I pulled up in front of the Colonel’s house. Lou and I jumped from Lightning almost before it stopped. We rushed to the door and rapped as loudly as we could. In a few seconds, a man we didn’t recognize answered the door.
“We’ve come to see the Colonel.”
“You must be Cy and Lou. I’m Buck’s friend Joe. Martha has just gone to call you. We’re worried. Buck and I’ve a standing appointment for 3:00 each Monday afternoon. Neither of us ever cancels without notifying the other. I got here right at 3:00, rang the bell. Buck didn’t answer, so I walked around back, thinking he might be in the backyard or on the enclosed back porch. No Buck. So, I came back and rang again, thinking he might be in the bathroom. Still no answer. Then, I called him on the phone.”
As the man progressed with his story, his face grew more downcast.
I heard a noise and looked up. Martha came running up to us.
“Did Joe tell you? We can’t find Buck. He doesn’t answer his office phone, his cell phone, or my knock at the library door. We’re worried.”
“We’ll check it out. You two wait here.”
“But it takes a key to get into his office. Buck has the only keys.”
“He used to have the only keys. He gave one to me last week when we were here. Now, wait here until one of us comes back for you.”
Like well-trained dogs, both of them stayed while Lou and I rushed to the library door to try the key. I looked up at the camera that could tell me nothing. Well, as far as I knew it couldn’t tell me anything. I slid the key into the lock and turned it.
The Colonel lay on the floor in front of his desk, facing toward us, but with his head bent toward the desk. We rushed over to him and felt his pulse. For the first time since my wife died, I cried. Lou and I embraced, then wiped away our tears. As we entered the front hall, the looks on our faces told everything.
Martha came running to us, yelling, “No. No. It can’t be.”
I grabbed her by her arms, keeping her from entering the library.
“He’s gone, but we don’t know what caused it. I can’t let you go in yet. I’ve to call the medical examiner and have him check the Colonel. Regardless, it’s best that you stay out of the library.”
Once again, reluctantly, the Colonel’s wife and his friend abided by our wishes. Martha pointed toward a phone in the living room. I made a call I never expected to or wanted to make.
Assured that the Colonel’s wife and friend would stay put, Lou and I reentered the library to see what we could see. We were too upset the first time to notice that the Colonel clutched a Bible. Several index cards were placed in various places in the Colonel’s Bible. Four others had fallen from the Bible and were lying next to the body. Were these the clues the Colonel promised to leave us? Time would tell.
The two of us returned to the grieving widow and her husband’s friend. We decided to wait with them until reinforcements arrived.
Evidently my years as a cop allowed me to operate in a proper manner, even though I wasn’t thinking clearly. In addition to Frank Harris, the medical examiner, I summoned our good friend George Michelson to bring some help, and Louie Palona, the department’s expert on gadgets and technology. George would bring as many officers as would be needed, and Frank would see that the lab boys and fingerprint experts were alerted.
Everyone arrived within minutes of each other. Once everyone had arrived, we left Officer Dan Davis to see to Martha and Joe’s comforts, and to see that no one left the hall and living room area. As others who lived there arrived, Officer Davis was instructed to keep everyone in the area. There would be rooms to check before anyone left the immediate vicinity.
I gathered into the library all those who were there to work.
“As many of you know, the Colonel was a special friend to Lou and me. Still, we don’t expect anything from you that we wouldn’t expect if a stranger were murdered.
“Frank, we’d like to know as soon as possible if the Colonel was murdered. How can come later. If needs to come as soon as possible.
“Those of you dusting for prints, first, I’d like for you to dust the Bible, the desk, the door we entered, and the secret exit I will show you. I doubt if you find anything, but we want to know. Please do the Bible first, then hand it to me. It might contain clues, if there was a murder.
“George, we need a team to check all the upstairs bedrooms to see if you find anything suspicious. We want to do this as soon as possible, so that those who live here can get back to their lives as best they can under the circumstances. We also need someone else to stay with Officer Davis to see that no one leaves the house or wanders through it.
“Louie, more than likely you saw a camera mounted outside the door. You might already know this, but the camera works on motion. I want you to look at what transpired from the time the Colonel opened that door this morning until I opened it a little after three. If you don’t find anything, and I don’t think you will, I want to know if anyone has tampered with the camera. Also, there is a secret passageway that was to have been known to no one but the Colonel. We’d like for you to examine it, and tell us how easy it would be for someone to tamper with it.”
“Lou and I plan to question the widow and then wait for Frank’s diagnosis. Any questions?”
No one spoke up or raised a hand.
“Okay, let’s go to work.”
I motioned for Louie to join Lou and me.
“I want you to check the camera first, but as soon as the print guys get through dusting the Bible, I want to show both of you the secret passageway. After you check out the camera, give the Colonel’s apparatus in the passageway a going over.”
By the time I finished giving Louie his additional instructions, the print crew were through with the Bible. There were no prints on it, other than the Colonel’s, so Lou wrapped it and secured it. It wouldn’t leave our person.
