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TIFFANY AND MARIAM both worked until seven, locked up and then Tiffany headed back to her hotel. The warm sun was already setting in the west and long, west to east shadows lay across Main Street. She liked that time of night and was in no hurry to get home. Earl was not sitting on his bench, but there were plenty of people going from place to place. She returned several greetings and then wondered if she should check on her car. She decided against it. He might think she was just going to see him, and as far as guys went, that was always a mistake. Besides, he would call if it was fixed.
The cost of the repairs worried her. Her first car was ten years old when she bought it, or rather her father bought it for her, and something was always going wrong with the wiring. Stupid car. It wasn’t supposed to happen with her new car, but oh well. On her way up the hotel elevator, Tiffany realized she forgot to ask Mariam how much she was getting paid. It had to be enough to pay for both the expensive room and the repairs – it had to be.
She hadn’t been in her hotel room very long when someone knocked on the door. She put her eye up to the peephole, pulled away and then opened the door. “Yes.”
“Mr. Woodbury wants to see you,” said Beverly Scott.
“Which one?” Tiffany asked, opening the door wider. Her first impression of this woman was no impression at all. Although she likely died her auburn hair, Beverly Scott was just a run-of-the-mill lady with no noticeable disadvantages or advantages over any other woman in her fifties.
Beverly huffed, “The only one that counts in my opinion – Mr. Earl Woodbury.”
“When does he want to see me?”
“Now, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay,” said Tiffany. She grabbed her purse, pulled the door closed behind her and followed Beverly down the hallway. “Who are you?”
“I’m Mr. Woodbury’s housekeeper.” As soon as they were outside, Beverly walked to the driver’s side of a black sedan. “Get in. I’ve got a bum knee and I’m getting too old to be climbing that hill.”
Tiffany got in the passenger side and closed the door. “Do you know why he wants to see me?”
“He didn’t say.”
“He talks to you?”
“Sometimes, but I don’t tell anyone the same as you haven’t told anyone. Why not?”
Tiffany shrugged “I like knowing something no one else knows, I guess. Did he tell you why he stopped talking?”
Beverly drove the rest of the way to the Woodbury mansion without answering. She parked the car in the driveway and then turned the engine off. “Earl doesn’t say why he won’t talk and I don’t ask.”
Her first glimpse of the mansion surprised Tiffany. Considering the way Earl dressed, she had him pegged for someone living modestly. Of course, Michael said he ran his father’s company, but to own and maintain a house this size, Earl had to have a bundle of money in the bank.
She followed Beverly through the front door and then across a sparsely decorated living room with outdated furniture. At the end of a hallway, they entered a far more cheerful room that looked like it had once been a library, although there were few books on the shelves. Now that Earl didn’t have his cowboy hat on, Tiffany could see the resemblance between he and his son, although his hair was turning gray. He sat in an easy chair near the fireplace, but he didn’t bother to stand when Tiffany entered. Instead, he motioned for her to sit in a chair facing him on the other side of a small table.
“I’ll make tea,” Beverly said, closing the door behind her.
“Mr. Woodbury...may I call you Earl?” Tiffany smiled when he nodded. “What can I do for you?”
He gently cleared his throat. “You heard about the kidnapping?”
“Yes, Michael told me.”
Earl slowly got up, walked to a pile of papers on a desk, picked them up and brought them back. He set the pile on the table and then turned them so Tiffany could see what they were.
“Bank statements?” She didn’t say so, but with everything being paperless these days, it was the first time she’d seen printed copies. Times sure had changed.
“These are from the account my second wife had before she died.”
“I see. What do you want me to do with them?”
“Figure out who she gave money to. I hear there is a lot of information on the internet. I can’t work a computer and I can’t ask anyone else to do it.”
“Wow, it sounds fascinating.” She suddenly frowned. “Do you even have a computer?”
“I thought you said you had one.”
“That’s right, I did say that.” Tiffany stared at the floor a minute.
“Beverly has one too, with something she calls Wi-Fi.”
Tiffany giggled, “That’s great, I was just thinking about that. I take it you don’t want anyone to know about this, right?”
“Right. Name your price.”
“My price?” She paused for a long moment. “How about we make a trade?’
“What sort of trade?”
“Living in the hotel is killing my bank account. If you have a spare room I could use for a few days – a couple of weeks maybe, that would be more than a fair trade. That way, no one would know if I’m working on a computer on your behalf or not. The maid at the hotel couldn’t even find out accidentally. The way people are in this town, I’ve got just about everyone pegged as a snoop. Besides, I might need to ask questions, show you things, get your advice, stuff like that. I could...”
