A Bell in the Garden

by Sheri Richey

  “Before you were hired, my uncle was missing. I heard about those bones and I don’t know how long ago they were buried there, but I wanted you to know. He lived right next door to the Stotlar’s house, and no one has heard from him in over fifteen years.”

  “Karen, who is your uncle? Did you file a police report?” Conrad shuffled through the files Georgia had pulled for him.

  “His name was Howard Bell,” Karen said. “He lived north of town my whole life.”

  “Bell was your maiden name?”

  “No, he’s my mom’s brother. She filed a police report, but not right away. His wife said he just left, so we thought we’d hear from him. We thought maybe they were having problems.”

  “I understand. What’s your mother’s name?”

  “Miriam Landry. She’s the—”

  “Yes, I know Miriam. So, she filed the report? Do you remember the year?”

  “I was in high school when he disappeared, so it’s been close to twenty years ago, I guess. Uh…”

  “I see it,” Conrad said pulling a file out. “We have the report. I’ll make sure it gets to the Sheriff.”

  “I thought you were handling it.”

  “No, I was just on the scene initially. The Stotlar’s property is in the county so the Sheriff’s Office will handle the case, but don’t expect to hear anything soon, now.”

  “I know. I just wanted to bring it to your attention in case we can help somehow, my mom and me. Because of where it is, you know,” Karen stammered and sighed heavily. “It just never made any sense. Uncle Howard wouldn’t just disappear and never contact anyone in the family again. He wasn’t like that. We’ve always thought something must have happened to him.”

  “Is your family related to Sheriff Bell at all?”

  “I don’t know the Sheriff, but my mom says we are distant cousins or something.”

  “Well, I’ll pass your information on and someone will contact you if they need your help, but Karen, it could be anything up there. They really don’t know much yet.”

  “I understand,” Karen said sadly. “I just had to say something.”

  “I’m glad you did. You take care now and tell that boy of yours not to wander off,” Conrad said remembering walking up to the boy who was playing outside several blocks from home one day. He had ridden too far on his bicycle, probably lured by playmates, and lost track of time. Karen had called the PD in a panic.

  “Thank you,” Karen said laughing. “I think you scared him too much for that to ever happen again.”

  CHAPTER 10

  “Mayor?” Amanda appeared at Cora’s office door and Cora looked up over her reading glasses. “Rodney Maddox is here. He said you asked him to stop by?”

  “Oh, yes, yes,” Cora said pulling her glasses off and standing. “Have him come in. You come in, too, Amanda.” Grabbing a notebook and pen, Amanda showed Rodney through the office door and pointed to a chair.

  “Hello, Rodney. Thank you for stopping in.”

  “Happy to,” Rodney said dipping his head down and then glancing at the chair Amanda indicated. Rodney sat down gingerly and hunched his shoulders. “How can I help you, Mayor?”

  “Well, Rodney, I was so inspired when I looked at the sign you did, and it gave me an idea. I’m hoping you can help me with something, but understand, it is not part of your job. You can say no if you want. If it’s something you would like to do though, I will pay you for your work on it. It’s separate from your regular city job. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Rodney said shuffling his feet to cross them at the ankles and then reverse them again.

  “Let me explain,” Cora said sitting up straight and clasping her hands. “I have plans this summer to honor the man Spicetown was named after. The city received a grant to erect a statue of John Spicer. It is still several months off, but I want to advertise the event.”

  Rodney nodded as Cora glanced at Amanda with a mischievous smile.

  “The City Council did not see fit to finance this unveiling and the grant money does not cover advertisement, but I have a small fund for public announcements and general communications, like newspaper ads and website updates. I plan to use that to get the word out about the event.” Cora paused again but when Rodney did not speak, she pulled a folder from a stand on her desk and opened it.

  “You see, I have a picture of our founder, John Spicer,” she said handing it to Rodney who studied it intently.

