Foliage and Fatality

by Karen Musser Nortman

  “I’ll tell you now that the only fingerprints on it belong to one of the robbers—Bernie Godwink, the one who died in prison,” Mansell said.

  “So, we’ll assume the lessor of the box is deceased. According to our records, that person is Rudolf Stutman. Hmmm. He died in 1975.”

  Chief Mansell squinted at Camille. “Sooo…”

  “So this Bernie must have used a stolen ID and Social Security number to get the lockbox.”

  Mansell picked up the bag of keys. “The mud is clearing a little. We’ll talk more later.” He left, nearly running over Terry who was standing right outside the door.

  He walked into the office. “What’s that about?”

  Max filled him in as quickly as she could. “I need to go out to the Hilltop to drop off Mary’s purse. Their tour group is leaving by noon. Could you go with me?”

  Terry looked at Camille. “Is that okay, boss?”

  Camille grabbed a sweater off the back of her chair. “Only if you take me, too. Besides,” she said to Max, “you promised me a ride in that car.”

  Terry wanted Camille to ride in the front seat, but she pointed out that his knees would be at his ears if he rode in back.

  Once in the car, Terry took out his phone. “I’d better call Mother and tell her I’m going to be a little late picking her up.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Max

  The circular drive in front of the Hilltop Inn was filled with three police cruisers, light bars flashing. Max parked the Studebaker in a side parking lot, and they cautiously trooped to the front door. It stood open so they entered. One patrolman stood in the entry. He recognized Terry and Camille.

  “Can I help you, Ms. Bamford?”

  “My friend has a purse that belongs to someone in the tour group that’s staying here.”

  “They are all in the living room to the left there.” He nodded toward the door. “The Chief is carrying out an interrogation in the kitchen and the bus isn’t allowed to leave until he’s done.”

  “Thank you.” Camille opened the big double doors.

  Mary Carmody sat on the bench by the baby grand piano. She jumped up when she spotted them. “You found it!”

  Max handed her the purse. Cathy joined them.

  “Thank you so much,” Mary said. “We don’t know what’s going on, but the police are here. Did they find out who murdered Barbara?”

  “They might be about to make an arrest. Mary, Cathy, this is Lil’s son, Terry, and his boss, Camille Bamford.”

  Cathy looked around. “Where’s Lil?”

  Terry spotted a game table in the corner of the room surrounded by chairs. A chess set sat at the ready in the center of the table, but no one was using it. “Let’s go sit over there. This may take a while.”

  Mary and Cathy followed them to the corner, puzzled looks on their faces. Once they were seated, Max gave a condensed version of the events after she dropped Cathy and Mary off the night before.

  Both women sat with their mouths open.

  “Lil has a broken leg?” Mary asked.

  “Somebody chased you with an axe?” Cathy squeaked, garnering numerous looks from around the room.

  Max waved her hands, trying to calm them. She noticed several in the large room who had stopped talking and edged closer to their group.

  Mary and Cathy got the message, and Cathy leaned forward and lowered her voice. “So, was it the murderer, do you know?”

  “Probably, but that’s all we can say. So, your tour—you’re headed to Lancaster next?”

  “Yeah, we have quite a few tours scheduled there,” Mary said.

  Cathy added, “One day we’re going to the Renaissance Fair nearby.”

  “I’ve been there,” Camille said. “It’s excellent. You’ll enjoy it.”

  Mary was about to reply when the hallway doors opened and Chief Mansell entered. Behind him, Max could see Wendell Welter, struggling, complaining loudly, and in handcuffs, being ushered through the entry hall.

  “Mr. Welter?” Cathy whispered. “He’s the murderer?”

  Max nodded. “We think so.”

  Welter shouted something about ‘old biddies.’

  “I’m sure he is,” Max added.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Max

  The next day, Max made a grocery run. Melody wasn’t a complainer but the effect of the stressful week was evident in her stamina and posture. Lil was confined to the chaise lounge unless she used the walker. So armed with a list and reusable shopping bags, Max headed for the nearest supermarket.

