A Case of Bier

by Mary Daheim

  Niall had already taken off. In fact, he was almost running back to the motel. Judith frowned. “Why would anyone go through our stuff? It makes no sense.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t just us. Probably not all the rooms have been cleaned yet.”

  After getting out of the elevator, they parted company and Judith went into her suite. At first glance, the room didn’t seem like a shambles, but drawers and cupboards were open, the bedclothes had been pulled back, and it was obvious that the clothes in the closet had been disturbed. As far as Judith could tell, nothing seemed to be missing.

  “Weird,” she said to Renie after opening the door between the suites. “Everything of mine seems to be here. Is your hotshot face cream still there?”

  “Yes,” Renie replied, “though whoever did this was thorough. They even went through my purchases. We’ll have to ask Niall for someone to put everything in order.”

  Judith picked up the house phone. As far as Niall knew, none of the other rooms had been disturbed. Jenny was working in the bar, but he’d send her along as soon as she was free.

  “You’re shorthanded without Trixie,” Judith said. “Is the manager going to hire someone soon?”

  “Mr. Barnes manages three other motels besides this one,” Niall replied. “He lives at the biggest one by the golf course. With the summer tourist season coming to an end, he may wait to replace Trixie. He’s . . . careful when it comes to money.”

  “But isn’t Jenny leaving in a couple of weeks for UBC, or does it start later in the fall? I got the impression she was going to Vancouver fairly soon.”

  “She hasn’t given notice,” Niall said. “Or maybe Jenny’s already told Mr. Barnes. I should ask her.”

  That, Judith thought, was Niall’s problem. But she had another question for him. “Are you notifying the police about our incident here in the suites?”

  “Do you think I should?” Niall sounded wary.

  Judith exchanged a puzzled look with Renie, who had been trying to lean in on the conversation. “Yes. If nothing else, it’s at least malicious mischief. If my cousin and I were inclined to be fussy, we’d insist you do that.”

  Niall didn’t respond right away. “Well . . . I’ll have to ask Mr. Barnes about it, eh?”

  “Please do.” Judith hung up.

  Renie was smirking. “Nice work. But do you think there’s anything not up front about this motel?”

  “No,” Judith said, “but I’m not sure about some of the people around here. Mainly, I’d like to know what happened to Trixie. She hadn’t worked here long enough to get involved in anything sketchy.”

  “Except to disappear,” Renie pointed out.

  “Except that,” Judith agreed. “And I guess that’s enough.”

  After doing a minimal amount of tidying up personal items, they went down to the desk to ask Niall if he’d called the police. He had, but they were tied up with a serious vehicular accident near Lake Louise. Whoever had answered the phone suggested they come to headquarters and fill out a form. The officer had also asked Niall to caution Mrs. Flynn and Mrs. Jones to leave their suites as they found them. Meanwhile, Jenny had checked the other rooms and confirmed that none of them had been disturbed.

  “I’m tired of visiting the RCMP,” Renie declared as they headed out of the motel. “Nothing personal, they’re great and all that, but they weren’t on my list of things to do while on vacation.”

  “You’d rather hang out with the Stokes gang?” Judith asked in an ironic voice.

  “I’d rather never have met them,” Renie replied. “I’d also rather not have had to put my La Mer cream in my purse so nobody swipes it.”

  “Good thinking,” Judith said.

  “It’s going on two o’clock,” Renie noted. “Shouldn’t we have lunch?”

  “You can’t be hungry. We didn’t finish breakfast until after eleven. We’re going one-on-one with the Stokes family.” Judith picked up her step as she headed for the trail along the river. “And don’t pout.”

  “Why would I? I never worry about my clothes getting rumpled. I gave my iron away fifteen years ago.”

  “Who did you give it to?”

  “Anne. As my only daughter, I figured she might as well give it a shot. I’d been using it as a paperweight.”

  “Has she ever used it?”

  “I’ve never asked,” Renie replied indifferently as they approached the Big Stove visitors’ encampment. “Egad! It looks as if they’re packing up.”

