Rhodes opened his mouth in surprise and Cas related the bits of conversation Millie had overheard.
Rhodes thought it over and shook his head. "The student was sure about the words she did manage to hear?" He laughed a little. "There could be innocent ways to use those words. I mean body or bodies or even buried? Tim's always saying he's buried in work when he calls on Connie. And about bodies?"
He gave it some thought. "I don't know if Muriel is a health nut or not, but it could be. Maybe it was about some ladies' exercise class or something. They may have gotten upset or even insulted maybe, about the results they are or are not getting, about their bodies?"
"Anything's possible. But my Aunt Harry is a pretty sharp old bird and she seems to smell trouble of some kind."
"Yeah, I wouldn't bet against your Aunt Harry either." Rhodes shook his head again, looking thoughtful.
"The thing is, nobody's officially asked us for help, to look into this."
"You'd think, Margaret being a school teacher, she would ask for help if there's something dangerous going on. Maybe there's some good reason Margaret's gone. People don't just disappear without a trace and not have it reported when they've got family and friends to worry about them."
"That's as big a mystery as where Muriel is. There's got to be something going on we need to know about. You haven't let anyone in on this but Doug, have you?"
"No. And that was just because I wanted to know what was going on twenty-four seven with the garage closed up. This next two days I'll know for sure whether the vehicle has come home or not."
Chapter 5
Cas looked up from his work when someone entered the outer office.
"Got a minute for company?" Troy Spruce called. He was the former Pine County Judge Tim Carpenter had replaced.
"That's a trick question if I ever heard one," Cas told the former Judge, smiling at the question's political traps. "If I'm busy I'm unapproachable. If I'm not busy, I should be." He made a comical face. "So, no comment. But, come on in. Want some coffee?"
"No, just came by from the Smithy and thought I'd stop in before heading home to Rainbow Cove."
"Still enjoy being retired?"
"Yes, sometimes I get tempted to put my hat in the ring again. Sort of like women and spring and baby clothes, I guess."
They both laughed, Troy Spruce's face going sober again. He sighed. "Gets lonesome at home now that my wife is gone."
"Oh, you'll find plenty to do. Did you come to check on your cabin out by the lake?"
"No, sort of lost interest in it, I guess. Don't use it much anymore. Have it rented out most of the time. In fact it's being used right now by an employee and her friend. They both had some vacation days and not much money," he smiled. "I think it's safer to have someone in it, anyway, so I didn't mind."
"You weren't serious about running for office again, were you?"
Spruce hesitated. "I don't know, it's crossed my mind several times." He looked up, and there was hope in his eyes. "Don't guess I could count on your vote if I do?"
"No." The answer came out quickly and chiseled in stone. "Tim Carpenter's doing such a good job, I'd have to be convinced the hard work was getting to him to vote for anyone else."
Cas carefully avoided any other reason for the direct turn down. He wondered that Troy would even ask, since he'd not had much chance of being re-elected when he chose to retire.
"Well, so much for my tentative campaigning." Spruce got up as if feeling his age. "I'll get myself home to Rainbow Cove and what's left of my law practice. Don't work too hard."
Glad there weren't any continuing personal bad feelings between him and the former Pine County Judge, Cas sat looking after Troy Spruce's white head and confident stride till the outer door closed behind him.
He picked up the phone. Through the door, he could see Glady's hand pick up her phone to answer.
"This is long distance," he smiled. "Where's Rhodes? Are you expecting him in any time soon?"
"Don't know exactly, but I'll holler as soon as I hear from him if you want to talk to him."
"Yes, please. Nothing urgent, just let me know."
* * *
Margaret Avery sat in her car on the Roadhouse parking lot at the edge of Maryvale's city limits. It was too late for lunch and early for dinner. Hers was the only car in the lot till her sister's car pulled in and parked beside her.
Muriel Davis got out of her car and quickly came to sit in the passenger's seat beside Margaret.
