Scandal in Tawas

by Madison Johns

  “Agnes here had a little coffee with her flavored creamer.”

  “Can’t say I blame her,” Wallace said. “I’d rather have a chai tea, though.”

  “Us, too,” I exclaimed.

  My eyes widened when Wallace said, “I wonder what’s going on over there.” He pointed out a group of people, mostly women, who were holding picket signs.

  “We better find out,” I said.

  Eleanor helped me get out the wheelchair and set it up. Once I was safely settled inside the chair, Agnes pushed me over to the crowd.

  “What happened to you, Agnes?” Dorothy Alton asked with widened eyes. “I thought you knew better than to fight with that bruiser Eleanor.”

  Eleanor gritted her teeth, ignoring the camera Benny had trained on them while Wallace held a boom microphone.

  “I sprained my ankle at the Butler Mansion yesterday,” I explained.

  Dorothy gasped. “You mean Eleanor tried to bury you in the family cemetery there?”

  “Family cemetery?” Wallace asked.

  “The Butler Mansion has a private cemetery there,” I explained.

  “What’s up with the cameramen?”

  “They’re following us around town as we’re so interesting,” Eleanor cut in. “What’s up with those picket signs?”

  Dorothy held a ‘Shame on you, Sara Knoxville’ sign.

  “Sara left out a key page in her tell-all book.”

  “And we want it back,” chimed in a large-nosed woman. She blinked her eyelashes at the men. “Are you one of the men Sara had an illicit affair with?”

  “Nope,” Wallace said, swallowing uncomfortably at the woman as she advanced on him, taking ahold of his arm.

  “Are you sure, because you look like someone I’d have an illicit affair with.”

  “Margaret, knock it off,” Bernice said, as she glided through the crowd wearing a powder blue pair of slacks and a coordinating blouse. She was referred to as the “Cat Lady” in town due to her preference for having many felines roaming around her property. She recently upgraded her look from wearing only men’s clothing to getting dressed up to impress.

  “Hello there, Bernice,” I greeted. “Are you planning to join us at Barnacle Bill’s for lunch?”

  “I am now. I can’t wait for Elsie to see that she’s not the only one in town who wears powder blue clothing.”

  “I can’t wait to see how she handles that,” Eleanor said.

  “Back to the picketing, have you tried to contact Sara Knoxville before you all decided to protest her new book?”

  “We don’t exactly have her phone number,” Dorothy said. “Millicent is over there, though. Millicent and Martha made a terrible mistake coming here to try and calm the picketers.”

  We moved through the crowd where Millicent and Martha were being bombarded by several aggressive picketers. I didn’t recognize these protesters.

  “Get away from them,” Eleanor demanded, as she bore down on the ladies with her fist swinging. The women quickly retreated and we were able to move Millicent and Martha into safety.

  Millicent pressed a hand to her chest. “Thank you so much. I thought we were about to buy the farm.”

  “Great Michigan phrase,” Wallace said.

  “I hardly think it’s a Michigan phrase exactly,” Millicent said with flashing eyes.

  I was taken aback as I’ve never seen Millicent respond like that.

  “I suppose they figured since you manage the Butler Mansion that you’re personally to blame for the book debacle,” I mused out loud.

  “Not exactly. They demanded I tell them where Sara Knoxville is hiding.”

  “The picketers were at the Butler Mansion earlier,” Martha explained. “Poor Millicent had to call the cops to get them to leave the property.”

  “What did Sheriff Peterson do?” I asked.

  “He didn’t show, but when Trooper Sales arrived, the crowd quickly dispersed.”

  “I wonder if that means they won’t go back,” Eleanor said.

  “I don’t know, but isn’t that Sheriff Peterson’s car?” Millicent asked, as she pointed out his cruiser.

  Chapter Six

  PETERSON DID A U-TURN and parked at the curb, struggling to walk over, thanks to his bum leg.

  “What’s going on here, ladies?” His eyes narrowed slightly, taking in my wheelchair.

