "Let's get this over with." She reached for the car's door handle.

Logan touched her arm. "You okay? I can do this if you want me to."

"I'm fine. Just a little jumpy." She opened the door, stepped from the car, and waited for Logan. "Any ideas how to proceed?"

"I was hoping you had a plan."

"Sure don't. I guess we walk up to the door loud and proud and knock."

"Why not? It'll work as well as any plan."

The couple walked up the sidewalk.

McKenzie pointed. "The front door's ajar. Now what?"

Logan knocked.

No answer.

"I guess he's not home." McKenzie used her hip and pushed the door open. "That's an invitation to enter. Right?" She withdrew her weapon and aimed it forward.

Logan nodded and did the same.

She scanned the room and knelt to the floor. "It looks like a fight took place. My guess this is dried blood. I have a feeling it didn't turn out too well for Donnie. Let's look around. I don't smell a body but maybe there's one somewhere. I can't identify the odor, can you?"

"It's a distinct smell, maybe cat urine. I don't see evidence of a cat." He paused. "I have a feeling I know what it is." Logan moved closer to the kitchen. "I'm right." He motioned for her to come closer. "A meth lab."

Taking out her phone, McKenzie called Bill and relayed the findings. "Yes, we'll stay until the police arrive. Maybe we can find Megan's phone or something else that can help our case. This seems to be another dead end." She glanced at Logan. "Be sure you don't touch anything."

Logan found a photograph. "I wonder if this is Donnie. I can't believe my sister would be caught dead with this loser."

"You don't know the whole story. Wait and see where it leads. Things may not be as they seem right now."

After searching through the house and finding nothing, they sat outside on the steps. "I'm beginning to think Megan's elusive phone is the key to everything." McKenzie tilted her head. "Why hasn't anybody checked her phone records? That's always one of the first things done, yet it's been nine days since she died and nobody's followed through." She took out her phone. "I'm calling Mitch. Somebody's definitely hiding something."

Soon after McKenzie finished talking with Mitch, the police arrived. After talking with them, Logan and McKenzie headed toward their car when a young male approached them.

He offered Logan his hand. "Hello, I'm Joshua Davis." He pointed. "I live in that blue house on your right."

McKenzie asked, "How well do you know Donny?"

"I don't really. We'd visit when we see each other on the street. That's all. Why's the police there? Did something happen?"

She chewed on her lower lip. "The door was left ajar and it appears somebody was looking for something. Do you know where Donny is? He's not home."

"I've been wondering about him. I haven't seen anybody there since a week ago Sunday. His car hasn't been there either."

Logan glanced back at the house. "What kind of car does he have? Maybe he went to visit relatives."

"A tan Pruis. Yeah, he could be visiting somebody. I never thought of that. But why'd he leave the door ajar?"

McKenzie shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he was burglarized while he was gone."

"Could be. I hadn't thought of that. It's a good possibility. This isn't the safest neighborhood." He glanced toward his house. "I'd better get going. My girlfriend's probably getting worried. Glad to meet you." Joshua turned toward his house and then back again. "Hey, I didn't catch your names."

Logan and McKenzie had already headed toward their car.

Inside the car, McKenzie wiped her brow. "Can you put the air on? I've got to figure out how to get one in my car."

"Doesn't that take away from the value? An air conditioner wasn't stock on Super Bees."

"I know, but it's too hot not to have one." She paused. "What's your take on Joshua, if that's his real name? Was he searching for information or really a concerned neighbor?"

"Both are possibilities."

McKenzie stretched back in the seat and sighed. "What do we know?"

"We know George Whitney didn't kill my sister. He was in lock-up."

"We know she was possibly dating Donny Carlton, but don't know for how long. There was a fight in his house, blood on the floor, but don't know for sure it's his. He's been missing for over a week; about the same day Megan was murdered. Did he do it and is hiding or was he murdered too?"

"No idea and how does Sidney Parks fit into all of this. What did he want with my sister?" Logan pulled away from the curb. "What's this have to do with the threats against you or are they all together separate?"


Characters:

McKenzie 'Mac' Morgan a 27 year old private investigator
Major Logan Nelson 34 years old and an active duty soldier
Arlo McKenzie's black and tan dachshund
Megan Nelson Logan's younger sister - murdered
The Lou local name for St. Louis
Simon Knight and Sheila Logan's former Army buddy and a Lab technician. Sheila's his wife.
Fan name for the St. Louis Cardinals - a major league
baseball team.
Yadi Fan name for Yadier Molina - Cardinal's all-star catcher.
Edger McKenzie's black and tan rottweiler
John Benson Man who murdered McKenzie's parents
Bill Abbot A D.A and McKenzie's God-Father; he was a high-
school friend of McKenzie's father. Joanie is his wife.
Jose Lopez his wife is Lucy Chicago Police Department undercover police
department.
Kate Hartford Megan Nelson's friend they taught middle school
together.
Donny Carlton A man Megan Nelson dated.
Mitch Gardner St. Louis Police Department detective who has
partnered with McKenzie's dad.
Ivan Smart A bad guy
Peter and Nancy Nelson Logan's parents
Sidney Parks works for the St. Louis Police Detective with the drug unit.
Mack and Helen Morgan McKenzie's parents - both deceased
Gus Piper McKenzie's abusive grandfather - deceased
Austin Bryant an old boyfriend - McKenzie broke up with him because he's a jerk.
Joshua Davis so far a nobody, but is a neighbor to Donny Carlton