Eleanor and I followed Margarita, Tammy, and Dixie off the yacht and back onto the dock. “Well,” Margarita said. “I can’t imagine you learned anything to help with your case, have you, Eleanor?”
“Nope, but at least we know the whole story about how and where the Animal Network came from.”
“True, Eleanor, but now we don’t have any leads to follow.” Eleanor opened her mouth, but snapped it closed when I gave her one of my famous looks. “We’ll be in touch,” I told Margarita as Eleanor and I whirled away.
When we were out of hearing distance of the Margarita and her friends, Eleanor said, “I sure hope my sister and her friends don’t interfere in our investigation.”
“I’m not worried, but it’s better to not divulge too many details. We still have the wildlife people to question, if only we can figure out where they’d be. I had hoped they’d be at the state dock for some reason. Where else could they be?”
“Sheriff’s department? Whitetail Cafe?”
“So you actually think they’d be at the Whitetail Cafe?”
“It’s almost noon now. I’m hungry. That brie stuff was tasteless.”
I smiled. “Well, you certainly learned to mask your reactions, Eleanor. I guess by now, we’ve both learned a thing or two about investigating crimes.”
Chapter Sixteen
Eleanor and I strolled back to the parking lot, but we froze when we saw a sign that read ‘Bigfoot Xing’ on the wall of the bait shop near the dock. I made tracks over there.
Eleanor tried to catch up. “What on earth, Aggie?”
I pointed out the sign and she said, “Oh.”
We entered the small bait shop that had tanks of minnows alongside one wall that snapped and popped as bubbles burst to the surface of the tank. The weathered walls were covered with nostalgic metal signs, advertising all sorts of old fashioned products, from gasoline stations to Ivory soap.
I made my way to the cash register where a rope hung from the ceiling with yellow caps with the words, Hunting Bigfoot in black lettering. There were also diamond-shaped signs affixed to the walls behind the register with ‘Bigfoot Xing’ like I’d seen outside—presumably for sale.
A young man was working behind the counter, totally ignoring us as he was currently texting on his iPhone.
“Ahem,” I said to get his attention.
When he looked up, I smiled. “How’s the fishing today?”
“Not much off the dock today. There’s a pocket near Big Charity Island, but you have to have a boat to get there, unless you get a spot on a charter boat. They find even better spots to fish.”
“I sure miss the old days,” I said. “You could get plenty of perch right off the dock. Back in those days, the dock was packed with fishermen.”
The young man ran a hand through his closely-shorn blond hair. “That’s what my grandpa said, but there are still times when you can catch fish off the dock. You just have to figure out when they’re really biting, is all.”
Enough small talk, so I asked, “What’s up with all the Bigfoot signs?”
“It’s the big news lately. Folks claim to have seen something that most of them think is Bigfoot. Two channels in town are working on the story, too. One of them is shooting a reality show from what I hear.”
“Oh, I might have heard something about that. How about you? What do you make of the stories?”
He shrugged. “Anything is possible, I suppose. There are plenty of spots around here where Bigfoot or other large animals might be lurking.”
“Have you ever seen Bigfoot first-hand?”
“I’m not that crazy, and if I did see something I’d keep it to myself. I’m about ready to join the Marines and I don’t need them thinking I’m psychologically off.”
“Thanks for your dedication to our country in advance. We’re trying to investigate the incidences and I just wonder if it’s all just a tall tale.”
“Might be, but I heard that Billy Matlin went missing. Most folks think Bigfoot got him.”
“Really? But there isn’t any solid evidence that Bigfoot even exists from my recollection.”
“Nope, but something mighty strange has been seen crossing US 23. Also there are some houses secluded in the woods near the Matlin place where home owners have reported some strange incidences.”
“Like what?” Eleanor asked with widened eyes.
“Scratching on their doors and windows at night. One lady told me when she looked out her window she saw a hairy beast looking in at her!”
Eleanor pressed a fist to her breast. “How scary. Did she call the cops at least?”
“She called her husband, and he came right home. From what I heard, Sheriff Peterson went out there to check things out.”
I pulled out a notebook from my purse. “Can you give me the name of the lady who told you the story?”
He sighed. “I’m not sure if I should. I mean she was pretty shaken up about the incident. She might not like it if I mention her name.”
“I understand, but we’re investigators Agnes Barton and Eleanor Mason, and we’ve had a devil of a time trying to investigate this case. You see, Billy Matlin hired us to find Bigfoot, and when he went missing, we became even more driven to find out the truth.”
“Aren’t you two awfully up there in years to be tromping out in the woods?”
I smiled. “We’re paid up on our health insurance, and we’re extra careful. Besides, right now we’ve been just questioning people who claimed to have seen Bigfoot. Our hope is that somehow we’ll run across someone that might know what happened to Billy, or even find him.”
“Billy might have just gone deeper into the woods and got himself lost,” Eleanor added.
“I doubt that. He used to be special ops and has real survival skills,” the young man said.
I shook my head to clear my reeling mind. “I sure don’t see him like that. He sure has let himself go.”
