Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 04 - Trouble in Tawas

by Madison Johns

  “Where do you think you two are going?”

  “I just heard they found a body at the beach earlier.”

  The trooper’s lips curled into a frown. “You know I can’t tell you anything.”

  I tried to look around him, but a yellow tarp was up. Obviously they were concealing the body or crime scene. “Then what’s up with the tarp?”

  “Go home, both of you.”

  “We’re on a case and this might be related to Raul’s death.”

  He stepped back. “I could only guess who’d hire you.”

  “S-She means we are doing our own investigation.”

  He shook his head. “Is Sheriff Peterson behind this?”

  “Of course not! You know we don’t get along.”

  His face stiffened. “I wonder, but I’m too busy here to worry. Either leave my crime scene or I’ll have you arrested. The decision is up to you.”

  “Arrested for what?”

  “Interfering in an ongoing investigation for one.”

  I stepped back across the police tape. “Fine, but can you tell me if the victim here was murdered?”

  “Is it a woman or man?” El asked.

  He shook his head and walked away. “Well, I’ll be. He wouldn’t tell us anything.”

  “What did you expect, Aggie? That he’d let us see the body?”

  “I wish we’d have found the body. Now all we’ll get is a generic description from the news.”

  A news truck pulled up and reporters ran to the scene. Cameras were pointed at us and a reporter in a short skirt shoved a microphone in my face. “Did you find the body?”

  “Nope, it wasn’t us.”

  “Aren’t you investigators Agnes Barton and Eleanor Mason?”

  El smiled. “We sure are and the police wouldn’t tell us anything if that could be believed. I smell a cover up.”

  “We’ll be looking into the matter is what my friend here means,” I interjected.

  “We found Raul Perez’s body yesterday though.”

  “How did he die?”

  I shushed up El. “We’re not at liberty to say.”

  “He fell down the stairs,” El volunteered. “We’re investigating the case.”

  My eyes widened and I grabbed hold of El’s hand and tugged her back to the car. Before I was able to get back in the wagon I had to shove the microphone out of my face. “No comment!” I shouted. We sat in the car panting as the news crew surrounded us like hornets. “Good going, El. You need to learn to shut your yap. We’ll be lucky if we aren’t arrested later today.”

  “The public deserves the truth.”

  “Not when it puts our freedom in question. I’d rather investigate a little quieter. I can’t believe you suggested there was a cover up.”

  “But Trooper Sales was—”

  “Just doing his job. You heard the man. It’s going to be hard to investigate if we’re locked in the slammer.”

  El puffed up her chest and stared out the window. I honked the horn and fired up the engine. As I shifted the car into gear the news crew let us through. I made the turn onto US 23 and took a dirt road, driving into the country. When I saw a suspicious blue pickup truck parked alongside the road, I pulled over a few feet from it.

  “What gives, Aggie?”

  “I’m gonna check out this truck is what.”

  “What on earth for? I thought we were looking for a Hummer or a black sedan.”

  I rolled my eyes as I stepped out. “We have a possible murder at the beach,” I whispered. “What if this truck was involved?”

  “Oh, Aggie. If someone offed someone at the beach, they’d be long gone.”

  “What’s it gonna hurt to check?”

  “Oh I don’t know. We could get offed ourselves comes to mind.”

  “Where’s the adventurous part of you, El? You know, the one that isn’t afraid of anyone or anything.”

  “She’s in here, but she doesn’t want to be part of checking out some creepy truck parked in the middle of nowhere.”

  I pursed my lips and then opened the door. “You can either come with me or sit here like some kind of sniveling little girl. Maybe I should call Dorothy Alton. She was helpful on our last case.”

  That got El moving. She opened the door and pranced out, following me from a distance. It’s just an ordinary truck, I thought, nothing at all to worry about. I looked in the bed of the blue truck and my eyes widened at what I saw—

  Chapter Ten Eleven

  “Of all the dirty tricks,” I muttered. Inside the truck were signs—Sheriff Peterson’s political yard signs! I knew they weren’t being put up because the bottoms were covered in dirt. Someone had yanked them out. I was certain of it.

