Rory and Stacy left the office and went on a hunt for the gardener Jonas Fielder. With Otis showing the way, they found the small cottage empty and after a cursory inspection, it looked like nobody had slept in the bed last night. It appeared Jonas was a neat freak. The place was very clean and organized. Stacy began to feel that the body hanging by the bell tower rope was the gardener Jonas Fielder.
Dashing through the rain, Stacy and Rory went to see Marsha at the crime scene; if it was a crime and not suicide. Marsha was, as usual, very professional when it came to her job. She nodded at the two police officers and went back to the business of bringing down the body. It was evident that very soon they would have the body on the floor. It had been decided to cut the neck rope after tying off another rope to lower the body. The neck rope was a half inch tied directly to the bell rope.
Meanwhile in the church sanctuary the congregation was in a constant state of speculation and gossip. It was impossible to stop all of them from entering the church. Dan was the only Bandon policeman available that day. And he had his hands full at the front door. To a person, all knew where the back door was.
-Three-
Pastor Arnold said, "Yes, that is our Jonas. May God rest his soul in heaven?"
"Thanks pastor, you're excused for the time being," said Rory.
"Call me if I'm needed said a not so distressed pastor who had just lost his gardener and member of the church.
"Marsha, what can you tell us without going out on a limb," asked Rory.
"It appears he died of asphyxiation. Of course an autopsy will tell us more. Also a drug screen. I've not a lot scheduled for the week, so can do the autopsy tomorrow afternoon. I know you'd like a time of death, but upon examination, it's hard to tell. I'd say around midnight last night give or take a few hours one way or the other. That's about it guys. Oh by the way, I didn't see any head injuries that would induce unconsciousness."
"How about suicide Doctor," asked Stacy.
"I suppose it's possible, but not probable Stacy. For example, how did he get up there by himself. He'd need a ladder and there wasn't a ladder here until this morning. No, I think it was foul play. See you tomorrow after lunch."
The men bagged up the body and took it to a waiting van. If anything the rain was coming down harder and the wind had increased to gale strength.
"Stacy, this is our third homicide in a year. Bandon has been plagued by violent crime where once it was such a peaceful place. I called Ben and he's on his way down as we speak. Our day looks like it will be full of interviews. Someone must have seen him yesterday after the pastor saw him in the early afternoon," said Rory.
"I think we need to have the good Pastor Arnold address the congregation. He can inform them what we are looking for: anyone having seen Jonas Fielder yesterday or at anytime within the last few days. Also to find out who has keys to the church? Anything or anyone having any information please come forward," said Stacy.
"I got it Stacy," said Rory. "Also, anyone that is volunteering here or on the payroll. There should be deacons and elders who might shed some light on the good gardener."
"Let's get the show on the road Stacy. I wonder if our gardener drank to extreme," said Rory.
[**]
"My friends," said Pastor Arnold, ''today is a sad time in our church's long history. We lost a dear friend today. Jonas Fielder was a victim of foul play. We don't know yet if it was suicide or murder, but regardless, he's no long with us and he's now with God.
I've been asked to deliver a message to you good people. The police here will begin interviews with all of you to determine if anyone saw Jonas yesterday. Did any of you talk with him? The detectives want to learn from you all there is to know about Jonas Fielder. Please help them find out what happened last night around midnight. There are three police detectives who will interview so I think it best to count off by three's. Detective Caltex is number one and he's the tall one; next to him is our local sleuth Stacy Foreham will be number two; and the other gentlemen who just walked in is another detective of the OSP.
The case work had begun. For the next three hours the entire congregation of forty three had been interviewed. For our three detectives, it was way past lunch time. Bandon's chief was on hand for the last few hours chatting with the locals. Stacy knew he'd find out some things that won't be shared with the three interviewers.
Lunch was across the street from the Bandon Police Station. Its history was long and rated high on anybody's list of places to eat. Along with the three investigators was the chief. Chief Foreham was nobody's fool. He knew everyone in town as having been on the force for more than thirty years. He ordered a lunch for his patrolman Dan and the dispatcher Flo. Dan had to stay at the church to protect the crime scene and Flo had missed lunch covering for Stacy.
