“After the geyser stopped flowing and the water receded, I climbed over the railing. My plan was to get the thing and take it to the ranger’s shack so it wouldn’t get washed out to sea.”
At this point he lowered his face into his hands and shuddered. Mitch gave the man time to collect himself.
“Only…it wasn’t a doll. And we were laughing.”
Alaina Yeoman spoke in a reverent voice. “She was just lying there. I told my son to remove his jacket and cover her up. It seemed indecent to leave her exposed to the world.”
The son said, “I’m a college professor. I teach math. I don’t know about forensics, but from watching cop shows, I knew not to contaminate the scene. I asked my parents and my wife to stay, in case other tourists showed up, while I ran to get a ranger.”
He spread his hands wide. “That’s it, Deputy. That’s all we can tell you.”
Mitch’s gaze drifted over the pale, haggard faces. “Did you happen to notice anyone out of the ordinary hanging around the area, someone who might have shown an unusual interest in the cadaver?”
A second of silence. It was as if the Yeomans were of one mind when whispering, “No,” as their answer.
Mitch pressed the Off button on the recorder. He stood and extended his hand to both the father and the son. He touched the bill of his cap to acknowledge the ladies. “Thank you for your cooperation. You’re free to go.” He reached into his shirt pocket for a business card. “Before you leave Cole Harbor, I’d appreciate a call…in case I have further questions.”
****
Mitch cricked his lips into a smile. “Ranger Dorsey, lead us to where you’ve contained the three people who wanted to file the missing person report.”
“Mind if I sit in, Mitch?”
“Sure, come along, Friday.”
Laura followed behind Mitch and Jane Dorsey. The ranger pushed through a pair of double doors. “This is the mini-theater. We often show short films about the wildlife native to the park.”
“Ranger Dorsey, ask Dr. Musuyo and the ambulance driver to hang around. I may ask these people to identify the corpse.”
“Yes, sir. Will do.”
Senior Ranger Bryan Cole stepped forward and whispered, “Glad you’re here.” He indicated the three huddled together. “Natives are getting antsy. Claim they’re being held against their will.”
“Hmm, sounds like a guilt trip coming on.” Mitch raised his voice. “Folks, I’m Deputy Sheriff Mitchell Carter. I understand you’re here to file a missing person report.”
A tall man with a scraggly beard and curly brown hair, and wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and jeans cut off at the knees, said, “Yeah. She went missing four days ago.”
Mitch handed the recorder to Laura with instructions to turn it on.
“Hey, man, you can’t record any of us. We know our rights.”
Mitch and Bryan Cole exchanged glances. The second man in the group said, “Ain’t that an invasion of privacy or somethin’?”
Mitch appeared to mull over the comment. His voice was curt. “Your privacy is only invaded if you’ve committed a crime and are trying to hide it. Would that be the case?”
The woman of the group, her hair slicked back into a pink-and-purple ponytail, reached to scratch a rash on her bare leg. She had an annoying rasp to her voice that sounded as if she needed to clear her throat. “The two of you cut the crap and let the man do his job. Sorry, Deputy. Mutt and Jeff there are really Louis Castle and Joe Manfred. I’m Sybella Dauzat. We’re from Bangor and came to spend a few days primitive camping. We don’t have nothing to hide.”
“Thank you, ma’am. What is your missing friend’s name?”
“Daisy Fuller.”
“What is Ms. Fuller’s age, and would you supply a description of her?”
“Ayuh. Daisy tells everyone she’s twenty-five, but she’s closer to thirty-five. About five foot six, brown eyes, brown hair. Built like a brick shit house.” Sybella placed her hand against her mouth and giggled. “Pardon my French.”
“What’s your relation to Ms. Fuller?”
“None. We’re friends. Both work together as hostesses at the Thirsty Frog.”
Louis Castle sniggered. “Fancy name for a barmaid who scalps drinks and does a little boom-boom business on the side.”
Sybella cut him a mean eye. “Shut your damn hole.”
