“Good idea.” Ruth made a beeline for the clipboard, snatching it off the counter. “There are six vans registered, which are either gray or a dark color with one of those numbers.” She reached for a stack of post-its and a pen. “Three are in the Neptune zone. Two are in Vulcan, and the last one is in Eclipse. I’ll jot down the lot numbers.”
Gloria began to pace. “We’ll split up to cover more ground. Has everyone seen the sketch the police released?”
“I haven’t,” Eleanor said.
Lucy whipped out her cell phone. “I have the story about the boy who went missing from the park.” She tapped the screen and then handed her phone to Eleanor.
“He reminds me of a hippie biker.” Eleanor studied the picture before handing the phone back. “I’m game. We need to take down this perp.”
Gloria spun in a slow circle. “Since Margaret, Lucy and I are all part of the convention team, it won’t appear suspicious if we make the rounds checking on attendees.”
It was decided Gloria and Eleanor would team up, searching the Neptune zone. Margaret and Ruth would cover Eclipse. Dot and Lucy would cover Vulcan’s rustic camping area.
“Daylight is burning,” Eleanor rubbed her hands together. “Let’s get this mission underway.”
“The plan is to meet back here in an hour to compare notes,” Gloria said.
“Got it.” Lucy gave a thumbs up.
Eleanor fell into step with Gloria, slowing every few feet when something or someone…caught her eye.
“The place is a prime location for people-watching,” Gloria joked.
“No kidding.” Eleanor gawked at a man dressed in black from head to toe. His lightsaber sliced through the air as he jabbed at another saber holder, this one wearing a silver astronaut suit and sporting a white space helmet.
“Yoo-hoo.” A woman waved frantically and hurried across her campsite. “Are you one of the convention staff?”
“We are.”
“I bought some special ointment at one of the vendor booths. The lady told me to rub it on my ears. She guaranteed it would take care of my tinnitus.”
“Your ears were ringing?” Gloria asked.
“Yes, and now look what’s happened.” The woman pulled her hair back to reveal a red ear lobe. “My ear feels like it’s on fire. Touch it.”
Gloria hesitated.
Eleanor placed a light finger on the woman’s ear lobe. “It’s hot all right. Did you go back there to tell Rose…er…the vendor what happened?”
“Yes. She wasn’t there. I tried the office, and Ruth wasn’t in either.”
“They’re back now,” Gloria said.
“Fascinating,” Eleanor murmured as she studied the woman’s ear. “I tried the ointment too. It didn’t bother my ears one bit. Did it help with the tinnitus?”
“Yeah, but the pain in my ears is even worse than having them ringing.”
Gloria repeated that Rose had returned. She wished the woman luck, and they continued walking.
Eleanor began to hum. “Ruth must be in hog heaven.”
“She’s too stressed out to enjoy it,” Gloria said. “Which is kind of sad.”
The women reached the end of the first aisle and turned the corner. There, parked along the side, was a navy blue van, license plate BKT 923.
“There’s a dark-colored van,” Eleanor said. “Check out the license plate.”
Gloria cautiously approached the domed tent pitched in front of the van. “Hello? Anybody here?”
A dark-haired woman stepped out of the tent.
“Hello. I’m Gloria. We’re part of the convention courtesy team and thought we would stop by to check on you and to answer any questions you may have.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” The woman held up a finger. She disappeared inside the tent and emerged moments later. She handed Gloria a sandwich bag. “I know how hard all of you have been working and thought I would share a favorite food of mine as a token of my appreciation for all that you’re doing.”
Gloria eyed the small fish swimming in oil and surrounded by what looked like pimento olives. “Thank you. What is this?”
“It’s my go-to food when I’m on a case.” The woman pulled a business card from her front pocket and handed it to Gloria. Great Lakes Cold Case Team. Penelope Victor.
“You’re a private investigator,” Gloria said.
