Murder at Bear Ranch

by Alex Harris

  Chapter 7

  On Monday, Oriole contacted the on-duty deputy county attorney to discuss a warrant and was told at this time there wasn’t enough to issue a warrant. She contacted Marlene out at the offices and made an appointment for 1:30. Fred had already checked Mary’s whereabouts for the week prior to Marvin’s disappearance and it appeared she was able to account for her time.

  Fred and Oriole drove out to the Pipe Line offices north of Paulden. The offices consisted of a construction trailer equipped with electricity and water, sitting in the middle of big rigs waiting to be put to work digging, moving, hauling and compacting earth. The steps up to the office were metal make shift, a little rickety and unsecured. Inside, Fred and Oriole found Marlene, and three other people waiting.

  “Detectives, this is Janelle Jankowski our office manager, Steven Smith our field supervisor, and Mark Littleton our crew chief. This is Detective Fred O’Neill and Detective Oriole Wolfe. They’re here to ask some questions about Marvin and whatever they need we will provide it. Any questions?” Marlene had seemed rather diminutive in previous interviews, but here she was in her element, ordering people around, taking control. The three were a motley crew. Fred looked at Oriole as if to say how do you want to do this, and immediately she began to provide the purpose of the investigation.

  “Thank you Ms. Stutz. We’re here to gather background information about Mr. Stutz. Are there a couple offices we can use that will be out of your way?”

  “You can use mine and Marvin’s, just down this hall. I’m not planning on getting any work done anyway.”

  The office on the left reflected a female hand, a vase of dried silk flowers, a framed poster on the larger wall, and a diffuser on the metal desk. Obviously, Marlene’s office. Oriole indicated she would take it. Fred and Marlene moved across the hall to the other office. Marvin’s identity was evident with trade magazines, blue prints, and an old style horse shoe hat rack.

  “Oriole, you take Janelle and I’ll start with Mark. Marlene would you show them in please.”

  Janelle Jankowski’s physical attributes preceded her. Long blonde tresses bounced on her shoulders as she entered the office on stiletto heels as out of place in a site office as a ball gown at a picnic. Her makeup was expertly applied to emphasize her best features and minimize less attractive gifts. The above the knee skirt split up the back for walking ease, revealed shapely legs accustomed to admiration. Finishing her professional attire was a cotton knit top purchased for a 34B accommodating a 34E. Oriole seated herself behind Marlene’s desk and profiled Janelle as a former Las Vegas/Laughlin show girl, without the benefit of education as to proper construction attire.

  “Ms Jankowski, please be seated. Can I get some basic information about you? Full name, address, date of birth?”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever you need.” Janelle provided all that Oriole asked for.

  “How long have you worked here? And where did you work previously?”

  “I got hired here about 10 months ago as a file clerk then the office manager left ‘cause she was pregnant and I took over as office manager about five months ago.”

  Oriole didn’t miss the fact that Janelle had failed to provide previous employment. “And prior to this?”

  “Why do you need that? My previous work history isn’t pertinent to this job.” Janelle became defensive.

  “If it’s not pertinent, there is no reason not to provide it. Right?” Oriole had been a good student to Fred in how to turn the interview around.

  “Well, I worked in Las Vegas and Laughlin at the casinos. Satisfied?”

  Oriole kept at it, “Doing?”

  “I was in the chorus line, OK. I don’t see what that has to do with this.” Miffed, Janelle shifted in her chair.

  “How did you get the job here?”

  “Like most people, I applied for it. A friend mentioned there was an opening and I was ready to move on and this seemed like as good a place as any. I sent in my resume and Marlene called me for an interview. I started the next week. Been here ever since.OK?” Anger was replaced by condescension.

  “How well did you know Marvin Stutz?”

  “Not too well at first, then after I got the office manager, we had daily contact. He was a nice guy, a truly nice guy. He told me what my job was, showed me what he wanted and let me do it. Once in awhile, we’d grab lunch or a drink, but other than that I didn’t see him but briefly. I don’t think Marlene liked having me around though. I think she was jealous of me. The guys on the job would work to find a reason to come into the office when I first started. Then it wore off. But I don’t think she liked it. She was real territorial about Marvin and that no good boyfriend of hers. As if!” Janelle had warmed to the subject.

  “Did Marvin have problems with anyone?” Oriole knew about Jim but wanted to see if it was common knowledge and if there was anything else going on at the job site.

  “Well, Jim of course, they got into a shouting match about three months ago and Marvin gave him the boot.” Janelle leaned closer and looked conspiratorially over her shoulder, then continued. “No one, knows but Steven and Marvin were at each other’s throats. I think Steven’s time was limited.” Satisfying herself with divulging a major secret, Janelle leaned back, crossed her legs and inspected her artificial nails.

  “Anything else you can think of that might help?” Oriole didn’t give the satisfaction that Janelle had sought, but glossed over the revelation.

  “No, nothing else.” Now Janelle was sullen and ready to terminate the interview.

  “Thanks for your cooperation. If you think of anything else, call us please.” Oriole walked her to the doorway, ready to glean information from the next person, but first she wanted to meet with Fred.

  “Mark, can I get some information on you, full name, etc.?” Fred had taken Marvin’s office to meet with the crew chief.

  “Sure.” Mark was forth coming. “It’s so sad about Mr. Stutz. He was a great guy and a terrific boss. He recognized a good job and rewarded it. I started out on the line and I was eager to learn and he let me. This job opened up when Roberto returned to Texas and I asked if he thought I was ready. He said, ‘you know as much about it as anyone else, let’s put you in as interim and see.’ That was five months ago and he made me crew chief in two months. He was a great guy. All the guys say so, well, there’s one or two who hold a grudge, but except for them.”

