Murder Mysteries Series Seven

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  "Murder Mysteries Series Seven"

  Robert C. Waggoner

  Copyright 2015 by Robert C. Waggoner

  Smashwords Edition

  "Murder at the Cheese Factory"

  1

  Frank Schwarz had good reason for being uneasy that afternoon just before swing shift began. It was his job as swing shift manager to oversee production and make things run smoothly. One bright spot was now that the economy was doing much better, the cheese factory was almost back to normal production. However, because some employees had been laid off and some had shift changes to deal with, many employees were not happy. And like most employees, they blamed management for their troubles. Frank was swing shifts whipping post as a shift manager.

  For the past month tensions had been building. Frank told his wife his fears of physical harm from some of the more radical employees. His fears were realized when he did not return home that night after work. His wife, Claire had been waiting up for him. By 1 am she tried calling his cell phone. When there was no answer she left the house to find him. It was only a fifteen minute drive to the factory.

  She was met at the gate by the security guard. The guard asked her what she wanted and she said, "My husband is Frank Schwarz night shift manager. Can you tell me if he is still here or not?"

  "Yes, he's still here. His car is parked in its usual place. I thought it funny that it was still here. Did he call you telling you he'd be late tonight?"

  "No and I tried calling him. Now I'm very worried that he's had some accident or something like that. Can we go see if we can find him," she said with a pleading look in her eye. The guard felt sorry for her and said:

  "I've checked the doors and they are all locked. I'll go inside and have a look around. You stay here please." Claire waited and waited. Her eyes were on the factory for what seemed an eternity. Finally the guard came jogging back to her. He was all out of breath and said, "Mrs. Schwarz, it appears your husband has had an accident. I've called 911 and the emergency vehicles are on the way."

  Claire started to get out, but the guard leaned against the door saying, "No please stay here Mrs. Schwarz. The police are coming and you must remain in the car until they arrive."

  "He told me he feared for his life as many workers here wanted something he couldn't provide. How bad is he hurt?" She saw the guard look away and immediately knew her husband was seriously injured or maybe he was dead. She felt hot tears running down her cheeks.

  Claire heard the emergency vehicles coming, but sat there frozen in her car seat. She did not know how long she sat there until a nice policewoman opened the passenger door and sat down with her. The policewoman said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Schwarz, but your husband is dead. It appears he was a victim of foul play."

  Claire heard, but words were not forthcoming. The only thing she felt at that moment was loneliness. Nothing would ever be the same. Everything she held dear was gone forever. She turned to the policewoman and said, "Would you be so kind as to drive me home. I don't feel well at all."

  2

  US Marshall Stacy Foreham was on the phone with her boss Connie Wilson from Washington D.C. They were discussing the current situation of a new Chief of Police in Bandon, Oregon. It was Stacy's father Ray Foreham who was the former Chief, having retired after many years of service. Because the current Chief had resigned unexpectedly, Ray Foreham had to step in until a new Chief could be found. Needless to say, he wasn't happy at all. The main reason was he was scheduled and the date set for marriage, which was just a few days away; and he was way behind on his woodworking orders at his myrtlewood shop. In addition to the Chief's job, he and his new lady friend had a booming restaurant that was founded on good old fashion cooking. How that came to be, is another story.

  It was imperative that someone take over the Chiefs job and Stacy was lamenting the situation to her boss. "I thought you had a replacement Connie?"

  "I did and he promised but then his wife passed suddenly. He sends his profound regrets, if that helps any."

  "Well, now what do we do," asked Stacy sitting back in her office chair looking out the window at a lovely early summer's day. She thought this was perfect weather for an outdoor wedding in Bandon, Oregon. The wedding would take place at their church and the reception at the Senior Center; where, coincidently, the two had discovered they were attracted to each other.

  "I’m sending out a retired Marshal who along with his wife will take over until we can find someone permanently. His name is Lance Eaglefeather."