“Sold,” Earl said. He gave Tiffany one of his rare grins. “When can you move in?”
“Well, I suppose it’s too late to check out of the hotel now and since I’ll have to pay for it anyway, I might as well spend the night there.”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“Tomorrow morning. I have to go to work at the bookstore in the afternoon, so morning is spot on.”
“Thank you,” said Earl and he meant it too.
“I take it you think your wife was up to something?”
“Maybe, I’m not sure.”
At length, Tiffany said, “Mr. Woodbury, are you sure you want to know? I’m not very old, but I know the truth can be a lot more painful than not knowing.”
Earl lowered his gaze. “I need to know who took her. If the baby is alive and out there somewhere – and if she isn’t, I need to know that too.”
“I understand. Well, forgive me for not staying, but I better go pack.” She stood up, found her way out, and then walked back to town. The evening air was filled with the sweet smells of spring, the cool breeze felt good, and she’d just saved a bundle on rent. What more could she want?
*
AFTER TIFFANY WAS GONE, Earl told Beverly about the agreement he made with Tiffany. She poured him a cup of tea, left the tray on the table beside him, and picked up the unused cup and saucer. “It’ll be nice having a young person in the house again.” She smiled when he nodded and then went back to the kitchen to make his dinner.
*
HAPPY TO SEE HER SO bright and early the next morning, Beverly Scott greeted Tiffany with a smile at the door of the Woodbury mansion, and then showed her to a bedroom on the second floor. “Earl left early this morning. I put fresh bedding on the bed last night.”
“Thank you,” said Tiffany. She set her suitcase on the floor and looked around the spacious bedroom. The four-poster bed, complete with a floral canape, was situated against a long wall and the furniture in the rest of the room included a small sitting area with a comfortable chair, and a table with a reading lamp. The room even included a desk. Tiffany set her laptop on the desk and then turned around. “I wasn’t expecting anything this fancy.”
“Well, I only do what Earl tells me. Just let me know if you need anything else.” She folded her arms and leaned against the door jam. “Earl said to make sure you’re going to the picnic. Are you?”
“I am, as a matter of fact. The guy fixing my car invited me.”
“Ben? He’s a good man, our Ben, and a lot better than most of the rest. How about some breakfast. I could use the company and we should get to know each other better. “Ham and eggs okay?”
“Sure, I’m starved,” Tiffany quickly followed Beverly out the door and back down the stairs to the kitchen. “Ben said I should go to the picnic hungry. I guess that means there will be lots of food there.”
“Tons,” Beverly said, motioning for her guest to sit at the small breakfast table while she went to the stove. She already had all the ingredients for breakfast set out. “Everyone brings something, but I don’t recommend eating potato salad. Sometimes people leave it out too long, if you know what I mean.” She put two thin slices of ham in the frying pan and then turned the heat up to medium.
“That’s okay, I’m not too fond of potato salad anyway. What should I bring?”
“Don’t worry, Ben will bring his famous barbeque beans.”
“Good, I’m a little short on gourmet cooking.”
Beverly laughed, “So am I, but Earl seems to like my cooking well enough, and he’s the only one I have to please.” She cracked an egg on the edge of her frying pan, let the contents slide into the pan, and tossed the shell in a nearby sink. “How do you like your eggs?”
“Over-hard.”
“Me too.” Beverly cracked a second, a third and then a fourth egg. “It’s not like it was when Earl’s first wife was alive. This place was normally filled with guests and I enjoyed cooking for as many as they wanted to invite. I adored Mrs. Woodbury, but after she passed away, Michael and Jason started to hate me with a passion. They complained about everything, especially Michael.”
“Who’s Jason?”
“Earl’s second son. He’s two years younger than Michael and most of the time he and I got along, but when Michael got riled up over something, Jason always took his side. Mrs. Woodbury tried to control Michael and so did Earl, but at the time Earl was a busy man and not home most of the time. It didn’t take long for Michael to get all big and bold. He was Earl Woodbury’s son, the man who owned most of the town, and Michael thought that made him king of the hill.” Beverly gently turned the frying eggs over, put two pieces of bread in the toaster, and then bowed her head for a moment. “None of us knew how sick Lisa Woodbury was and before we could adjust to the bad news of her cancer, she was gone.”
“Just that quick?” the smell of frying ham was making Tiffany even more hungry.
