Moonshine Murder [Hawkman Bk 14]

by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

  Hawkman did as he said, and Jasper didn't move.

  “Looks like he's comfortable with you,” Wayne said, as he moved the foot rings down to Hawkman's ankle bone. “How does that feel?”

  “Great,” he said, placing his cowboy boots into the stirrups.

  “Ride him around a bit until you get used to each other, then have him go through his gaits. He's a good horse, and minds well. The best of luck to you tonight on your adventure.”

  “Thanks, Wayne. I appreciate you letting me borrow your steed. I'll bring him back good as new.”

  Wayne opened the gate for the rider and horse to get through, then closed it. He gave a wave, hopped on his four-wheeler and drove down the road. Jasper gave a whinny, then obeyed Hawkman as he reined him around. He rode for almost an hour out in the field around the enclosure, letting the mount get his feel and taking him through the different gaits. Nellie trotted back and forth at the fence line and called to her friend. Soon Hawkman reined Jasper's head away from the corral and guided him toward his house. When they came up the driveway, Jennifer came out the door grinning.

  “You look like a regular cowboy.”

  Hawkman touched the brim of his hat. “Thank you, ma'am. All I need is a pair of chaps.”

  “Do you plan to take up cattle driving?”

  He swung his leg across the saddle and dismounted. “No, I think one long night on his back is going to be all I need.”

  “Where are you going to put him until you're ready to go?”

  He handed the reins to her. “Hold him here for a minute; I'm going to get a rope out of the garage. I'll put him in the back since the grass needs mowing. It'll give him something to nibble, and he can drink from the lake.”

  Jennifer talked to the horse and rubbed his forehead while Hawkman rummaged in the garage until he found a cord that would do the trick. He then led the horse around to the back, tied the end of the reins together and placed them over the horn on the saddle. Loosely securing the rope around the horse's neck, he tied the long end to a tree trunk, which would keep Jasper in the shade but insure he had plenty of room to maneuver without getting tangled in the cord. He'd keep an eye on the steed until the time came to leave for the cabin.

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  * * *

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  After dinner, Hawkman kept an eye on the bridge. He didn't figure Moss Atkins, the bar owner, would come to pick up his batch of booze until late, but just in case, he didn't want to miss him.

  “Hon, do you have some carrots?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “Wayne gave the horses some when he went to the corral. Thought I'd carry two or three to let Jasper know I appreciate him.”

  “Not a bad idea,” she said, opening the refrigerator and pulling out three long roots. “These are long, but you can just break them in half. The horse won't know the difference.”

  “Great,” he said, snapping each one in two, then stuffing them into his jacket's zippered pocket.

  She pointed toward the bridge. “Here comes a pickup.”

  Hawkman hurried to the kitchen window, and recognized the truck. “That's him. Wish me luck.”

  She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Be careful.”

  “I will.”

  He went out the back sliding glass door, and approached the horse. Jasper didn't shy away when Hawkman removed the reins off the horn, and untied him from the tree. Wayne had put a small saddle pack behind the cantle, which held a water bottle, flashlight, his night binoculars, the carrots and his GPS which he'd loaded with a map of the area. He put his boot in the stirrup, threw his leg over the saddle, and could already feel the stiffness of this new adventure setting in.

  He rode around the house, down the driveway and onto the road. Hawkman decided to go the front way to the cabin since there was enough distance between the road and the buildings which ensured he wouldn't be seen, especially, on this pitch black night with the moon hiding behind a layer of clouds. Since Earl wouldn't be there, he could stay hidden in the trees until Atkins left, then follow Jeb when he took off for the campsite. He sure hoped his calculations on the timeline were right.

  Hawkman came to the turnoff and guided the horse up the small knoll, then took a sharp right and stayed along the tree line as he advanced closer. Soon he could see a faint light up ahead, and cut into the darkness of the forest. He dismounted and led Jasper as he neared the cabin. The glow of a lantern on the stoop outlined Jeb's horse tied at an oak tree nearby. Hawkman prayed the two animals didn't decide to converse. He took a part of a carrot he had in his jacket and fed it to Jasper, hoping the steed would get the message.

