5 Murder at the High School Reunion

by Steve Demaree

“And you’d been drinking at the time?”

  “That’s right! Guns and alcohol don’t mix.”

  “Just like driving and alcohol don’t mix.”

  “That’s right.”

  “And did you drive yourself to the hospital?”

  “It ’urt too much, and I was bleedin’. A friend drove me.”

  “And the friend was?”

  “Some guy I went to ’igh school with.”

  “Mr. Gibbons, why don’t we quit beating around the bush? Jimmy Conkwright was seen dropping you off at the hospital.”

  “Well, if you already knowed, why’d you ask?”

  “I wanted to see if you’d pass the test of telling the truth. You didn’t.”

  “I didn’t lie. I said it was a friend.”

  “But did you say that it was your friend who shot you?”

  “’e didn’t.”

  “Even back then, doctors were pretty smart. The report says that from the angle the bullet went in that there was no way it could have been self inflicted.”

  “I was just tryin’ to protect a friend. I didn’t want to get ’im in trouble. ’e’d been drinkin’, too, and ’e didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “But he could have gotten in trouble if it came out that he did it. I guess that’s what the $2,500 was for.”

  “I won that money bettin’ on the ’orses.”

  “Wow, underage drinking, underage betting. What else did you do?”

  “That was pretty much it.”

  “You know, Mr. Gibbons, you’re probably the first person who has won exactly $2,500 a month every month for twenty years.”

  “Well, that’s money I got for workin’.”

  “Working at what, Mr. Gibbons?”

  “This and that.”

  “And you were doing that work for Jimmy’s father?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Mr. Gibbons, I bet there are times when your knee really hurts.”

  “Most of the time.”

  “Have you ever resented Jimmy Conkwright because he shot you? You know, $2,500 a month isn’t that much when you’re in pain all the time.”

  “And sometimes I have ’spenses out of that money, ’cause I need some pain medication or somethin’.”

  “So, tell me, Mr. Gibbons, was Jimmy really a friend, or did you just hang out with him for the money?”

  “’e was okay most of the time.”

  “But some of the time he wasn’t. Is that why you killed him?”

  “I didn’t kill him!”

  That wasn’t the answer I had hoped for. I was hoping he’d say something like, “I didn’t lock him in no freezer.” My trick didn’t work.

  “No, I suppose you didn’t, unless you knew about the money you’d get if you did kill him and get away with it. A man can do a lot more with $1,000,000 than he can with $2,500 a month.”

  “I’m about to find out. I’m tryin’ to ’cide whether or not to quit my job. A million might last me the resta my life if I don’t do nothin’ stupid.”

  “Like murder someone.”

  He was starting to protest, but I waved my hand.

  “Okay, so you didn’t kill Jimmy. Who do you think did? It had to be someone who was at the school that night.”

  “I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout that. All of ’em hated Jimmy. Still, I can’t see any of ’em being a murderer.”

  “Let’s talk a little bit about that night. Some people say they saw you coming out of the kitchen. Did you see anyone in the kitchen or anywhere else other than the hall and the cafeteria after Conkwright and Mrs. Spencer were shoved out the front door?”

  “First of all, let me tell you I didn’t go in no kitchen, ’cept far enough to look in and see if Jimmy was in there. ’e wasn’t, so I left right away. And yeah, I did see a coupla other people in the kitchen, Rose Ellen Calvert and Duck.”

  “Together?”

  “Naw! You kiddin’?”

  “And did you see both of them in there after the victims left drunk?”

  He smiled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I just have trouble thinkin’ of eithera those two as victims.”

  “I thought one of them was your friend.”

  “’e was, but he ain’t never been no victim.”

  “He was that night. Anyway, answer the question.”

  “I forget what it was.”

  “When did you see Rose Ellen Calvert and Duck Spencer in the kitchen, before or after the two…dead people disappeared?”

  “I think she was in there both times. Duck didn’t get thare until after they disappeared.”

