Questionable Results

by R A Wallace

  “Including you?” Delia watched Winnie’s shoulders sag. “As you may remember from prior experience, the police take murder very seriously.”

  “I might know of some men who were in the woods that day.” Winnie’s voice sounded tired.

  Delia’s eyes scanned the stack of pots next to Winnie waiting to be scrubbed. “What were they doing there?”

  She saw Winnie’s jaw take a stubborn set. Delia thought back to her conversation with George, the commercial geographer. The woods were full of available resources that may prove tempting for some. It was a time of shortage when many families went without. Most especially, they often went without meat. Aside from the patriotic restrictions encouraged by the government, there were those who were unable to afford meat at all.

  Delia took a guess. “Winnie, were the men taking advantage of the game at the preserve?”

  Winnie’s silence confirmed her suspicion.

  “Winnie.” This time Delia’s voice was gentle. “I’m going to need their names.”

  Winnie sighed as she reached for another soiled pot to scrub.

  Chapter Ten

  It seemed when she wasn’t looking specifically for military students, they were everywhere on campus. Now that Delia wanted to speak with four particular students, she was having trouble finding any of them. According to Bennie, they were still in the early stages of their new training.

  She thought back to her own time in the service. After completing paperwork, she and the other girls were subjected to physicals. That task caused absolute mortification for some of the recruits and only mild embarrassment for others depending on their particular location and the methods used.

  Then it was on to uniforms but not until an outfit was agreed upon. That process was long and varied, often depending upon location. Though it was quickly discovered that the military wasn’t immediately prepared to handle the complex situation of clothing women, she would not be one to complain. The men’s uniform she was initially given as a joke proved very useful. Wearing pants allowed her more freedom of movement when working on particular cases for the admiral.

  Long before the situation was resolved with what to wear, the women began working. It was only afterward that the Navy decided to teach them how to march. In contrast, she knew the men were initiated to the exercise very early on. There was a very good chance that the military students were currently undergoing any one of the steps she’d gone through at the start of her military career.

  She mentally flipped a coin and headed for the football field first. From snatches of overheard conversations in her dormitory and elsewhere, she knew that was where the boys were being drilled. When she reached the field, she slowly made her way around the perimeter. She’d previously spoken to the four young men she sought now. She knew what each of them looked like. Since they were not yet in uniform, it was easier to spot two of them. Their unique personalities and manner of dress helped to make them stand out.

  She could tell that the students were separated into smaller units and that different officers were tasked with training each of the smaller groups. The two friends of Bennie’s she recognized were both in the same unit. She had to wait until that unit was instructed to move off to the side of the field so that another unit could take its place.

  She quickly moved over to where Miles and Amos were waiting with the others in their group. She wormed her way through rather easily until she reached the two of them. The other military students shifted away when they realized a woman was suddenly among their midst.

  Miles gave a double take when he first saw her. “Miss?”

  “Miss Markham, yes.” Delia motioned to the outer edge of the group. “If I may speak with the two of you?”

  Miles tapped Amos’s arm. The two followed her away from the others. It was obvious both of them wanted to rejoin the action. They kept turning to watch what was going on with the other unit on the field.

  “I won’t keep you longer than necessary,” Delia said. “But that depends on you.”

  Miles shifted his focus back to her. “Is this about the military school?”

  “It’s about your visit to the state game preserve.” She watched Miles slant his eyes toward Amos. “I know you were there. I need you to tell me what you saw.”

  Miles’s eyes returned to the field as he answered. “We just wanted to check it out. See what was there.”

  “Why?” Her question caused him to turn back toward her.

  “Hunting season is coming up.” His voice made it clear that his answer was obvious.

  “Was it your first time there?”

  “It was mine.” Miles looked at Amos who nodded in agreement. “The land was just recently donated.”

  “It was private property before. We couldn’t hunt there,” Amos added as he peered above the boys in front of him to see what the unit was doing on the field. “That is, I’ve always heard rumors of some hunting there anyway but I’ve never done it.”

  Miles went up on the balls of his feet but it didn’t help. He took a couple of steps away to see around the others.

  “If you’ve never been there, how did you hear about it?” she asked.

  Miles gave a shrug. “People talk.”

  “In this case, those people were?” she prompted. She was expecting them to say it was George or Arthur.

  Amos answered as he watched the unit step in unison on the field. He nodded in their direction. “The instructors.”

  “Your military instructors?” Delia glanced toward the field. She could tell the difference between the men easily. The military instructors were wearing full uniforms. She wondered how they would know about the game preserve given they weren’t from Glennon. At least, she didn’t think they were.

  Amos nodded his agreement. “That’s why I wasn’t surprised to see them there.”

  Delia’s head swung back to Amos. “Excuse me?”

  Amos shifted his eyes to hers. “Well, not see them. Not exactly.”

