Final Cycle

by Elaine L. Orr

  "Hammer! Who's around?"

  "Just me," he called. "Fender bender right outside the college entrance. Mahan's there. Calderone's at the hardware store trying to figure out if they sell the color brick that sailed through your window."

  Elizabeth took her coat from a hook on the back of her office door and walked the short distance to the bullpen to stand next to Hammer's desk. "Wally may have found the bike. I'll head down to the dumpster behind the bookstore to see if it's Finn Clancy's rusty set of wheels."

  Hammer stood. "It's a mess out there. I'll go."

  "Only witches melt in the rain."

  Hammer frowned. "I get you can tolerate the snow."

  She grinned at him. "Besides, Grayson will be in soon for his shift. I need you to be sure he's alert."

  Hammer half-snorted. "He's always wide awake early in his shift."

  Elizabeth strode toward the door. "I have my radio, in case we lose cell service."

  Heavy snow had begun falling an hour earlier, so her boots crunched on the sidewalk instead of slipped. She started her car, turned the defroster on high, and muttered, "We gotta get some kind of carport built behind the station."

  She groped under her seat for the long scraper with a brush on one end. Maybe she could add a carport to her next budget request. Third time's the charm. Dingle might feel guilty enough about Louella Belle not to fight her about it at a City Council meeting.

  She finished scraping the windshield and side windows, and blessed the rear defroster for saving her the added time in the cold. She climbed in the warming car and pulled into traffic. Driving was easier now because snow covered the ice and a lot of people had headed home early.

  Alice's bookstore was a popular place at Christmastime. Much of the year her best customers were college students trading in books. She paid them more than the college book exchange. At Halloween and Christmas, she kept a hectic pace, though Halloween was more for novelty items than books.

  Elizabeth glanced at the decorated windows on each side of the door. A huge gingerbread house looked as if it had been built by different people, some of them surely visually impaired. She entered the store and stomped her feet on the large black mat.

  Alice's voice came from an aisle or two away. "Afternoon, Elizabeth. Wally's in the restroom."

  Elizabeth brushed snow from her coat onto the mat. "Thanks. Sorry to trouble you."

  "Not at all. He said we weren't in any danger. I'm glad if you found something that will help you solve Louella Belle's murder."

  Danger, Elizabeth thought. Just like Wally to be dramatic.

  Alice came into view, wearing a Mrs. Santa outfit and horizontally striped tights, kind of like Elf in the holiday movie. Her long, white hair hung in a braid that poked out of the Mrs. Santa hat. "When you go outside, you can use my rear door rather than drive around. It's just a few feet from the dumpster."

  "Thanks. By any chance do you know when the bike appeared back there?"

  "I took trash out just before I opened at ten this morning. I'm sure I would have noticed it. When Wally showed it to me, you could see one of the tires kind of sticks out from behind the trash thingy."

  Wally's voice drifted toward them. "Hey, Chief."

  Elizabeth glanced at him and away. Apparently he'd been in a hurry, because his zipper was halfway down. "Great job, Wally, thanks."

  With a puffed out chest, he gestured that she should follow him to the exit that led to the alley. "I scouted the area. Didn't see anyone in the alley."

  Alice hid a smile as she met Elizabeth's gaze. The front door opened and she hurried toward a customer who seemed to be holding a long list of things to buy.

  "So, Wally, did the bike have a lot of snow on it when you found it?"

  "Inch or so on the seat, not so much on the handlebars. They're kind of angled, you know?"

  "Right. I remember it sort of looked like a racing bike."

  "Maybe ten years ago," Wally said.

  Elizabeth smiled. "I didn't pay a lot of attention to it when I saw it in the alley the night Louella Belle was killed, but it appeared to have lived a couple of lives."

  They entered Alice's storage room and Wally rushed to the exit door. He held it so Elizabeth could precede him into the alley.

  She placed her flat hat on her head again and followed him into the snow, which wasn't falling as hard as it had been a few minutes ago. Sure enough, the bike leaned against the dumpster. The front headlight dangled. She didn't remember that from the other night. But even in the deepening twilight, she felt certain it was the same crummy, rusty bike.