  “Look, Peterson, you and Agnes are twins with matching boots,” Eleanor said.

  “It’s sprained,” I volunteered.

  “Why is there a news crew here?”

  “They’re not a news crew. They’re following Agnes and me around. We’re hoping to solve a case, but so far there’s no crimes to speak of.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing?”

  “She didn’t mean it that way,” I said. “Actually, I believe we do have a case on our hands, but it would hardly be something you’d be concerned with, Peterson.”

  “Hopefully it has something to do with this protest. It doesn’t look good for Tawas.”

  I glanced around at the forming crowd and cars that were packed in nearby parking lots. “I don’t agree with that. It might just be what Tawas needs—a little scandal.”

  Peterson’s eyes scanned the crowd. “Do me a favor and wrap this up before there’s a traffic jam. I’d hate to see anyone get hurt trying to crane their necks looking over here.”

  “Well, you’ll have to deal with it because we don’t have anything to do with this protest. It was already happening before we got here.”

  “It’s legal to demonstrate as long as no one is impeding traffic or blocking the road,” Eleanor said with a curt nod. “We won’t be staying much longer.”

  “What does Sara Knoxville have to say about this?”

  “Mum is the word ... or at least it was when we were at the mansion yesterday,” I said.

  “So what’s this about a missing page in her book, anyway?” Peterson asked.

  “All I know is the books we bought are missing a key page that—”

  “Were meant to reveal who Sara was having a torrid affair with,” Eleanor cut in.

  Peterson rolled his eyes. “Can’t you speak to Sara about pacifying her angry readers?”

  “I would if I knew where she was holed up at,” I said.

  “She’s not at the mansion,” Millicent quickly volunteered. “It’s not like her to not tell me where she’s going. You might not know this about me, but I’m a bit of a worrywart.”

  “Think, ladies. There are only so many places in Tawas where an actress can hide out.”

  “Really?” Eleanor asked. “I’d imagine you might think the hair salon?”

  “Or the beach,” Martha said. “A beach house in East Tawas would be my guess.”

  “Why would it be in East Tawas and not Tawas City?” I asked. “It’s just as nice as East Tawas.”

  “How about we argue about our twin cities another time,” Peterson said. “I’d really appreciate your help in this matter.”

  “Enough to give us a tour of the sheriff’s department?” Wallace asked in excitement.

  I quickly made the introductions.

  “Only if you can clear up the crowd sooner rather than later.”

  “We’ll be there shortly,” Wallace said with a glint in his eye. He approached the center of the crowd and announced, “We’re investigating the matter of the missing page with local investigators, Agnes and Eleanor.”

  “Big whoop,” Dorothy said.

  “Would you like to meet Nash Rivers?” Eleanor blurted out with a shrug.

  “You mean Nash Rivers is in town?” Sally Alton asked in excitement. “He’s so dreamy.”

  “Control yourself, dear,” Dorothy scolded her granddaughter. “You can’t trust those Hollywood types.”

  “And you know this because?” I asked inquisitively.

  “Oh, never mind. All I know is my granddaughter is a good girl.”

  “We know that,” Eleanor said. “You need to le
t Sally lead her own life instead of trying to control her. It’s no wonder she’s single.”

  “It’s no wonder Millicent is single,” Dorothy shot back.

  “What does this have to do with me?” Millicent asked.

  “Don’t mind Dorothy,” Beverly said, as she approached. “I think we could all be convinced to stop if we can meet Nash Rivers ... providing it happens today.”

  “We’ll exchange numbers and I’ll call you when I have it arranged,” I said.

  Eleanor nodded. “You’ll be responsible for telling the other ladies.”

  Picket signs were lowered and the ladies filed to their cars while I called Beverly’s cell phone and we both saved one another’s digits.

  “Happy now, Peterson?” I asked.

  “Very. I’ll meet you at the sheriffs department for your tour.”

  “That was smart thinking,” Benny said, as he put his camera in the back of the SUV. “I didn’t know you knew Nash well enough to get him to meet the ladies later.”

