Blinded by the Trees

by Kira Chase

  “But what would the motive be?” Selma asked. “Everyone says he was a good kid.”

  Frankie frowned. “It’s so obvious…right under our noses and we didn’t see it.”

  “What?” Johanna asked as she sipped at a cup of steaming tea.

  “It has to be someone connected with the tree farm. No one else could get the gate unlocked. Sam himself said he doesn’t hear anything once he removes his hearing aids. If the dogs had barked, Sam wouldn’t have heard. He wouldn’t have heard anything.”

  “One of the grandsons,” Johanna announced. “Didn’t someone mention that one of the boys was a classmate of Cody’s?”

  “I remember hearing something about that.” Frankie drummed her fingertips on the coffee table. “What’s the motive, though? We’ve met both of the boys. Neither of them looks like they could be cold-blooded murderers. Something doesn’t fit.”

  “Looks can be deceiving, Frankie. We both know that.” Johanna was thoughtful for a minute. “Maybe something is in one of the notebooks Eve was using as a diary.”

  “We’ll ask Kate when we see her.”

  Selma looked at the clock. “Do you want me to make some dinner, girls? It’s getting to be about that time.”

  “I’m too keyed up to eat,” Frankie replied. “I have a gut feeling that we’re close to solving this whole case.”

  Johanna looked curiously at her. “Do you feel like any of us are in danger?”

  Selma stared at Frankie. “I didn’t know you still got those feelings, honey.” She looked at Johanna. “When she was a little girl I used to call her my little psychic. Then she just seemed to outgrow whatever it was.”

  “Didn’t it bother you, Selma?”

  She shook her head. “Nah, my grandmother used to sense and see when danger was near. My mother and I were never blessed with it. When I was a child, I thought it wasn’t much of a gift as my grandmother called it, since she warned me never to speak about what she saw to anyone.”

  Johanna shivered. “So you never thought it odd when Frankie would sense things?”

  “No. She only got strong feelings if danger was near. She didn’t see things the way my grandmother did. For that I was very relieved.”

  “Do you sense danger now, Frankie?” Johanna asked with a touch of concern in her voice.

  Frankie had been deep in thought and now turned to her mother. “Mom, don’t go scaring Johanna. She knows I sometimes get gut feelings about things. And no, Johanna, this time it is only a feeling that anyone would get. I wish I could figure out a motive.”

  “A motive that would cause such a violent death,” Selma added.

  “Why don’t we wait to eat until after we meet with Kate? We can heat up some leftovers.”

  Frankie nodded. “Sounds like a good idea, Johanna. I think we’re all too keyed up right now to think about food.”

  “Kate seems like a nice woman,” Selma observed.

  “She is. She’s also dating Arlan.” Frankie smiled.

  Selma laughed. “Is he still as cocky as he used to be?”

  “As a matter of fact, Kate seems to have tamed him. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. He’s met his match, but he’s head over heels.”

  “Well, good for her.”

  The intercom buzzer sounded. Frankie hurried to it. “Hey, Frankie and Johanna. I thought I’d stop by to let you know I’m on my way to Sam’s.”

  “Thanks, Kate. We’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing we decided to wait to eat,” Selma said as she pulled herself to her feet and set her teacup in the sink and followed Johanna to the living room.

  When Frankie walked into the living room a couple of minutes later, Selma and Johanna were already pulling on their boots and jackets. She grabbed her parka slipped it on and zipped it. “Who’s car are we taking this time?”

  “Let’s take the truck,” Selma said. “The roads are icing up again.”

  “No they’re not,” Frankie said, her eyes narrowing. “You just want to be in control.”

  Selma laughed. “I get antsy when I’m not driving.”

  Johanna lifted an eyebrow. “Now I know where Frankie gets it from.”

