An ambulance pulled in and a rather senior, stately looking hatless man with the typical doctor's bag walked to the front door of the shop looking neither left nor right. Inside was Ray sitting on a stool holding the hand of Agnes Keystone. Ray had found the son's phone number. He called by all he received was a 'leave me message' recording. It was the same with the daughter. Ray perked up when he heard the bells ringing and gave the familiar doctor a slight grin in greeting. Ray said, meeting the eyes of an old friend, "Doc, Cliff is out back but he's beyond help. Agnes here needs your attention. She has been starring at nothing since we arrived."
Doctor Winfried sat his bag on the counter, whipped out his pen light and went from eye to eye, apparently to see if anyone was home. Ray always thought it strange, but then he realized if a patient followed the light, that person was brain active. However, Ray did not know what happens if a patient does not follow the light. Be that as it may, he turned and went out the front door. There was nothing further he could do. Stacy would take the lead and sadly, he would return to his shop minus a good friend.
By now Stacy was pacing having to wait for the CSI team and the coroner to arrive. What she really wanted was a cup of tea. Meanwhile, she called her office trying to forget the tea and the waiting. Sharon answered sounding pleasant. "What's happening around the office besides a groaning pregnant woman looking for a comfortable place or position?"
"Nothing much Stacy. Are you enjoying the relaxing time off?"
"We were but now a homicide reared up and Rory and I are back on the job. Right now we're waiting for the pathologist to arrive. Let me talk to Dan please…" Stacy waited a full thirty seconds staring off at the darkening clouds sailing overhead to the northeast. Rain was coming and coming soon, she thought, as Dan said a pleasant hello. In her –on the case voice she said, "We have a homicide down her Dan. You need to stay there, but would you give Ben a call to see if he's busy?"
Dan came to attention and said, "I just hung up from him Stacy. He's bored and was looking for something to do. Do you want me to have him join you in Bandon?"
"Yes I do. Tell him to pack a bag and I'll book him in a motel here. Okay, I see a state police van coming and that should be the CSI team. I'll be back at you later."
4
Stacy stood observing the state police CSI team arrive and scramble to work. Strangely she didn’t recognize any of the team. Apparently they had changed-out the whole group of investigators. These guys looked young and fresh with eager eyes. She smiled thinking that each member would do his/her best hoping to make his or her mark.
Stacy and Rory were standing together when an older member of the team looked at them. Stacy figured correctly that he was the team leader. He walked over with hardly a glance at Stacy, but eye to eye with Rory. Typical male, she thought. Neither Rory nor Stacy had their ID tags on so in all fairness, Doug Warner presumed Rory was a detective or with the some agency. He stuck his hand out to Rory saying, “I’m Doug Warner and I’m the CSI team leader. My captain said to keep an eye out for a tall handsome man at the crime scene.” Rory took his hand and smiled knowing this guy was making a big time mistake ignoring Stacy. He’d only given her a cursory look.
“Pleased to meet you Doug Warner." Turning to look at Stacy, he continued, "Let me introduce you to US Marshall Stacy Foreham who heads up this homicide investigation.” His mouth dropped open and his eyes flashed down seeing a pair of iron grey boring into him. It dawned on Doug this was the supreme queen of crime solvers standing right before him. That night he literally kicked the dog at home.
Stacy let him eat a few bites of crow and then said, holding out her hand, “You’re new in the area Mr. Warner. I hope the south coast agrees with you. Here’s my card and if you need to contact me, feel free to call. Meanwhile, we’ve a dead body behind the gift shop that needs your attention,” she said with icy words sending a shiver through his body.
Doug realized he’d been bitten in the ass and would regret this event for many months to come once word leaked out. He looked at Rory who had an ear to ear smile on his face enjoying his faux pas. He nodded to both and hurried off. Rory told Ben later that he was sure he saw a tail between Doug Warner’s legs as he scurried to join his team in back at the factory.
“He reminds me of you Tall Man when we first met," she said looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "I’ll have to admit you’ve made great strides into the equality of sexes in this new century. I wonder now who the new coroner is for the area?”
