A Highball and a Low Blow (Grumpy Chicken Irish Pub Series Book 3)

by Constance Barker

  “It’s all part of the job. This part is kind of sensitive, and I’m not sure I should tell you. But here goes. When I asked Jacob about the mysterious insurance policy, he acknowledged that he still loved you but he was adamant that he did not buy the policy. He insisted there is no reason to do something that strange and was unaware of why someone would buy a policy like that. You and I know that someone might be trying to frame you for the attempted murder and it was probably someone like this Rotgut character. However, Jacob has no idea of what is going on, I’m sure of that after talking to him.”

  “I’m not sure how to respond to all that. But I appreciate you sharing with me. That’s actually touching he acknowledged his feelings for me. He’s not much of a romantic and doesn’t share his inner emotions well. It’s one of the reasons we drifted apart.”

  “I hope I didn’t upset you. I really don’t want that. But if there's anything that comes to mind after hearing this, I need to know. We know quite a bit about this case, but there are a few pieces still missing. This is...”

  In what felt like deja vu, a similar knock emanated from the front door repeating the same firm and loud blows heard just minutes ago. I excused myself and returned to the entrance and flipped the bolt once more. This time it was Aunt Mae standing there.

  She came in and kissed me on the cheek. I returned the peck. “What is it with you police? You all knock the same. Hard and loud.”

  Aunt Mae chuckled. “They actually teach us that as part of our training.”

  “Well, who would have guessed.” I smiled, glad to see her. We headed to the kitchen to join the Sheriff, who I left unattended. Aunt Mae laughed when she saw him. “You beat me here.”

  The Sheriff stood upright and acted nonchalant when he heard us, but I caught a quick glimpse of him scrutinizing the cutting board. He mumbled, “Yep. Looks that way.”

  I smiled at Sheriff Morrison. “You checking to see if I can shave steak thin with a knife?”

  “No, well, yes. The steak looks good and I might come by for lunch.”

  I chuckled. “I hope you do.”

  Mae looked at the Sheriff. “I see you were going over the important business of the day – lunch. I came over because I need to pick up the package Eckart sent us. But I was also going to tell Ginger about Jacob coming out of the coma. So why are you really here so early.”

  The Sheriff sighed. “I’m not good at this and I’m not related to Ginger, like you. But I interviewed Jacob and I thought she should hear it from me directly.”

  Aunt Mae tilted her head to one side and squinted slightly. “That’s so sweet. Especially since you did something nice and it wasn’t for those stinky horses.”

  He pulled a faux stern face. “Careful when you bring up my mounts.” Then he smiled. “So how did you find out?”

  “Leonard was on duty last night and got the initial call from the hospital.”

  He snorted. “Well, I need to talk with Deputy Wise about his use of discretion.”

  Mae smiled at the Sheriff. “In any case, this was really nice of you to come over and talk with Ginger.”

  He fiddled with his radio. “Well, I think we’re just about done and I was about to leave. I was saying, Ginger, if you think of anything, let me know immediately. I would appreciate it and it may help us. Even if it seems trivial.”

  I cleared my throat. “Before you go, I do have a question for both of you. We found that Bev Serve took out a life insurance policy on Jacob for two million dollars. Is that legal for an employer to take out a life insurance policy on an employee?”

  The Sheriff shot lasers from his eyes. “How do you know that?”

  “Looks like you know about it, too. I’m guessing it’s another reason why you jumped at the chance to confirm what Jacob really knows.”

  The Sheriff tilted his back. “Good guess. And no miss smarty pants, it’s not legal unless it’s signed by the person insured by the company.”

  “Did Jacob know anything about the Bev Serve policy?”

  The Sheriff shook his head no.

  I sighed. “That means someone had to forge Jacob’s signature then. So who took out the policy and why?”

  Aunt Mae answered. “That’s what we we are trying to figure out and why we've been burning the midnight oil. Well, that and trying to find the moonshiner we suspect set the device up on Jacob’s starter.”