  “As you can see, it’s not very clear. It’s an old photo that was colorized and it’s very hazy. The edges are deteriorating and discolored.” Cora accepted the photo back from Rodney gently. “The statue is not finished yet, so it is the only image I have, and I’d like to use it in our advertising.”

  Cora raised her eyebrows and nodded. Surely, Rodney could see where she was going, yet he made no indication.

  “Rodney, do you think you could draw this picture larger and clearer? Like you did Amanda’s logo? I would need it to be at least five inches wide or so. I could give you a copy to take, but I’ve tried blowing it up on the copy machine and it just isn’t clear enough to use in the paper or on ads. I need something crisper. Does that make sense?” Cora leaned forward and slipped her glasses back on.

  “Well,” Rodney said with a frown. “Can I see that again?” Cora handed it back to him and Amanda offered him a copy from the photocopy machine that she had made earlier. “Yeah, yeah, I think I can do that. You want like a five by seven or so?”

  “Yes,” Cora said beaming. “Just a pencil sketch is fine or whatever you think best. It will be copied, put on our website and maybe in the newspaper. Does two hundred dollars sound fair?”

  “Wow,” Rodney said sitting up straight in his chair. “That sounds great. Maybe I can get that Japanese Maple Bryan had out there Saturday if my wife doesn’t hear about it. Did you see it? They are really beautiful in the fall. All the leaves are a dark red. I’ve got a place all picked out for it.”

  “I didn’t know you were a landscaper, too,” Cora said smiling.

  “Yeah, I love working in the yard. I’m hoping Bryan gets some landscaping jobs and then maybe I can do some extra work for him,” Rodney said smiling. Amanda smiled back and nodded.

  “Your wife doesn’t like you doing yard work? Most would be happy that their husband tended to those things well.”

  “Oh, she wants the yard mowed and all, but she does not want me to spend money, no two hundred dollars on a tree. She’d rather get clothes or something with it.” Rodney shifted in his chair and pulled at the knees of his blue jeans.

  “Well, that’s probably true of most wives,” Cora said smiling politely. “How long have you two been married?”

  “Almost ten years.”

  “Really? Has it been that long?”

  “Yeah,” Rodney said. “Little Casey is seven now.”

  “You have a stepson too, right?”

  “Yeah, Andy, but he’s a senior this year.”

  “My how time flies,” Cora said gazing up at the ceiling. “I didn’t remember his name was Andy. He’s named after his father, Andrew? I thought I remembered he had an unusual name, something different.”

  “His real name is Anderson.”

  “Ah, yes. That’s it,” Cora said chucking. “A very grown up name, isn’t it? It makes sense now that you call him Andy. Well, do you have any questions? About the drawing, I mean.”

  “When do you need it?”

  “I think by the middle of May we will probably want to start promoting. Is that enough time?”

  “Oh, sure. That won’t be any problem at all.”

  “Well, I appreciate it, Rodney, and remember you can always stop in if you have any questions. You know how to reach me or Amanda,” Cora said pointing at Amanda.

  “Sure thing, Mayor,” Rodney said rising from his seat and heading for the door. “No problem at all.” With a quick wave, Rodney was gone, and Amanda sat smiling at Cora.

  “So, what’s up?” Amanda was still
grinning with a quizzical tilt of her head.

  “Not a thing,” Cora said innocently. “I told you I was going to see if he could draw us an ad for the unveiling.”

  “Yes, but the questions about Carmen…”

  “Just small talk, dear,” Cora said shuffling her papers on John Spicer back into the folder and filing it away without meeting Amanda’s eyes.

  “Oh, okay,” Amanda said with a searching look as she rose slowly and returned to her desk.

  §

  Conrad reluctantly returned Sheriff Bell’s call after he’d had a cup of coffee and read Miriam Landry’s report on her missing brother, Howard Bell.

  “Connie,” Bobby barked out on the phone once Conrad’s call was transferred to him.

  “Sheriff,” Conrad replied respectfully. “I got a message you had called.”

  “I did. I know you got a little tangled up in this Stotlar bone case, but I may need a little something from you, if can spare the time.”

