Easter Eggs and Shotgun Shells

by Madison Johns

  “We found out that ourselves over at Constance’s place.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Constance Shaklee is dead,” I explained. “We found her body in the field behind her house.”

  Stevie gasped. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Well, believe it,” Eleanor added. “Someone shot her with a shotgun.”

  “But that’s not all,” I said. “We found Misha Curry unconscious in her pole barn.”

  “Misha Curry you say?”

  “You know him?”

  “He has quite the reputation in the area. His wife divorced him, thankfully. She didn’t deserve to be married to a snake like that.”

  “I’ve heard the name snake said regarding Misha before.”

  “We call him the sneaky snake,” Stevie said.

  “But he’s divorced now.”

  “Well that might be, but that doesn’t mean he’s changed his ways. He sweet talks married women these days. I think he gets his kicks out of seducing them and leaving them heartbroken.”

  “Have you ever seen Constance with Misha?”

  “No way would he be seen in public with Constance.”

  “Why is that?” Eleanor asked.

  “He can’t risk the other woman he’s seeing finding out she’s not the only one.”

  “You say that like you know who the other woman might be.”

  “Erin Nagy. She works at Tractor Supply.”

  “Isn’t Bonnie Sue Misha’s ex-wife?”

  “That’s right. I don’t know where you’ll find her these days.”

  “She’s in town with her sister,” I said.

  “Hmm,” Stevie said. “Bobbie Sue is in town? That’s not a good thing for Misha.”

  “We’re aware she pushed her sister to divorce Misha.”

  “That’s not the only thing Bobbie Sue pushed. She pushed Misha in front of a semi on 23.”

  “Bobbie Sue tried to kill Misha?” Eleanor gasped.

  “Unless you think it was likely he’d survive being pushed in front of a semi.”

  “Thank you for your help, but I doubt Bobbie Sue had anything to do with Constance’s murder. Now if we found Misha’s body, I’d believe it.”

  “I’m just passing on information that might help you.”

  “Would it be possible to speak to the 4-H children?”

  “I hope you don’t think a child killed Constance.”

  “Not at all, but I was hoping to know a little more about Constance’s character.”

  “I’ll have to get back with you. I’d need the parents’ permission to do that.”

  “I understand,” I said. “Please get back with us either way.”

  “We thought Constance’s rabbits were missing, but we found out someone must have let them out of the pole barn because they certainly weren’t in their cages,” Eleanor explained. “We saw one of them digging a burrow under the woodpile.”

  “That’s not good.”

  “I agree, and we’re planning to discuss it with Constance’s daughter. Someone needs to find those rabbits. They’ll never be able to survive the winter out in the wild.”

  “Nope, those rabbits are too docile. I doubt they’d know how to hide from a fox.”

  “Thanks for your help,” I said. “Did you ever have words with Constance about how she spoke to the children?”

  “I really hope Morgan and Lilly Reece’s parents let you speak to them because you’ll see why I didn’t have to get involved.”

  “Thanks again,” Eleanor said. “We appreciate your help too, Rosa Lee.”

  “Anything to help you girls.”

  8

  Tractor Supply always smelled like oil and rubber, and today was no exception. I nodded at the young cashier as we passed through the door. She looked too young to be Erin Nagy.

  We wandered the store, searching for someone else working there. I stopped when I recognized the spotlights pointed down on a containment area. I stared at the chicks with a grimace.

  “I hate that they do this here,” I said.

  “Look, they have bunnies too.”

  I balled my hands up into fists. “Why do they do this every year near Easter? Those chicks and bunnies won’t stand a chance if they’re adopted for a child.”

  “Nope. It’s important to keep chicks warm.”

  “And bunnies are so fragile when they’re young. They die even with the best of care.”

  “Children don’t understand how to care for a bunny, and the parents won’t realize how much of mess they are. Of course, they’re so adorable when they’re young like this.”

  I forced myself to walk away, and I flagged down a gray-haired man hoisting bags of grain on a display.

  “Excuse me,” I said.

  The man wiped his brow with a handkerchief and asked, “What can I do you for?”

  “Is Erin Nagy working today? We need to speak to her about our purchase we made the other day.”

  “I could help you with that.”

  “I’m sure you could, but we would prefer to speak with Erin if that’s all right.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll send her right over.”

  Eleanor and I stared at the bags of every type of feed you could think of, and that’s not including the dog and cat area. It was interesting seeing what kind of merchandise they had for sale. Years ago they had a store named Quality Farm and Fleet that offered the same type of stock, but they were all closed years ago. Tractor Supply opened stores in many of the same locations.

  A dark-haired woman dressed in jeans and a denim shirt approached us.

  “You wanted to speak to me about a purchase?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. “We’re here to talk about Misha Curry.”

  “He was found unconscious in Constance Shaklee’s pole barn,” Eleanor added.

  Erin’s brown eyes nearly changed over to black. “I wonder what he was doing over there?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Eleanor asked. “They were involved.”

  “That’s not possible; he’s involved with me,” she whispered.

  “Then why would he be over Constance’s house?”

  “I have no idea, but I’ll certainly ask him when I speak to him.”

