by Rick Polad
“I guess. The poor guy.” I cut off a bite of pie and thought about how the past can stay with a person. I was considering sharing something with Rosie when she spoke.
“You said I couldn’t ask any more questions. Can I make a statement?”
“Sure.”
“I think there was somebody in the basement besides you and Steele.”
“There was. There was Pitcher and Vitale and whoever the other dead guy was.”
She shook her head while taking another bite. “I mean another somebody on your side.”
“And why would you think that?”
“It works better that way.”
“Well, think whatever you like. I’m done talking.”
“Okay. You’d better just hope whoever it is never talks.”
“I’m not worried. All that matters to me is that Pitcher is safe. Everything we did was worth it. She is one mighty brave woman.”
“She is.” She looked at me with a squint. “Are you interested?”
“In Pitcher?” I laughed. “No. She’s not my type.”
“And not very experienced when it comes to men. She told me she has never had a date with just one guy.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Yup. Said she always went out in groups. You were probably the first guy she ever sat across from in a booth alone.”
I ate the last of my pie. “You know, maybe a little makeup and some hair styling and she wouldn’t be so homely looking.”
“Spencer! I’m surprised at you. I never thought I’d hear that coming out of your mouth.”
“I just meant…”
“I know what you meant. You know, it’s not what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”
“I know, I was just…” And I stopped dead with a look on my face that got Rosie’s attention.
“What, Spencer?”
“It’s what’s on the inside.”
“Yeah, she’s a wonderful person. Some guy…”
“I’m not talking about Pitcher.” I got up and got the frame pieces. “This frame is about an inch thick.”
“So?”
“So, there’s been something bothering me ever since I found Gunderson’s body.”
“What?”
“There were a lot of tools in his shop, including a drill.”
“So?”
“So, would a framer have a drill?”
She shrugged.
“What if he drilled a hole in the frame and whatever we’re looking for is inside the frame?”
“Possible, but we’ve looked all over the frame. I didn’t see any holes.”
“Neither did I, but maybe we need to look closer.”
“Hard to miss a hole, Spencer.”
“Yeah, you would think so. But what if he drilled it, put something in the hole, and then plugged it and covered it.”
“We’d still see it.”
“If I did it, yes. But Cletis said Gunderson was a genius with wood. There were beautiful duck decoys in his shop. I bet he could cover up a hole so you wouldn’t notice.”
“All right. Let’s go with that. What next?”
“X-ray the frame.”
She laughed. “Sure. We’ll stop at the hospital and ask if they’ll x-ray some wood.”
“Well, why not?”
“Okay, I’ll check in the morning.” She picked up a piece and looked closely.
I left the kitchen and came back a minute later with two magnifying glasses. I handed one to Rosie. “Start looking.”
She did. I picked up a piece and joined her. After five minutes she called my name.
“Look where my finger is.”
I did. There was a partial arc, about the size of the bit that was in the drill, that was a slightly different color from the rest of the frame. I got a work light, set it up on the table, and held the frame under the light. That helped a little. It looked different from the rest of the frame.
“Nice catch, Rosie.”
“What next?”
“I’ll be right back.”
I returned with Dad’s tool box, got out a small chisel, and started digging at the spot. It didn’t take much to expose part of a hole. I dug some more and found the top of a tiny cylinder. When I turned the frame over and tapped on the other side, the cylinder barely came out of the hole. More tapping didn’t help. Rosie handed me a pair of pliers and I barely grabbed the end of the cylinder. I pulled carefully and it came out.
It was a plastic tube about an inch long. I pulled off the cap and dumped it out on the table.
Rosie and I looked at each other.
“Are those diamonds?” she asked.
“Look like diamonds to me.”
“Maybe they’re fake.”
“Maybe, but Maggio isn’t going to go through all this for fake diamonds.”
“Wow. Look at those.”
There were eight diamonds, all sparkling in the light.
“How much do you think they’re worth, Spencer?”
“Enough to kill people for.”
“I wonder if there are more.”
“Probably, but I’m done digging. Let the lab take it from here.”
She sat down. “So Gunderson was in on this?”
“I’d bet my house on it. He told Cletis he’d frame Green and Blue personally. He wanted to hide the diamonds. He was the link between the buyer and the seller.”
“Where do you think they came from?”
“No idea. We’ll probably never know, but my guess is they came by boat, maybe from up north. Easy to move something like this by water, maybe even from Canada. But almost everyone who might know for sure is dead.”
“Except Maggio.”
“Except Maggio. And I’m not going to ask him.”
“This’ll hit the news. He won’t be happy. Remember, he doesn’t like to lose.”
I shut off the light. “No, he doesn’t. But losing to a competitor or an employee trying to steal from him is one thing. Losing to the police is an occupational hazard—it’s just business.”
“I sure hope so for your sake.” She brushed the wood shavings into her hand and threw them in the garbage.
“So what do we do with this?” I asked.
“I say we take it to the station tonight—unless you want to be responsible for the diamonds?”