"Thank goodness you're all right!" Margaret's words tumbled out. "Muriel, what on earth do you mean, just leaving with no explanation or anything? I've been scared to death."
"It's all right, Margaret. I'm all right." Muriel shook her head, looking uncertain. "I probably just got scared about nothing." But Muriel's face was worried as she denied there was any real cause.
"Margaret, hard as it is to believe, I heard Troy Spruce might be planning on running for office again," Muriel started explaining. "Now that his wife has been gone a while. He's just getting bored, I guess."
"Why would that frighten you?" Margaret rolled her eyes at the anguish Muriel had caused her.
"I talked to him on the phone when I heard the rumor he might have that in mind, and told him in no uncertain terms I would not stand for his running for Judge of Pine County or any other public office again." Muriel's mouth was a grim line. "I told him I just wouldn't stand for it. That I would tell anyone who was interested why no one should vote for him."
She took a deep breath. "But what really scared me is after I'd made some threats and said a lot of things I know I shouldn't have, Margaret—someone hung up! Someone heard us!"
Margaret's lips parted at the fear in Muriel's eyes.
"Margaret, someone in his office heard everything I said! I don't know whether Troy had someone listening, or they just happened to hear, or what."
"Muriel," Margaret drew in a quick breath, as worried as her sister. "He didn't threaten you, did he? I hadn't even thought about that! Don't fuss at me, but since you have had lunch with him a couple of times, I wondered if he was trying to get back in your good graces again. I wondered if he was trying to renew your, friendship. You know, the feelings you once had for him when you had that affair. I worried that you might still have feelings for him, or he might just be hoping that you did."
"No," Muriel gave a little laugh. "Or maybe he was, I don't know. And I do care for him. He has been a friend and helped me."
Muriel frowned. "But when I called him about this running again rumor, I really laid the law down to him. I let him have it. He didn't have much to say, or maybe I just didn't give him a chance. So I don't know how he felt about anything else. I was just so upset he might try running for office again, after all he's done and been guilty of. The way he used his office and, just everything he did when he was in office. But someone heard us, with or without his knowledge. And Margaret?" Muriel looked frightened again. "You know all the lies he told and the strings he pulled when his son was accused of murder. You surely don't think he'd stop at shutting me up if he thought I stood in the way of something he wants?" She shook her head. "Not a thing as important to him as being the Pine County Judge again."
Margaret shook her head too. "No. I don't. I've always thought he was ruthless. He was so good to help you though, when you needed work. And he did do a lot for you, and you've got your good job and a good retirement because of him. I guess my distrust just got covered over with the good things he did. So much time has passed, of course."
Something made a crackling noise when Muriel moved. "What's this I'm sitting on?" She picked up a photocopy and looked at it, her face turning pale.
"Where did you get this?"
"I got it from Cas Larkin," Margaret told her. "He was giving them to several people at the time. It's a picture of a woman whose body they found in the lake. Muriel? Are you all right?"
Muriel took a deep breath, looking as if she might faint. She took several deep
breaths.
"I'm all right. It's just shock, I guess. Margaret, this girl works in Troy's office. I saw her there last time I went there. He had asked me over for lunch. We've been in touch once in a while," she reminded Margaret.
Margaret glanced at the picture. "She works for Troy Spruce? I guess she's from Rainbow Cove. That's why they don't know who she is. They found this girl's body in the lake. She drowned. Cas is trying to find out who she is and how she got there. But she works for Troy Spruce? You're sure?"
"Yes." Muriel gazed at the girl's picture. "I wonder, could she have been the one in the office that overheard our conversation?"
"Muriel! You—you think he had something to do with her drowning?"
"No. Yes. I mean, I don't know." Muriel wrung her hands, glancing out the window. They still had the parking lot to themselves.
"But, I'm not coming home." Muriel shook her head, breathing fast. "I'm not going to give him a chance at me, if he did kill this girl." She opened the car door.
"Muriel, please! There must be some other explanation."