“I am. I specialize in cold case investigations.” Penelope pointed to the sandwich bag. “My sardine and olive combination packs a lot of punch as far as protein and healthy eating. There’s a pinch of garlic and hot pepper flakes, so you might want to sample one before devouring the rest.” She thumped her chest. “They’ve been known to cause heartburn.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Gloria handed the bag to Eleanor. “Are you enjoying the convention?”
“I am.” The woman leaned in and lowered her voice. “I have to say these alien aficionados…cuckoo…cuckoo.”
“They’re an interesting bunch.”
“I see you’re from Indiana.” Gloria pointed to the van’s license plate.
“Yes. The drive up here wasn’t too bad, which is another reason I was interested in this convention. Leonard has hosted them in Nevada for the last few years, but I can’t do the drive anymore. I was thrilled when I found out Ruth was named director and planned this event.”
“She certainly has some expertise in surveillance,” Gloria said.
“I’ve consulted Ruth on some of my cases. She’s a whiz when it comes to surveillance and spy equipment,” Penelope said. “She has a lot of practice helping her snoopy friend solve cases.”
Eleanor made a choking sound.
“Ruth’s friend?”
“I think her name is Gail.”
“Gloria?” Gloria asked.
“Yes.” The woman snapped her fingers. “That’s it. I guess they go way back.”
“They do.” Gloria could feel her face grow warm. “Your van looks like it’s good for traveling.”
“It is. Would you like to see the setup? It’s part travel and part surveillance.” The woman slid the center door open and pointed out several of the surveillance features.
“It’s very nice. How roomy is the back?”
“The storage in the back?” The woman’s eyes slid to the side. “Not bad. I would show you, but I have a lot of junk.”
“I don’t mind.”
The woman slammed the side door shut. “I’m sorry. It’s a mess.”
Gloria thanked the woman for the sardines and olives. Eleanor waited until they were a safe distance away. “Penelope Victor was off my radar until she refused to show us the back of her van.”
“My warning radar went up too,” Gloria said. “She was adamant about us not seeing the back of her van. The only thing is, the cops already searched the vehicles, including Penelope’s van.”
Eleanor shrugged. “Who’s to say she wasn’t tipped off that the police were searching vehicles and ditched potential evidence before they got to her?”
“Good point. It’s possible,” Gloria agreed.
“What are you going to do with the fish?”
“Give it to Paul. He can take it deer hunting.”
“Ick.” Eleanor lifted the bag. “The little fishies are staring at me. Poor little fellas.”
The next stop was two campsites down where they found a late model van, this one a metallic gray with Michigan plates, parked near the road. The women circled the van, and Gloria glanced at the license plate. “This one doesn’t have a three or an eight. There’s always a chance Bea is wrong. I don’t see anyone around. Let’s try the van.” She crept to the side of the conversion van and cast a glance inside the window. “The windows are tinted.”
“I think I hear something.” Eleanor joined her. “I’ll run around and take a quick look in the driver’s side.” She darted around the side of the vehicle while Gloria shifted to the left.
She shaded her eyes and peered into the rear cargo window. The tinted windows made
it difficult to see. There was something propped against the back of the driver’s seat. It looked like a children’s bike. “Eleanor…”
Thump. A set of snarling teeth flew at the window. She stumbled backward, colliding with a burly man who was standing directly behind her.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Chapter 12
“I asked you a question. What are you doing?”
Gloria regained her balance, coming face-to-face with the scowling man.
“I…uh…I’m one of the convention volunteers. I’m making my rounds checking on attendees. I thought I heard a noise coming from the van.”
The dog inside the van began barking loudly.
Eleanor barreled around the corner. “There’s a dog inside the van.”
“I cracked the window. He’s fine. Besides, this is none of your business.”
“I should call animal control,” Eleanor snapped.
“Try it, you old hag.”
Gloria stepped between them. “We didn’t come here to pick a fight…only to check on the guests.”
“You have a funny way of showing it,” the man said. “I’m fine. The dog’s fine. You can leave now.”
