by Diane Roads
CHAPTER 11
The first part of Jasper's sting operation was in place; it was time to get the second part in place. This was going to be the hard part. The Quagmire Police Department was not used to going on a sting operation. In fact if you asked anyone in Quagmire if there would ever be a need for one they would have look surprised that you even asked, but Jasper had some of the top men in the state helping him out. He was glad to see that Kevin Winters was back from his sister's wedding. Kevin had been taught the old Indian ways of tracking. He could hear a twig snap farther away than any of Jasper’s other men. Kevin could read the signs of a trail. Jasper wished Kevin had been there earlier in the day. He really could have used him earlier, but was sorry he had to cut his trip short.
"Hi Kevin, what are you doing back so soon? Your sister got married yesterday; I thought you would spend more time up there? You don't take a five-hour trip that often. You haven't seen your Grandparents since Christmas. They must be getting in their seventies by now."
"I know, I know, it's been a while, but I called to check on something and Sara said Mr. Twilliger is missing, so I had to come back. He has been like a father to me. He helped me find a place to stay, and invited me to church when I first moved here. I left early this morning to see if I could be of any help. There was a big accident up North. It was a bad one; the car caught on fire with the guy still in it. I was first on the scene, so I had to stick around. Now, I heard that they found Mr. Twilliger at the Big City Hospital and he is in a coma. I was just getting ready to go up to the Big City to see him."
"Oh no you don't, I need you here. Let me fill you in. For starters, he is out of his coma and doing fine. If you really want to help Mr. Twilliger, stick around. We’re setting up a sting operation. Here, read the article we just put in the River Point paper."
That was all it took to get Kevin to stay and help. "Wow, is this stuff true?"
"Well… we left out some important facts. Like I said, stick around and find out the facts we left out."
"Count me in!"
Jasper nodded and walked back into his office to find a book in his Great Aunt Mattie had written about twenty-five years ago. It was on the history of the Quagmire family, and if Jasper remembered correctly, there was a chapter on his great-great-grandfather, the man who had built the house.
He found the part he wanted. It read..."Jasper P. Quagmire the first, spared no expense when he built his house. It was a seventeen room, three story house, plus several out buildings…" There was more on the history of the fixtures and other things. Then he came to, "…During the slave trading days, slaves would hide at different locations known as the Underground Railroad. Everyone thought the Railroad was farther up North and East of Quagmire Ville, formerly known as River Point. He let them all believe that. There was an entrance to the Underground Railroad at a remote shed on the property. It lead all the way to a pantry in the kitchen next to the backdoor.
Jasper found what he was looking for, a map of the secret tunnel that was thought to be a myth. It wasn't even on public record down at the courthouse. It was on a map of the estate, and on that map was a picture of what the shed had looked like. A long time had passed and the shed had been torn down. All that was left was a wooden hatch everybody thought was a dried up old well.
Jasper knew better because his Aunt Mattie had been in that tunnel when she was a girl. She told him stories late at night. She could remember climbing down the old wooden ladder when she was a child. There had been a lot of things stored there during the slave days. Just a few old crates were left when she was a kid, but the tunnel went all the way to the kitchen pantry, and if you didn't know about it, you wouldn't know how to get in.
She told him about the Quagmire Coat of Arms that was on the wall in the pantry. If you pushed it to one side the secret door would open. This was a well-kept secret. He didn't even think that Mr. Twilliger knew about it. Carl could have stumbled on it when he was working. He had the information he needed. He closed the book thinking when all of this was over he would reread the whole book.
Avery Mead was already there when Jim Clarkson walked in. Jim had gone home to clean off Guatemala and Mexico after he had left the Twilliger’s. He was ready for a fresh start.
"Hi Avery, I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays, Jasper call you in on this?" asked Jim
Avery nodded. "Uh-huh. I have been up at my mother's for the last month. Seems that when I got there, she had some ideas in mind for me. Can you believe she told my grand-niece that she could get married out there, and that I would put in a 1,000 square foot patio before the wedding? I was glad to come home. I told her not to schedule me again with out checking first. The wedding is going to be beautiful. By the time it happens, all the flowers should be in bloom. And the groom seems to be a nice enough fellow. He even helped me put in the patio. And, Kevin, I didn't expect to see you until Monday… Sunday, if you weren't going to miss the picnic. What happened? Didn't that pretty sister of yours get married?"
"Oh, she got married all right, and they are honeymooning as we speak. No, I wanted to come back and see about Mr. Twilliger, I was telling Jasper that he was like a father to me when I first came to Quagmire."
"You know that car I drive out there used to belong to him. He gave me such a good deal that I couldn't refuse, and I have never been sorry since. He is one of the nicest men I have ever met. I also remember when he donated to the charity function for the Children's Wing at the hospital. I took his painting to the auction for him, so no one would know it was coming from him. Like I told Jasper, I had to come back. I am so glad they found him okay."