After seeing that everyone understood his or her job, Lou and I left to talk to Martha. I was sure she was wondering what was going on.
“Martha, we need a room to talk to you privately.”
She ushered us down the hall to the family room at the other end of the house.
“Is this okay?”
“It’s fine. Let’s have a seat.”
“Cy, why are all these policemen here? Didn’t Buck die of a heart attack?”
“We don’t know yet, but what we do know is that the Colonel summoned Lou and me here last week because he had received a death threat.”
Martha gasped.
“A death threat. And he didn’t tell me.”
“Whoever threatened the Colonel’s life was someone who has access to this house. Who has keys to the house?”
“But it couldn’t be anyone with a key. Only those of us who live here have keys. There must be another explanation.”
“First of all, remember that we’re working on the assumption that the Colonel was murdered. We don’t know that yet. There were no marks on his body, at least none that we saw. We just know that someone threatened his life, so we are proceeding in this manner. Of course there could be another explanation. Do you ever leave a door unlocked?”
“No. At least not on purpose.”
“What about leaving a key for a workman?”
“No, one of us was always here if someone was expected.”
“Do you or your granddaughters ever leave your purses on the table by the front door, or does anyone ever leave a key there?”
“My granddaughters. I’d forgotten all about them. What will they think when they get home?”
“Someone will stay with them. They’ll be okay. Now, answer my question.”
“I forgot what it was.”
“Is there ever a purse or a key on the table by the front door?”
“Oh, uh, no. Not that I can remember. Oh, Cy, there has to be some other explanation.”
“Let me level with you, Martha. Because Lou and I were special friends of the Colonel, I don’t know if we will be allo
wed to pursue the case or not, but if so, we’ll have to ask each of you some tough questions. Remember, there’s nothing personal. We’re just doing our job the best we can.”
“I understand.”
“Okay, where were you today?”
“I went shopping at the mall.”
“Did anyone go with you, or did you see anyone you know while you were there?”
“Oh, I can’t remember if I saw anyone or not. I’m so confused now. But I can tell you that I went alone.”
“And what time did you leave, and when did you return?”
“At Buck’s request, I left shortly after I talked to you, so I got to the mall shortly after it opened, at 10:00. I shopped, ate lunch there, shopped some more, and got home a little after 3:00. Buck was out this morning. Do you think someone accosted him when he got home, followed him into the house? That would allow for someone getting into the house without a key.”
“I doubt it. If so, that someone will show up on the camera following the Colonel into the library. We’ll find that out in time. In the meantime, tell me about when you got home.”
“As I pulled in the drive, I saw Joe walking away from the house.”
“Any way of knowing if he had been inside the house?”
“Oh, Joe wouldn’t do anything. He’s Buck’s best friend.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that you can’t say if Joe had been in the house, and more than likely, he can’t say if you returned from the mall early.”
“You don’t think I killed him?”
“No, I don’t, but all possibilities have to be pursued, at least until we get a lead. Now, why don’t we go back and join the others. Don’t say anything about what we talked about, and we may have to talk to you some more later.”
We returned to the living room and experienced a double reunion of sorts. All of the house’s occupants had returned, and the Chief was waiting for Lou and me. Seldom has the Chief graced the scene of a murder investigation, and I thought I knew why he had chosen to do so this time.
In a matter of seconds, Lou and I had returned to the room we’d just left, this time with the Chief in tow.
“How’s it going so far?”
“We’re just getting started, Chief, but as you can see, everyone is already hard at work.”
“Yes, I’m impressed. I think you know why I’m here. I know the deceased was a friend of yours. Frank just told me he thinks it was murder, so now I want to know if you think you can handle this like any other case, or do you want me to call in someone from the outside?”
“It’ll be hard, Chief, but I think Lou and I’ll be okay. If things begin to be too much for us, I’ll let you know. But we’d like a chance to solve this one.”
The Chief looked at Lou, who nodded in agreement.
“Okay, it’s yours for the time being. I’m not putting any time limit on you, but I’ll be watching. If I feel the strain is too much for you, I’m calling someone else in. Understand?”
“Of course we do, Chief.”
“Now, get busy, but don’t burn the midnight oil. I’m going home. If you need anything, you’ve got my number.”
We left the room. The Chief walked toward the front door. Lou and I headed to the library. As it turned out, Frank had more information.