“Quick for us, but she’d known about it for a full year. She said it was inoperable and instead of getting sick from treatments that wouldn’t work, she decided to enjoy the life she had left instead. I tell you, I loved that woman and after she was gone, our whole world fell apart. I suppose Michael blamed me for it somehow.” Beverly buttered the toast, brought a plate of food for each of them, and then joined Tiffany at the table.
“Thank you, this looks great.” Tiffany took a bite of egg and relished the taste.
“You’re welcome.”
“What happened after Mrs. Woodbury passed away?”
“Well, Michael decided he and Jason didn’t need a babysitter anymore and insisted Earl send me away. Earl was so distraught, he let me go just to keep the peace. I didn’t blame him, but with no one to cook for them, Michael insisted he hire Mariam Eggelston. I hadn’t taken a vacation in years, so I went to Italy for a month. When I came back the news was all over town.”
“What news?”
“Michael got Pamela pregnant and Earl insisted he marry her. I didn’t get invited, naturally, but I hear it was not a happy wedding for anyone but the bride. That’s where Michael’s son Alex came from, and I have no doubt you’ll be meeting him soon. The marriage wasn’t happy.”
“So I heard.”
“That’s right, you work for Mariam. She’s harmless, really, she just loves to gossip.” Beverly paused to take another bite of ham before she continued. “Thing is, the bride wasn’t the only girl carrying Michael’s child – Pamela was just the first to tell Earl. Michael almost talked Jason into marrying the other one, but Jason flatly refused. He’d had enough of Michael’s messes, wanted to attend law school and that’s exactly what he did. He lives in Georgia now, is married and has four children. At least Earl could be proud of one of his sons.”
“Was Michael’s other baby a girl or a boy?”
“I don’t know, her parents were horrified and forced her to put the baby up for adoption.”
“That’s terrible. Does Jason come back to visit often?”
“A couple of times a year usually. Last year he didn’t come at all.”
“So the tile factory is not the only thing Earl owns?”
“These days it is and I think he hangs on to it just to spite Michael, but that’s just my opinion. Earl owned a lot of land, various shops, several of the buildings downtown and made money off the office space he rented out. He was always helping people, giving them a financial hand up when they needed it. After the kidnapping, Earl sold most of his property to pay the ransom money back. Michael was furious and flew into a rage. After all, he told Earl not to pay the ransom.”
“Wow, remind me to stay out of Michael’s way.”
Beverly grinned, “That a girl. By the way, my room is right through that door. He doesn’t usually need much, so I just sort of stay out of his way after dinner, but you are welcome to visit. It gets kind of lonely here sometimes.” She finished her last bite of breakfast, laid her fork in her plate and then wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I suppose I should warn you. There might be trouble at the picnic. Some people don’t think much of Michael’s imaginary kingdom or his trumped up rules.”
“Like Jerry Terrell?”
Beverly grinned, “You’ve learned a lot in just a few days. Keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll learn a lot, especially from Mariam.”
“I plan to. Did you like Earl’s second wife?”
“I didn’t know her well enough to say one way or the other. It wasn’t my place, you understand. I worked for another family until after Shelley died, and Earl asked me to come back.”
Tiffany glanced at her watch. “I should leave for work soon, but go on. How much do you know about Shelley?”
Beverly picked up the plates and carried them to the sink. “Like I said, I didn’t work here then and didn’t know her hardly at all. There were rumors, there always are, but I will say this much – I don’t think Earl loved her, at least not the way he loved Lisa. He and Shelley were an odd couple, if you ask me. Just the same, there is no doubt Earl loved that little girl. I think he believes she’s alive somewhere. For his sake, I hope he’s right.”
*
TUESDAY, ROD WENT TO work an hour early to talk to the sheriff about the case. Apparently, the sheriff’s wife was finally feeling better. On the table was an array of delicious looking donuts which he helped himself to, made himself a cup of coffee, and then chatted with Millie for a few minutes. Finished with his donut, he knocked on Sheriff Otis Pierce’s closed door.
“Come in.”
“Mind if I pick your brain for a few minutes?”
Sheriff Pierce closed the file on his desk and leaned back in his chair. “Have a seat.”
Rod made himself comfortable, and then asked, “Are you aware that part of the file on Shelley Woodbury’s death is missing?”
“I am. The FBI took the original photos and my notes before I had time to get them copied. They promised to return then, but never did.”
“Why did they want them?”
“They said she looked like someone they’d been looking for. I couldn’t get much out of them except that I should be on the lookout for a guy who wore thick glasses and had thin lips. It wasn’t much of a description.”
“Did you ever see anyone matching that description?”
“Not in this town, and no one else had either. I insisted they give the file back several times, but the last time I called, the FBI claimed they couldn’t find it.”
