by Curry, Edna
“Do I look stupid?” He gave her another quick kiss. “Bye now. I’ll call you.”
***
As I drove back to Landers, curiosity about the dead body got the better of me. I pulled off the highway onto the road around Deer Lake. I knew better than to get close to the scene, but since I’d worked on various homes around the lake, I thought I might recognize the house.
I was right. Police vehicles lined the road leading to a home set back along the lake, well hidden by trees. I knew that house, but I didn’t know who lived there now. It had been empty and for sale when I’d changed the locks there about six months ago. My client had been the real estate agent. Disappointed, I drove on around the circle and headed on to town. Might as well get some sleep.
***
The next morning, burning with curiosity, I drove into Landers and joined the morning coffee crowd for breakfast at the local hangout, The Flame Restaurant. I knew it was the best place to get answers. The Flame is a simple, family type place with a u-shaped coffee bar and booths at one end of the long building and a dining area with tables at the other end. The coffee shop was where the locals congregated for breakfast and gossip. Most of the room is visible from outside through large windows.
This morning two women, a half dozen older men and two couples filled the area. I didn’t recognize the couples, so decided they were probably traveling through. The rest were regulars, so I positioned myself at the bar close enough to eavesdrop or even join the conversation. People there thought nothing of talking across tables and booths to each other.
As I expected, the discovery of another dead body last night was the talk of the town. Small town gossip isn’t always accurate, of course. But now that Chance was talking to me, at least by phone, I could check with him for the truth, later. In the meantime, I’d take whatever I could get.
“Did you hear they found a body out on Deer Lake?” Melinda asked.
“Yeah, but I haven’t gotten any details yet. What have you heard?” I returned, signaling to the waitress for coffee. “And one of those cinnamon rolls,” I added. “They smell delicious.”
The waitress sidled over, plopped down a white mug and began filling it. “A young man out of the cities, I heard.”
“Oh. Nobody we know, then?”
She shrugged and moved on down the counter, refilling cups with the fragrant brew as she went.
Melinda pouted at the waitress, evidently peeved that she’d gotten in the news before her.
Harriet sent Melinda a superior smile. “The cops will be in for coffee soon. Then we’ll find out the truth.”
I nodded. “But you know it’ll take them a while out there. They may not make it in for coffee today. Might be lunch time before the coroner and forensics guys get done, you know.”
“Wanna bet?” Melinda smirked. She pointed out the window where Deputy Roger was parking his squad car.
Everyone turned to watch him climb out and stride into the coffee shop. When he settled at the counter instead of the back booth where he usually met his buddies, they all grinned at each other. The waitress hurried over with a mug and poured his coffee. “You’re alone today?”
“Yeah. Needed some decent coffee. And one of those cinnamon rolls,” Roger muttered. “The others will be late today, if they make it in at all.”
“What’s happening, Roger?” Harvey asked.
Roger shrugged and drank his coffee. “I don’t know any more than you do yet. Young Caucasian male out on Deer Lake, late twenties, early thirties. No ID yet.”
“That’s more than we knew!” Melinda exclaimed.
“How’d he die?” Harvey asked, his eyes wide.
“I don’t know that, yet, either.”
The waitress put a plate with his cinnamon roll down in front of Roger. He picked up the roll and took a big bite. I’ve never seen Roger eat anything in a slow, deliberate way. He nearly always gulps his food like he’s afraid he won’t have time to finish. On second thought, maybe he’s right about that. His pager buzzed before he’d swallowed the second mouthful and he jumped up, mumbling, “Be right back,” to the waitress. He strode outside, pulled out his cell phone and we could see him talking and pacing on the sidewalk outside the big windows.
In a minute he came back in, mumbled, “Gotta go. Another call. Gimme some coffee to go.”
“What’s up, Roger?” Harvey pressed.
