Who Killed the Neanderthal

by Cheryl Zelenka

  “Thanks, Ms. Sunshine. I didn’t want to drive up there just to turn back around. I live in Medford now. Mom moved us after she split with dad. I want to get my own apartment up there, but I can’t afford it. At least, not until I find a roommate. Anyway, since I have a long commute and traffic is unpredictable, I give myself extra time to drive up to Rogue River. I’m always on time for work, if not a little early. Like on Wednesday, when I saw the Chef give his dog to um, his sister. I mean his sister-in-law.”

  Sadie felt a tingle in her spine. “You know Ms. Hunt?”

  “Kind of. I mean, I know who she is. She was at the Chef’s Xmas party this year and I’ve waited on her a few times. She’s a big tipper.” A surge of adrenaline shot through Sadie’s body.

  “And you saw the Chef give his dog to Mary?”

  “Yep. I had just pulled into the parking lot when he handed the leash to Ms. Hunt. I watched her lead Bubba to her car. He hopped in like a pro. I don’t think either one saw me pull into the parking lot. The chef was already in the kitchen when I got through the front door.”

  Sadie’s head was about to explode. She knew Mary was lying. Bobby had no reason to lie about seeing Mary with Bubba. “I’ll call you back later, Bobby. I’d stay home tonight. I’ll speak with Mrs. La Compost and suggest she sends out an email, or have someone call the restaurant employees.”

  After hanging up, Sadie walked to the lobby. She found Sarah playing Mahjong on her iPhone. She confirmed that they were moving her husband’s body that night, and gave Sadie the name of the funeral parlor. Sadie then suggested she let the employees of Bite Me! know whether to show up for work or not.

  “Oh geesh! I can’t believe I forgot about them. I’ll have to call everyone tonight when I get home. Francis has the employee phone numbers on his home computer. I’ll make a sign and post it on the restaurant door as soon as you’re finished interviewing my sister. I assume I can leave?” Sadie assured Sarah she had a solid alibi, but that officers needed to verify it before she could leave for the night. Giving the grieving widow a compassionate pat on the back, she returned to the interview room. As she walked down the well-lit hallway, she pondered Burt’s comment about Mary not having a dog with her when they met at Riverside Park.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Lies

  Dora was questioning Mary about her relationship with Burt when Sadie slipped back into the interview room. Timothy stood up and offered her his seat, then exited.

  “So, Ms. Hunt, you and Burt are now a couple?” Mary tried to cross her muscular legs under the table but gave up.

  “Yes Detective, but he doesn’t know it quite yet. I wanted some time to think it over. You know the Chinese proverb, right? ‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?’ I didn’t want to get back into a relationship with Burt if it meant I’d be his mommy. I want a partner in life.”

  “I see. I know what you mean. So then, are you aware of Mr. Welton’s financial woes?” Mary nodded her head.

  “Yes. He’s been very honest with me. I know the bank is about to foreclose on his house. And Francis bought his hydroplane a few weeks back, thanks to my sister’s help. Burt wants to move into my place and help with the dogs. I understand he needs a hobby, so I support his hydroplane aspirations. He’s done well with his races. Unfortunately, he’s had to pay for his mom’s medical bills. She was in a nursing home for over two years. She passed just five months ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, and medical bills are indeed outrageous these days.” Dora then asked about her rendezvous at the park.

  “Let’s see, ahh, you were alone when you met Mr. Welton on Wednesday.”

  “Yes. I was.”

  Sadie gave Dora a look that got her to sit back in her chair.

  “Did you have any dogs with you that day, Mary?” Mary turned her head and focused on Sadie.

  “No. I kept my dogs at home and in the kennel.”

  “And, what about your sister’s dog? She was up in Portland helping out the Dreaming Zebra charity. You told me the other day that Francis didn’t like Bubba. Did you babysit while she was gone?”

  “No. Sarah said Francis took Bubba to the restaurant. He promised to feed the sweetheart some yummy bones. Poor guy. I thought he deserved a special treat.”

  “He stayed at the restaurant? I don’t think the health department would like that very much.”