  “Me either.” I smiled.

  BARBARA’S EYES WIDENED from her position behind the counter when Eleanor pushed me inside, followed by Benny and Wallace. And she actually let us in without her usual nastiness. It took me all of ten minutes to convince the men that cameras weren’t allowed inside the sheriff’s department.

  “Sheriff Peterson is waiting in the break room,” she said, as she led the way. She even gave her pulled-back hair a careful pat as she smiled at Benny before turning on her heels and leaving us at the door of the break room.

  Eleanor moved me over to the table along the wall where fresh coffee and a box of doughnuts were set up. I had to lean forward to grab a tasty treat as Eleanor was more concerned with shoving a doughnut into her mouth. I let out a cry as my wheelchair rolled back without me on it.

  I closed my eyes tightly, anticipating the thump to the floor but was shockingly caught from behind and assisted to a standing position. Pain shot up from my ankle but thankfully, I was eased back onto the chair safely.

  “Thank you,” I said, unclear who I was thanking for saving me from a nasty fall that could have landed me back in the hospital.

  “You’re welcome,” Peterson said. “Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. I should have stayed off my feet longer than I have. I barely have a pain-free day wearing this boot.”

  “I can’t imagine you could get much police work done from a wheelchair.”

  “I can’t imagine you’ll get much investigating done from a wheelchair. But knowing you, I imagine you’ll find a way.”

  I turned my chair as Peterson waved his arms in a Vanna White movement. “This is the break room filled with all the bad things to eat. At the beginning of every month, the girls working here insist on having a pot luck. It doesn’t do much for the diet my wife insists I follow.” He winked.

  He proceeded up the hallway, pointing to several closed doors. “These offices are for the heads of the sheriff’s departments. “We have Undersheriff Karl Robert’s office. He’s the second in command. He’s green under the gills still, but I have faith in him. He’s currently attending a conference in Lansing.”

  He opened the last door. “This is my office. It’s nothing fancy but I like to hole myself up here whenever Agnes and Eleanor come to bug me.”

  “Does that work?” Benny asked with a smile.

  “Not really.”

  Peterson pointed out other offices and conference rooms that were used to “rally the troops,” as he called it. “We have two interview rooms on the jail end, but I’m not sure that’s of much interest to any of you.”

  “I’d love to see them,” Wallace said. “I’ve always been curious to know if it’s anything like you see on those crime shows.”

  “I haven’t seen a crime show yet that is completely accurate,” he said, as he led the way into a room. “We don’t have two-way glass or mirrors here, but as you can see we have video surveillance,” he said, pointing to the corners of the room.

  “Do you really give suspects coffee and doughnuts to butter them up for an interview?” Wallace asked.

  Peterson laughed. “You really do watch too much television. Fortunately, we don’t have too many hardened criminals here in town.”

  “Then what have Agnes and Eleanor been investigating in town?” Wallace asked.

  “Purse snatchers, from what I hear.”

  “So what happened to her, anyway?” I asked.

  “Her mother bailed her out. Did you know she’s related to Rosa Lee Hill?”

  “Really?” Eleanor asked. “We’ll have to get the scoop later today. I can’t imagine our good friend Rosa Lee is happy about having a family member who is a purse snatcher.”

  “Rosa Lee will put the girl in line. Are you sure your ankle wasn’t hurt before you went to the Butler Mansion? I’d think tripping her would have done something. I mean, you’re not a spring chicken,” Peterson hinted.

  “I imagine they don’t much care for your thoughts,” Benny said with a grin.

  “You’d think right. Would you care to see the jail?”

  “We’d love it,” Wallace said, as his eyes danced. “I’m not signing up for 60 Days In. You know, that show where you volunteer to be in jail for—”

  “Sixty days, I know. We don’t have contraband slipping through the doors like that show. We also do more thorough searches.”

  “I can attest to that,” Eleanor said. “Agnes and I were stripped and searched that one time we were arrested.”

  “Oh, what was your crime?”