  Chapter 16

  Selma parked the truck inside the gate next to Kate’s patrol car. The women piled out and walked over to where Kate stood talking to Sam Clark. The man’s shoulders were even more stooped than they’d been the other day. Johanna felt sorry for him. It was bad enough to find a corpse on his property, but now, if Frankie’s theory proved true, he’d have to face the possibility that one of his beloved grandsons had committed the deed. She wondered if Sam could take that stress. She feared it would be his undoing.

  “We’re waiting for Sam’s grandsons to finish their dinner,” Kate explained. “I have a few questions for them, too.”

  Sam glanced at the young couple who’d been checking out several trees a few feet away.

  “How’s business been, Sam?” Frankie asked.

  Johanna saw his jaw drop. “Not good. I’m usually swamped these last few days before Christmas. I can’t blame people for not wanting a tree from me this year. A lot come around, though, just to gawk at the place the boy was found.”

  “I’m sorry, Sam.”

  He nodded and his shoulders drooped even more. “I think I’ll just stay closed after tonight.”

  “Don’t do that, Sam. I’m sure your regulars will be back,” Frankie said.

  “Can I go and help the couple over there?” Sam asked, pointing at the young couple.

  “Go ahead, Sam. I’ll wait until you close up for the night to talk to your grandsons.”

  “We’ve been closing at six the last couple of nights. I’ll have one of the boys put the closed sign up.” He shuffled over to the couple.

  “Can we talk to you privately for a sec, Kate?” Frankie asked.

  “Sure. We’ve got some time to kill while Sam closes up.” They walked toward the back of the lot. “Sam doesn’t know any more than what he’s already stated.” Her lips drew taut. “I think one of the grandsons is involved. Maybe drugs.”

  “I thought that, too,” Frankie replied. “But I’ve got another theory, too.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Have all the notebooks from Eve been processed?”

  “No.” She stamped snow off her boots. “When I left, Arlan had the men taking each detailed entry and cross referencing it to the date of the burglaries. That woman kept amazingly detailed records. Thank God that she did.” Her forehead creased as she looked at them. “It also served as her personal diary.”

  “So the dates and addresses of the burglaries match?”

  “Yes, there’s even some that were never reported. We’ve brought in a couple of detectives from the police department. It’s going to take some time to go through each book.”

  “Call George and tell him to read the entry for the night or morning Cody was murdered.”

  “We’ve already determined that the Burrows’ had no involvement in the murder.” Her eyes narrowed as she met Frankie’s eyes. “Where are you going with this, Frankie?”

  “Something just occurred to me. Please, Kate. I might be wrong, but what if I’m not?”

  Kate turned her attention to Johanna and Selma. “Do either of you know what she’s talking about?”

  “Not a clue,” Johanna replied.

  “Sometimes she gets an intense feeling about something,” Selma added. “Usually she’s right.”

  Kate frowned, but took out her cell phone. “Remember, if George gets pissed off it’s on your head.”

  Frankie laughed. “I can handle George.”

  Johanna leaned close to Frankie. “Want to let me in on this? What just occurred to you?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  Kate snapped her phone shut and placed it back into her pocket. “George said he’ll get on it as soon as he can.”

  “Good.” Frankie glanced at the couple ex
iting the farm without purchasing a tree. “Poor guy. He doesn’t deserve this.”

  “No, he most certainly doesn’t.” Kate started to walk back toward Sam and his two grandsons, who’d come out to let their grandfather know they’d finished their dinner. The boys dimmed the lights and closed the gate.

  Johanna trailed behind Kate and Frankie with Selma by her side. She wondered what Frankie had up her sleeve now. Whatever it was, it was bound to take the murder investigation in a new direction.

  When they reached the men, Sam ushered them all into the house. They entered the kitchen through a cluttered back enclosed porch. Johanna carefully maneuvered around an assortment of tools. The kitchen was just as cluttered. It was a large old-fashioned room with tall ceilings and cabinets that reached to the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large table with room to seat at least twelve.

  Sam shuffled over to the electric coffee maker and plugged it in. While he was preparing the coffee, they settled themselves around the table. Sam’s grandsons were husky good-looking boys.

