Hidden Secrets

by Madison Johns

  “I’m coming up empty at the moment. Have you interviewed Wilber’s neighbors yet?”

  “We questioned Robert Boyd, but the only useful information he offered was that a black SUV was parked at Wilber’s house.” I pointed out the SUV parked in the corner of the parking lot. “That one over there, I believe. Did you obtain a search warrant for Faith’s room or the SUV yet?”

  “She’s not missing unless someone files a report.”

  “I’ll bet the manager of Neiman’s would allow you to take a look in the SUV.”

  Peterson looked into his car. “I suppose I could do that, but it will have to wait until tomorrow,” he said as he sat in his cruiser. “Let me know if you find out about those missing hitchhikers. I know you have your resources.”

  I watched as Peterson peeled out from the parking lot and roared up the road.

  “What did he mean ‘resources?’” Eleanor asked.

  I frowned for a moment until the bell rang in my head. “He’s right. I do have my own resource, and I’ll contact him later. But first we’re going to take a look at the SUV.”

  “You think the manager will let us?”

  “It’s either that or we’ll find our own way inside.”

  “Has anyone driven the black SUV parked outside since Faith went missing?” I asked Darrell, the manager.

  I swear I could see the perspiration marks under the arms of his shirt growing. “No, it’s been sitting there ever since. It won’t start, and I haven’t made the time to have a mechanic take a look.”

  “Would you mind if we took a look? There might be a clue inside that will help us find Faith.”

  “So you didn’t find Faith at the address I gave you?”

  “Nope. And the sheriff can’t get a search warrant to search her room because nobody has filed a missing person report.”

  “She hasn’t been seen by her landlady for a few weeks either,” Eleanor said.

  “I’ll be right back,” Darrell said as he disappeared into the backroom.

  I admired the steaks and inhaled the fragrance of the raw meat as a vampire would. I’d sure love to bring home a few steaks.

  Darrell returned and handed me the keys. “Let me know what you find. I’ve been worried about Faith since I talked to you two the last time.”

  “Were you close to her?” Eleanor asked.

  “She was a good employee. The customers liked her.”

  “So, nothing personal?” I asked.

  Darrell cleared his throat. “I considered Faith a model employee and friend. Nothing more. She’s given me good advice in the past. I forgot my anniversary last year and she made a few suggestions for this year.” He smiled thoughtfully. “And now my wife is pregnant.”

  “That’s some suggestion,” Eleanor said with a wolfish grin.

  “Congratulations,” I said as I took the keys and walked back outside.

  “I can’t believe Darrell gave us the keys,” Eleanor said. “We should have asked for plastic gloves in case we find anything important.”

  “Leave it to me.” I fished in my purse and waved latex gloves. “I have it covered.”

  I unlocked the vehicle with the key fob after we gloved up. “Well, the battery isn’t dead. I wonder if the engine still runs.”

  I jumped into the driver’s seat and stepped on the brake and pressed the button of the keyless ignition. The engine roared to life. I quickly turned it off. “It appears someone had the SUV fixed,” Eleanor said with a frown.

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “That Faith and Darrell were closer than he suggested. There must be some reason nobody else has driven this vehicle.”

  “We’ll ask him that after we search for evidence.”

  “Which won’t be worth anything without a search warrant.”

  “I’ll bet Darrell would let Peterson take a look too,” I insisted. “If we find anything, that is.”

  I opened the armrest and waded through a boatload of paper; registration and proof of insurance. I ran across a wad of dollar bills, loose change, pens and a receipt book. I glanced at the pages of the receipt book closely. I took a glove off and rubbed my finger gently on a page. I could feel indentations.

  “I know you’re not going to take that, Agnes.”

  “I think we can see at least the last page if we handle it right.”

  “Which will be useless if it’s a vital clue.”

  “It will further our investigation.”

  “And set back the police investigation.”

  “Since when are you such a worrywart?”