“It’s a he is all I know. If I’m not mistaken here's the meat wagon now,” said Rory nodding north seeing flashing blue lights of an emergency vehicle coming. It pulled onto the gravel parking area slowly as if not to disturb the crime scene. From the passenger side rose out, almost a head taller than the vehicle, a young man with startling white skin and even whiter hair. At first glance one might think he was an albino, but then he was a young pathologist who spent most of his time in the bowels of a room without sunlight, who was also in the process of premature white hair. Stacy and Rory walked over and made their introductions.
Stacy noticed he looked very friendly and with his pure white smile and glistening blue eyes; she thought, it would be a pleasure to meet such a person. He nodded to the photographer to go see to business.
After handshakes around, Dr. Spencer said, “I meet two of the famous three in a most unexpected place and time.”
Stacy chuckled liking a sense of humor is a profession that left little room for any humor. “I had a few days off so I came home to visit my father. He’s the former Chief here in Bandon. He’s the one that got the call from the victim’s wife. We came along and speaking of we, Rory here is a family friend who likes to hang out with me.”
Dr. Ken Spencer smiled at the oblique angle of saying she and Rory were more than just good friends. He said, “Where is the third of your team?”
“He’s on his way now. Ben Razor works out of the Eugene office of the state police. He’s vital to our team,” said Rory.
“Okay, got to go Marshalls. Duty calls and I’ll let you know when the autopsy will take place. Probably tomorrow am if nothing surfaces unexpectedly.”
Rory and Stacy went around back to wait for entry to the factory. The CSI team was still doing their inside and outside work, but Dr. Spencer was inside examining the body. That gave Stacy some time to look around. She stopped just inside the door. First she looked at the work table to see the latest project he was working on. Indeed there were other long metal wood clamps on the large table. Two were attached and one lay on the table soon to be used. The other one, she guessed about four feet long, lay across his chest at an angle. There was blood and other parts of the scalp attached to the wood clamp.
Stacy looked at the floor which had been recently swept clean. She guessed he hadn’t really gone to work yet. Her father had visited and probably some other customers as well. One thing for sure was it had to be somebody he knew and probably knew well. Few customers are invited in to see his shop. Actually few customers are interested in seeing a wood working shop. Yes, it had to be somebody like her father, the Rawlings guy down the road, or his siblings, [God forbid] or it could have been a passer by looking for a handout.
Her eyes swung back to the body on the floor and watched Dr. Spencer do his work. It appeared the steel wood clamp hit him from slightly behind, but not directly from behind. If the attacker struck from slightly behind then it was logical that the victim would fall forward landing on his front side. But the victim was laying face up. That indicated he was turned over and the murder weapon placed on his chest. A good question would be why the perp turned him over and place the weapon upon his body.
“It’s you turn,” said Dr. Spencer waking Stacy from her intense thoughts. Stacy looked around seeing the CSI team had left and Dr. Spencer was walking out the door to give Stacy and Rory time to examine the body before they black bagged him for the morgue.
Rory was on his haunches staring at the
dead man. He too had thoughts the victim had been turned over and he wondered why. It seemed rather strange that the killer would turn him over, place the murder weapon on his chest and leave. That had the touch of remorse or a gentleness of a woman’s touch?
Stacy said, “Let’s let the CSI boys take the murder weapon and the pathologist the body out of here. I wonder how the wife is doing. Let’s go see if we can run down the siblings.”
5
Inside the gift shop, they found Ray and the doctor conversing. Stacy heard the doctor tell her father that Agnes was in dire straits. He added that she was in a comatose state that on some occasion's patients takes a long time to recover. Stacy decided she would stay away from the conversation so she went outside where the doctors’ driver and helper were loading Agnes into the ambulance. She was being carefully put into the back laying down on a gurney. Stacy heard her father walk up and he said, “They’re going to admit her for an overnight rest and run a few tests. Here are the phone numbers for the kids. I’m going to catch a ride back with James who will return and keep an eye on the scene until we can contact the kids. I found keys in her purse and lock up when you leave." He paused and then said, ''I need to get back and help Fran with food prep for the upcoming dinner hour.” Stacy saw the loss of a friend in her father's demeanor and the tight lines of trying to maintain his professional training. She wished this day had never happened.