Roger just shook his head. He finished the roll in two bites, washed it down with the contents of his cup and threw down some bills. He grabbed the covered Styrofoam cup the waitress handed him and dashed off. We all turned to watch him leave. He turned on his siren which echoed through the building, ran the stoplight at the corner and sped off across the bridge into Wisconsin. He works for our Minnesota county, as does Chance, but the police in both states help each other out all the time.
I had a pretty good idea he was headed out to Deer Lake to the scene of the crime, but didn’t pass on the info. I was only guessing, but everyone would assume I knew what I was talking about, because my relationship to the sheriff’s department was no secret. Nothing ever is in a small town. So, no point in being quoted and then be blamed as the source of bad info if I was wrong. I hoped nothing urgent happened around here, since it looked like the entire police force was out of the area.
Chapter 6
Hopping into my car, I headed back to my house in Canton, to pick up the details of my schedule and check for any messages. I’d thought it safer to let the answering machine pick them up than to forward them to my cell when I was trying to take a little fun time. I’d forgotten to check it this morning or switch it back to forwarding calls again.
When I walked in my door, my answering machine blinked at me. Playing it, I found a message from the sheriff department’s dispatch asking me to change the locks at a crime scene at Deer Lake. Could I do it ASAP?
Yes! The real estate agent she named was the same one I’d dealt with before and I could satisfy my curiosity along with making a buck. I grinned and hurried to get back into my working duds. Because I’d just rekeyed that house, I knew what kind of locks I’d be working on, so I checked to be sure I had the correct key blanks, my pinning kit, and my key machine, then got into my van and drove back across the bridge into Wisconsin.
I followed the winding road around the lake to the crime scene. As I got near, Dave, a tall young deputy I only knew by sight, flagged me down, informing me I could go no further.
“I got a call from dispatch telling me I’m supposed to rekey the locks on this house,” I replied.
He spoke into his phone, then, evidently getting permission, waved me through.
The coroner’s vehicle and the ambulance no longer sat outside; they had apparently left with the body. I was glad, because my stomach was a little queasy when it came to blood and dead bodies. Chance’s vehicle and several police cars lined the driveway.
The two story wooden frame house was fairly new, with lots of windows. Tall evergreens surrounded the house and the lakeshore behind it. Neglected flower beds circled the front and one side beside the driveway.
Chance was busy when I stepped inside. He sent me a quick smile, then ignored me, so I took his cue and did the same as I went about my business. Two could play the ‘I barely know you’ game, even if it hurt that he felt he had to do that.
I’d almost finished when Chance came over to the table where I was working.
He thrust his cell phone in front of me with a close up picture of a man on the screen. “Know this guy?”
I looked closer. “Yeah. I don’t know his name, but it’s the guy I opened the car for the morning of Mildred’s murder.”
Chance sighed. “I thought there might be a connection. Two murders so close together is too big a coincidence in my experience.”
My stomach tightened and I managed a look at him as I quipped, “Good thing you know where I was last night then, huh?”
He’d evidently totally forgotten those hot kisses in his c
ar. He sent me a sour look. “You know I had no choice but to leave your name on my suspect list for Mildred’s death.”
I backed off. No point in asking for trouble. I can get into enough all by myself. “I know, Chance.”
“Have you remembered anything other than what you told me earlier about this guy?”
“No,” I answered, trying to rethink anything I might have missed.
“Well, at least we have a picture and fingerprints now. I’ll use those to try to ID him.”
No one else was within earshot, so I opted to ask for more information, just to satisfy my own curiosity. “Do you know why he was killed? Or how?”
Chance shrugged. “How is easy. Gunshot behind the ear, execution style. Who knows why? We found traces of what looks like cocaine in the bathroom. I’d say it’s probably a drug deal gone bad.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. I really, really hate illegal drugs. They cause so much pain for so many people. “Did he have a gun? I mean, he was behind the Lilliput Bar that night. So could he be the one who shot Mildred?”
Chance glanced at me sharply. “Don’t know yet. But it’s possible.”