  Judith stared at the empty place where the family’s tent had stood. Only the picnic table remained, but she wondered if it was a permanent fixture. “They can’t be leaving. Or can they?”

  Renie shrugged. “No habeas corpus. Maybe there’s no legal way to keep them here. No Odells, though.”

  “Maybe they’ve already gone. They’re probably anxious to rejoin the twins.”

  Ma Stokes was the first to acknowledge the cousins. “Are you from the farewell party?” she asked suspiciously.

  Judith shook her head. “We didn’t know you were going.”

  “Well, we are,” Ma replied. “As soon as we find Ada.”

  “She’s . . . not here?” Judith tried not to sound alarmed.

  Ma glared anyway. “She’s gone missing. It’s worrisome. Ada can’t help missing out in the smarts department.”

  Renie was heading for Teddy and Martha Lou, who were sharing a bottle of Molson’s ale. Judith turned her attention back to Ma. “How long has she been gone?”

  “Since before noon.” Ma’s pudgy face sagged. “It’s not like her. Ada always stays close.”

  “Does she like the river? Or the woods?”

  Ma started to shake her head but stopped. “All these mountains scare the dickens out of her. She had to be coaxed from the tent every morning. But once she came out and looked around, she liked the river. She’d never seen one up close before.”

  Recalling what one of the family had said about Ada’s lack of understanding about rivers, Judith considered her next words carefully. “Had anyone explained to her why she should stay away from the Bow?”

  “Pa tried, but Ada doesn’t always take in things very well.” Ma bit her lip. “It’d be like her to go looking for Codger. She knew he loved the river.”

  Noting that Renie was talking to an agitated Martha Lou, Judith asked Ma if Ada understood what dead meant.

  “Dubious.” Ma pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve. “We have to find her fast. We’re already off to a late start.”

  “Who’s looking for her? Everybody seems to be here.”

  Ma paused. “They are now, but we all went searching for Ada as soon as we realized she was gone.”

  “Have you called the RCMP?”

  Ma’s glare returned. “The cops? No! We had enough of them asking a bunch of questions about Codger. Besides, we’re foreigners here. They might think we’re up to something. We’ve never been out of Nebraska before, let alone out of the country.”

  “Was Ada fond of Codger?”

  “Hard to tell. Ada never shows much in the way of emotions. She can’t take in what goes on around her.”

  Judith didn’t doubt her. Before she could comment, sirens were heard in the distance. Ma heard them, too, and suddenly looked alarmed.

  “Are they coming for us?” she asked in a stricken tone.

  “Probably not,” Judith said. “There was an accident out on the highway. Someone may have been injured and they’re going to the hospital. Why would the police be coming here?”

  “Because,” Ma said, her eyes narrowing with suspicion, “we’re foreigners. They don’t trust us. I’d better talk to Pa.” She bustled off to the picnic table, passing Renie on her way.

  “Martha Lou’s a waste of time,” Renie declared to Judith. “Like Yogi Berra, she not only doesn’t know anything, but she doesn’t even suspect anything.”

  “No surprise there,” Judith said as they walked back to the motel. “Ma insists they’re leaving. I wonder
if the police know about their plans. Did you see any sign of the Odells?”

  Renie shook her head. “Maybe they’ve already gone. I’m not sure Martha Lou knows they’re all about to take off. Teddy was trying to get her to make sure she has everything packed. Should we tell the police?”

  “Maybe,” Judith said after a pause. “But we don’t really know if a crime has been committed.”

  “Gee,” Renie murmured, “that’d mean your vacation’s a flop. Joe may figure he wasted money bringing you along.”

  “He won’t care. He’s catching fish.”

  “True.” Renie was silent until they reached the motel’s rear entrance. “You, of course, would rather catch a killer.”

  Judith made no comment.

  Chapter 20

  Judith could hear men’s voices coming from the hall near the elevator. She put a finger to her lips and listened. “Brewster?” she whispered.

  Renie nodded as Judith motioned at the elevator that was on the first floor. Once inside, they didn’t speak until they were on the second floor.

  “Are we going to wait for the cops to show up in our suite?” Renie asked.