“So they took the photos of her body, the coroner’s report and the death certificate?”
“And my notes,” the sheriff admitted. “Earl has the original death certificate, but I didn’t have the heart to ask him for a copy.”
“Do you remember the name of the drug she took?”
“Sorry, I do not. The coroner died years ago but his files might be in storage somewhere. His name was Howard Birch or Birtchress...something like that. He was from Des Moines and worked several of the counties around here. I could find out if you think it’s important.”
“It’s not that important, I was just curious. What about her personal doctor? Someone must have delivered the baby.”
“Dead too, I’m sorry to say. I probably didn’t put it in the file, but I remember him telling me he didn’t have her on any drugs.”
“I see.” Rod paused to gather his thoughts. “You didn’t find a suicide note?”
“No, just that blank check she signed, which didn’t make any sense. If it was some kind of message, she didn’t make it plain enough for any of us to understand.”
“Anybody know why Earl got married again so soon after his first wife died?
Otis folded his arms. “I can’t think of anyone who knows the answer to that except Earl, and I didn’t ask. I suppose that a man is still a man, even when he is in mourning for the woman he deeply loved. I suspect she tempted him, he got her pregnant, and tried to set things right by marrying her for the sake of the baby. One thing I have never doubted – Earl would never hurt that little girl and if he did, he would have confessed right up front.”
“But his wife might have?”
“Maybe.”
“So when she died, it was all wrapped up in a nice little ball – mother kills baby, hides the body, can’t handle the guilt, and kills herself.”
“Could be exactly what happened, only...”
“Only what?”
“Who picked up the ransom? I know for a fact she didn’t leave the house that night.”
“Did she get any phone calls?”
“No. None of her personal friends came, no one called her, and if they had, we would have told them she was resting.”
“How did she react when she found out the ransom had been picked up?”
“You’d have to ask Earl. He’s the one who told her and it was a private conversation. You have to remember we had no real reason to suspect her at the time. It was only after she committed suicide that a few of the pieces implicating her started falling into place.”
Rod took a drink of coffee that was already getting cold. “Then just to speculate – if she was in on the kidnapping, she could have gone to the door and handed the baby to someone, thus no fingerprints, etc. She pretended to get so upset she had to take something, which she already had on hand, to make her sleep through most of the next two days. Earl woke her up, told her the ransom was picked up and the guy got away.”
Rod again thoughtfully paused. “Now she knew the other person had both the baby and the money. Furthermore, no call came to assure her everything was right on schedule, so Mrs. Shelley Woodbury knew she’d been double-crossed. She knew she was too weak to withstand the pressure, figured she would end up in prison, and took the coward’s way out.”
“That’s as good as any theory I’ve ever came up with. Maybe you can prove something one way or the other. I never could.”
“You were right; Earl has all the keys.”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“What do you mean?”
“If he suspected his wife did it, why not tell me after she died? It couldn’t have hurt her, and it might have helped us find his daughter. He didn’t say but I always thought Earl suspected someone other than his wife – Mariam, one of his sons, a business partner, or someone he cared very deeply about. All I know is, Shelley didn’t pick up the ransom herself, so there must have been at least one other person involved, and maybe more.”
*
THAT AFTERNOON, WHILE the whole town waited to see what Michael would do to get even with Jerry Terrell, Rod decided to make a couple of unusual stops on his normal route. He’d been to the lake several times, but this time he wanted to see if he could find something the investigators might have missed. After so many years, it was a long shot. The electrical and water hookups in the campground had obviously been improved. The road in and out was well maintained, and the picnic area held several bolted down tables. He gazed at the lake for a few minutes, imagined the divers searching for the baby’s body, and was glad they didn’t find her.
With nothing more to see, he headed for the junkyard. At nearly eighty years of age, Matt Collier sat in the shade of two large White Ash trees that had grown so close together, it was hard to tell one tree trunk from the other. Even at his age, Matt still hung around the place each day, although his son and grandson currently ran it. Mostly, he dozed off whenever he wanted and fully enjoyed his retirement years.
He woke up, however, when he heard a car coming down the wide dirt road. “Who’s that?” Matt shouted to his grandson.
“Looks like that new deputy, Grandpa,” Carl answered.
“The one that arrested old Earl?” he snickered.
“Looks like it.”
Matt stroked his gray beard. “Wonder what he wants.”
Working in the yard a short distance away, Matt’s son stopped what he was doing too and joined the others. Three sets of eyes watched Rod park, get out of his car and walk to them. “Matt Collier?”