  No tracks in the snow. She'd been wrong; Wally hadn't touched it. "What made you look back here?"

  He nodded toward one of the electric blue Sweathog security cars. He had parked it behind a business two doors down, so Elizabeth hadn't noticed it.

  "I been driving through the alleys a couple times a day. Almost as many alley miles as street miles in this town."

  "Was this your first pass through here today?"

  He nodded. "Yep. Alice told me she didn't see it this morning, but she hasn't been out here since maybe nine-thirty or ten."

  Elizabeth studied the bike. "Big gap in time. No tracks in the snow, though, so must have been here at least a couple hours."

  "Handlebars don't look icy," Wally said. “Maybe someone left it here after the sleet stopped."

  Elizabeth thought she should give the man more credit, powdered donuts aside. "Good observation. Come on, let's go back inside."

  Wally seemed reluctant to leave the alley, even though snow had picked up again. "Hope no one takes it."

  Elizabeth nodded at the bike. "It lists. I bet the tires are flat."

  "Good eye, Chief."

  Inside again, Elizabeth pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and nodded to Wally. "I'll get Hammer to send someone down for the bike."

  He brushed snow from his security uniform jacket. "Yeah, won't fit in the Sweathog car's trunk."

  Elizabeth listened to the phone ring at the station. "We'll use a…hey, Hammer. It is Finn Clancy's bike."

  She listened as he said he'd try to get a tow truck, but it could take a while. "Lots of fender benders, Chief. Because of the ice under the snow."

  She didn't like using anything other than a flatbed tow truck, but Hammer had a point. "I agree. The crown vic's trunk is huge. Grayson in yet?"

  "Yep. He's in the locker room."

  "Okay, send him down with a bunch of latex gloves. They'll probably freeze and rip while we load the thing."

  "I got a bunch in my glove box," Wally said.

  Elizabeth shook her head as she hung up. "It's great that you found it, but it's part of a murder investigation. I need to make sure we keep track of it now."

  He looked disappointed "Sure, chain of evidence and all that."

  She added, "I can't thank you enough."

  Alice stuck her head in the storage room. "You two can come into the main store. Was it the bike you wanted?"

  "I think so." Elizabeth said. "You look ready for the holiday."

  Wally trailed the two women as they talked.

  "Thank you. I'm feeling better. Took me a while to get over the shock of Ben's death."

  "True for a lot of people," Elizabeth said. "I know you didn't see anyone put the bike back there, but it seems it had to be someone local. Did you notice anyone in the store or nearby who isn't usually in this part of town?"

  They had reached the front counter, and Alice walked behind it to the cash register. Alice shook her head, slowly. "Of course, people we don't often see have been in the bookstore, the dollar store, other shops. Christmas shopping. But no one stands out."

  "Hardware store around the corner's busy," Wally said. "Selling trees and decorations and stuff."

  "True," Alice said. "The people I've seen who aren't here often are the usual holiday shoppers."

  Wally leaned on the counter, facing Alice more directly. "Anybody look shifty?"

  Alice
's laugh was light and high. "Wally! You watch too much TV."

  Elizabeth hid a smile. "It's good to pay attention to different behaviors, but our bike person probably stayed out of view."

  Red and blue lights from outside bounced on the bookstore windows, announcing Grayson.

  Alice frowned and gestured to the window. "Elizabeth, do tell him to turn those off. People will stay away."

  "Will do, Alice. Thanks for the warmth." Elizabeth walked to the front door, Wally trailing behind her.

  She put her cap on as she walked outside, and made a rolling gesture with her fist and arm, letting Grayson know she wanted to talk to him.

  He rolled his driver's window partway down. "Out back, Chief?"

  "Yes. But turn off your lights. Alice is afraid you'll scare away customers."

  "Yes ma'am." He grinned. "See you in the alley."

  As he pulled away, Elizabeth turned to Wally, and almost wanted to grit her teeth as she said, "Again, thanks. I usually bring in some cookies and such Christmas Eve. Feel free to come by the station in the afternoon for a few minutes."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  WITH THE BIKE STOWED in the closet-sized property room about four o'clock, Elizabeth called Finn Clancy from her office.

