Since Renie had opened her big mouth, Judith decided that it was up to her cousin to explain. Surprisingly, she responded in a reasonable manner.
“As I mentioned, we aren’t related to the victim’s family, and we hardly know them. Mrs. Odell is a relative, and if she reported a homicide, you should ask her what she thinks happened to the victim. If you have any further questions, we’re staying at the Banff Springs Motel. So, in fact, are the Odells.”
“Very well,” Brewster said. “Give me your names.”
The cousins complied. Judith reluctantly followed Renie back toward the motel.
“I’m trying to figure out if you just did us a favor,” she said. “I’m also wondering why Codger’s body disappeared.”
“Why?” Renie echoed. “How about where?”
“That’s the easy part,” Judith replied as they neared the motel entrance. “They granted his wishes and sent him down the river on the bier.”
Renie laughed. “Of course! I should’ve realized that.”
“I should hope so,” Judith agreed. “Let’s have a drink at the motel. I could use a Scotch about now.”
Renie agreed. In the lobby, they greeted Niall and Trixie, who were both behind the counter. Judith told them they were headed for the bar.
“Changing shifts,” Niall said cheerfully. “Trixie usually tends bar at night, but Jenny’s working in the office, so Trixie’s filling in.”
The girl’s pert, pretty face lit up. “I’m new at it. Be patient with me.”
“We will,” Judith assured her. “I tended bar in the evenings when my first husband owned a café.” Her mind veered back to those not-so-happy nights when she’d go from her day job at the public library to The Meat & Mingle to help Dan keep the place afloat. But the enterprise was as doomed as the Titanic, eventually sinking off the shores of the city’s rough and rowdy Thurlow District. Dan had never worked again.
Trixie smiled, revealing perfect teeth. “It’s more fun serving cocktails than waiting on tables. People are much more cheerful when they’re drinking.”
“Not always when they haven’t yet been served the first one,” Judith said, smiling back.
With a little wave at Niall, Trixie came out from behind the desk and was leading the way down the hall to the bar. “Oh,” she said as she opened the door and let the cousins go in first, “Niall and I heard sirens a while ago. We figured it was an accident out on the highway, but they stopped nearby. Do you know what that was all about?”
Judith hesitated, but realized that the news would be all over town soon enough. Still, she decided to soften her response. There was no need to cause unnecessary panic. “An elderly man died at a campsite by the river near here.”
Trixie’s big blue eyes widened. “An elderly . . . man?” she gasped. “Who?”
Judith was suddenly disconcerted. “He was called Codger. His last name was . . .”
Trixie clapped both hands to her cheeks. “Noooo! My world has . . .” Her knees buckled as she collapsed onto the floor.
Renie rushed off to alert Niall. Judith cautiously leaned over to speak softly to Trixie, whose eyelids were fluttering. “Can I get you some water?” she asked.
Trixie groaned as she opened her eyes. “No. It was . . . death upsets me, no matter who died. I hope Niall doesn’t tell Mr. Barnes. I don’t want to get fired after such a short time on the job. He’s kind of a grump for being someone who deals with guests.”
Renie returned alone. “Niall’s checking in some newcomers. Is Trixie okay?”
Judith explained while she and Renie helped the young woman to her feet and into a chair.
Trixie looked apologetic. “I worked as an aide in an old folks’ home,” she said. “I got so fond of those elderly darlings. And then they died. It made me so sad. I finally had to quit before I lost my mind.”
“I understand,” Judith assured her. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some brandy? You’re very pale.”
“I’ll be fine,” Trixie asserted, sounding more angry than distraught. “I can’t help overreacting. I’d better tell Niall I’m all right. Then I’ll mix your drinks. Or do it yourselves.”
As Trixie moved away at a surprisingly fast pace, the cousins exchanged puzzled looks. “Odd,” Judith remarked. “She goes from fainting to hard-boiled?”
Renie shrugged. “You realize that people are very complex. Who knows what kind of grim experiences she’s had.”
“Especially dealing with older people,” Judith said, going to the bar. “I wonder how she’d deal with my mother?”
“Or mine.” Renie grimaced. “Damn! I was supposed to call her yesterday to make sure she knew we’d arrived in one piece. You know how she worries. I’d better do that now.” She dug her cell out of her big handbag.
