CHAPTER EIGHTY
Miller noticed a thin, middle-aged man coming straight toward him.
"Are you Chief Miller?"
"Yes sir, I am," he said wondering who he was as they shook hands.
"I'm Lester Hendrix, Sherry's father. She's told me all about you. Says you’re a fine man. Says you taught her a lot about police business and all. I just wanted to thank you for being so helpful and kind. She’s had a hard life.”
"Ah, thank you. I want you to know I think highly of your daughter. She's doing a fine job on the police force." Miller said a little taken aback with all the high praise.
"That's nice to hear. I raised her by myself after her mother and I divorced. It wasn't easy, I knew very little about child rearing. Sherry was four when her mother left. She more or less raised herself. I did what I could for her."
“From what I’ve seen, you did a very good job.”
"Well, the only thing I taught my daughter was taxidermy; it's been my life long hobby." Lester said.
Chief Miller's eyes widened when he heard his remark about taxidermy.
"She's almost as good at preparing skins as I am."
"I didn't know she could do that," the Chief replied.
"Oh yes. Not long after the divorce, I moved us over here. Sherry’s room is filled with birds and other small animals. She can make an animal skin appear lifelike. Funny though, she seems to enjoy trapping and killing them, more than cleaning and tanning the hides and all. I usually end up having to do that part." Glancing at his wristwatch, Lester excused himself, "I'd like to stay and talk some more but I'm afraid I must be leaving. I have to meet a friend and I don't want to keep him waiting."
"It was nice to meet you sir," Chief Miller exclaimed in earnest. Miller’s mind was now in full throttle as he tried to piece together Sherry’s penchant for killing animals and the murders of late. Half of him said ‘no way, it was his imagination getting the better of him’ while the other half said, ‘maybe there is a connection between the two.’ He’d spend some time thinking about it before mentioning it to any one; no sense in yellin’ fire, if there ain’t no smoke, he reckoned.