Murder at the Flower Shop

by P. Thompson

  I jotted that down in my notes (I still use a note pad over the IPAD) and thanked him for the additional info.

  I was headed back when my cell rang and it was Loraine. “Hey, what's up?”

  “Miss Massie is here and wants to see you. Are you close enough to swing by?”

  “I’ll be there in less than ten minutes. I was headed back in anyway.”

  ~~~

  Miss Massie was sitting on the sofa by the desk having a cup of tea and talking with Loraine when I arrived. She set her cup on Loraine's desk and stood to hug me. She looked worried about something.

  She handed me the basket of goodies she’d brought and asked if we could talk in the conference room. That's when I noticed a man standing next to the Sheriff's door with his arms crossed. I looked at her, then Loraine, and back to Miss Massie.

  I stuck out my hand and said, “I'm detective Jordan.” He in turn shook my hand and said, “I'm Eric, Miss Massie's bodyguard.”

  Well you could have knocked me over with a feather. “Bodyguard? What the hell do you need a bodyguard for?”

  “That is what I would like to talk to you about. Can we go now?”

  Well yes we can go now, by all means. What does a ninety-year-old little lady need with someone to watch her back for?

  I grabbed a coke from the fridge, twisted the cap off, and took a drink. Miss Massie brought her tea cup with her and waited for me to get out of the kitchen and into the conference room. I wasn't sure just how long this was going to last. She sat down and I sat across from her.

  “What's up, Miss Massie?”

  “There have been people coming to my door at all hours of the night and day. It's not like I'm on a street where everybody lives you know. Then I got this guy trying to buy my place and he wouldn't go away. Sam and Hank came out one day when he was there because I called Sam on his cell phone. I know I'm supposed to call into Loraine and she'll send someone, but I couldn't wait that long. He was very threatening. It just hasn't stopped, then one night a flaming arrow hit the side of the house. I got the fire extinguisher right away and put it out. I called Jerry in Washington and he gave me Eric's name and number.”

  She called Jerry? In Washington? Not me? What the hell! What does Jerry have to do with some nut job trying to buy up property?

  “Why did you call Jerry and not me?” I asked her.

  “Part of my land is still government owned. I just get to use it, if I want. I figured the government should know about this and Jerry is the only person I know in Washington.”

  “Miss Massie, I don't know quite what to say. How can we help you now?”

  She handed me a card with a name and number on it and said, “This is the man who keeps at me to sell. If anything happens to me or Eric, you need to find him.”

  I tucked the card into my shirt pocket and said, “I'll have patrol keep an eye out and make a run up your drive a couple times a night. You let me know if there is any more from this guy. Now, besides that, how have you been?”

  “Well, it's nice having Eric there with me. He’s some company on these cold winter days and nights. He also knits, so we get along just fine.”

  I had to laugh, not at her but the fact she was somehow different. I guess being out there all alone and then having someone with you can sure make a difference. I led her back out and she handed me the basket of goodies and said to bring her back the basket when I had the time. Her and Eric left and I turned to Loraine who was smiling from ear to ear. I just shook my head.

  “Have patrol go down her drive a couple times a night and keep an eye out for trouble. I don't want anything to happen to that lady!”

  The door swung open and Bo and Bubba came in carrying food. We got a new fast food place called Steaks and Things and that’s what the bags said on them. Well if it tastes as good as it smells, boy are we in for some good eats.

  Sheriff Jeff put up a new camera at the door so now Loraine can join us in the conference room and watch the door on the monitor. We sat down to pass out the food and Bo began to tell of his talks at the school.

  “I first went to the principal but he didn't have a clue. There are too many kids for one person to know all of them. So he sent me to a few of the homeroom teachers that were somewhere in the age group of this kid. Five teachers out I found a PE teacher who knew him and he had an ear full to tell me.” Bo took a bite of his burger and smiled. “I knew this place was going to be good.” He ate some more and then went back to talking. “It seems this kid stays with a resource officer most of the time because he can't keep from getting into trouble. About a year ago he got the tat and was expelled from school. They're still looking for the guy that gave him the tat. Well, his mom went to the school board and pleaded with them to let him finish his senior year rather than take a GED. He was behaving to a degree until he and some other kids formed a gang of sorts. Teacher wasn't sure about it, but the kid, his name is Conner, came unglued and has been a royal pain in everyone’s ass ever since. It seems these kids have shaved their heads and do the Hitler salute in the halls. PE teacher doesn't know why all of them haven't been expelled for good.”

  With a mouth full, Bubba said, “It sounds to me like a bunch of skinheads. Can't imagine where that came from. We've never had skinheads here, or any kind of trouble like that in the schools. Too much TV and video games today, not enough time out in the woods hunting deer and turkey.” He took another bite and wiped his mouth on a napkin. “Boy is these things juicy.”

