Halloween Hayride Murder

by Linnea West

  My mind was racing a million miles a minute. What should I do about the watch? I could call Max and tell him about it, except he explicitly told me not to come investigate. But I didn't want to leave it out here because there had to be another explanation.

  "Mandy, go to my car and grab some tissues," I said, making my mind up. I wasn't one to mess up a crime scene, but I just couldn't imagine that Ronald had done this.

  Mandy came back with a whole hand full of tissues. I carefully used one to pick up the watch and wrapped it up in a wad. If I needed to, I could turn this in later. But for now, I wanted to hold onto it until I got more information.

  Chapter 10

  I successfully hid the watch in the glove compartment of my car. I didn't want to risk touching it or having someone find it, so that seemed the best place to put it. Mandy and I swore each other to secrecy. We've kept many secrets together, but a potential clue in a murder investigation was a new one for us.

  The next morning, I got a text message from Max as I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. I washed the last couple of plates and dried my hands on the dish towel we always hung below the sink.

  Hey, want to meet up for lunch?

  The pit of my stomach started to feel all gurgly. Did he know about the watch? But there was no way he could know about what Mandy and I had done. Obviously the timing of his message was just a strange coincidence. I decided lunch would be okay. I headed into the dining room as I answered.

  Sure, we can meet at the Taco Queen. See you at noon.

  As I put my phone back in my apron, Susy rounded the corner. I startled a little bit and realized this was the first time I'd seen her since she had checked in. Even her car had been gone most of the time.

  "Hello Ms. Martin," I said as I finished wiping the table. "How are you today?"

  "I am doing much better than I was before," she replied. Considering my first interaction with her, she did seem a lot better. There was even a hint of a smile on her face. "I had some sad, but also wonderful news."

  "Oh?" I said innocently. I had an idea of where this was going. "And what was that?"

  Susy narrowed her eyes at me. I knew I was being a bit bold, but I didn't really care. Who has sad and wonderful news all at the same time? Besides, I had a hunch she might have known Earl.

  "A distant relative died," she said. "But his death means I have inherited some land."

  Ah-ha, so I was right, I thought.

  "Were you related to Earl Stone by chance?" I asked before I could stop myself. The words just came tumbling out of my mouth. For a moment, Susy just stared at me.

  "Yes, in fact I am," she said with a sneer. "Or should I say I was. I actually came to talk to him about the land and the business. I didn't like what he was doing with either of them and I wanted to try and buy them from him. That little fink just wanted to rub them in my face, so he refused to sell. And then all of a sudden he was dead. Talk about fortuitous timing for me."

  "So it seems like his death benefited you," I said. Once again, I regretted it as soon as the words left my mouth. Why was I such an idiot sometimes? But if I had gotten this far in life just letting my mouth spill out words before I thought about it, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to learn any time soon.

  Susy opened her mouth for a moment, looking like she was about to scream at me. Then suddenly her eyes got wide and she ran out of the room, covering her mouth with one hand. I wasn't really sure what happened, but if it stopped me from being yelled at, I guess that was good.

  Later that morning, I was just doing a final sweep of the main floor to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be before I left to meet Max for lunch. I heard a car start in the driveway, so I peeked out to see which guest was leaving.

  Susy Martin's SUV was just pulling down the driveway. And for someone who seemed so suburban, it was curiously dirty. It was almost as if it had been out in the country on some dirt roads.

  Could she have something to do with Earl's murder? She certainly had motive. But then where had the giant footprint come from? And would a city girl like her even know how to drive a tractor? I filed all of that information away to think about another day. If I didn't get a move on, I was going to be late for my lunch date.

  When I pulled up in front of the Taco Queen, I could see the squad car already parked out front. When I walked inside, Max was already at our usual table and my lunch was waiting for me. We had spent many, many of our high school lunchtimes at that very table and it was nice to be able to rely on the familiarity when I was with Max.

  The Taco Queen never changed. It was smack dab in downtown Shady Lake and was decorated in country western style. There was even a little saddle in the front of the restaurant for kids to sit on while they waited in line to order their food.

  Our table was in the corner where two windows met in the front. Back in high school, we liked to see and be seen during lunch. Mostly, I liked to see and Max liked to be seen. But he was a much more popular student than I was and more than a handful of times I wondered why he wanted to date a weirdo like me.

  As I walked up, Max wiped his face with a napkin and then jumped up to help pull out the chair for me. The formality was another odd holdover from high school, when he always used the same manners at the taco place that he would have used at a fancy steakhouse or prom.

  "Sorry I started without you," he said as I noticed that his plate was already half empty. "I only have a limited amount of time for lunch and I'd rather spend most of it talking to you."

  I dipped one of the deep fried tortilla chips into the homemade salsa. Delicious, but also dangerous. I probably consumed an entire day's worth of calories just in tortilla chips every time I came here. I made a mental note to not have a donut today.

  "That's alright," I said. "I was running a little late today. I had an odd encounter with Susy Martin as I was about to get ready to leave. She's a guest at the B&B."

