Flip said he didn’t want to make the trip with Todd. He had still more to discuss with Lulu. Now that Todd was attracted to Nancy, he was sympathetic toward Flip’s goal. Todd had to be careful that he himself didn’t lose sight of the investigation itself.
The trip took only a little over an hour on the Indiana Toll Road. From the highway Todd could see Notre Dame’s golden dome in the distance. One of the articles on Nancy’s laptop said that the new location of Arista Chemical was not far from the school. With Todd’s GPS he quickly found the state-of-the-art building on the outskirts of town.
Nancy had told him the company was doing well, and this building proved it. Three stories high and mostly glass with a virtual atrium surrounding it. A palatial fountain jetted water high into the air. Money was being made here.
Todd thought he would go right to the top to see Robert Granville, the CEO. He did not make an appointment because he didn’t want Granville to have time to prepare a defense against his accusation. The secretary told him it would not be until the end of the week when he could see Mr. Granville. Todd told her to tell him it was about the Calypso River pollution. Within five minutes he was ushered into the spacious office at the end of the hallway.
Robert Granville was tall, tanned and impressive. He gave a hearty handshake and with a deep voice said, “You’re beating a dead horse. Why are you bringing up an issue that was settled years ago?” He did not offer Todd a seat, but he sat down anyway.
“Mr. Granville, you are correct that the pollution issue was settled a long time ago with your company being found negligent, but then your slick Chicago barrister found a way to get you and Stuart Mencken out of jail. I’m not here to put you back into jail, at least not for that issue.”
Granville remained standing. “Then why are you here? I’m a busy man who doesn’t have time for one individual’s pet peeves.”
“I’ve taken over investigative duties for the town of Calypso, with my pet peeve being the murder of Ma Blessing. I’m sure you will recall that she was the person who was instrumental in getting you guys run out of town.”
“The woman was a lunatic, but some people believed her. At the trial our expert refuted everything she said.”
“Yes, but she had her own expert, whom as you so accurately stated the jury believed.”
“Most of the jury came from that surrounding area. Of course they would side with the home town people. It was a prejudicial decision.”
“I checked with the warden at Calumet City where both you and Mencken were spending time. You both were released two months before Ma Blessing’s murder. I’m wondering if one or both of you decided it was time for a little payback for Mrs. Blessing. Since you didn’t really care about the health of the townspeople, I think it could have been an easy step for you to eliminate one of them. Where were you on May 10th, two years ago?”
“You don’t really expect me to remember that, do you? As I generally recall we were here in South Bend, beginning to oversee our new offices. Unless you can prove otherwise I think our discussion is over.” Granville began walking to the door. “This is the way out.”
“You just might be seeing me again,” Todd said. “I can be a bulldog, hanging on after a good bite.”
“They shoot rabid dogs, don’t they? Good day, sir.”
Todd was not finished with his agitating. In the downstairs lobby when he had entered the building he saw that Managing Director, Stuart Mencken’s, office was on the second floor, so down the stairs he went. Mencken’s secretary did not beat around the bush. She told him she had orders to not let him see her boss. Apparently after Todd left Granville’s office he had phoned Mencken.
Todd had not seen any kind of cafeteria in the building, so he reasoned Mencken would be going out some place for lunch. The newspaper articles he had read on Nancy Skylar’s computer also had pictures of both Granville and Mencken, so Todd knew he would be looking for a portly bald-headed man to emerge from the building.
Two hours later Todd was rewarded. There he was. He intercepted the man before he could get to his car.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Mencken said. “You’re that investigator guy. Robert warned me about you.”
“Innocent people don’t usually have to hide.”
“Robert told me you’re into some crazy thing about us having killed that woman who testified against us at the trial.”
“That’s right. Did you kill Ma Blessing?”
For some reason Mencken paused as if he were under oath and his answer could have heavy consequences. Then he gave a fake smile and said, “Of course not. We’re not in the murder business.”
“Your company’s polluting of Calypso’s water killed eighteen people. I’d say your company is for sure in the murder business. You’re probably doing the same thing here in South Bend.”
“I can have you arrested for harassment. Get out of my way.”
As Mencken drove away, Todd evaluated the difference in the reactions of the two people. Granville stayed self-assured while Mencken seemed a little shaken. Todd knew now whom he would keep concentrating on.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The next morning Flip woke Todd at a more decent hour, eight o’clock, to go out for their breakfast at McDonald’s.
Waiting for their order, Todd asked Flip how his interview with Lulu went.
“It went fine. She didn’t seem to really remember anything else that could contribute to these killings, but gosh I enjoy talking with her. I really like her.”
“How does she feel about you?”
“She likes me, but not as much as I like her. I’m able to talk to her about everything. I feel so comfortable when I’m with her. She listens and doesn’t judge. I want to ask her out, but I’m afraid. What if she says, no?”
“What if she says, yes?”
“That would be fantastic.”
“Then go with that thought. She is going to say, yes.”
“You’re good to talk to also, Todd.”
