Murder Wears a Medal

by Donna Doyle

  Mrs. Stark’s face squinted in anger. She began to speak, but Carmela shot her an admonitory glance that said, more than words, that she was not to pursue the topic in front of the children. Mrs. Stark closed her laptop and strode out of the library, her shoulders set back in anger.

  Troy knew that he hadn’t heard the last of this and that after Chief Stark’s Harrisburg seminar, there would be consequences from his act. But he and Kelly continued to grin at each other like naughty schoolchildren who knew that whatever happened, they would face their punishment together.

  29

  The Cemetery

  Troy was a ‘just the facts, ma’am’ kind of police officer. He didn’t believe in supposition or speculation when gathering evidence. Facts stood up in court; guesswork didn’t. And yet, there was a hunch singing along his brain like it was a telegraph wire that he needed to do something before Stark got back from his seminar. And maybe that something had to do with the cemetery.

  Feel like getting some more grass stains on the back of your shorts?

  I can bring a blanket and spare my laundry detergent. What do you have in mind? Kelly texted back.

  Troy smiled. A glamorous Friday night date at General Porter’s mausoleum.

  A thumbs-up emoji was Kelly’s reply.

  Sense said that he shouldn’t include her. But he was going on a hunch, not sense. She was involved in this by virtue of her own sense of morality. He couldn’t exclude her. Especially after making the condition of her shorts a subject of public discourse. She’d handled that very well, he thought. But Kelly rolled with things.

  He told her to be ready by 11:15 p.m. He went home after his shift ended on Friday night, swiftly changed clothes and let Arlo out, then drove to Kelly’s house. She was waiting on the porch with her picnic basket.

  “You haven’t given a lot of details,” she said.

  “I don’t have a lot of details. Stark told me to patrol by the cemetery at midnight. So I did. Saw nothing.”

  “Did you expect to see anything?”

  “Not on the night when I was told to patrol, no. But what about tonight, when I’m not supposed to be there?”

  “And we’re camping out with General Porter?”

  “I figure he won’t mind. He might like the company.”

  “He might, at that. Local historians say he was a very friendly guy. Loved by his troops, his wife, his children . . . his mistress.”

  “His mistress? The local historians say that?”

  “Not in print, no. But Hal Meeth, who knows everything about General Porter, says that he was very friendly with a woman whose husband was in General Porter’s company. The man was killed at Gettysburg and General Porter took care of her and her family after she became a widow.”

  “And that makes her his mistress?”

  “No, the divorce made her his mistress; Mrs. Porter charged him with adultery and named the widow in the divorce suit. It was quite a scandal at the time. He was one of the leading citizens of the town. He started the First Bank of Settler Springs and was on the board.”

  “And after the divorce?”

  “He was still on the board. The widow moved away. But we’re not going to the cemetery to tell historical tales. What are you looking for?”

  “Eddie Kavlick.”

  “Why would he be at the cemetery?”

  “Because he isn’t anywhere else. There’s the woods at the edge of the cemetery.

  Someone could hide in there and not be noticed if he didn’t want to be.”

  “He’d have to eat, wash . . . wouldn’t he?”

  “He’s a murderer,” Troy said. “Hygiene isn’t going to be high on his list of priorities. Hiding from the law is.”

  “But if he’s the murderer, he’s already under Chief Stark’s protection.”

  “Chief Stark is away. I’m guessing that if Kavlick is hiding, he’s doing so under orders. But someone like Kavlick, he doesn’t necessarily want to live the life of a hermit.”

  “He could just leave.”

  “Not if he’s under orders from Stark, who might need him for more assignments.”

  “More murdering?” she asked.

  “I suppose Kavlick will do whatever he’s told to do. I’m sure he’s being paid for his work.”

  Kelly exhaled slowly. “It sounds pretty speculative . . . but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”

  “If Kavlick is out for a night at the bars, taking advantage of Stark’s absence, he’s going to be out awhile. We’ll have time to settle in and make ourselves at home with General Porter. I’m gonna park the Suburban across the street from the cemetery and we’ll walk to the monument. If anyone does see us, they’ll figure we’re a couple out for a romantic evening.”

