Murder at Police Station

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  "I see, and now did you see Norma wandering around the house during the times you were here?"

  Stacy saw Kay look away trying to recall whether or not she had seen her snooping around or not. "Yes, but like Nancy, she walked around the house when they took a potty break. I found her one time snooping in the pantry where most of the food storage is located. But you know how women are, Stacy, they're naturally curious how others live and eat."

  "Are there any more members, Kay," asked Stacy finishing her last notes on Norma Caldwell.

  "One more member and she's also fairly new. Her name is Sara Horner. Very quiet and thoughtful. She is always polite and thanks people who are nice to her. She is very well dressed and looks to have money. She moved here about a year ago for her husband's health. He requires, she said, peace and quiet with not much air pollution. They live down the road here in a big house overlooking the ocean. I did here some whispers that she's a top selling author of mysteries."

  "Did she also wander around snooping or looking the place over from upstairs to downstairs?"

  "I heard when she first joined the book club; Ms. Abrams took her on a tour of the house. I never saw her walking around except to use the toilet. But remember Stacy, I was not here a lot of times when they had a meeting."

  "I want to thank you, Kay. Please write down your address and phone number. I'm sure we'll want to talk again to you. We'll try not to be pests, but murder is an ugly thing that takes the privacy out of the lives of those associated with the victim."

  "Can I go now, Stacy? I live within walking distance down the road across from the church. I'm rather not feeling so hot. I need to lie down and take a nap."

  "A police officer will drive you home, Kay. Thanks again for your good facts about the book club. Everything you told me will be kept in confidence."

  James drove her home noting where she lived while Stacy reviewed her notes. It seemed logical that the killer was a member of the Book Worm Club. She took a deep breath and let it out thinking what an uphill battle is would be to root out the killer. While thinking about that she heard male voices talking and walking down the stairs. She recognized the voice of CSI team leader Doug Warner. She stood up and went to talk with him about what they did not discover.

  Ben was with them and he said, "Stacy, I think Doug has some news for you."

  "Hello, Marshall Foreham," said a stoic Doug Warner. "We have multiple prints on both the glass and container of medicine. The pathologist smelled the contents verifying that it had a slight almond smell to it. Also he said it was rather thin than a thick consistency. Also we have an ashtray full of smoked cigarettes that we'll run DNA tests on. It does look, however, that the housekeeper's prints are on the glass and the Milk of Mag bottle. We'll wait for your team to acquire the suspect's fingerprints to compare with. Other than that, Marshall, all else is mostly ordinary."

  "Thanks Doug. I appreciate your thoroughness. Let's hope we don't need your services soon. Oh, by the way," Stacy added as she turned away, "forget the incident down at the Myrtlewood factory.''

  Doug broke into a big smile while Ben turned his head to crack his smile. Doug said, "Sorry bout that Marshall. I learned my lesson, I hope."

  Doug and team left, leaving the big old house quiet and empty. James joined them and he said, "I'll get the Sheriff's Department to place a guard on the house until such time as we don't need them anymore."

  "Thanks, James. Let's sit down at the dining room table and talk about the case just a little bit. I know Rory is flying down the highway so he'll be before we know it. He'll be hungry too. I'm hungry now. How about you guys?"

  "I'll stay here until the deputy arrives. I'll send out for a sandwich, but thanks away," said James.

  "We need a ride, James. Lock the place up and tape the doors. Dan, call the State Police for a borrowed car for a few days, or more. When Rory gets here we can go up to Coos Bay, interview one of the suspects who live there. We can get the car after that," said Stacy.

  Stacy's father met them at the restaurant across the street from the police station. He was happy to see her, and she thought he looked good after a nice summer being retired from the office of Police Chief of Bandon.

  He said, after they ordered, "You need Sam on this case, Stacy."

  "I fully intend to. But first I need some transportation. Also I need Rory to round out our team to begin to interview the suspects. We've six book club members and the possible outsider is the victim's daughter. I understand she took off many years ago with a long haul trucker. It might be she was in a hard way and came home to seek some of the vast fortune, which is reported of the Abrams holdings."

