Love and Suspicion Read online

“He is, and cute too,” Tiffany confessed. “I spotted a couple of checks Shelley made out to a Charles Hadley last night.” She took a scoop of ice cream and put it on her pie. “Do you know if anyone took pictures at Shelley’s funeral. It would help to know what he looks like.”

  “I can find out,” Beverly said.

  “Great.” Tiffany tasted the pie, nodded her approval to Beverly and then asked, “Mind if I take this with me? I’m eager to get started.” She waited less than a second to hear any objections before she picked up her dessert plate and headed upstairs.

  After she was gone, Beverly placed a call.

  “Beverly, what can I do for you?” the man asked.

  “Did you take any pictures of Shelley’s funeral?”

  “Probably, I took all kinds of pictures back then. Why?”

  “Earl would like to see them.”

  “I’ll see what I can find.” He paused. “It’ll cost you, though.”

  “In money or information.”

  “Information, naturally. You’ll tell me first if old Earl starts talking again, right?”

  “Right.” Beverly grinned and disconnected the call.

  ON HIS DINNER BREAK, Rod stopped at the restaurant to get iced tea and a hot roast beef sandwich to go. After giving his order to the waitress behind the counter, he went to wait in a window booth.

  “Boy are you in trouble,” a woman said in the next booth.

  Her back was to him, and he wondered how she even knew he was there, until he looked up and saw a large, curved corner mirror. The woman looked to be in her late sixties and when he spotted her, she lifted a hand as if to wave. He waited until the waitress set a tall paper glass of iced tea in front of him. “How so?” he asked as he tasted it and decided it needed sugar.

  “Michael is as hot as a hornet’s nest over you digging the case up again. I bet he’s in his office right now trying to think of a way to get you fired.”

  “You’ve known him a long time?”

  “All his life. His mother and I were good friends. Now you take his brother. No two brothers are as different as Michael and Jason. Jason was always the attentive one. He sat by his mother’s side for days before she passed, but not Michael. Oh, he bounced in and out from time to time, but it was Jason who read to her, chose soft music for her to listen to, and let her sleep when she could. I would give anything to have a son like Jason. Of course, after she died, Jason struck out on his own and rarely comes back to visit.”

  Rod took the lid off his tea and poured sugar in the paper glass. He was about to say something when the waitress approached the woman.

  “Emma, you want anything else?”

  “Another cup of coffee and the check will do nicely, dear.”

  “You got it.” With few customers to care for, the waitress was back with a pot of coffee and Emma’s check in no time at all.

  As soon as she was gone, Emma looked at the deputy in the mirror again. “You want to know about Michael, spend a little time at the Bed and Breakfast outside of town. That’s where he hangs out when he’s not married. Ask for Birdie. She knows all there is to know about Michael and then some.”

  When the waitress brought his lunch, Rod thanked her and then looked up at mirror again. “Thanks for the advice.”

  Emma was not done talking yet. “The way I hear it, the company is not doing that well these days, but it doesn’t keep Michael from spending a ton of money. Of course, no one tells Earl. Just the same, everyone knows Michael has a cash cow somewhere, but nobody can figure out where.” Emma sipped her coffee for several minutes before she said, “Funny thing, I could have sworn I saw Michael’s brother in town that day.”

  “The day of the kidnapping?”

  “It couldn’t have been, though, the Sheriff said Jason was in Georgia the whole time. Jason didn’t even come to help search for the baby. He came for Shelley’s funeral, though. – you know, to support his father.”

  “You sound like you found that a little odd.”

  “Jason hated it when Earl married Shelley even more than Michael did, so yes, I was surprised.” Emma grabbed her check, finally scooted across the seat to the end of the booth, and stood up. She turned to face the deputy. “I’d really like to know who kidnapped Earl’s daughter – a lot of us would. Suspicion is a terrible thing and when you don’t know, you end up suspecting all sorts of people. Some deserve it, but most don’t. I said some things back then I’m not very proud of. We all did, and once said, we can’t ever take it back.” She nodded, went to the counter, paid her bill and left.

