Murder and the Fairchild Legacy

By Ellen Richardson

When billionaire Houston socialite Richard Fairchild is found dead under suspicious circumstances, his wife Mariah refuses to accept the police verdict of suicide. Desperate for answers, she recruits small-town radio owners Delilah Morgan and Norma Davis to investigate. She offers the struggling entrepreneurs compensation they can’t refuse – $20,000 each, a bailout for their failing station, and an all-expenses paid trip to Mariah’s Hill Country resort.

At first reluctant, Delilah and Norma soon find themselves embroiled in the glitzy Houston elite circles the Fairchilds inhabited. With a list of suspects who had motive to kill Richard, the duo follow a trail of lies, affairs, and shady business deals. The stakes grow ever higher as it becomes clear the Fairchild legacy – and their own lives – are in danger. From Texas hill country horse ranches to slick Houston high-rises, Delilah and Norma uncover adultery, blackmail, rivalry… and murder. But will the radio sleuths solve the mystery before the killer silences them too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798886934519

Ellen Richardson

Ellen Richardson, a physician who practiced Family Medicine in small towns for 14 years and worked for 10 years in hospice and palliative care, was ordained an Episcopal priest in 2008, and served bi-vocationally in congregations of varying sizes in Georgia and Virginia until her retirement from medicine. Since June 2014, she has served as a full time parish priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. She is a graduate of Episcopal Divinity School and lives in Tifton, Georgia.

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to Mendle Adams. He went above and beyond to promote my first book within his community. His charitable contribution put copies of my book in the Cleveland public library system. Thank you for all your efforts.

Copyright Information ©

Ellen Richardson 2024

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Richardson, Ellen

Murder and the Fairchild Legacy

ISBN 9798886934496 (Paperback)

ISBN 9798886934519 (ePub e-book)

ISBN 9798886934502 (Audiobook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023924181

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

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Acknowledgment

To all my friends, family, and book club followers, thank you for your support of my first book. Without your unwavering support, I would not have been encouraged to write this second book. So again, thank you, thank you.

Prologue

Houston, Texas: KPRC News

The following flashed across the early morning television screen:

BREAKING NEWS

This is Jonathan Farly standing outside the mansion of billionaire Richard Fairchild. From what we have learned from the police, Mr. Fairchild lost his life last night in a deadly home invasion. We are waiting for a statement from Police Chief Curtis Jenkins who just arrived on the scene.

Mr. Fairchild, in his fifty-year residency in Houston, was directly responsible for much of the growth and development of this city he called home. His many friends, and the people of Houston, often related that his philanthropic efforts in this community as well as the state of Texas were something almost unheard of in this day and age.

Besides his generosity, what will be missed most of all will be his easy quiet manner and his willingness to go the extra mile for his community. Mr. Fairchild is survived by his wife Mariah, three sons Brian, Joseph, and Liam, and three grandchildren. We will keep you updated as more details of this heinous crime become available.

Chapter One

One Year Later

Mariah Fairchild sat quietly on a park bench and stared across the lagoon at the glass and steel headquarters of Fairchild Industries. She still found it hard to believe her husband Richard was really dead. Who killed him? Why? What happened? Those were the questions that constantly plagued her. She took a deep breath and placed a hand over her heart. It’s time for me to get out of this funk and find out what really happened to Richard.

Mariah looked at her watch. She was waiting for Norman Sampson. Norman was the only person who believed, like her, that the so-called incident that took Richard’s life was not a random act of violence. Norman had been Richard’s valet for years but most of all he had been one of Richard’s friends. It seemed like the final blow came when Norman had chosen to retire after Richard’s death.

Norman smiled when he came around the corner on the sidewalk and spotted Mariah. His snow-white hair contrasted sharply with his mocha-colored skin. As always, in spite of his age of almost eighty, he appeared trim and fit.

He reached out and took Mariah’s hand. It’s good to see you out and about Mrs. Fairchild. I always hear great things about you, but I hate the fact you have nearly dropped out of sight. He paused, Mr. Fairchild wouldn’t want you to isolate yourself and become a weeping widow. I always knew you were too strong to just give up and go into hiding.

Mariah ignored the remark and patted the seat beside her. Sit down, Norman, and give me your sage advice about a strategy for finding the person or persons responsible for Richard’s death; you know I value your opinion.

Norman laughed, Do you remember reading in the paper a few months ago about the two women who helped the police solve the murder of Cassandra Clark known as CC the Talk Show Diva?

Mariah looked thoughtful, I do recall something. Don’t they own a radio station?

One and the same. Actually, they’re now part owners of the radio station. One of the ladies who helped solve the crime is my great-niece, Norma Davis. Norma and her friend Delilah Morgan were left 50% ownership of the radio station by CC. They stubbornly refused to give up until they found out who was responsible for CC’s death. Go online, read up on the case, check them out, and then consider contacting them; you can even use my name if you like.

Amateur sleuths, aka Jessica Fletcher, in Murder She Wrote? Mariah smiled and shook her head.

