Who Killed the Neanderthal

by Cheryl Zelenka

  “I don’t know but it wouldn’t hurt to ask him.” Jerry took a sip of his orange juice and added, “Laurie did say something at one of our dinners that made me take notice. Let’s see. Umm, ‘He’s incredibly talented and he knows it. He reminds his wife how lucky she is every time he calls her to say he’ll be late coming home.’ I guess he rarely left the kitchen and made his phone calls while stirring sauces.”

  Everyone was finished with breakfast so the dishes were cleared and loaded in Jerry’s dishwasher.

  “Mr. Sunshine, I just have two more questions.” Jerry nodded. “Did you have any beef with Larry Phibbs or any reason to kill him?”

  Oi, girlfriend. You said you’d be gentle with Pops. Sadie glared at Dora.

  “Dora, you know me. I like everybody and everybody likes me. Nope, I didn’t have a grudge against Larry. We weren’t good friends, but this is a small town and I ran into him several times at the Dutch Brothers Coffee Shop on Sixth Street. Once we both ordered a ‘Double Torture’ and struck up a conversation. I knew he was the Mayor’s brother so I asked him a few questions about his childhood. He was surprisingly open.”

  Dora and Sadie didn’t realize they were holding their breath. Both were curious to hear any details Jerry could share and waited for him to continue.

  “Well, you know he’s the younger brother. His parents loved both boys but I think Larry was quite the athlete in High School and that appealed to his father. Robert was more the brainy nerd who presided over the chess club. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out those two personalities clash, especially when you’re teenage boys.”

  “Ok. So we know the Phibbs brothers were born with two very different personalities and talents.” Sadie spoke her thoughts aloud while Dora jotted down notes. “I assume Larry was more popular than Robert. That could be a reason for some friction in their relationship. They probably didn’t hang out together, even though they attended the same High School. Although Robert was the eldest, their dad may have favored Larry.”

  “Mr. Sunshine, my other question has to do with the knife you found last night. I read the forensic report this morning. The knife was covered in Type A blood, which matches Larry’s blood type. We are pretty certain it’s the murder weapon. However, we still don’t know why it was found inside the snow cone trailer when the actual murder occurred in Larry’s home. The forensic scientist also identified a few golden dog hairs on the blade handle. They think they belong to a rare breed call Otterhounds. They’re a very large dog. Do the Moores own a large dog by any chance?”

  Jerry laughed. “Ha! Yes they do. Well, at least Ginger thinks she’s big. The reality is she’s a Boston Terrier, not a Mastiff. Black and white in color and only about 15 pounds.”

  “Pop, I think this dog evidence will help to solve the case. I’m glad the Moores don’t own an Otterhound, but we need to find out who does. Rogue River is a small city so it should be easy to find out.”

  “Does anyone else find it strange that a dog was brought to a murder scene?” Dora raised her eyebrows. “I called the Mayor last night before hitting the sheets. He told me Larry was allergic to dog and cat hair and did not own a dog. His allergies are a big reason he wants to ban dogs from the Grower’s Market.”

  “That idea isn’t sitting well with a lot of folks in our community, Dora. We have a lot of dog lovers here and they like to socialize their fur-kids at the outdoor market. Larry holds a position, so we’ll have to investigate any conflicts he’s had with other Board members of the Grower’s Market.” Dora agreed then looked at her watch. Glancing at Sadie, she tilted her head towards the front door suggesting it was time to leave.

  While walking to the front door, Dora placed her hand on Jerry’s back and said, “Mr. Sunshine, as of now you are officially off the murder suspect list.”

  “Detective, that gives me such relief.” By his smirk, Sadie knew her worry about stressing out her dad had been pointless. Why do I worry so much? I need to trust God more. He has everything under control, she reminded herself.

  Before leaving for the park to give Lilly the Lemon-Thyme cakes, Sadie asked her dad if he could cover the Fort Follyfield booth from 4 to 10 p.m. “You know all the herbs and I’ll ask Lilly to give you a quick rundown on things before she leaves.”

  “Of course. But, there better not be a dead body hiding in your booth. I’m going to make Lilly check under the table before she goes home.”