  “And did they see that you saw them?”

  “That stuck up woman did.”

  “And how did she react?”

  “Embarrassed.”

  “You have anything else for us, Mr. Gibbons?”

  “I can’t thank of nothin’.”

  “Well, let me know if you do. We’ll be in touch.”

  Gibbons knee must have acted up as I added that last sentence, because he looked in pain. Was there a reason that my words should have bothered him?

  +++

  It looked like another late dinner. I turned to Lou to see if he wanted to cook or go to Burkman’s for a steak. We opted for Burkman’s. It was hard getting used to not eating out all the time. It was also hard getting used to asking for a “to go” box, too. I thought of what we had planned for the next day. We’d go talk to Duck Spencer, stop in on Conkwright’s attorney, and then late that afternoon we’d see if we could locate some Van Meters, just in case that girl’s death twenty years ago had anything to do with the case. When I relayed this information to Lou, he agreed to keep his leftovers at my house. We’d either eat them for lunch or dinner.

  +++

  Lou and I ate what most people call a sensible meal; steak, baked potato, and a salad. The salad was the toughest part for me. Well, other than the fact that both Lou and I turned down an offer of dessert. If only we could lose weight on a sugar diet. I could’ve gone for something like that years ago. Maybe I did. Maybe that’s the reason that my circumference was second to that of the Earth. But back to the salad. Salad is bad enough on its own, but I have trouble covering it with a minute amount of some see-through dressing. I had no problem with steak or the potato. Before I began eating, I cut both the steak and the potato in two, and asked for a to-go box. I think our server had waited on us before, because she laughed. She thought I was making a joke, until I assured her I was serious. I’m sure she had encountered other people who’d done something similar, but in January, when some people had not yet broken their New Year’s resolutions, not in July, after most of them had long since forgotten they ever made any.

  Lou and I refrained from talking about the case until we were safely ensconced in Lightning. We kept no secrets from Lightning, just from the rest of the world.

  “So, Lou, did that steak enlighten you as to who might be our murderer?”

  “A little bit. I’ve narrowed it down to those who were at the school that night, and I’ve eliminated two of those people.”

  “Oh, which two?”

  “Jimmy Conkwright and Betty Gail Spencer.”

  I pulled over, rolled down the window, and dangled Lou’s leftovers out the window. He merely smiled. I’d forgotten that losing food no longer had an effect on Lou. So, I changed tactics.

  “Lou, I’ve known for a long time that I’m the brains of this outfit.”

  “Is that why it takes us so long to solve a case?”

  “No, it takes us so long because even the innocent lie to us.”

  “I think you’ve hit on something, Cy. Do you think we just need to round up all of them?”

  “Maybe eventually. For the time being we’ll just keep plodding along. Can I assume that all your folderol means you have nothing important to say?”

  “I think my folderol is among the best in the county.”

  +++

  I started to head to
Lou’s place, then he reminded me that his car was at my house. I’d completely forgotten about the nightmare my next-door neighbor had caused. I looked at my watch. It was 9:00. I wasn’t used to working so late. At least I didn’t have to go home and cook. Just toss a couple of boxes in the refrigerator.

  I drove down the street, looked and saw lights on in the house next door. Could it be that the woman from another planet had returned? I didn’t plan to go next door and knock in order to find out. I left Lightning in her customary sleeping place, got out, and sniffed the air to see if there was any sign of my next door neighbor. There wasn’t enough of a breeze to answer my question. I bid Lou good night. He headed down the driveway to his car, while I walked up to my back door and inserted my key.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  We’d been working on the case for almost a week, and I wondered if we were getting anywhere. At least that was my thought when I woke up Friday morning and took stock of what we had planned for the day. We had planned to work three angles. I hoped that one of them would pay off. We’d start with another visit with Duck Spencer, see if he’d confess that he closed and locked that door while in a rage. If that didn’t work, we’d move on to the attorney who handled Jimmy Conkwright’s will. While I didn’t expect him to tell me that either of the parties confessed to murder during the reading of the will, maybe he would be able to tell me something about the state of mind of either of the windfall’s recipients. Last, we’d visit with the two families named Van Meter to find out if they were related to the mysterious girl who died in that car wreck twenty years ago.

