By LARRY BALLWAHN | Wilton
Lew Ferris was the sheriff who served Loon Lake. She was also an avid fly fisherwoman. She had met Paul Osborn, a retired dentist, when he had requested lessons in the use of a fly rod. That mutual interest had led to a romantic relationship. But they had a part-time professional relationship as well. Since Osborn had forensic dental experience, he was often called upon to act as assistant coroner. Further, the good listening skills he had learned in the dental office would often offer another valuable resource during an interview.
When a young woman’s body was discovered under a pontoon boat, both the sheriff and the assistant coroner were called in. While a drowning would be tragedy enough, this woman’s face was ripped almost beyond recognition. That led the two law enforcement officials to believe that the death was related to a case they were already working. Previously, another woman had been discovered with a face similarly disfigured. The bodies were otherwise unmolested. As it turned out, both had a connection to the Curry Job Fairs; one was attending, and the other was helping to set it up. It was unclear if that connection had anything to do with the actual murders.
A secondary plot is introduced, also with a connection to the Curry Job Fairs. Each of the three banks in town had been bilked out of several thousand dollars. Accounts had been set up using names and personal information from local people with what appeared to be their checks. The money was then drawn out of the account before the bank had discovered that the checks were counterfeit. The counterfeit deposit checks were in small enough denominations so as to not draw attention. Bank fraud would usually be handled by the FBI, but they were busy with Homeland Security and it would be some time before they could get there. The bankers themselves discovered a job fair connection, and it was the bankers who urged the sheriff to become involved.
The place to start with the Curry Job Fairs is with the Currys themselves. Hugh and Gwen Curry offered job fairs in several communities. They were usually in partnership with the local Chambers of Commerce. The job fair applications provided a rich source of personal information; perhaps it was the source used in the bank fraud. If so, how did that relate to the two murder victims?
Sheriff Ferris and Assistant Coroner Osborn begin to pull the pieces together. They find a direct connection to the Currys, but much remains to be explained.
Addendum: Any review that I attempted of Bill Bryson’s “The Body: A Guide for Occupants” would be a series of quotes of things I didn’t know before I read the book. Perhaps you don’t know them either.