Footsteps echoed in the next room and Chance moved away from me, snapped his cell phone closed and pocketed it. I bent to my work as Sheriff Ben stepped into the room. He glanced suspiciously from me to Chance.
“We’ll be co-operating fully with Sheriff George on this case, since you’re the only officer with homicide experience in the area. So, you got everything you need here, Chance?”
“I still have to search the rest of the house. Deputy Tom’s doing the garage and car. Cassie just confirmed our victim was her client the night of Mildred’s murder, so we should probably look for a connection between the two deaths.”
Ben eyed me. “Oh yeah?”
I shrugged and began picking up my stuff.
Ben smirked. “And where were you last night, Missy?”
I froze and dared a glance at Chance. Would he admit to being with me?
He shot Ben a sour look. “Out of town, with me.”
Ben turned red, sent us both a nasty look. His mouth opened as though to speak, then he clamped his lips together, spun on his heel and stomped out, leaving us alone again.
I heaved a relieved sigh. “Yikes. That was close. I thought sure he’d fire you, but he didn’t.”
Chance snorted. “Not yet, you mean.”
“Thanks for getting me off the hook, Chance. I really don’t think he likes me. I think he’d like to stick me with both killings.”
“Not as long as I’m around.” He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a fierce kiss.
I returned the embrace and kissed him back, reveling in the wonderful warmth of his body and breathing in his scent.
At last he released me. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
I left the new keys in the place the real estate agent had requested and decided to go to the Cozy Corner to meet Ardis for lunch. I called to see if she’d taken her lunch break yet. I knew she was anxious to hear about Chance. How was I going to explain how fast we’d gotten way beyond acquaintances?
***
I drove back to Canton and parked at the Cozy Corner. There were only a few cars in the lot, testifying to my having missed the main noon rush.
When I entered, the scents of liver and fried onions met my nose. My mouth watered. Contrary to most people, that is one of my favorite meals. I found Ardis at our favorite back corner table, drinking coffee.
“Hi,” I greeted her. “I hope you haven’t put in my order yet?”
She grinned. “Nope, I haven’t. Want the liver? I figured that would tempt you.”
I laughed and nodded. “You know me too well. Lucky for you lots of other people like it, too.” A waitress appeared with my coffee, took our orders and retreated.
“Yeah, it’s pretty popular,” Ardis said, continuing our conversation as though we hadn’t been interrupted. “There’s usually only one or two in a family who like it, so they order it in a restaurant rather than listen to the rest of the family gripe about having to eat it for dinner at home.”
I nodded, sat and sipped my coffee.
“So what gives with the murder investigation?” Ardis asked.
I sighed. “You heard about the second murder?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Another one? What is going on in this area? Who was it this time?”
“I have no idea what’s happening. But the second murder was at a house I’d rekeyed earlier. And worse, the victim was the guy I opened the car for behind the Lilliput, the night Mildred was shot. Weird, huh?”
“Oh, no,” Ardis said. “Cassie, I don’t like this. Too many connections to you.”
“I know,” I said, my stomach clenching in agreement with her worry. “But luckily, this time I have a good alibi.”
“You do? What is it?”
“I was at the Turtle Lake Casino last night with Chance.”
The waitress brought our food, a salad for Ardis and my liver and onions. I asked for mustard and she went back to get it.
Ardis gaped at me. “With Chance? Already? The last time we talked, you hadn’t even met him and now you had a date with him? And you didn’t even tell me, your best friend forever?”
I laughed self-consciously. “Hey, it wasn’t really a date. We just sort of met there ‘cause Ben thinks Chance should stay clear of showing favoritism to anyone connected to the case. Ben doesn’t want any talk, you know, with the election coming up.”
“Was it your first ‘sort of meeting’?”
“Well, no, we keep running into each other. Like I had supper at the Lilliput the other night and he stopped in also, and it was crowded, so we shared a table.”
