Who Killed the Neanderthal

by Cheryl Zelenka

  “Love,” Scott pulled back from the embrace, “I’ve got to go. Everything will work out. This new business opportunity your brother is offering is the perfect solution to our money problems. Just be sure you list our house. Call Jerry, too. Tell him I saw Sadie’s dog in our front yard. I can’t wait to get out of this small town. Bankruptcy has ruined my reputation and I need a new business venture.

  With that, Scott picked up the large suitcase and got into his truck. Backing up the trailer with ease, he waved farewell to his wife and drove down their driveway onto a paved neighborhood road. Bosco was frantic since it was no longer a dirt road, which meant Scott could drive at a faster clip. Hoping Willow was able to see the new developments, he dashed out of the bushes and chased after the suspect.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN: The Helpful Jogger

  “This is wonderful news. Thanks Pop! I’ll get Mark over there real quick. He can help you look for Willow and Bosco. I’ll come too. Just give me an hour or so. Things are really heating up over here.” Sadie was overcome with relief. Laurie Moore had just called Pop to say that Willow, now mask free, had been in her front yard.

  I guess Scott simply packed up early and drove home. Maybe his new arrival was the reason for his early departure.

  Jerry Sunshine didn’t think to mention that Scott left town with his snow cone trailer in tow.

  Sadie put in a quick call to Mark, updating him on things. He promised to drive over to Jerry’s house immediately and search for her dogs.

  “I’m sure Bosco is nearby. He’s probably napping behind a tree or under some bush. I’ll have both of them home in no time, Sadie.”

  Dora was still in The Closet with Sarah. Sadie opened the door and motioned for Dora to join her in the hallway. Once the door was closed, Sadie hugged her best friend. “Pop just called. Willow was spotted in Scott Moore’s driveway. Bosco wasn’t with her, but I bet he was nearby. I’m going to drive out there in an hour, so hopefully we can finish up here for the night.” Dora shot Sadie a smile of relief and said she was pretty sure things would have some sort of conclusion within the hour.

  Both ladies stepped back into the tiny interview room. Dora asked Sarah where she was last night. She said she went to bed early.

  “Francis called when the restaurant closed. He said he had to work late. But now that I think about it, his speech was a bit slurred.”

  Sadie tilted her head and asked, “So you didn’t take a romantic drive out by Grave Creek Pass last night?”

  “No, Ms. Sunshine. I went to bed. He was probably drinking after-hours. Bite Me! has an impressive wine list. My guess is he wrote that suicide note at the restaurant and then drove home. He must have placed it on my dresser after I fell asleep. I don’t believe the note I gave you is a forgery. You need to run another test. I want another opinion.”

  “Well Sarah, I guess your lawyer can take on that request.” Sarah looked at Sadie. “What do you mean? Mary’s speaking to our family lawyer right now, and, you never did say why he’s speaking with her. Has she been arrested?”

  “Mrs. La Compost, I said there’d be an explanation after we asked you a few more questions.” Dora rubbed her eyes. “Right now, we are focusing on you.”

  “Honestly, I’ve had the shock of my life today, detective. Not only did I learn my husband’s body was at the bottom of Grave Creek Pass, but I also found his suicide note! You can’t possibly think I wrote that note. I loved my husband. He was a bit hot tempered but I like passionate men.” Sarah tossed her blonde hair so that it fell across her shoulders like a supermodel.

  “Sarah, a witness came forward claiming he saw you and Mary push the red Jaguar off the road and over Grave Creek Pass. I know you have a bad back, but Mary has more muscles than the Incredible Hulk. There were no skid marks on the road that indicated he swerved or lost control of the car.”

  “Well, yeah. I mean suicide would imply he drove himself off the road. There wouldn’t be any tire marks in that case.” Sarah’s tone of voice was less of a grieving widow and more like an attack dog.

  “Mrs. La Compost. This young man, an early morning jogger, took a picture of a license plate number that matches Mary’s truck. He also described you and your sister to a T. We can do a line up later. For now, I’m calling your husband’s death a homicide and charging you, and Mary, with murder.”

