Lala frowned. “What is this about, exactly?”
“I’d rather we speak alone,” Agnes insisted. “Miss Jackson sent us here.”
Lala’s eyes widened considerably. “Of course, come into my office.”
They followed her into the backroom that was set up as a small office. It was quite cramped, with only one desk and chair. Agnes directed Kimberly to the chair while Agnes and Eleanor had to stand.
“So, what is this about?”
“As you must know, Mrs. Barry’s account has been cleaned out at the bank.”
“Withdrawn, you mean,” Lala insisted.
“By someone who didn’t have permission to withdraw the money.”
“Miss Jackson told me Kimberly Steele was the one who took the money out.”
“And how would she know that?”
Lala looked at them like they were daft. “Because there was a signed withdrawal slip.”
“I see. Miss Jackson must have forgotten to mention that.”
“Why would she? From the looks of it, none of you would have the right to see banking records.”
“We’re private investigators.”
“I didn’t take that money out of the bank,” Kimberly declared. “An imposter did.”
“Of course you’d say that. I recognize you from your ads now.”
“Actually, that’s not why we’re here,” Kimberly said. “Miss Jackson told us you did the hiring for the bank.”
“Yes, that’s hardly a secret.”
“Is it also common knowledge that you hire felons?”
The color drained from Lala’s face. “Certainly Miss Jackson didn’t tell you that.”
“No, during our investigation we have uncovered that Rosemary Johnson had a criminal record for embezzlement.”
“Seems to me that you wouldn’t want to hire someone with that background,” Agnes added. “Unless you have your own motives.”
“I checked her out, I assure you.”
“You’d say that to cover yourself,” Eleanor put in. “All it would take is a simple fingerprint check.”
“I swear the fingerprints that were checked belonged to Rosemary.”
“But how can you be certain of that?” Kimberly asked. “I can’t imagine they are taken at the bank.”
“Well, I-I—” Lala cleared her throat. “What if I told you I was aware of Rosemary’s record?”
“I’d say you had a reason to cover it up,” Agnes insisted.
“I know all about Rosemary’s past, but she’s a changed woman,” Lala said.
“I’m sure it’s against the law to falsify documents. I believe banks fall under federal jurisdiction.”
“And you never considered that Rosemary might have been involved in the theft of Mrs. Barry’s money?” Eleanor asked with a frown.
“No, but it’s too late for that now. On the news they said Rosemary was found dead under suspicious circumstances.”
Agnes noted that Lala didn’t seem to react as if she was upset about the news. She even had a slight smile on her face!
“Are you happy about her death?” Agnes asked.
Lala frowned. “Why, no!”
“They why are you smiling?”
“I’m not!”
“Not now, you’re not.”
Before Lala had a chance to answer, Kimberly stood and planted her hands on Lala’s desk. “Were you involved in the theft? Possibly offed Rosemary to shut her up?”
“No, maybe it wasn’t you at the bank, but someone wanted everyone to think it was you.”
“Duh,” Eleanor said.
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a plot that originated at that bank,” Kimberly said.
“I can understand how you feel, but I assure you I’m not involved.”
Kimberly laughed hysterically now. “You know how I feel? I doubt you know how it feels to have someone I genuinely care for think I’m capable of stealing her money. That this whole fiasco has taken me away from my baby and put stress on my pregnancy.” Kimberly caught her breath. “You have no idea how I feel.”
Lala had a pained expression on her face. “I’m so sorry, but if I had any knowledge about any wrongdoing pertaining to the missing money, I assure you I’d have gone straight to the sheriff.”
“Oh, would you also tell Sheriff Barry that you hired a felon at the bank?”
“I made a mistake, I know that now, but how can you be so certain that Rosemary was involved in a plot of this nature?”
“I suppose we’ll never know unless we’re able to uncover evidence that points to her,” Eleanor said.
“Her death is the one thing that makes us wonder who else was involved,” Kimberly said.
“We’ll be leaving now,” Agnes interjected. “If I were you, I’d come clean with Miss Jackson since the cat is now out of the bag, so to speak.”
They left, with Agnes guiding an angry-looking Kimberly.
“I can’t believe the audacity of that woman,” Kimberly muttered. “Who would do something so stupid as that, hiring a felon to work at the bank?”
“Now, we can’t be certain that Rosemary was involved in that theft now,” Agnes said.
“Then why was she murdered?”
Agnes didn’t have an answer for that. “I think we should share some of the information that we’ve uncovered with the sheriff. That way he won’t be so upset with us. He’s the only one who will be able to get copies of those documents from the bank.”
The drive to the sheriff’s department was a quiet one. Kimberly was emotional back there, so Agnes said, “You’re beginning to sound like an investigator, Kimberly.”
“Agnes is right. The way you fired questions at Lala was amazing,” Eleanor agreed.
“I’m frustrated with how this investigation is going. It’s obvious I’m being framed, but not why. What did I ever do to anyone?”
“It’s not you, Kimberly. Someone saw a way to make off with Mrs. Barry’s money is all. Someone shared information with the wrong person. They might not have known that what they had done would snowball the way it did,” Agnes tried to explain.