  Ben said, "We've not much go on with the daughter. I'll look through the house to see if I can find a picture or some correspondence that might have occurred over the years. If she went to high school here, then there must be a picture of her in the school annual."

  "Good beginning Ben. Sam will surely know most of them as, if I remember correctly, five of the six are locals and are fairly long term residents of the Southern Coast. One exception is Sara Horner who has been here for only six months or so. She lives not far from the Abrams Mansion," said Stacy.

  Chief Ray finished his turkey salad sandwich. He said, "Before I retired we did have complaints of shouting noises coming from the Abrams Mansion. We investigated of course. We discovered that they were just arguing loudly. Since then, a time or two we've had calls complaining of the noise from the book club."

  Stacy's cell vibrated. She saw it was Rory calling. "Where are you, Tall Man," she asked.

  "Just out of Drain and about an hour and half away."

  "Meet us at the North Bend State Police Office. We'll wait for you there."

  A State Police car picked Stacy and Ben up at the restaurant. The Captain in North Bend thought highly of Stacy and of his former Detective Ben Razor. Ben transferred to Eugene to be closer to the Marshall's office, at the chagrin of the present Eugene captain. He bristled when all it took was a phone call dragging his detective away from police work. However, he knew better than to make waves or he would be taking early retirement. Marshall Foreham was packing a lot of weight not only in the state of Oregon, but nationally as well.

  They found Captain Blane not so busy that he could not chat with Stacy and Ben. He was pleased to see both and curious to hear about the latest homicide in Bandon. Stacy said, "We've one suspect that lives in Coos Bay. Her name is Norma Caldwell who is the secretary of the book club. If you have any patrolling in her area, have the officers keep an eye out for her. We think, at this point, it has to be one of the members who poisoned Ms. Abrams. We don't have any evidence at the time to accuse or have any one of them a prime suspect. Also we understand she had a daughter who ran away many years ago. She was in her late teens." Stacy glanced up, "Well Captain Blane, what else can I tell you?"

  "Nothing and we've a drug van that you can use for transportation. It's a late model and seats a half dozen or so. Just give us a call when you're finished with it," he responded

  They all heard the booming voice of Rory in the reception area. He came charging in with a gleaming smile for all in the office. Captain Blane stood up and shook his hand. He said, "Marshall Caltex, you look very well. I think Portland and life agrees with you. His glance towards Stacy locked with the knowledge he had a crush on her. Few in the law enforcement business did not know they were an item that was on again and off; depending on her mood or his.

  -4-

  Stacy rode with Rory while Ben went to find Nancy Browns' residence. Ben would find out later that she had been a long time resident of Coos County. Her husband still worked at the local bank as a Teller Manager. Both he and Nancy realized he would go no further up the ladder. However, her book sales gave her some freedom to fight the social circles pretending she was a wife of a bank manager and a top selling author.

  Rory said, "Fill me in," as they drove down the road to Bandon.

  "We've six maybe seven suspects t
hat we need to interview. The seventh one might be the daughter of the victim. She ran off with a trucker years ago, but it's a long shot that she is involved. Apparently there's a lot of money involved here. The motives are jealousy, greed, revenge, or a legacy to obtain. Nothing really out of the ordinary. We'll systematically question our way to a prime suspect; I hope."

  "I think I remember that old mansion that has its back to the north on the cliff overlooking the jetty. If I also remember right it was all run down."

  "You got it right, Tall Man, and glad to have you here. I think, if I’m not mistaken, this case will take a long time to flesh out the killer or maybe, the killers plural. From what little I know, there is, and was severe competition between the club members and their sales."

  "I hate to break in Super, but I've had nothing to eat since a burger back this side of Drain in Elkton. I need some fuel for my brain to operate properly."

  "Okay let's go get Sam and have something to eat. I already had lunch with father so not so hungry. We need Sam to give us the background of the 'Book Worm Club.'"