  Sadie piped in. “Sarah, things don’t look good for you. Even with an alibi for Wednesday night, we have enough evidence to charge you with your husband’s murder. Whether or not you played a part in Larry’s death, has yet to be decided. I suggest you speak with your lawyer after he is finished advising your sister.” Dora then read Sarah her rights and led Sadie out of the interview room.

  Sadie was feeling jumpy. “Dora, I’m going to the hospital. I’ll ask the cougar attack victim a few questions. Manny Lopez, right?”

  “Yes. Thanks Sadie. I’ll speak with Mary and her lawyer. Call me after you’ve interviewed Mr. Lopez, then go look for your fur-kids! I know they’re on your mind. Timothy and I can handle things here. I’ll update you on Mary and Sarah when you give me a call.”

  Sadie practically ran out of the police station. The hospital was just 10 minutes away. There were still three hours of daylight left and she wanted Bosco and Willow home before it got dark. A cougar on the loose might find Bosco a tasty tidbit.

  ***

  She found a parking spot close to the front entrance of the hospital. Inside, she asked the front desk for Mr. Lopez’s room number. Taking the elevator to the second floor she walked past the nurse’s station and turned right. Room 214 was the second door on the left.

  Knocking twice, she was greeted by an attractive woman in her early twenties. Sadie introduced herself and explained the reason for her visit. Waving her in, Sadie found Manny bare-chested in his hospital bed.

  Bandaged areas in his lower mid-section and neck, in addition to a large open gouge on his left shoulder depicted the seriousness of his injuries. Manny’s left eye was swollen shut and a laceration, recently stitched, graced the bridge of his nose.

  “Mr. Lopez, I appreciate your seeing me tonight and for giving the police a call. I’m Sadie Sunshine and I work as a consultant with the local police department. There are two very serious cases we are working on and I believe you have some information that will be very helpful.”

  “No problem, Ms. Sunshine. This is my fiancée, Emma. Fortunately, she makes me jog with my cell phone. I was able to take a video of those two ladies pushing the red jaguar off the road. It’s hard to make out much detail because I was still pretty far from them. I yelled out, but I don’t think they heard me. The Jaguar was over the incline in just a few seconds. One lady was really buff. They didn’t stick around for long and got into a parked truck. By that time, I was close enough to get a picture of their license plate as they were peeling away.”

  A nurse walked in to check Mr. Lopez’s blood pressure and asked if he needed more pain medication. He nodded affirmatively. Handing him two pills and a glass of water, she waited until they were swallowed, then left the room.

  “Manny, your video’s gonna be tagged as evidence. It’ll be very helpful during the trial. I’ll have you text the video and pictures to me before I leave, but unfortunately, I’ll also have to confiscate your phone. The police will notify you as soon as you can pick it up. I don’t know how long that will be, so you might want to buy another phone in the meantime, even if it’s just a prepaid mobile.” Manny sent the images to Sadie’s phone then handed it over.

  “So, Manny, when did you tangle with that cougar?”

  “I’m guessing 5:15 a.m., it was just two minutes after that truck raced off. I called Emma to tell her what I had just witnessed. I was still on the phone when that devil cat jumped me. My fiancée heard the whole thing and called the police. I guess the news got ahold of the story and reported the incident. Animal control and local hunters are searching for it. Hopefully, they’ll take it down before the thing can harm anyone els
e.” Again, Sadie thought of her lost dogs and her desire to search for them imploded. Fighting off a possible hot flash, she thanked Manny and told him to get some rest.

  Once Sadie was back inside her parked car, she called Dora. After the fifth ring she answered. Sadie’s skull was already on fire and sweat was running down her back. She hoped her brain wouldn’t run off while she was chatting with Dora. These darn hot flashes rob my ability to think!

  “Dora, Mr. Lopez shot a video, from a distance, of two ladies pushing the red Jaguar off the road and over Grave Creek Pass. As you know, he also got a photo of Mary’s truck and her license plate. The video isn’t very clear, but I’ll bet 100 bucks the Portland forensic team can clean it up and do wonders. It’s very incriminating. I’ll text both of them over to you in a minute. I also confiscated his phone, in case you wanted to enter it as evidence.”