  “When you began planning to destroy evidence. If Faith was the one in the barrel, the killer might never see a prison cell. I don’t want to be responsible for that.”

  I sighed. “You’re right of course,” I said as I put it back. “We’d better hope we find something else.”

  Eleanor handed me two receipts, one from Day’s Inn and the other from Bambi’s Motel. I snapped a photo with my iPhone and set them on the seat.

  I checked under the seats, finding only empty candy and gum wrappers.

  “I found a McDonald’s bag under my seat,” Eleanor announced and opened it with a grin. She then frowned, her plus-sized body trembling. “I think you might want to take a look.”

  I took the bag and glanced inside. It was filled with cash. “Peterson might not want to be bothered,” I said. “But we’ll have to give him a call.”

  Eleanor made the call and we walked back inside to speak with Darrell, who strangely enough seemed to be waiting for us behind the meat counter. He held a clipboard and pen. So he was writing down the temperatures of the cases of meat and not waiting after all.

  Eleanor began, “We found something interesting in the… .”

  “Is there a reason the SUV started when you told us it wasn’t operational?” I interjected.

  “What was really going on between you and Faith?” Eleanor asked with narrowed eyes. “There must be some reason nobody has used the vehicle to deliver groceries in the past two weeks.”

  “Especially when Faith quit coming to work,” I added.

  Darrell sighed. “It’s not what you think. I expected Faith back next week. She told me she would be in Oscoda taking care of a sick aunt.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us that?”

  “Because I promised not to.”

  “What’s the name of this sick aunt?” I asked, “unless you plan on having the sheriff charge you with obstruction of justice. She might be a suspect in Wilber’s murder.”

  Darrell’s mouth slacked open. “I’ll be right back.”

  “And we’ll go with you just in case you plan to slip out the back,” Eleanor said.

  “Good idea,” I said as I followed Darrell and Eleanor into the meat cutting room. The room was empty; the butchers only worked until two.

  Darrell walked into his cluttered office and came back with a notebook and jotted down an address.

  “You seem to be jotting that down from memory,” I said.

  “I’ve met Faith’s aunt before.”

  “Well, isn’t that cozy,” Eleanor said as she rolled back on her heels and then winced. So much for acting like a super sleuth. I’d sprain my ankle if I tried a number like that.

  “She shops here!” Darrell protested.

  “There’s a grocery store in Oscoda. Perhaps Faith brought her aunt here so she could schmooze with you.”

  “There’s no place like Nieman’s Family Market.”

  “He’s right about that,” Eleanor said. “How are deliveries paid for?”

  “By credit or debit card.”

  “So no cash purchases?” I asked.

  “If there is any cash in that vehicle it would be Faith’s tips.”

  “She has some big tippers,” Eleanor exclaimed, grinning until I shot her a look.

  “I’m hoping you’ll let Sheriff Peterson take a look at the vehicle,” I said. “He should be here momentarily.”

  “We fou
nd something in the SUV that he’ll be interested in. Are you sure Faith didn’t carry cash with her on deliveries?” Eleanor asked.

  “I’m positive. It’s not safe. I even have a small sign on the back stating that.”

  Sheriff Peterson was waiting for us by the meat counter when we resurfaced from the back room. His face was drawn, bags beneath his eyes. “Are you giving me permission to search the SUV Faith Fleur has been using?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course. Anything that will help find her.”

  It was interesting that Darrell didn’t mention that Faith was supposedly at her aunt’s house in Oscoda. It didn’t bother me because it’s the first place Eleanor and I would be going after we left Neiman’s.

  We walked with the sheriff outside and he unlocked the SUV. “So what’s so interesting in the SUV?”

  I rattled off the notable items, excluding the cash.

  “I found a McDonald’s bag full of cash,” Eleanor said. “A lot of it.”

  Peterson gloved up and began checking the seats as Trooper Sales pulled up. Together they searched the vehicle. “We’ll handle it from here,” Peterson said. “Where did you say you found that bag full of cash?”