They strolled into the sheriff’s department and just their luck, Bertha was working the counter. “We’d like to speak with Sheriff Barry,” Kimberly said sweetly.
Bertha shook her head. “I suppose they decided if you did the talking that I’d be more obliging. Well, I’m not. The sheriff isn’t here right now. That’s all I’m going to say.”
Agnes shook her head as they left, catching Raine walking up the steps carrying a take-out order.
“Hello, Raine,” Agnes greeted her.
“What brings you ladies here today?”
“We were looking for the sheriff, but Bertha was being her grumpy self and wouldn’t tell us where he is.”
Raine walked past them and whispered over her shoulder, “You should find him at the coffee shop about now.”
“That’s great,” Agnes said.
On the way to the coffee shop,” Eleanor proclaimed, “I could use a chai tea latte.”
“That was my thought.”
“I’ll stick with a hot chocolate,” Kimberly said when they pulled into the parking lot.
Sure enough, the sheriff’s car was parked there and Agnes looked inside his cruiser. “He must be inside.”
“Yup,” Eleanor said. “He has a window seat and is looking right at you.” She laughed.
Kimberly led the way into the coffee shop and made way for the sheriff while Eleanor went to the counter to place their order.
“I hope I’m not bothering you, sheriff,” Kimberly said, “but I’d like to share some information.”
Sheriff Barry sat up straight. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“It’s about Lala Davis. She handles human resources for the bank. She also owns the boutique in town.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“She is the one who hired Rosemary, knowing full well that she was a felon.”
“Now y
ou have my attention. I had hoped it was an oversight.”
“Anyway, Lala also mentioned that there was a signed withdrawal slip from when your mother’s money was taken out of the bank.”
“Oh, so the federal investigator behind you didn’t get a copy of that?”
“No,” Agnes said. “But we were hoping you could look into that signed document—”
“Or withdrawal slip,” Kimberly interjected.
“I’d imagine your name would be on that slip.”
“I was never at the bank that day, Sheriff Barry,” Kimberly insisted. “All I’m asking you to do is get the signed withdrawal slip and have a handwriting analysis done. That will prove it wasn’t me at the bank that day.”
Sheriff Barry’s brow furrowed in thought. “Thanks, I’ll follow up on that after I finish my coffee. It will take some time to analyze that, just so you know.”
Kimberly sighed. “I see. Well, at least you’ll be looking into it.”
“Has Rosemary’s death been ruled a homicide yet?” Agnes asked. “Her suspicious death was announced on the news.”
“We’re still investigating, but she died of an overdose of Oxycontin from the looks of it,” he admitted. “I expect you to keep that between us.”
“So you think she might have been forced to ingest those pills?”
“That’s why we’re still investigating. The whole scene doesn’t look right to me. The only reason I’m sharing this information with you is so you don’t hound me every waking moment. I made a call to Sheriff Peterson back in Tawas and he has more than vouched for you and Eleanor.” His sipped his coffee. “And my mother seems to like the both of you so you can’t be all that bad. I hope this is cleared up soon, Kimberly, but you must understand unless I have valid proof you weren’t at the bank that day, you’re still a suspect.”
“I understand that sheriff. Thank you for being so candid.”
“Did you check out Eddie’s alibi?” Agnes asked.
“No, he still hasn’t given me one.”
“Why haven’t you demanded one?” Kimberly asked.
“I’m biding my time, as least until I find out if Eddie really has an uncle who is a lawyer.”
Kimberly ran a shaky hand through her hair. “That hardly seems fair.”
“Eddie pulled his lawyer card though,” Agnes reminded Kimberly.
Kimberly took her hot chocolate from Eleanor and they left. “What happened?” Eleanor asked, as she handed Agnes her latte.
Kimberly filled Eleanor in.
Eleanor frowned. “It’s too bad that the sheriff hasn’t gotten an alibi from Eddie yet, but it’s about time we’re given more details about Rosemary’s death.”
“We should head to the pub next,” Agnes said. “Rosemary’s brother Sonny works there, if you remember.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m not senile, you know,” Eleanor choked out. “She’s always treating me like that, Kimberly. It’s a shame, treating your best friend like she doesn’t have any sense or memory.”
“Actually, I’d love to have a friend like you both do with one another. It would be fun to solve cases together.”
“It’s overrated at times,” Agnes said. “But I wouldn’t trade Eleanor for the world.”
“Stop it, Agnes,” Eleanor said. “You’re going to make me cry. I didn’t mean to say that to you. I do forget things on occasion and I’m lucky to have you around to remind me.”
Chapter 16
They walked into the pub and approached the bar. The bartender turned and greeted them. “The manager just made a pitcher of lemonade.”
“Who says we’re here for that. Maybe I’d like a beer, or mixed drink, or shot of tequila,” Eleanor spouted off.
The bartender put up his hands as if in defense. “Calm down. I didn’t mean it like that. I know Kimberly is pregnant, that’s all.”
“We’re not here for beverages today,” Kimberly said. “Is Sonny Johnson working today?”