  “Aggie, what’s going on here?” El asked.

  “Someone is trying to derail the sheriff’s election bid.”

  She stared at the signs and then said, “Maybe someone is putting them up.”

  “No, Peterson’s campaign manager put them up a month ago. I remember distinctly him telling me that!”

  “What do you think is happening then?”

  Just then three women stumbled towards us—Mrs. Barry and the Canary sisters! My mouth gaped open… Mrs. Barry froze… and El moved into action. She snatched a political sign, and sure enough, it belonged to Sheriff Peterson. “What do you think you’re doing here?” El blurted out.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Obviously you don’t think your son stands a snowballs chance in Hell of winning the election if you’re stealing Sheriff Peterson’s signs.”

  “Th-That’s not true.” He r eyes were focused on a nearby tree. “I j-just was—”

  “Stealing signs,” I interjected. “Put them back or I’m calling the police!”

  “Why do you even care? Word around town is that you don’t like Sheriff Peterson.”

  I made a stance with my nose high in the air. “That just isn’t true. I happen to like the sheriff just fine. We try to let people think we don’t get along is all. Your son isn’t a worthy candidate.”

  Mrs. Barry was in my face now, ejecting spittle from her wide mouth. “That’s not true. He’s a well respected deputy in Redwater.”

  “Huh, that small town in the thumb? I bet the worst crime in that town is a dog on the beach.”

  “That happens to be an offense in Redwater.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I’m not. My son is more capable than the sitting sheriff. His own father is implicated in a murder.”

  “Whose murder?”

  “His companion Raul Perez. Word is that Hal shoved Raul down the stairs.”

  “From my knowledge that was not released on the news.”

  “No, but Dorothy Alton told me. She was very helpful.”

  I’d give Eleanor one of my looks, but instead stared at the annoying Barry woman. “She’s not privy to that kind of information. My bet is that she only told you Raul fell down the stairs.”

  “Still. If the sheriff’s own father is involved, how can East Tawas count on him?”

  “Sheriff Peterson isn’t investigating the case, the state police is.”

  She waved a fist in my face. “He’s unfit to run for office I tell you!”

  I thought for a moment before I retorted, trying to gather my thoughts. “Maybe we should wait for the state police to release a statement before we start throwing accusations around.”

  “I bet you’re knee deep in this. Ms. Agnes Barton private investigator,” she taunted me.

  I looked away and then said, “Who told you I was an investigator?”

  “My son knows all about you. Your husband was a Michigan State Trooper. You worked as an investigator for Attorney Andrew Hart and fancy yourself an investigator with your friend Eleanor Mason, who I might add has quite a reputation herself.”

  Eleanor rushed forward, arms flailing. “Let me at her!”

  I held El back. “Don’t give her the satisfaction. That’s what she wants. She wants us to lose our cool
.”

  I stared at the bird sisters, Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. Canary, who had their heads craned toward the trees, their eyes widening as none other than the Cat Lady appeared with a shotgun poised on the sisters. “You need help here, Agnes?”

  “No, but maybe you should keep your gun on them until they return Sheriff Peterson’s signs to where they took them,” I suggested.

  “I’m not doing any such thing!” Mrs. Barry shouted.

  Cat Lady’s fat finger was heavy on the trigger as she spat, “I don’t care a whit what you have to say, infiltrator. I have plenty of room on my property to bury your bodies,” she threatened with menacing intent.

  Mrs. Barry threw her arms upward. “You’re crazy!”

  “That’s kind of the point.” I laughed. “Of course if you don’t mind her cats gnawing at your carcasses—”

  “She wouldn’t dare,” Mrs. Barry started. She then walked back to wherever she took the signs. “If you insist.” The bird sisters followed suit, muttering out loud on how they knew it was a bad idea to begin with.