“Do you know where the son or daughter lives,” asked Stacy.
“I don’t, but James probably does. After he drops me off I’ll ask him to go by their houses to see if anyone is home," his head snapped up and he added," No wait a minute, the daughter lives up in Coos Bay, but it seemed to me she hung out here a lot."
“Okay father. Can you recall anything in your early morning conversation that might shed some light on who or why Cliff was killed,” asked Stacy slowly walking with her father to James’s car.
“Not that I recall right now, but let me think about it and let’s talk later when you come home." He began walking away and then turned and said, "Cliff did mention that he and his son Brody were having a rough spell lately. Cliff complained the son was tired of making wood products for a living. He wanted to do something different in a new environment away from the dreary South Coast region. However, I’ve heard that before from him that both his kids are bored with Bandon.”
“How about Agnes father—have you seen or heard anything out of the ordinary with her and her life lately?”
“She seems the same as always Stacy. She and Fran are good buddies. Ask Fran later about Agnes.” It was beginning to rain in earnest as she watched her father walk away and enter the police cruiser.
Rory came up and said, “Let’s wait inside for James to return. Or let’s take a second look around the factory area? Like Ben always does: a second and third critical look might reveal a small clue.”
Stacy chuckled and said, “Yes, let’s get out of the rain. You take the factory and I’ll look the books over. I saw some thick ledgers under the counter. I’ll examine and probably take them with us. I’ll leave a note in the cash register. I also wonder who does their tax returns and book keeping.”
As they stood together under the overhang of the roof at the doorway, Rory asked, “What do you know about the kids or, I should say, the son and daughter?”
“From what I remember the son is around forty or thereabouts. His name is Brody and as he is much older than me, I don’t know much about him. The daughter is quite a thing around town I heard a few years ago while I was living here."
Rory, inching forward due to the rain coming down said, "She is married to an insurance guy who has offices in Coos Bay, Coquille and here in Bandon. They live in Coos Bay. She spends her time here running this office. Rumor has it she holds her nose high in the air flaunting her high social status. We’ll dig into her life very soon now.”
“I see James coming. Maybe he’s a clue to where this Brody dude is,” said Rory leaning against the front door trying to stay out of the increasing rain pouring down. Stacy was close and he caught a drift of her shampoo making his crotch do funny things. James pulled up and dashed to the overhanging roof by the front door.
“Breathlessly he said, "I went by Brody’s house and all was quiet. Nobody home and it appears nobody has been home for awhile. The driveway hasn’t seen a car for at least a few days. Leaves and pine needles are scattered about the garage area. I’ll call a buddy of his and see if we can locate him. Also, rumor has it he’s a new girlfriend in Coquille who works at the court house. Let me check on that while watching the place. If it’s okay with you Stacy, I’ll call the sheriff’s office to have a deputy watch the crime scene. I need to be at the station taking care of things while the chief is absent.”
“Good idea James. Yes, call the sheriff’s office right away. Let me know soonest about the friend of Brody and his girlfriend’s name. Meanwhile we’ll go by the insurance office and see if Pam Binder is in.”
Packing the factory records to the SUV, Stacy and Rory left James and went to town. She said, “When you were with father and Cliff early this morning, try and recall all of what was said. And what time did you leave the factory?
“We left around a little after nine. I did very little talking and was listening to the interesting talk about myrtlewood and the various characteristics of the many different grains and colors. Okay, let me think back to see if there was anything unusual about the conversation that might have a bearing on the case. I did notice Cliff talking about his nemesis down the road. He told us that Walt had been spreading the rumor that Cliff was stealing his inventory of wood. Cliff, I remember, just shook his head and told us that was the biggest yarn he’d heard in a long time. Cliff did mention that, with what I remember as a very serious look, Walt was in some financial difficulty. Rumor has it that his wife Bonnie likes to play cards at the casino.”