  As soon as Rod got back to his cruiser, he picked up his notebook. On his list of possible suspects, he crossed Mariam Eggelston off, and added Jason Woodbury. Next, he made note of Michael’s mysterious cash cow.

  CHAPTER 7

  THE FIRST THING TIFFANY did after she settled in at her computer was to do an internet search for Charles Hadley. The results listed page after page of every Charles Hadley from a pro football player to a music instructor. She looked for images of men named Charles Hadley but didn’t find any she thought might be a close match after she eliminated the ones that were too young or already dead. Then again...

  Tiffany entered ‘Charles Hadley, Iowa, obituary.’ There were sixteen of those and she spent the next hour reading and eliminating each. “Nothing,” she moaned. She changed her search to the next state over and continued until she got too tired to think clearly. Her pie was long gone, but a glass of milk sounded good, so she went downstairs to get one and then called it a night.

  At least, the Charles Hadley she was trying to find was probably still alive.

  WITH THE PICNIC JUST a day away, women all over the county gathered the ingredients and made their favorite potluck dish. Last year’s frozen corn on the cob was taken out of freezers, seasoned and individually wrapped in foil, so it could be cooked on the barbeques. Potato and macaroni salads didn’t go over well at Blue Falls picnics, but no one was quite sure why. The ladies made them anyway. Others made baked beans, black-eyed peas, salads and last but not least, homemade pastries and ice cream. It was up to the men to wash them and provide tubs to fill with ice and soft drinks. They expected it to be the biggest picnic crowd ever, so everyone was encouraged to bring chairs and card tables if they could.

  As soon as Tiffany arrived at work that Saturday, Mariam left her in charge of the store and went home to bake three pies and several dozen chocolate chip cookies.

  THE TWO-CAR COLLISION on the Interstate was one of the worst Rod had ever seen and it happened just after he started his shift. Already, the flashing road signs had been turned to ‘caution’ and traffic was starting to back up. Three just arrived drivers were out of their cars, none of which seemed to know what to do.

  From what Rod could gather, the car in front swerved to avoid something and clipped the other car, forcing it to roll down an embankment onto the service road below. The driver of the other car too harshly tried to correct his mistake, sending his vehicle rolling and flinging glass together with vehicle parts across both lanes of the east bound Interstate.

  Rod pulled up in front of the vehicle on the Interstate, left his flashing light on, got out, and went to it first. He soon realized it was too late to help that driver, so he hurried down the embankment, touched the neck of each, and could not find a pulse on the two in the front seat nor one of two others in the back. He hurried around to the other side, put his hand through the broken window, and found a pulse. A teen, the only one wearing a seatbelt, was in the backseat and looked like she was just barely alive. He tried to open the damaged door to no avail, got on his phone, called for the jaw of life, and all possible assistance.

  He reached through the broken window again, and gently touched her hand to try to comfort her. “Hang in there, Sweetheart, help is coming. We’re going to get you out of there in a few minutes.” The girl put a bloody hand in his. She had several lacerations on her face and arms, probably from broken glass, but she seemed to be breathi
ng well enough. If she had internal injuries, he couldn’t tell.

  “I’m Rod, what is your name?”

  “Carolyn.”

  “You’re going to be just fine, Carolyn.”

  Occasionally, she opened her eyes and looked around as if she wasn’t sure where she was. Rod kept talking, hoping he could keep her from passing out, while at the same time praying the ambulance would hurry up.

  At last, two ambulances arrived. While three of the medics confirmed the fatalities, the other two came to help the teen. To Rod’s surprise, it was Ben Coulter who brought the jaws of life, followed by two town cops and Vic, the morning deputy. She didn’t want to let go of his hand, but Rod had to get out of the way. He stood back and was amazed at how well and how quickly Ben got the caved-in door open.