The old man feebly raised his hand. “What’s up, Deputy?”
“Nothing serious. I just came to ask a few questions.”
“About what?”
“About the Woodbury kidnapping.”
Matt let out a slow whistle. “Before you ask, me and my son searched every inch of this place looking for that baby. We even searched long after the FBI left. They seemed more interested in who took the money anyway. I would have given anything to rescue Earl’s daughter, but we never found a thing, ain’t that right, Buddy?”
“That’s right, Dad.”
Matt quickly continued, “Earl Woodbury gave me the money to start this place when the bank wouldn’t loan it to me. It took years to pay him back, but I finally made my last payment a couple of years ago. Upset me to the bone to think the scumbag kidnapper used my place to hurt Earl and his family. Upset me to the bone and it wasn’t something I got over in a hurry. I’m still not over it!”
Matt’s son added, “There wasn’t a regular customer that came into the yard after that day, that we didn’t suspect took part in the kidnapping. They certainly knew which lights to shoot out, that old dog would have let them tie him up, and they knew how to walk out through the back without tripping over something. We fenced it in after that.”
When Matt’s grandson brought another chair, Rod was happy to sit down so the old man didn’t have to strain his neck looking up at him. “Did you suspect one more than any of the others?”
“We came to the conclusion that the guy with the money wouldn’t show up here again anyway, and all of our regulars were accounted for,” Matt answered.
“Unless,” his son added, “he didn’t want to look suspicious by not showing up. We kept a list of names if you want them. Old Jeb died, but most still come to buy parts or sell scrap metal.”
“I might be interested in the name of anyone who moved away within the year or so later,” said Rod. “Do you recall any of those?”
Matt, hung his head and for a moment, he looked as though he’d fallen asleep. Abruptly, he lifted his head and said, “Been eighteen years. I’ll have to think about that a while.”
“No problem, take your time.” Rod said. “You and your family had been in Canada the week before on vacation, is that correct?”
“It is.”
“Did you leave anyone in charge while you were gone?”
“No, we don’t get much business around the 4th, so we just locked everything of value up and left the dog loose to scare strangers away.”
“Who fed the dog?”
Matt looked to his son for the answer. “Dad, didn’t Harry Charles promise to feed him every day?”
“That’s right, it was Harry Charles, but he’s not your kidnapper, Deputy. He was only twelve or thirteen at the time. He didn’t take the money either - he was terrified of being here in the dark of night. Said the place was spooky.”
“Did you notice anyone in town spending more money than they normally could?”
“No, and we would have heard if they had,” Matt answered. “I’ll say this much though, he sure picked the right weekend, what with all the strangers in town for the 4th.”
Rod propped one ankle up on his other knee. “Can you show me where Earl left the money?”
“About right where you’re sitting – in plain sight the FBI said. No moon, no lights, and the suitcase vanished with FBI agents hiding around every corner. Thing is, Deputy, how hard would it be to hide behind these two tree trunks, use a grab hook of some kind, and pull the suitcase to you? This old oak tree was wide enough even back then to hide a full grown man...or woman. I’m not one bit surprised the FBI didn’t see him.” Matt looked away. “I just wish I’d been here to beat the stuffing out of him.”
Rod slowly stood up. “Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.”
“You think you can catch him after all these years?” Buddy asked.
“Probably not, but I’m going to give it a try. “Rod reached out and shook Matt’s feeble hand. “If you think of anything else, just leave a message with Millie.” He took a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Buddy.
Before he got back in his car, Rod took a long look around. New equipment had obviously been added, and for a junkyard, the place looked very well organized. He tipped his hat to the three men still watching him, got in, and then left.
The instant he was out of sight, Buddy pulled out his cellphone. To the person on the other end, he excitedly announced, “You’ll never guess what! The new Deputy is looking into the kidnapping!”
*
NOT LONG AFTER TIFFANY returned to Earl’s house that evening, shared dinner with her hosts, and went to her room, Ben called.
“I was wrong about the softball game,” said he in that deep voice she hoped to hear a lot more of.
“How wrong?” she teased as she slouched in one of the sitting room chairs. “Wrong game, wrong opponents, or...”
“Wrong night. I thought it was Friday, but it’s Thursday night instead. You still want to go?”
“I do. What time?”
“The game starts at seven.”
Tiffany sat up straight. “Uh oh, I have to work until seven.
“Just ask Mariam to let you close up early. She won’t mind.”
“Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
“Good, I’ll pick you up at the bookstore at 6:45”
“You’re on.” She was careful not to shriek with delight until after he hung up.
