Nancy Doe and the Missing Mistress, page 1
Virginia Schafer
Nancy Doe and the Missing Mistress
Copyright © 2025 by Virginia Schafer
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This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Virginia Schafer asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Introduction
MAP
Chapter One: Santa’s Suicide
Chapter Two: Playing With Two Dames
Chapter Three: Sparta’s Keystone Cops
Chapter Four: The Moon in Libra
Chapter Five: The Ambulance Chasers
Chapter Six: Mountain Momma
Chapter Seven: Sicily Comes to Sparta
Chapter Eight: Piggly Wiggly Goes to the Birds
Chapter Nine: Trixie Needs a Shrink
Chapter Ten: The Cougar and the Red Neck
Chapter Eleven: Dreams Do Come True
Chapter Twelve: Take Care of Number One
Chapter Thirteen: Who’s Your Daddy
Chapter Fourteen: Trouble in Paradise
Chapter Fifteen: Fire in the Hole
Chapter Sixteen: Madam Mafia at the Mill House
Chapter Seventeen: The Bitch is Back
Chapter Eighteen: Trixie’s Knight
Chapter Nineteen: Tarnish Armor
Chapter Twenty: There’s a Ferret in the Garage
Chapter Twenty One: Santa’s Pains
Chapter Twenty Two: Missing in Action
Chapter Twenty Three: The Investigation
Chapter Twenty Four: Sparta Station
Chapter Twenty Five: Good To the Last Drop
Chapter Twenty Six: Princess Di Is Dead
Chapter Twenty Seven: Mafia Goes on a Soviet Vacation
Chapter Twenty Eight: To Be or Not To Be-a Mafia Princess
Chapter Twenty Nine: The Talking Stick
Chapter Thirty: Doc at the Hock Shop
Chapter Thirty One: Nancy Doe and the Real Detectives
Chapter Thirty Two: The Schoolhouse Body
Chapter Thirty Three: Jailhouse Rock
Chapter Thirty Four: Justice in Sparta
Chapter Thirty Five: Good Ole Boys Guilty as Charged
Chapter Thirty Six: Too Much Information
About the Author
Also by Virginia Schafer
Introduction
The Missing Mistress is a story based on actual events. Although some of the characters may look familiar, they are all figments of the author’s imagination. The author personally experienced these events, which are told through the eyes of a fictional character, Nancy Doe. To help remember the characters in this story, we have supplied a character list for reference.
Characters:
Alphonzo (Al): Officer Bill Bart’s Hispanic friend and partner. Usually used for Spanish translation when needed.
Bart, William “Bill” AKA Robocop: Police officer with the Sparta Police Department (SPD), interning for experience to hopefully transfer to his home (St. Louis). A token black in a white bread community in rural Georgia. Separated from wife Noreen and seeing Doc periodically.
Bart, Noreen: Wife of Bill Bart, sewing wild oats with Judge Boyd’s son, Jude. Off and on, living in a commune with addicts.
Bella Love: Atlanta TV news reporter
Bertha: Magnum 38 pistol
Boyd. Jonathan: Local corrupt Judge
Boyd, Jude: Son of Judge Boyd, addict, and leader of a burglary gang. Also, Noreen Bart’s lover.
Bubba: Manager of SPD Crime Scene Investigators (CSI)
Bullard, Hazel: Nancy’s mother, deceased, worked in the mill in Winnsdale, Georgia. Enroe Falcone’s lover many years ago.
Cross, Alice AKA Doc, Alice: Local chiropractor and Nancy’s sometime best friend
Danko, Jake: Local locksmith and bouncer at Depot restaurant. Reputation as a playboy, noncommittal but dating Trixie Taylor, and moves her into his farmhouse with her daughter.
Davis, Captain Troy: Pompous leader of the SPD. One of the good-ole-boys, and probably a dirty cop.
Doe, Nancy AKA Lancy Bullard Doe AKA Lancy Falcone: Prolific author turned private investigator. Possible Mafia affiliation.
