The Morelville Mysteries Collection

by Anne Hagan

  Dana touched my arm, “Can we hang back just a minute? I want to show you something real quick.”

  I waived a hand to Kris and Cole, “Go ahead. We’ll just be a minute.” Looking back at my fiancé, and seeing her solemn face, I dropped the grin from my face and tentatively asked, “What’s up?”

  She whispered, “I um...I snapped a photo today of something and I wanted you to see it.” She dug in her pocket and took out her phone. After tapping it a few times she handed it to me.”

  Curious, I took a look. “Does that say Clenbuturol?” I tried to keep my voice low in the fairly full barn.

  She nodded.

  “Where did you take this? I don’t understand.”

  “That’s a picture of the inside of the Harper’s little fridge.”

  She ignored my raised eyebrow questioning look.

  “I looked it up Mel. It’s a bronchodilator for people with breathing problems and it’s been prescribed as a weight loss drug. Why would they need to have something like that here?”

  “Baby, think about it. Weight loss? Fat burning?” Her eyes narrowed but she remained silent. “It’s a drug that burns off fat and helps lean muscle mass form quicker. It’s banned for use with animals raised for food. It shouldn’t be anywhere near livestock.”

  “You think they’re giving it to their animals?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe...probably.” I scratched my head.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Well, what’s puzzling to me is why they’re keeping it in a refrigerator that’s already drawn a lot of attention. It’s in pill form so it doesn’t need to be kept cold.” I looked back at her photo, “It makes me wonder what’s in those two bottles.”

  “I tried to enlarge that pic every which way but they’re not turned around enough for me to make out anything.”

  Shuddering, I said, “It’s like they’re just flaunting this stuff in everyone’s face.”

  We started to walk out of the barn and back toward the arena when a commotion rose at the other end. The animals from the weight class after Beth’s were all coming back. Sixteen year old Nina Harper was all but dragging her steer into the barn past everyone else who’d gotten back just a little quicker. Mama Harper trailed behind her yelling, “Make way! Make way!”

  We stood by and watched as Nina led the steer to its stall and loosely tied the 1,300 pound beast to the hitching rail with the leather strap from its show halter. She dived into the next stall where her younger sister Nora was holding her own steer by the halter strap.

  “Let go! We don’t have time to waste! Your class is next!” Nina led Nora’s show animal out of the stall as Nina hobbled along behind her sporting a severe limp.

  A boy a couple of stalls down from the same FFA Chapter addressed Nina, “You don’t want to leave him tied off using your good halter do you? You want me to switch it out for you and tie him good?”

  “Yeah, sure, whatever,” the teenager tossed over her shoulder. They well-meaning boy moved toward the stall.

  Dana was at a standstill in the aisle watching all of that unfold.

  “Earth to Dana?”

  “What...oh...”

  “Step out of the aisle. Big beef is coming through. I’m going to help that young man real quick and then we can go over to be with Cole. We have a little time.”

  Dana sidestepped a steer being led through the barn while I approached the young man that had offered to help Nina. He was as thin as a rail and not very tall either. “Son, have you been around this animal at all?”

  “A little. Not much,” he admitted.

  “Well let me help you then. You know these animals can be fickle about who touches them.

  The boy nodded. “Nora slipped and sprained her ankle real bad this morning. Nina has to show her steer for her. I thought she might...could use a little help.”

  “That was very nice of you. Here, I’ll untie him and hold him while you work the show halter off and his rope one back on.”

  “Okay then.” The boy unbuckled the leather harness and slid it easily over the steer’s head. He handed it to me to hold while he worked with the other one. When he was finished we both stepped out of the stall.

  “Thanks,” I told him. “I’ll see that they get this back.” The boy grinned and nodded. I turned to Dana, “Ready?”

  Pointing at the halter, she asked, “What are you going to do with that?”

  “Nora’s steer is in the same weight class as Cole’s. I’ll just hand this to Mama Harper when we get up there.” I started to bundle up the long leather lead strap but stopped cold.

  Dana, a half step behind me, almost ran into me. “Now what’s wrong?”

  There was an inked marking on the back side of the strap that said ‘Crane’. Looking more closely at the halter, I swore softly, “I’ll be damned!” I pointed the ‘Crane’ imprint out to Dana. “Look!”

  “One of the Harper kids took Beth’s halter?”

  “It sure looks that way.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing right now. I’ll worry about it later.”

  We hustled back over to the Coliseum as fast as Dana could go. With her usual limp, she didn’t move much faster than Nora Harper had been.

  Nina Harper and her mother were waiting two steers behind Cole in line with Nora’s steer. I had half a mind to say something then and there but I bit my tongue. There would be time enough later for a confrontation.

  The crowd right around the show ring had grown. The bigger steers always drew more people to watch. Dad was still at the fence and Kris was on his right. I let Dana squeeze in beside dad on his left and I stood behind her since I’m several inches taller. It took everything I had not to cradle her and hold her in the public space.

  Dad was in full nervous chawing mode as Cole and Big Boy entered the show ring. There were ten steers in the class. With only three more steers in a higher weight class, it was very likely that the champions might come for this class.