  He spoke as soon as he picked up the phone. "Hey, Chief. When can I come get my ride?"

  She hated caller ID sometimes, but was more irritated that he knew it had been found. Probably lots of people had noticed the squad car and the bike she and Grayson loaded into her trunk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clancy. We'll need to keep it for possible use at a trial, maybe…"

  Clancy's curses weren't unique, but they were clear. "I need that bike!"

  "I know you want us to catch Louella Belle's killer."

  Clancy said nothing.

  "I do want to be sure of something, Mr. Clancy. You probably heard we found it behind the dumpster in back of the bookstore. I saw it behind Gene's tattoo place. That's not too far from where Louella Belle was killed. Are you sure you left the bike in the rack by Doris Minx's cookie place?"

  "Do you know where you parked that big boat police car you drive?"

  "Most days. I'm not insulting your intelligence, just making sure we know the sequence of events."

  "Yeah, all right. But I need that bike back now, not later."

  "Let me think for a minute," Elizabeth said. When Clancy said nothing, she added, "Call me in the morning." She hung up without saying goodbye.

  If Mahan hadn't checked at the Weed 'n Feed to be sure Clancy had been in there at the time they thought Louella Belle had been murdered, he'd be her prime suspect. Finn Clancy was a lazy, rude, crude man. But he didn't own a car, and in Logland a bike would get him most places he needed to go.

  She stood from her desk and made for the bullpen. Hammer had the phone angled on his shoulder and chin, pen in hand, as he made notes. He rolled his eyes at her. Elizabeth figured someone had a snow-clearing request.

  He hung up. "They think we'll call the plows to tell them to head to their street."

  Elizabeth nodded. "And you explained they do most-traveled streets first, of course."

  "I did. What's up?"

  "Would you call the hardware store to see what's the best deal they can give us on a cheap men's bike?"

  "For Clancy?"

  "Yeah. I thought I could ask a bunch of people to kick in five bucks. We'll have to hold onto his for probably months."

  Hammer snorted. "It'll have rusted through before then."

  "I can pony up for all of it, I just don't want him thinking it all comes from me."

  He nodded and reached into his hip pocket.

  Elizabeth shook her head and grinned. "Save it for your kids. I think I might call Dingle."

  Hammer laughed. "He can pass the hat at city hall."

  She'd been at her desk less than five minutes when Calderone stuck his head in her office. "Your bricks aren't sold at the hardware store. But fingerprint results from the laundromat came in."

  She gestured to a chair. "What does it tell us?"

  "Probably nothing about Louella Belle's killer. Only eight people in the system. Those two people from the senior apartments. Theirs were on file because they used to teach. Squeaky's." He looked up from his notes. "Did you know he had a DUI up in Springfield fifteen years ago?"

  "No. Just the one?"

  "Yeah. We kind of keep an eye on him, since he weaves when he walks sometimes. Never saw him drive impaired."

  "Guess he learned his lesson. Who else?"

  "Your favorite frat guy, Blake Wessley."

  "From any relevant machines?" she asked.

  "Couple washers, different dryer. Finn Clancy's. I knew he'd be in the system." He looked up from his list. "I arrested him for a couple of bar fights, but he didn't start them."

  "Were his prints on Louella Belle's dryer?"

  "That's the kicker," Calderone said. "I got a couple from there, but they turned out to be Marti's. Hers went in the system as elimination prints when Ben died."

  "So, we knew she touched the dryer."

  "Yeah, but I got several prints there. Because they were only hers, it means someone wiped it down after they put Louella Belle in there."

  "Huh." Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. "Probably a very quick crime. Seems like Blake Wessley, Stanley, and Grace were there within a few minutes of each other. Herbie and Just Juice were in there around the same time. Marti found her about six. But the person knew to avoid leaving prints."

  Calderone frowned. "Yeah, but…could have been before five. Remember, Marti and Nick said Louella Belle left the diner about two o'clock. The little window in the dryer showed only the checkered tablecloth when Marti got there. Someone could have put her in there earlier and covered the little window."