  “Sticking their noses where they don’t belong,” Peterson said.

  “Oh, is that a crime in Tawas?”

  “It should be, it really should.”

  I didn’t appreciate the sheriff’s joke but followed along into an empty holding cell. “This is where we hold the people we detain until they’re moved into regular population. Agnes and Eleanor were held in a cell similar to this one.”

  I stared into the small bench and toilet in the corner, which a person would be forced to use if they were incarcerated for too long in this room.”

  “I’ll admit I was arrested once in Los Angeles and that sure scared me straight,” Benny said. When Peterson raised a brow at him, Benny added, “I hit a parked police car by accident.”

  “But the cops weren’t laughing,” Wallace added with a chuckle.

  “I swear they did that just to be jerks because they never even charged me.”

  “I bet you’ve been more careful since, though,” Peterson said. “That’s about all I can show you. I can’t bring you into an actual detention area.”

  “Short for jail pod,” I added. “Detention sounds like something you have to do after school.”

  “And I suppose we can’t see how your security surveillance system works,” Benny said.

  “Sorry, but I’ve already shown you more than I should have. I’ll show you back to your car.”

  True to word, Peterson walked us to the SUV and left us standing there as Benny and Wallace settled us into the vehicle.

  “That was kind of Sheriff Peterson to show us around,” Benny said. “Even if that was the vanilla tour.”

  My brow shot up. “Vanilla?”

  “He was never going to show us the real guts of the sheriff’s department.”

  “I can’t imagine that would be wise,” Eleanor said. “What were you planning, breaking someone out of jail?”

  “No, I was just saying. Where to now?”

  “Do you know where we might find Nash Rivers about now?” I asked.

  “I thought you already knew,” Wallace said. “You don’t really know him, do you?”

  “Does meeting him last night count?” Eleanor asked. “He might be at the Butler Mansion.”

  “He’d be at a beach house somewhere. Do you have a beach resort here?”

  “Not like you think. It’s more of an area where there are some gorgeous beach houses. You can’t get in without a membership.”
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  “Hey, didn’t Stuart mention that he was staying at Henry Winston’s beach house while they were in town?” Eleanor asked.

  “Thanks, Eleanor,” I said. “I’ll give Moraine a call to let us in.”

  “Who is Stuart?”

  “He’s my son and Moraine is his wife.”

  “Do you think we could at least bring our camera in the house?”

  “I’ll have to ask. Please keep the exact location to yourself. Agreed?”

  “Sure thing.”

  Moraine was waiting on a bicycle for us at the entrance to the Beach Club and led us to Henry’s beach house. It was an elaborate mansion with no nearby beach houses. Moraine motioned us to the side of the house, where Eleanor and Benny got out and waited for me. Wallace helped me out and pushed my chair up the walkway that led to a nook with a covered portion of the roof. It had a stone fireplace and chairs lined up on the porch with a sidelong view of Lake Huron.

  As Benny and Wallace hurried to the beach, I frowned, realizing that I wouldn’t be able to get a good view of the beach from my vantage point in the wheelchair.

  “Don’t get bummed out, Agnes,” Eleanor said, as she sat next to me. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to show you some pictures.”

  “Or we could view the beach from inside the house,” Moraine said. “We’ll just have to be careful. I don’t want to track any more sand into the house.”

  “Henry might have a cow if you do,” Eleanor said.

  “There’s a maid’s service coming in daily so I suppose I shouldn’t worry about it, but it’s hard not to when the house is so gorgeous.”

  “I wonder why Henry relocated here,” I mused.

  “Privacy, I imagine,” Moraine said, as she pushed me inside. The setting took my breath away. Both the living and dining rooms faced the lake and my eyes were drawn by the spectacular view of the beach that could be seen from any of the windows.

  Moraine then moved us outside and I inhaled the smell of the lake, listening intently to the call of the seagulls that fought against the pull of the wind.

  “So this is the life,” Eleanor said.

  “I take it those are the camera men following you today.”

  “Yup, Benny and Wallace.”