by Rick Polad
“I wonder if a judge would be happy with that answer,” I said.
Rosie smiled. “We may get to find out.”
Nothing made any sense and no one was helping. And no one seemed concerned. The owner of the painting didn’t want his name known and the gallery was owned by a hidden company with ties to organized crime. This wasn’t about a painting.
“How much is Harbor Nights worth?” I asked.
Rosie answered. “It was insured for two grand.”
“It was insured?”
“Yup. All of the paintings were insured for two grand by the gallery. They were their responsibility until they were picked up or sold.”
“Maybe this is about insurance fraud,” offered Stosh.
I shook my head. “If it is, I don’t see how. Certainly not worth it for two grand. And Kathleen wouldn’t be involved if it is. I’m thinking the two missing paintings are somehow connected.”
“How?” asked Stosh.
“No clue.”
“Well, when you get one, let me know.”
The missing Harbor Nights was pretty confusing, but I had a little advantage with Blue and Green. I didn’t know where the painting was, but I knew when Kathleen had hidden it. It must have been when she asked for extra time. I needed to have another chat with Paul.
Stosh set down his pencil. “You should get a call soon, Spencer. Go home and wait. After they call, we’ll talk about what to do next.” He turned to Rosie. “Lonnigan, check Pitcher’s apartment and let me know. Steele, go with Spencer and get the tap set up.”
As we stood up, Stosh’s phone rang. He answered and just listened.
“Okay, Rose. Thanks for the call.”
He turned to me. “Maxine’s back. Get going Lonnigan.”
“I’ll go with you,” I said to Rosie.
Stosh shook his head. “No you won’t. You’re going home to wait for a call.”
I walked out with Rosie. “I feel so bad, Rosie. If they have her, it’s my fault.”
“Come on, Spencer. In no way is this your fault. You had no way of knowing this would happen. We’ll find her.”
I nodded. “The sooner the better.”
She put her hand on my arm and in a soft voice said, “Spencer, I’m so sorry about Kathleen. That’s horrible.”
I felt the sadness starting to wash over me. “Yes, it is.”
“Will you be okay?”
I put my arm around her shoulder and she circled my waist with her arm. “Sure. I just need to keep working.” I didn’t want to stop thinking.
“If you want some company, let me know.”
I nodded. “I will, thanks.”
She gave me a hug and looked up at me with caring and unspoken words.
I drove home and sat on the couch staring at the phone, trying to figure out what to do after I got the call. I figured that would depend on what the caller had to say. I could try and find Blue and Green and hope the Coast Guard could find Cletis. Of course, I was assuming Cletis was alive.
Chapter 24
My phone was ringing as I opened the door. It was Stosh. Pitcher wasn’t home and her car was parked in front of her building. The lady across the hall had heard someone knock on her door about seven a.m., but didn’t hear anything else. There was nothing in Pitcher’s apartment that helped. Her purse with her police ID and badge was on her dresser.
The phone rang again at four p.m. A male voice told me he was assuming the line was tapped and the call was being traced. He assured me we wouldn’t be talking that long and he asked if I was willing to make a trade.
“If I knew what I was trading, I might.”
“Don’t get smart, Manning. Evidently you don’t care what happens to your girlfriend.”
“I care a great deal.” I glanced at Steele who had started the recorder. He twirled his finger in the air.
“Well, playing dumb isn’t going to help her.”
“I assure you I’m not playing dumb. I have no idea what you’re looking for. I wish I did.”
Silence.
“You’d better be on the level, Manning. Cuz if you aren’t, you’ll be attending your girlfriend’s funeral.”
“I assure you, I don’t want anybody dead. But I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you just tell me what it is you want?”
“How dumb do you think I am?”
I didn’t answer that. “I want to talk to her.”
He ignored me. “I’ll be in touch,” he said. “If you don’t have better answers, I’ll kill her.”
He was starting to sound impatient. I wasn’t sure how to respond and decided brutal honesty was best.
“Look. I’m telling you the truth. I have no idea what you want. I’m trying to find out but not having any luck. If you’re not going to tell me, then you just do what you have to do.”
He hung up. Steele shook his head.
“Whaddya think, P.I.?”
I moved to the couch. “I think this is nuts. What the hell does he want?”
“There’s the million-dollar question.”
I shrugged. “I’ll tell you this—I’m not sitting around waiting for this guy to call again. I’m not going to just sit on the sidelines and wait.” I had never felt so frustrated.
“I don’t think the lieutenant will agree to that.”
I looked him in the eye. “Don’t think I’ll ask.”
“And when the guy calls?”
“He’ll get the machine and whoever’s listening will hear what he has to say. And he’ll call back, just like he did this time. He doesn’t want Pitcher—he wants whatever is missing. You gonna tell the lieutenant I left?”
“At some point, I’ll have to. But if I go into the head and come out and you’re gone that’s what I’ll tell him.”
I nodded. “Thanks Steele. Appreciate it.”
