Death in the Tarpit

Mr Shelton goes missing, leaving behind a beautiful wife and two small children. Alice, the young girl next door, starts investigating. Did he run off with a younger woman? Or was he murdered? Many people were glad to see him gone. Was it the angry Sheriff? His son bullied all the children, until the day Mr. Shelton confronts the bully and the enraged Sheriff. Soon after, Mr. Shelton turns up missing. Or was it the abusive gangster boyfriend of Mr. Shelton's gay brother? Mr. Shelton protects his brother from the gangster, angering the gangster. Or was it the corrupt storeowner, angry about a noisy dog, who Mr. Shelton discovered attempting to poison the dog? Alice must sort out all these clues, while tip-toeing through the shambles of her family life. Her father is a drunk, determined - she thinks %u2013 to ruin all the lives around him. Her mother is no help; she has withdrawn from both her husband and her daughter. Alice takes refuge in Mr. Shelton's family, helping his wife and babysitting the children. So when he goes missing, she takes it personally. Walk with Alice as she deals with bullies %u2013 both young and old - and inept policemen. Run with Alice as she is chased by the murderer - or is he really a murderer? And finally, smile with Alice as justice is found in a most unusual way. Editor's Note: This story is based on my mother's life, growing in during the war years (1940 to '45), in Long Beach, California. New suburbs were growing around the old oilfields, and it was not unusual to have oil pumps and tanks right next to houses. Small animals would often get trapped in the tarry residue left at the bottom of the oil tanks. It was a small step in my mother's imagination to create a murder mystery in this setting.