  "You're right. I hope Skelly can give us a more precise window."

  "So to speak." He grinned and regarded his notes again. "Lots of prints around the change machine lock."

  "Whose?"

  "I believe they're called Just Juice and Herbie Hiccup."

  Elizabeth pointed her index finger at Calderone. "Get them back here."

  CALDERONE STUCK HIS HEAD IN Elizabeth's office. "I called places to chow down. Found Herbie and Just Juice at the Weed 'n Feed. I told them to stop drinking for an hour, except for coffee, and come on over."

  "You sure they weren't really wasted?"

  Calderone shook his head. "You know the manager, Harvey Hunter, right?"

  Elizabeth nodded.

  "He said they only got there forty-five minutes ago."

  Elizabeth glanced at the wall clock. "It's four-thirty, your shift ended an hour ago. Go home."

  "You sure?"

  "Hammer'll be here another hour, and Grayson's around."

  "Great. I'll finish my shopping."

  Elizabeth liked working with Calderone. Mature but not old-fashioned, and he had a good sense of humor. For a minute she felt lonely. She planned to cover Christmas Day, so wasn't going to visit family in Chicago. Just her and…

  "Damn! The cat." She dialed Skelly's cell. "How's my girl?"

  "Hello, Elizabeth. I'm fine, too."

  She heard the humor in his voice. "Sorry. It's been so hectic I actually forgot about both of you for a couple hours."

  "She's more awake. I think the sedative calmed her tense muscles. Vet also gave me two doses of oral pain meds. I'll dose her again before I bring her to you."

  "Oh, I should do it. She bites when I try to give her pills."

  "Liquid. I'll put the little syringe under her tongue and squirt."

  "Great. So, I have what I hope is a short interview in the station in a few minutes, then I could get her from you."

  "I have a couple errands. I put her in a box with one of those white hospital blankets. She'll be okay in the car while I grab a couple groceries. Meet you at the diner?"

  "Uh, okay, but she may pee on your blanket."

  "Nope. I keep cat litter in the closet here."

 
"You bring cats to work often?"

  Skelly chuckled. "Good to clean up spills. We won't say of what."

  "Ugh. I'll call your cell when I leave my office."

  She hung up and walked to Hammer's desk. "Calderone tell you the two guys are coming by?"

  "Yep. I had to look up their real names."

  Elizabeth smiled. "Remind me."

  " Erasmus Jenson and Herbert Gibson," he said.

  "Okay. I'm going to make some official notes about what I heard today. Call me when they get here. I'll meet them in the conference room."

  Elizabeth grabbed coffee from the break room and turned on her computer. She kept her handwritten notes, of course, but after a couple weeks they became harder to decipher.

  When she started to write about the brick through her window, she paused. She didn’t often discuss where she lived, and her address had never been in the paper. How had the brick tosser known her address?

  Elizabeth had asked Edna not to broadcast who her tenant was, but she could have mentioned it in the grocery store or hair salon. In a small town, residents expected to know where everyone lived. Mentioning Elizabeth’s address would not even have seemed like gossip to most people. The glass breaker probably did not have to look too hard to find her home.

  She had just finished detailing about the brick thrown through her apartment window when her phone buzzed. "Yes?"

  Hammer said, "Hey, Chief. The guys just came in. I'll take them back to the conference room."

  She spoke quietly. "I'm going to let them simmer for a couple of minutes."

  "Sounds like a plan." Hammer hung up.

  She sent the day's notes to the printer, stood to stretch, and removed the paper from her printer to place in a file folder. She decided that was long enough to keep Herbie Hiccup and Just Juice on pins and needles.

  Elizabeth walked down the hall to the conference room. "Mr. Gibson, Mr. Jenson. Thanks for coming back in." She sat opposite them at the table.

  If they had been standing, Elizabeth could envision them shuffling their feet. Instead, they shifted in their respective chairs and met her eyes for only a second.

  Herbie said, "Did you forget to ask us something?"