  I looked at the floor for a second. “I met the insurance agent in Savannah and it is obvious he is no criminal mastermind. But he’s involved in some way, I’m sure of that. So the owner of Bev Serve could have been the one who dreamed all this up. But he must be smart to run such a big business. Did whoever took out the insurance policies think no one could figure it out?”

  Sheriff Morrison said, “Detective Eckart is one of the best when it comes to financial crimes. So that was a mistake if he did. Eckart sniffed out the questionable insurance policies in less than forty-eight hours.”

  I snorted. “I don’t know how he gets anything done, that police station is a zoo.”

  Aunt Mae grinned. “It’s not Potter's Mill for sure, but they have lots of resources there.”

  “If they have lots of resources, why haven’t they been able to arrest this Rotgut guy then. It sounds like he’s a bad dude that belongs behind bars. Everything points at him as the suspect for setting the device on Jacob’s car. And he was probably hired by Jake Belanger at Bev Serve.”

  The Sheriff rocked his head. “I agree, I wish we had him in custody. But some guys are good at covering their tracks and we have to have evidence to arrest a person or the prosecutors just let them go without filing charges. And after the attempt on Jacob, Rotgut became a ghost. No one has seen him or knows where he is.”

  Aunt Mae frowned. “Rotgut has been hiding in the shadows but we will get him soon. I promise.”

  The Sheriff jumped in again. “I don’t know about the soon part Deputy Owens, but we want him behind bars and the sooner the better. Yes.”

  I blinked a few times as the memory of the envelope popped. “Aunt Mae, before I forget, I have to get the envelope for you.”

  She nodded. “That’s the second reason I’m here. Detective Eckart said you would have a package for me and the Sheriff.”

  “Can I ask what it is?”

  The Sheriff’s voice took his best official tone. “You can ask, but we won’t tell you.”

  It was time for Dixie and Bones to arrive so I wasn't surprised to hear someone unlock the front door and come in. Dixie’s blaring voice confirmed who it was. “If you’re still here, please leave. Now! I don’t need some deformed ghost chicken bothering me while I work.”

  The Sheriff looked at me like an incontinent dog in a room filled with fire hydrants. He sputtered. “I’m not sure what that’s all about with Dixie. But I’m pretty sure it’s my cue to leave.”

  “See ya around. Aunt Mae, can you keep Dixie company while I go get the envelope upstairs?”

  Sheriff Morrison let himself out and Aunt Mae nodded, then headed to the bar to talk with Dixie. I made for the apartment to retrieve the envelope and complete my courier mission.

  I returned with package under my arm. Aunt Mae and Dixie were chit chatting. I noticed Mae raiding the condiment tray, popping a few olives in her mouth. “Auntie, that’s not a very good breakfast.”

  Aunt Mae flinched. “This incident with Jacob has kept everyone hopping. The Savannah police have pulled out all the stops trying to find Rotgut and they have enlisted our help. I have to eat what I can, when I can. And I love your olives.”

  I laughed. “I know. Dixie, you alright? I heard what happened yesterday.”

  “I’m fine. But I’m for sure tired of that plucking grumpy chicken making unannounced appearances.”

  “I heard he didn’t appear, but that Star saw it in a vision.”

  Dixie nodded. “Yeah. You should’ve seen it. The ice tea I gave her froze, solid. And she was cold, too. Real cold to the touch when I shook her awake.�
�

  “Then what?”

  “Star told me she saw the grumper in a hazy vision. The chicken led Star into a wooded area and she saw a scary man yelling at someone. Something about a deal gone bad and losing over a million dollars.”

  Aunt Mae raised her eyebrows. “That would make me upset, too. That’s a lot of money.”

  Dixie continued, “But it didn’t stop there. I gave Star some hot coffee to warm her up and then I noticed it forming. A mark on her palm. It appeared slowly, and was faint at first, but then became clear in green, like a tattoo.”

  Aunt Mae asked, “So, what did it look like?”

  Dixie paused. “The symbol was weird like everything else. It was two crossed arrows. But one of the arrows was broken in half.”