  Sadie and Dora chuckled as they left the cozy house to stop by Riverside Park. Dora would put in a call to Teddy Golden while Sadie ran the cakes up to Lilly. She would also check in with Timothy and Mary to see how the Koi pond was progressing. As soon as they finished installing the lining and got showered, she’d have them drive to the police station for a pizza lunch. She didn’t know anyone who could resist a Hog Wild from Wild River Pizza, and she wanted to treat them for helping on the case and her Koi pond.

  When Dora pulled into the main parking lot of Riverside Park, Sadie grabbed a large picnic basket from the back seat. Waving, she headed up the grassy slope to the food court and Dora whipped out her phone to make the awkward call to the Golden residence.

  When Sadie returned to the car, minus the picnic basket, Dora was finishing up her call to Timothy and Mary.

  Hanging up, she then turned and asked, “Did you tell Lilly about Larry Phibbs, or did she already know he was dead? I informed the local news about his passing and told them Mayor Phibbs would be the honorary Grand Marshall of the Memorial Day parade, in lieu of his brother. I didn’t share a lot of details. I just said he didn’t die of natural causes and that an investigation into his death was under way.”

  Sadie told Dora that Lilly had heard about Larry on the morning news and that the park was buzzing with gossip. “Some vendors are afraid, Dora. Lilly spoke to a few folks who might pack it in and go home before the parade. Several even mentioned the possibility of a serial killer on the loose. They don’t want to be the next murder victim. Nothing like seeing the cup as half empty, right?” Dora smirked and shook her head as Sadie finished her report. “I wonder if this news will diminish our usual tourist numbers or increase them, due to some morbid curiosity.”

  Dora heaved a giant sigh. She was paid to protect the citizens of Rogue Valley and she was worried that a killer on the loose would lead to another death, just as the gossips were predicting. “I suspect the crowds will grow Sadie, even if a few of the vendors go home early. News like this attracts weirdos, so we may see a rise in crime as well as local business sales, until we’ve caught the killer.”

  Sadie nodded then said, “I didn’t tell Lilly that Teddy was a murder suspect. She would have freaked out and we need her to hold down the fort while we work this case. Fort Follyfield still needs an art program and our booth is making good money.” Pausing to take a breath she then asked, “Where next?”

  “To the hospital. I want to interview Scott and Laurie Moore before we head back to the station. I’ll order a pizza from Wild River and Timothy and Mary will join us before Teddy Golden comes for his 1 o’clock interview.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN: Not So Nice After All

  When Dora and Sadie knocked on Laurie Moore’s hospital door, her husband greeted them with a questioning look. Sadie introduced herself as Jerry Sunshine’s daughter and quickly found herself wrapped in a warm embrace.

  Looking over at his wife, who just finished nursing their newborn son, he commented, “We just love your dad. He’s hilarious and always has us in stiches about something. We so enjoy our weekly dinner with him.”

  Sadie introduced the couple to Dora while a nurse swaddled baby Noah and returned him to the NICU. He was a preemie but in stable condition.

  “Mr. Moore, I don’t know if you’ve heard this awful news yet, but Larry Phibbs is dead. He was murdered.” Scott looked over and gave his wife a look. Sadie witnessed their moment of silent communication but couldn’t read their expressions. It wasn’t sadness. She guessed it was a combination of relief with
an ounce of guilt, or anxiety.

  “Detective Flores and I came here to ask you a few questions. To start, Larry’s body was found in the giant cooler Burt Welton lent you. It was just outside the snow cone trailer.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s blue.”

  “Correct. Did you ever fill it with ice?”

  “No ma’am, I didn’t have time. Burt said he lent his cooler to Larry last week and had to go over to his house to retrieve it. They were Caveman brothers. Any way, he probably didn’t have time to fill it with ice either. Burt told me he’d deliver the icebox to the park. It was already there when I drove up to my spot. I figured he dropped it off Wednesday night.”

  “Mr. Sunshine told us your wife once worked at Bite Me!”

  “That’s right, Detective. Laurie was Chef La Compost’s sous chef.” Dora walked over to Laurie so she could ask her some questions directly.

  “Mrs. Moore, Jerry told us you quit working when you were about four months pregnant with, um, the child you lost.”