  I got up, went through my morning routine, which was everything from eating, to showering, to working out, then called Lou and told him I was on my way.

  I walked out the front door and froze. It was the first time I’d seen Heloise Humphert since she was incarcerated. She looked at me and stuck out her tongue. I swear, it looked like the furball did the same. Evidently, she’d learned her lesson, because she made no move to jump my bones. She remained in her yard, and the varmint did too.

  +++

  I pulled up in front of Lou’s place and he rushed out to join Lightning and me. He slid onto the seat, buckled up, and as I was about to take off, he said, “Don’t start yet.”

  “Don’t start yet is today’s clue.”

  “No, I’ll share that with you in a moment. Cy, we need to talk first.”

  I’d heard those same words spoken on occasion, usually by a man or a woman who was about to break up with someone. Lou and I weren’t that type of a couple, and I didn’t think that Lou wanted to quit working with me. But I could contain myself no longer.

  “Lou, have I done something wrong?”

  “Many times, but that doesn’t have anything to do with what we need to talk about. Thelma Lou called last night.”

  “Oh, Lou, I’m so sorry. I thought that maybe some day the two of you would end up getting married.”

  “We’re not breaking up.”

  “Oh, I always thought of you as someone who would wait until he got married to have kids. That’s okay, Lou. I don’t agree with it, but I’ll still support you.”

  “Cy, will you shut up for a minute so I can tell you what I have to tell you.”

  “You don’t mean Thelma Lou has…”

  “Cy, button your lip!”

  “Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

  “No, you’re mostly mouth. Well, you are now that you’re losing weight. Anyway, Thelma Lou’s cousin is coming to visit this weekend. She’s thinking about moving here and wanted to get a feel for the place.”

  “But she doesn’t need my okay.”

  “But she does if Thelma Lou gets her way. She wants us to have a double date this weekend.”

  “How old is she? We really don’t know much of anyone except for the guys on the force. Most of them are married, and we’re doing our best to pair up Officer Davis and Heather. Who’s left?”

  “Who do I usually double date with?”

  “Me, but that’s with Betty McElroy.”

  “That’s another thing we need to talk about. Betty called Thelma Lou and told her that she’s moving to Indiana to be close to her grandchildren. She wanted to tell you as soon as possible, but she knew we were busy on this case. Besides, you and Betty weren’t more than friends.”

  “But how do you know I’ll even like this cousin?”

  “Well, I think your best chance will be if you meet her. Thelma Lou wants to schedule something for tomorrow, and then Sunday after church. It’s not like you’re getting married. If there aren’t any sparks, then you don’t have to see her again.”

  Lou laughed.

  “What’s funny, Lou? Does she look that bad?”

  “It’s not that. It’s that her last name is Sparks. I’m kidding. It’s Sharp, and maybe she is, sharp that is.”

  “What’s her first name?”

  Lou laughed again.

  “That’s why I think it’ll work. It’s Heloise.”

  I shot him a nasty look.

  “I was just kidding, Cy. It’s Jennifer, as in Garner and Aniston.”

  “Yeah, but those two are babes. What if this one’s ugly?”

  “Cy, have you ever met a Jennifer who was ugly?”

  I thought for a moment and then admitted I hadn’t.

  “Okay, I’ll go along with tomorrow, since you’re my friend and I can tell this means a lot to you and Thelma Lou, but if I can’t stand this Jennifer, I can see myself coming down with something on Sunday.”

  Lou wanted to protest, tell me something like “it’s only one weekend”, but he remained quiet and agreed.