  “Not quite,” Judith replied, moving briskly down the hall. “We’re going to check Trixie’s room first.”

  “You think she’s there?”

  “I’d like to think so,” Judith replied, “but I have a feeling . . .” She paused to knock. And waited.

  “Maybe she’s asleep,” Renie suggested.

  “Let’s find out.” Judith dug into her purse for the makeshift wire to trip the lock. It took three tries, but she finally heard the magic click. The door swung open. There was no sign of Trixie. “Drat. I hoped she’d be here.”

  Renie peered into the bathroom. “She hasn’t drowned in the shower.”

  Judith checked the small closet. “Nothing’s been disturbed. It’s . . .” Something caught her eye in the corner. “Her purse! She must’ve put it here after she disappeared from the hospital.”

  “Put it here and left it?” Renie wrinkled her pug nose. “That doesn’t make sense. Unless she’s somewhere else in the motel.”

  “We’d better be somewhere else right now,” Judith said after peeking inside the purse and making sure the contents were intact, including the hundred-dollar bills. Everything seemed to be in order. She put the purse back into the small closet where she’d found it. “Brewster may be checking our suites. Let’s go before he thinks we’re missing.”

  “What’s missing is lunch,” Renie grumbled as they moved quickly down the hall.

  Judith pretended she hadn’t heard. “Check your own suite first. We’ll meet in the middle.”

  “Right.” Renie sounded resigned.

  Judith almost hit Brewster with the door. “Sorry!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t realize . . .”

  His expression was wry. “That I’d be finished so fast?”

  “Yes.” Judith entered the room and closed the door. “I assume you haven’t gone over the Jones suite yet.”

  He shook his head. “Are you sure nothing’s missing?”

  “Yes.” Judith went across the room to open the door between the two suites. “My cousin agrees.”

  “It won’t hurt to be sure,” Brewster said as Renie appeared in the doorway. “Excuse me, Mrs. Jones.” He moved past her and out of the Flynn suite.

  Renie flopped into an armchair. “Did we ever figure out which is Rose and which is Yew?”

  Judith had been staring out the window, through which she saw the Odells’ car drive away from the motel. “Which is . . . what?” she asked, feeling distracted.

  “Never mind. What caught your fancy now?”

  “The Odells.” Judith turned away from the window. “They just drove off.”

  Renie shrugged. “So?”

  “I’d wondered if they hadn’t already left. They weren’t at the campsite bidding good-bye to the rest of the Stokeses.”

  “They probably did that earlier. If Ada hadn’t wandered off, the Stokeses would’ve been on the road a lot sooner.”

  Brewster returned from the Jones suite. “I already had Constable McCann dust for prints as soon as we got here. He’s still downstairs. I’ll ask him to come up so he can take yours.” The sergeant went over to the house phone.

  “Gee,” Renie said, “will our husbands become suspects?”

  “They have an alibi,” Judith replied. “The fish.”

  “Fish make poor witnesses.”

  “They make better dinners. Or breakfasts. Right now I’d settle for lunch . . .”

  Brewster turned back to the cousins. “McCann will be right up. Are you both sure you had nothing of interest to anyone who might be involved with the Stokes tragedy?”

  “Yes,” Judith replied. “But have they reported that Ada—the Stokeses’ unmarried daughter—as missing?”

  Brewster’s usually stolid demeanor was jarred. “No. For how long?”

  “Since before noon,” Judith replied. “And Trixie O’Hara hasn’t been found.”

  Brewster nodded. “Nothing is yet known of her whereabouts.”

  “Somebody knows,” Judith said. “We just found her purse in her room when we went to make sure she wasn’t back here. We’d taken it to her at the hospital last night. She seemed quite weak then.”

  The Mountie now looked downright grim. “It sounds as if McCann has another room to process.” A knock was heard at the door. “Here he is now.” Brewster moved to let in his junior officer.

  Constable McCann looked young enough to pass for a high school student, but his gray eyes were very keen. He acknowledged the introduction to the cousins with a respectful nod. Judith wondered if his superior had passed on her reputation as FASTO. She thought not, since his gaze didn’t change as he looked from one cousin to the other.