“Hey. I’m not doing it for you. I’m just covering my ass.” He stood up. “Do something first. Redo your machine message. Make it twice as long and talk slow.”
I did. Then I called the Ephraim police. Paul answered.
“Hey Paul, Spencer. I’d like to take another look inside Framed. Think the chief would mind?”
He laughed. “Probably. But he’s in Green Bay till tomorrow afternoon. And he’s at a dinner at the moment, so I can’t ask.”
“Is it okay with you? You could meet me there.”
“I’d rather not meet you. I’ve got plans. How about if I leave the key at the inn in an envelope with your name on it?”
“That works. Thanks. How do you want me to get it back to you?”
“Just bring it back in the morning. But get it to me personally.”
“Will do.”
“And if you find anything urgent I’ll be at the Greenwood.”
“Right.”
Steele went into the head. I picked up my bag, repacked some fresh clothes, and headed north.
Chapter 25
I grabbed a fast-food burger and fries, ate in the car on the way back to Door County, and crossed the bridge in Sturgeon Bay a little after seven. A half hour later I parked in front of the cottage, dropped my bag back inside, and called Maxine. She answered the phone.
“Hi, Max. Do you know if Paul left an envelope for me?”
“He did.”
“You wanna take a ride?”
“Sure. Where are we going?”
“Back to Framed. Followed by ice cream.”
“Okay. I’ll be on the porch.”
I made it in fifteen minutes. She came down, got in the car, and handed me the envelope.
She put her hand on my arm. “I heard about your friend. I’m so sorry, Spencer.”
“Thanks. This place isn’t the same without her. We had our problems, but we had a lot of good times. It’s so senseless.” The case had taken a new turn. I was personally involved. On the drive I had thought about Kathleen and sadness had turned into anger. I vowed to get the bastard.
Ten minutes later, we parked a ha
lf block down from Framed. I didn’t want some alert person writing down my license number.
“You going to wait in the car?”
“No. I think I’ll take a walk.” She sounded worried. “Be careful, Spencer.”
“I will. Give me a head start.”
There was still some light in the sky and the sidewalks were still crowded with tourists. There was a line at the frozen yogurt stand.
I let myself in and closed and locked the door. I really didn’t expect to find anything and I didn’t. I just wanted to be doing something. There were many times in the past when something fell out when I shook the trees.
Another look through everything took about a half hour. I was careful not to touch anything. I locked up and looked around for Maxine. I found her sitting on a bench across the street and joined her.
“Beautiful evening.”
She stretched out her arms. “It definitely is.”
The temperature was still in the eighties, but a north breeze had taken away the humidity.
She looked nervous. “Do you know you’re being watched?”
“You mean the girl who was sitting next to you?”
“Yup.”
“Well, I saw her but didn’t assume she was watching me.”
“Not specifically you. But she was definitely watching the store. Her name is Peggy Sue.”
“I’m going to have to hire you as an operative. You get anything else?”
“No. But she’s over in the yogurt line if you want to talk to her.”
I picked her out of the line. “Seems like you’ve made a connection, Maxine. You willing to continue?”
She shrugged. “Sure, what do you have in mind?”
I handed her a five dollar bill. “Offer to buy yogurt and suggest you come back here to sit.”
“Okay.” She got up, started to walk away, and then turned back with a smile that melted me—just like the first one a few years back. “How much does this operative thing pay?”
“A cup of frozen yogurt.”
“Well, that’s a start,” she said, glancing back at me over her shoulder.
I watched her talking to Peggy Sue. With short, black hair and a round face with glasses, she looked to be in her early twenties. Kinda bookish looking, except I doubted she had read any Tolstoy. Evidently Peggy Sue agreed to the suggestion because they stayed in line. Hard to beat free frozen yogurt.
They were chatting as they approached the bench. When Peggy Sue saw me she hesitated and started to tell Maxine they should sit somewhere else. Maxine stopped her.
“Peggy Sue, this is my friend, Spencer. He bought the yogurt.”
She responded with a soft thanks.
“You’re welcome. Please, sit.” I moved to the end of the bench.
Maxine sat on the other end so Peggy Sue had to sit next to me.
“Are you visiting up here, Peggy Sue?”
Looking at the ground, she said, “No, I live here.”
“Really? Where?”
“I have an apartment in Ellison Bay with my boyfriend.”
I had the feeling something was going to fall out of the tree.
“Nice up there. Where is he tonight?”
She didn’t answer and started eating her yogurt. Maxine had a head start.
“Did he work at Framed?”
She jumped a little and looked at me suddenly with surprise and a little fear.
“How did you know that?”
“Well, you were sitting here looking at the shop—kind of like you were waiting for someone.”
She stirred her yogurt and said with a defeated look, “I don’t know where he is.”
“He would be Cletis?”
She nodded, this time without surprise. “How do you know his name?” She was looking down at the grass.