  “By the way, Lou, what do they have planned?”

  “I don’t know, Cy. Thelma Lou said they’ll fill us in when we get there on Saturday. We’re supposed to get there around 11:00 a.m. And it is both a day and night date.”

  This time I gave him a look, but I kept my mouth closed.

  +++

  After Lou had finished telling me about Thelma Lou’s cousin and I agreed to go out with her, he gave me the okay to take off, and we started off, headed out into the country to see Duck Spencer.

  “By the way, Lou, what’s today’s message?”

  “It’s no French kissing on the first date.”

  “I’m serious here.”

  “Wyatt Earp.”

  “So, it’s a lawman that did it. But none of our suspects are lawmen. I guess that narrows it down to you or George. Where were you on the night of the reunion?”

  “Out looking for a new best friend. And you?”

  “Out on Thornapple River Road with Heather, showing her how to do a stakeout. Now, back to the clue. Do you have any idea what it means?”

  He gave me the look he usually gave me when I asked that question, then responded.

  “Maybe we’re about to take a trip out west.”

  “Maybe we’ll go back to my place for lunch and Google Wyatt Earp. You know, Lou, sometimes I wonder how we were able to solve all those murders before we found Google.”

  +++

  We turned into Duck Spencer’s driveway and changed another person’s disposition. He looked up as we got out and left Lightning at the front of the house. It looked like his next blow with the hammer was a tad bit harder than the previous one.

  “Back again, huh Lieutenant. What this time?”

  “Oh, we thought it was a great day for a drive in the country and decided to see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m doing fine. Goodbye, Lieutenant.”

  “Mr. Spencer, if everyone would cooperate a little better we’d be through with this case a lot sooner. So, unless you have something to hide, why don’t we be a little more cordial, so we can be on our way?”

  “Fine.”

  “Mr. Spencer, we just found out that you were expelled from County High after fighting with Jimmy Conkwright.”

  “I told you that when you was here afore.”

  “But what we learned is that it happene
d twice and the second time you weren’t allowed back at school. You didn’t quit, Mr. Spencer. You weren’t allowed to return to school.”

  “So?”

  “From what I understand, you weren’t too happy with that. When Hilldale High wouldn’t accept you and your parents refused to let you go to an out-of-the-county school, you had to go to work, and from what I hear, you weren’t too pleased with the jobs you were able to get.”

  “That’s true. But it mighta been the best thing that ever happened to me. I ended up findin’ a job at a body shop, lovin’ the work, and now I’ve got me my own body shop. I might notta been this happy if I finished school.”

  “But you had to hate Jimmy Conkwright.”

  “You bet I hated him. That’s the only good thing about all this. He’s dead. He’s not gonna cause no more trouble for nobody else.”

  “So, did it feel good to kill him?”

  “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the killer that.”

  “Are you saying you didn’t see him or your wife that night?”

  “That’s right! And that might be the second best thing that happened to me, ’cause I ain’t a very good liar.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ, Mr. Spencer. I think all of you are very good liars. I just wonder if any of you are good at telling the truth.”

  I could see Spencer’s anger, but he made no move toward us.

  “Why don’t you git outa here and find out who murdered my wife and that no good?”

  “Do you have any idea who that is?”

  “Not a one.”

  I couldn’t think of anything else to question Spencer about at that time. So, I bid him goodbye, told him we might be back. He didn’t appear to be too pleased.

  +++

  “Well, Lou?”

  “I don’t have any idea if he did it or not, but if so, I think we know what his motive was.”

  With a guy like Jimmy Conkwright, it was easy to see what someone’s motive was. It was merely a matter of figuring out which one of those people who wanted him dead did something about it. We mulled it over silently as we headed back to town.

  +++

  “I’m Cy Dekker. This is Lou Murdock. We’re here to see Lee Goodwin.”

  “Are you expected?”

  “No, but we’re here on police business.”

  I took out my credentials as I spoke.