  “So have you contacted the mother yet? Is there a dad in the picture?” I asked Bo.

  “No dad that anyone knows of and the mom took a leave at work to take care of her sister who’s going through cancer. The boy is on his own and according to law he's old enough to stay by himself. So for now he stays in Juvie.”

  After Bo was done, I told them about my visit to Ms. Miller's shop and the neighbor down the street. “Makes me think he was looking for money or something to pawn or sell on the street. It worries me this Hitler business. Once it gets a hold, it's hard to get rid of. By the way, Miss Massie is having some problems of her own and I have a patrol car going down her drive a couple times a night.” I explained what she had told me and everyone was amazed at the bodyguard who knits.

  The door opened and the camera caught Max coming through it. Loraine yelled, “Back here,” and he hurried back where he knew it was warm. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and said he missed me last night. Everybody but Bo raised an eyebrow. “Don’t go there. I spent the night at Bo’s mom’s place due to the Yan Lee fire.”

  “I've been tied up with the investigators over at the Lucky Kricket. What a mess that is. The arson team knew going in it was arson, but wasn't sure what accelerant was used. It was plain old gas. There’s nothing traceable from that, not without bringing in the FBI. My guys are working on what they tied Yan Lee up with and doc Simpson is working the cause of death. He thinks it was smoke inhalation and the fact Yan Lee had a cracked skull, possibly hit on the head.” He began to dig through my bag looking for food. I’d left about a half of a burger and most of my fries so he was a happy camper.

  “Max, we need to keep an eye on Miss Massie. She's having some problem big enough for her to hire a bodyguard.”

  His eyes grew big and he shook his head. “Whoever she's having problem with, they should know better than to mess with that lady.” Everyone at the table laughed and agreed.

  “Did you say bodyguard? For real?” he asked

  Then everyone all at once said, “And he knits!” Then there was more laughter all around.

  Roy and Sheriff Jeff came through the door and again Loraine yelled, “Back here.”

  Roy came through the door, planted a kiss on Loraine, and said, “Something smells good in here. What you been eating?”

  “New place, Steak and Things, south of town,” said Bubba with a mouth full of burger.

  “Hey, Bubba, do you get your cousin this weekend?” Jeff asked him.

  “Yes, sir,
I leave Friday night and fly up to Maine to get him. Up and until all this snow I was thinking he was going to be lost without winter weather. Guess he'll feel right at home.”

  With the chatter over, and the food all gone, everyone got up to leave.

  I turned to the murder board. I had a new name to add: Yan Lee. I found a picture he had for an ad he ran in the paper and made a copy of it. I placed it up next to Tonya's. On the far end of the board I put up Anna's name, Dave and Ryan's names, and Ms. Miller's name. Who was next? We have a town full of Mexicans, a few Jewish people, and then there's the Chinese Laundry out in the strip mall. A hate crime could happen anywhere in this town, we are so diverse. Lord, we have a new family from Haiti. How do you protect everyone?

  My cell rang and the ID said Anna. “Hey, girl, what's up?”

  “I just wanted to thank you for lending me Ralph. He's amazing. I'm going to steal him from you.”

  “You try and I'll run you out of town on a rail,” I told her half joking.

  “I'm having a small dinner party Friday night. Would you and Max come and be my guests? It's at seven o'clock and its casual dress.”

  “Let me talk to Max and make sure he hasn't got plans and I'll get back to you. If you had called about five minutes earlier, he was here.” We left it at that and I went back to my murder board. There was no way to predict where the shoe would fall next and I was sure that shoe was going to fall sooner rather than later.

  The rest of the afternoon was reports and paperwork. Not my favorite thing, but seeing as it was cold, wet, and still snowing, I was happy to be inside.

  Five o'clock came and Cindy came through the door. Loraine said she was headed to the hospital to sit with Sophie, I was headed to the The Table to bartend, and hopefully Max would make it there before long.

  By the time I got to The Table, the snow had about quit and the parking lot was full. I pulled around back and tapped on the door for Sammy to let me in. He went back to the grill and I headed for the bar. I found Trena standing behind it. When she looked up, she said, “Oh my God, am I glad to see you! Here, take over. I'll go help Betty. This is her last night. She leaves tomorrow to help her friend.” And then Trena was gone to help Betty, putting on an apron as she went.

  Everybody at the bar said, “Hi, Jenny,” as I made my way behind the bar. There were questions about Sophie and how she was doing. Others wanted to know about her boyfriend. I told them when she was back to ask her all those question. The night was hopping and some wanted drinks that Sophie had made special. I tried but mine weren’t near as good as hers. Max made it by eight o'clock and got both of us a plate. By nine o'clock most everyone had left, just a few still talking at the bar, mostly about the Lucky Kricket not being so lucky. We shut down and cleaned up and locked the doors and went home. Home Sweet Home. It never looked so good, nor did my bed.

