Blame the Car Ride

by Marie F. Martin

  Deputy Tabor stayed close by and explained that Sheriff Metcalf would be inspecting the scene as the coroner and didn’t want anyone to touch the deceased until after he had completed his investigation. After that, his team of technicians would gather evidence in what might be a crime scene.

  I just nodded as he told me snippets of information I couldn’t process. Nothing made sense, but the concern in his eyes showed that he cared about my anxiety. The sureness of his actions told me he’d been a deputy for some years, and I guessed he was in his early forties. Not a kid, but a little younger than Marley. My heart softened at the thought of my daughter. I needed her now more than ever before. She’d help me wrap my head around the fact that Edgy was lying dead on the ground and was the subject of an investigation into an unnatural death.

  I rubbed my temples to relieve an ache growing stronger by the minute. My eyes flew open. Fred! I looked at Tabor. “We have to call Fred Brewster. He’s Edgy’s husband and has to know what’s happened.”

  “The sheriff will take care of it. Looks like he’s on-site now.” Tabor pointed with his thumb.

  I saw motion at the top of the hill. Then the middle-aged, uniformed sheriff appeared, carrying a black satchel and taking his time as he carefully limped down the steep hillside. This man wasn’t about to fall due to a bad leg.

  Sheriff Metcalf ducked under the crime-scene tape, set his bag down, and snapped on disposable gloves. He knelt by Edgy on his bum knee and carefully lifted her blood-soaked hair, then her head. He inspected the back of it, her neck and the crown, then rested her head in the exact same position on the ground. After a complete examination of her bare arms, he secured plastic bags over her hands.

  Bile rushed up my throat and burned. I leaned forward and covered my face in my hands. I couldn’t watch anymore. How long I sat there like that was anybody’s guess.

  Deputy Tabor touched my shoulder. “Sheriff Metcalf wants to visit with you now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re the nine-one-one caller.”

  The sheriff bent under the yellow tape and hobbled toward me. I had never seen so much stern concentration on anyone’s face. He was in charge, and all would do his bidding—including me. But he also seemed like a man who would listen.

  “Mrs. Cooper, I’m Oren Metcalf. May I share the log?”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I simply patted a spot beside me.

  He smiled slightly and eased down, rubbing his knee after he was settled. “I need to tape our conversation so I get my report right. Is it okay?”

  I nodded. What else could I do?

  He fiddled with his cell phone and set it between us. It lay there like a snoop, and I wanted to swat it away. I put my trembling hands under my elbows but didn’t bother to cover my nervousness. No point in trying to; he surely understood my state of shock.

  “Mrs. Cooper, there are signs of a struggle on Mrs. Brewster’s arms and a big gash on the back of her head. Can you tell me about them?”

  “I can’t. I was inside Millie’s. When she didn’t come back, I went to find out why and found her here.”

  “I assume you and Mrs. Brewster were playing bingo.”

  “Edgy wanted to.”

  “Why was she outside?”

  “At break time, I went to get a cup of coffee. When I brought it back to the table, she was gone. I assumed she went outside for a cigarette.”

  “How long before you started looking for her?”

  “Maybe thirty minutes.” My stomach heaved, and I fought to control nausea.

  The Sheriff watched me intently for a moment and then asked, “Are you okay?”

  “No, but I can answer your questions.”

  His focus remained fixed on me as if he wanted to see my thoughts. “Why did you become worried?” he finally asked.

  Cold and clammy, I couldn’t think fast enough and blurted, “Why wouldn’t I be? She’d never leave me sitting alone for so long.” I didn’t mention Dean and his wanting to meet her and talk about her lost daughter. Edgy’s secrets were safe with me.

  “Do you come out to Millie’s and play often?”

  “Not really. She just wanted to go and I tagged along.” The blunt, direct questions were draining me, and I leaned away from him.

  Sheriff Metcalf straightened his knee. “You sure you’re telling me everything?”

