by Marja McGraw
Eloise smiled. “My father’s cousins may not have been bootleggers, but I’m sure they’d agree about being in a dangerous business.”
Chapter Twelve
Eloise stood and walked behind the bar. “Look what I found on a shelf in the back bar.” She held up a worn and dated baseball bat. “I’ll bet they used this to keep the customers in line when they had too much to drink.”
Pete held out his hand and she handed him the bat. “I think you may be right. It looks like there’s a bloodstain on the business end of this bat.”
Stanley reached for it and Pete gave it to him. “I don’t believe I would have frequented this type of establishment, but you never know.” He grinned. “May I keep this as a souvenir of this case?”
Eloise looked surprised, but she nodded. “I have no need for it. I can’t imagine thinking of it as a souvenir though.”
Pete and I glanced at each other. We, too, were surprised.
“I think we can wrap things up for today,” Pete said. He glanced at our client. “We’ll pick you up around eight-thirty tomorrow morning. I’ll call Edgar’s son and let him know you’re coming with us.”
Eloise began gathering the lunch leftovers and tossing them in her basket. “I’ll be ready. I’m curious to meet Edgar. I just hope he can remember something – anything – from the days of the speakeasy.”
Felicity and I helped her pick things while Stanley took one more swing with the sledge hammer. He grinned from ear to ear when one more piece of the wall fell in. We watched when he stuck his head through the hole to see if anything turned up. There was nothing of interest in the space.
Pete walked Eloise to her car before we left. After all, someone had threatened her, and we didn’t know who it could be. He warned her to lock up tight that night and suggested she call the police and then us if anything else happened.
We drove home and I walked over to Dolly’s to retrieve the dogs and bring them to our place. Of course, she wanted an update before I left. I told her that we might have discovered the identity of the woman whose body we’d found.
“I’ll bet it would have been fun to hang out at one of those speakeasies. I think doing something illegal and sneaky like that might make people open up and have more fun.” Dolly looked quite serious.
“You really believe that?” I asked.
“Sure. It might have been called Prohibition, but I’d guess those gin mills made people feel less inhibited. Not the drinking, but like a kid stealing a piece of candy and getting away with it.”
“Actually, you have a point.”
“By the way, I won’t be able to watch the dogs tomorrow,” Dolly said. “My granddaughter is picking me up so we can go birthday shopping for Tammi.”
Tammi is Dolly’s great-granddaughter.
“Have fun, and I’ll pick something up for her, too,” I said.
I knew Dolly’s relatives from once working on a case for her granddaughter.
“The dogs can stay at home for a change.”
I turned to Bubba and Clem, ready to leave. His head rested on one of his paws, and hers rested on the other one. What a pair!
“Come on, let’s go home.”
Bubba jumped up so fast that Clem tumbled over on her side. Pulling herself up, she gave him a look that said, Idiot! I guess doggie crushes don’t cover all events.
We spent a quiet evening, playing with the dogs and talking about the case. We were both anxious to talk to Edgar.
“Don’t be surprised if he can’t tell us much,” Pete said.
“You never know. We could be in for a few surprises if he’s having a good day.”
~ * ~
Although fall was in the air, we arose to a bright, sunny and warm day. I hoped that was a portent of what was to come – an omen of good things, not disaster.
I checked the dogs’ water before we left. They’d have to stay home this time.
My mood was good. I had high expectations for our meeting with Edgar.
We picked Eloise up as planned, and she seemed to be feeling happy and expectant, too.
The drive to the assisted living facility where Edgar lived took about half an hour. We were a little early, so we stopped at a coffee house and picked up drinks. As we pulled into the parking lot I glanced at my watch. We were on time.
A gentleman pulled into the lot right behind us. While Eloise and I gathered our purses and coffee cups, the man exited his car and approached us.
He was of average height with just a bit of a paunch. Appearing to be in his seventies, he had brown hair that was turning grey. His eyes were sparkling and he had a pleasant face.
Pete had already gotten out of the car and he came around to open our doors.
“Excuse me,” the man said, “but are you the Goldbergs?”
“That would be us,” Pete replied. “You must be Ollie Barrow?”
“Yes.” He glanced at Eloise. “And who is the lovely lady who’s accompanying you?”
“I’m Eloise Neuchase.”
“I’m sorry, but I must have heard you wrong. What’s the name again?”
“Neuchase. Neuchase. Eloise Neuchase.” She enunciated very carefully.
“I thought you said – “
“I know what you thought, but I said Neuchase.” She sounded annoyed, but quickly caught herself. “People often mishear my name. It’s not an issue.”
He glanced at Pete as though wondering why she’d accompanied us.
Pete understood. “Eloise is here because your father knew her father, Archie Glosser. She thought it might help if Edgar could relate to her through the memory of her father. I planned on calling you to let you know she was coming with us, but I forgot. My apologies.”
Ollie looked dubious. “We’ll see. It’s difficult to tell from moment to moment how my father will react to people. Well, follow me. One of the nurses said she’d warn him that company is coming.”
We followed him inside and waited while he signed himself in. The home kept a record of all visitors, and we had to sign in, too.