  Kate pulled out a notebook. She looked at the dark-haired boys. “Which one of you was a classmate of Cody Burrows?”

  The heavier boy nodded. “Me. We weren’t close buddies or anything like that. Cody didn’t have any close friends.”

  “Why was that—I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

  “Cramer…Cramer Clark. My brother Paul graduated last year.” He tilted his head in his brother’s direction.

  “He didn’t get along with his classmates?”

  “It wasn’t that. Everybody seemed to like him okay and the girls were crazy about him. He just didn’t seem interested. He never said too much to anyone. Never anything personal. He was a loner. I think his folks owned a secondhand shop or something. He was always offering us first choice when items came in. After school, he usually went straight home instead of hanging out, unless someone had a problem with their car. He never turned down an opportunity to work on a car.”

  “Did anyone ever buy anything from him?”

  He shook his head. “No, just me.”

  Kate’s eyes narrowed. “What did you buy?”

  “A stereo system. I got a great deal on it, too.”

  “Did you pick it up at his family’s shop?”

  “No, he delivered it. I told him to hold it for a couple of days and I’d drop by to get it, but he said his dad didn’t like to keep stuff around that had been sold. I guess it was taking up space or something.”

  Kate was thoughtful for a minute. “Did any of your classmates ever discuss any altercations they may have had with him?”

  “No, like I said, he was a nice guy. The cops already came to school and questioned everybody.” His forehead furrowed. “We couldn’t believe someone would kill him. Everybody was shocked. Some of the girls were crying. He was a nice guy,” he said again. “I wish I would have known him better. Once he told me that someday he was going to open up an auto body shop. Like I said, he loved tinkering with cars. If anybody had a problem with their car, they always looked for Cody to fix it.”

  “Did he charge for the work?”

  He shook his head. “No, he’d probably pay them just for the opportunity,” he replied then laughed. “He was a grease monkey.”

  “Did he ever appear depressed or worried about something?”

  Cramer was thoughtful for a minute. “No, he was one of those types that you never could tell how they are feeling. But when his head was under the hood, he’d be whistling and smiling as he worked.”

  “Was he dating anyone?”

  “No. A couple girls asked him out, but he always said he was busy.”

  “Did you tell the police about the stereo system you bought from him?”

  “No, they never asked about stuff like that.”

  “So, getting back to the stereo. Was it in good condition?”

  His eyes brightened. “The box had never even been opened. Like I said, it was a great deal. I could have never afforded one at the department store.”

  “When did he deliver it?”

  “Wasn’t that the night we had to go to the annual Christmas party for Dad’s company?” his brother Paul asked. “We spent the night at home that night.” He looked at Kate. “We stay here most nights to help Grandpa with the trees.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I told Grandpa that I was having something dropped off. He said he’d keep the gate and the back porch unlocked. Do you remember, Grandpa?”

  Kate waited while Sam set steaming cups of coffee and cream and sugar on the table. “Sam, do you remember that night?”

  He scratched his head. “Oh yeah, I do. In the morning the box was sitting inside the porch.”

  “Do you remember what night that was?”

  Sam looked at his grandson. “Do you remember, Cramer?”

  “Yeah, it was the night before he was murdered.” The boy shuddered. “The killer must have followed him here.”

  “What kind of car did Cody drive?”

  “A big white van.”

  “Why didn’t he just bring the stereo to school with him and put it in your car?”

  Cramer’s face reddened. “Dad took my car keys away for a month.”

  Kate’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”

  “It wasn’t for a driving violation. I was failing history.”

  “I don’t think I have any more questions for you, Cramer.” She looked at Frankie and Johanna. “Do either of you have anything to add?”

  Johanna stirred some sugar into her coffee. “No, I think you’ve covered everything.”

  “Cramer,” Frankie said. “How did Cody act the last time you saw him alive?”

  “He seemed upset. That’s the only time he ever showed any emotion. But like I said, he never shared anything personal. A couple of times I tried to get him to hang out at my house or hinted that I’d be willing to hang out at his house. He’d never invite me over, though.”