  I had no quick answer and met the sheriff’s eyes straight on.

  He looked away first. “You’re confused and exhausted, but we’re almost done. I found a wound above her ear that had been stitched. You know about it?”

  “I’m not confused. My best friend just died, and you need to find out why.”

  “Just tell me about the wound.”

  I cleared my throat. “We went to the Blue Moon tavern, and while we were there, Edgy got hit by a thrown pool ball.” That sounded awful under the present circumstances.

  “You two hang out regularly at bars?”

  “First time we went.”

  “Mrs. Cooper, how old is Mrs. Brewster?”

  “Sixty-six. We don’t hang out in bars or bingo parlors.” I held his stare with my cold one.

  Sheriff Metcalf sighed. “I’m ordering an autopsy and investigating this as a possible homicide.”

  The word homicide struck me as impossible. A moment later, I grasped his meaning and understood he was right. Edgy wouldn’t just fall down a hill. Someone must have pushed her. A sudden sweat sent chills through me, and I wobbled on the log.

  Metcalf steadied me with a light touch. “Let’s get you home. One of the deputies will take you.”

  “My car?”

  “We have to impound it. We’ll let you know when you can pick it up. Tomorrow, you need to come to the Justice Center to talk with a detective and make a written statement. You’ll be contacted with a time to be there.”

  “I’ll need my car to do that.”

  “I’ll send a deputy to bring you in.”

  “You’ll need my address.”

  “Already have it.”

  After midnight, Deputy Tabor finally drove me home in his marked car. Another unreal happening. I had always been a little curious about what was inside one. A metal laptop computer was anchored to both the dashboard and the console between the seats. It was at least three to four inches in depth, seemed thick with information.

  A wave of self-awareness swept through me. I had fixated on the interior of the squad car to avoid the horror of finding Edgy with her head twisted, bloody and lifeless. I folded my hands across my abdomen and silently counted the trees along the streets as the deputy drove me home.

  Lights were on at Edgy’s when we entered my block. An unfamiliar SUV was parked in the driveway. A man stood on the porch talking with Fred.

  What? Fred was back? No way could he be home this quickly from the Beartooth Mountains. Had Edgy lied about where he’d gone?

  Deputy Tabor broke into my turmoil. “I’m glad it’s Detective Langnecker informing Mr. Brewster about his wife.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s good with people.”

  “I don’t know how Fred will handle it. He loves her so much.”

  The deputy parked in my driveway. “Check on him in the morning. Right now, he needs some time for it to sink in.” Tabor glanced at me. “You do, too.”

  “I know.” I opened the car door.

  He waited until I was on the porch. I waved goodbye and unlocked my front door but didn’t go inside. Instead, I sat dry-eyed on my porch swing watching Edgy’s home until Fred went inside and the detective drove away.

  I pulled my cell phone from my purse, scrolled to Marley’s name, and hit call. It was late and she’d be in bed, but I couldn’t wait.

  “Mom?”

  “Edgy was killed tonight.”

  “Edgy was killed? What the hell are you talking about?” Marley sounded shocked to the core.

  “I found her at the bottom of the hill, and she was dead.”

&nb
sp; “What hill?”

  “The one where Millie’s is located.”

  “What?”

  “We were playing bingo.”

  “How could she be dead?”

  Tears finally leaked down my cheeks. I swallowed. “I need you to come home and help me figure out what happened.”

  “The cops will figure it out.”

  “Marley. I’m telling you someone murdered Edgy. Since I found her, I’m pretty sure they think I did it. The sheriff is acting like I know more than I told him. I have to be at the police station tomorrow and answer more questions and make a written statement.”

  I could hear the thud of her feet hitting the floor.

  “Go lie down. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

  “Drive safe.”

  I curled up on the porch seat as my tears flowed. I couldn’t bring myself to go inside to the empty, lonely house. Headlights came down our block. A van drove slowly by.