Mitch interceded. “Settle down. Sparring with each other won’t help us find your friend. You told Ranger Dorsey you hadn’t seen Ms. Fuller in four days. Why did you wait until today to report her missing?”
Joe Manfred said, “You don’t know Daisy. When she gets a notion in her head, there’s no changing her mind.”
“What notion did she get in her head the night she went missing?”
The three friends looked at each other. To Mitch’s mind they wore that “guilty as sin and we’re busted” expression.
Sybella said, “Ah, hell, it ain’t no big whoop. We were smoking a little combustible love, and knocking back tequila shooters, and…well…you know…doin’ the nasty boom-boom, if you catch my drift.” She tsked and shot a wink toward Mitch.
“Anyhow, Daisy said she needed some fresh air. We told her it was gonna rain. She said it was okay ’cause she needed a bath anyhow. With all the dopin’ and drinkin’, we were all visiting la-la land. You know…passed out. When the buzz finally wore off and we woke up, she was gone. We went looking for her, and called her cell phone. Didn’t get an answer. Figured it was ’cause there’s no reception up here.”
“When was that, Ms. Dauzat?”
“Day before yesterday. I think. I don’t know. My mind is still…you know, fuzzy.”
“How would you describe Ms. Fuller? Rational? Would she commit suicide?”
Louis Castle chortled. “Suicide, nah! Daisy’s okay when she isn’t messed up. ’Sides, she ain’t afraid of nothing. If she run up on a bear, she’d ball up her fist and challenge it to a fight. She’s got a wicked right jab.” He waggled his jaw as if he’d been hit.
Mitch stared at him sharply. “Uh-huh. Let me get this straight. It wasn’t until today that you got worried about your friend?”
Joe Manfred scratched through his limp purple Mohawk. “Yeah, like, you know, we all have jobs. Vacation over. Time to get back to livin’ real, until the next time.”
Mitch looked at each of the friends. Were they suspects? Did they kill Daisy Fuller and dump her body inside the cavern?
“Did the three of you visit Thunder Hole this morning?”
Louis said, “Nah, man, we spent the morning packing our gear, then taking another look around for Daisy. I’m really pissed at that bitch. We’ll have to leave her and hope she can hitch a ride back to Bangor.”
Mitch glanced at Laura, then to Bryan Cole. “I think we’re about finished here.”
He gave each of Daisy’s friends one of his business cards. “I’d like all of you to accompany me outside.”
Sybella reached down and scratched the rash on her leg again. Mitch noted the redness had spread, and water blisters had formed. “Ms Dauzat, there’s a doctor waiting outside with an ambulance. I’m sure Dr. Musuyo will agree that you’ve been exposed to poison ivy.”
“Oh, shit. Just wait ’til I see Daisy. It’s her fault I went traispin’ around trying to find her. If I have to go to the hospital, she’s gonna foot the bill.”
Louis Castle and Joe Manfred stood. Louis said, “Is that stuff contagious? I can’t afford to lose any days off work.”
Joe stepped away from Sybella. “Yeah, me neither.”
Mitch shot Laura and Bryan an impatient glance. “The three of you are true friends. You’re more concerned about yourselves than what happened to Daisy Fuller. It’s possible we’ve found her, and she’s dead.”
Sybella managed to stop scratching. Her voice rose to a squeaky octave. “What is this, some kind of sick joke? If so, it ain’t funny, and we’re not laughing.”
“I never joke, Ms. Dauzat, esp
ecially about murder. Now if all of you will follow me, I’d like one of you to take a look at the body and tell me if it’s Daisy Fuller.”
Outside, Laura acknowledged Mitch’s slight nod. She stood back and focused her camera on the three possible suspects.
Mitch motioned for the EMT to open the ambulance’s rear doors. “Dr. Musuyo, if you’ll open the cadaver bag.”
Mitch waved the three forward. “Which one wants to see if you can identify the body?”
No one volunteered.
“If I have to drag you over, I will.”
Sybella sighed. “What if we all looked together? C’mon, guys. Don’t make me do this by myself.”