  Atkins had backed up to the still which suited Hawkman, so that when he left, his headlight beams wouldn't bank off the trees where he and Jasper were hidden. Hawkman couldn't hear what the men were saying, but he watched their movements as they packed the bottles of hooch into the bed of the pickup. When they finally finished, he saw Atkins hand Jeb a roll of bills; then they both tied a large tarp over the goods. The two men shook hands, then Moss got into his pickup and left. Jeb took the money out of his pocket and peeled off several bills and went to the smoke house. Hawkman knew this was the percentage he owed his dad. Jeb strolled to the barn and brought back a muck bucket which he placed in front of the horse. Soon he returned to the still where he removed the barrel, and placed it in the other building.

  Jeb took the lantern inside the cabin and before long Hawkman could smell the wood burning stove. He figured Jeb was preparing the next batch of mash. Settling on a stump, Hawkman assumed this procedure might take awhile. In less than an hour, Jeb came out carrying a large heavy pot, went to the fermentation shack and disappeared inside. He came out a few minutes later with an empty pan, and locked up the building. Double checking the lock on the still, he went back inside the house. He returned with a bucket, which Hawkman assumed was full of water, as he headed for the horse and set it down in front of him. After the horse drank, he picked up both containers and walked back to the cabin, where he placed them outside the door. Jeb went inside the house, and the glow from the windows faded. He closed the door and headed for his horse.

  Hawkman removed the night binoculars from the pack, put the strap around his neck, took out the GPS, turned it on and slid it into a deep pocket in his jacket. He readied himself for a long ride as he watched Jeb mount, remove his rifle from the scabbard, place it across the seat between his body and the pommel; he then reined the horse due north.

  Hawkman waited until they disappeared, then brought Jasper out of the shadows and climbed onto his back. He flipped up his eye-patch since he didn't need it for protection during nighttime. As they walked past the front of the cabin, Hawkman could see Jeb's silhouette moving through the tall grass.

  When they forded the small stream that flowed nearby, Hawkman let Jasper drink for a few seconds, then gave him a gentle kick in the flank to move ahead. He figured Jeb could travel about fifty yards in front and he'd still be able to locate him with the night binoculars.

  Not wanting to be surprised by some big cat or bear, he unsnapped his jacket and flipped up the flap on his shoulder holster, so his gun would be handy. He figured Jeb knew the territory better than he did. Seeing him with his rifle ready made Hawkman aware of all sorts of noises. Also, he'd pay attention to Jasper, especially his ears, as animals tend to sense danger immediately.

  They moved along at a steady pace with no incidents for a half hour. The hooves of the walking horses were silent as the ground cover was heavy along the route they traveled. The only sound was the brushing against the bushes as they passed. Hawkman pulled on the reins and stopped Jasper for a few seconds to see if he could hear Jeb. If he couldn't hear anything downwind, then he knew Jeb couldn't hear him.

  Suddenly, a loud whinny and the deafening blast of a gun echoed through the still night. Jasper let out a big neigh and reared up a bit. It took Hawkman a minute to settle the horse, then he qui
ckly put the night binoculars to his eyes. He spotted Jeb, holding his rifle high, as he and his mount thrashed up the mountainside at a hard gallop. He doubted Jeb would have heard Jasper as he thundered through the brush.

  Not wanting Jasper to get any more skittish, which he might if they came across a dead mountain lion or bear, he decided to skirt the scene. Keeping Jeb in his sight, he moved in a semicircle, then gave Jasper a slight kick in the flanks. The horse took off in a gallop and soon Hawkman had Jeb back to the fifty yards distance and slowed Jasper down to a steady walk.

  They'd been on the trail for well over an hour. Hawkman scanned the mountainside with the binoculars as he rode. Unexpectedly, a movement caught his attention among the trees. He backtracked and discovered what appeared to be a horse tethered, but he couldn't see much else due to foliage, and distance.