  "Now that's good news. I'll book them into a motel and have someone down there find a house for the new couple to rent."

  "Our agency Stacy will foot the bill for this expense. He needs to relocate for awhile after some damning testimony at a trial recently. We don't think there'll be any trouble, but safety first is a good idea."

  "I've got to go Connie. Dan is waving his arms and that waving usually brings forth a new homicide case. I'll contact you later, and thanks by the way."

  "Well Dan, what are you so anxious to tell me," she asked seeing her second in command standing tall. Stacy enjoyed seeing Dan Swollow looking well as he and newly married Emma just had a baby. Emma was and is Executive Secretary to Stacy and her assistant Sharon Stone completed the total of the Marshall office in Eugene.

  Rory just called and said he was up to his neck in a cheese factory murder on the coast and needs our help. I told him I'd talk to you and you'd probably get back to him soonest. He added that at first count, the suspect list could top thirty."

  Stacy sat looking at Dan thinking that the only cheese factory was in Tillamook on the Northwest Coast of Oregon. She tried to remember the last time she was there and then it dawned on her that she was in high school at the time. The two schools had decided it might be a fun thing for their respective basketball teams to play a game. The player's bus and support bus took off for a long ride up the coast. It was a disaster, as she recalled. Kids got motion sickness and it was a long five hour ride to where they were going. In the final analysis the Tillamook team had a field day with the very tired and unenthusiastic Bandon Tigers. Stacy shook her head and asked, "What's the story Dan?"

  "He didn’t say much, but what he told me was the victim, a shift manager, was found dead in a cheese vat. After they drained the vat, the body had a stab wound to the chest."

  "Well, with that many suspects, we'd best get Ben and motor up to Tillamook. How far is it Dan?"

  "With a pit stop and any other stops, it's about a three hour run. We head up to Salem, cut over to the coast and up Highway 101."

  "Go home and pack a bag Dan and who knows how long we'll be gone. Tell Ben the same news about being gone for a while. Drop me off at my place and then I'll pack up and be ready when you come by. Oh, darn, I almost forgot to call my father. Connie found a replacement and now I wonder if I'll make the wedding?"

  "We've three days Stacy. We can do it. On the way you can give Rory instructions of what to do while we are traveling."

  "Yes, good idea," she said while picking up the phone to call her father. Ray Foreham picked up right away and asked, "What's up daughter of mine?"

  "I have to go on a case dad up in Tillamook. Connie has a guy and his wife coming to take your place as Chief. His name is Lance Eaglefeather. Find him a motel room and a rental house. The Agency will pay the expenses. I've got to run now. Let's pray I can wrap this up quickly so as not miss the wedding."

  "Be safe and don't hurry on our account. Bye,"

  3

  Ben Razor, one of the three detectives on the team, the other being US Marshall Rory Caltex, who were both members of the Oregon State Police stationed in North Bend, Oregon. Ben chose to remain a seni
or detective for the State Police, but was transferred to Eugene. On the other hand, Rory was given an opportunity to replace the former US Marshal of Portland, Oregon. Marshall Stacy Foreham remains at the helm of the investigative team and neither of the other two members would want it any different.

  Marshall Caltex had received the initial call from the Tillamook Police. Neither the police department nor the local Sheriff's office had qualified homicide detectives on staff. Besides, most all law enforcement agencies knew the reputation of Marshall Stacy and her team of investigators. Most all felt a relief knowing they were off the hook when it came to violent crime. However, it takes more than just a three person team to solve a homicide.

  At this moment, while Stacy and team were speeding up I-5 to Salem, Rory was actively using both the local city police and Sheriff's deputies to interview the entire swing shift at the cheese factory. It was expected that a short list of suspects would be had by the time they arrived in Tillamook. However, like all good plans………..well, not all was as it should have been when the team arrived.