“We need to interview them soonest Tall Man. Now before we find Pam, let’s go talk to my father again about the early morning visit with Cliff.”
6
They found Stacy’s father in his wood shop tinkering with some different grains and colors of myrtlewood. He didn’t smile and barely nodded their presence. Stacy saw and felt her father’s losing a friend. He said, “I’m taking the night off from the restaurant. Flo will help out and a friend of hers will watch the entrance.”
“Father as you know we must proceed with the investigation. As you are or were close to Cliff, visiting him regularly, give us your thoughts on how Cliff was, say the last few weeks.”
“I realize you need to know a lot more about him than you do right now. I’d say I visited him probably three times a week at least. Sometimes we just talk about things in general. I really can’t recall him being much different than usual. If anything it was his wife Agnes who seemed kind of jittery lately. Both of us just shrugged it off as something she might have been going through at the time.”
“Can you be more specific at what day or time it was when you saw her act a little nervous,” asked Stacy.
“Let’s see now,” as Ray scratched his chin as if to send a message to his jaw to begin its work as regards talking, “I was on my way back from down Port Orford way. Some guy called to ask me if I wanted some myrtlewood he had. It sounded good so I went expecting to see some nice chunks of wood, but as it turned out, it was of no use except firewood. I wasn’t in the best of moods so I stopped by Cliff’s as he usually has a smile on and some good conversation over a cup of coffee. I parked out front and went through the shop to say hello to Agnes. She hardly smiled as she’d just put down the phone. I went on out back to see Cliff. I mentioned to Cliff that Agnes seemed a little upset about something and he mumbled something about the damn kids again.”
“Did you see either the son or daughter around that time or when was the last time you saw them at the factory,” asked Rory.
“Now that you mention it, not for a spell now. He’s usually around and the daughter is at
the office in downtown. She does come out for lunch once in awhile. Cliff says mother and daughter are always arguing about some damn thing. Cliff did say his son was getting itchy feet for something new in his life. When Cliff told me that I saw him look up and shake his head. I asked if I could help, but he shook his head and said, or I should say gestured with one hand two fingers rubbing together suggesting Cody was wanting money. I changed the subject as it appeared he was being dragged down a hole of depression.”
“What do you think Smiling Sam could contribute to this background on Cliff,” asked Stacy. She saw her father crack a small grin. He walked over to the work bench where the coffee pot was sitting. Out of a hot pot he filled up his mug and came back to the large work table and sat down. He said:
“Sam probably knows what’s happening at the factory on a daily basis. Lord knows where his information comes from, but I’d guess he has more than one or two that have ears to the ground in our fair town. I’m sure he’s on the porch waiting for you to arrive as the rain keeps him from dragging in those ugly rock fish. However, those bony fish are loved by our customers.”
“Thanks father and we’ll first go by Pam office and then up to see Smiling Sam.”
"Let's go Tall Man and Sam will be happy to see us that's for sure. However, I can't say that for Pam Binder after she hears her father is dead."
"By the way, what do you know about Cliff's daughter; if much of anything?"
"Just the usual talk around town that she plays the high socialite with her pudgy nose stuck in the air. Physically she takes after her mother: rather stocky and borders on the plain side. She works hard dressing and using makeup to add some looks, but fails in her attempt. She's, if I remember right, a U of O grad but in what field I've no idea. I don't know if they have kids or not. I know nothing about her husband Alan."
The insurance office was in Old Town conveniently located near the Y which separates Old Town from New town located on Highway 101. When approaching Bandon from the north, you drop down a small hill into downtown area. Half way into the town, past the old cheese factory on the left and the new fire station on the right, if you proceed straight you enter the heart of downtown which lies only a block from the Coquille River. The small downtown area ends after a mere three blocks or so and the river empties into the Pacific Ocean a quarter mile away.
Murder Mysteries Series six Page 13