THE BLUE STALKER (17 page)

             
The big yellow ball of fire slowly descended behind the mountains.  As if from an artist brush colors of red, purple, golden yellow streaked across the western sky.  As the light of day dimmed the desert nights air began to cool the oven they had been in for days.

             
Carlos overheard the ‘keepers’ talk about Coopersville being near.  Carlos positioned themselves at the back door of the van craning his neck to see through the front windshield looking for any sign of light from Coopersville.  He stood at the door rocking back and forth with the movement of the van.  His hand on the door handle.  He nudged Luis, slowly opened the door, both men jumped and rolled into the night.  Carlos looked up to see the van door close. 

             
“What the hell was that?”  Pedro asked.  The Mexicans were so out of it they didn’t know anything had taken place.  Pedro drove on into the desert heading for the drop house. 

             
Carlos and Luis ran as fast as they could though the brush.  Cutting themselves on the cactus as they crisscrossed the desert.  Keeping their eye on the light they ran like a hungry fox.  They stopped just short of the town.  Catching their breath they looked into the distance and didn’t see the secondhand store.  The sidewalks were rolled up.  The town as quiet as a church mouse.  The street lights were far apart hiding the two in the dark.  All the stores were dark except for the store at the corner of First and Main Street.

             
Carlos whispered to Luis. “I don’t see the secondhand store.  Let’s look in the window of the store with the light.” 

             
As they started to dart across the street the green van came roaring down Main Street.  Carlos pulled Luis back just in the nick of time. 

             
“They are looking for us.”  Carlos told Luis. 

             
Again they made a dash for the store with the light calling them.

THIRTEEN

             
Agent Parker pulled up in front of the shop, stepped from his unmarked car.  He walked straight to the shop swung open the door and asked for Ron Mills.  Ron looked puzzled.  He wondered what the man wanted to talk with him about. 

             
“I’m Ron Mills can I help you?”  Ron asked walking toward the man.

             
Agent Parker pulled his jacket to the side and a great big bright star flickered as it caught the light.

             
“I need to talk to you.”  He said as he dropped his jacket.  Agent Parkers jacket lacked a few inches covering his bulging stomach. 

             
“Please excuse me.”  Ron said to the crew walking out the door and into the big black sedan.

             
Agent Parker drove Ron to the FBI office.  He showed Ron to a table with a couple chairs in a small room.  The walls were blank and cold, stale cigarette smoke permeated the room.

             
“We have run a check on you and your wife.  It puzzles us as to why you are here working in the flower shop.  Why you rented the house on Fifth Street and only living there a short time but continuing to pay the rent.”  Agent Parker said to Ron as he pushed the back of his chair up to the table straddling it. 

             
“We need some answers.  The house you rented was raided a couple weeks ago.  You were holding illegal Mexican men in the house.”  

             
Ron looked up shaking his head. “Oh, no sir, we were not.” 

             
“Do you realize you are responsible for the goings on in the house as long as your name is on the rental agreement

             
Ron shook his head. With his elbows on the table he placed his forehead in his cupped hands.  “Sir, I must tell you our story.”  Ron said.

             
“You are not under arrest but you can have an attorney present before you begin if you choose.”  Agent Parker advised Ron.

             
“No, I don’t need an attorney.”  Ron said.  “My brother, Paul Mill’s and his wife, Nellie lived in this town and owned a secondhand store.  We kept close contact and then one day they didn’t answer their phone.  We were unable to contact them.  We sent letters and continued to call.  After a couple months the phone was disconnected.  We checked with the phone company and the phone had been disconnected due to an unpaid bill.  We knew this was not like Paul and Nellie.

             
“You’re telling me Paul and Nellie is missing persons.”  Agent Parker questioned.

             
“Yes,” he continued on.  “When we got to town we went to the store and it was closed.  We looked through the window and the store was empty.  We met with Sheriff Brady and he told us they left in the middle of the night.  We didn’t have a clue on where to start looking for them.  We are hoping something will come up here that might lead us to them.  The Sheriff hasn’t located their van.”

             
“Now, I have some questions and you better have some good answers.”  Agent Parker said.  “Why did you continue to pay rent and utilities on the house on Fifth Street while living in an apartment?”  He asked.

             
“We couldn’t find work here and our savings dwindled to almost nothing.  I was over at the truck stop looking for work and struck up a conversation with a man and shared my problem of being without work and wouldn’t be able to pay my rent the following month. This man told me he didn’t have good credit, couldn’t find anyone that would rent to him and needed a home for his family.  He would pay the rent and utilities if I would move to an apartment and he would pay the rent on my apartment. Every month without fail I received a money order for the rent for each and a money order for the utilities.  I guess he called the utility companies for the amount owed each month.”  Ron told Agent Parker.