  She planned to cook a beef stew and corn bread for their supper. She selected onions, carrots and mushrooms in the produce department and then headed to the meat counter. While she waited for her order, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

  “Well, if isn’t the new town busybody.”

  She turned to see Art Carnel standing too close behind her. He kept his voice low so he wouldn’t be overheard. She turned back to the counter, determined to ignore him.

  But he wasn’t giving up. “Unfortunately, Camille chose to believe your gossip. But it was over with Barbara before she ever came here.”

  Max took the package of stew meat from the butcher and turned back to Art.

  “And what about the redhead at the apple fair?” She left him standing there.

  Three nights later, Max held the door for Lil as she shuffled through with her walker. They followed Terry and Melody through the main dining room of the Brat House to a small private room.

  Rival and Ren led the procession, announcing, “We’re here,” to the room’s occupants.

  Camille Bamford was there and Josh Mansell, with his family. Josh introduced them to his wife, Alicia Mansell, and daughters, Rose and Delilah. They were the girls who originally found the nun’s habit in the old house.

  Mansell and Camille had invited them to a celebration dinner. Wendell Welter had confessed to the murder of Barbara Gunter and participating in the bank robbery five years previous.

  Once everyone had a beverage, Mansell raised his glass of pinot noir, and said “While I don’t condone your interference with the case,” and he paused to look pointedly at Max and Lil, “I do admit that your insights and prodding helped to solve the case. Thank you.” He tipped his head at them.

  They clinked glasses.

  “You promised you would fill in the holes for us,” Max reminded him.

  Melody held up a hand. “Let me get the kids settled.” She found a box on a sideboard with puzzles and games. The four children dove into the box, already bickering over who got what, and lost all interest in the adult conversation.

  “Okay,” Josh said. “As you guessed, Wendell’s ‘inheritance’ was his half of the take from the bank robbery. He had a good opportunity to plan the robbery during those times he cleaned the bank at night.”

  Max asked, “How did Wendell and Bernie know each other?”

  “Wendell said he met Bernie at a fast food joint where he worked at over in Baseburg—about fifteen miles from here. They visited whenever Wendell ate there. When Bernie found out about Wendell’s job, he started joking about a bank heist. Eventually the joke got serious.”

  Camille nodded. “Wendell saw an opportunity to change his life, when the Hilltop went up for sale--if he just had a down payment.”

  “Exactly,” Josh agreed. “Wendell was the person in the nun’s habit, and Bernie Godwink drove the getaway car. Afterwards, they split the money, and Bernie offered to dispose of the nun’s habit. That was the last Wendell saw of him.”

  “So Bernie’s print got on the cross when he hid the habit,” Max said.

  “And he hid his half of the money in a lock box in the very bank they had robbed?” Lil asked.

  “He did.” Josh smiled. “Under the name, Rudolf Stutman. Crazy isn’t it? He could use the ID information for a dead man because the rules for lockboxes aren’t terribly stringent. The individual doesn’t get any income from them, so the Feds aren’t mu
ch interested.”

  “How did you get into the box?” Max asked.

  “We were able to get a court order to open the box—the key was on that ring in the tool shed. It contained exactly half of the take from the robbery. So we surmise that shortly after the robbery, Bernie rented the lockbox. No one here knew him so he could use whatever name he wanted, as long as he had fake ID. Then he hid the key and the habit at the old Kell house.”

  Terry chuckled. “He obviously didn’t bank on getting arrested for something else before he got back there.”

  “Bank on. Good one.” Josh grinned. “ I’m sure he planned to return fairly soon, in case the house was sold. Getting arrested for a convenience store holdup from a couple of years earlier was not part of his plan. He never got out of jail on bail, was convicted, and, as you know, died in prison.”

  “So what got Wendell interested in the Kell house?” Terry asked.

  Max set down her wine glass. “I think you did.” She smiled. “Didn’t you mention the nun’s habit when you were explaining the history of the house to the tour group?”

  “Yeah, I guess I did. But Wendell wasn’t there.”