“Some claim he was exposed to chemical weapons during the Gulf war. He hasn’t been right ever since. Even before he was hunting Bigfoot he was on the odd side. Some thought that’s why he was discharged from the Marines.”
“I see. Well, did you know him personally?”
“Nope. My mom told me to stay away from him. My family is very pro-military and I suspect they were worried that Billy might scare me away from joining up when I came of age.”
“So enlisting is always something you have wanted to do?”
“Yes, since I was about twelve. My dad and granddad were also Marines. It’s fitting that I join up, too.”
“If that’s what you want out of life. You can’t beat earning money for college and medical insurance. I hope you stay safe.”
I turned to leave and we almost made it to the door when the young man said, “Shelly Niles. That’s the woman who told me Bigfoot was looking in her window. She lives out on Lincoln Street.”
We thanked the young man for the information and ran straight into Tammy Rodrigue outside. I locked eyes with her and she asked, “Did you find out any information in there?”
“Nope, another dead end.”
“Why not join forces? We can cover more ground that way.”
“Sounds good. Why don’t you check out Billy Matlin’s place again and see if Billy showed back up at home?” I rattled off the address and she grinned as she jotted it down.
We waved at Margarita and Dixie who were also waiting outside. Eleanor and I drove off five minutes later, and as I made the turn onto US 23, Eleanor asked, “Why did you send them over to Billy’s place? I thought you didn’t want them on our investigation.”
“I don’t, but I know if I didn’t give them something to do that they’d just go in the bait shop and ask that young man about what he just told us.”
“Well, they don’t know the area as well, so it’s doubtful they’d be able to find the place.”
“True, but you can find out just about anything online these days, like where someone lives with just a
name. Scary, actually.”
Within ten minutes, we were on Lincoln Street near the airport. I drove past white pines that bordered the street on either side. This was a rural residential area where houses were few and far between.
“Stop, Aggie,” Eleanor said, pointing out a large mailbox with the name Niles in bold letters.
I made the turn, making my way up the long, narrow drive that widened a half mile up. There was a barnwood-sided two-story house with a covered, homemade carport of sorts to the left. Large tree trunks held up the makeshift roof with shingles thrown on the top. I highly doubted it would keep moisture off any vehicle parked there, or be able to hold much snow without the possibility of collapsing.
El and I clamored out and walked cautiously to the door, rapping gently on it. It made me more than a little nervous. You just never know if your sudden appearance at a stranger’s door might have them pulling out the shotgun. I didn’t believe this was normal for most folks around here, but I, for one, would be too nervous to live this far out in the sticks.
The sound of barking dogs and excitement of children could be heard when the door was opened a crack. One brown eye locked with mine, and as it softened, the door was opened to reveal a mousy woman of about thirty, dressed in a floral dress in subdued colors of cream and light pink.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a soft-spoken voice.
A dark-haired child poked his head out the door. “Who is it, Mama?”
She pushed him back inside and the barking continued. She pushed a black dog back, and squeezed out the door, slamming it shut. “Sorry about that. We’re just not used to visitors out here.”
I smiled. “I bet. I hate to bother you, but we’re investigators and we’ve been looking for a client, Billy Matlin, who disappeared recently.”
“I think my husband told me about that. He might know him more than me. He’s not home right now.”
“Actually, we had hoped to hear more about your encounter with—”
There just wasn’t an easy way to ask this, but luckily Eleanor piped up. “Is it true you faced down a beast out here on your property?”
She fumbled with the fabric of her dress. “Oh, well, my husband would rather forget about the whole thing, so it might be better if I don’t talk about it.”
“Is that what he told you to do?”
“Y-Yes, I think he’s afraid someone might get a mind to have me committed to an institution.”
“Easy for someone else to say you’re crazy. Personally, I think unless you see something first hand, it just defies belief.”
“Exactly. I’m alone out here a lot. My husband works in West Branch and commutes there daily.”
“Oh, you poor dear,” Eleanor said. “And here you’re home with your children until the late hours of the night, I suppose.”
“Yes, that’s why I bought a dog. He makes me feel safe. Ever since I saw that thing staring at me through the window, I’ve been so afraid to be alone with the children out here.”
“I don’t blame you. So that’s when you bought the dog?”
“Yes. My husband would rather I not call Sheriff Peterson back out here. I believe the man thinks I’ve lost my mind.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“Not in so many words, but I could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t want to believe my story. He kept insisting it was just a hunter walking across our property.”
“Is that what really happened?”
“Not at all,” she insisted. “I heard this awful noise like something was trying to get in the house. I dialed 911 right away. I felt drawn to the window in the kitchen, and that’s when I saw it.”
“What did it look like?”
She pressed a trembling hand against her chest. “It was a furry beast that stood at least six foot. He was sort of hunched over, but he stared right at me! I about had a heart attack on the spot.”
“So what did you do?” I asked, taking in her account.
“I ran up the stairs and checked on the children, but luckily they were still asleep. I didn’t come back down until I heard the rap at my door and saw the flashers from the sheriff’s cruiser. Ten minutes later, my husband came home. Scott was quite upset about me calling the cops, but he just doesn’t understand. I don’t think he believed me at first either.”