"Well, the Lord was with us on this one. We weren't getting anywhere out there on the search. We even had extra help. There is a family that is having a reunion here. There are about seventy-five staying at the park here. They are from the Parker Untrue Looney family. Hey, I don't make this up. Five of them are in Law enforcement. A bunch of them showed up to help in the search. Okay let me fill you in. He was buried behind the cafe just over the rise under those trees in less than a foot of dirt. Mr. Twilliger was wrapped in his wife's blanket. The fact that he was wrapped in the blanket might have given him just enough of an air pocket to survive. When he woke up he didn't know where he was or who he was. He tried to claw his way out of the dirt. He got about halfway out and must have passed out. A transient that was passing through found him still half buried. He jumped in and helped him get out of the hole. After that Mr. Twilliger just started walking, and walked all the way to the highway. All we know, for sure, is someone in a truck with orange letters dropped him off at the hospital. The driver didn't stick around, so we don't know where he was picked up for sure, or anything. He told them that the man who dropped him off said his name was Joe, Tim or Jim. Something short like that. I checked, and there are about six trucking companies that have orange letters in the logo that frequent the area. I have heard back from three of them, but no one in their group picked him up," told Jim.
"What I don't understand, is, if he was missing, why didn't you call the hospital and give them a description of who we where looking for?" asked Kevin.
"We did. We said a man looking 55 to 60, with gray hair, with a beard and mustache. The only thing is none of us knew that, that morning he had colored his hair brown and shaved his beard and mustache. He looked more like 40 to 45 at the oldest. He did it as a surprise to his wife. She was surprised all right. She has been up at the hospital ever since they told her where her husband was. I think she is still in shock. Jasper is planning a little surprise himself. Let see if he is ready for us yet."
Adam, Chuck, and Mark were already in there with him, as Jasper greeted the newcomers. "Sit down, guys, I have a layout of the house. We have seventeen rooms in all, including the garage, with an apartment above. Down from the house is the pool with a guest cottage, beyond that is stables, but no horses, and a little farther down is a pond with a stream that runs into it. The main interest is the hou
se, and a little spot way out next to the row of bushes. This house, most of you don't know, used to belong to the Quagmire family. Yes, at one time my family had money. It was all lost during the stock market crash, including the house that the Twilliger's now own. My Aunt Mattie had written a family history book that included the house."
"Now what I am about to tell you is not for public knowledge at this point. This spot next to the bushes has a trap door that lead to what people have believed to be a dried up old well. I have news for you: it's not a dry well, but an access to a tunnel that leads to the main house. It takes you right into the kitchen into a pantry."
"I have heard of that place, my granddaddy use to talk about it, but I thought that was just a myth," claimed Jim.
"No, it is for real. My Aunt Mattie had been in it a long time ago. I don't know what shape it is in at this point; my Grandfather was an abolitionist, which is part of the reason why the house was built. He came here during the slave trading days. This house was off the beaten path of the Underground Railroad, but was a part of it. This was the reason for the tunnel. But we have to assume that someone could use it today if they knew about it. That might have been how he got into the house the other night. From over here you can get a good view of that spot, and I want you, Adam, to go to that point. Let us know if he goes in there. Jim, I want you in the garage with Smokey, and Kevin, I want you in the house with me. The rest of you just fan out. Avery, I want you to go over to Sally's for a piece of that pie and a cup of coffee. If the conversation doesn't get start, make sure that it does. Then, when he leaves, follow him. If he doesn't go towards the Twilliger's, call me. Make sure you come in the back way, and park under the carport. Then wait there, just in case he goes that way when he leaves."
"Okay, now put your pagers on vibrate, we don't want to scare him off too soon. Remember, he has to have the picture in his hands before we can catch him. It would be all the better if he was outside when we arrest him. I don't want to lose him on a technicality. Mr. Spencer, across the street, said we could hide two cars in his garage, and one under the carport. He is going over to a friend to spend the night. Does everybody understand what they have to do?" Everyone nodded.
"Sally sent over some sandwiches for those of you who are hungry, so let's take a few minutes break, and then get started. He hasn't been coming out of his room until dark, and make sure you don't alert George Carter. I don't know if he is in on all of this or not, at this point. We don't want to scare him off either. It's a good thing the dog is at the vet. Okay, let's eat guys."
While gulping down sandwiches and drinks, the men looked over the map of the Twilliger's large estate. The house was beautiful with its four column front porch. It had been well kept over the years. The stable had not been used since the Twilliger's had bought it decades ago. Carl had a knack for putting in gardens; several things were in bloom this time of year, but that was something that was not on the map.
"I am glad Harry is not here. Everyone a mile away would know he was there when he cleared his throat," said Mark.
"Oh, Harry’s doing better. The doctors have him on some new stuff, and he is not as noisy as he used to be. You can tell he is feeling much better. Speaking of Harry, I'll bet you all don't even know that Harry is officially a father. He and Becky had a girl the night before last."
