Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 04 - Trouble in Tawas

by Madison Johns

  Before I had a chance to speak, I spotted Mrs. Barry stuck to the glass door of Fuzzy’s. We waved to the sheriff and walked inside, elbowing Mrs. Barry on our way. “Sorry,” I said with a smile.

  “What were you talking to the sheriff about out there?”

  “Oh, nothing much. He wanted to make sure we still planned to vote for him is all.”

  “He’s gonna lose, you know. My son—”

  My eyes widened when I saw Clay Barry, the candidate, grabbing Sally Alton’s round buttocks. I was livid. I ran over there to her aid and shoved him back. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. “Some candidate for sheriff you are! You’re already assaulting young women.”

  “Aw, I was not. She likes it when I do that,” he winked.

  Sally’s hands flew to her hips and her mouth slacked open. “I most certainly do not! I told you to keep you hands to home the last time you were here!”

  Chairs flew across the room, and two very tall and bulky men with blond hair stood with fists at the ready. It was none other than Curt and Curtis Hill, Rosa Lee’s boys. Clay tried to get up, but kept sliding to the floor as patrons pummeled him with ice cream. Curt finally lifted him off the ground by the scuff of his neck, Clay’s toes barely scraping the floor.

  Mrs. Barry screamed at the top of her lungs. “Somebody stop this! He’s going to be the next sheriff in Iosco County.”

  “No, dead men can’t be sheriff,” Curt threatened.

  Clay’s face was near purple when I finally said, “Let the man go before you kill him in a room full of witnesses.”

  Boom… Clay fell to the floor and gasped for air. Mrs. Barry flew to her son and unbuttoned his shirt. “You people are animals.”

  “Nope,” Curtis spat on Clay. “My brother here is kinda sweet on Sally here and you ought to treat a lady with respect around this town, unless you want to be spitting teeth out.”

  “I’m calling the cops,” Mrs. Barry said with gnashed teeth.

  “Go ahead,” I said. “Anyone see anything? Not me. How about you Eleanor?”

  “Not a thing. I was staring at the menu board. I think I’ll get something different today.”

  Mrs. Barry punched in the numbers on her phone, but Clay knocked the phone from her mother’s hand. “Are you crazy, Mom? You heard them! You want those fellas to kill me?”

  “They don’t have a right to treat you that way. You’re gonna be the new sheriff in town.”

  “Not in this town I’m not. I’m withdrawing from the race. This town is full of crazies!”

  “I’d be careful what you said in an ice cream parlor filled with crazies, as you say,” I winked. “It wouldn’t hurt to apologize to Sally here.”

  “Don’t bother,” Sally said. “I just want this trash out of here.” She motioned to the Hill boys. “Take out the trash!”

  Mrs. Barry helped her son up and out of Fuzzy’s before the Hill brothers had a chance to move. “It’s like I always say, you always want the Hill boys on your side.”

  “Thanks, Curt,” Sally said, her face redder than I had ever seen it. Maybe Sally was a little sweet on Curt too.

  Sally scooped up a banana split for El and a pineapple sundae for me as usual, and we ate our treats seated next to the Hill boys. We ate in silence, both of us on the same team. Who knew I’d be so comfortable sitting next to Curtis and Curt? They both had trouble with the law in the past and had put folks in town on edge. All I knew was my feeling for them had takes a serious change. I adored Rosa Lee to death and she had herself a couple of good boys despite what some might think.

  El and I said our goodbyes and as we neared the door, I saw a black Hummer roll past. I gasped. “Eleanor, there is a Hummer in town.”

  “Sure is. They almost drove me off the road,” I heard a male voice say. When we turned, it was none other than Mr. Wilson and a blond petite girl of twenty. “When did you get here, Wilson?” I asked.

  “About five minutes ago. You and El were so into your desserts that Millicent and I didn’t want to disrupt you.” Mr. Wilson was dressed in grey work clothes like he had worn when he was working, all those years ago. “Hello, Peaches,” he greeted Eleanor and made the introductions.