“I’ll make our drinks,” Judith said.
“Good. I’ll need a stiff . . . Hi, Mom. I’m still alive . . . Yes, I’m sure. All of us are just fine . . . No, I don’t need an extra sweater . . . I didn’t bring a woolen cap. I don’t own a . . . Yes, it’s the Rockies, it’s summer, and you were here years ago . . . Climate change didn’t turn Banff into a deep freezer . . . It’s not global warning, it’s global . . . No, Mom. I haven’t worn supports in my shoes since I was twelve . . . She is? Then you go have a nice visit with her, okay? I’ll call you in a couple of . . . Mittens? Honest, it’s over seventy degrees here. Bye, Mom.” Renie signed off. “Mrs. Grumpus just stopped by. I can’t remember a day when Mom didn’t have visitors. Unlike Aunt Gert, she actually enjoys people, even the ones like the ever-gloomy Grumpus.”
“My mother only likes them if they play cards with her,” Judith said, handing over a glass of bourbon and ice. “You want water back, right?”
Renie looked at the ceiling. “I know it’s been a while, but have I changed so much since I talked to Mom? Yes, of course. Just put the glass on the counter. Where are we lunching?”
“Wherever we can find a parking place,” Judith replied after taking a sip of Scotch. “We’ve been lucky so far. The town is full of tourists.”
“Not everybody stops in at the police station,” Renie pointed out. “Who killed Codger? Your brain must be swirling with suspects.”
“That’s the problem,” Judith said, joining Renie on the settee by the bar. “There are too many of them. One of the Odells could’ve sneaked out of the motel during the night. It could even be a random thing. But I doubt it.”
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. It was Renie who finally spoke. “Trixie never came back here. Do you think she’s still upset?”
“Maybe,” Judith allowed. “Never having seen her before today, I have no idea what she’s like. Some people are overly emotional by nature.”
“True.” Renie gulped down the rest of her drink. “It’s after two. Will anybody still be serving lunch?”
“Probably. It’s a tourist town, remember?”
“Stop saying that,” Renie said after they’d left their glasses on the bar and they were going down the hall. “I am a tourist. You are not. You’re a traveling ghoul.”
Judith scowled at her cousin. “That’s a terrible thing to say!” She kept going, but paused by the front desk, where Niall had just ended a phone call. “Where’s Trixie?”
Niall looked around to see if there was anyone else coming into the lobby. “She didn’t feel well,” he said, lowering his voice. “Nerves, maybe. This is only her first week on the job.”
“Understandable,” Judith agreed. “By the way, where’s the Catholic church?”
“St. Mary’s on Squirrel Street,” Niall replied. “A block up from the police station. Do you know where that is?”
Judith said she had a vague idea. The cousins headed outside.
Renie was chortling. “How come we didn’t see it? Were you too agog over another murder?”
“No! The streets here go every which way at angles,” Judith replied. “It adds charm, but you can’t see very far.”
“It reminds me even more of Scotland,” Renie said. “Uh-oh. Here come the twins. Maybe they’re heading for the bar again.”
The young people paused to greet the cousins. “Have you been grilled by the cops, too?” Win asked.
“Not really,” Judith replied. “They weren’t interested because we aren’t related to the victim’s family.”
“We are, though,” Winnie said in a glum voice. “They threw all sorts of questions at us. It’s been a major bummer of a morning.”
“The police have to do their job,” Judith pointed out.
“Waste of time,” Win declared. “Why would anybody kill Codger? He was old.”
“How old?” The question fell artlessly from Judith’s lips.
The twins looked at each other. Win shrugged. “Who knows? I never asked.”
“Really old,” Winnie put in. “At least seventy.” She punched her brother in the upper arm. “Come on, let’s get the tennis racquets. I need exercise.”
They moved on to the motel entrance.
Renie stared at Judith. “Seventy? That’s not so old!”
“Not to us, but it is to them.” She frowned. “What if . . . ?” She shook her head and continued walking to the rental car. “Never mind.”
“Don’t pull that on me,” Renie snapped. “Something’s flitting around in your brain.”
“Get in the car,” Judith ordered. “The mosquitoes are doing their flitting and I just got bit again.”