  “No, but Mary Carmody said the habit was discussed at breakfast the next morning at the Inn. Wendell must have overheard.”

  Josh nodded. “He did. He admitted that in his confession. He knew Godwink had died in prison and thought if the habit was there, maybe the rest of the money was too.”

  Terry threw in, “But we complicated things. With the haunted house thing going on, it would be difficult to search for it.”

  “Yes,” Mansell said. “And remember the plan was to burn it after Halloween. So when he overheard Barbara making plans to meet Art Carnel there—sorry, Camille—he saw it as an opportunity to get into the house and search. He thought there would be some way of sneaking in and avoiding them.”

  “So Art had nothing to do with any of it?” Max asked.

  “According to Art, he arrived at the house and unlocked it, but left because he got a call from a potential client. Wendell’s story jives with that—he got there, the house was unlocked, and no one was there.”

  Melody shook her head. “I feel so sorry for Barbara.”

  “She had terrible luck,” Mansell said. “Wendell had started searching outside when Barbara showed up. She asked him what he was doing—an innocent question for someone not guilty. Wendell said he panicked—he knew she could identify him from the Inn—and strangled her. Then he got the idea to stage her in place of the manikin. He knew that would cause the house to close early and he hoped he would have more time to search. And that’s the story.”

  “Amazing,” Camille said. “Half of the stolen money was in the bank the whole time. And the missing manikin was in the dining room the whole time.” She shook her head. “Well, I’ve learned something too. I’m done with Art. And I am so glad I never invested with him. This makes the break much cleaner.”

  “Good,” Mansell said. “Art isn’t off the hook. He’s got a lot of explaining to do about what he did with Barbara’s money, and while we’re at it, we’ll check out his other clients, too.”

  “What about the haunted house?” Max asked. “There’s still over a week until Halloween. It’s a shame to lose out after all of your work.”

  Camille clapped her hands with delight. “I almost forgot! I got a call from Fred Polk right before I left to come out here. He has an old empty house on the south edge of town that we can use.”

  Terry nodded. “Some people who would resent reopening the Kell house as being disrespectful to the woman who died. And it is.”

  Camille turned to him. “What do you think, Terry? Could we move everything this weekend and be ready to reopen Sunday night?”

  Terry nodded. “If we get a small but efficient crew, I don’t see why not. We wouldn’t have to build anything—just move it all and hook it back up.”

  Lil said, “I won’t be much help.

  Max grinned. “You can say that again.”

  Lil wrinkled her nose at her sister. “I’ll do what we can, and then we’ll be taking off on Sunday. As the saying goes, I think that’s where we came in.”

  “We haven’t figured out how you’re going to get in that car yet,” Terry said. “You have to share with Rosie.”

  “Maybe I’ll just drive.” Lil smiled.

  <<<<>>>>

  Thank You

  For taking your time to share Max and Lil’s adventures. Just as the sound of a tree falling in the forest depends on hearers, a book only matters if it has readers. Please consider sharing your thoughts with other readers in a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Or email me at karen.musser.nortman@gmail.com.

  My website at http://www.karenmussernortman.com provides updates on my books, my blog, and photos of our for-real camping trips. Sign up on my website for my email list and get a free download of Bats and Bones.

  To my Beta readers, Ginge, Elaine, and Marcia, thank you for all of the great catches and suggestions. And to all of my readers, especially my advance reader team, words are not enough.

  The inspiration for the Mystery Sisters was memories of my Great Aunt Mary, who taught phys ed in Missouri until she was in her seventies. She owned a Studebaker and during the summer would drive up to southern Minnesota, pick up my grandmother, and off they’d go to California or Connecticut or some other exotic place (in my teenaged mind). My cousin says they argued constantly, but they made trip after trip. I stole the names of the sisters (but not the personalities) from three of my youngest aunts--the ones who were between my and my parents generation. They were the ‘cool’ aunts—young and hip. And they were a great example to us all.