  “You won’t be able to do that unless he wakes up,” I said. “Currently he’s in a medically induced coma.”

  Erin gasped, tears dotting her cheeks.

  “Are you married?” I asked.

  Erin glanced behind her before she met my eyes again. “Please don’t tell my husband. You have no idea what Paul might do.”

  “Maybe Paul already knows. Maybe he went over to Constance’s house and assaulted Misha.”

  “Believe me, I’d know if Paul found out.”

  “Why would you cheat on your husband with Misha? He has a reputation for seducing married women.”

  “I hope he hasn’t convinced you that you’re the only one, because that’s probably not true,” Eleanor added. “The ladies in town call Misha a sneaky snake.”

  “He wouldn’t do that to me; we’re in love.”

  “How many other women do you think he gave that same line to?”

  “He cheated on his wife Bonnie Sue throughout their marriage. She eventually caught him red-handed.”

  “That’s not what he told me. She cheated on him first.”

  “It’s not like a sneaky snake would admit to the truth,” Eleanor said.

  Erin grabbed my shoulders. “Please don’t tell my husband. He’ll kill me.”

  I wiggled out of Erin’s grasp. “How can you be so sure how he’ll react? Is he a violent man?”

  “No, but he told me if he ever found out I was cheating on him, I’d live to regret it.”

  “That could mean many things,” Eleanor said. “But we’re not planning on telling your husband.”

  “Unless the evidence points in his direction,” I said. “Do you know Constance? ”

  “She raises rabbits and enters them in competitions. Constanc
e shops here for supplies. Misha worked for her, but she fired him a few months ago.”

  “So was Misha with Constance on any of her shopping trips here?”

  “Yes, that’s how I met him.”

  “And he was able to woo you during a trip to the Tractor Supply?” Eleanor laughed.

  “He asked me to have coffee, and we connected in a big way.”

  “I wish you luck,” I said. “You’re going to need it.”

  “Do you have ill feelings about Constance?” Eleanor asked.

  “I’ve never seen her outside the store. She was nice enough when she came in here buying rabbit food and supplies.”

  “Did Misha tell you anything about Constance?”

  “Whenever we were together, we didn’t do much talking.” Erin smiled.

  “We appreciate your speaking to us today,” I said.

  I bought feed for Harvey Farmer and had it loaded into my trunk.

  “At least someone has something nice to say about Constance,” Eleanor said.

  “We’re going to have a chat with Gary Shaklee next and see what the ex has to say about Constance,” I said.

  “But shouldn’t we speak to Bonnie Sue and Bobbie Sue to ask them a few more questions first?”

  “We will, but first I want to find out if Gary is on the boat.”

  My head began to ache on the way to the marina.

  How could so many women be fooled by Misha? A Don Juan he was not. As for me, I never went for those sweet-talking men even when I was younger. It takes more than a pretty word to turn a woman’s head, or it should. I can spot a phony smile a mile away. I suppose I was a born investigator. I’ve heard some of the best liars when I worked at my husband Andrew’s law firm back when I was a lonely widow and he was very married. You might say some of his clients were less than honest when it came to seeking legal aid. Andrew was smart enough not to take clients like that on at a time when he was a divorce attorney.

  Eleanor and I got out of the car when we reached the marina, and I pulled a sweater from my back seat before we walked onto the dock. Boats moored at the marina were packed much closer together than the state dock, but many of the boats here were much smaller than I expected. Adam’s charter boat had a spot here, and I waved at him. He was spraying his boat off with a hose. He’s my daughter Martha’s boyfriend.

  “I’m shocked you’re here,” I said. “I thought you would have taken a group out on your charter boat today.”

  “I’m taking a group out at dusk instead,” Adam said.

  “I heard there’s some good walleye fishing right now,” Eleanor said. “I tried to get some from Martha, but she told us you gave the last of it to Elsie.”

  “I didn’t know you liked walleye,” Adam said.

  “I love it if it’s filleted right,” I said.

  “I’ll make sure to give you some next time,” Adam said.

  Adam was dressed in khaki pants and a white T-shirt with the name Hamilton’s Charter Services on it. He was six foot and thin, his dark hair only slightly graying. Martha was lucky when she had found Adam. We met him on a cruise ship where he was the captain. I was shocked that he had decided to give that life up and move to Tawas to be with Martha. Opening a charter boat business certainly keeps him busy.

  “It’s nice to see you again,” Eleanor said. “We need your help.”

  “I’m always happy to help.” Adam smiled.

  “We’re looking for Gary Shaklee. We were told he moors his boat here.”

  “His boat is named Broke and Busted,” Eleanor added.

  “He keeps it at the state dock now. He lost a rudder, trying to get his boat out of his space here.”

  “Do you know Gary?” I asked.

  “No, I just know the name of his boat.”

  “So you don’t know if Gary owns the boat or not?”

  “He must if you’re asking, not that I would call his yacht a boat.” He laughed.

  “Oh, so it’s a yacht and not just a boat,” Eleanor said. “We better get moving, Agnes. I can’t wait to see Gary’s yacht.”