  Hawkman kept a close eye on Jeb, as he didn't want him to circle back and catch him on his tail. When they got closer to the area where he'd seen the horse, he could make out a tent and the glow of a smoldering fire pit. The buckboard came into view on the outer edge of the camp, everything sheltered by a large covey of trees. He turned Jasper under a large oak and reined him to a halt.

  He watched Jeb ride into the camp, unsaddle his horse, give him a quick brush, and tie him next to the other mounts. Carrying his rifle, he entered the tent. Hawkman knew he'd have no trouble finding the campsite again on horseback; in a vehicle it might be questionable.

  He urged Jasper out from the trees and they started the long trek down the mountain. Things looked transformed, coming from a different angle, and he wasn't sure exactly where Jeb had met with the beast. Before he knew it, they rode right into the area. Jasper shied away and made low growling noises deep in his throat as he sidestepped around the carcass of a huge mountain lion.

  “Wow,” he muttered. “That's one big cat. Let's hope there's no more around.” Hawkman rode Jasper to the corral, unsaddled the horse, brushed him down, and turned him loose to be with Nellie.

  * * * *

  The man stomped along the floor of the small living room, wringing his hands and kicking at the wastebasket as he passed. “The bitch,” he mumbled, “even though I hired her, I knew I wouldn't need her long. She surely knew that, so why did she come and threaten me to pay her more than I owed or she'd tell my clients how I'd cheated them. If she thought blackmail would save her butt, she had another thing coming.”

  Nervously, he glanced out the window at every passing car. Then he continued talking to the dog who lay on the floor watching him with soulful brown eyes. “They'll never connect me with the murder. No one had any idea I'd hired the woman or would be there waiting for her. I didn't leave any fingerprints, and I've thrown my boots away. Damn she was hard to strangle. For a little woman, she put up quite a fight, and those damn long fingernails of her's kept clawing at me. I just had to use brute force and crush her windpipe.”

  He finally flopped down on the soiled couch, and closed his eyes. “Gotta get some rest.”

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  * * *

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  Tuesday morning, Hawkman groaned as he rolled out of bed. The results of not riding a horse for years had taken it's toll on his body. Jennifer grinned as she watched him limp to the bathroom.

  “Little sore this morning?” she asked.

  “My butt hurts like hell. I can hardly walk.”

  “Did you find Beth and the kids?”

  “Yes, a hundred miles from here.” He waved a hand. “Well, probably not that far, but my bones feel like it.”

  She climbed out of bed, smiling. “I'll get the coffee started. Then you can hobble in and tell me all about it.”

  “You're enjoying my pain, aren't you?”

  She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Of course not. I'm just happy you're home safe.”

  Later, over a cup of coffee at the kitchen bar, he told her about finding the campsite and how Jeb had shot the mountain lion.

  “Sounds like it turned into a very hazardous ride. Sure glad you didn't come face to face with one of those critters. If Jasper had bucked you off, I'd probably never find you deep in the woods.”

  “Believe me, it ran through my mind.” He reached for the phone. “I've got to call Detective Chandler and give him my account of the hunt.”

  Jennifer made breakfast, while Hawkman spoke with the detective. When he hung up, she studied his face. “Looks like you just received some bad news.”

  “I'm not sure. Chandler said they received the DNA results from under Tami's fingernails, but so far no matches. They've contacted the prison Jeb spent time in, but haven't received a response. They're going to see if Atkins will volunteer a sample; otherwise, they'll have to get one or arrest him.”

  “On what grounds?” Jennifer asked.

  “Suspicion of murder.”

  “This is becoming one complicated mess,” Jennifer said, throwing up her hands. “Do you think he killed Tami?”

  Hawkman let out an audible sigh. “I wish I could answer, but I have no idea. It has to be connected somehow to the Hutchinsons, or a customer Tami dealt with to buy the hooch.”

  “Who hired Tami to do this job?” Jennifer asked.

  He looked puzzled. “That's an excellent question. I have no idea.”