  Who the heck was that? In the middle of the night? I rubbed the deep frown creases between my eyebrows. I had seen a white truck, heard a sports car, and now was watching a slow-moving van. What did it all mean? Or was I overreacting and fearful?

  I sat bolt upright in my bed.

  “Mom, it’s just me.”

  Marley’s voice.

  She pulled the covers back, slipped into my bed, and snuggled close. “I’m here now. Go back to sleep. The sun will rise soon.”

  “You drove too fast.” I lay quiet for a moment. “You used to feel like flannel when you crawled into my bed.”

  “And you felt like nylon tricot.”

  I clasped her hand. Sometime in the middle of the night, I must have come inside and gone to bed. I didn’t remember, but I welcomed the security of her warmth and dozed off again.

  Chapter 10

  I slipped in and out of nightmares as early daylight gradually lit up the bedroom. My first coherent thought was that Marley had made it home. She lay almost crosswise in my king-sized bed. My feet prickled with pins and needles because I’d given up trying to claim half of the mattress and hugged the edge of the bed to allow her to toss and turn. Today, Marley would have plenty of boundaries to drive her crazy. Having no control over what happened at the Justice Center was one of them. A more difficult one would be setting aside grieving for Edgy. That had to wait until we got back home. Was I strong enough to do that? Yes, I answered myself. I always did what needed to be done.

  I planned on seeing Fred first. He deserved to know what had actually happened, not the cold, bland version from the deputy or the flat, bloodless article the newspaper would report. That’s when I fully realized I didn’t have a clue what had happened during the thirty minutes I had sat next to Edgy’s empty chair daubing numbers on a bingo card.

  I sat on the edge of the bed, dangling my feet, waiting. My legs felt weak, and I didn’t trust them enough to stand until the tingling stopped. I pushed my hands against my belly. When was the last time I had eaten?

  “Are you awake?” Marley asked from the depths of her pillows.

  “I am. Just waiting for the strength to face this day. Glad you’re home.”

  “You need to tell me what happened.”

  “Let’s make coffee, and I’ll tell you over a bowl of shredded wheat.”

  Marley groaned but got up and headed for the hallway bathroom, leaving me to mine. She always had been a considerate kid, just ornery like Edgy. I bent my head. No, I would not break down. Edgy wouldn’t stand for any long-drawn-out wailing. She had faith in a better life ahead, and I agreed with her.

  By the time Marley descended the stairs, the morning newspaper, still rolled up with a rubber band around it, lay waiting on the table along with two bright yellow bowls and spoons and a box of shredded wheat. Already brewed, coffee waited in the pot on the counter.

  Marley looked sharp in a charcoal gray blazer and slacks. I’d rather have seen her dressed in the royal blue scrubs nurses wore at the wound care clinic where she worked. But I was relieved she’d made the three-hour drive from Great Falls in the middle of the night to be with me when I went to the Justice Center to talk with a detective. My nervous stomach tightened at the thought.

  I couldn’t face talking about Edgy just yet, so I asked, “Had any interesting clients lately?”

  “Mom, I just want you to know all my five-mile races and boot camps paid off.”

  I placed a carton of milk on the table. “Your workouts are insane.”

  “Not so. I managed to corral an old goat. Don’t look at me like I’m crazy.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened?”

  “Yesterday, a patient came into our lobby. He had white tufts of hair above his ears, a blackened nose that wasn’t healing, and a scraggly pointed beard on his chin. Never seen anyone more goat-like. He belonged on the second floor for nose surgery and wouldn’t believe any of us that he was in the wrong place. I took his hoofy hand, which was all closed and gnarled by age, and put him in the elevator and rode upstairs with him kicking his heel against the metal wall. Just one tinny clunk after the other.”

  “You expect me to believe your story?”

  “Edgy would pretend to.”

  I expected a flood of tears but saw a light smile in Marley’s eyes. “Is this how you deal with your grieving patients?” I asked.