Frank looked up as we entered the room and motioned for us to come over. He’d found a mark on the Colonel’s throat that resembled a pin prick. His guess was that the Colonel was shot with a blowgun or some such apparatus, only the poisoned dart was nowhere to be found. Louie complicated things even more when he reported that the camera showed that no one had entered or left the room between the time the Colonel left the room at 8:53, and when Lou and I unlocked the door at 3:23, and to the best of his knowledge no one had circumvented the Colonel’s invention that kept others from entering the library through the passageway. Louie said someone could’ve done it, but it would’ve taken far longer than a murderer would’ve wanted to remain in the house. Because the camera was operational, and the Colonel hadn’t entered the library through the customary door, that meant that when he returned from his errand that he had entered the library through the secret passageway. But why that way, instead of the way he usually entered? Could it be that someone held a weapon on the Colonel and forced his or her way into the library and didn’t want to be photographed in the process? Still, that didn’t compute, either. If someone had forced the Colonel into the library and shot him with a poisoned dart, how did that person get out? Only the Colonel knew how to open the passageway exit from the inside, and no one was hiding in the room below. Officers had checked that area thoroughly. I continued to look for a scenario where someone could’ve entered and exited the room without anyone knowing. Oh, where was John Dickson Carr, the author of the locked room mysteries, when I needed him?
While we were no closer to solving the case, a new development transpired just after we found out this information. An officer knocked on the library door and informed me that there was a man at the front door who wanted to talk to the man in charge. Curious, Lou and I followed the officer to the front door.
I opened the door and eyeballed the man who stood there. He was of medium height and weight and looked to be around my age. As far as I knew, he was no one I’d seen before.
“Are you the officer in charge?”
“I might be. And who might you be?”
“I’m Bob Downey. I live next door. Did something happen here today?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, there seems to be a lot of police here, many of them in uniform.”
“Maybe we’re having a meeting about the policeman’s fund.”
“Listen, I’ve some information you might be interested in.”
“Such as?”
“Such as I saw someone enter this house this afternoon. Someone I’d never seen before, and someone who looked out of place here.”
“Go on.”
“See, this house sets back farther from the street than mine does, so I’ve a good view of this porch. Well, I was walking by my window when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A man was almost at the front door of this house, almost where I am now. What caused me to stop and look was that not only didn’t I recognize him, but he looked out of place on this street. See, he had long, unkempt hair and a beard. I thought he was a bum, and he’d come to my house next, so I was surprised when he removed a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and entered the house. At least, that’s what it look like happened. Someone could have admitted him, but I think he used a key. Just in case something’s missing, I wanted to report him. I hope I’m not getting an innocent man in trouble.”
“No, you did the right thing. Would you recognize the man, if you saw him again?”
“I doubt it. He didn’t turn and look at me. He just went about his business and opened the door, just like anyone else would. He didn’t seem to be nervous. I wouldn’t have thought another thing about it if I hadn’t looked out a few minutes ago and seen some policemen heading to this house.”
“Back to this man. What about his age? Hair color? Type of clothes he wore?”
“I’m sorry. I think he had light brown hair, and my guess is he was a young man, but other than that, I can’t say.”
“And you didn’t see him leave?”
“No, I figured once he used the key that meant he belonged here. I didn’t give it another thought until I saw some officers heading to this house. I debated with myself on whether or not I should report him. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t any of the men who live here, so I decided to report it and let you do whatever you think is best.”
“You did the right thing, Mr. Downey. I’ll let you know if we have any other questions. Oh, one other thing. Did you see this man or any other stranger on the street about a week ago or at any other time since?”
“No. Normally this street has very little activity. That’s one of the reasons I chose it when I moved here a couple of years ago
.”
Again, I thanked Downey for his information, closed the door, and wondered where this fit in. Was there a long-haired man, or was Downey our murderer and he had come forward to pass the blame on to someone else before he became a suspect. Time would tell.
The rest of the evening passed with no new developments. Nothing out of the ordinary was found in an upstairs search. I talked to each of the house’s residents and found no one who acted guilty, but that didn’t surprise me. No one acted guilty when Lou and I showed up for dinner, and a guilty person might’ve known why we were there those two nights.
When we’d finished going over the house, we allowed everyone to go to his or her room before Frank removed the body and everyone left the house. Lou and I were the last to leave. It had grown dark by the time we left.
For the third time that day, we arrived at the Blue Moon late for a meal. Thelma, like Rosie before her, was worried about us. We ate an uneventful meal and left. It was time to rest. The next day there was more work to be done.
Chapter Ten
I saw no reason to suppress the news, so the next morning all of Hilldale who read The Hilldale Herald knew of the Colonel’s death. As I took a shower, I mulled over any possible actions Lou and I might take. We could go back to the house. We could canvass the neighborhood again to see if anyone other than Downey saw a stranger in the neighborhood, or Lou and I could go over the Colonel’s Bible to see what clues it held for us. I could do any of those, but first I took out my notebook and called Sam Schumann, the best investigator in the business.
“This is Sam I Am, dining on green eggs and ham.”
“Hasn’t that stuff killed you yet?”
“I was wondering the same thing about that greasy spoon you and Lou call home. How are you this morning, Cy? I read the paper. I think I know why you’re calling. It’s time for me to go to work. Right?”
“That’s why I’ve come to you, Sam. You’re the best. If anyone can make our job easier, you’re the man.”
“Okay. Shoot. Who do you want me to check out?”
“I hope you have a lot of paper, Sam, because this may take a while.”
3 Murder In The Library Page 6