The Devil in Maryvale

by Jackie Griffey

  "He's waiting for you," she said softly, making a sour face.

  "Thanks." He nodded and Janice left the outer office on some other errand. From her look, Darrel had been less than thrilled at being called upon by the Pine County Sheriff. He braced himself for the unpleasantness he knew was in store and opened the door feeling any number of things besides grateful.

  Darrel was sitting in a chair beside the desk and didn't bother to look around when he went in. Cas walked around Darrell and sat down at the desk, giving him a look more pleasant than he felt.

  "Darrell, I'm Sheriff Larkin. I've been talking to everyone who knew Denise Davis hoping to shed some light on what happened to her."

  Darrell listened, looking noncommittal. He didn't speak, and Cas continued. "There are the usual routine questions I have to ask but if you know of anything else that might help, please tell me."

  Darrell nodded, a little suspicion showing in the eyes of his assumed blank mask.

  "First of all, where were you the night this happened?"

  "I was at home. I had some required reading to do so I did that and went to bed. I didn't go out that night." He looked at the calendar on the desk as he spoke, not at Cas.

  "He's lying. I'd bet my shirt on it." Cas didn't let his expression change.

  Darrell didn't volunteer anything further. He sat waiting with an air of complete disinterest for Cas to finish asking his questions.

  "Were your mother and father at home too?"

  "They were at home when I came in. I had a sandwich and started reading. They went to the club for a while, stopped by my room to tell me. I heard them when they came in. My mother opened the door and told me not to stay up too late, and I said goodnight to them."

  "What time was that? When they came in?"

  "I don't remember." Darrell looked out the window.

  "I'm sure you can make a guess. Would you say eleven or twelve o'clock? Somewhere around there?"

  "Earlier, around nine-thirty or ten. I went on with my reading and went to bed when I got sleepy."

  "But you didn't look at the clock?"

  "No." Darrell said it firmly, then turned to look at him.

  Cas knew Darrell thought he was safe, his parents would back him up in whatever he said. Cas returned the steady look with one just as steady. Darrell obviously felt he was on safe ground.

  "Had you or anyone you know of had any hard feelings toward Denise for any reason?"

  "No," was Darrell's surprised answer. The surprise looked genuine.

  "Then Denise was well liked, got along well with all her schoolmates and friends?"

  "Yes, as far as I know, she did."

  "Were you and she close friends?"

  "No." Darrell's eyes were on the calendar again. After he answered, he looked up, meeting Cas's eyes. "Her mother works for my dad. She's the secretary there."

  Cas recognized what Darrell was up to. He mused to himself, "He throws in a little honesty once in a while to try and stay convincing, to look truthful."

  "What is this I hear about some kind of club you have organized?"

  "Club?" Darrell stalled for time.

  "Yes. Club. I've heard quite a bit about it and it sounds like you're the one in charge of the meetings. The organizer."

  "It's only a group of friends getting together. Someone has to take charge once in a while. It's only a social thing."

  "I don't call beating someone up social." Cas nailed him with his eyes and the blunt statement.

  "I don't know what you're talking about." Darrell was insulted, color rising in his cheeks to the edge of his fair hair.

  "You don't? That's certainly strange. The only reason the two boys who did it aren't in the county jail right now is the boy they beat up didn't press charges against them. And you say you don't know anything about it?"

  "I didn't beat anybody up or hit anybody and you're not going to intimidate me into saying so!" Darrell's furious face full of hate made him look ready to put out a contract on Sheriff Cas Larkin.

  "Simmer down and answer the questions. I know what I can and can't do. I also know a lot more about what you've been up to than you think I do. If there is anything else you can tell me about why Denise was killed, the time to say so is now. You've already lied to me at least once that I know of before we started talking about this club. You knew Denise better than you've admitted. You were seen with her at least twice at school activities. Is there something else you haven't told me? About her or about this club?"