  El gave him a quick hug. “We have to be going now, but I’ll give you a call tomorrow. Aggie and I are on a case. We have us a Hummer to track down.”

  “I see. Well, be careful girls. I’d hate to get my shotgun outta storage.”

  We nodded and then we were out the door. When I hopped into the station wagon I gave El a beaming smile. “It’s looks like we’re both complete again. Your man is in town and my man is back in town.”

  “Complete? Are you kidding me? Since when did either of us need a man to feel that way?”

  “We don’t. I was just happy is all. I sure hope we find that Hummer. It’s the last key to this mystery.”

  “We won’t unless we leave the parking lot,” she hinted, to which I tore out of the drive, swerving onto US 23. “And you talk about my driving,” she giggled. “Where should we go now? I mean how on earth are we ever gonna figure out where the Hummer is?”

  “We’ll tool around town and then if we don’t turn up anything we’re gonna head over to the scene of the first crime.”

  “To where Raul fell to his death?”

  “Yes, the Hummer has been spotted there before and maybe it might return.”

  “For what reason?”

  “I just have a feeling is all. Work with me Eleanor.”

  She nodded. “Okeydokey boss.”

  We passed the motorcycle Grandmas and I rolled down my window. “Hey! Has anyone seen a Hummer roll past?” I yelled over the roar of the Harleys.

  “I seen one pull into the Walmart’s parking lot,” the one with a pink leather jacket said.

  I thanked the ladies and we headed that way. It was easy enough to spot the monstrosity of a vehicle parked in the middle of the lot. When I drove past it, nobody was inside, but on the second roll past I noticed something unusual. It had a bright yellow bumper sticker that read, Alien Investigation Team.

  “That can’t be a coincidence,” El said. “You don’t think that crazy alien guy Rob is involved in this case, do you?”

  “Well, first he said a Hummer was seen at the house where his apartment is and then said—”

  “It flew away,” El laughed.

  “Maybe it’s really a spacecraft and Rob is an alien. It would make sense why he can spot an alien a mile away.”

  “Or that he was hoping to really throw us off the trail. Maybe he thought if he gave us some crazy story we’d think he was nuts and move on.”

  “He is nuts, and it sure worked because no way would I think this has a thing to do with our case.”

  I backed into a space not too far from the Hummer and shut off the engine and lights. El and I waited until daylight faded away into darkness. “Figures. It’s dark now. My eyesight is no damn good at night.”

  “Mine either, but there’s something else we could do.”

  “Which is?”

  “Wait back at the apartment building to see if they show up.”

  “Yes, but what if we’re wrong and this Hummer never shows up there? We’d lose our only chance at finding out who might really be involved.”

  “But there’s the sticker and—”

  “It’s not enough. I want to see that snake Rob crawl into that Hummer with my own two eyes. I’m convinced that he’s at the bottom of this.”

  El slinked down in her seat. “Well, you won’t have to wait much longer because there he is.”

  Sure enough, Rob Glasier and an unidentified man were carrying bags, and climbed into the Hummer. We followed it to the same house Rob’s apartment was at… the scene of the first crime. I found a place to park a block away and El and I called Sheriff Peterson. The call went straight to voicemail and I left a message at the tone. “Looks like we’re all alone on this one,” I said.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “W
e’re gonna sneak in the front door and check out this lead.”

  “Maybe we should wait for Peterson,” El suggested.

  “I left him a message and at this point we don’t know anything for sure. If only Peterson had shared more information with us earlier.”

  We snuck up to the house and I searched for a spare key. El opened the mailboxes that were simply five metal boxes, and found a spare key in the one labeled with Raul Perez’s name. I had to contain my excitement as I used the key to enter the front door. We each slid in through the door and froze for a few minutes as we stood in complete darkness. It wasn’t safe to turn on the lights so I used my cell phone light. We crept up the steps, freezing when one creaked out. When nobody came into the hallway, we followed the sound of voices coming from Rob’s apartment.

  The voices were easily heard through the door. “I told you not to worry. I tied up our last loose end. The police think Harry killed Raul and Maria and then himself.”