  Johanna studied the boy as he talked. He seemed genuinely upset by Cody’s death…more so since it had been a murder and on his grandfather’s property. The boy’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears.

  “Maybe if I’d have been here he wouldn’t have gotten killed. He didn’t deserve that.”

  “It’s not your fault, Cramer. Whether he was here or not, the murderer would have gotten him if that was his intent.” Kate’s voice was soft.

  “Did he ever say anything about his parents?” Johanna asked.

  Cramer looked at her. “No. I got the impression he wasn’t close to them, though. Whenever I said something about my parents taking me and Paul to a game or on a vacation somewhere, he’d just shrug and say ‘Some parents love more than others’.”

  Johanna’s heart lurched. “I don’t have any more questions, Cramer,” she said quietly.

  “Can I go take a shower now?” the boy asked.

  Kate looked at Frankie. “Do you have anything else?”

  “No. Go ahead, Cramer. And thanks for your help.”

  “I hope whoever did this to Cody burns in hell,” he said before leaving the room.

  “I’m going to straighten up the tool shed, Grandpa,” Paul said. He nodded to the women on his way out.

  Johanna looked at Selma who’d been unusually quiet. She wondered what the woman was thinking. She watched Selma as she picked up her cup of coffee and brought it to her lips. Her eyes were focused on her daughter. Johanna saw the worry lines around her eyes.

  Frankie looked up and met her mother’s eyes. “Are you okay, Mom?”

  “I was just wondering what happens if you don’t catch the murderer.”

  Johanna knew that Selma was worried about their safety. She caught Frankie’s eye.

  “Mom, don’t worry.”

  Selma turned her attention to Kate. “I want to thank you for what you did last November. If it wasn’t for you, my daughter—”

  Kate held up a hand palm out. “Your daughter can take pretty good care of herself. I just happened to come b
y at the end of the scuffle.”

  Selma’s face relaxed. “You all take care of each other, don’t you?”

  “We sure do. We’re working for the same side,” she replied with a wide smile. Kate pushed her chair back and stood. “Thanks for the coffee, Sam.”

  “Any time,” the old man answered.

  Johanna noticed how tired he looked. He was probably glad they were ready to leave so he could go to bed. He shuffled to the door and opened it.

  Once they were outside Frankie turned to Kate. “I don’t think either of Sam’s grandsons had anything to do with the murder.”

  “I don’t either,” she agreed. “What do you think, Johanna?”

  Johanna frowned. “It would be highly unlikely. Now we’re back to square one.”

  Kate nodded. “You two wrapped up your part of the investigation. Why don’t you take some time to enjoy your holiday?”

  “Oh, no, I want to see this to the end,” Selma piped up.

  The women laughed. Frankie put a loving arm around her mother. “She loves seeing us in action.”

  “Now I have a better understanding of what you do. I don’t think I could stand to do this every day.”

  “Well, thank God that this is unusual around here,” Kate said, giving the woman a friendly smile.

  “Do you have plans for the holidays, Kate?” Johanna asked.

  “I did, but I put them on hold. If we can wrap up this case, I’m flying home to Alabama for a couple of days. If not, then I’ll try to get there in the spring. Right now we’re all working overtime on this. What I’d really like to do is sleep for a week.”

  Johanna smiled to herself. She’d bet Kate planned to do more than sleep. And she doubted she’d be alone in that bed. Arlan Paton had lost much of his cockiness since Kate came into his life. He was a changed man. Johanna gave Kate a lot of credit for taming him. Before Kate, Arlan was a womanizer, but now he only had eyes for Kate. She had to admit that they did make a cute couple and she was happy for the both of them.

  “Hopefully we’ll catch a break. I think Eve might have the answer in one of her notebooks. I wish George would call.” Frankie stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets.

  As if on command, Kate’s phone buzzed. “Your wish has been granted,” she said as she looked at the ID.