  “This process is rather messy,” he said apologetically.

  “No problem,” Renie asserted. “We’re rather messy. You can tell that from the way this room looks.”

  Judith felt like stepping on her cousin’s foot. “Mrs. Jones means in a general sort of way. We aren’t the ones who trashed the two suites.”

  “Of course not,” McCann said in a righteous tone as he opened his kit. “Now, if you’ll just place . . .”

  The process took less than two minutes, but it took almost three times as long for the cousins to clean their hands. McCann had already left by the time they emerged from the bathroom. Judith immediately asked Brewster if he knew of the Stokeses’ plan to leave Banff as soon as they tracked down Ada.

  “No,” he replied, looking startled. “Maybe I should talk to them. The situation is awkward, eh?”

  Judith saw no reason for dissembling. “You mean the alleged disappearance of Codger’s body?”

  “Yes.” Brewster frowned. “One of them told me about their plan to send his corpse down the Bow on a bier. I told them that if they carried through with such a stunt, it would be illegal and they’d be guilty of a crime.”

  “Which one mentioned their plan?”

  “The one who’s gone missing. Ada Stokes.”

  Judith was taken aback. It was Renie who spoke first. “The bier is also missing. Have you searched the river?”

  “We did, just in case they’d ignored my warning,” Brewster replied. “We found the bier caught on a big snag west of town by the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. But we didn’t find a body.”

  Judith wasn’t surprised. “I assume the family members would’ve secured Codger to the bier. Does the river become faster in that area?”

  Brewster shook his head. “Not this time of year. We sent it to the RCMP forensics laboratory in Calgary. As you might imagine, our own lab here is rather limited.”

  Judith nodded. “Of course. I’ve been in some small towns over the years where . . . ah . . . I happened to . . . um . . . learn of such facilities.”

  “I’m sure you have,” Brewster said with a glint of humor. “I’ll leave you now so I can call on the St
okes family. There may be a way to keep them from leaving the country.”

  “How?” Judith asked.

  Brewster was already at the door. “There are some things I can’t tell you, Mrs. Flynn. Let’s call them our Canadian Capers, eh?” He nodded to both cousins and left.

  “I got to talk!” Renie exclaimed. “Now do I get to eat?”

  “Why not?” Judith responded. “Let’s go to wherever they serve lunch in the middle of the afternoon.”

  “High tea! Somebody around here must serve it. Maybe the Banff Springs Hotel?”

  “That’s an inspired thought,” Judith said. “Let’s go there and find out. On the way out, let’s tell Niall he can send Jenny to clean up the chaos in our suites.”

  Ten minutes later, the cousins arrived at the hotel. To their delight, the Rundle Lounge served tea all afternoon. Despite it being a weekday, more than half the tables were occupied; Judith and Renie were seated near a window with a mountain view.

  “Perfect,” Judith murmured as she picked up a menu.

  Renie shook herself. “I feel almost civilized. Maybe I should have combed my hair.”

  “Don’t. I wouldn’t recognize you.” Judith was actually looking beyond her cousin. “Adela and Norm are over at a corner table. I guess they didn’t check out after all.”

  “Try not to spend teatime checking on them, okay? I need a break from sleuthing.” Renie focused on the menu. “Goddess Oolong tea for me. Mmm. Some yummy delights included here. White-chocolate-malt éclairs. What a concept!”

  “I’ll try the Jasmine Gold Dragon tea,” Judith said. “It reminds me of home. Or at least of Mother.”

  “Stop. You know down deep that Aunt Gert really loves you. Which reminds me,” Renie went on, “I haven’t called my mother today. I hope she isn’t worrying herself into a tizzy. She might contact the RCMP and they know where we are.”

  “At least Arlene hasn’t phoned with another disaster,” Judith said as their server appeared.

  He answered a couple of the cousins’ questions about various items on the menu and moments later another server appeared with their individual pots of tea and a set of timers. “To gauge the steeping process,” he intoned somberly. “Each tea requires a different amount of time.”