  The dance they did with all the formalities was tedious but necessary. Conrad would have preferred to just call him and say, ‘Hey, Bobby. What do you want?’ That was always the end result. Bobby only contacted him if he needed something from him, but it wouldn’t be proper to take shortcuts.

  “I’m happy to help. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I was looking through your missing person cases in the database for the last twenty, thirty years and there’s one there we might need to develop.”

  “I was doing the same review. Which case is it that concerns you?”

  “In ‘99 there was a report that Howard Bell was missing. I wouldn’t ordinarily be too concerned, but he did live next door to the property in question, so it might require some attention.”

  “Yes, but there is another in 2001 and an older one in ‘95. Alice told me she didn’t really know how long the bones had been there. Have they found anything to narrow it down?”

  “Not to my knowledge, but I’ve got my team pulling records on every missing report in the county for the last thirty years, at least those that were adult males. Alice seemed pretty sure of that part.”

  “I’ve done the same. What has you interested in Howard Bell?”

  “I’ve got some detectives searching for medical and dental records on all of them because the State said this ID would be expedited. I expect them to start asking for info to match against as soon as the bones are cleaned.”

  “You need me to do the same?”

  “Well, yes,” Bobby said hesitating slightly. “At least on Howard Bell. They might ask for family DNA if we can’t find any medical or dental connections.”

  “Okay,” Conrad said waiting for Bobby to explain his reason. He wasn’t going to ask. He wanted Bobby to be forthcoming on his own, but it was another game they played. “Just Howard though?”

  “For right now, yes, although the detectives may be reaching out if they need anything from a Spicetown doctor or dentist. I’ve told them to contact you if they need to.”

  “Okay, that will be fine.”

  “You know, with the name the same, I don’t want there to be anyone questioning anything. I don’t know Howard Bell, but it might look funny.”

  “I understand,” Conrad said smiling at his image of Bobby squirming. “We’ll get right on it.”

  “Great. Talk to you later,” Bobby said disconnecting the line before Conrad could tell him goodbye.

  Cora Mae was going to love this news. Miriam Landry could fluster Cora quicker than anyone else in town. It was time to take a walk to the Spicetown Chamber of Commerce.

  CHAPTER 11

  Cora tossed her mail on the hall table as she walked in the house. The hearty aroma of minestrone that had spent the day cooking in her crock pot filled her home. She didn’t cook often, but when she did, she cooked big. She always tried to make something on Monday that she could eat as leftovers throughout the week.

  Kicking her shoes off, she pulled a bag of peas from the freezer to add to her soup, set a timer for thirty minutes, and went to change into something comfortable. Returning to the kitchen in her sporty track suit she was debating whether cornbread would be a proper side for her meal when her doorbell rang.

  “Hi, Sandy,” Cora said tilting her head and smiling. Sandy Nash lived across the street with her husband, Marty. Aside from a casual wave, Cora had never really talked to the couple much since they moved in last summer.

  “Oh, Mayor, I hate to bother you,” Sandy said placing her hand on her heart. “If you’re not too busy, can I talk to you for just a minute?”

  “Certainly. Come on in.” Cora led her down the hallway. “Please come back in the kitchen. Would you like something to drink?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t mean to interrupt. I know you just got home. I’ve been watching for you because I didn’t want to trouble you at work.”

  “You’re not interrupting anything and please, call me Cora. Now, what can I do for you?”

  “Well, I heard about the bones they found this weekend,” Sandy said sitting down in a kitchen chair. “I know they don’t know who they belong to, but I think they may be my friend, Dixie’s, Dixie Martin.”

  “I don’t think I know her.”

  “She was my roommate before I married Marty. We lived over on Rosemary Road in a duplex and we both worked together at Sesame Subs. Dixie wasn’t from Spicetown though. She lived in Paxton and was driving back and forth every day. I met her at work, and I wanted to move out of my parents’ house, so we rented a place together. We became really good friends and she just disappeared one day. No one has ever heard from her again. I’m afraid, I mean I’ve always thought something bad had to have happened because she wouldn’t do that. She would contact me or her mom. She was close to her mom. There was just no explanation.”