  I caught myself twice holding my breath as the judge paraded the large beasts back and forth while time seemed to stand still. He looked at each animal more closely too, like he had in the classes before but this time he ran a hand along the backs and down the sides of several of them.

  My dad held his cup up to his lip to spit but froze in that position when the judge took the microphone from the judges table and started speaking.

  “This is a great class folks. These young people should be proud of what they’ve accomplished with these fine animals. I haven’t seen the last class yet but I understand it’s a small one. You may well be looking at your grand and reserve champions right here. This was a tight one to call.”

  He paused and looked down the line of competitors and animals in front of him. I held my breath again. Dad lowered the cup without spitting his chew into it.

  “The winner of this class has a fine looking animal. He’s very square in the hind quarters which is what I really like to see.” The judge continued on but I barely heard him. Finally he said, “Competitor number 62 has the winning steer in this class.” A young man from another school stepped forward as the crowd erupted.

  I felt crushed. Dad finally realized his need to spit and he took advantage of it. Dana looked over her shoulder at me. All I could manage was a tight lipped grin.

  Cole was almost directly across from us. He had a smile plastered on his face but I could see the let down in his eyes. I willed him to buck up. It’s not over yet Cole buddy, hang in there!

  The judge held his hands out palms down and motioned for quiet. When the crowd settled, he raised the mike, “I told you this was a close one. Your second place finisher in this class with an equally nice steer is number 67.”

  Kris screamed and dad almost dropped his cup as he pumped his other fist high into the air. I grabbed Dana’s shoulders and gripped them quickly as Cole and Big Boy stepped up to take their places beside the other boy and his charge.

  We we
re celebrating so hard on the sidelines we didn’t even notice right away that the judge went on to name Nora Harper’s steer that her sister Nina was showing as third in the class and then he stepped to the judges table and gave some instructions to the scorers before releasing the class from the show ring.

  A scorekeeper took the mike and announced that finishers one through three should remain near the coliseum. He also advised two other competitors by number to remain nearby.

  Dana looked back at me again, “Why does he want them all to stay close?”

  My dad answered her, “Only three in the last class. He’ll rank the top ten overall. Lotta’ these will be top ten.”

  The competitors came out of the show ring. Kris went to wait with Cole and try to keep him calm. Dad moved over a little bit when she left and I moved up between him and Dana as the last class entered the ring. Nevil Harper Jr. and his steer lead the way.

  I don’t know if Dana made the connection, but all I could think about was the Clenbuterol back in that little refrigerator. I peered closely at Nevil’s steer as he paraded it by us. It was very lean for such a heavy weight class and it had clean lines. It’s definitely a competitor. If it wins and it’s doped, there’s going to be hell to pay.

  With only three in the class, the judge didn’t waste a lot of time. When it was said and done, he’d ranked Harper’s steer first. Now the real competition starts...

  A scorekeeper announced that the three competitors currently in the show ring should remain. He went on to tell all five competitors asked to stand by from Big Boy’s weight class to enter the ring. After conferring with the judge, He announced that the number one steer from each of the two classes before Big Boys should enter the show ring and he called them by competitor number and gave them five minutes to report from the barn.

  Dana looked up at me, “They didn’t call the number one from Beth’s class, three behind Cole’s, did they?”

  “No and they might not. It just depends what the judge remembers liking better. He might call the number twos from those two classes in between before he jumps back to Hunter’s class.”

  “This is so confusing.”

  “Look at it this way babe; it’s all about the overall weight and appearance. The bigger the better but they don’t like them to look fatty, especially in the stomach. They like them to look lean.”

  Dana simply nodded.

  Once the other two steers and their handlers were in the show ring, the judge began looking over each one. Within a couple of minutes he signaled out the number one finisher in Big Boy’s class as the Grand Champion Dairy Steer. The look on Cole’s face spoke volumes. He had stars in his eyes. I just knew he was really hoping for a Reserve Grand Champion finish.

  The judge called for the second place finisher in the class before Cole’s to come to the arena while the crowd was still going mad over the Champion. A long few minutes passed before a young woman and her steer entered the ring. The judge looked it over and then turned from it and walked over to where Cole and Big Boy were positioned. Cole beamed but the judge wasn’t quite swayed.

  He stepped two spots over to where Nevil Harper and his steer were positioned. Hand to his chin, he looked at it thoughtfully and then looked back at Big Boy.

  Come on judge! Big Boy...Big Boy...

  The judge pointed to Nevil Harper and directed him to stand with his animal beside the Grand Champion. The Harpers in the stands went nuts but only polite applause sounded otherwise. Cole looked crestfallen though he was trying hard to keep smiling. He didn’t have long to wait.

  Without waiting for another competitor to be called to the show arena to replace Harper’s now empty spot in the selection lineup, the judge pointed at Cole and Big Boy and directed them forward to stand in third place.

  “Yes!” I screamed and threw my hands into the air. I hugged Dana quickly and then my twin. Dad stood beaming and shaking his head. Mom, all smiles, came from somewhere in the stands and joined us.

