The Morelville Mysteries Collection

by Anne Hagan

“Cole, you know this isn’t yours.” I pointed at the bike. “You’ve never showed one whit of interest in riding once you outgrew the 50. You said it was boring. You’ve only been interested in rodeo until just now. What’s all of a sudden gotten into you?”

  He didn’t answer me.

  I blew out a breath and shook my head. “Look, for now, put the bike back where you got it. You and I and your mom will sit down and talk more about this, this weekend.”

  “But, can I race on...”

  “Cole, no! This bike is ‘A’, mine and ‘B’, not set up for that sort of thing. It’s just to ride, period. I don’t want to hear any more about racing right now!”

  I watched as he pushed the quad back to the garage, head hung low. I turned to Beth, “Show’s over missy! It’s a school night. You best get moving.”

  Beth climbed the stairs and trundled across the deck in a teenage huff. Once she was inside the house, I turned to Dana. “Welcome to chez Crane!”

  “I apologize for drifting off. I had no idea what was going on.”

  “Dana, don’t apologize. It isn’t your responsibility to handle those two anyway. It’s not even really mine but, well, someone has to and, while Kris works, that usually falls to me.”

  Dana pointed at me and then at my food. I really was famished. The night was warm so, even though it was now dark, I parked myself at the table and I began to open the containers. She took the chair next to me and joined me.

  “Would you like some? There’s plenty!”

  “No thanks. I’m still full from the dinner you made for me and the kids before you left and the snacks they wanted all of an hour later!”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I should have talked to you about the kids before and let you decide if this would work for you... ”

  “Mel, they’re kids. They’re normal, teenage kids. Been there, done that!” She laughed. “Besides, you handle them pretty well!”

  “I’m a cop!”

  “No, no. It’s more than that. You’d be a great parent.” Her eyes drilled into mine in the darkness.

  “Appearances are deceiving. I’ve been around those two all their lives. Their father isn’t in the picture. It’s been a community effort to raise them, especially Cole.”

  “Community?”

  “Yes. Kris, me – as you’ve seen – and my mom and dad for starters but also a lot of our friends and neighbors. Everyone looks out for them. They’re both great kids but Cole just seems to have some special challenges. He’s the older of the two but not the wiser. He really seems to lack for a real father figure.”

  “Did you and your sister wind up living together so you could be on hand for the kids...if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “It’s okay.” I paused to take a bite and think about her question. “When it comes right down to it, Kris loves her job at the station because she likes the constant community interaction. The thing is, this is a very small town. She’s not the manager there so it doesn’t pay the best...small town wages. If she doesn’t do it though, someone else gladly will.”

  Dana nodded.

  “Anyway, feeding teenagers and keeping them in Nike’s and Justin boots or whatever the shoe of the moment is, is tough. I help with bills and my parents - my dad especially - help with guidance, transportation and everything else.”

  “Does Kris date?”

  “Actually yes. She’s been getting pretty serious with a guy who’s an over the road truck driver. She just doesn’t get to see him a lot. He has a little apartment in Zanesville. He really tries to get home weekends but, if he’s on the West Coast on Thursday, it’s a sure bet he’s not going to be in Ohio before Sunday.”

  Dana winced. “That’s rough! I thought my life on the road was bad!” She leaned back in her chair. “It’s so nice to sit and talk with you like this. I miss that about hanging around with people outside of work.”

  It was my turn to smile. We chatted for several more minutes about everything and nothing while I ate. Kris found us on the deck when she got off work and joined us too. My mind was awhirl with the investigation but I put it aside for just one night and enjoyed the chatter.

  Chapter 11 – County Mountie

  Thursday, May 29th, 2014

  I hit the ground running Thursday morning but I got nowhere fast. I set a couple of deputies up on a tail of Manuel Perez however the county had such limited resources for that sort of thing that I didn’t have a lot of hope of catching him at anything. Meanwhile, I was still hitting brick walls trying to get a bead on Ryan McClarnan. The guy was so far off grid, no one knew where to find him. Even the BMV was a total bust. Apparently, he doesn’t drive and he doesn’t have any sort of state issued ID.