  I looked at Aunt Mae and she grimaced. It was weird, yes, but it made no sense to any of us. “Auntie, I think I need to go see Star. She might understand this a little better than we do.” I held out the envelope.

  She nodded and took the package. “Sounds like a good idea. I have work to do back at the station. I’ll talk to ya later.”

  Dixie and I said goodbye to Aunt Mae and she left. I decided to leave the rest of the prep work for Bones. The morning’s events altered my priorities and I needed to talk with Star, without delay.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I STOOD AT THE FRONT door of the new age store rapping hard and loud. The slight movement of the closed sign with each knock made me realize I was banging just like the Sheriff and Aunt Mae. But it worked. I saw her through the big glass door and she rushed to answer. She opened the door. “Good morning, Ginger. What’s all the commotion?”

  “I’m sorry, but I really need to talk with you.”

  She smiled. “Of course, come on in.”

  We made our way to the large table in the center of the store. The fancy cloth covering made it feel homey but the crystal ball in the center was a bit much, in my opinion. However, Star believed in its power and I respected her convictions. We both sat and she pushed some papers to one side then looked at me. “So what can I do for you?”

  “Well, I heard about the incident yesterday and I have some questions.”

  “It was incredible, the most vivid vision I’ve ever had. And I saw your chicken. She has beautiful white feathers with black and red accents. I felt a gentle spirit, kind and loving. But one of her legs is injured.”

  “That’s interesting, but Dixie also said you saw a man in the woods. What did he look like? Did you recognize him?”

  “No, I never saw him before. But he was mean looking, downright ugly. And he was yelling at someone about a deal gone bad. Said he lost over a million dollars.”

  I felt myself gasp at the amount of money. “Did you see the other man, the one the awful man was talking to?”

  “No.”

  “Dixie also said you had a mark appear in one palm. Is it still there?”

  Star held out her left palm. “No, see? It went away after twenty-minutes.”

  “What did it look like?”

  Star shuffled in a pocket and took out her phone. “I knew it was important so I took a picture.” She opened the file and handed the phone to me.

  I took the phone and the mark was more like a sketch of two crossed arrows, but one arrow was clearly broken in half. I asked, “Do you know what this means?”

  “Not at first. But I remembered after a while that two crossed arrows represent friendship in some Indian tribes. But the broken arrow is unusual.”

  “So is there any explanation for why one arrow would be broken?”

  “Well, I thought about that for a while. Then I wondered if the bad deal mentioned in my vision was connected. And it hit me, the one arrow may represent a break in the friendship. And a transaction involving a loss like a million dollars, that could break almost any friendship.”

  “Holy limpin’ chicken! It couldn’t be. The marking color was green, wasn’t it?” I saw Star nod yes, and continued, “Green like money?”

  “Yes.”

  “Could that also mean the friendship was broken over money?”

  Star gasped. “I didn’t think about it, but now that you mention it, sure. And the image was on my left palm, the palm that itches when money is being paid out, or lost.”

  “Star, hang on I need to make a call.” I took my phone out and called Ida. She answered on the second ring. “Ida, I need a big favor. Can you print out pictures of Rotgut and Jake Belanger, then bring them over to Star’s new age shop?”

  Ida stammered a moment. “This is a bit unusual, but I guess. Be there in ten or fifteen.” She clicked off. Star shared some scones bought for breakfast while we waited for Ida. I looked at Star. “Have you ever had a mark like that on you before?”

  “No. It’s very rare. That’s why I took a picture. And I was thinking about why a mark after a vision? Dixie woke me before the vision was complete. At least it felt that way to me. So if that is the case, maybe the spirit, in this instance your chicken, left the mark to make sure I got the message.”

  I snorted at the ridiculous thought. “You're saying the chicken not only tried to communicate, it tried to help you when you were brought out of the trance early?”

  “Yes, spirits help us all the time.”

  I failed to contain a brief chuckle and then my face went blank when the memory hit me. “There was this one time where I saw initials in some brining chicken wings. Now that I think about it, it was kind of similar to your palm mark.”