  “Yes, he did, but in the fenced field behind the restaurant. Sarah ordered a huge dog house and had it delivered out there, for times when Sarah dined at Bite Me! She never leaves Bubba home alone for very long.”

  Sadie paused, considering what to say next. “Did you stop by the restaurant to check on Bubba?”

  Mary shot her a questioning look.

  “No.”

  Sadie rubbed her elbow and continued. “I suspect you are wondering why we’re asking so many questions about dogs, particularly about Bubba.”

  Mary nodded.

  “Well, I have a witness who can place you at Bite Me!, around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. He said Francis handed Bubba to you and that you put the dog in your car. Does that shake your memory?”

  Sadie glanced at Dora. She looked like the cat who had just eaten a canary.

  The silence in the room grew. Mary shifted in her seat.

  “I’d like a lawyer. I’m not going to say anything else until I speak with my lawyer.”

  Dora stood up. “In that case, Ms. Hunt, I have to read you your Miranda rights. I have enough evidence to charge you with suspicion of murder, in the case of Larry Phibbs. We’ll have to call Burt Welton back down here. He stated you weren’t with a dog, Bubba specifically, during your rendezvous on Wednesday afternoon. Since Bubba’s hair was found on the murder weapon, at the crime scene, and on Larry’s dead body, I believe you are connected in some way.”

  “Our forensics team also deemed Bubba’s footprint a perfect match to the imprint we found next to the icebox holding Larry’s body. It rained off and on all day Wednesday. The ground was too dry on Thursday for Bubba to have made such a deep imprint. So, even though Sadie and Detective O’Cleary saw your sister with Bubba Thursday night at Riverside Park, she’s off the hook. Besides, she has an alibi. I just got a text from officer Stoltzfus that he’s verified her presence at the Westin and the Dreaming Zebra event in Portland on Wednesday.” Mary scowled and asked for a phone. Dora handed her a department cell phone then led Sadie out of the interview room, locking the door behind them.

  They ran into Timothy halfway to the lobby. “I just called Portland. They’re still working on the handwriting analysis, but we’ve got the results on the postal meter and registration. You’ll never guess who sent the anonymous letter.”

  Sadie and Dora said in unison, “Mary Hunt.”

  The disappointment on O’Cleary’s face was comical.

  “Oh, come on! Mary just lawyered up, Timothy.” Dora playfully punched his gut. “I didn’t mean to steal your thunder, but we caught her lying about not having Bubba when she met Burt on Wednesday. One of Sadie’s former students works as a waiter at Bite Me! He saw Francis hand Bubba over to Mary and also saw her drive off with the Otterhound in her backseat.”

  “Well, since Mary wrote the anonymous letter before Larry was actually murdered, I think we have our killer.”

  “Looks that way, Sadie. I think she was trying to frame Chef La Compost. My prediction is she didn’t know postal meters and their registrations could be traced. She probably uses a meter for her Otterhound business. She probably took Bubba over to Larry’s house, maybe even while Burt was picking up the cooler, hoping his nose prints and fur would incriminate the Chef. She really hated her brother-in-law. Only thing is, the Chef didn’t like Bubba. Why would he take him along if he was planning to kill Larry? Why not leave the dog at the restaurant where he could romp in the open field?”

  “Francis had a motive. Greed is a compelling one. Killing Larry would have assured Francis full ownership of Bite Me!” Blurted Timothy. He subtly moved clo
ser to Sadie.

  “But Bobby can place the chef at the restaurant, Timothy. Francis had an alibi.” There was a three second pause, then she then let out a low whistle. “I can’t believe Burt is a part of this mess. I don’t want to believe it. He seemed like such a nice guy. I guess I better give my intuition a serious overhaul.” Sadie hung her head. O’Cleary took advantage of the moment and put his arm around her shoulder. Dora turned the other way to hide her smile.

  The front door opened and Mary’s lawyer walked through the doors. Sarah jumped from her seat and grabbed his arm. He only spoke a few words to her as Timothy was quick on his feet and escorted the attorney to Mary’s interview room. Meanwhile, Dora and Sadie put their heads together to think up reasons why Mary may have killed Larry.

  “Geesh, Dora. Mary hated Francis. I can actually imagine her killing the chef. He was abusing her sister, after all. But why would she kill Larry?”