  “Either tell them a whopping good lie or knock them out with an oversized pill when they come in kicking and complaining. Didn’t think you’d want a pill. It’d be kind of hard to convince a detective you’re innocent if you’re in a state of unnatural sleep.”

  I laughed, which had been her goal. She appeared tired to the bone. “You work too hard.”

  “Maybe so, but I also play hard. Equals out.”

  She slurped her hot coffee. “Now that we’re done avoiding the subject, you really need to tell me what happened to my best buddy. How did she die?”

  I flicked a piece of lint from the yellow place mat, stalling while I decided where to begin. I would tell my daughter the secret I had vowed never to tell. I hated that, but Marley needed to know. I promised Edgy in the inwardly place where I still talked to her—the secret part of my thoughts, that I would keep her secrets

  “Edgy has a daughter.”

  Marley partially rose and then sat back down, her hand patting her heart. “There isn’t one single thing you might have said that would surprise me more. She always said I was like the daughter she almost had.”

  “She did give birth, but the baby was taken away.” I shuddered at the sudden image. “Edgy never saw her except a scrawny newborn foot hanging free of the blanket as the nurse rushed by.”

  “Why?”

  “Seems our Edgy spent the better part of her teen years in a care facility for the mentally ill.”

  Marley gasped. “Did someone rape her there?”

  “No. She’d been released and spent awhile living on her own, even had a boyfriend. She got pregnant and thought life was finally making sense.”

  “It’s hard to believe you’re talking about our Edgy. I never had a clue she had suffered so much. Was she on meds to help her with mental stability?”

  “I don’t know, but lately she was acting differently. More edgy, if that makes sense.”

  “I kind of know what you mean. She was certainly in high spirits, dragging us on a hike up the mountain and the same day picking cherries at Flathead Lake. Her project of finding you a man was just an excuse for her energy.”

  “You weren’t dragged anywhere. You were like the goat you were telling me about going up the side of the mountain.” I choked and fought hard to control my welling grief.

  “Stop it, Mom, or my waterworks will never shut off.” The tough nurse didn’t sound so tough.

  The home phone rang and I waited three rings to answer, only because I needed to control my flooding grief before I said hello to anyone.

  Marley unrolled the newspaper and opened it.

  “Mrs. Cooper?” a man asked.


  “I am.”

  “Detective Bruce Langnecker here. Can you be at the Justice Center to make a statement at eleven o’clock?”

  “Of course. Where do I find you?”

  Marley gasped. “I can’t flipping believe it.” She glared at me over the top of the paper as I listened to the detective.

  He said, “Just go to the sign-in window across from the entrance. They’ll let me know, and I’ll come get you.”

  “Thank you,” I said lamely and hung up. I plopped back down across from Marley and laid my face onto my folded arms on the table, trying desperately not to scream.

  How could this be?

  Marley reached across the table and stroked my arm. “Mom, I know you’re upset, but you have to sit up and look at this headline.” She pushed the front section of the paper over to me.

  Woman’s Body Found

  Friday night the body of a local woman was found west of Whitefish at the bottom of a hill near Millie’s off the KM Road. Flathead County Sheriff Metcalf said the remains were transported to the crime lab in Missoula. The victim’s name is being withheld until notification of kin is complete. The death is being investigated as a possible homicide.

  Those few words confirmed what I had seen last night. Edgy really was gone. The newspaper said so. I couldn’t take my eyes from them.

  Marley reached over and took the paper from my hands. “I know it’s hard.”

  “I still can’t believe it.” I shook my head.

  Marley pressed her lips together. “Because they think someone killed her. We have to call Patrick and tell him what’s going on.”

  “Can’t. Not yet, anyway. We need the answers to the questions he will ask, and I won’t know anything until after I talk with the detective. But first we have to see how Fred is doing.”

  Marley took her cup to the sink, rinsed it with the sprayer, and then started spraying down the inside of the sink.

  I could’ve whacked her. “Will you quit dilly-dallying. We have to go now.” That got her moving. Why was the world standing still?