Elaina: Alphonzo’s wife and Bart’s babysitter
Falcone. Enroe: The Italian Mafia Don. From New Orleans. Has stage four lung cancer. Helen Bullard lover and possibly Nancy’s father.
Falcone, Luca: Consigner to the Italian Mafia out of New Orleans. Son to the Don – Enroe Falcone. Intern lawyer with Monte Fitzwalter III in Sparta for a short period while cooling off after his wife was killed in a drive-by in Biloxi, Mississippi
Falcone, Gianna Marcella: Luca’s mother and Enroe Falcon’s wife.
Fitzwalter, Monte Ascer III: Old family in Sparta. Grew up wealthy but went down a peg because of his drinking problem. He is a regular at Hank’s Bar and Grill.
Falcone, Isabella: Wife of Luca Falcone, murdered in 1994 during a drive-by in Biloxi, Mississippi
Gold, Agent Ivan: GBI agent working with the Gang Task Force Unit sent from Atlanta. Befriend outsiders and help with their investigations. Having an affair with Janie Martin.
Grisham, Jordan: Owns— Grisham’s Books and Coffee Shop— in downtown Sparta. Host for Nancy’s book signing
Hyram: a lock, key, and satellite business subcontractor living in Washington County. He is familiar with the old schoolhouse
Karl: Manager of Piggly Wiggly
Kent: Doc’s young ex-boyfriend. Part-time car salesman and manager of a gas station. (family business). Hell raiser, and Playboy.
Martin, Janie: Doc’s neighbor and friend. Beautiful, mature, party girl. Has a part-time boyfriend – Steve (out of town a lot) and is having an affair with Agent Gold
Mr. A: Trixie’s coworker and friend from Sparta Lighting.
Raibordes. Priya: Female fleeing from India seeking religious freedom. Currently illegal, but on the way, with Nancy’s and the church’s help, to obtain a green card. Currently working at a dry cleaner, owned by countrymen, the Patels.
Raibordes, Kumar: Priya’s husband. Also, temporary workers at the dry cleaners
Rollins, Homer: Big Daddy’s sidekick, an alcoholic mechanic
Sadie: Local gossip and proprietor of Sparta Café located on the square in Sparta, Georgia
Taylor, Daisy: Undisciplined teen daughter of Trixie Taylor
Taylor, Patricia “Trixie” AKA Trixie Walton: She is referred to Doc for workman’s compensation treatment. Eventually, works for Doc on several occasions, even though she is a felon and addict. She lives with Jake Danko for a short time, but breaks up because he cannot commit. She later marries Rusty Walton, a much younger man, divorces, and becomes Marvin’s mistress. She is reported missing, but is later found by the Doe gang of outsiders
Virgil: Trixie’s first husband and Daisy’s father. Known drug addict. From Devil’s Holler North Georgia
Walton, Candace: Rusty’s sister, Trixie’s sister-in-law (for a brief time), receptionist at Plumbing to Go.
Walton, Gladys: Rusty’s mother and Trixie’s mother-in-law (for a brief time), Conservative and religious
Walton, Rusty: Trixie Taylor’s second husband. Much younger and immature. Kent’s best friend is a plumber from an old, religious Spartan family with middle-class means. Eventually, they divorce after Trixie catches Rusty with his old girlfriend, the next-door neighbor
Walton, Tommy: Rusty’s father. Trixie’s father-in-law for a short time. Owner of Plumbing to Go
Williams, Elizabeth: The Disabled wife of Melvin Jr. She is murdered by her husband, Melvin
Williams, Melvin Jr AKA ‘Santa’ AKA Junior: Patient at Doc’s office, has an affair with Trixie Taylor.Commits suicide and shoots his wife. Melvin is a Santa look-alike who often plays Santa during the holiday season.
Williams. Melvin Sr. AKA Big Daddy AKA Senior: Melvin “Santa” William’s father. Owner of Williams Pawn Shop. Also owns several properties with his son. An old Sparta family and a good-ole-boy.
