Bring Home the Murder (11 page)

She turned away from the window. “Darrell went through the pasture gate and started digging on Fred's land. I couldn't see much, but I heard him. As soon as the digging stopped, I high-tailed it back to the house so he wouldn't catch me spying.” She paused and caught her breath.

“A couple days later the cops came to the house, arrested Darrell, and took him away. I waited until my husband left for the bar that day. Then I took the shovel, walked back into the woods and dug up the money.” Amelia's lips quivered and her hands shook. “I decided to talk to Fred. He would know what to do. But I couldn't leave the house for a day or two.”

She started to cry and Meggie spoke up. “If this is too difficult to talk about . . .”

The older lady held up her hand. “Fred's truck was parked in the yard, so I knocked on the door. I waited a bit, and then let myself into the house. I called out for him, but he didn't answer me. Something didn't feel right. Fred didn't leave the door unlocked when he wasn't home.”

“Wild thoughts went through my head. I suspected something happened to Fred. Darrell wouldn't harm him. I was sure of that. But my husband would. I thought about Fred's hired hands. Could one of them have done something to him? I was frightened. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to go home. My husband was in such a foul mood after they arrested his grandson.”

“Did Fred ever get in touch with the sheriff?”

“I never found out. I just wanted to get out of there and away before something happened to me. That's why I bought a one-way ticket to Superior and finally left that man. I tried to contact Fred when I arrived in Superior, but I couldn't reach him. He knew my sister's address but he never contacted me. A short while later I heard he went missing.”

“Did your husband try to come after you?”

“No. I suppose he figured I ran away with Fred or maybe he suspected I had gone to live with my sister. Either way, he didn't care enough to come after me. Even if he did care, he had a stubborn streak. He always said he wouldn't chase a woman down. I haven't seen or heard from him since I left the farm.” She hesitated and glanced out the window. “Although, there have been times I feel as if I'm being watched. It's hard to explain. I suppose it might be paranoia.”

Amelia looked tired and Meggie wondered if they should take their leave when the apartment door opened. A woman who resembled Amelia walked in. She stopped mid-stride, looked from Meggie to Shirley with a probing gaze and set her purse on the table.

“We have guests, Ruth.” Amelia smiled at her sister. “Come, meet Meggie and Shirley.”

Ruth walked into the sitting area and sat down on the sofa next to Amelia. Ruth's face relaxed while Amelia explained to her the reason for their guests' visit.

A short while later Meggie looked at her watch. “I'm afraid we may have overstayed our welcome. It was nice meeting you both, but we really must start for home.”

Amelia left the sofa, bent over and touched Meggie's arm. “Please, just a minute.” She walked out of the room. Minutes later she came back carrying a dirty vinyl bag and held it in front of Meggie.

“Here's the money. Every last penny. I borrowed enough to buy a one-way ticket to Superior, but I paid that money back long ago.” She placed the vinyl bag in Meggie's hand. “After I settled in Superior, I recalled that Fred planned to hire a man to help fill the old well. If only I had realized the importance of that information.”

 

Chapter 18

M
eggie stashed the bag of cash in the trunk of the car, walked to the driver's door and slid into the front seat. She let out a deep breath and turned to Shirley. “What an amazing story.”

“That poor woman. Her husband must have been a brute for her to run away from him like that. And all those years not knowing what happened to Fred.” Shirley snapped her seat belt and looked back at the facility. “Talk about controlling. He made sure she had no friends, no car, and no money. No children either.”

“We're not going to waste any time getting home. Transporting cash makes me nervous.” Meggie turned the key in the ignition and the engine fired up.

“That makes two of us.” Shirley blinked and fidgeted in her seat. “If the fuzz stops us, I wouldn't want to explain why we're hauling a bag of greenbacks in the trunk of this car. Stolen greenbacks at that.”

Meggie rolled the driver's window down and pulled away from the curb. At the stop sign she turned left and followed the road signs to High Bridge. On her way she encountered more cars than she had earlier in the day. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Rush hour started earlier in Superior.

Meggie spoke little on the way over the bridge and through Duluth. She thought about Amelia's story. The woman must have been desperate to get away from her husband. The money, a godsend.