Stacy said, as they sat down in the conference room of the restaurant, "I'll begin with my group of church goers. Only two stand out as being pertinent to our case. One is a late middle age woman Robin Welch. She's a volunteer that does the dusting and flower arrangements in the spring and summer months. Her main job is dusting and listening to conversations that come from the pastor's office. She told me that the good pastor is or has a shady background of some sort. He's only been here in Bandon for a little over three years. All she knows is he's from Portland. His wife is sickly and rarely comes out of the house. If they have children, she doesn't know. They've never taken a vacation to her knowledge. Also, she told me he has a beautiful voice and sings with the choir.
The other interesting person is Albert Wise who is about forty something. He's a deacon and major donor for this church. He's from Port Orford, married with two children. He and his wife Clair are very devout. Their kids sing in the choir and she teaches Sunday school. He told me in confidence that Jonas was an alcoholic and he thought he had something on Pastor Arnold. He said Arnold was a strict no nonsense disciple of God. He treated all his church members with barely any civility. The church elders have been looking for a replacement, but hard to find anyone who wants to come to a remote town with scarcely enough population to fill two rows of pews. I'm finished and will eat while others talk."
Rory had been eating bread sticks until the basket was empty. Now he kept looking towards the kitchen for something more substantial. He said, "I've a few good ones. First is Hazel Albertson. She's a local secretary at an insurance agency. She's thirty nine and a widow. Nice looking with two kids ages sixteen and eighteen. She said the girl, who is the youngest, is complaining that the pastor is trying hard to molest her. She also told me that the pastor has been coming on to her for sometime now and has been more insistent as of late.
Next is a guy who thinks he knows everything that is going on at the church. Felix Weber, age sixty one and a retired cranberry bog owner. He's leased his bogs out and spends his time fishing, beach combing and involving himself in church business. He told me Jonas was a drunk, but a nice drunk. He never bothered anyone. He worked hard in the mornings and drank hard in the afternoons and night. He lost his wife to a car accident years ago. He never got over it. He too thought that Jonas knew some church dirt and was silenced because of it.
One more. An old lady who is eighty two and a still active walker and author. Emily Dewart writes romance novels with the small towns on the coast as background. She too thinks if you take the cover off the book you'll find some terrible secrets inside the pages. I took it as a metaphor for the church. She also told me to listen to the choir sing. My lunch is here. Ben you're up," said Rory.
"I got the bookkeeper who told me the church is dead broke and it appears someone has embezzled church funds. Zack Brown has been the bookkeeper at the church for years. He wouldn't say no more. He told me he didn't have any solid evidence yet. That's about it," said Ben.
Chief Foreham had finished his bowl of chowder and sat thinking about what had been said. He knew all these people including Albert Wise of Port Orford. The person he didn't really know was Pastor Arnold Westerfield.
He'd heard nothing about the man; either good or bad. To him it seemed a little obvious that the prime suspect would be the pastor. However, who says murder has to be complicated. As far as Jonas was concerned, he knew him to be a man who liked his vodka. He didn't hide the fact. Well, be that as it may, Stacy would dig until the guilty was uncovered. All knew her well enough now that once she caught the scent, she was off and running.
-Four-
Pastor Arnold went home totally dejected. He and his wife lived only a few blocks away, but walking was not in his vocabulary and besides it was pouring down rain. As he squirmed into his old Ford Taurus he thought about what had transpired on the Sabbath. Jonas had been a thorn in his side from the beginning. He'd inherited Jonas from the previous pastor who made Arnold swear that he would keep the fine gardener on. Arnold never batted an eye with his promise. What did he care about a gardener who was reported to start happy hour early every day?
Now he lamented the fact it didn't look good for his ball club that Jonas was murdered. The investigators would soon find out he would top the list of suspects. Would they find out that just yesterday he and Jonas had words? For once he liked the idea he was a fat man. Surely they must see he couldn't possibly raise Jonas up into the small area to hang the man. He doubted he would fit into that small space.