“Perfect. We’ll be on our way Mr…”
“Mr. None of Your Business.”
Gloria bit back a smart reply. She grabbed Eleanor’s arm and they marched off the campsite.
“What a jerk,” Eleanor fumed. “What’s up with the dog in the van? Doesn’t he know how dangerous it is to leave an animal inside a vehicle?”
“If he hadn’t shown up, I might’ve tried the van door. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t since I’m thinking the dog possesses the same disposition as his owner,” Gloria said. “What was his lot number? I want to look him up later.”
Eleanor did an about-face. She hurried back to the site, took a quick look at the number on the post and ran back to where Gloria stood waiting. “Eighteen.”
They stopped to answer a couple of questions before reaching the final cluster of campsites in the Neptune zone. The next van that matched the criteria – both in color and with a license plate containing either a three or eight, was empty. The van’s doors were locked, and there was no one in sight.
“We need to check this one out when we get back up front,” Eleanor waited for Gloria to join her.
“Three vans – all needing a little more investigating, including Penelope and Mr. None of Your Business.”
“Who deserves to be investigated because of his crappy attitude,” Eleanor said.
“I think it’s time to get down to business and do a little online digging around.” Gloria abruptly stopped. “Eleanor, you’re brilliant.”
“I am? I mean, I am. What did I do?”
“Online searches. If I’m not mistaken, Ruth and the NASCA group have an online page and a website where they share tips and information.”
“Which means we might be able to glean more information about the van owners by checking out their profiles,” Eleanor said.
“And social engagement.” Gloria picked up the pace, and they hurried back to the office.
Margaret and Ruth were already there. Dot and Lucy showed up moments later. “No luck. There were two vans matching the suspect’s vehicle. One was empty, with no one around. The other was owned by a little old lady from Pasadena,” Lucy said.
“She was from Madison, Wisconsin,” Dot chuckled. “Definitely off the radar as a suspect.”
“Although I’m almost certain she was secretly recording our conversation,” Lucy said. “What about you, Margaret?”
“Eh.” Margaret lifted her hand and teetered it back and forth. “The only one in our section was a man in his mid-forties. He’s from the UP and spent the entire time talking about creating some sort of special deer feed to track deer during hunting season.”
“I think that would be considered deer baiting,” Lucy said. “We should report him.”
“What do you think the chances are that he successfully creates a bait with tracking capabilities?” Gloria asked.
“Nil to none.”
“Then I think the deer are safe…at least for now,” Gloria said. “Did he fit the description?”
“Nope. He was bald.”
“But we can’t rule out the perpetrator wearing a wig,” Ruth pointed out.
“Which puts him back on the list.” Gloria told them about their encounters with Penelope, Mr. None of Your Business and finding the third van locked with no one around. “This means all three will need additional investigation. Eleanor gave me a great idea.” She motioned to Ruth. “We need to learn more about your online NASCA group.”
“It’s a site devoted to surveillance and spy stuff. We share ideas, post new gadgets for sale, review stuff we bought.”
“Is there a chat room?”
“There is.”
“Perfect. I want to hop onto the site and check out the people in question. First, we need to verify the names.”
“No problem.” Ruth plopped down on the stool and reached for the mouse. “It’s a fairly active group. I’ve made some great friends over the past couple of years.”
“Speaking of friends, your friend, Penelope Victor, matches the attempted abductor profile – at least her vehicle and license plate matches.”
Ruth’s eyes shot up. “Penelope?”
Gloria turned to Eleanor. “Give Ruth the goods.”
“Gladly.” Eleanor held out the plastic bag of sardines and olives. “This is for you.”
“Sardines?” Ruth wrinkled her nose.
“Penelope gave them to us as a thank you for helping with the convention. She said these are great for stakeouts.”
“I’m not going to eat this.” Ruth attempted to hand them back.
“She also said something about you having a snoopy friend who is always getting into trouble. She thought her name was Gail.”