  I took a bite of my chicken taco. While I chewed, I tried to decide if I should talk to Max about the case or not. I was leaning towards talking to him about it. But I took another giant bite of my taco to chew on just in case he was going to spill the beans.

  But Max was too busy shoveling refried beans and rice into his mouth to say much of anything. Once my mouth was clear of delicious taco, I dropped the information I had gleaned.

  "So this Susy told me today that she is actually Earl's cousin," I said nonchalantly as I watched for his reaction. "And now that he is dead, she gets the business and the land."

  Max stopped chewing for a moment. I got the distinct feeling that this was all news to him. But he recovered quickly and finished chewing the gigantic bite of enchilada in his mouth before he responded.

  "Oh, that is strange," he said. "But I didn't come here to talk about Earl's murder. Which you shouldn't be concerning yourself with anyways."

  He gave me a pointed look, but I took a bite of taco and stared out the window while I chewed it, pretending I didn't notice. There weren't that many people out and about today. It was a chilly day, so most people that were out were hurrying to their destination, not lollygagging around. Every once in a while, a large gust of wind would swoop down the street, bringing leaves with it and pushing pedestrians along. Main Street had fun orange and black wreaths with flags advertising the Halloween Hayride on the lampposts that were being blown all over the place today, but managed to keep themselves secured to the post.

  We both ate in silence for a few moments. Whereas with Clark I always had to find a way to fill the gaps of silence, Max and I had known each other for so long that silence wasn't awkward. While being with Clark was exciting and new, being with Max was predictable and comfortable.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket and I took it out to see I had a text from Mandy.

  Get here now! Ralph just sat down with a donut and a cup of coffee.

  Suddenly, I realized Max had started talking to me as I had been checking my phone. I needed to get to the Donut Hut fas
t, but he looked like he was saying something important.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said. I was reading a text message from Mandy."

  "I said we need to figure out our Halloween costume soon so we can start getting them put together," Max said. "We don't really have that much time."

  Shoot, I had kind of forgotten about my costume debacle. I couldn't possibly figure it out now. I needed to get to the Donut Hut and figure out a way to get some information out of Ralph.

  "You're right," I said. "You know what? I will think about it tonight and get some ideas and maybe we could go out again this week and go over my list. Does that sound good? You need to get back to work anyways, right?"

  Max's brow furrowed. He could always tell when I wasn't telling the whole truth. It was the other downside to dating Max again. It wasn't that I wanted to lie to anyone, but like I told Clark, I just managed to get myself into these odd situations.

  "Okay," he said slowly. He stood up and opened his arms for a hug.

  I let my mind slow down enough to step into his big, muscular arms. As he gave me a gentle squeeze, I let myself forget for just one minute that I needed to not only pick a costume and costume partner, but also to catch a murderer while I made sure the Halloween Hayride went off without another hitch. It's amazing how much busier I became when I moved back home.

  Chapter 11

  As soon as I waved Max's police cruiser out of sight, I booked it down Main Street, turning at the corner where it intersected with Bridge Street. Once the Donut Hut was in view, I slowed to a walk. I'm sure I was already getting some stares, but I just pretended that I was running because I was really cold. The last thing I needed was for a suspected murderer to see me out of breath from running to talk to him.

  I nonchalantly strolled in, letting the bell announce my presence. I casually looked around the cafe as I walked to the counter. Ralph was sitting in the back corner by the bathroom, looking like he was trying to hide. Mandy was waiting for me when I got to the counter.

  "Quick, get me a cup of coffee and a donut," I said in a low voice. I had the bare bones of a plan, but mostly I was just going to wing it.

  Mandy shoved a coffee cup and a plate with a maple long john donut across the counter at me. My skinny jeans were going to hate me after this. I threw a few dollars on the counter and made my way towards Ralph.

  "Hey there," I said casually as I sat at the tiny table next to his. "I heard about your friend. I'm really sorry for your loss."

  Ralph turned and scowled at me. He looked like he thought about saying something, but then shook his head and took another drink of coffee instead. His large hands wrapped all the way around the coffee cup, making it look like he was drinking out of a miniature cup.

  "What a bummer it must have been to lose your friend like that," I said, inwardly cringing at my choice of words. "What was he doing out there anyways?"

  "It was his land," Ralph said flatly. "He had a right to be there."

  "Sure sure," I said nodding. "But he made it very clear that he didn't like the Halloween Hayride, so it wasn't like he was there to help."

  Ralph gave a stiff nod. I shoved a large bite of donut in my mouth so I would stop talking for a little bit. I've learned from crime shows that sometimes if you stop talking, the other person will fill the silence. Either way, it was an excuse to eat the donut I had just paid for.

  "I remember you from the Hayride meeting before Earl died," he finally said. "What is your name again?"

  "I'm Tessa," I said, extending my hand. Ralph scowled at it before grasping it with his giant hand and giving it a brisk shake. His hand was so large that it wrapped all the way around my hand and I had what I considered to be large hands for a woman. "I am the marketing chair on the Halloween Hayride committee. I'm just hoping to get all of this stuff wrapped up so that the Hayride can go off without a hitch."