  “Under the seat,” I said.

  “You might want to take a look at a receipt book,” I said.

  “If you two were younger I’d tell you to go to the academy,” Trooper Sales said.

  “They’d never make good cops; they don’t know how to follow orders,” Peterson retorted.

  “The manager said there shouldn’t be any cash in the vehicle.”

  “The deliveries are paid by credit or debit cards,” Eleanor added.

  “Thanks ladies,” Peterson said. “You can run along now.”

  Run along, I grumbled in my head as Eleanor and I climbed in our car and I skidded back on 23 heading to Oscoda.

  Chapter 11

  I pulled up to a large beach house in Oscoda. “Are you sure this is the right address, Eleanor?”

  “That’s the address Darrell wrote down.”

  “This place is huge. Must cost a pretty penny,” I said as we walked up to the double-paned glass doors.

  A woman answered, her cheeks flushed, sweat pooling between her breasts in the sports bra. She also wore shorts and athletic shoes.

  “I hope we’re not interrupting your workout, Ms. Brighton,” I said.

  “You’re Ellen Brighton aren’t you,” Eleanor said.

  “Yes, and who are you?”

  “We’re here to talk to you about your niece, Faith Fleur,” I said.

  “I don’t know anyone by that name.”

  “The manager at Neiman’s told us Faith was here taking care of you. He assured us he met you.”

  Ellen began to close the door in our face. “We’re investigators,” I said. “It seems that someone has led us astray.”

  “Have you seen anyone who might fit Faith’s description? She’s five foot, five, with blond hair and green eyes.”

  The door opened more. “It sounds like the last house sitter, but her name was Bunny Vaverick. She didn’t have green eyes, hers were shimmer blue.”

  “Shimmer blue?” Eleanor asked.

  “They’re fake contact lenses that the younger kids these days wear. They have glitter in them, I believe.”

  “You mean it looks like glitter,” I said. “FDA-approved, I hope.”

  “I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Getting back to Bunny, how long ago did you use her?”

  “Up until a few days ago. I live in Auburn Hills and arrived a few days ago. Why?”

  “We’ve been told she’s been missing for about two weeks.”

  “She might have forgotten to tell anyone where she went,” Ellen offered.

  “That must be it.”

  “Did she mention a forwarding address?” Eleanor asked. “It’s very important that we find her. Her family is worried about her.”

  Ellen cocked a brow. “Just a minute.”

  She gently closed the door and a few minutes later handed us an address. “I’m not sure if she’s still here, but it’s where I was told to send her final paycheck.”

  “That’s quite official for a house sitter.”

  “It’s an expense I use as a corporate deduction.”

  “I see. Have you noticed anything missing from your house?” Eleanor asked.

  “No, why?”

  “It’s just that we believe your house sitter was in possession of a large amount of cash. We hope she didn’t steal it from you.”

  Ellen smiled. “Not unless she’s a safe cracker.”

  “And when was the last time you opened the safe?”

  “You know I don’t believe I have. Come inside. My neighbors are beginning to get curious.”

  I popped a glance over my shoulder and sure enough neighbors stood in a group on the corner pretending not to notice us. Oscoda is a small town, so that didn’t surprise me, although I certainly hoped they’d be there when we came out. Snoopy neighbors can be a good source of information.

  Eleanor and I followed Ellen across the marble floor and were instructed to wait. My eyes bugged out as I admired the interior of the house. Vaulted ceilings with a skylight. A spiral staircase with a crystal chandelier hanging over the top of the stairs. I admired my reflection in the banister that smelled of lemon oil.

  “I’m not missing anything,” Ellen announced as she rejoined us. “I feel better knowing that, but there’s no way anyone could access this door.”

  She demonstrated the four steel bars that came out of the door when the lock was turned.

  “Now that’s great security,” Eleanor admired.

  “It’s a panic room.”

  “I’ve heard of those, but I’ve never seen one.”