  Cat Lady cackled, “Tourists,” and then she disappeared into the woods, which I didn’t mind so much. At least I wouldn’t be subjected to another round of drinking her moonshine brew.

  “That was close,” I said.

  “Nothing like a crazy Cat Lady to motivate Mrs. Barry into action.”

  “I had no idea we were that close to her place.”

  “Or else you’d never have drove down this road. She’s not all that bad, except for her moonshine, that is.” She laughed, but I didn’t think it was a bit funny at all.

  “I still don’t understand how you can stomach her brew.”

  “Oh come on, Aggie. Believe me, I have had way worst.”

  I drove back into town, passing a group of motorcycle grandmas. They call themselves ‘Wild Cats’, which is about right. I parked in the parking lot in the business district and El and I walked into G’s Pizzeria. A hostess led us to a lavender booth and promised us a server would be here soon. I stared at the newly redecorated interior of the restaurant. Sheer drape curtains covered the windows and a variety of tiffany lamps of assorted colors hung above each table. The place was packed with locals I knew and tourists who tore into pizzas that were set on raised silver trays.

  A server approached. She then pulled an ink pen from her khaki shorts. The purple tee she wore had the G’s Pizzeria logo. She pulled a notepad from her black apron that was tied snugly around her waist.

  “Hey Agnes,” the server greeted her.

  “Patty,” I acknowledged her. “I thought you moved to Detroit?”

  She hesitated and then said, “I did, but I guess I’m just too much of a small town girl.”

  El clasped her hands together, staring at Patty’s round tummy apron . “Understandable, but I hope whoever has gotten you in the family way came back with you.”

  “Actually… Scott Wilson is the baby’s daddy. We’re getting married next week.”

  “Wilson as in related to Mr. Wilson?” I asked.

  “Yes, he’s not too happy about it either, but he’s given us his blessing.”

  El swiped at her brow. “That’s a relief. I thought I was gonna have to hunt the man down. It sure seems like there are plenty of menfolk these days shirking their responsibilities.”

  I bit my lip, saying a silent prayer. Surely El had sense enough not to divulge to Patty that my granddaughter Sophia was pregnant and that Trooper Sales was responsible. Not that Sophia was an innocent party. These days birth control wasn’t just the responsibility of the man or woman, but both.

  Patty spied a growing crowd gathering at the entranceway. “Can I get you gals anything to drink?”

  We both ordered a Pepsi and away Patty went, returned with the drinks, promising to return to take our order after she took care of the waiting patrons.

  Out of the blue, El asked, “Do you think Trooper Sales will marry Sophia?”

  “I’m not sure she wants him to.”

  “You need to talk some sense into the man.”

  “I’m not so sure I should interfere.”

  The Wild Cats sat near us. They were all dressed in their motorcycle leathers. I nodded at the women. I kinda admired these ladies, freewheeling it down the highway on their Harley Davidsons. Lord knows with my hips, I’d never be able to do that.

  Patty returned and took our order. Perfect timing to ask some pointed questions. “Did Raul Perez and Hal Peterson come in here much?”

  “Oh…. well I… ”

  “Is there some reason you can’t answer?”

  “Yeah.” El asked. “Did someone tell you not to talk about Raul Perez?”

  “No, it’s just that I heard Raul died, and that Old Man Peterson might have had something to do with it.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Dorothy Alton.”

  That made my blood boil. “Dorothy is just gossiping. It’s not like she knows firsthand.”

  “I see. Well, Raul and Hal sure didn’t get along very well. They argued frequently.”

  I pursed my lip, just as Eleanor Martha asked said , “Did you happen to overhear them?”

  “Not exact words. I just know it got heated.”

  “Hal was upset because Raul kept such a close eye of him. Not a crime since Raul was paid to look after Hal,” I informed her, hoping to open the lines of communication.

  Patty smiled. “You’re right, Agnes, I wish I could say something nice about Hal, but he’s was always so dreadful and demanding.”

  “And flirtatious,” I added.