“I…uh. I have no idea what Penelope is talking about.” Ruth averted her eyes. “Any takers on this? If not, I’m deep-sixing it.”
“You’re going to toss it in the trash? I hate to see you throw them away. Maybe Paul will eat them.” Gloria grabbed the bottom of the bag, the fish squishing between her fingers. She held the bag at arm’s length and set it on the edge of the counter.
“I have the NASCA website pulled up. Where do you want to start?”
Gloria pressed her palms together as she studied the home page. “Let’s start with the owners of the vans we weren’t able to track down.”
Ruth consulted her clipboard. “Mavis Davis and husband, Dean. Mavis is a NASCA member.”
Gloria pulled her reading glasses from her purse and slipped them on. “Mavis Davis.” She studied the woman’s picture and then scanned her profile. “She’s from Romulus.”
“Detroit,” Lucy said.
“Automatic suspect,” Margaret snapped her fingers. “Detroit is the nether world of crime and corruption.”
“Margaret,” Dot shook her head. “Not everyone who lives in the Detroit area is a criminal.”
“At least seventy percent of them are,” Margaret insisted.
Gloria turned her attention to Ruth. “Have you personally met Mavis?”
“No. We’ve chatted online.”
“Which means you’ve never met her husband,” Gloria said.
“Leave them on the list of suspects,” Lucy said.
“I agree.”
Ruth rattled off the name of another van owner. “I’ve never met her, either.”
Gloria squeezed in next to Ruth and typed in the woman’s name. Nothing came up. “She’s not on the NASCA site.”
“She must be with the SPEC group,” Ruth said.
“Alien aficionado,” Margaret grunted. “Automatic suspect.”
“Really?” Dot shook her head. “C’mon Margaret. Not everyone from Detroit or who is interested in aliens is an automatic suspect.”
“Do you want my opinion or not?”
“La
dies.” Gloria waved her arms. “All we have left are the two from Neptune. Penelope and the rude man. Let’s start with your friend, Penelope.”
Ruth tapped the keys and entered Penelope’s name. A profile picture popped up along with an autobiography. “She’s a private investigator.”
“She did mention that,” Gloria said. “She specializes in cold cases.”
“Yep. I’ve helped her a few times. She’s sharp as a tack.”
Gloria scanned the woman’s profile. “This matches up to what she told Eleanor and me.”
“You think she should be on the suspect list?” Ruth asked.
“I’m on the fence.”
Eleanor spoke. “We were admiring her van, and she was showing us the center section. When Gloria asked about storage in the back, she started acting kind of funny, like she didn’t want us back there snooping around.”
“Maybe it was full of junk,” Ruth said.
“Which is what she told us. It’s plausible, but something didn’t sit right,” Gloria said. “Let’s check out the man with the dog.”
“A snarling dog, ready to tear us to shreds,” Eleanor elaborated.
“The dog was as friendly as his owner.”
“What color was the van?” Ruth asked.
“Metallic gray,” Gloria and Eleanor said in unison.
“The van belongs to John Smith.”
“John Smith? Is that name even real? Check to see if there’s a John Smith in the NASCA group.”
“Nope.” Ruth shook her head. “The name doesn’t ring a bell, either. Maybe he’s lying about his name.”
“How did he pay?” Lucy asked. “He would have to produce real identification to pay using a debit or credit card.”
“Good point.” Ruth reached for the clipboard. “You’re not going to believe this.”
Chapter 13
“You found out John Smith isn’t John Smith,” Dot guessed.
“John Smith paid in cash.”
“We need to run a check on his plates,” Gloria said. “It’s time to call Joe Nelson.”
Ruth dialed the Montbay County Sheriff’s number. “Hey, Pearl. It’s me, Ruth Carpenter. Yes, I’m here at the flea market. I’m looking for Officer Nelson.”
Alien Allure: A Garden Girls Cozy Mystery (Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series Book 23) Page 9