  “Let’s go, Eleanor. We appreciate your help, Ellen.”

  “You’re welcome, and I’m sorry I almost slammed the door in your face.”

  We walked back to the car and I made a detour in the direction of Ellen’s neighbors, who were still congregated on the corner.

  “Hello, ladies,” I greeted them. “I was wondering if you could help us.”

  “We’re investigators and we were curious about your neighbor over there.” Eleanor pointed to the house we’d just left.

  “Ellen Brighton,” I said.

  “Oh, I hope Ellen hasn’t done anything wrong,” the taller of the gray-haired ladies said.

  “Oh no, nothing like that. We were led to believe that she arrived in town only a few days ago.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  “And she had a house sitter here while she was gone?” Eleanor asked.

  “Yes, a rather friendly young lady. Spent the majority of her time sunning herself.”

  “I don’t think she did much cooking,” a shorter woman said. “Her fast-food wrappers blew across the street.” She clucked her tongue. “I hate to pick up after someone, but I don’t want the neighborhood trashed. I’d hate for our property values to go down.”

  I couldn’t blame them for wanting to keep their neighborhood trash free. Oscoda has a lovely stretch of beach and an amazing view of Lake Huron.

  “Did you happen to catch the woman’s name?” Eleanor asked.

  “We only waved at her,” the tall woman said and her gaggle of friends nodded profusely.

  “Does Ellen frequently have someone watching her house while she’s down state?”

  “Ellen had a break-in a few years ago. She’s become an alarmist.”

  “I would think it would concern all of you,” Eleanor said.

  “Not to the point of having an elaborate security system, but I assume Ellen is quite wealthy. Her beach house is the most expensive in Oscoda.”

  “Is there anything else you could add about Ellen’s house sitter?” I asked. “What kind of car did she drive?”

  “One of those SUVs that are popular these days.”

  “A black one?” Eleanor asked.

  “I believe it was w
hite.”

  “It had a Kohler’s Flowers sign on the side,” the shorter woman said. “She delivers flowers for Kohler’s.”

  “Thank you ladies,” I said.

  Eleanor chuckled as we drove to the address Ellen gave us. “Leave it to the neighbors to tell us the house sitter spent the majority of her time sunning herself.”

  “I wonder how they’d know. I imagine Ellen has a private beach and a brick wall conceals her patio and lake view.”

  “Binoculars.”

  “I’m glad my neighbors aren’t that close,” I said.

  “Most of my mine are weekenders,” Eleanor said. “My map app says we should turn on the next street.”

  I made the turn and pulled up to a two-story house. A white SUV with the flower sign was parked in the driveway.

  Eleanor knocked on the door and a young lady about my height with blond hair pulled up into a bun answered the door. Her contact lenses were definitely decorative. I was lost in the sparkles until Eleanor nudged me.

  “Hello there,” I began when the girl didn’t greet me. “Are you Bunny Vaverick?”

  “Who’s asking?” the young lady asked in a little girl-like voice. Her hand moved to a bony hip.

  “We’re investigators from Tawas. Ellen Brighton gave us your address.”

  “I hope Ellen isn’t upset with me. I’d really like to work for her again.”

  “You were her house sitter, is that correct?”

  “Ellen didn’t have a bad word to say about you,” Eleanor quickly said.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “We’re investigating a crime in Tawas,” I said. “Actually, we were surprised that you were housesitting for Ellen.”

  “We were told Faith Fleur would be there,” Eleanor added.

  Bunnie nodded. “I asked Faith to housesit for me, but she bowed out at the last minute.”

  “How long ago was that?” I asked.

  “About two weeks ago. It’s not like her to do that. She’s quite dependable for someone our age.” She grinned.

  “Was Ellen aware that Faith would be housesitting instead of you?”

  “Oh no, but I planned to introduce her to Ellen.”

  “It seems to me that might make Ellen feel a little uncomfortable. She seems like the type who would want to check out a sitter thoroughly.”