He started his car, watched the wipers struggle against the incoming rain. The inside of the car fogged up and he had to wait until the defroster cleared the window before he drove home to see his miserable wife. Helga Westerfield was almost to the point of being bedridden. She was a total hypochondriac. She had been playing for his sympathy for the last ten years. He wished it had been her hanging from the belfry instead of Jonas. However, Jonas had let on he knew Arnold's secret desires for the young flesh. He prayed that his terrible desires would be forgiven by God.
He backed out and drove home hungry as hell. They'd hired a housekeeper and he told her to have a couple of chicken's fried up with mashed spuds when service ended today. He honestly wondered, as he pulled into his small one car garage, how long they'd be in Bandon. So far in his career being a pastor, they'd almost circled the USA.
Pastor Arnold forgot his troubles as he sat down to a lovely Sunday dinner placed in front of him. He gobbled the chicken and potatoes like there was no tomorrow. He washed it all down with a quart of milk. Needless to say, their main budget was food.
After a late lunch the investigators went to the police station to compare notes and make a plan for further interviews. The chief sat with them as they discussed the case. Stacy said, while sipping a hot honey tea that Flo had made, "Okay guys, how did our victim get up to where he was. Even if he was out cold for one reason or another, how did the murderer raise him to level he was at. Let's say the perp used a ladder, but then what? It would take a strong person or it was something mechanical to raise the victim up into the small space. I see a wooden ladder fastened to the wall. However, that's a 90 degree angle up. I think we need to go back to the church and examine more closely the wood ladder, the bell and its supports.
On another subject, it would appear that our good Pastor has a checkered background. We need a thorough background check on him. It's possible he slipped through the cracks as to his previous locations."
"I'll do that job," said Ben Razor. "I know a guy in our Salem office who can find out what color underwear he uses."
"I'll interview Felix Weber. I think he knows a lot more than he let on," said Rory. Also, come to think about it, I'll see Hazel Albert's. She was giving me the eye so she might be forthcoming if I flash my winning smile."
"You're so vain Sherlock Caltex," said Stacy. "However, I'll see the daughter and maybe she'll open up on Pastor Arnold and his illicit desires for underage children."
"I'd like to interview our local romance author Emily Dewart. Believe it or not, I've read a book of hers. My wife reads all her stuff. It's really mushy over the top unbelievable relationships that end in one big orgasm." Flo was listening and she cracked up, making everyone laugh to relieve the seriousness of the situation.
Chief Foreham cleared his throat and said, "It's true that Jonas was a heavy drinker. He promised me years ago he wouldn't drink and drive. That's what killed his wife was a drunken driver. It was rare that he took his old pickup out for a drive. I'd stop by during the week once in awhile and if I saw him out trimming, I'd stop and chew the fat with him. The last time was a couple weeks ago. I saw Pastor Arnold drive out as I drove in. He never waved and looked angry. Jonas was strung tighter than a violin string. The only thing he said was, "Someday I'll fix that guys wagon."
Anyway, now to Emily Dewart. She's very observant. I know not what she infers, but prying it out of her will take some doing.
Felix Weber is one smart feller. Over the years a lot of people have worked for him. He doesn't comment on hearsay, but will discuss facts with the interviewer.
The opposite of him is Robin Welch. She will relate every scrap of information she has to make it look like the second coming; forgive me lord. However, she's no man's dummy. Just separate fact from fiction when listening to her.
The last one on your list is Albert Wise from Port Orford. He came up the hard way: work. He and Clair married young, but it proves young doesn't matter. They've a nice family. Outside of his business, church is almost at the same level. He donates heavily to the church. Clair is the Sunday school teacher. His two kids sing in the choir.
One last thing. I'd suggest you take the rest of the day off from interviews. Nobody saw, heard anything. You're looking for motive and opportunity. Wait until tomorrow to begin your second round of interview after the autopsy. Meanwhile go back to the church and snoop around. Find out how Jonas rose to the top; so to speak. I'm going home. Good hunting," he said walking out the door saying bye to Flo.
