Milk Carton Murders 25

Hal, Dave's dad, was accused of the 20-year-old murder of one of the girls who was found by the creek-- one of the many foster children that passed through Dave's house as a child. Hal agrees to go to the sheriff's station to try and explain his side. He makes sure Dave grabs two boxes to bring along. And just what are in those boxes anyway? Sheriff Clayton Nazzaro and Investigator Pepper Black are asking Hal a few questions. Some of the Q&A in the last few snippets has gotten a bit heated and confusing. (A little creative punctuation to meet the 8.)

“Everybody take a breath,” said Nazzaro, “and Hal, why don’t you try starting from the beginning instead of jumping in at the middle expecting us to understand what you’re talking about.”

“Well that’s why we brought the boxes, Clayton,” said Hal, as if the sheriff was blind. “All the files of every child we had are in it—you can’t expect me to remember everything from that long ago, I’m sixty-five for Christ sakes.”

Nazzaro winced, and shook a finger in Hal's direction. “That's not that old, Hal, and there’s nothing wrong with your mind—I know—my mother is your canasta partner.”

“What’s in the other box?” asked Pepper.

“Just random photos from over the years I found in the attic when I went up there to look for my pinewood derby car,” said Dave.

“In the middle of all we have been doing this last week, you were thinking of your Boy Scout car?” asked Pepper, dumbfounded.

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BLURB:

When three small coffins are unearthed near the Wiscoy Creek during a routine dredging operation, it’s the last thing DAVE ROBERTSON, of the Lamont Weekly Times, expected. Pinned to the skeleton’s clothing are pictures from milk cartons of missing girls.

Dave is stunned to find that one of the girls is Sally―a foster child his parents had cared for through the Friends of Foster Families (FFF) program. Cold case files reveal the girls disappeared over 20 years ago. Knowing his house was the last place he saw Sally alive, he can’t help but suspect his dad.

How can he write the biggest story of his career if his father turns out to be the killer? If the voice in his head would shut up and let him remember, he might figure it out before he loses his mind and his dad is charged with murder.

Full blurb and snippet recap here.