  “What exactly did happen?” When he hesitated a moment, she continued. “This is a police investigation, Amos. A man has been killed.”

  “We heard them,” he said.

  Delia glanced at Miles to hear his part of the story.

  “No,” Miles said. “It was Sherman and me. We were checking out the fish in the stream. We heard some voices and ducked behind trees.”

  Delia was about to ask another question when the unit on the field finished and Amos’s unit was called back. She watched the boys quickly rejoin the others and move out onto the field.

  She found Sherman standing in line at the gymnasium. Given the color that infused his cheeks when she joined him in line, she was quick to explain the reason for her presence.

  “I will not stay long.” She thought she heard a sigh of relief from the young man in line behind Sherman. She knew once they passed through the door in front of them that they would be asked to disrobe. “I wish to ask you about the game preserve. I understand you were there when the victim was discovered.”

  “We were in the area alright,” he agreed.

  “What made you go there?” She wondered if his story would match with the others.

  Sherman’s eyes lit up. “The state needed to run communication lines to the new game preserve so the employees could do the reporting and whatnot. I wanted to see how they did it. I know there’s been some work done out there. I imagine there will be a lot more once the war is over.”

  She thought she heard a touch of wistfulness. “It’s something you would enjoy doing?”

  His smile of agreement was fleeting. “Amos is right. We did hear them. Two of the officers.”

  Delia stepped with him when he moved forward. “What did you hear?”

  “Can’t say I did. Too be honest, I was too worried that I was going to get caught.” Sherman grimaced. “We were supposed to be studying.”

  “You’re certain it was officers from here?”

  “Oh, yes. I saw them.”

/>   “Can you give me names?” She had no idea how many military instructors there were, but she knew it was a lot.

  “Gibson and Byers.” Sherman took a step forward when the line moved again.

  “Then what happened? After you saw the officers.”

  “We decided we’d better get back here.” A muscle in Sherman’s jaw flexed. “That was when we saw the body.”

  She lifted her brows in silent question.

  “We high-tailed it out of there.” Sherman moved several steps closer to the door then turned and looked at Delia. “I have to…” He pointed toward the door. When she nodded her understanding, he offered a suggestion. “You might talk to Parker. He should be over at the auditorium.”

  She made her way there next. Since there wasn’t anyone waiting outside, she stepped into the building. The outer hallway contained multiple doorways into the auditorium seating area. Two of those doors were being used. A line of young men snaked into one of the doors. The boys were measured inside then appeared at the other open door to exit the building. The line was moving in starts and fits.

  Delia scanned the group near the door they exited. A small crowd of those who had completed the process formed to talk. Parker wasn’t among them. She moved through the outer hall to look at the boys waiting to go inside. Parker was almost at the door.

  Delia stopped next to him and quickly explained the reason for being there. “I’ve already spoken with Miles, Amos, and Sherman. I was hoping there might be something else you could add.”

  “It was pretty much like they said.” Parker took a step forward. “We left soon after Amos and Sherman told us about the officers being there. I called the police as soon as we got back here. We went up to Bennie’s office to tell him about it. He wasn’t in when we first got there, but I figured he wouldn’t mind me using his phone under the circumstances.”

  It was something she hadn’t considered. She just assumed it was George, Arthur, or Alexander who had called the police. Perhaps they had also?

  “Did the police seem to know about the death when you called them?”

  He made a face indicating no.

  “The three men in the woods. Did they speak with you when you saw them?”

  His brows pulled together. “Three men? Sherman said he only saw the two military officers.”

  “I understood that three men from the school found the victim,” Delia said slowly. “George Ellis, Arthur Hildebrand, and Alexander Boardman.”

  Parker took a step forward and motioned to his face. “Van Dyke?”

  She nodded her agreement as he reached the door to go inside.

  “We saw them when we got back to the campus.” Parker slipped through the door.

  Chapter Eleven

  She found Bennie in his office. The young assistant had removed his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. One window was open allowing a waft of air into the warm office. Even on the second floor, she could sometimes hear voices as students approached Biltmore. With more young men arriving daily to join the Army training school, the campus was buzzing with activity. She assumed the stack of papers on Bennie’s desk was due to new recruits.

  An electric fan hummed in the corner. The edges of the papers on Bennie’s desk fluttered from the movement it caused. He kept the various piles of documents securely in place with a creative use of weights pressed into service. His nameplate was one of them. His telephone another. The principal’s door was closed. Her eyes automatically shifted toward it.

  “He’s at a meeting,” Bennie said without looking up.

  “I came to speak with you,” Delia said as she stopped in front of his desk.

  Bennie’s head came up quickly. “Did you have a chance to speak with the boys?”

  “I don’t think you have any reason to worry on their behalf.” She saw relief flood his face. “Judson will no doubt have his men speak with them at any rate. It is possible they know something that could help his investigation.”