Before another word could be spoken, the phone rang. It was Millie from the B&B letting Jasper know that Mr. Skinner had picked up his paper, but was still in his room. She had knocked on his door and asked him if he would want a sandwich sent up, but he said "no," and that he would be going over to the cafe in a few minutes and would not be back until late, because he was going to do some fishing. She would call and let them know when he left.
Ten minutes later the call came in, "Sheriff, I wanted to let you know that Mr. Skinner just left. He was heading over to the café, and did not take a fishing pole with him. I wonder what he is fishing for… Well, just wanted to let you know. Bye," Millie hung up.
Jasper called Sally to let her know what the plan was. Sally's answer was. "Okay Jasper, I will let you know. He is walking in the door as we speak. Those kids from the Looney family are here talking up a storm about it. They are asking all kinds of questions, should make for some interesting talk for our guest. I'll be calling you soon. Bye Sugar."
At Sally's Café the conversation was just starting up. Seventeen year old Monica Russell was saying, "My Dad was part of the search. He told me that it was true what the paper said about him being buried alive. Can you believe that anyone would do such a thing? He was just lucky that trucker found him and took him to the hospital. It says in the paper that he no longer remembered what happened to him before he went into a coma. He has been in a coma ever since. Dad says that he may never remember what happened to him, or wake up. Wouldn't that be the scariest thing to ever have happen to you? Dad says the person who did it is probably long gone by now. I sure hope so. I will be glad to go back to Idaho."
"What, you don't think there are people who would do things like that in Idaho? Boy if you aren't stupid. They are everywhere, he could even be staying at the campgrounds," said Arthur Holt.
"Just because you're my cousin, doesn't give you the right to try and scare me."
"Oh sure it does. I bet the dog is not at the vet. I bet he did the dog in also. They just didn't want people to know that the person is really a killer. In fact, I bet the guy is dead also. His wife probably didn't want to stay around. She and that caretaker are probably in Florida as we speak."
"Arthur Holt, how can you say that?! You sound like the same mean kid you always were. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now!" retorted Monica.
"You two haven't changed in all of these years. You would think the two of you were married. Hey, I have an idea! Just to prove to you that this all happened. Let's go out back of this place. I heard from dad that just over the rise is where it all happened. He said the police had checked it all out. Maybe that guy will come back. You know what they say, that they always come back to the scene of the crime," Marty Gentry said.
Arthur then added. "Well I don't know about that being the scene of the crime. I bet the scene is at the old man's house. I bet the cops have never even looked over there. If they did, they would find that the caretaker and the old lady did it. Let's go check it out and see!"
With that statement one could see that Earl Skinner was listening to the conversation. He caught his breath and squirmed a little in his seat. He sighed with relief at the next statement.
"Are you nuts? My dad would have my hide and yours if we went to that guy's house. Besides, with that kind of money, they would have security that wouldn't quit. No way! I am not going there."
"Okay, so we are not going to the old man's house. So what are we going to do tonight? Mom says we cannot go into the Big City, so now what? I knew this was going to be a boring vacation."
At that moment Avery cut in, "Guys if you are looking for something to do tonight, I have an idea. Go two blocks down, and turn right. Go another three blocks and you’ll come to Jack's hamburger stand. It is right across from the high school... You can't miss it. That is where the kids meet at night. They are having a big party there tonight. Every year, at this time, they have what is called the Moonlight Chaser. Mind you, there is no beer, just good clean fun. As long as it stays that way, the parents just stay away and let the kids have fun."
"What do you think guys? Sounds like fun to me."
"Let's go! And thanks for the suggestion mister." Other conversations about Mr. Twilliger started in the room after the kids left.
"Well look who's coming in the door," Mavis said as she waved real big. In walked a gray-haired woman wearing a t-shirt that said on the front, 'The Looniest.' Her hair had one of those short perms that made her look like a senior clone. She was wearing sensible walking shoes, and looked like she had just come from a light jog with a sweat band crossing her forehead. She walked straight across the room, rig
ht up to Mavis. She was 93 years old on her last Birthday, but that didn't slow her down any.
"Rose, it is so good to see you. I didn't expect to see you this early."
"Really, I guess it must be that new van I bought. You know, the salesman called me up last week and said, ‘have I got a deal for you.’ He pulled out this van with a stereo system that is out of this world. I heard it and said, 'I like a nice stereo.' Then he said, ‘it's even got spinners.' I took one look at those, and said. 'I like spinners.' Can you believe me and spinners? I must be going through some mid-life thing. I pulled up here to the front door, and a bunch of local kids were coming out the door. One of the kids looked up and said, 'look Grandma's got spinners.' Can you believe that? I don't know who they were, and here they were calling me their Grandmother. I'm not their Grandma!"
"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. One of them was Monica Russell, and the other was Arthur Holt, so I think that makes you their Grandmother at least twice over in that group."
"What's this talk about a manhunt? One of them said something about a man that was missing?"
"Sit down Rose, and let me fill you in. It will be a few minutes. We didn't order enough pies, so I had to come back for six more."