  Other Books by the Author

  The Mystery Sisters

  Reunion and Revenge: Maxine Berra and Lillian Garrett, sisters in their seventies, travel together to visit friends and relatives in Max's 1950 red Studebaker with her Irish Setter, Rosie. Does that mean they are amicable companions? Not at all. But when, during a family reunion, the murder of a family friend throws suspicion on their shiftless younger brother, they put their heads together to try to save him.

  The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries:

  Bats and Bones: An IndieBRAG Medallion Honoree. Frannie and Larry Shoemaker are retirees who enjoy weekend camping with their friends in state parks in this new cozy mystery series. They anticipate the usual hiking, campfires, good food, and interesting side trips among the bluffs of beautiful Bat Cave State Park for the long Fourth of July weekend—until a dead body turns up. Confined in the campground and surrounded by strangers, Frannie is drawn into the investigation. Frannie’s persistence and curiosity helps authorities sort through the possible suspects and motives, but almost ends her new sleuth career—and her life—for good. As a bonus, each chapter ends with a camping tip or recipe—some useful, some not so much.

  The Blue Coyote: (An IndieBRAG Medallion honoree and a 2013 Chanticleer CLUE finalist) Frannie and Larry Shoemaker love taking their grandchildren, Sabet and Joe, camping with them. But at Bluffs State Park, Frannie finds herself worrying more than usual about their safety, and when another young girl disappears from the campground in broad daylight, her fears increase. Accusations against Larry and her add to the cloud over their heads.

  Peete and Repeat: (An IndieBRAG Medallion honoree, 2013 Chanticleer CLUE finalist, and 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem finalist) A biking and camping trip to southeastern Minnesota turns into double trouble for Frannie Shoemaker and her friends as she deals with a canoeing mishap and a couple of bodies. Strange happenings in the campground, the nearby nature learning center, and an old power plant complicate the suspect pool and Frannie tries to stay out of it—really—but what can she do?

  The Lady of the Lake: (An IndieBRAG Medallion honoree, 2014 Chanticleer CLUE finalist) A trip down memory lane is fine if you don’t stumble on a body. Frannie Shoemaker and her friends camp at Old Dam Trail State Park near one of Donna Nowak’s childhood homes and ta
ke in the county fair. But the present intrudes when a body surfaces. Donna becomes the focus of the investigation and Frannie wonders if the police shouldn’t be looking closer at the victim’s many enemies.

  To Cache a Killer: Geocaching isn't supposed to be about finding dead bodies. But when retiree, Frannie Shoemaker go camping, standard definitions don't apply. A weekend in a beautiful state park in Iowa buzzes with fund-raising events, a search for Ninja turtles, a bevy of suspects, and lots of great food. But are the campers in the wrong place at the wrong time once too often?

  A Campy Christmas: (An IndieBRAG Medallion honoree) A Holiday novella. The Shoemakers and Ferraros plan to spend Christmas in Texas with Larry and Jane Ann’s brother and then take a camping trip through the Southwest. But those plans are stopped cold when they hit a rogue ice storm in Missouri and they end up snowbound in a campground. And that’s just the beginning. Includes recipes and winter camping tips.

  The Space Invader: A cozy/thriller mystery! The starry skies over New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment," may hold secrets of their own. The Shoemakers and the Ferraros, on an extended camping trip, find themselves picking up a souvenir they don't want and taking side trips they didn't plan on.

  Real Actors, Not People: Frannie Shoemaker and her friends go camping to get away from the real world. So they are surprised and dismayed to find their wilderness campground the production site of a new 'reality' show--Celebrity Campout. Reality intrudes on their week in the form of accidents, nature, and even murder. They handle the situation with their usual humor, compassion, and mystery solving, because...camping can be murder.

  We are NOT Buying a Camper! A prequel to the Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries. Frannie and Larry Shoemaker have busy jobs, two teenagers, and plenty of other demands on their time and sanity. Larry's sister and brother-in-law pester them to try camping for relaxation--time to sit back, enjoy nature, and catch up on naps. After all, what could go wrong? Join Frannie as "RV there yet?" becomes "RV crazy?" and she learns that going back to nature doesn't necessarily mean a simpler life.