  Stacy, once they were on the freeway north bound called Rory. He saw who was calling and said, "This is not good Super. The victim was cooked in a cheese vat after he was killed, we think. The local doctor, who doubles as the coroner, thinks he was dead before place in a stainless steel vat."

  "Does anybody know why he was murdered," asked Stacy.

  "The reports coming in tell us he was a slave driver and cared nothing but for production and low labor costs. Some say he was brown nosing his way to the front office as Plant Manager."

  "We're a few hours away and I asked Sharon to book us into some motel rooms. I hope their some vacancies around this time of year. Wait a minute; school is still going on so maybe their some rooms available. Ask one of those local police officers if there is a conference room at a motel we can use as a situation room."

  "Okay, I'll see you when you get here. For now we are using the plants lunch room for interviews."

  Stacy sat back settling in for the long ride to Tillamook thinking about how common place it was becoming for her and Rory to use the nicknames they had acquired. He jokingly called her Super Sleuth and she gave him the nick name of Tall Man. It was true that he was over six-foot tall and she only nudging five-foot five inches. However, using the nick names had become a friendly personal thing between them. Her thinking was broken by Ben asking, "Stacy, what can you tell us about the homicide?"

  "Oh, sorry Ben and Dan. I was off thinking and Rory said the victim was found in a heated cheese vat. Upon closer inspection he'd been stabbed. Also he was the shift manager and not well liked. They're interviewing the entire shift of workers. That's all I know at this point."

  "Looks like a suspect list as long as my arm," said Dan entering Salem and turning west bound to the coast. "It's been awhile since I visited a cheese factory, but the one thing I do remember is those vats are over 100 degrees. It's one thing to stab and kill someone, but to stab and then put in a hot tub of milk is sick. I'll leave it at that point."

  Ben asked, "I seemed to recall a major company tried to buy out Tillamook Cheese some years ago. Knowing that the town of Tillamook is small and probably very conservative, that scary take over probably made some town folks very anxious and upset. I do remember reading that when the 2008 hit on our economy struck, the cheese factory suffered layoffs and outright elimination of jobs. But I do recall that nowadays the economy is doing fairly well and the cheese factory is pumping out their great tasting cheese. I wonder what happened that the employees were so upset at this manager."

  "I think it's still owned by the farmers in the area. They've also so plant in the Boardman area on the Columbia River. I don't know what they do but a friend told me he buys Tillamook Cheese in Oklahoma," said Dan.

  "They bought out Bandon Cheese and now we have Face Rock Cheese. Each geographical area has its own taste as far as cheese goes. However, I think Tillamook Cheese has it all over any other cheese," said Ben.

  4

  It was just past 11 am when Dan pulled into the parking lot of the cheese factory. He parked next to Rory's SUV. A light rain was falling, but that was not anything new for Tillamook, Oregon. It had an average rainfall of over 80 inches a year. Even in the summer one could expect some or a few rainy days. Dairy farmers found this alluvial plain area perfect for growing lush green grass. Also five rivers flowed out of the coastal range to further the area with water.

  As to the factory itself, it was a co-op of more than one-hundred dairy farmers. This association of farmers was over a hundred years old. Now as far as anyone could remember no major crime had ever been committed at the cheese factory.

  Stacy got out of the SUV and stretched her arms gazing around at all the law enforcement vehicles parked at various angles. She looked to the entrance and saw Rory hot footing it towards them. She had called and told him them were almost there. He looked grim and a bit haggard as he strode up nodding at both Ben and Dan. His eyes were on Stacy and she saw relief and a sign of pleasure that she was on the job to take the pressure off him.

  "Morning Marshall," she said with a smile to let him know all was going to be just fine now that they were on the job.

  "Good to see all of you. We have to deal with the entire swing shift as suspects. That includes maintenance and the janitors. The worst part is we haven't found anyone that works here that likes the victim. Anyway, follow me and we're camped out in the lunch room," he said while leading the way into the factory entrance.