Once they traveled through the city, Meggie leaned back in her seat and relaxed. An hour away from Duluth, the traffic thinned. Houses dotted the countryside and trees became more abundant. She glanced at the fuel gauge. It showed less than a quarter tank of gas.

“I think I better fill the Bug up,” Meggie remarked. “I completely forgot to stop at a gas station on the way out of Duluth.” She tapped her finger against the steering wheel. “If I remember right, there's a convenience store just up ahead.”

“This stretch of road is sure desolate.” Shirley squirmed in her seat and shot Meggie a look. “I'd hate to run out of gas or break down.”

Meggie slowed the car, turned left off the two-way road and came to a stop beside the first of two gas pumps. When Shirley went inside, Meggie filled the gas tank, washed the windows then hurried into the store.

A young man stood behind the till. He handed Meggie her change and nodded toward the gray sky. “You drive safe. It looks like there's a storm brewing out there.”

Once back on the road, the Bug hummed along. “I'll be glad when we get home.” Meggie peered skyward through the windshield. “The clouds look like they're about to burst.”

The farther she drove, the fewer houses they passed. Forested areas stretched out for long distances on both sides of the road and were separated only by the occasional field.

After some time, Meggie noticed Shirley had grown quiet and seemed preoccupied about something. “Is anything wrong? You're not talking.”

Shirley rubbed her knee and cleared her throat. She turned around and looked out the back window. “I think there's a car following us.”

“A car following us?” Meggie creased her brow and glanced at her passenger. “Are you sure?”

Shirley's voice raised an octave. “I'm sure. I remember the white car because it tailgated us over the bridge and made such a racket. When we left the four-lane highway the same car exited right after we did and followed us past the casino. But when you pulled off the road to get gas, it didn't pass by. I watched from inside the store.”

“There are a lot of white cars.” Meggie glanced in her rearview mirror and narrowed her eyes. A vehicle did appear to be gaining on them. Her stomach rolled. If Shirley was right, there weren't many other cars on the road and only an occasional house. She pushed on the gas pedal.

Shirley lifted herself off the seat and turned around. “It's getting closer.”

Meggie checked the rearview mirror for the second time. She could see the contour of the car. “Get the hornet spray. Just in case we need it.”

“Hornet spray? Where is it?” Shirley unbuckled her seatbelt and tossed it to the side.

“In the back seat, maybe on the floor.” Meggie scraped a hand through her hair.

Shirley turned her head. “I don't see it back here.”

“Look under the seat,” Meggie ordered. “The car's almost on top of us.”

Shirley twisted her body and leaned through the bucket seats. “Hey. I'm stuck.” She gyrated back and forth in an attempt to free herself.

“What? Get unstuck and fast.” Meggie bent her arm backward and pushed against her friend's back. When that didn't help her, she grasped the seat control, lifted it and pulled her seat forward.

Shirley's mid-section dropped onto the gears and her heels hit the underside of the dashboard. “My neck!” She wailed.

Meggie tried to move Shirley off the gears. “Are you all right?”

“I don't see the hornet spray. It's not back here.”

“Check under the seats.” Meggie screamed. “Hurry!” The white vehicle sped up and rammed them from behind. The Bug lurched forward. Meggie gasped and pushed on the gas pedal. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and locked her eyes on the road.

“What's going on?” Shirley wiggled her way out from between the seats and plunked down. She held tight to the can of hornet spray. Her eyes grew large. “He's passing us!”

The vehicle loomed up next to the Bug. Meggie's heart raced. She watched in horror as the white car sideswiped them. The Volkswagen veered to the right, then zigzagged back into the center of the lane.

The vehicle hit the VW again. This time the Bug careened towards the side of the road and into the ditch. Meggie clung to the steering wheel and bumped along the ditch bottom. She tried to dodge a large boulder but it scraped the bottom of the Bug.

“Here it comes again,” Shirley shouted. The white car plunged into the ditch after them. It moved past them, swung sideways and jerked to a stop in front of the Bug. Meggie hit the steering wheel and Shirley was flung forward in her seat.