“He’s taking out the trash now. He should be along shortly.”
“That’s fine. We’ll try to catch him out there,” Agnes said.
The bartender let them out the back door and they approached a tall, thin young man who barely looked eighteen. “Are you Sonny Johnson?” Agnes asked.
Without turning, he asked, “Who wants to know?”
“We’re investigators looking into your sister’s death.”
He turned with his eyes misty. “My sister died from an overdose, they think.”
“Do you buy that? That she’d want to kill herself?”
“No and the sheriff is still investigating.” He then clenched his fists at his side. “When I find out who did this, I’ll kill them.”
“Whoa,” Eleanor said. “You don’t want to go around saying that now.”
“I don’t go around saying it, I just said it now.”
“There was an account drained that last day your sister worked at the bank. We were wondering if there was a connection between that and her death.”
“Are you accusing my sister of—”
“No, we’re just trying to figure out if someone might have killed her because of what happened.”
“We know she has a criminal record,” Kimberly said.
“Oh, so you think just because she embezzled that money years ago that it makes her a thief for the rest of her life?”
“I don’t think that at all. She was somehow pulled into this for some reason. We’re just trying to sort out the details.”
“Was there anyone who would want to hurt your sister?” Agnes asked.
“I can’t think of anyone, but you should look up Eddie Wright. He was seeing my sister.”
“We checked him out and he has an alibi. Do you think he’d ever hurt your sister?”
“Not physically, I suppose, but he has a roving eye. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was cheating on my sister.”
“You’re not sure if he was or not?”
“No, my sister didn’t share detail about her personal life.”
“Were you aware that Rosemary had had some contact with her high school sweetheart? Do you know anything about that?” Agnes continued to press.
“Yes, Joshua came to town a few months back. Rosemary should have married him instead of breaking up with him when he went off to college.”
“Perhaps she got cold feet,” Eleanor suggested.
“That’s what Rosemary said, but Joshua admitted that Rosemary wasn’t the only one who wanted to break it off.”
“So you said that Joshua is here in town?” Agnes asked.
“Yes, he’s at the Redwater Hall today. They have bingo for the area senior citizens.”
“Then why is he there?”
“He helps out the ones who need help covering their cards.”
“That’s kind of him.”
“He majored in occupational therapy.”
“Thanks, we’ll catch up with him there.”
“How was your relationship with your sister?” Kimberly asked.
“Look, the sheriff already grilled me about that. Rosemary is ten years older than me. She babysat me when I was a kid and we hung out at the crappy motel our parent’s owned.”
“I don’t recall your dad mentioning anything about a wife.”
“My mom died ten years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Is there anything else? I had better get back inside before the boss gets on me.”
“Do you happen to know a Missy Todds?”
“Yes, she works at the library in the afternoons,” Sonny said, as he walked back to the pub.
The back door slammed shut and Agnes, Eleanor, and Kimberly walked around to where their car was parked.
* * *
“Missy works at the library,” Eleanor said. “Wasn’t she the same woman you saw hugging up on Eddie with the music blaring, Agnes?”
“Yes. I can’t visualize her as a librarian.”
“That makes three
of us,” Kimberly added.
They parked at the library and walked in. It was much larger than Agnes expected and even had a second floor. “This building was donated to the library,” Kimberly explained. “It used to be the sheriff’s department until the new one was built.”
Kimberly walked up to the counter and asked, “Is Missy Todds working today? She recommended a book for me, but I forgot the name.”
“Perhaps I could help you,” an older woman said.
“No, I’d prefer to speak to the librarian.”
“Missy isn’t the librarian. She just works here.”
“I see, well in any case, could I please speak with her?”
“But I-I—”
“Look,” Agnes stepped up and began, “Just tell us where Missy is.”
“You don’t have to be so testy.”
The woman led them back to where Missy stood assisting a woman with the microfilm.
“Could we please speak with you, Missy?” Agnes asked.
Missy glanced up and said, “Of course. What can I help you with?”
“I was looking for Civil War history.”
“Sure, I can help you with that,” she said, leading them down a darkened aisle filled with leather-bound books.
“Actually, Missy, we came to speak to you about Eddie,” Kimberly said.
“Don’t tell me he was seeing you, too.”
“You mean like he was Rosemary before her death?” Agnes asked.
Missy swallowed hard. “I-I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“Her death or screwing Eddie when he was clearly seeing Rosemary?”
“I’ve been seeing Eddie way longer than Rosemary was. I felt really bad when Eddie told me Rosemary was found dead.”
“I can tell you’re crying buckets,” Eleanor sneered. “It didn’t look that way when you and Eddie were cuddling earlier.”
“How would you know that unless … you were the ones spying on us in my backyard.”
“Why, is it normal that people spy on you?”
“No, but I had a feeling that someone was doing it today. I can tell when someone is staring at me.”
“Not enough to quit cuddling with Eddie, though,” Agnes said. “Eddie didn’t look like he was heartbroken about Rosemary’s death.”
“He never loved her, he loves me.”
Pretty, Hip, & Hoodwinked Page 13