“Well?” Renie said after they were headed away from the motel.
“I may be crazy,” Judith began, “but I got the impression from what someone said that Codger was really ancient, as in almost a hundred. But what if he wasn’t?”
Renie considered the idea. “You saw him, I didn’t. What was your reaction?”
Judith sighed. “I never saw his face. He was lying on his stomach. Maybe he slept that way, or having been stabbed in the back, he’d fallen forward. His fingers were gnarled, and his hands callused, too, which indicated he was getting up there.” Stopping at an arterial, she glanced at Renie. “Well? Do you think I’m wrong to speculate about his actual age?”
“No, but you like to speculate.” Renie grew thoughtful. “The old guy had worked the farm all his life. I’m no expert on agriculture, but I don’t think that what we’d call ‘modern’ farming came along until fairly recent times. Codger probably inherited the acreage, which means he started young. Heck, for all we know, maybe he never converted to high-tech farming.”
“Yes, he did,” Judith said after a pause. “Pa Stokes has arthritis and his hands are kind of beat up, but Teddy’s aren’t. I’m guessing from Pa’s concern about commodity prices and such that he’s up-to-date on modern farming.”
Renie smiled. “Your powers of observation have not been dulled by age.”
“I can’t help it. I study people. I have to, because people are my job at the B&B.”
“And they don’t stick around long enough for you to get tired of them. Hey, there’s a parking place! I see something called Earls a couple of doors down. I’ll bet it has edibles.”
The café did have food, but at this time of day the cousins had to settle for soup and salad. Judith was relieved that Renie didn’t pout. The thought that they wouldn’t have to wait so long for dinner kept her in good spirits. Once they were seated, the conversation returned to the murder investigation.
“Think about it,” Judith said. “How old is Pa? Fifty or so?” She saw Renie nod after spooning in some chowder. “Adela is his sister and I figure her for not much over forty. I doubt that Codger waited until middle age to get married and have his children.”
“So what’s the point of saying he was older than dirt?” Renie asked. “An insurance scam?”
“That’s possible,” Judith said, “but I doubt it. I considered that Codger might have been suffering from an incurable illness, but why not say so? Even if the old guy didn’t know, why would the family keep it a secret?”
“I don’t think the Stokes folks could keep a secret,” Renie responded. “I assume Mrs. Codger has already gone to that big corncrib in the sky.”
“Probably.” Judith nibbled at her salad greens. “I wonder how much money people make raising corn.”
“It depends on how big a farm they have,” Renie said. “Aunt Ellen once told me that many of those Nebraska farmers are millionaires.”
Judith was surprised. “She did? I never heard that.”
“You’re not her goddaughter. Ha-ha.”
“True.” Judith paused to study their bill. “We never got our money changed. I suppose the banks are closed. Drat. We’ll have to wait until Monday.”
Upon paying their bill, the cousins drove back to the motel. “We should check the bulletin board in the lobby,” Judith said. “I’ll bet St. Mary’s has a Saturday Mass. Since we’re eating a late dinner, we might as well go this evening. Then you can sleep in tomorrow.”
Renie gave her cousin a sideways look. “You think I haven’t done that when I’m actually in church?”
“Yes,” Judith said primly. “I’ve been there. At least you don’t snore.”
“You talk in your sleep.”
“So Joe tells me. He doesn’t mind.”
“You’ve only been married for fifteen years. Wait until you’re together as long as Bill and I have been.”
Judith turned into the motel’s driveway. “How long has it been now? I forget.”
“I don’t know. I can’t do numbers. I’m a visual person. And I see a cop cruiser by the motel. I’ll bet it’s for you.”
“No!” Judith protested. “It’s probably checking on the Odells. Maybe the parents have some more information about the Stokes family.”
But she was wrong. Sergeant Brewster got out of the cruiser and motioned for Judith to pull over. Complying, she rolled down the window and asked what he wanted.
“Please get out of the vehicle and come with me,” he said, his long, tanned face expressionless. “You can answer questions in the cruiser or at headquarters.”
“About what?” Judith blurted.
Brewster’s black eyes snapped. “About the victim.”
“I never met him when he was alive,” Judith protested.
“Maybe not. But you may be the last one to see him dead.”
Judith couldn’t argue the point.