“I think not. How about you run them in on your way home. I’m going to call Stosh and tell him about this.”
“How about you follow me over there. I’m not going alone.”
“Okay.” I grabbed my gun.
A half hour later I backed out of the drive and followed Rosie to the station where two detectives were waiting for us. While Rosie was filling out the paperwork, Stosh walked in.
“Nice job, you two.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant,” I responded. “All in a night’s work.”
“Remember you have an interview in the morning?”
“Yup. You see any problems?”
“No. I’ve talked with the captain of the third. They just need to wrap it up. Just stick to that story and nobody will ask any questions. No one wants this to be complicated.”
“Not a problem.”
We shook hands.
“And after the interview why don’t you take some time off. You’ve earned a vacation.” He turned to Rosie. “You have any time coming, Lonnigan?”
“I do.”
“Well, take it.” He turned and looked at me with raised eyebrows.
I just looked back.
He rolled his eyes and walked out.
I said goodbye to Rosie and followed Stosh out to the parking lot, catching up to him as he was getting into his car.
He looked disgusted. “How much hint do you need, Spencer?”
“I got the hint. But I need some time by myself.”
“Yeah, seems like you’ve had a lot of that. Time you had some time not by yourself. And I can’t think of anyone better not to be by yourself with
than Rosie.”
“Thanks for thinking of me. I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. And Spencer, if you decide to be alone, you need to tell her why. Good night, kid.”
“Good night, Stosh.”
I stood and watched him pull away. And on the way home I thought about being alone. I had two wonderful women who I enjoyed being with, and I was pretty sure either one would love to spend some time at the cottage. But for the moment, I needed to get over the girl I didn’t have that option with anymore.
Chapter 51
The interview went just as easily as Stosh said it would. I kept waiting for them to ask me more questions, but they kept asking the same ones over and over. I had the feeling they were just taking up time. They did say they needed to be sure of the story.
I called Stosh when I got home and told him about the interview. He told me the lab had found no prints on the clown photo but had found three more vials of diamonds in the frame. Maggio’s diamond pipeline was closed—at least this one.
I packed enough clothes for a week and headed north—again. On the way I had plenty of time to think about the last ten days. I did get lucky, but as Dad said, lucky people make their own luck. I had nothing to lose with the Vitale plan. It was the only option I had, and it was worth breaking some rules to try it.
The only loose end was Bloom and we’d probably never find him. I figured Maggio took care of him. But if that happened, Bloom didn’t deserve it—he wasn’t the one cheating Maggio. But if you decide to do business with Maggio, you never know what the consequences might be. He doesn’t ask too many questions.
As I drove, I started to work on a new plan. I don’t know how it started, but I all of a sudden realized there was a frame shop for sale—probably pretty cheap. Something dependable to fall back on might be a good idea. The P.I. business wasn’t all that steady. I didn’t have to worry about money but something else to do might be fun. The more I drove, the more excited I got.
I got a drive-through burger and fries and ate while I was driving.
A little after four, I pulled into the inn parking lot. The only greeter on the porch was Amelie and she wasn’t very excited to see me.
The lobby was empty, but I could smell pies baking. I found Aunt Rose in the kitchen just pulling two pies out of the oven.
“Is one of those for me?”
She put the pies on cooling racks on the counter and gave me a hug. “Now are you staying for a while?”
“That’s my plan. I packed for a week, but I could do some wash and stay longer.”
“Good. Let’s spend some porch time.”
“Just what the doctor ordered, Aunt Rose.” Aunt Rose mentioned “porch time” to all of her guests. And it was mentioned in the brochures. Slow down and enjoy watching the world go by. Sit on the porch and read a book, chat with guests, or take a nap. Not easy for most people to do, but those who did always came back to do it again.
I asked Aunt Rose where Peggy Sue and Cletis were.
“Last I saw, they were out back in the gazebo.”
I kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks. I’ll be back for pie.”
The limestone path around the inn wound through the garden back to the gazebo. I stopped in the garden where I could see them holding hands and looking pretty happy. I was glad Cletis didn’t lose her.
“Hi. Looks like you’re enjoying the afternoon,” I said.
“Thanks to you,” said Peggy Sue with a smile.
“Well, I just gave you the opportunity. Up to you to make something of it. How’s the new job, Cletis?”
“Going okay, Mr. Manning. Nice people there.”
“And Peggy Sue? How do you like it here?”
“I love it,” she said with a smile. Then she looked sad and looked down. “But your aunt doesn’t really need me. She and Maxine handle things pretty well. We talked about it and she said she could probably use me part-time, but there just isn’t enough work for a real job.”
I sat down next to Peggy Sue. “Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t be permanent.”
“She said I could keep working till we find a place. But I know she’s just being nice. I’d rather pull my own weight.”
“Good for you, Peggy Sue. That’s something every employer looks for, but it’s pretty rare these days. Have you looked around?”
She looked discouraged. “Yes. But so far, nothing. All the summer jobs are filled, and it will only get worse after the tourist season.”