*
WHEN ROD ARRIVED AT the office at the end of his shift, Wayne Griffin was sitting in a chair with a grin on his face waiting for him. “Class Fifty-two felony, huh?”
Rod returned his smile and went to the computer to log out. “You heard about that?”
“Nancy just happened to overhear you talking to her son. I check on her every night, make sure her doors are locked and such. I don’t like the young ladies living out there alone the way she and the boy do.”
“Willie is a great kid, isn’t he?” Rod finished logging out and then chose the chair next to Wayne’s to sit in. A uniformed male dispatcher Rod didn’t know very well sat behind the counter and seemed to be paying little attention to either deputy.
“One of the best. Anything interesting happening out there today?”
“Not much on my shift. Someone wrote graffiti in chalk on the side of the new school last night. Victor got it cleaned off before the kids showed up this morning.”
“Really? Maybe I better swing by there more often.” He chuckled. “Sounds like a new round of troublemakers coming up the ranks. Makes me glad I’m retiring.”
“I bet. I tried to catch that stray dog again, but he’s terrified of me. He could use a good meal, so tomorrow I’ll take some dog food to him.”
“Good idea. Sooner or later a hungry dog will head for a chicken coop.”
Rod took note of Wayne’s unbuttoned vest and how it was beginning to fray with age. “Mind if I ask a few questions?”
“About what?”
“The kidnapping?”
“Oh that. Otis said you were taking a turn at it. Terrible, terrible thing. I’m afraid I won’t be much help. I don’t know anything the Sheriff didn’t put in the file.”
“You read it?”
“Cover to cover back in the day.”
“I just wondered if you suspected anyone the sheriff might not have paid much attention to.”
“You know, with all the strangers in town, it could have been anyone.”
“No one comes to mind?”
“Well, there was that one guy, Chuck Hanson, his name was. There’s a letter in the file about him. His sister is still around, maybe you should talk to her.”
“Thanks, I will.”
Wayne got up and headed for the door. “See you tomorrow,” he said as he walked out to start his shift and closed the door behind him.
*
ROD DECIDED TO TREAT himself to a good meal at the best restaurant in town he’d found so far. He had just walked in the door and removed his hat when he heard a familiar giggle, looked around and found Millie sitting alone in a booth.
When she motioned him over, he gladly went to join her. “What are you doing here so late?”
“Even a happy dispatcher gets tired of being alone sometimes.” Millie lowered her voice. “See that guy over there?” She nodded toward the cook. “I’ve had a crush on him for just years and years.”
“You need glasses.” Rod whispered, “He looks old enough to be your father.”
Again she giggled, “He is my father.”
Rod chuckled, set his hat on the table and took the menu the waitress handed him. “What are you having?”
“Dad makes a mean omelet.”
“With hot sauce and everything?”
“Onions, chili peppers, hot sauce and he even adds an egg or two for good measure.”
“Sounds like my kind of meal.” Rod set the menu aside and waited while the waitress filled an empty cup with coffee. He placed his order, and then relaxed.
“The town is all a buzz about you, you know,” said Millie.
“I was afraid of that. Is it the one about me arresting Earl?”
“No, it’s the one about you digging up the old kidnapping case.”
“The whole town knows?”
“Buddy called everyone he knows, even me.”
“Is the whole town for or against my opening an old can of worms?”
“They could hardly be against it, at least the old timers couldn’t, it would look too suspicious.”
“I suppose it would. You ready for another soda? Your glass is empty.”
“No thanks, I’ve had my fill. People my age and younger would love to know what happened too.” She grinned, “So what did happen?”
“I might need a little more than a few days to figure that out.”
Millie chanced the subject. “I understand you’re hitting on Nancy.”
“Hitting on her?”
“Isn’t that what the good old boys down in Texas call it?”
“I call it making friends, with your permission, of course.”
“Let me think about that. By the way, I know you’ve only been here a while, but would you like to donate to Wayne Griffin’s going away party?”
“Sure. I might need a first paycheck though.”
“You’ll get one tomorrow.”
Rod took another sip before his coffee got cold. “That’s a comfort. Are you in charge of planning the party?”
She rolled her eyes, “No, thank goodness. The sheriff’s wife has it all under control. I’m just collecting money.”
“Isn’t the county chipping in?”
Millie covered half her mouth before she whispered, “The county is broke, or so they claim.”
“Wayne deserves a good send off after all the years he’s put in.”
“Yes he does. He’s always been good to me and the people around here like him. Even most of the teenagers like him.”