“I’m a private investigator, Peggy Sue. I’ve been looking into what’s going on at the frame shop.”
“You mean poor Mr. Gunderson?”
“Yes, there are a few things.”
“Is Cletis in trouble?” She slowly lifted her spoon and took another bite and then stirred the yogurt.
“I don’t know. I’d like to find him to ask some questions. When was the last time you saw him?”
“Are you going to help him?”
“I will if he hasn’t done anything wrong.”
She looked at me for a few seconds and her face changed from worried to relieved. She had made a decision.
Peggy Sue finished the yogurt and set the cup down next to her on the bench. “We went to Washington Island Tuesday. The ferry brought us back about five. He dropped me at the apartment and said he had some errands to do. That was the last time.”
“Did he seem normal?”
“What do you mean?”
“Was he worried about anything? Did he seem nervous? Something like that.”
“No. He was excited.”
I glanced over at Maxine. She was listening attentively.
“Do you know what he was excited about?”
“Not exactly, but he said it wouldn’t be long now.”
“For what?”
“Till we were rich.”
Maxine’s eyebrows went up. So did my interest.
“How were you going to get rich?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know that a month or so ago he said he had a plan to make us rich. He wouldn’t say what it was.”
“Did he say anything about paintings?” I asked hopefully.
“He didn’t say anything.”
“Didn’t you wonder?”
“Sure, but if Cletis wants to tell you something he will. If he doesn’t…” She shrugged. “…he won’t.”
“Why were you watching the shop?”
She looked blankly across the street. “He might come back.”
I felt sorry for her. She seemed like she was lost without him. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait at your apartment?”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t like to be there.”
“Why not?” I asked gently.
Her eyes welled up and her bottom lip trembled. “We owe rent from last month. Cletis was going to pay yesterday when he got paid. The manager said he’d throw us out if we didn’t pay up by the end of the month. That’s Saturday.”
“Couldn’t you pay it?”
She looked embarrassed. “I don’t have any money.”
I felt badly for her and wanted to help. I could pay her rent but I had a better idea.
“Maxine, is the inn full?”
When she didn’t answer, I looked around Peggy Sue at Maxine. There were tears in her eyes. She took a deep breath, said no, and wiped her eyes with a napkin.
“Peggy Sue, I have a place for you to stay. My aunt owns an inn in Ephraim. Maxine works there.”
Looking down, she replied sadly, “I couldn’t pay for that.”
“You don’t have to. You can have one of the empty rooms.”
A family with laughing kids walked by. There was only five feet between them and Peggy Sue, but their worlds were miles apart.
“I can’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity. Maxine is overworked. You can help out with the guests.”
She looked at Maxine who nodded with a smile.
“Well, okay. That would be nice.” She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.
“Great. Let’s go get your things.”
“The manager isn’t going to be happy.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”
Maxine patted her shoulder.
We drove up to Ellison Bay and Maxine helped Peggy Sue pack. I emptied Cletis’ drawers into a suitcase. On the third trip to the car, a short, mean-looking man walked over from the office. If he was looking for trouble, it was his lucky day.
“What’s going on here?” he asked warily.
“Peggy Sue is moving out.”
“Not without paying, she’s not.”
“Well, technically,
you gave her till the end of the month. So she can do whatever she wants till then. And you were going to throw her out anyway so she’s just saving you the trouble.”
“She owes me two months’ rent and I want my money,” he said with a sneer.
“You’ll get it.” What he deserved to get was a kick in the teeth.
“Are you telling me by the end of the month she’s going to pay two months’ rent?”
“No. She doesn’t have any money. But if you’ll wait till tomorrow, I’ll stop back and write you a check. How much is it?”
“Who the hell are you?” he spat.
I took two steps forward and looked down at him. “The guy signing the check. How much?”
“One seventy-five a month. She owes for two.”
“Fine.” I turned and walked back to the apartment, hoping he would make one more comment. I had run out of patience. Maxine and Peggy Sue were just coming out with their arms full.
“What did he say?” asked Peggy Sue with concern.
I took the suitcase and put it in the trunk. “Don’t worry about him. Is there more?”
“One more trip,” said Maxine. “There are a couple bags of food.”
On the drive back, Peggy Sue asked how Cletis would find her. I told her I left word with the manager. She didn’t need to know I’d tell him myself when I found him.
As we drove, I asked if Cletis cared about her.
“What do you mean?”
“Does he care about you? Would he worry about you, wonder if you were okay? Would he run off and leave you alone?”
She looked like she was going to cry.
“Sure he does. Why are you asking that?”
“How long have you known each other?”
She tried to stop a trembling lip by biting on it. “Since fifth grade. We went to school together in Tennessee.”
“And how did you end up here?”
“He got into some trouble. It was better that he left. A friend of his had a friend in Chicago who said he could get him a job. Why are you asking all that?”
“Just wondering, Peggy Sue. Just wondering if he cares about you.”
I made a mental list of the fruit that was falling out of the tree.