  “Any of those guys have it in for Mr.Stutz?”

  “No, not really. Jim’s gone, Bill’s here, but has cooled down. There might be a problem though with the super. See, we’ve been here almost three years and we’ve inherited guys from other projects as they close down. That’s how we got Bill and Steven. Oh, and it has to be SteveN, not Steve. Just so you don’t make that mistake. Bill came from Wyoming and Steven, I think, came from California. There were some hard feelings all the way around when we had to take them on, especially guys resented Steven. They felt he wasn’t good enough to be a super and I think Mr. Stutz was in their corner. Marvin rode him pretty hard, but he had to otherwise the job wouldn’t get done.”

  “Did SteveN do anything, say anything that might have led you to think he would harm Mr. Stutz?” Fred could sense there was more information just waiting to be pulled.

  “Well, I probably shouldn’t be talking out of school here, but Steven has a past and Marvin found out and was worried he might be continuing. Not that I would know of course. But there’s talk. “

  ”What kind of a past?” Fred could see a downhill snowball picking up momentum.

  “You just look at Steven and you can see what kind of past. Look at those tats. He’s done time. I don’t even think his real name is Smith. Who uses Smith or Jones, except guys who don’t want their real past to surface.” When Mark finished it was with a simper. Fred had to look to make sure the complainer hadn’t been replaced by a junior high girl.

  “Anything else you can think of that might help us?”

  “N
ot that I can think of.”

  “Thanks for your time. I’ll walk you out.” Fred wanted to get to Steven, but first wanted to compare notes with Oriole.

  As Fred stood in the doorway of Marvin’s office, Oriole came back down the hall. Fred nodded to her to join him as he backed into the office and she shut the door.

  “Good stuff?” Oriole inquired.

  “Maybe. How’d you do with Legs?”

  “Legs? Oh, Janelle. She thinks there might be something with the super.”

  “Hmmm. So does Mark. Let’s see if we can get prints on Smith. See if you can find a glass or soda.”

  Oriole went in search of cokes as Fred went out to the front office to find Steven. Steven Smith presented as burly, surly, and moved with a swagger. Not at all what you’d expect as a construction supervisor. His long sleeve shirt covered any arm tats, but the neck tats showed. Fred’s experience with prison tattoos told him Mark’s assessment was probably on target.

  “Mr. Smith, I appreciate your time. Detective Wolfe is scaring up some cokes. Care for one? Can we start with some background information? Full name, date of birth, address.” Fred knew Smith would be on guard if he was what he appeared to be.

  “I’m not thirsty. Thanks anyway. I got work to do. Let’s get this over with so I can get back to it.” He slouched in the chair in front of the desk, jutted out his chin and lit up a cigarette as he provided the background information Fred sought.

  Oriole returned with two cokes and a diet coke and set them down on the desk in front of Fred and Smith. She moved to the side of the desk and leaned on the computer stand, opening the diet coke. Fred took one of the cokes, drank long, smacking his lips, before setting it down in front of him. Smith reached out for the other popped the top and began drinking.

  “So Mr. Smith, can I call you Steven? How long have you been with the company?” Fred wanted to get more information about this unlikely supervisor.

  “Been here for about five months. With the pipeline about two years. Transferred in from California after we finished up over there.”

  “How well did you know Mr. Stutz?”

  “Didn’t socialize if that’s what you’re asking? Saw him every day, talked to him about progress and problems. He did his job and I did mine. And damn well. I don’t care what anyone else says.”

  Fred listened as Smith finished, but wasn’t sure if Smith meant he did a fine job or Stutz did. “Did Stutz have any issues with any of the guys around here?”

  “He was a nosy nell about everything. Had to know what they were doing on and off the job. I told him to butt out, but he said it was his job to make sure that the guys were clean and sober on and off time. Wanted piss tests. I told him that was crazy, so what if they do a little this and that off hours. No skin off his nose. But he kept pushing. These guys work hard and play hard. I told him to mind his own business and leave my guys alone. It almost came to blows.” Smith was working up to an attitude.

  “That must have been difficult for you, having someone try to interfere with your crews like that.” Fred empathized with Smith to elicit more information and drank down his coke, while Oriole was taking notes.

  “You have no idea. But I made him understand what his job was and what mine was. He didn’t like it. What was he gonna do? He didn’t have any balls.”

  Oriole stole a glance at Fred as she continued to record her notes. “Did Mr. Stutz ever say anything about that?”

  “Of course not, there was nothing he could say. When all that started I told him to tread lightly, that we were a long ways from the main office and to leave me alone. He knew he wasn’t really my boss. I tolerated him for appearance sake and that was it.”

  “Did you and him ever have more than words?” Fred wanted to see just how deep a hole Smith would dig.

  “Nah, he was a light weight. He just talked a lot.”

  “Mr. Smith, what are your plans now?” Oriole, anxious to get out of there and back to the sheriff’s office, tried to move the interview along.

  “Same ole, same ole. They’ll send out a new project manager, who can read plans, do cost overruns and smooze politicians. I’ll keep doing what I do. Are we about done here? I need to get out to the line.” Smith stood to leave.

  Fred and Oriole shook his hand. Smith threw the coke can in the garbage and left. Oriole closed the door while Fred pulled out a glove and grabbed the coke can. Oriole handed him an evidence bag he marked and sealed. They took their leave of Marlene and Janelle.

  After returning to the office, Oriole left the evidence bag with the technician to lift and process the prints, hoping to identify Smith. Oriole suggested Fred come out to the ranch for supper and left for home.