  The knock at the front door was soft and we almost missed it. Star went to let Ida in and the two returned to the table. Star took her seat. Ida fought to catch her breath as she took a laptop bag off her shoulder and hung it on her chair. “I need to get some exercise. I think I sit at the keyboard too much.” Ida sat.

  I chuckled. “You think?”

  Ida snapped at me. “Hey, I’m trying to do you a favor here.”

  “I know, but we really should make sure you get more exercise. Did you bring the pictures?”

  “Of course.” Ida plunked down a piece of paper with two pictures on it. “Even printed it out on my color printer.”

  I took the paper and slid it over to Star. “Either of these men the one you saw in your vision?”

  Star went white. “This one.” She put her finger on Rotgut’s mug. “I will never forget his ugly face. And how mean he was.”

  Ida blurted out. “What’s going on here? She saw Rotgut? So where is he? Everyone is looking for him.”

  I was lost in thought, but tried to calm Ida. “Do you remember when we heard about the vision Star had last night? Rotgut was the man in her vision.”

  “That moonshiner just keeps popping up, doesn’t he?

  I felt a chill run through my body. “We need to get to the hospital. Jacob is danger. I know what’s going on.”

  Ida squeaked. “What in the world are talking about?”

  “Jacob is in danger. Everyone is thinking Rotgut tried to kill him because Belanger hired him. But that’s not it. Rotgut got double crossed by Belanger, that is what the palm mark meant. And Jacob might have been involved with the deal. Remember the ‘big deal’ Jacob mentioned in one email? You found that early on, Ida. And this morning, Gator told me Rotgut was mad because he lost a large sum of money. It all fits.”

  Ida gawked at the moonshiner’s picture. “You’re right. And a man like Rotgut would hunt them down for sure, make them pay.”

  “Jacob needs protection and we need to find Belanager. I don’t think he’s out town on business. I think he’s on the run.”

  Star asked, “How are we going to do all that?”

  I reached into the pocket of my jeans. “We can’t by ourselves. But I know how to get some help.” I plunked Detective Eckart’s card down on the tablecloth and pulled out my phone. I dialed the handwritten number on the back and the detective answered on the first ring. I explained what we pieced together and he was skeptical at first, but I could tell his instincts told him this made
sense.

  It was prudent to take action and he said, “S.O.P. is we post one uniformed officer on a victim’s room after an attempt. But that won’t be enough if Rotgut is coming for Jacob.”

  “How fast can reinforcements get there?”

  Eckart mulled, “I think it’s best if we move him. I can have him transferred to a more secure location in about an hour. In the meantime, I’ll have Jacob moved to an undisclosed room until they move him out of that hospital.”

  “Okay. And what about Belanger?”

  Eckart snorted. “I thought I had a meeting next week with him. He told me he was out of town on business. But I think you’re right. He used that line as cover to get some time to run. I spoke to him on the phone a day ago. I am tracking the towers used for his calls to see if I can pin point where he is. My gut has been telling me something is off with him since day one.”

  “Do you need me to do anything?”

  “Not that I can think of. Look, I’ve got lots to do here now. If you find anything else, let me know. I need to go. Thanks, Ginger.” He clicked off.

  I looked up to find Star and Ida staring at me, waiting for information. I replied, “Help is on the way for Jacob. He’ll be moved to a new secret location.”

  Ida sighed. “Wow, I never thought I would worry about your ex. I’m relieved to hear that.”

  Star shuddered. “Be careful. Something is still off. I sense danger.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ida was a tad blunt.

  Star smiled back. “That’s how it is sometimes with the spirits. They give me a general feeling, but nothing more. But I have found it is always wise to pay attention to the inklings they give me. I may misinterpret them sometimes, but in hindsight, they’re always right.”

  Ida looked at me. “That gave me the willies. How about you?”

  “Yeah. But for some reason I fully understand what she’s saying. Star, thank you. This was helpful and you may have saved Jacob. How can I repay you?”

  “You're welcome. And if you’re serious, I would appreciate it if you agreed to the dinner seance.”