  “I’m right here,” Rod assured her. She was a brave young woman and only cried out a couple of times when the medics cut off her seatbelt and got her out of the car. As soon as they put her on a gurney, he took her hand again and helped carry her to the waiting ambulance. Once more he had to let go. Even then she was still reaching out her hand to him as the back door closed, the sirens were turned on, and the ambulance headed to the hospital.

  Rod just stood there. He didn’t realize Ben was standing beside him until the tow truck driver put a hand on his shoulder.

  “You did all you could, Deputy,” said Ben.

  “So did you. Where’d you learn to do that?”

  “The jaws? I’ve practiced on every old wreck that comes into the shop and a few more in the junkyard. My truck rolled and someone used them to get me out.”

  “Well, if she lives, you saved her.”

  Ben handed him a wad of wet paper towels. “You do know you have blood all over you.”

  Rod hadn’t even noticed, took the towels and began to wash his hand and the blood off the cuff of his shirt. “Guess I’ll have to go home and change. Meanwhile, you want to help me clean up the glass?”

  “Sure, It’s part of my job. I clean up and secure everything before I tow the wrecks away.” Ben opened a plastic bag and let Rod shove the bloody towels inside before he tied the strings, tossed it in the back of his truck, and grabbed a couple of push brooms. He handed one to Rod.

  When they climbed back up the hill to the interstate, traffic was backed up for miles. Vic and one of the police officers were helping the medics remove the bodies, and the other police officer was taking pictures from every angle he could think of.

  Ben took some pictures on his cellphone too, and then helped Rod sweep the inside lane. Soon, they were able to start letting cars through. As soon as he got the last car hooked up to his tow truck, he said, “After you get off, swing by my shop. I keep a bottle there and you look like you could use a drink.”

  “You’re on,” said the deputy. He headed home to change his shirt and then went to the office to fill out the reports. By the time he was finished, Ben had forwarded the pictures taken on his cellphone to the sheriff, and Otis was looking them over.

  “Wayne came in early to cover your duties while you got the wreck all wrapped up,” said Otis when the deputy came into his office.

  “That was nice of him.”

  “Yeah, he’s on our side all the way. Besides, a thing like this can make a man lose his concentration if he goes out on the road too soon.”

  “Any word on the girl yet?”

  “Not yet, but I’ve got a call into the hospital. One thing I hate about this job is not knowing the results, good or bad.”

  Just then, Millie stuck her head in the open door and tossed a candy bar to Rod.

  “Hey, where’s mine?” Otis complained.

  “Aren’t you on a diet?” Millie asked.

  “Nope, not until tomorrow.”

  Millie frowned. “That’s not what your wife said.”

  “It’s a conspiracy,” Otis grumbled. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Rod. “Don’t you dare eat that in front of me.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Rod could hear Millie giggling all the way back to her desk. “I’m fine, Sheriff, and what I’d like to do is look for that stray dog. I’ve got a feeling he’s why that first car swerved.”

  “Suit yourself, but come back in if you need to”

  “Thanks.”

  For the rest of his shift, Rod drove up and down the service roads trying to spot the dog. Even after it got dark, he used the spotlight on his cruiser, but the dog was nowhere to be found. He went to the office, clocked out, thanked Wayne for his help, and then swung by Ben’s shop. He was surprised to find Ben still there and the door to his office wide open.

  “Scotch okay?” Ben asked as soon as Rod came in.

  “Perfect.”

  Ben poured scotch in two paper cups and handed one to Rod.

  Rod was about to take a drink when his cellphone rang. The caller ID said Nancy. “Hello there.”

  “My friend at the hospital said to tell you the girl is going to live.”

  Rod let out a huge sigh of relief, “Hang on, Ben is here too. She’s going to live,” he repeated.

  “Good,” Ben whispered.

  Nancy continued, “I’m here if you need someone to talk to.”

  “That’s a tempting offer. I’d take you up on it but what I need most is a shower, a good night’s sleep, and to see you and Willie at the picnic tomorrow.”

  “We’ll be there.”