The EMT scooted the gurney to the edge of the ambulance. Bryan Cole helped lower it to the ground, while Dr. Musuyo unzipped the bag and folded the sides away to expose the corpse’s face.
Louis Castle’s eyes rolled upward. His knees sagged, and he slumped to the driveway in a dead faint. Joe Manfred clasped both hands over his mouth and raced toward the grassy area, where he bent forward and retched.
Sybella sobbed. “Oh, m’god…oh, m’god. It’s her. It’s Daisy. What the hell happened?”
Mitch nodded, and Dr. Musuyo closed the bag.
“You are verifying that the body you’ve just seen is that of Daisy Fuller?”
Sybella flailed her hands up and down like a bird trying to fly. “Yes. I’ve known Daisy for three years. It’s her, all right.”
“Thank you, Ms. Dauzat. Dr. Musuyo, this young lady appears to have poison ivy. Would you mind looking after her, once you’ve awakened Mr. Macho from his faint?” Mitch added, to Sybella again, “For now, you and your friends are free to return to Bangor. I’ll notify local law enforcement that you’re part of a murder investigation. My suggestion is not to plan any sudden out-of-town trips.”
“Wait, are you saying we’re suspects? That’s just plain bullshit.”
Mitch looked intently at the woman. “Ms. Dauzat, if you were suspects, you and your two buddies would be in handcuffs and on the way to my jail.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ranger Dorsey approached Mitch to hand him three clear bags, each containing a plastic coffee cup. “I did as you asked and labeled each cup with a separate name.” She grinned. “Makes me feel like a super sleuth.”
“Good job, Ranger.” Mitch in turn handed the bags to Dr. Musuyo.
The doctor choked on his laughter. “You know obtaining DNA without permission isn’t legal.”
“You think those three would have willingly volunteered? If DNA points fingers at any of them, we’ll plead forgiveness later.”
“You’re my kind of lawman, Mitch. I’ll call you when I’m ready to perform the autopsy.”
Mitch watched Sybella Dauzat herd Louis and Joe to an old beat-up hippie camper van. He turned to Bryan Cole. “If one or all of them murdered Daisy Fuller, how would they have dumped the body in the blow hole without being seen or without the waves washing it out to sea before the geyser erupted?”
“If they’d dumped the body, it would have floated, and you’re correct, the waves would have washed it out to sea.” Bryan extended his arm and pointed. “There’s a long oceanside walking trail. It’s about a mile and a half directly north from the parking lot—from their campsite an easy three-mile round-trip hike. The trails are rustic, but easy traveling. Like I said before, there’s a small cavern inside Thunder Hole’s inlet. Anyone familiar with getting to the beach area might risk going inside the cavern on calm days. But with the storm we had a few nights ago, the waves against the rocks would be treacherous. I seriously doubt the yokels who just left would have had that kind of balls.”
“Uh-huh, I have to agree with you.” Mitch thought for a moment. “What about locals familiar with the cavern? You ever have to chase them away?”
“Honestly, we recommend our guests do the walk along the coast because of its beauty. As for locals, on a calm day, there’s always the daredevils. We do our best to keep everyone safe.”
Mitch said, “What else is on your mind, Ranger Cole?”
“Just a theory. It she was murdered, it is possible the killer rowed the body out to sea, hoping the sharks would destroy the evidence. But, with the storm, waves could have actually washed the body toward shore and inside the cavern. The tides were right for that type of action to take place.”
Mitch shook hands with the senior ranger. “It’s a theory worth considering. I don’t envy you the paperwork that’s ahead of you. ’Preciate your help today. And, if you notice anything out of the ordinary, keep me posted.”
Bryan Cole nodded his agreement. He turned his attention to Laura. “Good seeing you again, Laura. My offer to show you the park, with a picnic lunch, still stands.”
She glanced at Mitch, who winked his approval. She patted her leg. “I’m not much good with hikes.”
Bryan opened the patrol car’s door for Laura. “Hey, not a problem. That’s why we have ATVs. If the park’s not in your near future, how about dinner? Restaurant of your choice.”
Mitch looked over Bryan’s shoulder to waggle his eyebrows at her.