Todd hadn’t eaten much during his trip to South Bend yesterday, so he was hungry. Eggs, sausage and pancakes did the trick. Flip had his usual bags of fries and today even two additional orders of onion rings, clogging up those arteries. During the meal Todd told Flip about his meetings with Granville and Mencken. Flip agreed that Mencken was the one to pursue.
“I know I’m like that guy,” Flip said. “I get too easily afraid. I wish I could change.”
“You might. You have your whole life in front of you.”
Now walking back to the car, Flip was his usual polite self. “Let me get that door for you,” he said. The first time they had been together he insisted on holding doors open for Todd. “I’m younger than you, and I’ve always been taught to respect my elders.”
“I’m not much older than you, Flip. It’s not like I’m getting ready to be a grandfather.”
“That doesn’t matter. Older is older. My mother taught me well. I’m never going to disappoint her.”
Flip stepped in front of Todd to grab the handle of the car door. Suddenly he started to topple sideways. Todd hadn’t seen anything the kid has slipped on.
Flip hit the ground hard. Todd could now see blood spurting from the side of his head. The next second was pure reaction. Todd hit the ground flat. At the same two bullets pinged off the door next to where he had been standing a second ago. Flip wasn’t moving. The top of his head had disappeared. Was that stuff his brain matter? He had to be dead. Todd crawled under the car as more bullets sprayed the sand.
Lying there, he was able to pull out his gun. He waited. He heard a crow calling somewhere behind him, but that was the only sound.
He waited five more minutes, and then slowly began to push his body out. He would go two feet and stop, two more feet and stop. Now he was fully exposed out from under the car, but there were no more shots.
Just to make sure, he crawled over to Flip and felt for a pulse. There was none. The kid had died saving his life.
/> Todd couldn’t stop the tears.
Todd now knew for sure that he wasn’t going to leave this town until he found the killer of this kid. Flip’s dreams about Lulu were exploded in one half-a-second. What a waste.
This time he called Wendy to come out with the hearse. Her eyes also watered when she saw the young kid stretched out in the hot sun. Flies were already buzzing and landing. “What the hell happened here?” she asked.
“Being his usual polite self, Flip stepped in front of me to open the car door. The bullet was not meant for him.”
“He always did the same thing for me. It was irritating but very nice. It’s a trite thing to say, but we never know when our time is up.”
“Someone knew I was getting too close, but who?”
“I want you to find the answer to that question.”
“You’re damn right I will.”
After Wendy left, Todd’s first thought was to go tell Lulu. The girl should not hear it second-hand from anyone else.
The look of horror and then abject sadness on her face was almost worse than the killing itself. At least Flip would no longer feel pain; Lulu’s pain was just beginning.
She flopped down on a barstool. “I wanted him to ask me out. He was such a sweet and sincere guy, that a couple times I wanted to ask him out myself. I told you once that Flip was an idiot, but really he was a nice loving idiot. I can’t believe I was talking to him yesterday, and that was the last conversation we would ever have. I thought a couple times he was going to ask me out.”
“He told me you didn’t have anything to add about the other killings.”
“Yes, he said he was officially there to talk to me about the investigation, but he wasn’t fooling me. I knew he was there to talk to me, and I felt flattered. And the odd thing was in typical style instead of asking me police questions he himself began talking about the shootings the last two years.”
“What did he say?”
“He mentioned how accurate the shots were. Only one shot was needed for the kill shot. Flip said he knew only one person who could shoot like that. Murray Botcher. Flip said he knew Murray since grade school, and the last couple years he would go hunting with him. Flip said Murray could bring down any animal with one shot, even a deer sprinting away.”
“What does Murray do now? Is he still in town?
“Very much so. In the last month he has asked me out at least five times. A couple of those times, Flip was sitting there with me. Each time Murray called Flip an insulting name and walked away. Flip, as was his character, took it in silence. That’s why I won’t go out with Murray. Deep down, he doesn’t care if he hurts a person. Flip told me that sometimes he thought Murray took extreme pleasure in killing the animals when they were hunting together. One time he stood with his foot on a dead deer’s carcass and proclaimed himself king of the world.”
Todd had a new thought. Possibly that first shot was not meant for him. Flip was the target, and then the additional shots were just a cover-up to make him think the killer was out to get the new sheriff.
“Let me ask you, Lulu, was there any connection in the past of Murray Botcher to either Ma Blessing or Walt Fosdick?”
“Well, for one thing, two years ago he tried to slip into the bar to sneak a drink, but Walt caught him. Walt knew Murray was underage and literally threw him out the door. He landed with his face in the mud, and the whole bar had a good laugh at it while Murray crept away.”
“How about Ma Blessing?”
“Not really. Wait. Oh yeah, it was connected to that kid Hiram she took care of for a while. Murray would bully him on the school playground. Ma showed up one day and led Murray out of the area by his ear to the principal’s office. She didn’t let go of that ear all the way there. It was quite humiliating I would think to be called out by an old lady. Murray was definitely not friends with both Ma and Walt.”
Todd decided to talk to Murray himself. Asking a few people, he found the drifter on a street corner with a couple buddies harassing the girls as they walked by. Todd strode right up to the scruffy-shaven long haired lad and said, “I wonder if you shot at me earlier this morning.”
