Arachnia #Featured

Chapter Eight - Part 1

Chapter Eight            

by sloanranger          

Part 1

Elaine left the library with a movie and two Robert Parker 'Spenser' novels. She put them in the car and on a whim, walked across the street to City Hall. 

There was no line and the woman at the window was helpful. After Elaine told her she was trying to find some information about a property, the clerk steered her to the computer.

She showed her how to bring up files: titles and maps, then she left her to her own devices. Elaine was soon able to see entire histories of town properties: plot maps, dates of purchase, owner's names, everything - all the way back to the construction of the homes.

In no time, she located Paula and Bob's house. Paula had bought the house with her second husband, David, seven years before and title just went to her upon his death. When Paula remarried she had transferred ownership to herself and her new husband Robert Miller, via a quitclaim deed.

Hmm. Elaine didn't know what she had expected to find, but it wasn't this. Paula and her third husband owned their property jointly. She would have gotten the house in any case. Apparently the house was not a motive for anything.

Maybe Bob had a large insurance policy Elaine thought, but insurance information was not public.

Oh well, she thought and began looking up information about her own house. It was built in the 1950's, she discovered. Next, she keyed in Cassie's address.

That was strange. The owners were listed as Thomas Rettig and Elizabeth Fey. Maybe Fey was Cassie's maiden name she thought, but why the Elizabeth? Curious.

After the property search she was able to find a few facts about Paula's earlier marriage. But it started getting late and she had to stop at Trader Joe's before going home.

(To be continued).