  “Nancy,” Rod said, “I’ve never wanted to hear a voice as much as I wanted to hear yours just now.”

  “Sleep well,” she said before she hung up.

  Ben watched his newest friend put his cell away and then swallow half his cup of scotch. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

  “And far too soon. I know, I know, I keep telling myself I’m rushing it.”

  Ben set his drink on the counter. “Don’t worry, Nancy will slow you down if you move too fast. I’ve known her all my life and she’s a no nonsense kind of lady. She was homecoming queen in our senior year, editor of the school paper, and in every club and organization there is in a small town like this. I wasn’t surprised when she married a farmer though. She loves the land like no other woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve driven by this place often enough. Are you going to the picnic?”

  “Yep, got a date of my own. You probably met Tiffany at the bookstore yesterday.”

  “I did.” Rod chuckled and leaned a shoulder against the door jam. “Why is it everyone knows everything going on in this town, except who kidnapped the Woodbury baby?”

  “Oh, I’m sure somebody knows that too, they just aren’t talking.”

  “Are you one of them?” Rod asked.

  “I was just a kid back then. I don’t even know enough to suspect who did it. My mom says, at the time there were rumors on top of rumors on top of still more rumors – each one contradicting the others.”

  “That’s what I keep running into. Still, I bet you know most of the older generation.”

  “I bet I do too.”

  “Mind if I call once in a while to ask if a name I come across rings a bell?”

  “Sure, happy to help.”

  Rod stood up straight and handed Ben his empty cup. “Thanks for the drink. I’ll see you at the picnic tomorrow.”

  After he was gone, Ben hurried to lock up so he could go home and check on the huge pots of beans he was simmering for the picnic.

  THE SPACIOUS CLEARING at the edge of Blue Falls Lake served as the perfect spot for a picnic, and for once it hadn’t rained enough during the winter to leave unforgiving potholes in the dirt road. With no formal parking lot, ‘park where you can,’ was the order of the day. Already several of the choice spots were taken and older children were swimming in the crystal clear water.

  The weather on that particular day in May could not have been more cooperative. The sky was cloudless except for a white streak left by a highflying jetliner, and the forecast was for temperatures in the mid-sevent
ies. The lake was surrounded by bushes, trees, and fallen logs where those who wanted a little privacy could sit and simply take in all that nature had to offer. Toddlers, with parents closely watching, would soon be wading barefoot along the shallow shoreline. The breathtaking waterfall on the other side of the lake cascaded down from the ledge of a high cliff, and splashed into the water below.

  At every sporting and holiday event throughout the year, a handbasket was passed around to collect picnic donations, with which to buy hamburger, hot dogs, buns, condiments, paper plates, plastic utensils, cups and sodas. As was their custom, the picnic committee and their families arrived early. It consisted of nearly fifty people, all with assigned duties, and all concerned that they might not have enough to feed this year’s expected crowd.

  The committee included farm families and town people alike, friends all, and all happy to let George Marshall exhibit his yearly picnic organizational skills. As soon as they arrived, sounds of laughter and excitement began to fill the air. First, they unloaded the back of two large trucks, and set up and arranged extra picnic tables. Of course, it was Sunday, so many would not arrive until after church, which was fine with those who had a lot more to do before it was time to eat.

  After they were positioned next to the camper hookups, gas and electric grills were turned on, and charcoal was added to the other barbeques. The foil wrapped ears of corn were scheduled to be cooked first and then kept hot in a big warmer rented from a restaurant supply house. Tubs were filled with ice, soft drinks were added, and a toddler trying to climb into one of the tubs was rescued at the last moment.

  As each family arrived, they set their food contribution on the tables, and then went to visit with friends. Each intentionally left an empty place on the first table traditionally reserved for Ben’s famous beans. As usual, the farmers talked about crops, while the townspeople talked about their businesses and jobs. All of them seemed cheerful and content to be there, although most were keeping an eye out for Michael Woodbury and Jerry Terrell.