  ~~~

  Tonya’s funeral was to be at one o’clock at the African Methodist Episcopal Church. After a quick briefing with the sheriff, Bo, Bubba, and I, along with a team of off-duty officers, headed out. They had debated on whether to wear uniforms or plain clothes, so half wore uniforms and half didn’t. The uniforms went on to the gravesite and the rest of us went to the church. We searched the church for anything that might go bang or boom and then stationed ourselves at all the doors in the church. Bo, Bubba, and I took the big double doors at the front of the church. The pastor had asked that we not show our weapons while in his church. We understood and kept them inside our jackets. I decide to forgo the shoulder harness for a sticky one I kept in the front of my pants just under my jacket.

  By one o’clock the small church was packed to the rafters. The music started out soulful, but by the time the choir was singing the place was jumping. Nothing happened at the church so we figured one down and one to go, more or less. The cemetery was covered in snow all but around the gravesite. Friends stood and the family sat on cold folding chairs, facing a casket and a hole in the ground. I took note of where the officers were located, both plain clothed and uniformed. After Ms. Miller was seated I came by to see if she needed anything. All our eyes were searching around the cemetery and into the crowd of mourners. As people settled in, the pastor began to speak. The crowd got quiet. Due to the snow and how the air is after a snow storm, you could hear for miles. I dropped the hood on my jacket so I could hear even better just as a shot rang out. The pastor fell, hitting the casket, knocking it to one side. The pastor fell halfway into the hole and against the casket. I covered Ms. Miller, driving her to the ground, and also the lady and baby beside her too. I shielded them with my body and wouldn’t let them up or even move. “Stay down. Don’t move. Let the officers handle this.” The baby began to cry and whoever was holding him began to sing Amazing Grace. He quieted right down, put his thumb in his mouth, and never moved till we let them up.

  The ambulance came for the pastor. He had a shoulder wound was all. What we didn’t know was he was wearing a bulletproof vest under his cleric’s robe. He came prepared for whatever was going to happen and then they got him in the shoulder.

  Bo came over as I was helping Ms. Miller up off the covering they had put on the ground. “Sniper, long range one at that. One shot and then he was gone. We got CSI on the scene looking for clues. Is everybody okay here?” he asked.

  “A little worse for wear, but okay,” Ms. Miller said. “Who’s going to finish the service and put poor Tonya in the ground?”

  One of the officers, Brent, came up and said, “If you don’t mind an officer and a white man, I’m an ordained preacher and I can help, if you like?”