"Then Cas Larkin will have to find it before I let anyone find me."
Muriel's expression was determined. "Please, Margaret, call Tim Carpenter and tell him I'm away on family business or something and I'll get in touch with him when I can. I do feel bad about leaving him with no notice. But I can't come home now, Margaret, I can't. Will you call Tim for me?"
"Yes, I will. Are you going to tell me where you'll be?"
"No, I think it's better this way. And don't worry. I'll be all right."
Margaret sat waiting until Muriel's car left the parking lot, then she picked up the photocopy to look at the Lady in the Lake again. Her hands shook. Wonder, horror, and fright for her sister made her lips dry.
* * *
Cas had just put aside the same picture, going over the file he had set up on the unidentified woman. A lovely young lady, surely someone was looking for her. The phone interrupted his thoughts. He picked it up and heard Gladys's voice.
"Hi, it's me. Rhodes just called and said he's on his way in, should be here in a few minutes."
Cas glanced again at the few notes he'd made on his other case that wasn't yet a case. They consisted of everything from his Aunt Harry's gut feelings to Rhodes and his young Deputy Doug's surveillance on Muriel Davis's car. He put them aside when Rhodes came in and closed the door.
"Guess you want to know about my stakeout job?" Cas nodded raising his eyebrows expectantly.
"Muriel hasn't been seen anywhere in Maryvale since we started looking. Her car hasn't come home that we know of and it definitely hasn't been garaged at home at all."
"I'm not surprised. There's something going on that we should know about. This is not like the Muriel Davis we know. And she's sure hard to catch for someone who's supposed to be on sick leave. She must either be in some kind of trouble or danger, or think she is." Cas frowned, looking grim. "I think it's time to pay a call on Sister Margaret."
Chapter 6
Cas waited until four o'clock to leave his office. He both dreaded and looked forward to calling on Margaret Avery.
"Gladys, I've got some checking to do and I probably won't be back before you leave." Gladys nodded, continuing her typing.
Driving slowly, Cas made his way to Margaret Avery's house giving her time to get home from school.
He parked in front. He noticed the garage doors were closed but he heard the sound of a television set inside as he approached the door. Cas knocked loud enough to be heard.
Margaret Avery opened the door and Cas took off his hat. Margaret didn't say anything, but waved him in. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, thank you."
Cas followed Margaret to the kitchen where she poured coffee for both of them. Neither spoke until she set some Honey Grahams on the table.
Cas eyed the crackers. "I thought Miss Mayme had the market cornered on these."
Margaret smiled a tired smile. "No, there are a few left here and there. Am I suspected of something, or are these things that hard to find?"
"No. No." He smiled. "Connie is the official Honey Graham finder at our house. I'm here because I'm getting worried about Tim Carpenter."
"Tim Carpenter?" Margaret was taken off guard, not expecting questions about Tim.
"In a round about way, that is." He watched Margaret's face. "He depends so much on Muriel, I decided to come and see how she is or if I can do anything to help you or her?"
"No, there's nothing you can do, but it was a good neighborly thought. You were right. I did need help, but I've got it taken care of. I didn't want to take time off from school, was the problem. It's so hard to find substitutes and it's not good for the students either, that's just my own opinion, of course. So, we've arranged for Muriel to stay with a friend who has time to stay at home with her until she is better."
"A friend."
"Yes."
Cas did not break the awkward silence between them.
Margaret took a sip of her coffee. Cas wondered why she was stalling. But she finally continued without prodding.
"I promised Muriel I would call Tim Carpenter." She sighed. "She feels bad about leaving him with no notice like this."
Cas didn't comment and Margaret put her cup down. "I called him just before you came by. It surely won't be long until Muriel will be better and can go back to work."
She looked up at Cas, finally meeting his eyes. "Tim's going to call on your wife, Connie, for help in the meantime, he told me. I know she's done some work for him before."