Seconds later Meggie opened her eyes. She felt nauseous. Shirley moaned in the seat beside her and rubbed the back of her neck.

A slight scruffy-looking man jumped out of the white vehicle in front of them and ran towards the Volkswagen.

“Give me the spray,” Meggie ordered and grabbed the hornet spray from Shirley. Her hands trembled. She removed the cap and tossed it on the floor of the vehicle.

“Get out of the car. You're coming with me.” The pistol's barrel pointed at Shirley through the passenger window. “Move it,” the man shouted and waved the gun.

Shirley stumbled out of the car. He grabbed her by the arm and looked over his shoulder at Meggie. “Follow me in your car and don't try anything funny or shorty here is dead.”

Meggie followed the other car out of the ditch and onto a side road. Her mind whirled. What did he want with them? The money? Where was he taking them?

The white vehicle turned onto a narrow dirt road and into a wooded area. Meggie's stomach churned. What did he plan to do with them?

Red brake lights flashed. The driver's door on the white car swung open. The scruffy looking man jumped out of the car. He turned towards Shirley, mouthed something and rushed toward the Bug.

Meggie climbed out of her vehicle. She stood behind the open driver's door and hid the hornet spray behind her. Her heart thumped. Her legs shook.

The man brushed his black shoulder length hair away from his face and snarled at Meggie. She couldn't make out what he said. Her ears rang and her head ached. She raised the hornet spray, aimed and pushed the button. The jet spray hit its mark.

The man screamed. He dropped his gun and pawed at his eyes. Meggie charged. She knocked the man to the ground and picked up his weapon. He yelped and writhed on the ground.

“He had this in the car,” Shirley shouted to Meggie. A rope dangled from her hand. She plunked down on the culprit's legs and handed the rope to Meggie. “I'll sit on him while you tie his hands.”

Meggie set the gun aside and knelt down. She wrestled the man's hands away from his face, wrapped the rope around them and tied a secure knot. She stretched out the rope but it came up short. “We'll have to bend his knees to tie his feet.”

With Shirley's help they rolled him over, bent his knees and slung the end of the rope around them. By the time they were done he looked like a calf at a rodeo trussed up backwards.

Meggie picked up the gun and handed it to Shirley, then ran to the Bug to search for her cell phone. She found it underneath the seat. The screen read no service. She scuttled back to where the man lay on the ground. He still whimpered. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“One of us will have to drive out to the highway and call for help,” she said. “There's no service here. Do you want to go or stay?”

Shirley bit her lip and looked at the thug on the ground. “Will the Bug make it to the highway? If it breaks down, I would have to walk.” She sat a moment in thought. “You go, I'll stay.”

“If he gives you trouble, shoot him—hornet spray or gun—your choice.”

This last remark elicited a scream from the man. Shirley ordered him to shut up if he knew what was good for him. She nodded for Meggie to leave.

The Bug's engine wouldn't turn over. Meggie slapped the steering wheel. The VW blocked the white car. And too many trees prevented her from driving the other car around the Bug. She had no choice but to start hiking.

Every so often Meggie tried her cell phone, but no bars. She ran a short distance, stopped and tried her cell again. This time she connected with 911. Minutes later sirens wailed in the distance. She peered down the highway. Flashing lights came into view.

The highway patrol car came to an abrupt stop behind the Bug. The patrol officer closed the vehicle door and made his way to the man on the ground.

Meggie clambered out of the passenger seat. She motioned Shirley aside. “Did he say anything?”

Shirley leaned in close to Meggie. “He told me the gun I had aimed at him was a fake. Good thing I had the hornet spray.” She held her hand out. “I found this in his wallet.”

Meggie looked at the identification card. “Fake gun? Darrell Schmidt is all bark and no bite.”

Shirley whispered. “What are you going to tell them about the money?”

Meggie tapped her index finger against her lip and studied Darrell Schmidt. “If he doesn't mention the money to them, I'm not saying anything. I promised Amelia I'd give it to Bulldog.” She eyed Shirley. “I don't think that's a crime. It's not like we're withholding evidence or anything.”