  A measure of concern crept into his eyes but he nodded once in agreement. “What can I do for you?”

  “It’s about the military officers that were sent here to do the training,” she said.

  He leaned back in his seat. “What about them?”

  “Are any of them local?”

  “No. Some aren’t even from Pennsylvania.”

  “Interesting.” She mentally tucked the information away. “How well do you know them?”

  “I don’t. I’ve met with all of them, of course. I handle all of the paperwork on behalf of the school.”

  Delia offered a commiserating grimace. “I’ve seen the documentation the military requires.”

  “In triplicate,” he said with a wry smile. “Thank goodness for carbon paper.”

  “I do not envy you the task.” Though she had to admit, she always enjoyed the paperwork she handled while working for the admiral.

  His eyes scanned his desk. “It is something I can do.”

  She knew he’d rather be at the front, fighting with other men.

  “And it is much appreciated,” she said. Her eyes went to the paperwork as she had a thought. “There are two in particular that I wish to know about. Arlie Gibson and Pierce Byers. Might their files offer any background on them?”

  Bennie rose from his chair and crossed over to a wall lined with filing cabinets. It took him only a moment to find the two files. He returned to his desk but remained standing. After setting both folders on his desk, he flipped them open to read the paperwork.

  “They’re both second lieutenants,” Bennie murmured as he read. “It’s an entry-level rank but they’re still addressed as lieutenant.” He gave her a sheepish look. “I’m sure you knew that.”

  “The various branches of the military refer to their ranks differently but it was necessary for me to learn them all,” she said. “It wouldn’t do for a letter to go out from the admiral with the incorrect salutation.”

  “The captain wouldn’t be happy about it,” Bennie said as he riffled through the papers. “Neither is from the general area. I spoke with them both to suggest housing.”

  “They’re living in town?” she guessed.

  “We’re a little full up, as you might imagine. At the current rate, we’ll be looking at installing tents to house them all.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t considered the gymnasium or auditorium for housing,” she said.

  Bennie reached for his pencil. “I’ll pass the suggestion on to the captain.”

  “Please don’t mention my name,” she said with a wry smile. “The students are upset enough about the football games being cancelled. I don’t want anyone to think I am the reason they cannot play basketball indoors or attend a function at the auditorium.”

  Bennie chuckled as he returned to skimming the paperwork. “Here’s something. Both of them attended Ventry College.”

  “So they knew each other before coming here,” she said slowly.

  “You think it matters?”

  “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “What building are they working from while they’re on campus?”

  “They’ve set up temporary offices in the basement of the gymnasium,” he said.

  It made sense. The large building offered a lot of space.

  Bennie continued reading. “Looks like they graduated last spring together then did a summer training at the officers’ school.”

  Delia heard the sound of voices coming up the stairs. “Sounds like you will soon have more paperwork to process.”

  Bennie began putting the papers back into their folders as he moved around to the other side of his desk.

  “I’ll let you go,” she said before leaving.

  “Let me know what you find out,” he called to her.

  She hugged one wall as she passed several young men. They nodded a greeting but didn’t interrupt their conversations as they continued up to Bennie’s office. Delia headed for the gymnasium. After speaking with both officers and military st
udents along the way, she learned that the two she sought were busy working with the young recruits. Her search ended where she began at the football field. She should have asked Amos to point the men out when she was last there.

  She didn’t recognize any of the recruits as she skirted the perimeter of the field this time. Apparently, Bennie’s friends were now in class or undergoing some other aspect of military training elsewhere on campus. As she moved, she asked if anyone could point out the two lieutenants, Gibson and Byers. Halfway around, she did recognize the young woman carrying a valise that she met at one end of the field.

  “Hello, Nessie. Here to take photographs?” Delia scanned the crowd trying to pick the officers out.

  “Mel Eakin is keeping the big story of the murder for himself. Figured I might as well do something.” Nessie set her valise down and began to pull her equipment out. “I thought the readers might like to see the new temporary residents of Glennon.”

  “I believe they would,” Delia agreed.

  Nessie paused in her work and narrowed her eyes toward Delia. “Do you know anything about the man that was killed out at the game preserve?”

  “I’ll tell you when I can,” Delia promised as she continued moving. She stopped a short distance later to ask about Gibson and Byers. This time she got lucky. The young man pointed at an officer standing on the edge of the field. He was watching another small unit practice their marching.

  “Lieutenant Gibson?” Delia introduced herself.

  He gave her only a cursory look before turning his focus back to the field. “What can I help you with?”

  She studied the profile of Arlie Gibson. He wasn’t much taller than she was but he was broad in the chest and middle. His face appeared perpetually flushed as though he’d just run a lap around the field.

  “I understand that you were involved in the death at the new state game preserve.” She nearly smiled at the speed his head swiveled toward her.

  “Hardly that. We just happened to be in the area.”

  “You and Pierce Byers?”