  "No. I don't know anything about it." Darrell was so miserable, Cas almost pitied him. Almost, but not quite. He hardened his heart by picturing Casey Taylor's bruised face.

  "All right. I'll put down here what you told me. That you were at home doing some required reading the night Denise was killed." Cas made the entry and closed the manila folder.

  "One last thing, Darrell. About this club and the things you've been up to. We know about the meeting you had when the tombstones were turned over and the mess that was left up on Peaceful Ridge. You were also seen having another meeting up there recently, though you did a better job of cleaning up after yourselves." Darrell didn't answer.

  Cas leaned forward. "This sort of thing will not be tolerated. Do you understand me? The time to stop is right now, before you get into deeper trouble."

  Darrell bent his dejected gaze on the door knob. "I ah, there aren't so many people interested in coming to the meetings any more." He frowned. "I don't know why." That was brief, his defiance returned, "We haven't done anything wrong."

  Cas pointedly neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement, letting the silence hang between them a few seconds.

  "I'm in the phone book, Darrell. The office and home number, too. Call me if you think of anything you've forgotten to mention. I'll probably be talking to you again before very long as I continue my investigation. When I need to ask you anything further, I'll let you know."

  * * *

  Connie stopped for a typewriter ribbon and a few other things before going to Anderson's flower shop. She wanted to show Miss Mayme the new purse she had bought and tell her the sale where she got it was still going on if she wanted to look around for herself.

  At the shop, Miss Mayme was properly impressed with the new purse.

  "I like all these compartments, Connie. There's one on the front to use for glasses." She frowned, "I hate digging around trying to find things."

  "I remembered your telling me that. Me too. But having seen it had enough compartments, I bought it mostly for the colors." As she held the purse up she was distracted by a small plant in her line of vision.

  "Say, that's a pretty little thing."

  "It's some ivy I rooted before we fully decided to open our store. I'm using them for a sale item."

  Miss Mayme put on her sly merchant's face, but couldn't help a little grin. "Could I interest you in one?"

  "Yes, you could. I want two of them," Connie decided. "They're just right for my kitchen window. I'll pick them up later when we get back from the store."

  At that point, Miss Minnie came out of the office, straightening her skirt. "I'm ready, what are you two so excited about?"

  "I've made two sales while you were piddling around back there," Miss Mayme bragged.

  "That's a step in the right direction." Miss Minnie declined to bicker. She put the sign on the door and shooed them out.

  * * *

  Making his way back to his office, his session with Darrell occupied almost all of Cas's mind except motor functions. He realized with a start the familiar looking car that had caught his attention was Connie's.

  "She must be visiting the Andersons. I'll stop by and take my wife to lunch. I need something to put a better taste in my mouth after talking to Darrell."

  Before he killed the ignition he saw the sign on the flower shop door. He smiled at it, recognizing it as the one Connie told him about. Remembering they were probably at Lorenzo's he pulled around into the alley in back of the st
ore. He went in the back door, a mischievous grin on his face.

  Entering quietly, he saw Connie at the meat counter. Miss Minnie and Miss Mayme were not far away. There was no one else in the store.

  Raising his voice Cas said loudly, "So this is where all my hard earned money goes! Sales and such!" He winked at Lorenzo, who was packaging a cut of meat.

  "Cas!" Connie was delighted. "I didn't see you come in."

  "I parked in back." He smiled and waved to Miss Minnie and Miss Mayme. "Would you like to go to lunch, if you're through shopping?"

  "Yes, but," Connie looked down at her basket.

  "We can take your things over to the shop and put them into our refrigerator until you get back," Miss Mayme volunteered.

  "That would solve my problem if you don't mind. Are you sure there's room enough?"

  "No problem about room. Of course," Miss Mayme teased Cas, "Your roast may smell like gardenias."

  "My garden nutty wife would probably like that," Cas rolled his eyes.

  "I would! I definitely would, it sounds so chic and exotic. I'm going to be disappointed now if it doesn't." Connie laughed.