  My best hope was to physically root him out. I figured I’d try the old fashioned way first. I hopped in my county SUV and headed south along the Muskingum River. I crossed the river on the Route 32 bridge at Duncan Falls and, just south of Philo, I began scanning the banks and fields in earnest for signs of a trailer, a camper, some sort of a little cabin or his bee keeping or crop growing operations. Being late May, it was unfortunately still early in the year for planting to show very much promise. Fields were tilled and planted sure, but not much of significance was yet popping up that needed anyone around tending to it. I saw no hives at all. No one was camped out or around doing anything else either. I had smacked into another big wall of dead ends. I came to realize that the address on the honey bottle, at least as far as the honey production was concerned, may have been a complete fake.

  Temporarily defeated, I returned to the station. Holly rose when I entered the office.

  “Sheriff, Commissioner Bell has called twice for you. He says it’s urgent that he speak with you.”

  “Did he say what he wanted?”

  Holly spread her hands in an ‘I don’t know’ gesture then handed me a memo slip with his contact numbers on it.

  Todd Bell is a real thorn in my side. As a county commissioner, he sticks his nose into lots of places where it truly doesn’t belong like into official police investigations. He’s all about appearances and how tourists will perceive the county. That was probably his issue now too. I have a news flash for him...tourists don’t spend time in Muskingum County. They go over the ‘Y’ bridge and pass right on through!

  I laid the memo aside. I figured I’d deal with him later.

  Later came right at lunch time. Holly hadn’t been out the door two minutes off to pick us up sandwiches when Bell poked his head into my office unannounced.

  “Commissioner, this is a surprise!” I tried to sound pleasant.

  “You didn’t say it was a ‘nice’ surprise,” he said as he stepped in and thumped his fingers down on the edge of my desk.

  I ignored the barb. “What can I help you with?”

  “You can join me for lunch. We need to talk.”

  “Can we talk here? I have lunch on the way and a lot on my plate, so to speak.”

  “I’d prefer not to.” He jerked his thumb to the left. “Walls have ears.”

  It took all I had not to roll my eyes. I knew there wasn’t any point in trying to argue with the man. I left a quick note for Holly and then we were off.

  I was surprised when we parked near to Bryan Place. It’s one of the nicer restaurants in downtown that’s located in a historic old YMCA residence building. It’s not one I’d typically visit for lunch on a work day.

  Commissioner Bell, apparently a regular, was greeted by name and then we were led to a table deep in a corner. Once we were seated and we had ordered he asked that we be left alone. I was surprised by his bluntness.

  “Crane, let me cut right to the chase, the May primary election is in the history books. No one threw their hat into the ring for Sheriff.”

  I don’t like where this is going... “I know. I’m assuming you want assurance that I’ll continue to stand as Sheriff in until someone is elected?”

  “Don’t assume Crane. What I want...what the commissioners want, is for
you to run.”

  “Commissioner...”

  “Todd, please.”

  “Okay. Todd, you already know my position. I’m happy to stand in but I want to go back on the street when a new Sheriff is elected. I don’t want the job permanently but I’m willing to do it until the right candidate comes along.”

  “Hear me out please...Mel, is it? Is that what you prefer to be called?”

  I nodded my assent. He fell silent when our server appeared with our salads but he picked right back up as soon as he walked away.

  “Mel, the filing deadline for candidacy passed for the primary with no filers so there was nothing to put on the ballot. We were left hoping that a reasonable write in candidate or two would step up for the November general election. Well, someone threw a wrench in the works.”

  “How so?”

  “A patrol officer from Columbus filed yesterday for an August special election. Under state law, we can be required as a county to pay to print ballots and hold the election just for the one office.”

