by Rose, Sharon
Before she reached the end of the sidewalk, I managed to reach the door and call out, “I’m sure everyone will be interested in knowing about the man you’re meeting in the woods in the middle of the night, Esther. You know, the one you were with when you happened to find the dead body.”
Too bad she didn’t see the little rise in the cement. Before I turned my attention back to Scully, I saw her skirts go up and her body hit the pavement.
Chapter Forty One
Captain Maxymowich dropped by the house a few days later.
“I take it all the loose ends are tied up and you’re on your way home,” I said.
The Captain smiled. “It’s been a pleasure working with you again, Mabel.”
I almost said, ‘the pleasure was all mine,’ but somehow, that sounded a little tacky. Instead, I said, “Don’t mention it. If you ever need help solving a case, you know I’m ready and willing.”
(Later, when I told Flori what I’d said, she felt that I sounded very presumptuous.)
It was almost nine. If it were any weekday but Monday, I’d have been late for work. However, because it was Monday, I was still in my housecoat and pajamas. (I have to admit it felt good knowing that everyone else in town was busy working.) My housecoat isn’t a thing of beauty. It’s faded cotton and only comes down to the tops of my knees. Knees, in case you didn’t know, are not pretty when they’re over sixty years old.
Maxymowich, standing outside on my step and looking slightly uncomfortable, said, “If you’d like to get dressed, Mabel, I can wait. Perhaps, you have a few questions about the case you’d like answered. I know I’d sure appreciate a cup of your coffee.”
“Of course, Captain.” I ushered him into my kitchen, sat him down at my table, and I rushed upstairs to dress. Three cats had snuck out the door while we were talking but I was sure the other four could entertain him.
About ten minutes later, we sat at the table together. I’d pulled on my jeans and a clean white cotton shirt, brushed my teeth, and rinsed my mouth. The only socks I could find were animal print, black and white.
“I don’t suppose,” he said, “that you have any homemade muffins?”
“I wish I did. Reg has been over quite often the past few days. I guess I don’t have to say anything more, do I?”
He laughed. “No, I guess not.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking our coffee. The Captain didn’t seem to be concerned. We were almost finished our first cup and I wondered if this was it - would he finish his coffee, leave, and not say another word?
“Captain,” I said, “what’s going to happen to Ralph?”
He placed his cup on the table and slouched a little more in his chair.
“I would think he’ll be behind bars for quite a few years.”
“Sally?”
“Not much we can do with Sally. She’ll testify at the court case and then she’ll be on her way. There isn’t any proof that she told Ralph to kill Andrea Williams for the money.”
“On to find another sucker, I guess.”
“We can’t do anything about that, Mabel.”
“No, I guess not. Reg didn’t think Stella would be in too much trouble.”
He smiled lazily. “No, but she’ll have to learn to live without her son for awhile.”
“He’ll be put away for awhile?”
“Well, if he doesn’t get charged with assisted manslaughter, they’ll get him for drugs. Cecile had him for that already but he was waiting to catch the big fish.”
“What do Ralph and Sally have to say?”
“Sally claimed that Spencer was innocent and Ralph says that he didn’t have anything to do with it at all, that it was a conspiracy between Spencer and Sally to frame him.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I was never more serious.”
“Will he get away with that?”
“Only if the jury is psychiatrically disordered.”
I wasn’t quite sure if he was serious when he said that but since he didn’t smile, I decided not to laugh. Let’s face it, half the world’s population is psychiatrically disordered.
“What about Andrea Williams? Do you know what happened after I left the house on P ½?”
Now, there was a definite twinkle in his eye.
“Oh yes, the house on P ½. That seemed to be a very busy street, didn’t it?”
“Probably the busiest in Yellow Rose!”
He shoved his cup towards me. “I guess if you’re out of muffins, I’ll have to settle for another cup of coffee.”
While I was pouring it, Flori burst through the door.
“Mabel, you’ll never believe this…” She paused when she saw the Captain. “Oh, Captain Maxymowich, I didn’t even notice you.” Her hand went instinctively up to her hair and she gave it a fluff.
“Flori,” I said. “I’m sure you noticed the police car in my driveway.”
She should’ve turned slightly pink but she didn’t. Instead, she giggled and said, “The driveway? Oh, I guess I did notice a car there.” With that, she walked over to the Captain, shook his hand, and told him how nice it was to see him again. Then, she settled into the chair across from him and asked me to bring her a cup of coffee.
This was definitely not my humble friend but afterwards she told me that she was trying to be extra courteous, in case I was in trouble for leaving the hotel after he’d told me not to leave. Flori is always thinking of others.
It’s a good thing she told me this afterwards because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when she said, “So, Captain Maxymowich, I’m sure everyone on the Force is grateful to Mabel for solving this murder case.”
If the Captain reacted in any way, I missed it.
“Yes, Mrs. Flanders, we’re very grateful to Mabel. She’s a natural crime-solver. We wish more on the police force had her instincts.”