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MAP
Not Drawn to Scale
Chapter One: Santa’s Suicide
Sparta, Georgia
1997, Nancy Doe
It was 6 a.m. Monday, Labor Day, when the phone rang. Still half asleep, I answered. My friend, Dr. Alice Cross, was chattering nonstop. There had been a murder in Sparta.
“Slow down, Doc. I can’t think as fast as you can talk.”
“Sorry, Nancy.” Doc took a deep breath. “Officer Bart just called me from the Sparta Police Department.” She didn’t stop for an answer. She kept rattling on, “He was at a new crime scene and told me not to tell anyone yet, but I had to call you immediately. I just had to!”
My ears quivered like a Plott hound on a scent. “Crime scene? Did you say a crime scene?” I shot up from my curled position in bed, my eyebrows raising. “But why would Bart call you?”
I rolled my eyes. I knew Officer Bart was full of himself and loved to brag about his job. “He was probably flirting,” I quipped.
“No, Nancy,” Doc huffed. “I’ve got nothing going on with Officer Bart. He’s just one of my patients. You’re the one who gets turned on talking about gruesome murders.”
She was right; I liked Bart’s stories, and we both loved sci-fi. I wondered if I should put him on my ‘hit on list.’ I snapped back to the conversation. “So there was a murder in Sparta this morning? What happened? I want details.”
“Sure, I’ll tell you what I know so far, but…” Doc said.
I interrupted. “Wait a minute. Why would Bart call you this early? He usually fills me in on the good ones. I’m a mystery writer. You’re the chiropractor, remember?”
“Oh my God, Nancy, you will never believe this!” Doc was hyperventilating, speaking in choppy breaths. “They found Santa, I mean Melvin Williams Jr., with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. His wife, Elizabeth, was blown to smithereens, still strapped to her wheelchair.”
My head started spinning. “For real?”
“Yes, Nancy, and from what Bart said, it was pretty messed up.”
I swallowed hard. “What about Trixie? Did he mention her?” Trixie Taylor-Walton was Melvin’s mistress and Doc’s nemesis.
“No sign of her so far. I’m worried about Trixie, too. This timing is not good.”
“What do you mean, timing?” I asked.
Doc hesitated and then uncomfortably mumbled, “Trixie told Jake, her ex-boyfriend, that she had a date with Melvin this weekend. She even hinted about a wedding in Gatlinburg.”
“Really? Melvin is—was—still married.” My brain was supercharged. Things weren’t adding up. “How do you know what Trixie said to Jake?” My curiosity switched gears.
“Jake and I went to Mexico Beach for the weekend, and well …”
“WTF?” I screamed. “Damn, girl, are you crazy dating Jake? What were you thinking? Trixie wanted you dead after you fired her, and hanging with Jake would be asking for the axe.”
“I understand,” Doc nervously chatted on. “It just happened. I was lonely and wasn’t looking forward to spending a long holiday weekend alone. My neighbor Janie and her boyfriend suggested I go with them to Mexico Beach.”
“Oh, no, with Janie?” I said. “She’s a party animal.”
“I know, maybe not my thing, but they had a big beach house reserved, and my teen queen daughter bugged me to go. Janie’s daughter is her best friend, and they’re almost inseparable. I told Janie that I’d feel like a third wheel. So she picked up the phone and called Jake to be my fake date. Janie had him on speed dial.”
“I guess the social butterfly had it all figured out,” I sneered.
“Well, it made sense as Jake and I were friends from our mutual trivia team, and he was a regular patient. Jake also does all my security and locks.”
“Yes, you also knew Jake via Trixie. She was the one who brought him in as a patient, and it seemed he was always there … especially when she was working. You know they still have a relationship.”
“Probably yes. But they broke up a year ago, and Trixie is now Melvin’s mistress.” Doc laughed nervously. “Besides, a weekend at the beach sounded good.”