  “They’re likely to figure that we have strange ideas of romance and call the police,” she countered as Troy parked the Suburban and locked it.

  “I am the police,” he said, taking the picnic basket. “And if they call the state police, Meigle is away so it’ll be one of the others. They’ll see me with a pretty woman, and they’ll figure we’re here for fun.”

  “A strange idea of fun,” Kelly said. But it was a plausible alibi if they needed one. All the same, she hoped they didn’t need one. Being known in the library circles for having grass on her shorts was a little embarrassing, even though it was Chief Stark’s conduct and not hers that was regarded adversely by those who had been in the library at the time. Carmela had enjoyed the episode immensely. Mrs. Stark had not been in the library since the episode. Kelly was sure that she’d be back on Monday, after her husband returned from Harrisburg and she’d had a chance to tell him about what happened.

  She had come prepared this time and put a blanket on the grass in front of General Porter’s monument. Then she brought out the picnic food: a thermos of coffee and cups; a plate of sandwiches; slices of angel food cake; fresh fruit.

  “I tried to make sure that everything could be chewed without making noise,” she said as she handed a cup of coffee to Troy.

  “Librarians think of everything. I don’t expect Kavlick to show up until after

  closing time at the bars.”

  “If he shows up,” she cautioned, putting fruit and two sandwiches on a plate and giving it to Troy.

  “If he shows up,” Troy conceded.

  “But you think he will.”

  “I think this is where he’s staying until Stark needs him again. I think Stark told him to stay out of trouble and stay out of eyesight. Stark calls the shots. But Eddie Kavlick is a pretty big mouse and while the cat’s away, he’s likely to revert to his natural rat status. I think he’ll hit some of the bars on the outskirts of town, then drive back here and get back to hiding. He’ll be drunk, of course, but someone like Kavlick is used to being drunk and can probably drive without attracting attention. He’ll come back, hide his car—”

  “Where is he going to hide his car?”

  “In the woods. No one is going to be looking for it; no one goes into the woods.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “No, but I’m assuming. Why would they?”

  “Why wouldn’t they?”

  “Well, maybe he doesn’t park the car there.”

  “You’re sure he has a car?”

  “A gray Subaru.”

  “We’re not going to be able to see the color in the dark. I guess that’s not by happenstance. There are some abandoned buildings over there . . . I suppose Chief Stark could let him park the car there. There are No Trespassing signs on the property, but . . .” she shrugged. “Stark rules.”

  “Exactly.”

  “So what do we do if Kavlick shows up here? You’re not planning to go over and introduce yourself, are you?”

  “I’m not feeling real friendly toward Kavlick. No. But I need to know if he’s here. Then we can figure out what to do. While Stark is away.”

  After they ate, Kelly produced a portable chessboard with magnetic pieces. Troy found to his sur
prise that she was a formidable chess player with a knack for giving her queen wild rein over the board. She won the first match and Troy vowed she wouldn’t win the second.

  He was engrossed in his next move, his eyes on the board, when Kelly touched his arm. A car was making its way up from the highway. Its lights were turned off and it was weaving slightly, not a lot. They both watched as the car went past Cemetery Road and then turned right near the woods.

  She folded the chessboard and put it away, the magnetic pieces holding their place. “We’ll continue this at another time,” she whispered. There was no way that her words could be overheard, but the night was so still that she wondered if sound could carry in the quiet.

  Troy nodded. His eyes were intent upon the woods ahead, a sprawling tangle of trees that showed up as a blot of darkness on the landscape.

  They had waited for half an hour when Troy said, “Wait here” and stood up.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I won’t be long.”

  Long was a relative measurement, Kelly thought as she waited for him to return. While he was gone, she packed up the picnic basket and the blanket so that they’d be ready to leave as soon as he came back.