The lips moved into a sneer. “If I would have shot at you, I wouldn’t have missed.”
“You didn’t miss Flip Carbon.”
“I heard about that. Such sorrow I felt. Lulu deserved better than that loser.”
“And now you have a straight path to her.”
“Oh, ho, maybe I’ve upset your own plans. You might want to do her yourself.”
“The only ‘do’ she’s ever going to engage in with you would be to push your face into the grassy dew.”
Todd had made the mistake of engaging in childish banter, so he walked away. That kid really got to him.
This was not the last time Todd would be facing Murray Botcher.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The next morning Todd was coming out of McDonald’s having finished his breakfast alone without Flip. He had never realized how much Flip brightened his day by being his protégé but mainly by his own straightforward personality.
Down the road, Todd saw a crowd of people. First of all, it was unusual to see a bunch of people out on the street. The entire town did not seem that social. Secondly, they all seemed to be striding toward some purposeful destination at nine A.M. Todd stopped one of the travelers to ask.
“We’re going to the Mirror Speedway. Murray has challenged Lulu to a duel.”
“Why is that such a big deal?”
“They both have the two hottest car in the county. They always win the races they enter separately, but they’ve never raced against each other. This is to determine the champion.”
This was something Todd wanted to see.
Lulu’s car was lime green with a white tracing stripe on the side; Murray’s vehicle was black and he was dressed totally in the same color. The sun was beating down at this time of the day right on the road. Just looking straight ahead as a spectator Todd could hardly see, even with his sunglasses. The drivers were not allowed to wear shades. The glare in their eyes was simply an added obstacle to the race. This was why the races were held during the morning hours and not at night one of the other spectators told Todd. Noon of course the sun would be too far overhead.
As Murray was getting into his car, Lulu revved up her engine. He turned toward her.
“You think you’re hot stuff,” he said.
“At least a notch above you, Murray-man,” she replied.
There was a man in a silk blue suit standing at the starting line ready to blow a horn.
“Who is that spiffy dresser?” Todd asked.
“That’s Ernst Dante. He’s the mayor.”
“I’ve been here a few days, and I’ve never seen him.”
“Almost no one sees him. He comes out for these big events. No one knows what work he really does, but right around election times he suddenly appears. He’s great with words and convinces everyone that he should be mayor for another two years.”
“How long has he been mayor?”
“Let’s see, this will be his twelfth year.”
“Wow, his words must be persuasive.”
“Not that persuasive. It’s just that people around here like a pattern.”
It was getting to be a pattern that Todd had heard about the idea of patterns here in Calypso.
Dante blew his horn, and with a screech and smoking tires both cars shot away. The raceway was one giant circle with the spectators in the middle so everyone could see the entire race. Todd was told three times around was the contest.
At the beginning Murray pulled out into the lead and coming around the first turn was now a couple car lengths ahead. Lulu called upon her beast and it gradually crept up. They both slowed down at the next turn as the sun glare hit them. Now swinging around the homestretch of the first lap Lulu was almost even and looking to pass. Suddenly Murray pulled into her lane bumping her front fender with his rear one. Lulu’s car swerved. Tod
d could see her fighting the wheel for control. She got that control and was back on the track, but now she was four car lengths behind.
“Is that legal what Murray just did?” Todd asked the kid next to him.
“Anything goes in a race. Some people have ended up in the hospital, but so far no one’s been killed. Maybe today will be the day,” he said gleefully.
In the second lap, Murray maintained his lead with Lulu gaining slightly. Now for the final lap she seemed to put it into that overdrive gear which caused her car to spurt to within a car length of the black phantom. “There she goes!” someone shouted, and sure enough Lulu was making another attempt to pass. There was only a half lap to go.
Murray being Murray again started to turn into her lane. This time, though, Lulu slammed on her brakes. Instead of hitting her car, Murray’s momentum carried his vehicle far into the next lane, almost off the track. Lulu took advantage of the new open space and sped by him. Murray could not recover and finished three car lengths behind at the finish line.
The crowd kept cheering as Lulu climbed out of her green machine. Murray didn’t even get out of his car, but simply drove away back toward town.
After the crowd around Lulu dispersed a bit, Todd walked up to her. “Lulu, that was a great move you made at the end.”
“I knew Murray was going to do that same maneuver. There’s one thing about the people in this town. They--.”
Todd interrupted her. “They like a pattern.”
“You’re learning. Murray’s whole personality is underhanded. He can’t win fair and square.”
“Well, congratulations.”
“I still feel bad about Flip’s death. Have you made any progress at finding the killer?”
“Still working on it. I told you I wouldn’t quit until I can put him in jail.”
“I believe you. That’s probably your pattern, fighting for justice.”
“What’s yours?”
“I don’t think I have one. That’s why I don’t fit in here, and like I told you I’m looking to get out as quickly as I can. I decided to charge the upstairs people at the bar more money, and they actually paid. I think I can get out of town in just a couple months now.”
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