“You have that right. We only have one day left before the big egg hunt, and we need to make the most of it.”
14
Eleanor and I hurried to the lodge the next morning, not so much to catch up with Constance’s children Becky and Brad but to have breakfast. We arrived when they opened, and I should have asked Gary to describe his children. It would have made it so much easier to spot them when they arrived.
“How many?” the gray-haired server asked.
“Two,” I said. “Somewhere we can watch the door.”
“Oh, will someone be joining you?”
“No, but we were hoping to catch up with Becky and Brad Shaklee. We were told they meet here for breakfast every Friday morning.”
“Oh, how do you know them?”
“We’re friends of their mother, the poor dear.”
“I heard about her death, so awful.”
“Did you know her?”
“No, not personally, she only came in with them once,” the server said. “What can I bring you ladies to drink?”
“Orange juice and coffee for both of us,” Eleanor said. “I take mine black.”
“And I brought my own flavored creamer,” I said. “Although I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“No harm, it will be our little secret.”
“And be a dear and point out Becky and Brad. We haven’t seen them in quite a while,” Eleanor said.
“We weren’t able to make it to their mother’s funeral.”
“I’ll be back with your drinks.”
I waited until she walked away before saying, “That’s what I love about small towns. Whenever anyone goes to a restaurant regularly, the staff remembers you.”
“And not always for the right reasons,” Eleanor said. “Did you see the look in the server’s eye when she said Constance only came in with her children once?”
“Yes, it said she was glad Constance hadn’t returned,” I said. “I still can’t believe it’s been so hard to find people who had something nice to say about the woman.”
“There are people in this world like that, and they don’t care what anyone has to say about it either.”
“But she was an animal lover. How can anyone who raises, grooms, and shows rabbits be such a hateful person?”
“Apparently she can relate to animals easier than she can people.”
“What can I get you ladies?” the server asked after she dropped off our drinks.
We both ordered an omelet and home-fried potatoes. We took turns spotting the door until our breakfast arrived. I was glad they didn’t come in yet because I was more hungry than I had thought.
The bell over the door rang just as I took my last few bites, and in walked a young man and woman. Our server promptly greeted them and pointed us out.
I nodded in their direction as they took a seat across the room.
“They don’t look happy to see we’re waiting for them,” Eleanor said.
“I can’t blame them,” I said and set my napkin on my plate. “One of us should go over there.”
“And ruin their breakfast?”
“We don’t have a choice; time is of the essence.”
Eleanor and I opted to walk over together.
“Hello. I know this might be the wrong time, but we’re investigators and looking into your mother’s death. Could we please ask you a few questions?”
“Providing you’re Becky and Brad Shaklee,” Eleanor added.
“We are,” Brad said.
“Do you mind if we have a seat?” I asked.
“Unless you’d rather speak to us at a more convenient time?” Eleanor smiled.
“No, let's get this over with,” Brad said somberly. They both looked worn out, but Brad even more so.
“We’re sorry for your loss,” Eleanor said.
“Please continue,” Becky said. She was thin with pale skin and sad blue eyes.
“Were you close to your mother?” I asked.
“We live in Oscoda, but I haven’t seen my mother in about a year.”
“She’s not an easy woman to get along with,” Brad said. “But I’ve kept in contact to watch over her.”
“Is there a reason she needed to be watched over?”
“Our mother changed since she divorced our dad.”
“Sometimes I wish he had never divorced her,” Becky said.
“Most children feel that way.”
“You have no idea what I mean,” Becky said between clenched teeth. “It didn’t take her long to move a man in.”
“I didn’t know she was living with a man.”
“She wasn’t living with Misha Curry the way you think,” Brad said.
“Then why was he staying in her house?”
“She rented Misha a room.”
“We were told she had a boarder,” I said. “Is that all Misha was to your mother?”
“I don’t believe he was just renting a room,” Becky said as she ripped a paper napkin. “There had to be more to it than that.”
“You might have been able to express your displeasure if you hadn’t broken off ties with our mom.”
“Like I had a choice. She told me to leave and never come back.”
“She didn’t mean it.”
“How do you know she didn’t mean it, Brad? Were you there? No!”
“That must have been some argument,” Eleanor said.
“Yes, she didn’t trust my word. I told her Misha Curry was a two-timing loser and I could prove it, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Did he work for her in any capacity?” I asked.
“No, he didn’t work period. He was sponging off her because he was too busy chasing after women to find a job.”
“His ex-wife said he was a cheater,” I agreed.
“I wonder if she killed my mom,” Brad said. “It would make sense since Misha moved in with my mom after the divorce.”
“After they both divorced,” Becky said. “His ex would have a motive. I wonder if they were having an affair before Mom divorced my dad. It makes sense why Misha was only injured and not murdered now.”
“We’re looking into that.”
“Did you talk to Misha yet?” Becky asked.
“We did, but he told us he didn’t see who hit him.”