  “Sadie, I can’t believe our luck! Somebody actually videotaped Sarah and Mary push Francis and his car into Grave Creek. God is certainly helping us with this investigation.” Sadie turned the air conditioner on high and stuck her face in the vent.

  Dora then explained how Mary managed to cut a deal. “It turns out Burt was the one in love, and Mary, not so much. She turned on him. She told me Burt killed Larry and she was with him at the time. She admits Francis passed Bubba off to her on Wednesday. He really did despise the poor dog. Bobby will probably have to testify he saw the whole thing transpire when this mess goes to trial. Anyway, Mary admitted she sent the anonymous letter saying Francis is a killer. Sarah also confessed to writing the suicide note. Burt was involved, but the ladies were the masterminds.”

  “Why did Burt get involved?”

  “Greed, and revenge. Maybe even love, if Mary was making promises to rekindle their relationship. He told Mary he was about to lose his house and hydroplane. She already knew Larry tossed him aside as a silent business partner. The Chef made it a stipulation that he be a 50-50 partner before accepting the job as head Chef of Bite Me! Mary and Sarah cooked up the entire thing, both murders! Mary was thrilled Sarah would finally be free of her abusive husband and independently wealthy.”

  “So, Mary’s motive was simply one of love…and hate. She loved her sister but hated Francis for abusing her.”

  “That’s how I see it. And Sarah, well, I guess her motive was revenge. I think she really did love Francis, at least for a time. She was OK with the beatings, but when Francis started in on Bubba, her fur-baby, she lost it. She’s pleading Battered Women’s Syndrome as a defense”

  “Dora, Judge Lindy is going to have one heck of a job keeping order in his courtroom. This trial could easily turn into a circus,” Sadie guffawed.

  “I know. Well, both ladies are spending the night in jail. I’m sure both will make bail in the morning, so you don’t have to worry about their dogs. You have such a big heart when it comes to our four legged friends.”

  Sadie smiled at how well her friend knew her heart and then glanced at her watch. “Speaking of dogs. I’ve got to go. There are only two hours of daylight left and my pups are still on the run. This has been a very long day. Are you and Timothy going to church tomorrow with Mark and me?”

  “Absolutely. We were both hoping you’d be OK with us tagging along.”

  “Of course! It’ll be nice sitting together with such wonderful friends.” Sadie wondered if Mark and Timothy would think the same.

  “Anyway, we should drop by Burt’s house before we turn in for the night. Hopefully, my dogs have already found their way over to Pop’s house. I’ll call you as soon as they’re located. Don’t go over there without me.” Dora assured Sadie she had a pile of paperwork to get through and would wait for Sadie’s call.

  As Sadie turned onto Rogue River highway she blasted the air conditioning. After a few minutes, she could tell that the sweat once running through her hair was beginning to dry up. Heaving a sigh of relief, her thoughts again returned to Bosco and Willow.

  “I still can’t understand why those rascals ran off and chase down Scott’s snow cone trailer. It’s almost like they were trying to help me solve this case.”

  A few minutes later, Sadie pulled into her dad’s driveway, just in time to see a tiny court jester scamper up his front porch.

  CHAPTER TWENTY: Found!

  Sadie’s dad opened the front door just as Sadie stepped onto the porch. Bosco, afraid of Sadie’s mood, charged through the open door where he found Willow lying next to the water dish Pop always kept in the kitchen.

  Get out of the way! Move! Move, Willow-Cake! I’m so thirsty I could drink a lake.

  Willow slowly rose to her feet, almost colliding with Bosco as he scurried by, lapping up cool water like he had spent a week in the Mojave Desert.

  Sadie and her dad walked into the kitchen. Both dogs turned in their direction, slowly wagging their tails with heads and ears bent low.

  “What were you two thinking? Come here you silly pups! I’m so glad you found your way to Pop’s house.”

  Willow was the first to approach, finding comfort in Sadie’s loving embrace. Bosco took his time trit-trotting over. Sadie scooped him up and planted a big kiss on his nose. “I don’t know why you ran off like that, but don’t ever do it again. There’s a nasty cougar on the prowl in these parts. I was so worried you’d end up in his tummy. You both need to be more careful! Run around in our back yard to your heart’s content, it’s fenced.”