  “A patrol officer? An experienced one? That could be good Comm...Todd...”

  “Not in this case, it’s not!” He tossed his hand in the air. “We had him checked out right quick. He has his OPOTA certificate and two total years on the force. He’s a 24 year old, wet behind the ears kid.”

  I winced. I don’t want a 24 year old, know nothing boss! I tried to hold my true feelings in check. “Can we protest his candidacy?”

  “Here’s the thing, see, you have up until 70 days prior to an election to protest the qualification of a candidate if you want to try and keep them off the ballot. An August special election would by on Tuesday, August 5th. Do the math; that’s 69 days from now.”

  “Damn. He knew what he was doing and he waited on purpose!”

  “You got that right!”

  “Who is he?”

  “Name’s Noland Troutman.”

  “As in Noland Troutman III?”

  “You know him?”

  “Yeah, I know him. He’s from a very wealthy family who had some milling interests in this area for years. When he was younger he used to spend summers out this way with his grandparents. He was a punk ass kid then that I picked up a few times for petty stuff. He always pulled the “Do you know who I am?” card.” I shook my head. “Hard to believe he’s a cop now. I can’t fathom that his family would have backed that...”

  “Maybe this is a political stepping stone for him. Think about it; it was probably all planned out either by him or by the family. He puts in his two years, bides his time then he preys on a vulnerable county for a Sheriffs slot. New Sheriffs get training from the state before they take over their departments so he’s not coming in cold and he knows that. He puts his four years in or maybe even less with the unlucky department then he uses his position as a springboard to higher political office.”

  I thought about that for a minute as I chewed. As much as I don’t care for Bell here, his argument has a ring of truth to it... “His family, from what I recall, is politically connected.”

  “Rich enough and connected enough that they can push the state for this election to happen?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Then you see what needs to happen?”

  “Pardon?”

  “You have to oppose him in the election Mel. You have to run. We can’t have law enforcement taken over in the county by this kid.”

  “You’re right but I’m very torn. I stepped in when Sheriff Carter was killed with the understanding that it would be a short term assignment, until a proper replacement could be put in place. It’s been nearly a year. No one has stepped forward and now this.”

  “He’s not a proper replacement as a Sheriff Mel but you fit the bill just fine.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. Aside from the fact that I don’t really want the job, I don’t think I’m actually, um, let’s just say ‘electable’.” I made air quotes hoping Bell would catch my drift.

  “Nonsense! You do a great job here and people respect that.”

  He’s going to make me say it...

  He stared at me for a long minute. “Look, Mel, besides you thinking you really don’t want the job,” I started to speak but he raised is hand, “Hear me out, please. Besides that, deep down, what’s keeping you from throwing your hat in?”

  He really is going to make me say it. “Commissioner we live in Muskingum County, on the edge of Appalachia. I’m a gay woman in a rural, unaccepting, unforgiving county.”

  He didn’t bat an eye. “Tell me something I don’t know Crane! Everybody knows. Not electable, hell! You’ll run rings around that kid! I can promise you that.”

  “I’m not so sure. Look, I’m not going to hide who I am. I’m not in a relationship right now but there is somebody that I want to be in my life. I’m not going to back burner that to run for Sheriff only to have my family’s name and hers dragged through the mud.”

  “You underestimate the people of this county. They elected me didn’t they? Lord knows I’m not the most likeable guy around!”

  Again, he has a point!

  Chapter 12 – Home on the Range

  I was sitting at my desk with my head in my hands when Holly buzzed me. “Sheriff, the Coroner released Ben Tracy’s body.”

  Oh boy! Let the games begin! “Great. Where’s he going?”

  “Liberty Tracy requested that he be sent to the Delong funeral home.”

  “Well that’s an interesting choice...right downtown. Wouldn’t be far from the family home thought... “Thanks Holly.”

  “Everything okay boss? You sound like you’re down.”

  “Yeah. I just have a lot to think about.”