“Did the sheriff search your property to at least see if something was lurking around?”
“Yes, he had the deputies take spotlights and do a search, but they didn’t find anything. It took me hours to get to sleep after they left and I was mad that Scott didn’t believe me, but that sure changed the next morning. He was out in the lean-to. He was going to get some Tim Horton’s donuts to make up for how he treated me the night before.” She paused before continuing, “He came running back in the house in a panic not long after he went out the door. I was in the kitchen when he came back in. He was quite frantic and told me that he saw a hairy beast run across the yard. I begged him to call the sheriff back out here, but he refused. He insisted that we take care of this ourselves.”
“Oh, and how did he plan to do that?”
“Bought a dog, for one thing, a German Shepard mix. He’s quite the watchdog, one of the reasons I kept him inside. He doesn’t take to strangers.”
“Is he okay to be with your children alone?”
“Oh, yes. Quite the baby around the family, but if he doesn’t know you, you had better watch out.”
“What else did your husband do?”
“He and his buddies went out into the woods and did a search. They never turned up anything except for an empty cabin in the woods with the strangest thing.”
My ears were peeled to what she said next. She claimed the cabin had a room that had chains connected to the walls, like something had been chained up—something with brown hair they found stuck in the links of the chain.
“Can you give us the directions to where that cabin is?” I asked intent on checking this out myself.
“Sorry, but my Scott and his buddies burned the cabin to the ground.”
“They’re darn lucky they didn’t start a wildfire.”
“That’s what I told them, but we haven’t seen that beast since.”
I tried to absorb her account. “Do you think it was Bigfoot?”
“Not sure, but I could show you something.” She walked to the back door and showed me three long scratch marks in the door. “This is all the evidence I have.”
“No footprints?”
“No, it was pretty dry when this happened.”
“Is there anyone else who can substantiate—?”
“Aggie means did any of your neighbors have similar sightings?”
“I can’t say, since my nearest neighbor is a mile away.”
We thanked Shelly and left, turning around ‘cause there was just no way I was ever gonna be able to back down that length of a driveway.
Chapter Seventeen
“Can we please have lunch now?” Eleanor whined.
I nodded and made my way into East Tawas. Instead of going to the Whitetail Cafe, I headed to the campground where Martha had been staying. I secretly hoped that Martha would be there so that I could get news about my great-grandbaby.
I pulled alongside the camper, and luckily Martha’s station wagon was also here. I knocked on the thin metal door, which made a horrible racket. Martha opened the door and ushered us inside. “Andrea is back at home, finally,” she informed us. She looked a complete wreck, with dark circles under her eyes.
“I’m so glad to hear that. I really want to run right over there, but I imagine Sophia and Bill are exhausted after this ordeal.”
“I didn’t mean to keep you away from the hospital, but I was just trying to do what was best for Sophia.”
“Oh, so the elderly aren’t barred from visiting patients after all?”
“Sorry. I think Sophia and Bill were taking on more than they could handle as it was.”
“I get it. You wa
nted to play doting mother.”
“Yes, is that so bad?”
“No. I’m glad that you and Sophia are much closer. I must admit that when you rolled into town originally I might have judged you unfairly.”
“You think?” Eleanor said as she raided the refrigerator. “Is this turkey and cheese I see in here?”
I smoothed my shirt into place, unsure what to say.
“Let’s just keep that in the past. I haven’t always been a model mother or daughter, but I like to think that I’ve changed my wicked ways, sort of,” she winked. “I decided that Joshua Crabtree isn’t too young for me. It might be fun to date again, or at least until he goes off to college and I’m a distant memory.”
“Oh, so by date you mean more than one night?”
“Yes, Mother. If the two of you can have fiancés, there might be hope for me, too.”
Eleanor piled the items she found in the refrigerator on the counter. “I hope you have bread, and not the wheat kind.”
Martha gave Eleanor the bread and we made sandwiches. As I held my sandwich, I asked, “Did you give up on the vegan thing?”
“I was never a vegetarian exactly, but I do try to watch what I eat, not like it’s a crime. Besides, Joshua is more of a meat and potatoes man.” Martha drank a healthy portion of milk and dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “So how is the Bigfoot thing going?”
“Great, but the Animal Channel is suing the Animal Network and halted production of the reality series for now, but Andrew’s on the case.”
Her brow shot up, “Oh, he’s back in town?”
“Yes.”
“And where has Mr. Wilson been hiding, Eleanor?”
“He’s been helping his granddaughter make salsa.”
“I’m not sure if I’ve met her. We’ll have to plan a barbeque soon.”
Eleanor nodded. “Sounds like a plan, but we have so much to do yet. We still need to question Sheriff Peterson about the blood found at the Matlin place.”
“And we also need to question the wildlife people,” I added. “We haven’t really caught a break just yet. I had hoped to find more clues before now. I think that reality show might be our best opportunity to do some real investigating, but with it shut down, I just don’t know what else we can do.”
Madison Johns - Agnes Barton 06 - Bigfoot in Tawas Page 13