It was Rod’s turn to change the subject. “Who’s this Crazy Eddie character?”
“He’s not really crazy, at least I don’t think he is. It’s a nickname. We call Ben Coulter ‘Lucky’ because he escaped death when his tow truck got T-boned, and we call Eddie crazy because he won the lottery and is too cheap to buy a new truck.”
“And he drives like a crazy man?”
“True, and you’ll probably never catch him. Lucky put a new engine in the truck a couple of years ago and our cruisers are no match for it. So far, Eddie hasn’t hurt anyone and even though we can’t catch him, the sheriff writes a speeding ticket every time we get a call, which Eddie promptly pays.”
“Is he your age?”
She took a sip of her tea and set the cup down. “Let’s see, he must be in his fifties. I could look it up if it’s important.”
“Don’t bother, I just never would have guessed he was that old. What about you?”
She took a napkin out of the holder and began to fold it like a paper airplane. “What about me?” Millie asked.
“How does a woman like you stay single?”
“Didn’t Otis tell you? My husband is a marine stationed in Afghanistan. That’s why I spend a lot of time here with my other boyfriend. Loneliness, and the fear that Jeff won’t come back, can be a real killer for someone like me. You ever been in the service?”
“No, I became a cop instead so I could fight the battles here at home.”
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of battles right here to fight. Otis doesn’t like to talk about it, but one of his sons is on drugs. I want to have kids someday, but if a sheriff can’t keep his kids off drugs, how can my husband and I?”
“Good question.” He paused to let the waitress set his plate in front of him and leave before he asked, “So who does most of the town think the kidnapper was?”
“Most can’t even guess, and those that can have a list of suspects a mile long. I might be able to find an old phone book in the library, if you think it would help.”
Rod finished his first bite and then got ready to take another. “That would probably be my last resort, but I’ll know who to ask if I get that desperate. You’re right about one thing – your dad makes the best omelet I’ve ever tasted.”
*
WITH SILENCE CONTINUING the next day where the feud between Michael and Jerry was concerned, the town went from curious, to frustrated, and then anxious. Those that could, kept their eyes glued to computers displaying Michael’s billboard, with others keeping an eye on Jerry, his business, his car and his home, although most didn’t think Michael would actually attack Jerry at home where his wife and children lived.
Around three o’clock Wednesday afternoon, something suddenly started to change. The man Michael hired to fix his billboard, climbed the ladder and started to take all the letters off. It took him nearly an hour to replace them with the new sign, which surprisingly had to do with Terrell Office Supply and not the Woodbury Tile Company. The sign read:
Terrell Office Supply Anniversary Celebration
Join us in the parking lot Thursday from 12:00 to 2:00 pm
for a free lunch, cake and ice cream
While the town laughed, Jerry Terrell threw open the door to his store and stared at the billboard. Across the parking lot, Michael stood with his arms folded and a grin on his face, all of which was captured by an astute passerby who just happened to have a video camera. Jerry stormed back inside, nearly toppled a display shelf, caught it just in time, and stomped back to his office.
When they saw the video on social media, the town held its breath. Was this the straw that would finally break the camel’s back?
*
TIFFANY’S DAY AT THE bookstore was filled with a constant stream of visitors who were again more interested in the latest news about the Michael and Jerry feud, than in buying and reading books. She didn’t mind, it made the day go by faster. Mariam apologized for not being able to find her a room to stay in and when she mentioned she was staying at Earl’s mansion, she assumed it would be all over town in less than a heartbeat. That was okay too, it wasn’t meant to be a secret.
After Tiffany closed up shop, she hurried to her temporary home. At the door, she considered ringing the bell, but when she tried, the door was unlocked so she went right in.
“It’s just me,” she shouted before she spotted Earl sitting in the living room waiting for her. “Oh, sorry I yelled.” She plopped down in an easy chair opposite him and asked, “Have you heard that the new deputy is asking questions about the case?”
“Beverly told me.”
She snickered. “Why do I think you knew before Beverly did?”
“Maybe.”
“You old fox,” she scoffed. “Can’t pull anything over on you, can they?” She was rewarded with a twinkle in his eye and when Beverly came in, the housekeeper was smiling too. “And what are you up to, Miss Beverly?”
“Just dinner, I swear it,” Beverly answered. “Hungry?”
“Starved.”
“Then let’s eat you two.” On the way to the kitchen, Beverly muttered, “Ah, the sound of happiness in this house again is pure heaven. Never thought I’d see this day.”
Dinner in the kitchen’s breakfast nook consisted of homemade pizza and soda’s.