  “When did this happen?” Cora said with concern, pulling a chair out and sitting beside Sandy. “I remember Bing mentioning this to me.”

  “It was right before Christmas in 1999. I didn’t, I didn’t report it right away, because…” Sandy swiped tears from her cheeks. “I thought she went away early for Christmas. I thought she would call, but then…”

  Cora turned toward Sandy to take her clasped hands in her own.

  “Then her mom called, and I lied to her.” Sandy gasped as her body shook with sobs and Cora jumped up to get her a tissue.

  “It’s okay,” Cora said. “Let me make you some tea.” Cora grabbed the teapot from the stovetop and filled it with water to allow Sandy some time.

  “Dixie was dating a married man and it was a secret,” Sandy said as Cora sat a ceramic tea bag holder on the table and returned to the counter to get cups.

  “Was this man from Spicetown?”

  Sandy nodded as she dabbed at her eyes. “Dixie told me he was going to leave his family and be with her on Christmas, so I just thought that’s where she was.”

  “So, you weren’t worried at all at first. That’s understandable.”

  “But she didn’t call me,” Sandy said blowing her nose. “Boyfriend or not, it wasn’t like her not to call me.”

  “Well, back then we didn’t all have cell phones,” Cora said. “We weren’t as in touch with each other all the time.”

  “That’s true. So, when her mom called looking for her, I kind of felt caught in the middle and I wasn’t going to tell her about Howard. It wasn’t my place. I just told her I didn’t know where she was.”

  “But that wasn’t a lie, Sandy, so you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know,” Sandy said sniffing. “But if I’d told somebody sooner, maybe they could have found her.”

  “Who was this Howard?”

  “Howard Bell,” Sandy said with a dismissive wave. “He disappeared too, so I just thought they were together. Howard used to come in almost every day for lunch. That’s how they met.”

  “Eventually you told her mom, I guess.”

  “Yes, I got worried. Well, first I got mad she hadn’t called me, had made
me worry about her. Then I felt bad for getting mad and I got scared. I was just, I was young. I didn’t even know what to think.”

  “So, her family?”

  “Yeah, they kept calling. Her mom kept asking, then her mom came to the restaurant. She wanted to talk to the manager and to me. She was panicking and I told her what I knew.”

  “Her mom didn’t know about Howard Bell?”

  “No, and she went straight to the sheriff’s office. She made them go to Howard’s house to question him, but he wasn’t there either.”

  “Did the deputies talk to you?”

  “Yeah, her mom filed a report and they came and talked to me. I never heard anything else. I know they didn’t find her.”

  “Well,” Cora said getting up from the table and unplugging her crock pot, so it didn’t overcook. “I can tell you that they think the body is an adult male. Nothing for sure yet, but that’s what it’s looking like.”

  “But maybe it’s Howard and she’s there somewhere, too. He lived out that way. Maybe his wife found out and killed them both.”

  “Now, let’s not jump to conclusions here,” Cora said coming back to sit beside Sandy again. “You don’t want to go around speculating about these things.”

  “I know,” Sandy said shaking her head in remorse. “I shouldn’t have said that, but something happened, and Howard lived out the same road north of town.”

  “I will make sure the Chief and the Sheriff know about your concerns, Sandy. They probably have access to the report Dixie’s mom filed, but I will make sure to let them know about her.”

  “Thank you, Mayor. That’s really all I was hoping for. I don’t want her forgotten. I feel so guilty for the way it happened and I’ve never forgotten her.”

  “I’m glad you came over.”

  “I’m going to get out of here so you can have dinner now,” Sandy said chuckling. “I’m so sorry to blubber all over you.”

  “That’s quite all right, dear,” Cora said patting Sandy on the back as they walked towards the door. “You’re welcome any time.”

  “Thank you, Mayor,” Sandy said as she walked out the door and hurried across the street.