A nurse glanced up from her desk and nodded. “Good morning, Mr. Barrow. Your father is doing well this morning. He seems excited about having company.”
He glanced at us. “I’m the only one who ever visits him.”
We followed him down a hall and around a corner to his father’s room.
The building had a mild odor, reminding me of nursing homes I’d visited, but apparently this place was careful about cleaning. The smell wasn’t overpowering.
Ollie stopped and opened a door. “Dad?”
A shaky and mildly weak voice said, “Come in. Come in. Becky said you’d be here this morning.”
“Becky is one of the nurses,” Ollie said over his shoulder. “By the way, speak up. He’s a bit hard of hearing.”
I tried to look around him, but he seemed to fill the doorway.
“I brought company, Dad,” he said loudly.
“Well, it’s about time,” the old man said. “I could use a visitor other than you once in a while.”
He didn’t sound cranky, but more like he was teasing his son.
Ollie entered the small apartment-like room and we followed him.
I glanced around. There was a small living room/kitchenette and a bedroom off to the side. I noticed there was a small refrigerator, but no stove of any kind other than a microwave, and there was one cupboard, which stood open. It held a few coffee cups and a couple of plates. There was also a small sink.
And then I glanced at the man. His hair was wispy, but he wasn’t all that wrinkled. He looked like he was in pretty good shape for a ninety-eight year old man. He sat up as straight as he could in his wheelchair and held out his hand, looking at Pete. The man’s eyes were quite watery, something that seemed to come with age. He was slender, but had a paunch much like his son’s.
Pete stepped forward and gently shook the man’s hand.
Ollie turned to his father. “Dad, this is Pete. I’ll let the
women introduce themselves.”
“Good morning,” I said. “I’m Sandi, Pete’s wife.”
“And I’m Eloise Neuchase.”
Edgar looked confused and narrowed his eyes. “What did she say?”
She smiled at him. “Nevermind. Just call me Eloise.”
He smiled at her. “I like you, young lady.”
Ollie’s eyebrows raised slightly. “He never makes snap decisions about people,” he said softly.
“We’re off to a good start,” I said, also speaking softly.
“What are you people whispering about?” Edgar didn’t seem to want to miss anything.
“Sorry,” Pete said loudly. “We’re here to ask a few questions about the old days.”
“The old days, huh? Which old days? I’ve had lots of them.”
Pete chuckled. “We’d like to pick your brain about the time you worked at the speakeasy. Do you remember those days?”
It was the old man’s turn to chuckle. “Ah, yes. I remember them well. I was just a kid back then – an observant kid. What do you want to know? What do you even know about speakeasies?”
“We’re particularly interested in the H & H Diner. Do you remember working there?”
“Oh, yes,” he said loudly. “How could I forget that place?”
He shook his head.
“It was a crazy time.”
Eloise pulled a chair next to Edgar’s wheelchair and sat down. “Do you remember Archie Glosser?”
He rubbed his chin. “I remember a kid named Archie. He was a cousin to Horace and Harley. Pool ol’ Horace. He was murdered, don’t ya know.”
“That’s why we’re here,” she said. “Sandi and Pete are private detectives and they’re going to help me figure out who killed him.”
“Oh, everyone thought his brother did it. Harley disappeared right after the dirty deed was done.”
I glanced at Ollie. Should we tell Edgar what happened to Harley?
He nodded.
I squatted in front of Edgar and looked up, into his eyes. “Harley was murdered, too. He didn’t kill his brother.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Well, I’ll be…” Edgar shook his head in sorrow. “Harley was murdered? I really liked those boys. Hmm. At the time they were men and I was the boy. They were kind, and they took me under their wings.”
He turned to Eloise.
“Say, why were you asking about Archie?”
“He was my father,” she replied.
“My, my. Little Archie had a daughter. That kid was always underfoot. He just wanted to be in on everything, but his cousins were always sending him to run errands.”
Eloise decided it was time to explain things. “Edgar, my father never believed that Harley murdered Horace. He did a lot of research, but he couldn’t figure out what really happened. So I hired Sandi and Pete to pick up where my father left off. In the process, we discovered Harley’s body, and that of a woman whom we now know to be Loretta Simms. She – “
Edgar cut her off. “Let me have a minute to take all of this in.”
He rubbed his lips together and stared at his heavily veined hands, which rested in his lap. I noticed he was shaking, but I didn’t know if it was from age or shock.
Ollie tapped me on the shoulder. “May I speak to you outside?” He looked angry.
I nodded and followed him out to the hallway.
“I think you should have told me about Loretta Simms. My father just about worshipped the ground that woman walked on, and he always thought she and Harley ran away together. At my dad’s age, the last thing he needs is that kind of surprise.”
“I’m truly sorry,” I said. “I thought Pete told you about Loretta.”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Did your father talk about her a lot?”
His face softened. “When my parents would have a tiff, Dad would say, ‘I knew I should have stuck with Loretta.’ That would make my mother laugh because she knew there was nothing between them, and they’d make up. So I finally asked him who this other woman was, and he explained it to me.”
“Did he really have a crush on her?”