  “I don’t know. If Burt’s involved, maybe he convinced her to help. So, I guess we also need to ask ourselves, why would Burt want to kill Larry?”

  “Maybe, he was still sore that Larry tossed him aside as his silent business partner. He was instrumental in convincing Chef La Compost to quit his job and move to Rogue Valley.”

  “True. But, maybe Mary’s the one who wanted to rekindle their romance. She could have agreed to help Burt kill Larry, so long as he agreed to reunite. People do crazy things when they’re in love.”

  “Yeah, especially if it’s a sick kind of psycho love,” laughed Sadie.

  “Let’s see if we can get more information out of Sarah. She’s still here and I bet she’s worried about her sister.”

  The two friends walked over to Sarah and said they had a few more questions to ask. Puzzled, she replied, “Didn’t the Westin and Dreaming Zebra Organization verify my presence? I was in Portland from Tuesday night until Thursday noon.”

  “Yes, Sarah. They did. You seem to have a concrete alibi. Our questions have to do with your sister, Burt, and your dog Bubba.” Sarah frowned but followed. After a minute, she asked, “What does my dog have to do with my husband’s death?”

  As they walked by the main interview room, Sarah wavered. “Mary’s in there with our family lawyer. Why?”

  “We’ll explain everything once we get some answers.” Dora smiled and opened a door just ten feet down the hallway.

  The women entered a place too small to call an actual room. The officers had nicknamed the space, The Closet. It was just too small to call it anything else. There was just enough space inside to hold two chairs and a small writing table. Sadie remained on her feet while Dora and Sarah took the two seats. Sarah groaned as she sat down and put her hands on her lower back. Noticing her discomfort, Dora asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Oh yes. I’m afraid I suffer from severe lower back pain. It’s an old injury from my high school cheerleading days. Unfortunately, I now have arthritis in my spine and can’t lift anything weighing more than 25 pounds.”

  Sadie closed her eyes and thought, Note to self: Sarah could not help lift or move Larry’s body.

  Dora began the interview.

  “Sarah, we know your sister and Burt met at Riverside Park on Wednesday afternoon, while you were in Portland.”

  Mrs. La Compost nodded her head.

  “But we’ve hit a snag. Although both of them admit they met each other on Wednesday afternoon, neither one admits your dog was at the rendezvous. We strongly suspect Bubba was at the Park and that your sister took him there.”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “I can’t say one way or the other, Detective Flores. I was in Portland. You have validated that fact. Francis told me he drove Bubba to the restaurant. I just assumed he gave my darling boy a bone and put him out back. He loves romping around in the field.”

  Dora’s cell phone chirped, signaling a text. Taking a quick glance, she got up and excused herself. Sadie continued the interview.

  “Sarah, we found Bubba’s hair and nose prints inside Larry Phibbs’ house. His hairs were also identified on the murder weapon. Bubba’s paw prints were next to the cooler Scott Moore borrowed from Burt. They were right next to the snow cone trailer in Riverside Park. As you know, Larry’s body was stuffed inside the cooler. We also believe that Larry was killed at another location and moved. The lack of blood inside the ice chest supports this theory. We also found that Bubba’s saliva matched that on three tennis balls in back of the snow cone trailer.”

  Sarah’s eyes had glazed over. Sadie gave her a few seconds to absorb the information then asked, “Mrs. La Compost. Please tell me why your dog was inside Larry’s house and why we found Bubba’s hair on the murder weapon?”

  “My goodness, you really have done a lot of detective work in a very short period of time! Well, I can tell you why Bubba’s saliva was on those tennis balls. I took him to see the fireworks at the park Thursday night. Francis was working, so Bubba was my date. We got there early and I tossed the balls around. He loves to retrieve tennis balls. Well, I got a text message from Mary reminding me to get a good seat before the fireworks started. I was going to take a video and send it to her. So, I was distracted and left Bubba’s tennis balls behind. It was a great display. I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with next year.”

  Dora slipped back into the room but remained standing. Sadie continued the interview. “Well, that’s one question answered. Did you get a snow cone while you were tossing Bubba the tennis balls?”