  “I’m not racist. I don’t care if you’re purple. This service needs to be finished and Tonya laid to rest,” Ms. Miller said.

  So Officer Brent gathered the congregation back to the gravesite and finished the service for Ms. Miller and family. He did a real nice job of it too.

  ~~~

  I got back into a cold Jeep and headed for the hospital. I wanted to check on the pastor and also Sophie and Scott. On the way I listened to my radio. CSI had uncovered a spent shell casing at an old gas station that was now a small car lot. Due to the weather the owner hadn’t opened that day, but Bubba said it didn’t matter; he needed to be interviewed. How did whoever did this know he wouldn’t be there? Good question there, Bubba!

  The hospital was warm and noisy and I had to deal once again with the gal at the desk. This time she just gave me the info, and with a smile to boot! I found the pastor already in a room hooked up to a monitor and an IV drip. He recognized me right off and waved me to come on into his room.

  “Pastor, how are you feeling?” I asked him.

  “It was a through and through, clean as a whistle. I’ll be back at the church by tomorrow.”

  “Good to hear, Pastor. They said you had a bulletproof vest on. Where did you get it?”

  “The sheriff came by last night and gave me his vest. He told me to wear the dang thing. Thought he was just being too cautious. Guess not. Glad to still be here. The Lord works in mysterious ways,” he laughed.

  “That he does, Pastor. That he does,” I told him.

  From there I moved on to find Sophie’s room. She was asleep but she had company. Her boyfriend, James Carter, was there setting by her bed reading a book. He looked up as I came into the room and put his finger to his lips. I eased the door closed behind me.

  “How is she doing today?” I asked him.

  He motioned me to go out into the hall where we could talk. I looked over at Sophie and noticed her face had been battered and bruised. There were stiches on the side of her head running up where her hair had been shaved away.

  Outside the room I introduced myself.

  “I know who you are. Sophie talks about you all the time and so does Loraine. Thank you for coming. I’ll let her know you were by.”

  “Can you tell me what exactly happened?”

  “We had been shopping in the Boro and were on our way back. I like to travel the back roads
when I can. The beauty of the countryside always makes my day. Yesterday we couldn’t, due to all the snow, so we took the highway up to Eagleville and then over to the Boro to shop and then took the same way home. About half way home I heard a noise start up under the hood so I pulled over as soon as I could. I had the hood up when someone said something and that’s the last thing I remember till I woke up and found Sophie battered and bleeding, slumped in the front seat. They have her pretty doped up right now so she hasn’t been able to talk to me or anyone else yet. I don’t understand any of this. Why would someone beat up on Sophie like that?”

  “There seems to be some hate crimes happening in town, to people of color, different nationality, and homosexuals. I’m thinking from what you’ve told me, they were teaching her a lesson for being with a black man. We’re trying to get to the bottom of this, but it’s not easy. When you can talk to Sophie, let me know and tell her not to worry about the bar, I got that handled.”

  I said goodbye and went to find Scott’s room. His door was closed and a sign said to please wait, treatment was in progress. I found a chair that was close enough to see the room and settled down to wait. I kept asking myself, why would anyone shoot Scott? He can’t be part of these hate crimes. He doesn’t fit the profile. The door opened and a nurse came out and took the sign with her, so I jumped up and made my way to Scott’s room. He was sitting up with his arm in a sling and had just turned the TV on.

  “Hey, guy, how are you feeling?”

  “I’ll live. Just won’t be able to work for a while. I’ve got to see if I can get my lazy brother to give me a hand for the next six weeks. The shot messed up some muscle and just missed the bone. It got mostly soft tissue. Did you get the board back on the door?”

  “Yes. Bo and Bubba used some of your tools and got it up again. Then we put everything in your truck and put it in the motor pool for safekeeping. The keys are in Loraine’s desk when you need your truck. You know, with all these hate crimes going around town, you just don’t fit the profile. You’re not gay, black, or of a different nationality. I don’t know where you fit into all this. You got any enemies out there that you know of?”