by VC Angell
“I’m glad that’s working out for you. Julie is good at doing research.”
“Not only that, but I like her. She’s down to earth. She treats me just like I wasn’t a whore. I’ll have to find her a little present of some kind. What about you? Any luck with finding your brother’s killer?” Laura asked.
“I thought his killing might have something to do with the drug story he was working on. It wasn’t. I thought it might be an angry husband because you know…”
“I know he couldn’t keep it in his pants. Birdie said that he had an enormous appetite for the bedroom. It could be an angry husband that you just haven’t found,” Laura said.
Jim paused, thinking, and then asked, “Do you know a Karen Johnson?”
Laura thought a moment and then said, “I know at least a couple of people with that name. I assume you are thinking about someone he was doing?”
“I was told that this Karen Johnson is the one that owns the tea shop in town,” Jim said.
Laura laughed out loud and said, “He wouldn’t be doing her. She’s a Dyke.”
“How do you know that? I asked Will at the paper about her, and he didn’t know that.”
“It’s an open secret in the lesbian community. Birdie is bi. When Karen came to town, she didn’t know anyone but somehow found out that Birdie swung both ways,” Laura said.
“I guess that kind of eliminates her husband since she doesn’t have one.”
“Birdie said that she’s very mannish. Birdie also said that Karen was so good in bed that she felt bad about charging her.”
Jim slowly shook his head and dejectedly said, “It’s another dead end.”
“I could see where husband might get spooked to find his wife sleeping with the lesbian,” Laura said.
“I’m sure you’re right. On the other hand, I was told that Sally was spending a lot of time with her just before Alex was killed. I don’t know what that means.”
“Are you sure Sally is straight?” Laura asked.
“I assume so. After all, they had a couple of children together.”
“Sally might be like Birdie and be bi,” Laura said.
Jim picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, and put it back down before saying, “Even if she is, it doesn’t help me find Alex’s killer. Remember, Sally and Alex were divorced not long before he was killed. Sally could spend all the time she wanted with Karen, and no one would be in a position to care about that.” Jim looked at Laura and paused for a second, “I don’t care what Sally does in the bedroom.”
Laura looked at Jim and started to giggle, “You should have seen your face when you said that. It’s like something you tasted that was rotten, but you’re right. Even with the divorce, it would be more likely that Alex would kill either Sally or Karen and not the other way around.”
“It looks like another dead end to me. I’ll have to look for another angry husband.”
Laura shook her head and said, “Don’t give up. I’m sure you’ll eventually find the answer.”
Jim looked at Laura’s green eyes and said, “You’ve got the greatest of green eyes.”
“Don’t say things like that. You give me all kinds of ideas that I shouldn’t have,” Laura said, half teasingly.
Their talk turned to how long they thought the winter might last. Would it end in late April or hang on until the start of June?
* * *
It was approximately a month later when Jim got a call at home one evening. The voice said, “I am from the World Globe Insurance Company. My name is Ted Williams, and I’d like to speak to you. When can I see you?”
“That’s an interesting name. I take it you’re not the Ted Williams?” Jim said.
“The other Ted Williams died in 2002. I’m getting comments like yours less and less. Getting back to the topic on hand, are you free tonight to see me?”
“Sure, it’s a quiet night. You have my address?”
“Yes, and GPS will get me right to your home, so I don’t need any instructions. I’m in the Starlite Motel.”
“That’s a straight shot from there. Just turn left out of the parking lot there, and you can’t miss me. You should be here in about 10 minutes. Would you like me to put the coffee on?” Jim asked.
“Not this late in the day, but thank you for the offer,” Ted said.
It wasn’t long after the call that Jim saw a car drive up, and he went to the front door. It was Ted, and he invited Ted in. They sat down in the living room.
Ted said, “I almost hit a deer and would have if I had not been slowing down for your place.”
“I guess their mothers don’t teach them to look both ways before crossing the road. We have critters you can run into here that are big enough to do some damage. People hit a bear now and then. The DNR has successfully reintroduced wild turkeys, and they pay no attention to cars. We not only have to look out for other drivers but also all kinds of wild critters,” Jim said.
“I live in Orlando, Florida, where the home office is. I am originally from upstate New York, so I know about the deer problems,” Ted said.
“Then, you know about our cold, snowy weather?”
“I sure do, and I’m glad I don’t live in the north anymore,” Ted smiled.
“I guess that you wanted to see me about my brother’s murder.”
“Yes, we are investigating because the policy wasn’t quite six months old. I have the police report, but I have some questions for you,” Ted said.
“I have questions about my brother’s murder. I have been racking my brain and tried to talk to anybody that would help me find his killer, but no luck. It’s frustrating.”
“The policy named his wife as beneficiary. You have any idea why he might do that?” Ted asked.
“I found out he was in the midst of a story about drug dealing here in Alma. He was afraid something might happen to him because of it. He has two kids in college. Sally, his wife, told me Alex wanted their children to be taken care of if anything happened. However, that doesn’t make real good sense to me because he divorced Sally not long before he was killed.”
