The Naked Plumber

THE NAKED PLUMBER is Jim Scott Book #37. This is another cozy mystery. In it, Detective Ward Newman of the Troy Police department is assigned a case where a headless body is found. After finding the head, and determining it had been cut off with a sharp instrument, after death, the search is on for the killer. After doing some investigating, it is soon determined there are a number of possible suspects, including the local prosecuting attorney, but reasonable alibis start to pile up. One person who has no alibi, is still thought to be unlikely.

A good deal of investigating brings them to a very likely suspect, one who had no alibi at all, but Ward and new detective Bill Keating, who is assisting Ward with the case, dont think he is the killer. Along the way, the killer strikes again, this time a man who was a suspect on a previous case, and had not been ruled out for this one, is also killed. He is sliced in two pieces with what is believed to be something on the line of a very sharp machete.

Even before the first murder is committed, an old school chum of many involved in the murder investigation arrives in town, planning to return to Troy after several years away. She has a young son with her, but no husband. The boys father was killed in action, before he and the boys mother could get married. His mother gets a job teaching at the local high school, and he joins Detective Keatings baseball team. The lad and Detective Keating become close, and the boys mother and the detective become involved in a romance.

With the investigation moving along, nearly all of the suspects are cleared in one way or another. Since they feel both murders were done by the same person, most of those who had an alibi for the first murder, had even better ones for the second one. All of which leads back to the suspect who had no sound alibi for the first murder, and he had none for the second one either. But the two detectives still both felt he wasnt the murderer.

Meanwhile, Betty, who was a consultant for the Police Department, had a nagging feeling she knew something that would be of use in solving the murders, but she couldnt bring it up in her mind. She was also preoccupied with doing her best to help the budding romance along, as both parties involved in it were unsure of themselves, and Betty was busy encouraging both to get with it.

Finally, with nothing better to do, the detectives worked on either arresting the one main suspect, or clearing him. They do wind up arresting him, but free him soon thereafter. One of the things that made him the prime suspect was an old case against him that he had been found guilty of. While this case was ongoing, some friends of the department prove he is innocent of it.

In time Betty finally remembers what it was she thought might be important, and winds up using her cane again. At about the same time, the detectives also solve the case.