“Likely story.”
“He denied anything personal with your mother. He was planning to move out,” I said.
“Oh, he must have found another woman to move in with and sponge off of.”
“It’s a routine for some men,” Eleanor said.
“Is there anyone else you can think of who might have wanted to harm your mother?” I asked.
“I can’t think of anyone.”
“She couldn’t have been that difficult,” I said.
“She was though,” Brad said.
“How long has she been showing rabbits?” Eleanor asked.
“Since we were kids, but she never let us come along,” Becky said.
“How did that make you feel?”
“Mad, but then Dad stepped up and took us on trips and out on the boat. Even when Mom was home, she didn’t go to our school programs. Dad was there for everything.”
“He’s a stockbroker and worked from home,” Brad said.
“Have either of you met Misha?”
“I met him once, and I was not impressed. He wasn’t there most of the time when I visited my mom,” Becky said.
“Have you ever decided to just pop in to see her?” Eleanor asked.
“And face her wrath? No, I’d rather not. She fiercely protected her privacy.”
“Did she have any friends?”
“My sister is right. Our mother kept to herself, and she’s never been known to bond well with other females,” Brad said.
“She even accused 4-H children of jinxing her at the fair rabbit competitions,” Eleanor said.
Brad’s brow furrowed. “I’ve never heard of her doing that before.”
“But y
ou said you never went to competitions with your mother.”
“That’s right, but when she gets angry at a competition, she usually talks about it.”
“I’d hardly brag about that,” Eleanor said.
“True, but our mom loves those rabbits of hers, and she can’t risk getting booted from a competition.”
“Apparently she changed her view on the matter,” I said.
“Have you gone to your mother’s house since she passed?” Eleanor asked. “I didn’t see the rabbits in the pole barn, although we saw some digging in the yard.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. It’s not the first time the rabbits escaped,” Brad said.
“I would have thought she’d keep them in the cages,” I said.
“She did when they weren’t in the outside enclosure.”
“We’d love to help you find them or find someone else to assist you.”
“We’ll get in contact if that’s the case,” Brad said.
I handed Brad our card.
“How did you find our mother’s body?” Becky asked.
“We’re organizing the Easter egg hunt this year, and we were looking for rabbits for the animal petting portion. We were told she refused to allow her rabbits to be borrowed.”
Eleanor shook her head. “But we found out later our friend never even knocked on her door.”
“Word travels fast that she didn’t like to be bothered,” Becky said.
Eleanor and I stood up. “Thank you for speaking with us. We’re doing our best to find the person responsible for your mother’s murder,” I said.
“How amicable was their divorce?” Eleanor asked.
“When our parents divorced, they both promised to do it without conflict,” Brad said.
“It was mutual,” Becky agreed.
“That must have eased the pain.”
Becky took hold of her brother’s hand. “It was still painful for us. We knew the real reason for the divorce and had to cope with it on our own terms.”
“Again, we’re sorry for your loss,” I said. “Thank you for speaking with us.”
Eleanor and I paid our bill and left.
“We just can’t catch a break,” Eleanor said.
“I wouldn’t say that. We’ve spoken with more than one person who would have a motive to want Constance dead, just not enough evidence to prove it.”
“If Constance was shot outside, whose blood was in the pole barn?”
“Sounds like a good time to speak with Smitty again.”
“Do we have to?” Eleanor asked. “I’m still having flashbacks about what happened at the hospital the last time we were there.”
“Me too, but we don’t have a choice; we have to get over our fear.”
“You’re right, I suppose.”
Traffic was modest, and Walmart’s parking lot was packed. I’m glad we’re having dinner at the hall so I didn’t have to brave the madhouse again. Neiman’s market I imagined would be just as busy. While Walmart might have decent prices on candy, Neiman’s had a great weekly ad and a unique selection of grocery items and spices.
I parked in a handicapped space at the hospital and quickly hung the paper sign and painfully walked inside. I know all this walking wasn’t helping, but it gives me a reason to get up every morning and move around.
We nearly stumbled into Sophia on the way to the elevator.
“Are you two okay after the other day?” she asked.
“Considering we were shot at, I’d say we’re doing just fine,” I said.
“Do you have an appointment with Dr. Thomas?” Sophia asked as she walked into the elevator with us.
“No, we’re here to see the coroner unless Misha has returned to the hospital.”
“What are you talking about?”
“No need to remind us about the privacy policy of the hospital,” Eleanor said. “Sheriff Peterson told us when Misha went AWOL from the hospital.”
Sophia frowned. “He suffered a very traumatic event in his life. I’m sure he’s not aware of the medical ramifications of leaving before the doctor cleared him.”
“Or he could be fleeing to elude Sheriff Peterson,” I said. “He didn’t even get the chance to speak with him since Peterson had to stop a woman from strangling him right here at the hospital.”