  “What about those old ladies? What if they keep meddling?”

  “Don’t worry about them. There’s no way anyone would think I’m involved.”

  “But Rob, I’m just not so sure.”

  “Stop being such a sissy. All we have to do is wait a few months and then hire a lawyer. Folks in town will have all but forgotten about Raul, Maria, and Harry.”

  “How do you plan to convince them you’re Maria’s son?”

  “Oh that’s simple. I have documentation from the orphanage Maria dumped me in. I’ll be established as the only heir and will inherit the beach house.”

  My mind swirled. Rob was Maria’s son? He was responsible for the deaths of three people. I jerked upright and tripped down a few steps. The door swung open and we were yanked into the room. “Help!” El screamed at the top of her lungs.

  A gun was shoved in El’s face. “Shut your trap,” Rob said, with glazed over eyes.

  I panted loudly. All I could think about was how El and I were in danger and might perish. “You’re Maria Sanchez’s son, aren’t you?”

  “You’re quite the little eavesdropper, but I guess it doesn’t matter now, so yes. She placed me up for adoption when I was a baby and it took me over thirty years to find her, but when I did, I found out she was listed as a beneficiary on a piece of property on Lake Huron.”

  “She told you that? Why?”

  “Raul had just died the day before, and she was distraught. She blabbered on about many things, about her affairs with both Raul and Harry. That she drugged Raul the day he died and then pushed him to his death. She figured with Raul out of the way, her and Harry could live happily ever after in the beach house. His wife would even have to pay alimony. They’d be set for life. Harry had stolen the money from his wife to buy the beach house and she was none the wiser.”

  “So you lied when you said you saw a tall thin man push Raul to his death?”

  “And you sucked it up like I knew you would. Like I’d believe you two old bats were in the Air Force.”

  El swallowed hard. “I guess you have us pegged.”

  My eyes widened at his harsh tone and I refocused on Raul’s involvement with the purchase of the beach house. “I figured as much. I knew Raul just didn’t have the necessary funds to buy that house .” , but his wife said that he had gambling debts.”

  “Not anymore. His wife paid those off a few months ago.” “I know the money to buy the beach house was given to Maria, so why did she give it to Raul? ”

  “Because she figured Raul was more viable. Harry was married and had refused to divorce his wife. ”

  “So what changed?”

  “Harry changed his mind and she decided her only way out of the mess was if she killed Raul.”

  “What an evil bitch!” El spat.

  I shook my head. “Why kill Maria then? She’d most likely allow you to stay there rent free.”

  “Harry didn’t see it that way. He thought I was a nut job. He didn’t understand the importance of my alien investigations , and that piece of property is important to my research. You have no idea how important it is that we find a viable alien specimen.”

  “A spacecraft crashed north of East Tawas a few months ago,” the mystery man said.

  “You mean the asteroid?” El asked.

  “That’s what they want you to think,” Rob spat. “I went down to that site and I saw a tall alien run into the woods with my own two eyes.”

  I tried hard not to roll my eyes. “Who’s your accomplice here?”

  “I’m Rob’s friend Ashton. We’ve been investigating aliens for years now.”

  “So you found out Maria was living here and came to town to meet her, Rob?”

  “Yes. I had no idea what a great opportunity it was for me until later when she spilled her guts. It was then that I formulated a plan to kill her and make Harry look like the killer. I had to really, because you old bats wouldn’t stop poking around and asking questions.”

  “So you drugged her and left her for dead at the beach?”

  “It was the perfect plan. Harry had been sharing his prescriptions for Oxycodone with her for weeks. I didn’t leave her for dead; she died from the overdose I gave her. Harry freaked out after that and I convinced him to meet me at the Northland Cabins—”

  “Did he suspect you of murdering Maria?”

  “Of course not! It’s not like he was there.”

  “So why did he agree to meet you? ”

  “I told him I’d give him the beach house after it was probated,” he laughed. “I still can ’t believe he thought it would be that easy. That I’d actually do that, give him something that is rightfully mine. ”

  “And you overdosed him as well and wrote a suicide note.”