  People started clapping dad on the back and congratulating him. They knew the influence he had over the kids’ livestock projects. He puffed out his chest like a proud peacock and crowed that it was a best ever finish for the Crane’s. Kris and I exchanged looks. We both showed animals for years and did plenty well but we let him have his moment.

  We were all so wrapped up in the backslapping and the congratulations that we didn’t even realize additional competitors had been called back to the show ring to back fill for those already placed and that a 4th place finisher had been chosen too.

  Judge, competitors and crowd waited for a new call-back to enter the show arena. We were all shocked speechless and then all smiles as Beth and Hunter entered first the Coliseum and then were let into the show ring.

  I looked at dad, “She has a shot at a top 10 too!” His eyes glistened as he shook his head side to side.

  The judge wasn’t moving about much now. He contemplated Beth’s steer as it entered the arena but selected one from the last class as his number five pick. So it went down the line until the top four in Big Boy’s class had placed, the top two in the last class had and the top two in the class before Big Boy had. There were only two slots left.

  One of the five steers held from Big Boy’s class was still in the lineup as was one from the heaviest class. I looked closely at those two animals. The really heavy one was just fat. It wasn’t a good looking steer. The other one and Hunter were, in my eyes, the best looking animals left out there. All of the rest were 1st and 2nd place finishers from much lower weight classes. I crossed my fingers that the judge felt the same.

  Kris isn’t normally a nail biter but she had her knuckles pressed to her mouth and she was gnawing away. She almost bit herself when the judge pointed at Beth and Hunter and declared them the ninth place finishers. Beth herself looked giddy.

  The judge quickly declared tenth place and put everyone out of their misery. The remaining hopefuls filed out of the ring as the stands began to empty. Families were allowed quick photo ops with the top ten which mom and Kris took full advantage of.

  The number three through ten finishers were led out of the ring by their teenage caretakers leaving only the Grand and Reserve Champions inside. Everyone started to follow Cole and Beth back to the barn but some people in white lab coats moving into the ring caught my eye.

  I put a hand on Dana’s shoulder to stop her. We watched as they instructed the two teenagers to wait while they collected a urine sample from each steer.

  Dana looked at me with raised eyebrows. I pursed my lips and nodded. We were going to know whether the Harper’s were doping real soon.

  As we passed out of the coliseum, I recognized Olivia Stiers sitting on a side bench, tapping a foot impatiently as she stared into the ring. I looked back over my shoulder at the two teen boys and the lab techs. I couldn’t fathom who she might be waiting on.

  Chapter 10 – Claim Check

  Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

  Kris and I arrived at the county morgue at 9:00 AM sharp. Gloria was waiting outside. She joined us and the three of us walked in together. We were immediately met by Leon, the Coroner’s right hand man.

  “Dr. Kreskie will be right with you ladies.”

  I was puzzled, “We’re just here to claim JD’s body and his effects. Hasn’t he already signed the death certificate?”

  A door creaked behind him. “There are extenuating circumstances,” he said quickly as he rolled his eyes for effect.

  Two voices emanated from the now open door. Olivia Stiers stepped through, dissatisfaction over something clearly painted on her face. Luke Kreskie followed behind her speaking in his always patient tone, “...because you’re not the next of kin and they have set an appointment to claim the body of the deceased.”

  “Why can’t you understand? I don’t want to claim his body! I just need a copy of his death certificate!”

  Kreskie spotted our little group waiting. Relief flooded his face as he said to Olivia, “Ma’am, the
se are his next of kin. They determine who ultimately gets a copy of his death certificate. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to speak with them.”

  His effort to dismiss her didn’t sway her. “I have just as much right to be here as they do! JD Roberts lived with me.”

  Her statement caught me by surprise because that wasn’t what she’d told me but I kept my mouth shut and just listened. I stepped back a little away from Kris and Gloria.

  Kris, never one to stay out of an argument, jumped into the fray, “And just why do you think you need or are somehow entitled to a copy of JD’s death certificate?”

  “Who the hell are you?” Olivia shot back.

  “I’m his ex-wife and the mother of his children, his rightful heirs.”

  Oliva drew back and appraised my twin, “Heirs? What could he possibly have had to leave behind?”

  “That’s really none of your business. Besides, if he really did live with you, then you must have all of his personal effects, right?”

  Gloria stepped forward and put a calming hand on Kris’s shoulder. She addressed Olivia, “I’m JD’s sister Gloria, his only living relative besides his children. I’d like to help you but I do need to know why you want a copy of my brothers’ death certificate.”

  “I don’t have to tell you shit lady! If you people won’t give me one,” she swept a finger around the semi-circle of my sister, Gloria and the Coroner, “then I guess I’ll be seeing you all in court.”

  I’d had enough of her and I stepped forward, “On what grounds?”

  Olivia started as though she’d just realized I was there. “You! Why are you here?” She looked back at my sister and at JD’s as though she was looking for some sort of explanation but then she jerked her head back to me, to Kris and then back to me again. “Is this some kind of joke?”

  “No joke,” I replied, picking up on her observation. “We’re twins.”

  Olivia visibly shuddered and then flounced out of the building.