  Which he did fairly quickly. She stood up. “Was it him?”

  “The license plate matches the number on the list Doug gave you. There’s a bumper sticker that says Semper Fi on it.”

  “You didn’t check to make sure it’s him?”

  “I’m sure it’s him. Besides, I didn’t want to risk waking him up and having him see me letting the air out of all the tires. C’mon, let’s go.”

  30

  Stark is Back

  When Troy showed up for work on Monday morning, Kyle greeted him by raising his eyebrows and tilting his head toward the closed door of Chief Stark’s office, then shaking his head, his motions a signal that the police chief was not in a happy mood.

  Troy smiled. “How was your weekend?”

  Kyle looked puzzled. He’d given the warning and it didn’t make sense for Troy to ignore it. “Fine . . . I went to the races. Had a few beers with some friends. Took my dog to the groomer. She hates going but then she prances out of there like she’s a beauty queen.” Kyle didn’t let his lack of physical mobility impair him from going places. “How about yours?”

  Chief Stark’s door opened. He stood in the doorway, not moving, just listening.

  “I didn’t do much,” Troy said. “Went running on the Trail as usual, mowed the lawn, cleaned out the gutters on the house. I wanted to get ahead of it before they get out of control. Nothing much fun, but at least I got those things done. Took Arlo for a run on the Trail.” That was all true; he’d done work around the house over the weekend and he wanted Stark to know it. That he’d also found time to let the air out of Eddie Kavlick’s tires was something Stark didn’t need to know. Would he suspect? Maybe, but he couldn’t prove it, and Kavlick wouldn’t be able to identify him. He hadn’t gone deep into the woods, but he’d seen Kavlick sprawled out on his sleeping bag. If he continued to snore like that, his hiding place wouldn’t remain safe for long. “I need to paint—”

  “Kennedy, just what do you think you’re doing, making a scene at the library? I came home from Harrisburg and my wife tells me that you were in there, with people present, talking about the grass stains on Kelly Armello’s shorts.”

  “You brought it up, Chief,” Troy said with an amiable smile. “I just went to confirm.”

  “Some lunatic woman told Kelly she could sue me for it! My wife isn’t happy about this, and neither am I.”

  Troy’s smile stayed in place but there was an edge to his voice when he answered. “Kelly might not be happy either. I doubt if she’s thinking of suing you though. An apology might be enough.”

  “Apology! I don’t owe her an apology. You do, for making a mountain out of a molehill.”

  “When you stop a woman on the street, ask her about the grass stains on the back of her clothing, and make an insinuation that she’s been doing something inappropriate, you owe her an apology.”

  The two men locked gazes. Troy’s expression never changed; Chief Stark’s countenance showed displeasure and something else. It almost looked like fear, but that didn’t seem likely. Stark was in control and everyone knew it; Troy knew it too.

  “Just do your job, Kennedy, or I’ll get someone else to do it.” Chief Stark went back into his office. His door remained open.

  Kyle glanced at Troy, worry plain on his face. Troy smiled and patted Kyle on his shoulder. “Anything special in store for me today?” he asked.

  “Nothing in particular, but some of the ladies at the senior center said there’s an abandoned car by the cemetery.”

  “Oh?” Troy asked, keeping his voice deliberately casual. “Abandoned car at the cemetery?”

  “All the tires are flat. No sign of the driver. And the license plate is missing. The ladies go out there on Sundays to tidy up their dead husbands’ graves. They’ve been complaining about the way the old part of the cemetery is neglected. Now there’s an abandoned car. I got the call about an hour ago, before you came in. I said we’d send someone out—”

  “I’ll take care of it, Kyle,” Chief Stark’s voice came from his office. “It’s just the nervous Nellies making a big deal out of nothing. I’ll drive by and see what the problem is.”

  He didn’t leave until Kyle was gone. “See if you can get some work done, Kennedy,” Chief Stark told him as he stood with his hand on the doorknob. “There’s nothing going on at the library, so you don’t need to stop there. You can see your girlfriend on your own time; the taxpayers of Settler Springs aren’t paying for your romance.”