"I for one like the idea of going back to the church. Let's do some evidence searching," said Stacy. Both Rory and Ben nodded to agree.
They drove over in Rory's SUV. The rain hadn't let up and it was, if anything blowing and storming harder than ever. Dan was huddled up in his cruiser in front of the church looking bored as hell.
He said, "Now I've someone to talk to. The crime scene team left an hour ago. If you're here for awhile, I'll rush home and have dinner with the family and be back later?"
"Go," said Stacy. "We've some things to do. I presume you have the keys to all the locks?"
"Yes, here you are. Catch you later." And he was gone in a flash and splash of puddles leaving the parking lot.
Inside the three investigators walked slowly to where the bell rope hung. It was behind a sort of enclave. A series of wooden steps rose straight up to the bell tower. Rory went first, Stacy next and Ben followed last. At the top a wood floor sat under the bell. A gap for the rope was about six inches wide and about six feet long. At each end a support held a steel shaft that anchored the bell. The bell itself sat on the shaft with two pillow block bearings holding it in place. All in all it was very stout.
One problem was the light in the small area was dim. Stacy had her handy small Mag Lite. With slow movement down the shaft, her eyes not but a few inches from the shaft, she looked for anything that might indicate something was used to hoist an unconscious body up the bell rope. Rory said, while watching her, "Are you thinking something mechanical lifted the body up and then tied it off around the neck making it look like he was hung?"
"Yes, I remember my father using a tool that had a handle on it that went clacky clack. He used it to pull some stumps out of our yard when a storm blew a few trees over," said Stacy.
Ben said, "It's called a cum-a-long. Every farmer has one and truckers use them too. It has a large hook on one end. See if you can find a shiny place on the shaft where it might show a hook or steel against steel place."
Stacy moved down the shaft and when she was almost where the rope went down, she saw a very small place where it was just possible a steel hook or something was recently against the shaft. Stacy con
tinued up and down the shaft two times. She showed it to both Rory and Ben.
Stacy said, "You know, the crime scene team should have noted any dust prints seeing if somebody had recently been up here. The floor is really dusty."
Rory said, "Let's go find the gardener's shed for tools."
Back on the first floor, they went out the back door dashing to Jonas's cottage where next to it was the tool shed. It was locked, but Stacy took the wad of keys to find the one that fit the Master lock. Meanwhile Rory and Ben stood in the rain. Finally Stacy found the key and all went inside.
Like his house, the shed was neat and orderly. Tools of all sorts hung from the walls or pegboards. Glass jars of nuts and bolts with their lids nailed to a board made selection quick and efficient.
All three, almost at the same time, saw the cum-a-long hanging on the wall. They looked at each other smiling. Then Stacy said, "Let's say that this tool was used to ratchet up Jonas. After he was in place the killer tied a rope around his neck, attached the rope to the bell rope. He or she released the tool and Jonas expired. The perp removed the cum-a-long and hung it back up here in the tool shed. I'd suspect the tool is wiped clean of prints. If so, then I think we have a good idea how he was killed or at least how he died. Somebody might have assisted Jonas in a suicide too. Let's not discount that end of things."
"I like it. It could be that Jonas and the Pastor had a belly full of each other. Maybe the pastor had played a game of being a good guy buying Jonas a bottle of expensive 100 proof vodka. Pastor tell Jonas that they should bury the hatched and begin again. Long story short, Jonas passes out, pastor drags him to the bell rope, get the cum-a-long, ratchets him up and that's the end of Jonas."
Stacy and Ben look at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Ben says "That might work Rory. It's known Pastor and friends had dinner in Coos Bay. He says they returned around 11 pm. His wife goes to bed as she is not feeling well. He sneaks out and goes to the church with the bottle, or maybe he gave the bottle to Jonas during the daytime. Then he finds Jonas passed out at 11:30 and drags him to the bell rope?"
Murder Mysteries Page 14