  “He grabbed my ass a few times, too,” Patty said with a grimace.

  “Is that all?”

  “I don’t care much for being man handled, and he’s older than sin,” she laughed. “I just can’t imagine him ever being the sheriff in the county.”

  “He was though, you shouldn’t take it so personally. Older men are just like that sometimes and you are a pretty girl.”

  Patty blushed. “Thanks Agnes. I know you’re right.”

  “Did Raul ever come in here with anyone else?”

  Patty shuddered. “Yes,” she whispered. “He came in with a tall man a few times. He gave me the creeps.”

  “I see. Did he do anything that would make you feel that way?”

  “He stared at me like he could see right through me if you know what I mean.”

  I understood perfectly. Younger women were easily startled by heated looks from men they didn’t know. “Did you hear anything they were saying?”

  “Overhear, she means,” El clarified.

  “No, they didn’t even talk when anyone was within earshot. I thought that was strange.”

  “I agree. Anything else you could share about Raul?”

  “No, it’s too bad what happened to him. He always left such great tips, a twenty the last time I waited on him. I heard someone was found at the beach,” Patty said. “Do you know who it was?”

  “The state police wouldn’t let me near the crime scene. We’ll have to wait until they release the name.”

  “It’s so unnerving. East Tawas is such a great town, but now with the death of two people, I’m just not so sure.”

  “Fiddlesticks,” El spat. “Raul’s death might just be ruled an accident.”

  “I hope so.” Patty left and returned with our pizza twenty minutes later. I didn’t ask her any more questions though.

  We left and I drove to Trooper Sales’ house, which was located in the country, nestled in the woods. The ranch style house had a wood pile against the side of the house and a well manicured lawn. Trooper Sales’ truck was parked in the drive and I made tracks for the door. I rapped quite hard and a surprised Sophia answered the door, looking quite green. “Hey Grams.” We stepped inside, where Trooper Sales was tipping back a coffee cup. I stared at him until he greeted me.

  “Hello Agnes.”

  “Don’t hello me. Did you ID the body at the beach yet?”

  He rolled
his eyes. “You never quit. Butt out.”

  “I need to know if it was accidental or not.”

  “Me too, but until an autopsy is done—”

  “I bet that is one busy coroner. Has Raul’s autopsy been done yet?”

  “This quick? Doubtful. Maybe you two should just cool it for a while. Aren’t you supposed to be retired?”

  “You should know better, Bill. Give me some details is all I ask.”

  “I can’t. You know that.”

  “We’re almost family here. I won’t tell anyone you told me a thing.”

  Sales glanced toward Eleanor and then said, “Since when is anything kept quiet in this town?”

  “It’s not my fault and El can’t help herself.”

  “Another reason not to tell you anything. It’s bad enough already that I had to remove Peterson from Raul’s case. I hope you’re not investigating it.”

  “We questioned the other tenants.”

  He smiled. “And what did you figure out?”

  I opened my mouth, but decided to clam up. “Why should I tell you anything?”

  “I thought we were almost family,” he winked.

  “Maybe if you put a ring on Sophia’s finger.”

  “Oh Gramms,” Sophia said, suddenly darting off to the bathroom.

  “Poor dear is so sick. I feel so bad for her,” Bill said. “If only I had known I’d have—”

  “Left your hands to yourself?” I answered for him. “Or possibly used some protection.”

  Bill’s face reddened. “I wasn’t planning for this to happen you know. For the record—”

  Sophia surfaced from the bathroom and shouted, “Don’t you dare, Bill.”

  I fetched a washcloth and saturated it in cold water, pressing it to Sophia’s brow. “Don’t be getting yourself so upset.” I sure wanted to know what Bill was going to say, but it wasn’t my place to interfere.

  She tried to smile, but it never reached her eyes. “I’m so sorry you’re having such a bad time of it. I never had morning sickness,” I confided. “But I know your mother did.”

  “That’s what she told me.” She sighed. “I keep hoping it will ease up.”