  "Wonderful name for a book club. Needless to say, I was never called a book worm," he said laughing.

  "I'll bet you barely made it through high school with your taste in the opposite sex," said a stoic faced Stacy teasing him like she loved to do.

  "I had a low 'B' average, but did well on my college entrance exams. Lucky for me. Anyway, here we are at Sam's. I'll wait here while you fetch our Deputy US Marshall.''

  "Ah, here he comes now," as Stacy had just opened the door. She got out and Sam gave her a hug and a hello to Rory. He had received the word from her father that when they returned from the Bay area they would be by to recruit him for help in a poison case.

  "Well, here we are again," Sam said as they drove up the hill on Beach Loop Road. Rory wanted to take a look at the crime scene before they had a snack. He could picture the dining room where the meetings took place and the distance from there to the kitchen. It only took a few minutes for him to check it out. Meanwhile, Stacy and Sam chatted about what each had been doing since the last case about five months ago.

  "I had some bad dreams Sam. I was down in the dumps and had a hard time climbing out of the pit I'd fallen into. It was the mention of getting a pet, like a cat, that brought me up just thinking about it. Then this case popped up and I'm right as rain now. How about you Sam?"

  "Same most days Stacy. It's been a fairly nice summer. We've had a nice run of tourists this summer. Fishing has been on again and off again. I never have any problem giving my fish away. Lately I've been lucky to provide your father and Fran fish for their restaurant on Fridays."

  Rory came back a little out of breath, but he was eager to find some sustenance to charge his batteries. For Stacy, having Rory there, felt good and she planned on telling him later.

  Inside the restaurant Rory wolfed down a steak sandwich and a milkshake. Sam had coffee and pie while Stacy had a double scoop ice cream cone to tease Rory with. He did not miss the coyness coming from the love of his life.

  Sam said, "You know the Abrams go back to the time of this towns beginning. The old man had foresight, that's for sure. I did know the husband of the victim. Well, I should say, not very well. He was standoffish, and not really liked much around town. He had a really long sharp nose that he used to look down on the lower classes of citizens. Ironically, those very citizens did his labor to make him richer. It provided the cash flow needed to expand his empire. I've no idea how many timber land acres he owned. You'd need to see his lawyer Brad Mason the Third. It was the great-grandfather who first represented Abrams and then or now it's the third Mason as the lawyer of the estate. They're in Coos Bay, but I don't know where."

  "How about the wife or the victim Gloria Abrams?" asked Stacy?

  "She was a carbon copy of him. She was barely civil to most people around town. She started that book club a long time ago. Maybe thirty years or so. I've never read any of her books, but they tell me she writes these – oh my – how to describe the work – raunchy – love stories. Anyway, I know from reports that loud arguments during meetings were heard around town. I'm not surprised that someone shut her mouth once and for all."

  "I think she's was over eighty. Why wait so long to do the job on her," said Rory, slurping the last of his shake.

  "Someone thought the time was perfect to poison her," said Stacy.

  "Now, the daughter is an anomaly that can't be excluded from this case. I've got it from a friend who has it from another friend – I know what you're thinking – but she was seen going out of town in a truck that had the name of 'National Trucking' on the door. My guess is that truck was headed north and probably stopped at Coburg where there's a big truck stop. Just a thought is all," said a big Smiling Sam.

  "That would be a long shot Sam," said Rory who had finished his shake with a downward face realizing that was it for the afternoon. "Anyway, anyone who might remember would be long gone or wasn't even born yet. This daughter must be – what – fifty plus by now?"

  "I'll put Dan on the National Trucking to see if they have some record of passing through Bandon many years ago. It's a long shot for sure, but we have to check out every possibility," said Stacy rising out of her chair.

  "I'm right behind you guys. Let's go to your office, Stacy, and I'll tell you what I know about the book club and its members," said Sam holding the door for Stacy while Rory took care of the tab.