  “Thank you, Adam,” I said.

  Eleanor fidgeted on the way to the state dock. “I wonder why the yacht it’s named Broke and Busted?” Eleanor asked. “Constance doesn’t live in a mansion.”

  “Maybe she didn’t get a chance to buy a new house, or she didn’t want to uproot herself.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough if you step on it.”

  “Would you like me to mow over the tourists?”

  “I suppose not.”

  I pulled into a parking spot and walked at a leisurely pace to the dock, wrinkling my nose at the fragrance of fish. People were positioned along the dock fishing, and I closed my lips tight so I didn’t swallow any gnats that were buzzing around.

  We stopped to examine the large boats until Eleanor pointed out Broke and Busted, and we walked single file to the boat.

  Broke and Busted was a fifty-foot yacht with sliding glass doors concealing the interior of the boat from view.

  “Can I help you?” a man asked.

  I didn’t see him sitting at a small table at the rear of the boat. He dangled a wineglass from his fingers and took a sip.

  “We’re looking for Gary Shaklee,” I said.

  “About?” he asked.

  “In reference to Constance Shaklee.”

  The man’s hands trembled as he set the wineglass on the table. “Come aboard,” he said as he helped Eleanor and me onto the yacht. He was comfortably dressed in khaki shorts and a tee and startling handsome.

  He motioned to seats around a small table.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “My daughter informed me of Constance’s death,” Gary said as he downed the remainder of his wine and refilled the glass.

  “She was murdered,” I said.

  “What?” he asked. “Becky didn’t tell me that.”

  “I’m shocked that she didn’t. There’s an investigation in progress, so you should expect a visit from the sheriff soon.”

  “Were you friends with Constance?”

  “No, we inadvertently found her body when we went there to ask her about loaning some of her rabbits to us.”

  “For the annual Easter egg hunt in Tawas,” Eleanor said.

  “I see, but I still don’t understand why you’re here.”

  “We’re investigators,” I explained. “I’m Agnes Barton, and this is my partner, Eleanor Mason.”

  “We’re capable investigators with a proven track record,” Eleanor said. “Constance died from a shotgun wound in the chest.”

  Gary shook his head. “I can’t believe it. Who would do that to her?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out,” I said. “How long have you been divorced?”

  “Just over a year.”

  “Could you give us the reason for the divorce if you don’t mind?” I asked.

  “She was impossible to live with. It didn’t make any sense the amount of money she spent on raising rabbits and entering them in competitions. It’s not like they hand out a check to the winners. The only prizes are ribbons and trophies.”

  “Sounds like something children would get more of a kick from.”

  “Exactly. The competitions are entered mostly by children. Constance competed against ten-year-olds, and she doesn’t have the temperament for that.”

  “We spoke to a local 4-H leader, and she told us Constance would get into verbal conflicts with the children she competed against at the fair.”

  “Sounds like her.”

  “She acted like that when you were married to her?”

  “I’ve heard grumblings about it. I didn’t go to any of the competitions. I didn’t want to encourage her to keep doing them, especially when they were a drain on our finances. I suggested she raise Lionhead and Holland Lop rabbits. At least that way she’d generate an income of some sort.”

  “I can’t imagine you could sell bunnies for much.”

  “Both
those types of bunnies are popular for competitions.”

  “It doesn’t look like you’re hurting for money,” I said, motioning to the yacht. “Why is your boat named Broke and Busted?”

  “That doesn’t have anything to do with my divorce.” He smiled. “I’ve put a lot of money in this boat since I bought it.”

  “May I ask you what do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a broker, so I can work from anywhere.”

  “That’s a plus. I hope Constance didn’t take a huge chunk of your money when you divorced.”

  “Not any more than I had expected. I had no interest in leaving her penniless, and I have never wished ill of her.” He sighed. “Her death hit me harder than I thought it would.”

  “Had you kept in contact with her since you divorced?”

  “No, Constance made it clear she didn’t want me in her life, even as a friend.”

  “But don’t you have two children together?”

  “Yes, but it didn’t change anything. Fortunately, they’re older and there was no reason for me to attend any family get-togethers like graduation parties.”

  “So that means you don’t know about anyone your ex was involved with or had worked for her?” Eleanor asked.

  “That’s correct.”

  “How about you? Do you have a girlfriend or a wife?”

  “No, I prefer being solo. Since my divorce, I’ve been on a self-discovery journey. You know if you can’t be happy alone, how are you going to be happy when you meet the right person?”

  “Good words to live by. I’m sorry about your loss.”

  “We’re sorry for interrupting you,” Eleanor said. “Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Constance?”

  “She can be a bit much sometimes, but I can’t imagine she’d make someone so upset that they’d want to kill her.”

  “What do you mean by a bit much?”

  “She’s opinionated and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about it. It’s pretty harsh to argue with a bunch of 4-H kids.”

  “The leader told me the kids put her in her place, so to speak.” I smiled. “Regardless of whom Constance might have irritated or argued with, she didn’t deserve to be murdered, and we’ll find the person who killed her.

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “You ever hear the name Misha Curry?”

  “Doesn’t ring a bell.”