“Really?” I said. I was standing behind Flori with the coffee pot in my hand. He looked up at me and winked. Now, I would never be sure, would I?
“By the way, Mabel,” he said, “you were wondering about Andrea Williams?”
“I was. And her husband. What’s with that? Is he a real cop or not?”
He bent over to pour cream into this cup and stirred. Flori waited until he was finished and then she fixed her coffee: as much cream as she could put in without spilling it on the table, and three teaspoons of sugar. We both waited and watched while she leaned over and slurped some up.
“Well,” he said, “Andrea is now incarcerated, awaiting trial. The judge wouldn’t let her out on bail. She and Hatcher were arrested for smuggling drugs and stealing money from the casino.”
“How did they steal that money?” I wanted to know. “I was there, Captain, and there were so many security guards around, I don’t see how anyone could steal anything.”
“The cops arrested two people who were working the tables. They were stealing chips and passing them on to Andrea and Grace. Apparently, it was quite a complex setup. Andrea was on that case for almost two years.”
“I told you, Mabel,” Flori said. “I knew that’s what they were doing.” She looked at Maxymowich. “Not that I gamble but my husband used to. Once in awhile. He hasn’t lately at all.”
“It’s okay, Flori. I’m sure Captain Maxymowich isn’t too concerned about Jake’s involvement in the gambling ring. I was wondering about Ben though, Andrea’s husband.”
“He was collecting evidence. He’s a good cop.”
“But what about his wife? I mean, how can he be good and his wife be a crook?”
He shrugged. “I guess that’s what happens sometimes. The money was too hard for her to resist. Cops don’t make that much, you know. She thought she could make some on the side. Besides, she could get information from her husband and use it. Apparently, that was her downfall. Ben started to get suspicious. She was asking too many questions.”
I knew Flori would find this upsetting. She has definite viewpoints about ma
rriage and fidelity.
“So,” she said, “what will become of their marriage?”
“I think Ben has already filed for divorce.”
“That is so sad,” Flori said.
“Flori,” I said, “don’t worry about them.” I turned my attention back to the Captain.
“There’s a couple of things that still bother me.”
“Ask away, Mabel. Maybe I’ll know the answers.”
“Well, when we were parked behind Ben and Andrea’s house, someone pushed a woman out of the house and into a car. We thought it must’ve been Sally but now I realize Sally was tied up at Stella’s place. Do you know what was happening there?”
“As far as I know, it was a woman coming for drugs. Andrea made sure no one ever came to the house but I guess this one was desperate. You do have a connection with her though, Mabel.”
“I do?”
“She works at the Gulf Motel and told Andrea that someone had been around asking questions. Guess she thought she’d be rewarded with a few freebies for telling her.”
“You’re kidding! Somehow, I knew there was something familiar about her but I never would’ve guessed who it was.”
“That’s it? No more questions?”
“I have to say I’m kind of curious, wondering who that Mexican man was, you know, the big boss.”
“I imagine there are a few bigger bosses over him but he was the kingpin in Yellow Rose. His cover was a restaurant. In fact, he was a highly respected businessman.”
“Don’t tell me he owned a Chinese restaurant.”
Maxymowich laughed. “Now, how would you know that?”
“Because the best Chinese restaurants in Yellow Rose are run by Mexicans, that why.”
“You learned a lot while you were there, Mabel.”
“But, what about Cecile? Is he really an undercover cop?”
Maxymowich burst out laughing. It was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh so hard.
“Mabel,” he said. “Cecile Tucker is the best undercover cop in America. After all, he had you fooled, didn’t he?”
I had to admit that he had. But then, so had Ralph.
“Mabel,” Flori said, “let’s stop talking about this case. It’s so depressing. Surely, there are other things to talk about.”
“You’re right. Captain Maxymowich asked for muffins and you know what, Flori? I’m all out. I can’t believe I’ve gone through all the muffins that I had in my freezer. I’m going to go right down to Macy’s Foods and get some flour and bake some more. From now on, I’ll make Monday’s my baking day.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Flori said. “I did have a reason for coming over to see you this morning - you can’t go to Macy’s and get flour today.”
“Why?”
“There was a last minute town council meeting on Friday night and guess what? You’ll never believe this: Jake came home and said the majority voted to close all businesses on Mondays.”
Good grief! I thought everyone on Avenue P ½ was nuts.
The End
About the Author
Sharon Rose and her husband, Al, (now retired) live in the home that they designed and built over thirty years ago in a small community in Manitoba, Canada. Sharon squeezes in writing time between volunteering and grandchildren’s visits. Every winter, she and her husband escape the cold northern winds and head for Galveston, Texas.
While taking a three-year writing course with the Writing School in Ottawa, Canada, she had two novels published. One of her short stories appeared in Woman’s World. Since then, she’s had several short stories and one children’s story published. Her real love, however, is writing cozy mysteries involving her two favorite characters: Mabel Wickles and Flori Flanders. Their first adventure was SLIP AND GO DIE. This is her second Parson’s Cove mystery.