When Old Midnight Comes Along (Amos Walker Mysteries)

Amos Walker is hired by Francis X. Lawes, a private-sector mover and shaker in Detroit politics, to prove that his wife, Paula, who disappeared under sinister circumstances more than six years ago, is dead. Francis wants to remarry without having to wait for the seven-year declaration-of-death rule to kick in.

Walker's investigation is complicated by the fact that the police still consider Lawes the prime suspect. Worse, the officer who was first on the scene was killed in the line of duty soon after, and his notes on the case disappeared. If Lawes is guilty, Walker asks himself, why would he risk arrest and prosecution by asking a private detective to investigate?