Cas nodded, "Yes, he mentioned something to me about that yesterday." He added quickly, "Is this some kind of virus Muriel has?"
Margaret nodded, her eyes on her cup again, not meeting his. "There are so many different kinds now. All I can tell you is she's being cared for and will be back as soon as she can safely return."
The word safely stuck in Cas's mind as he got up. "Well, I'm glad she's being cared for. Would you let her know I asked about her and that Connie and I send our best."
He added, "Harry too." He smiled as he mentioned Harry and this time, Margaret smiled back.
Back in his car, Cas called Clint to see if he was still in his office.
"I was looking at the clock and trying to decide whether to call you or not," Clint said.
"Oh, good thing I checked in. You find something that will help us on our missing lady?"
"Yes and no, come on by before you go home. I'll wait for you."
When Cas got to the coroner's office, Clint let him in. The rest of the help had left and he locked the door behind him. Cas followed him to the back in silence, wondering if they had an identification or were any closer to one.
Clint rolled out the body of the Lady in the Lake and folded the cover down to her shoulders. He touched the top of her head.
"Someone hit her?" Cas raised his eyebrows.
"I don't know. I just found this place on the top of her head and will look further when I get around to it. Look for yourself."
Cas looked where some of the hair had been cut away. Something had broken the skin and what would have been a large bruise made an almost invisible shadow around the abrasions.
"There wasn't any blood, the water had taken care of that," Clint said.
"Not much damage," Cas observed. "You think someone hit her with something?"
"Don't know. When I get to her, I'll cut away the rest of the hair and look closer, might find some bits or something in there. Just thought I'd tell you."
"Possibly hit with something." Cas mused. "Maybe not hard enough to kill, but hard enough to break the skin and bruise. What do you think?"
Clint shook his head. "Stunned her, maybe. I don't want to guess. Someone could have hit her, or it might have been an accident." He looked up. "She might even have done it just before she went in the water, hit her head on something. I'll know more about what happened to her when I can get a look at her lungs. Right now, all we know is something
hit her on the head just before she died."
"And unless the person or friend she came here with was taller than she is, a man?" Cas mused, "Wouldn't the blow have been more to the back of her head, or maybe one side, if it had been someone about her size?" He frowned, "And harder too?"
"Now we're guessing again." Clint shook his head as he pushed the body back into the drawer. "She's pretty, young, and certainly not homeless. Someone is bound to be looking for her. I'll get to the autopsy soon as I can and find out more when we open her up."
"That's the price we have to pay being a County Office, I guess. Sharing you with the rest of Pine County. Well, I'll be in touch."
Back in his car Cas called to tell Gladys he would go on home.
"Cas," Gladys's voice was soft, as if she didn't want to be heard. "There's a young lady here to see you. She says she's from Rainbow Cove. She's the same age as our Lady in the Lake, I think. She's told me she's looking for a friend of hers."
Gladys continued, sounding sympathetic. "She seems sort of upset and wanted to wait, to talk to you."
"All right, no problem. I'm coming, Gladys. Tell her I'll be there in just a few minutes."
Gladys met him at the door, looking apologetic. "She's in your office, I felt sorry for her and Rhodes will be a little while getting in."
"That's fine, Gladys. You did right. You go on home. I'll talk to the young lady and wait for Rhodes."
She nodded. With a last worried glance toward his office Gladys picked up her purse and left.
Cas looked around at the parking lot outside at a strange, to him anyway, small car and locked the outside door before going into his office.
A pretty young woman who looked about twenty-two got up as Cas entered the office. She was slender, dressed casually in jeans and a cotton blouse. Her hair was brown with summer-blonde streaks in it and was caught back in a ponytail. Her pretty face looked worried as she held out her hand.
"Your secretary said I could wait for you. My name is Gretchen Baker, I'm sorry to bother you so late in the day," she apologized. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Her name is Julia Timkins. I was supposed to meet her here and spend our vacation together. But I can't find her."
The Mardi Gras Murder Page 4