“Was there infidelity on her part?”
“No, it was my brothers’ part. I’ve talked to enough women who have confirmed that. Sally told me that she knew about his affairs with other women. She told me that he had always enjoyed a great deal of sex and with menopause, she used the term “dried up” to describe her problem. When I asked her about the divorce, Sally said that it was necessary. That’s the exact word she used. She got upset with me at that point. I didn’t dare ask anymore,” Jim said.
“Do you know if she was seeing other men?”
“No, and that’s what’s strange. I mean, Sally had two children with Alex. I understand from a good source that she is spending a lot of time with a known lesbian. After my last visit with her, I didn’t want to ask her about that fact.”
“You know the name of the other woman?” Ted asked.
“Yes, she runs the tea shop in Alma, and her name is Karen Johnson.”
Ted jotted down the name and then asked, “Do you know anything more about her other than she’s a lesbian?”
“I am told she is a Dyke and very manlike. I’ve never met her or been in her tea shop. There didn’t seem to be any reason to do that.”
“We’d be interested in anything or anyone that would shed light on your brother’s murder. Do you have any suggestions where I could look?” Ted asked.
“There was a detective from the Sheriff’s Department who came to see me. Her name is Gladys Schmidt,” Jim paused long enough for Ted to write down the name, “She was originally looking to see if my brother’s drug investigation story had caused his death. Gladys might have something that I’m not aware of. It seemed pretty clear to both her and the sheriff, my brother’s drug story had nothing to do with his murder. After the Sheriff’s Department and the state's drug task force arrested the drug ring, I published his story. I felt he should be given credit for it,” Jim ex
plained.
“Yeah, that sounds like a nice thing to do for your brother. Can you think of anything else?”
“No, but can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, if I can answer it.”
“If your company is sending you to investigate, it must be a big policy. How big?” Jim asked.
“Your brother told our insurance agent that he probably only keep it for a year until he felt safe again. He wanted to take care of Sally and the kids, he said. The amount was a million dollars.”
“Whoa! That doesn’t make any sense to me. He could have gotten a policy for half or even if a quarter of that and protected his family.”
“That is the primary reason we are investigating before paying out. We have the time because Alex’s death was a murder. His wife… I should say ex-wife has started pushing pretty hard to get paid and has even hired a lawyer. We don’t have much time left, or we will have to pay out,” Ted said.
“That doesn’t sound like Sally. Alex had mortgage insurance, and the newspaper has continued to pay his salary to Sally. She should not be short of money.”
“What newspaper?”
“It’s a family-run newspaper for the down. It’s a corporation. Alex’s will was set up, so the majority shares come to me, 51%. Sally gets a quarter of the remaining shares. My mother gets the other quarter. Sally is not entitled to Alex’s pay, but I thought I would continue to pay it until she got on her feet. The newspaper, like all print media, is having a tough time these days, so to offset what I’m paying Sally, I am just taking living expenses,” Jim explained.
Ted’s eyebrows went up, if as Jim explained. He said, “That’s awful goodhearted of you since you didn’t have to pay her anything.”
Jim shrugged, “Sally is family. I’m sure if the roles were somehow reversed and Alex was in my shoes, he’d do the same thing for my wife if I were married. I just don’t understand why Alex would pay the premiums on a million-dollar policy. They get to be huge.”
“I don’t have anything to do with that side of the business, so I can’t tell you exactly what they were. But like you, I think they would’ve been big premiums every month as he was kind of old. Can you think of anything else?”
“I wish I could. I’ve been trying to find out who killed my brother since the sheriff told me it was murder and not a hunting accident. Will you keep me informed?” Jim asked.
“I’ll have to inform law enforcement before you, but you will be the second call I make.”
“Understood.” It was clear that her conversation was ending, so Jim stood up, followed by Ted. Ted thanked him for his cooperation and information before leaving.
* * *
The following night Carol came out for supper and to spend the night. Jim told her about his visit with Ted Williams the night before and the insurance policy’s size.
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would Alex want a policy that big?” Carol asked.
Jim shrugged, “It didn’t make any sense to me either. That’s one of the reasons the insurance company is investigating his death and not paying the policy.”
“Do they have to honor the policy since he was murdered, and it wasn’t a natural death?”
“I don’t know. All I know about insurance is you get some and hope you never have to use it. I would guess if the beneficiary is responsible for the murder, the insurance company wouldn’t have to pay.”
Carol smiled and said, “Change of subject. Let’s talk about setting a date to get married.”
“Okay, that sounds like fun,” Jim said, looking Carol up and down.
Carol ignored his reaction, “From what you’ve said, you’d like to get married soon. Right?”
Jim turned serious, “We pretty much decided we didn’t want to do in the heat of the summer, so I thought it was May. It’s just January, so we can easily plan. It wouldn’t be a rush to get the planning done.”
After some discussion, they settled again in May. Jim was saying, “Near the end of the month, you if it runs into Memorial Day. How about the second weekend in May?”