“That’s true.” I rubbed my chin and squinted at her. “Maybe you can help me out.”
“How could I help you out?”
“Well, I’ve wanted to try my hand at business, and I hear there’s a frame store that’ll probably be for sale.”
“So how can I help?”
“I’m going to need someone to run the place. Would you be interested?”
Her eyes widened and she smiled from ear to ear. “Would I!” Then she calmed down. “But you’d run it, wouldn’t you?”
“Heck no. I don’t want to work—I just want to own it and stop in for coffee once in a while.”
“And you want me?”
“I can’t think of anyone better.”
She smiled again.
I rubbed my chin again and looked out into the yard. “But there’s a problem.”
“I knew there would be,” she said quietly.
“Yup, there sure is. I don’t know anything about frames. I’d need someone to handle the shop.” I looked back at her. “You know anybody who knows anything about frames?”
She perked up. “How about Cletis? He already… Hey, you’re kidding me aren’t you?”
I smiled, too. “Yes, I’m sorry. Cletis, you interested?”
His face lit up. “Sure am Mr. Manning! I can do everything Mr. Gunderson did. Well, except the ducks.”
I nodded. “Don’t need the ducks, Cletis. You two think you could work together?”
They both nodded. Cletis looked over at Peggy Sue. “We could do anything together.”
“Great. I have no idea how long this will take, but I’ll get the ball rolling. I’m sure Aunt Rose will wait.”
With a tear in her eye, Peggy Sue kissed me on the cheek. “Thanks, Spencer. I can’t tell you how much this means to us.” She looked over at Cletis and smiled.
“Hey, you’re the ones doing me a favor. Hard to get good help these days.”
I stood up. “Can I interest you in some cherry pie?”
We all headed for the kitchen and some of Aunt Rose’s magic.
If you liked this book, please post a review at Amazon.
To be notified of other Rick Polad books, go to
rickpolad.com and click “Join Us”
“Like” Spencer at Facebook.com/SpencerManningMysteries
Calumet Editions
PRESENTS
A Preview of
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
A Spencer Manning Mystery
Turn the page for a preview.
Chapter 1
When I awoke, the room was no longer filled with sunshine. The dingy furniture looked even more so in the sickly, late-afternoon light. I had fallen asleep again in my swivel chair, arms folded across my chest and legs crossed on top of my desk. There had been no knock on the door to wake me up. I uncrossed my legs and helped the left one down to the floor. It had fallen asleep. After rubbing out the pins-and-needles feeling, I walked over to the lighthouse calendar hanging on the wall and checked off another day. It had been more than a month since I had put the ad in the paper and there hadn’t been one call, not one single knock on the door. I was beginning to wonder if I should take Uncle Lou up on his offer to make me a meat packer in Philly.
I had come back to Chicago not really knowing what I had wanted to do or why I was coming back. I had gone to college and graduated with a double degree in Psychology and Law Enforcement. Dad, a captain on the Chicago police force, had always hoped I would follow in his footsteps, and, after college, that se
emed like the best bet. So, I took the exam and headed for the Police Academy. I was near or at the top of my class in everything, including firearms. When I was five, Dad taught me how to use a gun and how to respect it. The only problem was, when I left the academy, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a cop so I joined the army.
That indecision came from three fronts. One, I didn’t know if I could deal with the system. I knew I couldn’t handle the frustration of arresting someone on Monday and seeing him back on the streets on Tuesday. Dad said that was just part of an overcrowded system and all he could do was to just keep doing his job. Two, even though I could put as many shots as I wanted in the center of a bullseye, I didn’t know if I could pull the trigger if my gun was pointed at a person. Dad said that was something no one liked but, again, it was part of the job and, if the time came, training would take over and the trigger would be pulled. If it was part of the job, maybe I didn’t want the job. Third was a woman.
When I got out of the army, Dad suggested I take some time off and decide. So, I’d packed my camping gear and headed for the back woods of Yellowstone.
I had been gone for six weeks when a park ranger found me and handed me a telegram. My folks had been killed in a car accident. Two weeks had gone by since then. Suddenly, my decision was not so important.
I called Aunt Rose in Wisconsin and found out she and Sergeant Powolski had taken care of everything. According to their wishes, Mom and Dad had been cremated. They were waiting for me to hold the police service.
After the service, a group of people gathered at Antolini’s, Dad’s favorite Italian restaurant. After three hours of listening to people say they were sorry, Stanley Powolski, Aunt Rose, and I were the only ones left. Aunt Rose invited me to come up to Door County, Wisconsin and spend some time at her inn. I kissed her good-bye and told her I would even though I knew I wouldn’t—at least for awhile. There were some memories up there I wanted to avoid. Stosh and I moved to the bar and spent another two hours talking about old times.
Some of my earliest memories were of Stosh Powolski, a big, tough man who got me addicted to hard candy. He was as close to an uncle as I’d ever have. And he was the only one I could have talked to about the accident. Both of us spent a few minutes quietly staring at our glasses before I brought it up.