“I heard about that. I would have thought the sheriff would have stuck around longer before leaving.”
“I’m sure he was more concerned about interviewing the suspects back at the station.”
“He figured Misha wasn’t going anywhere since he just woke up,” Eleanor added.
“I hope you’re able to find him. There’s no telling what might happen if he has a relapse.”
“We’ll find him. And I agree with you. Who knows what might happen to him if we don’t find him before the killer does?”
“You think the killer is still out there?” Sophia asked.
“I wouldn’t say it was a coincidence that we were shot at the same day Misha woke up at the hospital.”
“So the killer really came to the hospital to finish him off.” Eleanor gasped.
“Then we became the target because apparently the killer knows who we are,” I said.
Sophia’s eyes widened, and she gave me a hug. “Please be careful. I don’t want to lose you, Gramms.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not about to let the killer get away with it.”
We parted ways with Sophia on the third floor. Smitty was just opening his door to leave when we hurried over there.
“I hope you’re not leaving,” I said.
“Not anymore apparently.” He laughed as he walked back into his office.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Smitty, but we’ve been thinking about the bloodstains on the floor of the pole barn at the crime scene. We found evidence that supports the murder happened in the field and not in the barn.”
“What evidence?”
“I’d rather not go into it,” I said.
“That’s hardly fair.”
“Fine,” Eleanor said. “We found shotgun shells near a tree stand.”
“Ah, I see.” Smitty typed a password into his computer and clicked the mouse. “Hmm.” He continued to scan the screen. He swiveled on his seat to face us. “The blood belongs to Constance.”
“There was a trail of blood from the pole barn,” Eleanor reminded me.
“It hard to believe she was able to leave the barn if she was shot there,” I said. “And there were shotgun shell casings near the tree stand.”
“You’re right.”
“She was shot outside?” I asked.
“Or in the barn?” Eleanor sighed.
“She was shot more than once and by two separate firearms. I determined she was initially shot with a handgun in the abdomen, but the shotgun blast to her chest killed her.”
Eleanor nodded. “So we were both right.”
“The only thing that has me stumped is that was there one killer or two?”
Eleanor and I walked into Sheriff Peterson’s office and sat down. Peterson was on the phone and swiveled his chair away from us. An apparent effort to conceal what or whom he was talking to.
“Thank you the information,” Peterson said as he swiveled back toward us and hung up the phone.
“We just spoke to the coroner,” I began. “Did he tell you two separate weapons were used to kill Constance?”
“There might be two suspects,” Eleanor said. “One person shot Constance in the barn with a handgun, and the other person finished her outside.”
“Why would she run to the field and not in her house though,” I wondered.
“Maybe the suspect’s vehicle was parked in her driveway and she knew she couldn’t escape that way,” Eleanor offered.
“Where do you think that leaves Misha?” Peterson asked.
“He could have shot Constance in the pole barn with a handgun,” I said.
“Right, and whoever finished Constance outside rendered Misha uncon
scious to throw the sheriff off the trail,” Eleanor said.
“They might have wanted to off Misha so he couldn’t go to the cops.”
Peterson leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know. Your theory is a good one, but what have you learned about Constance? Have you found anyone who would want her dead?”
“It’s anyone’s guess because she wasn’t a nice woman,” I said. “And she didn’t have any friends that we could find.”
“Harvey Farmer didn’t have a horrible opinion of her,” Eleanor reminded me.
“Who is Harvey Farmer?” Peterson asked.
“He runs a petting farm in Tawas City. He told us to speak to Constance about borrowing some of her rabbits for the egg hunt on Saturday.”
“And you know the rest,” Eleanor added.
“According to the ex-husband, they had a civil divorce,” Peterson said. “The children agreed with their father.”
“We received the same information, but Constance’s daughter seemed to believe her mother might have cheated on their father,” Eleanor said.
“She moved Misha in shortly after he divorced Bonnie Sue. And after Constance divorced Gary,” I added.
“Have you found any proof that’s true?”
“No, and I don’t see how I could now unless we find Misha.”
“That’s the problem I’m having. It’s like he’s disappeared into thin air.”
“We just came from the hospital, and he hasn’t shown up there,” Eleanor said.
“Where are you off to next?”
“I really don’t know.”
“Have you spoken to Erin’s husband yet?”
“No, we were saving that for last.” My teeth worried my lip. “I’d hate to be the one to tell him his wife cheated on him.”
“How can we really be certain there was an affair?” Eleanor asked.
“Why would she lie?”
“To cover something up, something she doesn’t want us to know.”
“Fine, we’ll talk to her husband, but I’m not going to like it.”
“Keep in touch,” Peterson said.
“Is Bobbie Sue and Bonnie Sue in lockup?” Eleanor asked.
“I released Bonnie Sue, and she bailed out her sister.”
“Is she being charged for attacking Misha at the hospital?” I asked.
Easter Eggs and Shotgun Shells Page 13