  “Well, you know where to find me...” Holly was a friend of mine on the force long before I stepped into the role of Sheriff and she became my right hand in the office.

  “I know and I appreciate it. Thanks. I just got some stuff I’ve got to mull over, is all.”

  “Okay then.”

  “Can you try and get Mrs. Tracy on the phone or, if you can’t reach her, the funeral director at Delong? We need to know when the funeral is, if she’s actually having one for him. I want undercover officers there to survey the crowd.”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Thanks Holly.”

  It turned out, Liberty Tracy was having a short viewing and then a brief memorial service for Ben Tracy at the Delong parlor on Saturday. There would be no extended calling hours and no graveside service. That made my departments’ job a little easier. We only had to watch the funeral home and only for a short period of time.

  After coordinating with Joe Treadway and one of my detectives to be on hand, undercover, outside and at the memorial service, I called it a day. My head was throbbing. I just wanted to go home and relax but I knew, deep down, I’d have to have a serious conversation with my family and also one with Dana.

  ###

  I stopped at the station and chatted with Kris for a few minutes but she was busy and she couldn’t really talk in any sort of confidential, just between us, kind of way. I gave up trying for the moment and headed down the street to the house.

  To my incredible surprise, I walked in to witness a scene of total domestic bliss. Dana was sitting at the kitchen table cutting vegetables for a salad. Meanwhile, Beth was pulling something that smelled wonderful out of the oven and Cole was sitting at the end of the table doing homework.

  Dana looked up at me and smiled. Beth said, “Hi Aunt Mel! We made dinner!”

  “I see that. Now tell me what you did with Beth and Cole!”

  “Ha ha! You’re so funny.”

  “So anyway, what is that I smell?”

  “Grandma Rossi’s secret recipe lasagna,” Dana said and then winked in a conspiratorial sort of way while Beth beamed.

  “Well let’s eat then!”

  “Aunt Mel, we can’t eat it yet! Aunt Dana says it has to stand for about 15 minutes now so it will set.”

  “
Aunt Dana?” I eyeballed Beth, my mind spinning, but it was Dana who answered.

  “It seems your family is raising some very polite children who insist on calling me Miss Rossi. I was beginning to feel like my mother. ‘Aunt Dana’ seemed like a good compromise.”

  I looked at Dana, eyebrows raised, “I guess! So let me ask, where did we come up with all of the fixings to make lasagna?”

  “Simple,” Cole piped up, “We showed Dana...er, Aunt Dana how to get to the grocery store we always go to in Zanesville since the store here didn’t have everything she said we needed.”

  I was terrified of the answer but I had to ask, “Who drove?”

  “Well I did, silly! My car’s parked right outside where, I suspect you’ve had it parked for some time?”

  “Um, well, yeah. I had it moved here a couple of days after the bust, once it looked like you were going to be in the hospital for a while. You had it parked a couple of blocks from the station. Really though, should you be driving?”

  “Mel, I’m fine to drive. I don’t really need my left leg for that and I only take the pain medicine at night now and not always then. The kids helped in the store and with getting everything into the house.”

  “I see.”

  “You’re mad?”

  “No, no. Just concerned is all.”

  “I appreciate that but I’ve got to keep up with my therapy and I’ve got to start getting around. I’m going to be...to be expected to go back to work soon.” She looked away from me.

  “How soon?”

  “We’ll talk after dinner.”

  “I suppose that means I better not get used to come home to dinner and finished homework?”

  She smiled and shrugged.

  “It’s okay. Quite frankly, I need to talk to you too; you and Kris.”

  “What about us?” Cole whined.

  “Don’t worry about it kiddo; it’s adult stuff.”

  “I’m almost an adult you know! In a couple of weeks I’ll be old enough to get my learner’s permit.”

  “That’s what scared me about you guys all going into town today! I thought you might have conned your...ahem...Aunt Dana here into letting you drive!”