  She wrote out a check for her meat and followed Cas out the back door to his car. He stopped with his hand on the car door.

  "Just a minute." Cas walked to the back corner of the store building.

  Settled in the car, Connie looked back to see what Cas was doing. He was setting up a trash can that had been turned over. "Probably dogs," she thought.

  She used the mirror on back of the sun shade to apply a new coat of lipstick then turned to see what was keeping Cas.

  "He's the one in a hurry and now that he's set the trash can up, he's across the alley looking at the ground for some reason!"

  As Connie watched he checked to make sure his car wasn't blocking the alley then came to talk to her at the window.

  "Going to arrest some dogs?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned.

  "Never can tell," he didn't elaborate. "I'm going to use the phone and talk to Lorenzo a minute. It won't take long."

  Connie nodded, watching him go. "Never a dull moment with Sheriff Cas Larkin. Now what was so interesting about that trash can? I guess he'll tell me when he gets through with his call." She wondered absently what he wanted to talk to Cortez Lorenzo about.

  Reentering the store Cas signaled Lorenzo. He wanted to talk to him as soon as he finished with his customer and turned to use the phone.

  Lorenzo sliced the ham he was working on faster, his eye on Cas who was talking to someone on the phone.

  Gladys answered Cas's call.

  "Is Rhodes by any chance there?"

  "Just came in. I'll get him."

  "I knew it was a bad idea to stop by here before lunch." Rhodes grumbled good naturedly when he picked up the phone.

  "Yeah," Cas sympathized. "Your luck runs about like mine. But mine may have improved a little."

  "You mean you've found something that will help on the Davis case?" Rhodes's heart beat faster.

  "No, but maybe on the missing cattle. Remember the cast of the footprint we found at Caleb Martin's, the one in the edge of the stock pond? I've found one like it in back of Lorenzo's store. There's another one on the other side of the alley. I want you to get over here and make casts of both of them. Note where they were and see if there are any more in the alley. Look especially behind the jewelry store and the bank, but cover the whole alley."

  "Okay, I'm on my way, are you going to be there?"

  "No. I'll be back in about an hour. I'm going to tell Lorenzo you're coming. When you get here ask him if he's had anything missing out back, or had anyone trying to break in. Look at the locks on the back too. And be sure to note where each footprint is found. See you in a little while."

  Cas told Lorenzo briefly about finding the footprints in the alley and his suspicions someone may have been trying to break into his store.

  "Rhodes will be over here in a few minutes to make some casts of the footprints."

  He left Lorenzo looking puzzled and concerned and returned to the car.

  "What was that all about?" Connie wanted to know.

  Cas explained as he started the car. "I found a footprint like the one we found at Caleb's. Rhodes is going to make a cast and check the store's locks."

  Connie's eyes widened. "You think someone's been trying to break into Lorenzo's store?"

  "I don't know. May have been nosing around to see what wasn't nailed down and easy to get. Then the jewelry store and the bank have back entrances on the alley too. Thought we'd better check it out. Rhodes is on his way over now. Let's go have our lunch."

  Chapter 14

  Cas beat Rhodes back to the office and was waiting as he stopped to check with Gladys.

  "Only one call that asked to be returned. Judge Spruce called. He said to call him at his office when you came back."

  "He did, huh?" Cas studied Gladys's face. "I gather from your tone, that was more of an order than a request?"

  Gladys gave him an eloquent shrug and a sulky look, not making any further comment.

  Cas took the note with the judge's number, gestured to Rhodes to wait and shut the door to his office.

  "He's not too tickled about my talk with Darrell, as if that's a surprise. Wonder what Darrell told him? Whatever he said, I'm sure it had a definite slant to it." Cas put his guesses aside and dialed the number before him.

  A young voice answered, it wasn't Muriel Davis. He recalled seeing a teenage clerk doing some filing in the office the last time he had stopped by there.

  "The judge is on another line. Would you like to leave your number so he can call you back?"