  “Yes.”

  Eleanor gasped. “How did you get him to take the pills, is what I want to know!”

  “Simple, I dissolved them in his whiskey. He said it tasted strange at first, but he was so distraught that it wasn’t hard to convince him to drink.”

  I shook my head. “There is just no way the sheriff was buying these deaths as accidental. You should have thought about the toxicology reports. Oxycodone was found in both Raul and Maria’s systems. I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before Harry’s toxicology report comes out and it will all look too much like a coincidence.”

  “You’re wrong here. It’s completely believable that Harry killed both Raul and Maria in a fit of jealous rage.”

  “Maybe,” I said. “That is until you showed up trying to claim the property as your own. Probate is a lengthy process and they’d put up the property for sale.”

  Rob clenched his hands into fists. “Not always. Sometimes they put the house into the name of the heir.”

  “Did you consult a lawyer here? Because I think you’re wrong. Once the house went into probate the cops would be all over it. Don’t think they wouldn’t be watching and waiting.”

  “It wouldn’t matter because they would have to prove it, something they just can’t do.”

  “You’re a fool. Alien investigation my patootie. You’re more nuts than I thought if you think you can get away with this.”

  I walked for the door with a wide-eyed El looking on. Rob put his gun against the back of my head. “Freeze lady!”

  “Now, no need to act crazy here,” El said.

  I tugged my right earlobe and El reached into her bag, coming back with a Taser. She shot Rob with it, but he only went to his knees… his eyes wide and bulging… the gun shaking, but still clutched in his hand. I squeezed my eyes shut as the gun he held was cocked back. The door swung open next and we raced for the door as the military woman next door, Trish Gunner stood at the door with one of her grenades in her hand.

  “Back up before I pull the pin.” She pulled the pin and with wide eyes tossed it under a table.

  El and I ran screeching down the hallway, our clumsy feet slipping and sliding down the steps as Trish followed us. “Hurry up girls, before he realizes it’s a dummy grenad
e.”

  When I whipped open the door, Sheriff Peterson was racing toward the door with Trooper Sales in his wake. I rattled off what had happened and they whizzed past us, barking off orders to stay outside. I rested against the railing and tried to regain my composure. Bubble lights from ten cop cars lit up the night sky and passerbys gawked in disbelief.

  “Thanks Trish,” I finally said. “I thought we were goners.”

  “I heard a woman scream and when it wasn’t Bessie across the hall, I bided my time until I decided I had better intercede before he offed one of you ladies. That guy is nuts!”

  “Yes, can you believe he actually thinks aliens crash landed nearby?”

  “He watches too much television,” Trish said. “I always knew he was off, but I had no idea he’d resort to killing his own mother and her lover.”

  “You sure can hear pretty good through that door,” El said with a snicker.

  “Well, these walls are mighty thin,” she agreed.

  A half an hour later, Rob and his friend Ashton were hauled out the front door and into Sheriff Peterson’s cruiser. Sheriff Peterson nodded at us. “You both okay?”

  “I tried to call you,” I said.

  “I know. Next time wait for the Calvary,” he said with a wink before making his way to his cruiser.

  Andrew arrived in full protective mode and gave me a hug. Words at this point weren’t necessary. All I knew was that El and I had dodged a bullet once again.

  Epilogue

  We were once again on the deck of Hidden Cove restaurant. It was nearly dusk, and a waitress had just set down drinks for Trooper Sales and Sheriff Peterson who had just joined the party dressed in plain clothes. . Also in attendance were Mr. Wilson and Eleanor. Andrew sat next to me, closer than he had since he came back to town, but then again we weren’t teenagers. Martha stood near the railing with her flavor of the month, Curtis Hill. I was surprised at her choice this time around, but she really enjoyed going four-wheeling with Curtis. Rosa Lee Hill smiled at me from across the deck and raised her drink at me as she stood next to her son Curt, and Sally Alton who he had recently started dating.