  Sadie placed Bosco back on the floor and he returned to the water dish for a few more laps. Willow-Cake followed, once again planting herself beside the dish.

  I’m sorry I chased after that trailer, Bosco. I know you followed just to keep me safe. I never dreamt some cougar wanted to eat us up. When Mark dropped my leash, my only thought was to help mama catch the bad guy.

  Silly-Cake, don’t worry about it. I wanted to help mama as much as you. At least we know where he went when he left the park. Thank goodness you saw him pull out of the driveway. You had more sense than me, for once, going over to Pop’s house.

  I chased after him again, but he went so fast on the new paved road. I figured I’d die of thirst or heat stroke if I kept running after him. I didn’t want to be some turkey vulture dinner, so I came back here.

  Well, at least we led mama this far. She knows where the trailer went after the park. She can do some detectiving and catch that bad guy with her special super hero investigative skills. With that said, the fearless canine duo snuggled up and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

  Sadie gave Mark a call and told him the dogs were safe and resting at her dad’s house. He asked if they were still on for church the next day. Sadie confirmed but added, “Timothy and Dora will be joining us. Hope that’s okay.” Mark hid his disappointment well as he had suspected their twosome would become a foursome while O’Cleary was visiting from Portland.

  “I’ll pick you up at 8:45, Sadie.”

  “Sounds good. Dora will drive Timothy to the church and meet us there. Good night and thanks again for the parade date, and for helping me search for Willow and Bosco.”

  Observing her fur-kids snuggled in a ball on the kitchen floor, she didn’t have the heart to move them back home. Jerry agreed to babysit while she finished up the murder investigation and go to church the next day. “Leave them with me as long as you want, Butterfly. You know how much I love their company.” Sadie knew he still missed her mom and wished he had his own dog to pamper. Thankful to leave them in such loving care, she picked up her phone and called Dora with her good news. Unfortunately, Dora didn’t answer, so Sadie left a voice message.

  “I’m heading over to Burt’s house. I’ll meet you there. It’s 8:35.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: River Dance

  Sadie drove up to Burt’s house and parked in the circular driveway. Dora’s police car wasn’t in sight and wondered whether she should just go ahead and knock on his door. Turning off her headlights, she pulled the pepper spray from her purse. Desperate people do desperate and stupid things,
especially when they’re in love with the wrong person.

  After waiting an additional ten minutes, Sadie called Dora but was again sent to voice mail. She left another message, this time saying she was going to convince Burt to turn himself in to the police.

  The second Sadie knocked on Burt’s front door an explosion of barking broke out. It sounded like another dog, besides Maxi, was helping to sound the alarm. It didn’t take long before Burt opened the massive oak door. Maxine ran out to greet her and she welcomed her loving kisses. The other dog, also an Otterhound, was a bit skittish and remained inside next to Burt’s side. Sadie figured it was Bubba.

  “Well, Ms. Sunshine three encounters in a single day. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were stalking me!”

  “Ha! It’s four encounters, if you want to count yesterday and make it a two-day tally.” Sadie rested her thumb in the front right pocket of her capris, where the pepper spray was easily accessible.

  “So, what brings you to my place on this beautiful evening?” Looking out the door he added, “Looks like the stars are just starting to come out. In fact, I think we’re gonna have a full moon tonight.” Burt stepped outside, not inviting Sadie in for a chat. Maxine ran off to chase some hidden critter in the tall grasses and Bubba dashed past Sadie to join his friend.

  “Listen Burt, I’m here because I want to help you make a smart decision. A lot has happened since the parade this morning. As you know, Francis La Compost was found in his car, at the bottom of Grave Creek Pass this morning.” Burt nodded, waiting for Sadie to continue.

  “Well, there’s just too much to share right now, but Detective Flores is on her way to your house and plans to arrest you.” Burt crossed his arms but remained silent.

  “Mary Hunt and Sarah La Compost were charged with murder a few hours ago. They were seen pushing Francis Compost and his car over Grave Creek Pass. A witness got the whole thing on video.”