  The room got very quiet. Tears filled Laurie’s eyes. Scott walked over to the hospital bed and held her hand. Without speaking a word, she nodded.

  “I don’t mean to be insensitive, Mrs. Moore. I congratulate you on your newborn son, and I appreciate any mixed feelings you might be experiencing right now. But last week your husband was escorted out of Bite Me!, after making accusations in the restaurant lobby. He was yelling and accusing Larry Phibbs of being a baby killer.”

  Laurie appeared to be momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. Sadie wondered if she knew about the incident. If she didn’t, she did a good job of hiding it. Scott had a blank look on his face but continued to hold his wife’s hand.

  “Yes officer. He told me what happened a few days after the incident.”

  Dora then asked Scott, “Why did you call Larry a baby killer?”

  Again, Scott looked at Laurie. This time it was with questioning eyes. She nodded. It appeared Scott needed Laurie’s permission to share something personal.

  “A little over a year ago, Laurie was pregnant with our first child. Unfortunately, she miscarried in her fourth month. Her pediatrician thinks the miscarriage was due to the horrible stress she was under at work.”

  “And Larry was the cause of her stress?”

  “Absolutely. She’d come home every evening in tears. She wanted to learn from Chef La Compost, but Larry made her life miserable.”

  Laurie squeezed her husband’s hand and went on with the story. “When Larry first hired me, he was very friendly, even flirtatious. He knew I was married, so I thought he was just kidding around. I didn’t take his suggestive comments and embarrassing flatteries as serious. Then one day, while Chef La Compost took a highly unusual leave from the kitchen, Larry came in to check on the dinner menu. I was washing a knife when he made his move and tried to kiss me.” Looking up to her husband she muttered, “Of course I was repelled. I love Scott. I never did anything to encourage the advance.”

  Laurie took a big breath and said “I panicked. I threatened him with the butcher knife I still had in my hand. He laughed, and tried to kiss me again. So, I cut him.”

  “Cut him. Where?”

  “On his forearm. He let out a yelp before running out of the kitchen. I didn’t tell Scott about the incident because I knew he’d make me quit. I figured Larry wouldn’t bother me anymore so I kept quiet. I still wanted to work with Chef La Compost, even though he’s got an ego the size of Texas.”

  “But Larry didn’t stop.” Scott growled. “He was angry Laurie wouldn’t accept his sexual advances, so he started belittling her in front of the kitchen staff. Every night she’d come home in tears, but she never told me the real reason for her anxiety. She’d say Chef La Compost questioned her ability and technique because an entrée was returned. Another time, she said a customer criticized her Crème Brule and Larry threatened to find a new sous chef. I had no idea she was undergoing sexual harassment from a frustrated restauranteur.”

  Sadie asked the next question. “So, when did you quit, Laurie?”

  “The day Larry tried to assault me in the parking lot. It was after-hours and I didn’t see him in the passenger seat. I forgot to lock my car door. That time, I was able to use the pepper spray on my keychain. He told me I was fired but I yelled he could fire me because I quit the moment he got inside my car.”

  Sadie smiled at Laurie’s pluck but was saddened to hear her childhood friend was so disrespectful toward women. I guess he never stopped pretending he was a caveman chasing young girls.

  “When I got home that night, I sobbed in Scott’s arms. I told him everything. We both went to bed exhausted, but around 3 I got up to pee and noticed I was bleeding, a lot. I miscarried our baby that night. That’s why Scott called Larry a baby killer. We both believe he is. His pestering upset me to the point I couldn’t carry our child.”

  Scott made a nervous move to grab something around his neck. When he came up empty handed, he snapped a rubber band on his wrist. It was obvious he was upset.

  As a teacher, Sadie had many students with special needs. One of her kids had severe anxiety. Part of her IEP, or Individual Education Plan, was to practice rubber band snapping to relieve negative and worrisome thoughts. By snapping the rubber band, her student was able to interrupt unproductive thought patterns and find relief.

  “Does it help?” Sadie looked Scott in the eye then glanced at his wrist.

