Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.

I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.

In the world’s most dangerous working environments it can seem like everything is out to kill you. The equipment you use. The materials you work with. The very air you breathe. Stored energy is a coiled viper waiting for the right moment to lash out. Owners, manufacturers, contractors, and beyond have developed safety protocols to combat STCKY, that is, Stuff That Can Kill You. Gravity, Motion, Mechanical, Electrical, Pressure, Sound, Radiation, Biological, Chemical, Temperature. This season is all about the means of murder as authors put our STCKY detective skills to the test. This is Season 9, Stuff That Can Kill You.

This is Episode 14, where heat, pressure, chemical, and mechanical are our STCKY means of death. This is The Rendering of Truth by Chuck Brownman

DELIBERATION

Alone, neither Lena nor Mercer have what it takes to crack the case. But together, and with our help, we can figure out what happened to Eddie Weller and Dale Curtis. Here’s the suspect list, in the order we met them:

• Junior Lattimore, rendering tech
• John Reese, plant manager
• Tanya Lowell, accounting clerk and office mate
• Frank Jackson, rendering foreman
• Dale Curtis, plant foreman

Here are the facts that Lena and Mercer have uncovered:

• Eddie Weller, newly promoted to Operations Reviewer, went into the rendering pit. The pit was activated and Eddie died from a lethal combination of heat, oxygen deprivation, and mechanical grinding.

• Eddie was formerly an operating tech and, in his new role, signed off on the maintenance documentation. He knew the paperwork or safety protections he knew was needed to enter the confined space.
• No one offered an explanation of why Eddie would have entered the pit.
• Junior Lattimore did not look into the pit before he turned it on. He had no reason to think anyone was in it.
• A search of Eddie’s desk found evidence of falsified invoices for filters. The invoices were signed by Reese. He added a note to check with DC, interpreted as Dale Curtis.
• Tanya prepares the invoices for Reese’s signature. She said he directed her to process the invoices for his approval, saying they were a rush job from a new vendor.
• Reese said he signs the invoices Tanya prepares, implying he did not scrutinize or even read the documents.
• A torn piece of bank statement found in the trash in the office Eddie and Tanya shared had a sizable balance but no name
• Curtis later heard Eddie in his office talking to someone about stealing, but couldn’t see who as the door was closed.
• Mercer recognized Steam Line #4 was tampered with. The line then failed catastrophically killing Dale Curtis. He was found with a pipe wrench in the vicinity.
• A drawing of the plant found in Eddie’s apartment also highlighted Steam Line #4 as out of compliance on maintenance inspection.
• Lena and Mercer speculate the person or persons behind the “accidents” had to have an understanding of the plant to orchestrate both deaths.
• Tanya had knowledge and access to the invoice, but does not have knowledge of the plant. Tanya and Eddie shared an office and were friends. Eddie spent time with her son.
• Junior had knowledge of the rendering area, but did not have access to accounting. Junior lost out on the promotion to Eddie and was bitter.
• Junior had no apparent problem with Dale Curtis.
• Jackson had knowledge of the rendering area. Recently separated, he and Tanya were dating. He often when to her office, and even helped straighten Tanya’s desk for her. He was there in the office when Eddie died.
• Reese claims his knowledge of the plant isn’t detailed. He signed off on plant expenditures.

Whose greed was paid for with the lives of Eddie Weller and Dale Curtis?

MEMBERSHIPS!

Mysteries to Die For now has memberships! Three tiers – The Grave Digger’s Union (free), The Cadaver Collective ($4 / month) and The Preservationist Society ($8 / month). We are starting memberships to help pay for our real live human authors, to keep the software working and the power flowing, and avoid the dreaded use of ads. If you want to show you love but aren’t ready for a commitment, you can now tip us and leave a witting, punny note for us. Links are in the show notes and on our website M2D4podcast.com.

ABOUT Chuck Brownman

A mostly-retired (and hopefully recovering) attorney, Chuck Brownman now enjoys writing noir fiction, concentrating on short fiction. His work has been published in several anthologies and on multiple websites, including those listed at the top of this episode. He has also served various times as a judge for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. When not writing fiction, Chuck continues to advise some of the country’s most entrepreneurial energy and natural resource companies. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law, and has spoken at legal seminars for many years. He lives with his wife in Colorado, the peaceful vistas offering a counterbalance to his suspenseful and often bloody crime fiction. A full list of his published fiction can be found at his website, www.chuckbrownman.com

WRAP UP

That wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, or joining a membership. Check out our website m2d4podcast.com for links to this season’s authors and membership options.

Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. The Rendering of Truth was written by Chuck Brownman. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in two weeks for our next original story where chemical is our STCKY means of murder. It’s Gen X by Melinda Di Lorenzo