             
“Mr. Mills I believe you.  What I have to figure out is how to find your brother and his wife.  I’ll run this across my boss and go from there.  Meanwhile, you continue on living just as you are.”  Agent Parker said.

“Okay, you will be able to find me at the new flower shop.  I’m the new delivery person.”  Ron said with a smile.

             
Agent Parker turned all this mind boggling information over to Agent Bill Harris.  They wondered why there wasn’t a missing persons report from the local Sheriff’s office.  If the Mills had been reported missing the FBI would have been notified.  They knew they could not let Sheriff Brady or anyone know of this new information.

             
Agent Parker and Harris was certain this was tied into their investigation of the body smuggling ring.  Why the Mill’s disappeared would be handled through the FBI since Sheriff Brady didn’t make a missing person report he couldn’t be trusted.

             
The next day they brought Ron Mills back into the office and talked with him hoping to get more information. 

             
“We would be surprised if your brother and sister-in-law didn’t meet foul play.  There are things I can’t not share with you. But you need to be open with us.  If there is anything you haven’t shared with us please tell us.  Was Paul and Nellie doing anything illegal?  Such as selling drugs.”  Agent Parker asked.

             
“Oh no, they would never deal in drugs. They loved to help people and were totally against drugs.”  Ron assured Agent Parker.

             
Sheriff Brady needs to be investigated.  The agents ran a check on him and he had been in law enforcement for over thirty years.  He didn’t have any black marks on his record.   Could he be turning his head letting this body smuggling go on in his town?

“Let’s put an agent on the sheriff twenty four seven.”  Agent Harris ordered.

They know the sheriff will be careful in his moves but if he’s into something illegal he will slip up. 

             
Ella wondered why the FBI agent showed up and took Ron away but she didn’t want to ask Ron and Susan.  When and if they wanted to share it was up to them.

             
Ella made a drawing of the new sign she planned to have put on the store front.  She made a call to the local sign company.  They can have the sign ready and installed by Friday if she can get the plans in tomorrow. 

The clerk at Coopersville City Hall ‘Building and Inspection’ department looked at the plan raised her eyebrow pushing the plans back across the counter.  “This will need to be signed and stamped by a licensed engineer before we can issue a permit. 

             
“What, for a sign!  Excuse me, I don’t understand.”  Gathering up the plan.

             
“The city has a sign ordinance.  All signs must be approved by the city building

department.”  The clerk told Ella.

             
“Then I will need a copy of the rules for the sign.”  She told the clerk.

The clerked made copies of the rules and handed them to Ella.  Ella made her way back to the shop.  She tossed her purse on the counter.

“I need an architect to draw up my sign and an engineer to sign off on it.  I guess this means I will drive to Baker and hire an architect to draw it up and an engineer to sign off on it.  What a pain.”  Ella said in disgust.

             
Ron Mills stood in the back not saying much. 

“Ella, can I see you in the back room for a moment please.  Ron walked to the back room he didn’t want anyone to hear what he had to tell Ella.

“Sure, Ron, I will be right with you. Ladies, the store is looking great.”  Ella turned and walked to the back room.

             
“What’s on your mind Ron?” 

             
Ron looked over his shoulder, “I’m going to tell you something to help you from making a trip to Baker.  But you must promise to keep this information to yourself.” 

             
“Is this something illegal that I might be in trouble if someone finds out I know?”  Ella quizzed him.

             
Ron shook his head.  “No, nothing like that.” 

             
“Fine then I will keep it to myself.” 

             
“I’m an engineer and architect and I can draw the sign and sign the engineering on your sign.” 

             
“You’re a what?” she said with disbelief.

             
“Yes, please don’t ask any questions.” 

             
“You have my word.”  She said crossing her heart.

             
“I’ll have the drawing ready for you tomorrow. What do you want the sign to say?”  Ron asked.

             
“Ally’s flower Shop and the phone number.

             
Ron wanted to ask where the name came from but didn’t want to pry.

             
Ella made her way back to the front of the shop.  “What do you ladies think abut opening next Monday?  We can have the ’Grand Opening’ on Saturday.  This will give us a week to familiar ourselves with the set up of the shop.”  Ella asked.

             
“Sure sounds good to me.  I’d like to start designing flowers instead of emptying boxes.”  Alicia answered with her big hearty laugh.

             
Susan didn’t have a problem with opening on Monday.

“This will give us almost a week to finish up with everything.  I may not have the sign up but everyone knows where we are.  Monday we will open.”  Ella said finalizing the opening date.

             
“I will call the local paper and run an ad for the Monday opening.  And a full page ‘Grand Opening’ ad for the big party.”  Ella said.

             
“This will cost a lot.’  Alicia informed Ella.

             
“I know, but it will introduce everyone to the store and to my crew.  Don’t worry about it Alicia this shop is going to do well.  I feel it in my bones.”  She assured Alicia.