  The damp cheese processing smell hit Stacy almost like a slap in the face. Ben glanced her way and when he saw her flinch, winked at her in acknowledgement of the offensive odor. He took a step forward of her as if to say: chin up and let's get this over with soonest.

  In the employee lunch room the smell was less offensive. At the various tables sat law enforcement personnel. With laptops busy at work. Rory said, "The CEO wants to see you immediately Stacy. He realizes the factory is a crime scene, but makes it very clear production must resume very soon. Shall I call him now?"

  "Not yet Rory. Show us where the body was found and what has been done to gather the forensic evidence. We can call him from there. Show us where he was found."

  5

  The smell returned when they walked out the door and Rory led them to the vat area. In the old days, as Rory told them, "Cheese vats were open and the 102 degree milk made for a steamy place. Nowadays, as you can see, these stainless steel vats are sealed and computer controlled." They walked on and it was plain to see that in a back corner a taped off crime scene tape blocked off the area. The lid was open, but the contents had been left for the CSI team to seek for clues. Stacy asked, "Who discovered the victim?"

  A tech person routinely checks each vat for any leaks or anomalies. Her name is Ruth Corbin. Her statement says she saw the lid part way up on this vat. She hurried over as steam was escaping up into the air. She raised the lid to check why the lid wasn't closed and found her boss staring at her with only his head above the milk."

  "What happened next," asked Stacy.

  "The security guard came in just as she was reaching for her cell phone. He told her that Frank Schwarz wife was asking about her husband. It was past his coming home time. He made the call to the local police. Well, needless to say, the local or county law enforcement agencies don't have any CSI guys. The scene as of yet hasn't had anyone searching for clues. The body was removed and taken to the county morgue."

  Stacy turned to Ben and said, "Here's your chance to be first on the scene Ben and Dan. Now let's go see the big boss man."

  CEO Bryce Letter was a pleasant looking man in his late thirties or early forties, Stacy thought as they were led into his rather austere office by his secretary. He was fairly tall as he and Rory stood almost eye to eye with Rory a shade taller. He had a full head of light blonde hair and with it a golf shirt with Tillamook on the left breast, appeared straight off the golf course. His smile was strained and for good
reason: a murder had been committed at his cheese processing facility. Production had ceased and shipments needed to happen; and soon.

  "Nice to meet you Marshall Foreham. We may not meeting under the best of circumstances, but let's both agree to work together if at all possible. I think you realize that we need to resume our production very soon. So having said that, what can we do to help speed the process up?"

  "Mr. Letter. We'll finish up with the crime scene as fast as we can. I'm guessing we should wrap it up by dark. The downside is interviewing the swing shift employees that were here last night when he was killed. If you will agree that when we ask for time to interview a suspect, you'll agree to allow us the time needed."

  Stacy saw him run that by his thought process and knew he'd agree to whatever she wanted. He sat down and motioned the two Marshall's to take a seat. He said, "Fine, we'll add some employees to swing shift to cover those with whom you're interviewing. Can you see any reason why we can't resume production tomorrow morning?"

  Rory shrugged his shoulders after Stacy had looked at him. She said, "At this point Mr. Letter, let's go with what you desire for tomorrow morning. Now, if you've the time we'd like to ask you some questions about the victim Frank Schwarz. Why do you think he was killed and delve into his personality while you're at it."

  "Frank was here before me. I came onboard in 2012 just as this operation was coming out of a real slump. Every since the crash of 2008 this company has been struggling with layoffs, maintenance problems, production woes and the list goes on. Well, Frank was a fine production manager, but had a sharp tongue with his employees. We had many complaints about his verbal abuse and with changing work positions. We talked to him about it and he said he would try and do better. To tell you the truth, we have been interviewing for his replacement. I feel bad we didn't do something before he was murdered. I met his wife and she is a lovely person. That's about it for now. I'll tell you who knows more about what is happening on swing shift is our maintenance man Billy Ryder."