  Inside the station, as they walked by the Chief's door, which was closed, Stacy thought he was not what the town needed in a Police Chief. It was surprising that her office was just as she left it. She inwardly thanked the station housekeeper for not disturbing her special office. The whiteboard was clean as was her desk. She had left it neat and tidy. It was time the office turned into an incident room.

  Stacy went to the whiteboard while Sam and Rory took their seats at the conference table. They watched while she wrote down the victim's name. Then she wrote down the six names of the book club members. The last name she wrote, just off to the side, was the daughter's name. Her name was an unknown at the point, but Stacy wrote in Ms. Brown. All knew it would not be long before they had her name in full.

  Stacy walked over to the conference table and sat down. From her bag she took out a legal pad and pencil. She had adopted her father's habit of using a Ticonderoga yellow pencil he had always in his hand while sitting at his desk. He rarely wrote anything on the fresh sheet of legal pad, but used it to doodle and play with it. It was his habit every morning to rip off yesterdays sheet of notebook paper and toss it in the trash can. Stacy just imitated the use of the once finest pencil made. I say once, because now they are made in China.

  Stacy said, "Let's get book club members names and addresses so we can have Rhonda run some background checks on our suspects. Rory here is the book club's members. Get their addresses out of the phone book or from wherever you can."

  She turned to Sam and said, "I’m ready Sam. Let's start again with our victim Kay Abrams."

  "I'll give you the highlights or bullets of what I know about her. First, she is, or was, not a nice person. She disliked any and all that didn't see life the way she did. She was tight with her money, as suggested by the run down mansion she lived in. She wrote raunchy romance novels being somewhat of a prolific writer, that her sales were impressive. A violent temper has been noted by her neighbors on more than one occasion. Oh – and she smoked like a chimney – I'm told. Rumor has it she literally ran her only daughter off by being so mean, some say. I think that's it, Stacy."

  "It's good enough for now, Sam. Now, how about the VP Nancy Brown?"

  "Nancy is a bit sketchy in my head. She does spend quite a bit time down here in Bandon. You know, she lives in Coos Bay – well – of course you do. I'd describe her, from past experience a time or two, as a person who gets out bed on the wrong side every day. I think of because of those loud arguments neighbors heard between the two of them. Neighbors reported to me that
her car was always parked outside when the yelling was heard. I guess they might have a love hate relationship. Also it's reported that she isn't that good an author. I don't know what genre she writes in, but I'm really not interested in any books except mysteries," he said grinning his big smile.

  "Let's let her go for the time being. Oh, here's Ben. You're just in time to sit in on a take of our book club members from Sam. Nothing much so far, but we've a beginning to our investigation. Okay, how about her new or recent friend Twila Darwin?"

  "I know only rumors and never met the lady. It's rumored she is a retired school principal from around the Portland area. I've seen her a time or two and she looks fairly nice to me. I hear she writes those erotic romance novels that Gloria likes to write. From what filters down, is that she and Gloria are at odds when it comes to who can write the smuttiest books. Other than that, I know nothing more."

  "How about Norma Caldwell, Sam," asked Stacy?

  "She's a local resident. A retired nurse who at one time was tending to Gloria Abrams. Talk is she suffered mightily at the hands of her employer Gloria. She confided to a friend that she was hoping she would get a piece of the fortune because of being so good to her. When she discovered that she would be left nothing, she quit. However, she continued with the book club. I've no idea what she writes about. Oh – by the way – she told my friend she would see some bad thing happen to that witch Gloria."

  "Bee Haven. Tell us some history of that family that goes back as far as the Abrams?" asked Stacy.

  "Well, she and her family have had a tumultuous relationship with the Abrams. Her husband was a bank manager of the family "Bank of Bandon." Her husband's father was the original owner of the bank. It's said that the elder Haven loaned money to the original Abrams to begin a business. A rumor has it that since Bee's husband died, she blew the life insurance traveling around the world. One day she woke up broke or close to it. She went to Gloria for a loan against her book sales. Gloria – it's said – told her to go fly a kite."