  "I hope it all gets wrapped up too," Ralph snorted. "I've been told I can't leave town until the police tell me I can."

  "Oh that's terrible," I said as I innocently stirred my coffee. "Here you've lost your friend and now you are stuck in this little town. They should really be more understanding."

  Ralph sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. He seemed to be sizing me up, so I did my best to puff myself up, but also look like a concerned citizen which, I guess I actually was in this situation. He leaned towards me and motioned for me to move closer. I scooted myself as close as I could comfortably be to him.

  "It is a terrible situation, but I'll let you in on a little secret," he said. "I was actually with Earl that night out at the field."

  Even though I kind of knew that, my eyes grew wide and my mouth popped open, but I managed to not say something stupid for once. I simply nodded my head, willing him to keep talking.

  "Earl wanted to go out and pull a few pranks," Ralph said quietly. "You know, sugar in the gas tank of the tractor, nailing some shed doors shut, that kind of thing. I didn't really think it was a good idea, but I went along with him. I mean, that is what I was paid to do after all."

  I nodded, wondering if this conversation was going to lead to a confession. Was I sitting next to a murderer? I sneaked a look at his feet. He was wearing large, outdoorsy boots that would probably match the footprints I found at the scene. I gulped and looked back at his face.

  "While we were out there, I finally got fed up with him," Ralph said. He took a sip of coffee and sat back, thinking for a moment. I shoved another bite of maple donut in my mouth to make sure something stupid didn't fall out of my mouth again. "I asked him why exactly the Hayride was such a big deal. Obviously it was a fight he wasn't going to win. So at that point, I said he was just being bitter."

  "And what did he think about that?" I asked before taking another bite of donut. I couldn't blow this entire thing just because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. But my full stomach was also telling me to maybe slow down a little bit on the eating for a while.

  "He did not like it," Ralph said. "Earl fired me on the spot. I shoved him a little and then ran to the car and took off. I figured I'd get the last laugh because he'd probably end up calling me for a ride. But drove back home and ended up falling asleep on the couch. I woke up the next morning to the news he was dead. So I'm not really sure what happened. But I do know I wasn't a part of it."

  "Wow, that is quite the story," I said. "That must be really heartbreaking to have your friend murdered right after being with him."

  "It is sad, but please stop calling him my friend," Ralph said. "We weren't friends. He employed me as an assistant and bodyguard. I didn't even really like the man. But his stature and ability to make enemies as soon as he met them meant he paid me well."

  "Oh, I just assumed that you were friends because you spent all of your time with him," I said. From what I heard, they were literally always together. Why else besides being friends would they spend all of that time together?

  "Yeah, well I had my reasons," Ralph said. He tipped his coffee mug up until he drained it. "But believe me when I say that I didn't like the man at all."

  "Well I'm still sorry for your loss," I said.

  "Thanks," Ralph said. He pushed back his chair and stood up. "I should be going now."

  He walked out of the Donut Hut, his shoulders slumped forward. Even hunched over, he still towered over everyone and had to duck as he walked out the front door. I sat back and popped the last bite of donut in my mouth. This conversation had been enlightening, but I was still at an impasse. Ralph wouldn't want to kill Earl because Earl signed his paycheck. Even if he didn't like the guy, would he kill him and lose his job?

  I drank the dregs of my coffee and stood up, brushing donut crumbs off of me. My Mexican lunch, donut, and coffee all caught up with me and I was feeling so full that I felt sick. I glanced at the clock over the cash register and realized my parents probably wanted me back almost an hour ago.

  I walked towards the door of the Donut Hut, casting a look at Mandy
that told her I would text her later. I flipped my phone open to see that my mother had tried to call me three times. I listened to the voicemail that she left. It wasn't anything urgent,but she made it seem urgent. Apparently the B&B was out of milk and that prompted the emergency call. I made a note to swing by the gas station to grab a gallon of milk. My mom preferred me to stop there because milk was ten cents cheaper and she always loved finding a bargain.

  I walked back to the station wagon while I thought back about the conversation I had just had with Ralph. I had this gut feeling that he wasn't the right suspect. But the police thought he was and he definitely had a motive. Plus in this case, the boot print fit.

  Chapter 12

  After returning home triumphantly bearing many gallons of milk for the guests of the bed and breakfast and my family, I was assigned desk duty for a couple of hours. Now, at the motel that my parents also own, desk duty is busy. I have to answer the phone, make reservations, help guests who come by. The motel has fifty rooms and often, many are filled as Shady Lake sits just off of the intersection of two major freeways. The motel gets many travelers and truck drivers who just see the sign from the freeway and decide to take a chance to find a room.

  But at the B&B, desk duty is usually quite boring. First of all, there aren't that many guests because we only have five guest rooms. And most of the guests have plans during the day, whether they are out and about in town or relaxing around the B&B. So desk duty ends up being a lot of sitting around and answering the phone every once in a while.

  That was just what I needed though because I wanted to make a list of suspects. So far I had a few people who were definitely suspects and a few who might be. I got out a piece of paper and started my list with the two biggest suspects, at least when it came to looking at the clues.