She climbed inside and grabbed the seatbelt. “Sure, give me a call, and we’ll figure it out.”
Bryan shut the door and stepped back. She waved as Mitch walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat. He turned the ignition, shifted into gear, and pulled away from the curb.
Sitting in silence until they cleared the entrance gate, Laura frowned over at Mitch. “Why are you playing matchmaker?”
He faked surprise. “Me? Matchmaking? Never.”
“Then, what was up with the snarky grin and waggling eyebrows?”
“Bryan is a nice guy, and you are a beautiful, workaholic woman who needs a little fun in your life.”
“Can we change the subject? Do you really think someone from Cole Harbor killed Daisy Fuller?”
Mitch removed his cap and set it on the console. “Right now, I’m not ruling out the possibility. How well does your aunt know locals who live on the fringes of the park?”
“It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. Do you have a specific person in mind?”
“Just those who live on the fringes of the park, and in close proximity to the oceanside walking trail.”
“Tonight is the Friday Sisters Book Club meeting. When those ladies get together, they gabble for hours. I’ll ask tomorrow to see when it’s convenient for you to come over.”
He nodded. The rest of the drive was in silence. Laura determined from the working of his jaw and the serious expression on his face that he was thinking about the case.
****
Laura thought about Bryan Cole. A man with ancestral ties to Cole Harbor, he’d left for a while to do a stint in the Navy, then returned to pursue a career that kept him close to home. He didn’t have the same rugged handsomeness as Mitch. With Mitch there was an element of danger which excited her. She’d only met Bryan twice, but he appeared cool under fire. Slightly bland. A nice smile, kind eyes. Steady. Maybe too steady.
Comparing Mitch to Bryan was like comparing a stallion to a carriage horse. She dismissed this ridiculous train of thought. There was no way she was falling for either one, because she’d never met a man who made her feel worthy of being loved. She was destined to live alone. And that was that.
“How’s your leg?”
Lost in thought, she hadn’t realized how fast the ride had gone. “Huh? Oh, we’re here. My leg… It’s okay.”
“We missed lunch. Let’s grab a bite before I take you home. My treat.”
She didn’t want to admit how badly her leg ached. All she wanted was to prop it up with an ice pack. “How about a rain check? I need to get the pictures to Dr. Musuyo, and I’d like to transcribe my notes before they get cold. Is there any information in the news article you want me to hold back?”
He reached over to squeeze her hand. “We won’t know for certain if Daisy Fuller was murdered or if she co
mmitted suicide until Doc performs the autopsy. You’re a good reporter. I trust you to keep it neutral. Print a few pictures. Nothing like seeing a dead body to rattle a perp’s cage.”
“So you’re about ninety-five percent certain it’s murder?”
“Pretty close, Friday.”
Mitch slowed the car. He pulled in front of the bookstore. “It’s dark inside. I thought you said there was a meeting tonight.”
“A different member hosts each month. Tonight it’s at Maudie’s house.”
“I’ll walk with you to the back entrance to make sure you’re safe.”
A chill rippled over her as they went around the corner. “Mitch, as farfetched as this might sound, is it possible that after a ten-year hiatus the person who killed Lynnette Braswell also murdered Daisy?”
“Our thoughts are running on the same track, Friday. It’s possible.”
“Are you attending the autopsy?”
“Part of my job. You?”
“Umm, no. Not even if you were to approve me as a civilian to observe. I’m tough, but my stomach isn’t.”
Mitch laughed. “I’ll call you when the report is in. G’night.”
She opened the door and switched on the outside light. “I think I’ll have a motion detector light installed. I don’t like the idea of Aunt Philly in a dark alley, either.”
“I’m not leaving until you shut the door and I hear the lock click.”
She smiled as she turned the lock.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A week had passed since the discovery of the body at the park. The fervor over pictures of Daisy Fuller inside a body bag, with the article that also included a story about the identity of the skeleton, had died down. Laura immersed herself in the campaign of launching Cole Harbor beyond the borders of Maine.
Murder in the Mist Page 14