  “I doubt Jeb hired her; he has no money. I wouldn't think the bars would, as they probably hadn't even thought of moonshine until she brought it up. So someone had to mention it to her and know Jeb was making it.”

  He jumped off the bar stool and moaned. “I forgot I'd been on a horse for ten hours.”

  “Where are you going in such a hurry?”

  “Into Yreka, and talk to Detective Chandler. I want to look through Tami's personal stuff again. She had a small address book with only initials written inside. I want to check those again. It may hold a clue of who killed her.”

  “Are you going into work today?”

  “I have nothing pressing right now, so I can miss a day or two.” He grabbed a Stetson off the Hawkman coat rack, and his cell phone off the counter.

  Jennifer shook her head as she watched him hobble out the front door.

  Once Hawkman got a short distance from Copco Lake, his cell phone could find a signal and he called the detective.

  “Hi, Detective Chandler, Tom Casey here. You going to be in your office for a while? I need to look at Tami Spencer's address book again.”

  He listened for a moment. “Great, see ya in a few.”

  Soon, Hawkman pulled into the police station and parked. When he went inside, he found the detective hovering over a stack of papers. “All you detectives seem to have come from the same mold. Always signing papers.”

  Chandler raised his eyes and grinned. “Yeah, but they didn't tell us about this in the academy.” He motioned at the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  Hawkman carefully lowered himself and the detective grinned.

  “You act like you've been in the saddle for a while. Guess you've got a sore ass.”

  “Yep, you've got that right. My body will never be the same.”

  Chandler rose and went to the filing cabinet. “So what made you want to see Spencer's address book again?”

  “My wife asked me a question this morning that sent my brain into overdrive.”

  “Oh, yeah. What about?”

  “She asked who hired Tami Spencer to be the in-between person. I figured it had to be someone who knew Jeb had a still.”

  “How many do you think knew?”

  “Very few, and she may have demanded more money as she began to bring customers in, especially after seeing them come to Jeb's place after the initial meeting, and collecting the hooch themselves. This could have gotten her killed.”

  Chandler handed Hawkman the small book. “Do you think you saw something in there that would give us a clue?”

  “I'm not sure. I wanted to check the grocery list I spotted the first time. It could be a code
indicating meetings, and who she reported to.”

  Hawkman flipped it open and went through it page by page. He stopped at the grocery list he'd seen before. Shaking his head, he began examining the book. It appeared the plastic cover could be separated from the rest, so he carefully fiddled with it and eventually pulled the pad out of the binding. A folded piece of paper fell to the floor. Picking it up, he smoothed the sheet out on the desk. After scanning it, he glanced up at Detective Chandler. “This might be the motive for murder!”

  Chandler's eyes opened wide. “What?”

  He turned the paper around so the detective could read the writing. Chandler's eyes then narrowed as he absorbed the information. He ran his finger across a line. “If this is her handwriting, which I'd assume it is, she has it dated when Jacob hired her and he obviously owed her a large sum of cash. Everything from gas bills to hush money, which he obviously never intended to pay.” He pointed to a note scrawled at the bottom of the sheet. ‘Tell Moss Atkins how he's cheated them'. “It appears she might have threatened Jacob that she'd tell his clients they were being ripped off if he didn't pay up, so he shut her up for good.”

  “It certainly looks that way,” Hawkman said.

  “The thing that bothers me is why did he kill her on the Hutchinson's property?”

  “To make it look like Beth had done it. He doesn't like her, and he knew the story about Tami having an affair with Jeb. He probably found the ribbon out in the yard when he went up there earlier.”

  “Okay, that fits. But how did he know Tami would be there?”

  “It's possible he told her Jeb would be getting paid by Atkins that night, and he'd meet her at the cabin after he got his percentage; then they could settle their debt. He might have even told her to park where we found the car and body.”

  Detective Chandler rose from his seat and attached his gun belt around his waist. “I think it's time to have a talk with Jacob Hutchinson.” On the way out, he motioned to a couple of his officers. “Need a back up.”