“Oh, yes. He had a big crush on her until he thought she ran away with Harley. What you’ve just told him puts a whole new light on things.”
“Again, I’m sorry. Shall we go back inside?”
Ollie opened the door and walked in without replying.
We found Edgar holding Eloise’s hand.
I glanced at Ollie, who studied his father, and saw that his expression has softened.
“So you’re Archie’s little girl. Who’d he end up marrying?”
Trying to lighten things up, Eloise replied, “My mother.”
The old man laughed. “And who might that be?”
“Margaret Sutton.”
“Don’t know her,” he said. “I’ll bet she was a pip though.”
“Oh, she was. My father met his match and didn’t let her go.”
Edgar was beginning to look tired, and his son gave me a meaningful look.
I tipped my head and looked at the old man. “Would you mind if we ask a couple of questions? Then we’ll let you get your rest.”
He chuckled. “I haven’t felt this peppy in a long time. I’m enjoying thinking about the old days.”
I smiled at him and forged ahead. “Do you recall something about Horace and Harley having words because they both had a thing for Loretta?”
“Oh, yes, but they weren’t the only ones, and it never got serious – the arguments, I mean. Men flocked around that songbird. She liked them and they liked her. I can recall more than one fight caused by her flirtatious ways.”
He was quiet for a moment and then turned his watery eyes on me.
“There was one boy who tried to get her attention. I remember because the brothers laughed at him and he told me later that he’d get even with them for humiliating him.”
“Who was that?” Pete asked.
“I remember him well because he made a name for himself over the years. It was Jeffrey Windsor. As young as he was, he got involved in bootlegging. Later he started a business. I can’t remember, but it seems like it was beer or wine or something. Anyway, he figured being a bootlegger gave him more of a chance with the ladies. It made him think he was hot stuff.”
Pete and I exchanged knowing glances. We knew that name. Stanley was making an appointment for us to talk with him.
Edgar tapped his index finger on his knee. “No, wait. I think I’m getting some of the people mixed up. I think maybe Windsor did have his way with her. Oh, phooey! I can’t remember who it was they humiliated. It might have been Bruce something-or-other.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might have had it in for Horace and Harley?” Eloise asked.
Edgar reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. “I’ll have to think about it. I like you. Would you come to see me again? I’ll have my son make a list for you.”
He stopped talking and sat quietly.
“Of course I’ll come back. I’d like to talk to you more about my father and the people who were around in those days. From what I’ve heard – “
The old man looked into Eloise’s eyes. “Who are you again?”
“Eloise, Archie’s daughter.”
“Who’s Archie?” He’d begun to sound agitated.
“I think that’s enough for today,” Ollie said, placing a blanket over his father’s knees. “Dad is wearing out. He needs his rest.”
Edgar nodded at his son. “I wish I could ask you all to stay, but this young man is right. I’m feelin’ run down and tired. I’m sure I had fun visiting with you, though. Now if I could just remember who you all are.”
Eloise gently patted his shoulder. “We’ll come back another time.”
“Soon?”
“Yes.”
“I do enjoy company.” I had a feeling he was talking to himself rather than us.
Ollie walked out to the hall with us. “I
f he remembers any names, I’ll let you know, but it won’t be today. He’s slipping into his own world now. I believe he really enjoyed talking to you. He may not always remember yesterday or today, but he can remember things from his youth.”
I nodded. “Thank you for your time. I’d love to come visit him again, if just to talk and keep him company.”
“I’ll let you know if that’s possible.”
We walked out of the assisted living facility quietly. Meeting Edgar had turned into something we hadn’t expected. He seemed like a sweet man, but I was afraid our short visit had worn him out.
On our walk to the car, Eloise stopped and looked at me. “We need some suspects. They can’t all be dead, and who threw that rock through my window? I think there’s more to this than we realize.”
“I think you’re right,” Pete said. “The note attached to the rock said to leave the past in the past. Someone doesn’t want us looking into the murders, although I can’t imagine who would still be worried about it today.”
“Maybe we’ll get some answers when we talk to Jeffrey Windsor,” I said. “From what Edgar said, there were any number of men who had a crush on Loretta.”
Eloise laughed. “With any luck, some of them might still be alive. I’m sure not all of them were on the list Stanley has. Some customers must have paid with cash.”
“You could be right,” Pete said. “Between Stanley’s research and our questioning, we’ll come up with something.”
We drove Eloise home and headed for our office, where we found Stanley busily typing something before stopping to read what came up on the computer.
“What’s up?” Pete asked.
“I may be onto something. I’ve been researching Jeffrey Windsor and his company, and it seems there are a few years missing from his background.” He glanced up. “From the time of his youth, and not long after Horace was murdered. There’s information about his bootlegging days, but then he goes off the grid, so to speak. He suddenly returns and he’s become legitimate. I can’t explain it, but those missing years disturb me.”
“Me, too,” I said. When working on a case, it always bothered me when a period of time couldn’t be accounted for, especially when multiple murders were involved. Uh huh, like I’d worked on so many multiple murder cases. Oh! I had. “Were you able to set up an appointment with him for us?”