  "No, I'll hold a few minutes. This is Sheriff Larkin returning his call."

  It wasn't long before Judge Spruce picked up the phone. "I had a message to call you." Cas said and waited.

  "Yes." The judge started slowly, as if he hadn't really wanted to talk to Cas. He cleared his throat.

  "My son, Darrell, told me you came by the school today and asked him some questions about the girl who was killed."

  "Denise Davis, yes. Muriel Davis's daughter." Cas didn't let him get away with putting any distance between the murder and his knowledge of it.

  "I am well aware she's Muriel's daughter," the judge lashed out angrily. "I just don't see any reason for you to question Darrell about it."

  "I've questioned everyone who knew her, some of them more than once. It's normal routine in a case of this kind, judge. Is there any reason you would object to my questioning Darrell? I may want to talk to him again in the course of my investigation."

  "No, no reason. It's only that he doesn't know anything about it. I don't see any point in it. Questioning her close friends would seem to me to be more helpful," The judge tried a logical approach.

  "I've done that. And some of them I've talked to several times. When I asked Darrell where he was at the time Denise was killed, he said he was at home that night studying. Is that right?"

  "Yes, that's right."

  "You and Mrs. Spruce went to the Country Club?"

  "Yes, we went out there for a while. Darrell was still reading when we got back."

  "And about what time was that? That you got back?"

  "I don't know, about nine or ten o'clock would be my guess."

  "About ten, maybe?"

  "It was probably a little before ten, closer to nine-thirty. I don't remember exactly."

  "He said he didn't remember what time you got back either. Judge, I told Darrell, and I would like to ask you too, if you think of anything or hear of anything you think might be of help in this, to let me know. Call me at home if you need to call after office hours or on the weekend. I would appreciate any help you can give me."

  There was a small silence as the judge hesitated. "I will. I certainly will."

  "Ashamed of his temper," Cas thought.

  "I don't know of a thing right now that would help you but if there is anything I will call you, yes."
<
br />   "Thank you. I expected Muriel to answer when I called, is she ill?"

  "No, she's finalizing funeral arrangements. I offered to go with her, but her sister is going. This was a terrible thing."

  The judge sounded so truly sympathetic and sorry for Muriel, Cas forgave him for being over protective of his son.

  "Yes, it is," Cas answered. "Believe me, I'm doing everything I can to get to the bottom of it and find out what happened. There doesn't seem to have been any friction anywhere. Denise was well liked by everyone I have talked with."

  "Yes, I'm sure she was. She was a lovely, sweet girl. Thank you for returning my call so promptly. If you need to ask Darrell anything else, to question him about anything as you said you might, let me know about it if you don't mind. He was upset about it and I would like to know."

  "All right. I will. I can't see any harm in that."

  As Cas hung up the phone Rhodes knocked and opened the office door a crack to look in.

  "Come on in, Rhodes, and leave the door open. I brought you a barbecue." He gestured toward a sack on the desk.

  Rhodes set a canned drink on the desk and reached for the sack as he sat down. "This is worth the wait for lunch. The Roadhouse makes the best barbecue in the county."

  He took a bite and washed it down with the drink. "I got the casts of the footprints you found. They're out by Gladys's desk."

  "Did you find any more?"

  "No. The one you found by the trash can and the one on the other side of the alley is all we got. There were some partials on the other side too, but not enough or clear enough to make casts of."

  "You looked all the way down the alley, didn't you? The whole block?"

  "We did. Even moved some of the trash cans, since you found the first ones setting up Lorenzo's can. There weren't any more anywhere."

  "So," Cas mused, "The only place they were interested in was Lorenzo's."

  "Looks like." Rhodes finished his lunch. "Soon as I get the sauce washed off my hands I'll bring those casts in for you to see if you want them in here?"

  "Yeah, I do."

  Rhodes came back and Cas helped him bring in the two casts. They put them beside the tire prints and the footprint taken from Caleb Martin's stock pond.