  “Will do, Chief. Anything in particular? Do you need backup for the cemetery?”

  “Why would I need backup for an abandoned car?”

  “I heard the ladies are complaining that people are showing up, people who aren’t tending to graves. Isn’t that what came up at the council meeting?” Probably kids . . . but if you want me to patrol more often at night, or during the day as well, just say the word.”

  “You can stay away from the cemetery. I’ll handle it. It’s a cemetery, not an inner-city meth lab. It doesn’t take two officers to check it out.”

  After the door closed, Troy texted Kelly.

  Why don’t you suggest that Doug take a trip to the cemetery?

  ? was the response.

  Quickly Troy texted. Chief Stark is on his way.

  OK

  Troy locked the station door and got into his squad car. Chief Stark’s homecoming must have been taken up with his wife’s account of the episode in the library; if Stark had had any plans to meet with Eddie Kavlick, circumstances had prevented him from doing so. He must have been down the hall, chatting to his brother-in-law, Mayor Truvert, when Kyle got the complaint from one of the elderly ladies about the abandoned car—

  “Back-up needed at Settler Springs Cemetery,” came over the police radio. “Active shooting. Caution advised.”

  Shooting? Troy quickly changed directions and headed for the cemetery. He wasn’t the first officer on the scene, even though he would have been the closest to the cemetery. The state police, in the form of Trooper Meigle, had arrived as well. That seemed strange, since the state police station was at least fifteen minutes away. There wasn’t any reason for Meigle to be in the area or Kyle would have mentioned a situation unfolding. So why was Meigle there so fast?

  Doug Iolus was there as well. He must have responded to the message as soon as Kelly relayed Troy’s instructions to him.

  “Chief Stark, what can you tell us about the victim?” he asked, his notebook out, his camera around his neck. He was as casual as ever, his posture still loose and relaxed as if he weren’t doing anything of particular importance, but there was no question that, as the first member of the media on the scene, Doug was intent on doing his job as a journalist.

  “I came here in answer to a call about an abandoned car,�
�� Chief Stark said. “I approached the car. Then I heard a shot from the woods.” He pointed toward the dense cluster of trees beyond the gray Subaru. “I took cover behind the car,” he said, pointing again, “and ordered the shooter to come out with his hands up. He continued to shoot. I called for backup, but just as Trooper Meigle was arriving, the shooter came out, firing. He was coming toward me.”

  “Chief Stark shot back in self-defense,” Trooper Meigle said.

  “The shooter . . . he’s dead?”

  They looked to the clearing between the car and the woods, where the body of a brawny man lay still on the grass.

  “Have you identified the shooter?” Doug asked.

  Chief Stark’s gaze drifted briefly over Troy, standing with his hand on his gun. “Name of Kavlick,” he said. “I checked his ID. Probably a vagrant. Signs that he’s a veteran. Probably some form of PTSD. The coroner is on his way. We’ll have more information after that.”

  “Chief Stark had no choice but to shoot,” Trooper Meigle said. “In a situation like this, it’s clearly self-defense.”

  “There will be an investigation of course,” Chief Stark said. “It’s a matter of protocol.”

  “Even in self-defense,” Trooper Meigle added.

  “Kavlick,” Doug repeated the name. “Wasn’t he one of the veterans who was in Settler Springs for the Memorial Day celebration?”

  “I didn’t see him at the parade,” Chief Stark said quickly.

  “No, and he wasn’t at the library program,” Doug continued. “But I saw him around.”

  “There were a lot of veterans in town,” Chief Stark said. “Maybe it’s time to scale back the program. Our town librarian oversees it, but this year it got out of hand.”

  “Two deaths . . .” Doug noted. “That’s unusual.”

  “This was self-defense,” Trooper Meigle said.

  “And the other was suicide,” Chief Stark said, his eyes on Troy.