“Uh huh.” Ardis smirked at me.
“Well, I was there first. I suppose he might have seen my car there and assumed I was inside eating.” My pulse sped up at that thought. It hadn’t occurred to me that Chance had stopped to eat there because I was there. Had he? Was he a little bit interested in me?
“So what do you think of Chance?” Ardis asked. “Is he as special as everyone says?”
“Definitely,” I said. I sipped my coffee. “He jumped in to defend me to Ben, admitting we’d been together all evening. I really hadn’t expected that. I don’t know what I’d expected. That he’d keep quiet, I guess. But he didn’t, even though the sheriff is obviously displeased with him for seeing me.”
“So, you’re off the hook as a suspect?” Ardis stabbed a forkful of salad and ate it.
“For this murder, yes. But I’m still on the list for Mildred’s,” I said with a sigh. I cut up more liver and dabbed a piece in yellow mustard. “Um, this is good. Lots of fried onions, just the way I like them, too.”
“Oh, you and onions,” Ardis said with a laugh. “They give me gas.”
“I had onion rings at the Lilliput the other night,” I said. “Chance loves them too.”
“Oh, that’s great. You both love onions.” Ardis hooted.
“Okay, okay, so it’s a silly thing to like. But at least he didn’t laugh at me for eating them, just shared them with me.”
Ardis sobered. “Seriously, Cassie, what are you doing to get yourself off his list of suspects? Besides getting him to date you, I mean?”
I shrugged. “What can I do? I’ve given him a DNA sample, but they won’t get results back for weeks, I hear.”
Ardis blanched. “A DNA sample? Whatever for?”
“The sheriff demanded one from everyone on their suspect list. Apparently, the coroner said that Mildred had some skin under her fingernails.”
“She scratched the person who shot her?”
“That’s what they think, yes.”
“So why don’t they look for someone with scratches?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Why don’t you suggest that to the sheriff? He comes in here for lunch fairly often, I hear. He doesn’t listen to me.”
“Huh. Me, neither. But it seems like t
he logical thing to do, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. But hard telling where she scratched him. Or her. Could be where it’s easy to cover up with long sleeves or something, especially now that the weather is getting colder.” I picked up my coffee and drank some.
“I suppose.”
Just then, my cell phone rang. I opened it and smiled, then mouthed, ‘Chance’ at Ardis.
“Hello?”
“Cassie, we found a car in the woods near the house where that guy was killed. Does this look like the car you opened for him the night Mildred was shot?” He sent a picture of a new blue Ford sedan.
“Sure looks like it. Did you check the license number?”
“Yeah, same number. But the number’s not registered to this car.”
“Well, we knew he was up to no good. Obviously, he switched plates.”
Chance laughed. “Smarty pants.”
Ardis giggled and Chance added, “Who’s there with you?”
“My friend, Ardis. I’m having lunch at the Cozy Corner.”
“Oh. She works there, doesn’t she?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Show her this picture of the guy. Maybe she’ll recognize him as a customer. We know he’s been in the area at least a couple of times. He could have eaten there.”
“Okay.” I waited a moment for the picture to come through, then showed it to Ardis.
“Chance wants to know if you’ve seen this guy in here. He’s my client who turned up dead this morning on Deer Lake.”
Ardis frowned at the picture, then nodded. “Sure. He’s the double cheeseburger with extra fried onions, no pickle, double order of fries. He came in fairly often, usually later in the evening. I don’t know his name, but I can get it for you off the charge slips. He used a charge card.”
I laughed at the way she identified people by their ‘usual’ order. I relayed that info to Chance.
“Great. Tell Ardis I’ll stop by later to get the info and see if she remembers anything else. Thanks for the help.”
“Don’t mention it.” I hung up and relayed what he’d said, then sipped my coffee.
“Oh, goodie,” Ardis said. “I’ll get to meet him myself. Still, you haven’t told me much about you and Chance. Has he kissed you yet?”