  “Yes, it actually does. I have schizophrenia. It’s managed by antipsychotics but when I am especially stressed, I use this rubber band technique to get my thoughts under control.”

  “When were you diagnosed?”

  “Shortly after Laurie and I were married, about six years ago.”

  “Mr. Moore, why did you disrupt the peace last week? Going into Bite Me! and calling Larry a baby killer gives you a murder motive. I have to place you on our suspect list.” Larry looked at Dora and hung his head.

  “I understand, detective. But I didn’t kill Larry. I hated what he did to my wife but I would never kill a person.”

  “Can you tell me where you were Wednesday afternoon?”

  “I was hunting. Laurie and I enjoy venison and I had a permit for a buck.”

  “Did anyone go with you? You need an alibi.”

  “No detective. I went alone.”

  “That’s unfortunate. But it is a good thing you’re friends with Mr. Sunshine. He’ll be a good character witness if you need one down the road. He speaks well of you. In the meantime, I suggest you find a lawyer.” Scott thanked Dora for her candor and advice.

  “Scott, do you usually wear a necklace around your neck? I saw you reach for something before you started to snap your rubber band.”

  “Yes, Ms. Sunshine. You caught me at one of my nervous habits. I usually wear a medical alert charm around my neck but I lost the charm. I’ve been too busy with Laurie to look for it.

  Sadie looked at Dora but remained silent. Dora put her notepad away. As she made her way to the door she said, “Please don’t leave town until we’ve cleared you from this investigation.”

  “I won’t, detective. I’ll be too busy caring for my wife and newborn son. I have nothing to hide.” He put one hand in his back pocket. Sadie noticed a pack of Lucky Strikes sticking out of the other. “I hope you catch Larry’s killer. The man was a jerk but he didn’t deserve to have his life cut short.” With that, Sadie and Dora took their leave.

  CHAPTER EIGHT: Awkward Interview

  On their way to the police station, Sadie and Dora rehashed the interview with Scott and Laurie Moore. Both Sadie and Dora were concerned with Scott’s schizophrenia but gave him points for being upfront about his condition.

  “The problem is we found a medical alert charm and Scott admitted he lost his. Right now it doesn’t look good for Mr. Moore, even if your dad likes him, Sadie.”

  “I know. I know.” Sadie adjusted the halter of her seatbelt to better accommodate her generous bosom. “Dang! Why
can’t car manufacturers make seatbelts with well-endowed ladies in mind? I just can’t be the only gal with big bazooms who finds the seatbelt harness in every car extremely uncomfortable and aggravating.”

  Dora silently snickered over her friends’ discomfort and waited for her to buckle up. While Sadie tugged and pulled at the seatbelt, Dora voiced another concern. “We don’t know how well his condition is managed. He could have suffered an episode or break on Wednesday. We need to check and see if he’s ever had a violent episode. It also concerns me that he was hunting alone. He doesn’t have anyone to vouch for his whereabouts. He could have been at Larry’s house for all we know.”

  By the time Sadie finally settled into her seat and surrendered to her transitory bondage, Dora pulled into the parking lot of the police station. Recognizing Timothy’s Ford Ranger parked near the entrance, she grumbled, “Oh brother, they beat us, Dora. I sure hope the pizza we ordered before getting in the car hasn’t beat us here as well.”

  The ladies found Timothy and Mary chatting with the two on duty Rogue Valley officers. However, the minute they saw Dora walk in, they snapped into action. One ran for his computer and the other grabbed his hat and walked out the door.

  “Detective Flores, I’m emailing you my report right now.” After pressing the send button, the officer ran his long fingers through his red hair

  “I hope there’s some sort of useful information in your report, Officer Stoltzfus.” Dora winked at her friends then ordered, “Get down to the Mayor’s office and make sure he comes for his 3 o’clock interview. Offer to drive him, if need be. He shares a car with his wife, Millie.” The young man was on his feet in an instant. The pizza delivery gal showed up just as he headed out the door.

  Sadie and her detective friends sat down to the hot pizza, savoring the delicious aroma of melted cheese and Canadian bacon. Sadie eyed Timothy and asked, “Do you remember our last eating challenge?”

  “I sure do, Ms. Sunshine. That was one really, really big steak.”