“Never mind, Doc,” I huffed. “Let’s talk murder, and hopefully not yours. I’ll meet you at Sparta Café by 7:30.”
I pulled on my sweats and twisted my runaway hair into a ponytail. Grabbing the keys to my Jeep, I drove across town to the quaint Sparta Square. The restored 1890 courthouse faced a central park garden surrounded by unique shops and restaurants. My body was tingling. I didn’t know if that was from fear or excitement. Write what you know, I thought; maybe Sparta would be my ticket to story time fame.
I arrived at the busy diner shortly before seven-thirty. Luck was with me; I spotted an empty booth in the back. Doc Cross joined me a few minutes later. She was in uniform, ready for work. Her drab gray scrubs matched the joint’s interior and the day’s mood.
The townspeople eyed us and whispered. Yes, the word was out. It seemed like everyone in the café was staring. There was a murder in Sparta, and somehow, the outsiders were involved.
“Jeez, today is going to be a doozy at work. My office is worse than the local beauty shop for gossip, and I’m sure those biddies will be flocking in to ask questions. Everyone knew Melvin Williams Jr., AKA Santa, came in on Mondays for his adjustment and therapy. You couldn’t miss his van sitting in the lot.”
Doc waved at Sadie. She put up two fingers, and Sadie nodded.
“Two coffees with cream, coming right up.” The busy proprietor knew everyone’s order.
I welcomed the warm cup of jolt. “Sadie’s cup of mud is much needed this morning.” I chuckled and continued with the conversation. “Remember, we live in Sparta, Georgia. A good redneck citizen can recognize someone’s vehicle from a mile away.”
“Well, that’s good for business,” said my friend the optimist. “Hmmm. Monday Melvin, that’s how it all started.” Doc stared into memory land, pulling the coffee cup to her lips. “Trixie and Melvin, who would think?”
“If you ask me, your nightmare started way before that. It began when you hired Trixie Taylor in the first place. Whatever possessed you to do that? She had no back office or physical therapy experience; she was a junkie and a convicted drug felon.”
“Well, for one, she needed a job, and I needed help right away; besides, she was eager to learn and had a great personality and lots of hidden talents.”
“She had many talents, like raiding the money box and getting involved with patients. Oh yeah, let’s not forget her talents, wielding a knife or making death threats.” Doc Alicewas always trying to rescue the underdog…but to me, she picked the bulldogs, not the poodles.
“Call Jake,” I told Doc. “See if he’s heard from Trixie. He probably already knows about Melvin, and I’m sure he’s wondering the same thing: Where is Trixie Taylor? Did she have something to do with this terrible murder/suicide?”
Doc looked at me as if I had two heads. “Ugh, I don’t want to call Jake. He should call me. I mean, we did spend the weekend together and…”
“Cut the crap, Doc. Who cares? Just call him and see what he knows or doesn’t. Don’t you think telling Jake what you know about the Williams incident would be the right thing to do? Besides, maybe Jake has heard from Trixie. You know she never let him go.”
“Don’t I know it? As soon as we started our trip on Friday, Trixie was beeping him continuously for hours, almost all the way to the beach. I finally told Jake to turn off the pager and phone for the weekend. Reluctantly, he did it. I’m sure he could kill me about now. He talked about his ex-lover the whole time we were gone,” Doc said mockingly.
“Do you think something happened to Trixie?” Now the elephant was in the room. It was what everyone was thinking.
Well, Nancy, I’m not a fancy detective, but I know Trixie Taylor doesn’t hide. She’s an ‘in your face’ type of person. If she did have something to do with the Williams’ deaths, Trixie wouldn’t run. Besides, she has Daisy, the love of her life. Her daughter is almost fifteen, but Trixie would never leave her.”
“You’re right there. So why don’t you call Daisy? Trixie might be at the house with her.”
Doc looked like I’d slapped her. “No, I don’t think so. Daisy is like her mother, and I don’t think she’ll forgive me for leaving town with Jake. Daisy still considers him the father she never had.”