Norman nodded his head. If they could outsmart the guilty party, and manage to get them put behind bars, then they might be able to help you. I suppose you have suspects in mind?

Several, Mariah said as Norman helped her to her feet. I just need to find out which one is guilty. Let me give your suggestion some thought, She paused. All this talk has made me hungry; let’s go have lunch. I have a table reserved for us at a restaurant in Rice Village that makes all those spicy dishes you always liked.

Food for the Soul, Norman said laughing.

Chapter Two

Delilah Morgan opened the door to KLS Radio and stepped into the lobby. So much had happened to her in this small space. In this very lobby, she had almost lost her life when Cassandra Clark’s killer had tried to add her to a list of people, that had previously been murdered.

Delilah still couldn’t believe that she and Norma Davis, were now part owners of KLS Radio station. Hoping to keep the station alive they had jammed two desks in the largest office and had, by any means necessary, kept KLS Radio on the air.

Delilah walked into the office she shared with Norma and dropped a pile of papers on her already crowded desk. Norma was just coming out of the small bathroom in the corner of the office. She was adjusting her long-braided hair and at the same time putting on her trademark hoop earrings. Her ageless dark complexion, which was perfectly made up, defied anyone to even try to guess her age.

Well look at you, Norma said putting a hand on her hip. You’ve got on a suit, high heel shoes, and makeup; not your usual office attire. Seeing the distressed look on Delilah’s face Norma stopped. How did it go at the bank?

I wish you had gone with me, Norma, after all, we are partners but I knew you would be here making sure the station was up and running.

Delilah sat down at her desk and lowered her head.

I did manage to get funds that will keep the station up and running for at least six months; after that, we either generate more income or we’re off the air.

Then let’s get moving, Norma said picking up papers from her desk. We could— She was interrupted by the ringing of Delilah’s telephone.

Picking up the phone Delilah heard the whispered voice of their new receptionist, Crystal. Before Crystal could announce the visitor, the door opened and there was a woman standing in the doorway leaning on a heavy black cane with a golden lion head. She was extremely tall, thin, and impeccably dressed in a conservative gray suit that perfectly matched the hat that was perched on her gray hair.

Mariah Fairchild, Fairchild Industries, she announced as a sly smile spread over her face. You may not have heard of me, I’ve been out of circulation for a while, but now I’m back.

With that statement, and leaning heavily on her cane, she slowly walked over to Delilah’s desk and sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Delilah’s desk.

Norma immediately recognized her. The sight of Mariah Fairchild brought back memories of the many children’s Christmas parties, Easter egg hunts, and fourth of July fireworks her great uncle Norman had taken her to at the Fairchild mansion. Norma was in shock. The only thing she could think to say was, Would you like some coffee, or tea, Mrs. Fairchild?

Nothing thanks. Mariah Fairchild patted the chair next to her. Sit here beside me, Norma, I want to talk to you both.

Mariah cleared her throat. You may not know but my husband Richard was murdered in what the police termed a random act of violence; I know in my heart it wasn’t random. Richard knew his killer or killers. He would have never let anyone in the house in the middle of the night that he didn’t know. I was upstairs sleeping when I heard two shots. I held Richard in my arms as he was dying. He was trying to tell me something. He kept saying ‘Mi, Mi’; that was his nickname for me.

She struggled to steady her voice. There was no missing the sadness in her eyes. With his passing my whole world fell apart. I dropped out of everything; I shut out the entire world. I could have cared less about what was going on around me, and that included my family, Fairchild Industries, or the resort I own.

Delilah offered her a tissue which Mariah waved away. "Richard left me a fortune; including Fairchild Industries. Lori, my Personal Assistant, who is more like a daughter than an employee, found out that Brian, one of my sons, had done something that might destroy the reputation of Fairchild Industries.

"Lori convinced me that it was up to me to step in and save the company my husband Richard had built and loved. It was up to me to keep his legacy alive; I knew she was right. I slowly snapped out of my malaise and got to work. The Board of Directors had voted in my son Brian as CEO, but I convinced Brian to step down, and after some maneuvering, I convinced the Board to vote me in as CEO.

I think almost everyone in the company thought I was going to be a pushover; just a figurehead. They also thought I would take the position and not even bother to show up for work. You should have seen the look on most of the Fairchild employee’s faces when I walked into Fairchild Industries offices to take my rightful place. My sons, the Board of Directors, and the top-level executives suffered—what’s a good word apoplexy?

What kind of trouble was Brian in? Delilah asked.

That’s neither here nor there, Mariah answered stamping her cane on the floor. I don’t want to run the Fairchild Industries; all I want is to find the person or persons who were responsible for Richard’s death.

Delilah leaned forward and clasped her hands on her desk. What does that have to do with us?

Oh, don’t be so modest. Everyone knows you two solved Cassandra Clark’s murder; without, may I add, much help from the police. CC, Cassandra Clark, was not only a radio celebrity she was an acid tongue gossip with a radio show and newspaper gossip column that back in my day ruined a lot of lives in this town. In spite of the way she treated the rest of the world, and probably both of you; you didn’t rest until her murderer was found.