  “No, nobody was in the trailer. I was disappointed as I wanted a raspberry snow cone to munch on during the firework display. Summer isn’t summer without ice-cream, hot dogs, and a good snow cone.”

  Sadie made a mental note of the empty trailer comment and then asked, “Can you tell me why Bubba was inside Larry’s house?”

  “Honestly, I really can’t. Bubba’s the one to ask and even though he is a wonderful listener, his communication skills are still lacking. I wish he could talk.”

  “Okay, so maybe you can shed some light on this fact. We found Bubba’s hair on a very expensive knife. We did a little detective work and discovered your husband bought this very same knife five months ago. Do you recall Francis using a Masamoto Knife? It had a Magnolia wooden handle and a 9-inch blade.”

  “Oh, yes. I do, Sadie! He was so proud of that magnificent knife. He used it to make many fabulous and romantic dinners for us.” Sarah dropped her chin and sniffed. She dug in her purse for a Kleenex. “Where did you find the knife? Was it in the cooler?”

  “No. We found it inside the snow cone trailer. My dad is the one who discovered it.”

  Sarah wiped a tear from her eye and sat straight up in her chair. “How horrible! I’m so sorry, Sadie.” Then, looking in Dora’s direction, “Francis did say he killed Larry in his suicide note. I guess it makes sense he used a favorite knife to ….”

  “Sarah,” Dora moved in so she and Sadie changed places, “I left the room earlier because my text message reported the handwriting analysis was finished. It turns out to be a fraud. Your husband did not write that suicide note—it was forged. So, now your husband’s death is in question. It has moved from possible suicide to possible homicide.”

  A knock on the door caught all three ladies off guard, adding to the tension in the room. Officer Stoltzfus whispered something in Dora’s ear. Looking over to Sadie, she asked if she would step outside for a moment. Sarah crossed her arms and sighed.

  “Stoltzfus, what did you just whisper in my ear about that victim mauled by a cougar this morning? “

  The redheaded cop smiled. “He said, he saw two ladies push a red jaguar off the road and down Grave Creek Pass this morning. He also said he took a picture of their get-away car, including the license plate.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Need a Drink

  Bosco-Bill, I can’t take it anymore. I’m dying of thirst.

  Willow eyed the galvanized tub placed by Scott Moore’s garage door. Used to collect rainwater, it was nearly full
. The two dogs were hidden inside the big hydrangea bushes surrounding the front porch. They had been on stake-out for over three hours, watching the snow cone trailer and the house. So far there hadn’t been any activity.

  I’m gonna make a quick dash for some water.

  Before Bosco could object, Willow had scrambled out of the bushes and dashed across the grass to the water tub.

  Lapping to her hearts content, Willow didn’t hear the front door swing open. Scott Moore stepped onto the porch with a large suitcase in hand. Scanning the front yard and gazing over to the snow cone trailer, he breathed in the fresh air. Turning to re-enter his home, he almost missed Willow dashing back to her hiding spot. But as luck would have it, an oriole decided to sing. Scott turned around just as Willow rounded the corner. Recognizing her as Jerry’s frequent overnight guest, he stepped off the porch and whistled. Willow froze. She looked at Bosco, still hidden in the belly of a hydrangea bush. Not wanting to give away his location, she ran down the driveway. Scott whistled again but Willow continued her dash.

  Scott shrugged. Leaving the suitcase on the porch, he went back inside. Bosco knew the yellow lab would find another hiding spot and return when the coast was clear. Even though he was beyond thirsty, he didn’t dare move from his spot. That was wise because Scott emerged a few minutes later with Laurie.

  “I’ll only stay until I’ve earned enough money for our new life, Laurie.”

  “I know, but we have a baby now. I want you with us.”

  “But we need the money, dear, especially now that we have Noah. I told your brother, Jack, I wasn’t changing my mind. It’s a great opportunity and I can’t let it slip from my fingers. You’ve got the Toyota. You can drive to the hospital every day and I’ll call every night. He needs his mama. Hopefully, he can come home real soon.”

  “He also needs his daddy.” Laurie leaned close and embraced Scott while Bosco wondered if another marathon was in his near future.