“So, why did your wife have a separate bank account?” Tiffany asked after devouring half a slice of pizza.
“She had her own money,” Earl answered. “I never knew how she came by it or how much there was until after...months after, when Beverly and I decided to put her things in storage.”
“That’s right,” Beverly agreed. “The amount left in her account is staggering.”
“Is? You mean it is still there?”
“As far as I know,” said Earl. “She didn’t have any other family that I know of, and I just left it there.”
“Because?” Tiffany pushed.
“Because I didn’t need it.”
Beverly rolled her eyes, “Because if the baby was found alive, he wanted her to have her mother’s money.”
“That makes sense. You know, they’ve done great things with DNA these days. Have you tried to...”
“No,” Earl interrupted.
“But if there’s a chance the baby is still alive, we’ll do that next,” Beverly added. “Earl thinks the answer to who took the baby is in the bank records. We find him or her and maybe we can find the baby. There are a few names we don’t recognize, and we’re hoping you can find those people, or should I say those men. All of them are men. Some of the amounts are pretty big too, so she had to be up to something. We just don’t know what.”
Tiffany took a last bite of pizza and laid the crust on her plate, “Then if you will excuse me, I better get started. Without waiting for an answer, she jetted out the door and up the stairs to her new bedroom.
*
SEATED AT HER DESK, Tiffany took her time leafing through Shelley’s bank statements and the copies of her checks just to become familiar with the information they contained. The last statement was for the month of July, 1998, but the date on the first one was three years earlier and the initial deposit was $20,000. The older statements also showed two previous addresses. Paying more attention this time as she leafed through the papers, she discovered a purchase from Wedding Dresses Unlimited in October, but the account listed no other wedding purchases such as a bakery or payment to a minister. Soon after, Shelley went to Des Moines to shop at an exclusive baby boutique. Tiffany decided she needed more information so she could make sense of things, so she went back downstairs and asked Earl for the date of their wedding.
“October 25th,” he answered.
“1997?”
“That’s right, why?”
“Hold on a minute. How old was the baby when she was kidnapped?”
“Six months.”
“When was she born?”
“April 5th.”
Tiffany pulled her phone out of her pocket and found her calendar. She calculated the baby’s age twice before she said, “Five months.”
He blinked several times before he said, “I thought it was six.”
“It doesn’t matter really except your wife was buying baby clothes right after you married her.”
“That’s right, she was already pregnant.”
“Sorry, Earl, it’s none of my business.”
“Tiffany, don’t ever hold out on me. Ask any questions you can think of. What might have seemed insignificant back then could be very important now, only I don’t know how I could have gotten the baby’s age wrong.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. Besides, you’re a guy. Guys never know these things.”
He seemed content with that explanation and Tiffany decided it was enough for now. He needed time to adjust to all this talking and remembering things. He was an old man, and she sure didn’t want to be the cause of a stroke or a heart attack. Soon, she went back upstairs and started to construct a spreadsheet on which to list all of Earl’s wife’s expenses.
She decided to ignore the earlier bank statements and concentrate on what Shelley was up to from the time she married Earl to the day she died, which was just short of a year. During that short time period, there were several large deposits as well as checks written to two men in amounts that at first glance equaled half of the deposits, although one of the men was paid far more handsomely than the other.
Curious, Tiffany took a look at the previous year and found the same pattern, although the name of the second man had changed. Even more curious was that although Shelley’s mailing address was Ottumwa, Iowa, the deposits were made in Bloomfield. Again she looked at the last deposit – it too had been made in a bank in Bloomfield and not in Blue Falls – and on July 1st, two days before the kidnapping.
One thing was becoming abundantly clear. Earl Woodbury suspected his wife was somehow involved in the kidnapping. The question was, did he want her to be proven innocent or guilty?
*
HE WAS TIRED, BUT ROD couldn’t resist taking another look at the Woodbury file before he collapsed into bed. He vaguely remembered a letter concerning the man Deputy Griffin mentioned, and tried to find it. He looked in one section, opened the next folder and at last, there it was. It was an anonymous note, probably typed on a word processor, with an envelope attached to the back. The note read: “Take another look at Chuck Hanson. He’s hiding something.” Behind the envelope was the sheriff’s note stating that the document yielded no fingerprints. The sheriff interviewed Chuck Hanson, a farmer living several miles out of town, who denied having anything to hide and said his half-sister probably wrote the letter.
Wayne said the sister still lived there, so Rod decided to see what he could learn about Chuck Hanson. He jotted the address down and slipped the note into his uniform pocket, before he set his alarm and ended his day.