Carol was looking at a calendar she had pulled up on her cell phone, “That Sunday is Mother’s Day.”
“I assume the wedding be on Saturday and not that Sunday.”
“You are correct. It shouldn’t interfere with Mother’s Day.”
Jim thought for a moment and then smiled, “It could be a Mother’s Day gift to our mothers. You know, we’re finally getting married.”
“You know you’re right. My mother keeps asking me when I’m going to get married and give her grandchildren,” Carol said.
“Okay, we have a date. What do we need to do next?” Jim asked.
“We need to make sure the church is free and that there’s a place available for the reception. Do we want a band or just a DJ?”
They continued to discuss their wedding plans. They decided since they were older, they would pay for their wedding. That led to a discussion about setting up a budget. After almost two hours, they were sure they could start putting things in place.
“I don’t know if was all this planning, but I think it’s bedtime,” Jim said.
“That’s just because you want me to get into bed with you,” Carol teased.
“That and I’m exhausted tonight. Do you realize the big steps we took tonight?” Jim asked.
“You betcha, I do.”
* * *
The following morning, Saturday, Jim and Carol went shopping together, and it was lunchtime when they returned home. Carol asked, “Do you realize we’re acting like a married couple already? We just did our weekly shopping together.”
“I wouldn’t enjoy shopping as much with anyone else,” Jim said.
“You better be because you will be doing it for the rest of your life with me.”
Jim’s reaction was to put his arms around Carol and kiss her.
“Down, boy! We have to put these groceries away. Especially the frozen stuff.”
“The always practical Carol strikes again,” Jim said teasingly.
After lunch, both called their respective parents and gave them the news. Jim hoped his mother would remember.
* * *
A month past and Jim heard nothing more from the insurance investigator. Another dead end, it seemed. January had been a horrible month in terms of income for both the paper and the radio stations. That had been expected and factored into Jim’s plans, but the losses were much more than he or the accountants have projected. The only good news was the shopper revenues were stable. February was almost over, and ad revenues for both the paper and radio stations showed no improvement. Jim was becoming increasingly worried about the financial health of them.
“Did you find anything else in your search?” Jim asked.
“I still think our best bet is to do the bingo game. People will have to have a copy of the paper to play. The numbers will be hidden in the ads from participating stores. That ensures people will read the ads, which should improve traffic for the stores. We pick up the tab on the cash prizes. All and all, it should work,” Will said.
“I’ve looked through the other ideas, and it is the best one I’ve seen. The company selling this idea has taken care of all the detail. It’s not that expensive either. Let’s go with it.”
“I’ll take care of getting it. We have to pay for it, and then we will get full access to download the whole package.”
“One other thing. I wanted to say you have become the real boss now. When you arrived, you looked and acted scared. You’ve really grown into the job, and everyone around here appreciates it,” with that, Will left Jim’s office.
* * *
Jim was going to be alone Saturday because Carol and a girlfriend were going to Duluth to shop for a wedding dress. Alma had a limited selection of wedding dresses, and Carol did not like any of them. Jim decided to go into Alma to the hardware store. They had a minimal amount of salt left for the steps into both the front and back doors. There was still plent
y of winter left. Jim vacuumed and dusted before leaving to go into town. For winter, it wasn’t a bad day. The sun was out in northern Minnesota's beautiful deep blue sky, and the temperatures were in the 20s. The hardware store was a beehive activity. Jim bought a 25-pound bag of salt and had just come out of the hardware store when he ran into Laura. They chatted for a bit, and then Jim said, “I’m a bachelor today because Carol went to Duluth with a friend looking for a wedding dress. I figured I’d go to the Country Kettle for lunch. Would you like to join me?”
“Sure.”
For some reason, the Country Kettle wasn’t busy. It was usually a busy gathering place on Saturdays. After they were seated, Jim asked, “How are things going for you?”
“I’m reading better and got more time to study because it is very quiet.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re making progress on reading.”
“I think it’s kind of fun to read. I wish I had learned what I’m learning earlier. It would’ve made school much more interesting. If Carol is shopping for a wedding dress, things must be going better for you,” Laura said.
“January and February were abysmal months for the paper and the radio stations. Since we started the bingo game, subscriptions have gone up at the newspaper, and advertisers say that their traffic is gone up,” Jim said.
“I love the game. I had never been able to play it before I got Julie’s help. I look through every ad to find the clues. I even won one of the $10 games.”
Jim smiled, “I’m glad you’re getting help and reading better. Do you think you’ll be able to quit your current job?”
“Everybody knows what I am, and I doubt there are many businesses who would hire me. Maybe I can find something in the back room where I wouldn’t be seen and not hurt the business. I never liked whoring.”
Jim reached up and scratched his head before trying to change the topic, “What else is happening. Anything new? Any more help with my brother’s murder?”
Laura brightened up, “I don’t know if it’s a help or not, but in the lesbian community, it is a fact that Sally has become Karen Johnson’s current lover.”