Authors: Madison Johns
We waited until Stuart got off the phone. “You do realize the trouble you’re in, don’t you?”
“No, I really don’t. What did I do wrong?”
“You do realize that the Hill boys are part of the Michigan Militia, right?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. The militia isn’t into doing anything criminal, and you know it.”
“I don’t know anything of the kind. What I do know is that the Hill brothers are felons, and it’s illegal for them to possess guns, but right now, that’s the least of their problems. As for the two of you ... I hope you know that you’re both now mixed up in an ATF investigation. It’s not just about the guns anymore, not now that Robert Miller has disappeared.”
I stared at Stuart in shock, or my version of acting like I was shocked since the Hill boys had warned us just last night about Robert’s missing status. “Before you go accusing the Hill boys of anything, you might possibly have them help you locate who really stole their guns. Curt was even shot by one of the robbers. He promised to go to the hospital.”
“But the cops might just have found the people responsible,” Eleanor added. “The cops were combing the woods for the ones who tried to relieve Jack of his guns last night. That’s where they took off to when the cops showed up.”
“And if that was all that happened last night, we’d probably not have shown up.”
“What are you talking about, now?” I asked.
Stuart asked the other agent to give him some privacy with his mother and her friend. Once they left, he said, “While the cops showed up and were busy chasing whoever might have tried to rob Elsie last night, there were five more robberies, with one more militia member hit, but this time, the guns weren’t retrieved.”
“Was it Harvey Smith?” I guessed.
“How did you know that, Mother?”
“Lucky guess. He was with the Hill boys just the other day. It seems like he’d have been more careful after what happened over at the Hills’ place.”
“Yes, it would have. What do you know about Robert Miller?”
“Bad seed,” Eleanor said. “The kind of kid who has gotten himself into trouble and hangs around with the gang members in Saginaw, I’ve heard.”
“This doesn’t feel like something a gang would be doing. It has to be bigger than that.”
“Eleanor’s right. The kid’s been trouble from the day his mother moved them here, and I’m concerned about where he’s gone to now. It worries me, actually.”
“Why, Agnes?” Eleanor asked.
“If he’s involved with stealing guns, or at the very least concealing them at his house, and they’re now gone—”
“His life might just be in danger.”
“Exactly.”
“Do you think the Hill boys would have gone after the kid for what he did?” Stuart asked.
“Not at all. It just doesn’t sound like them, but if they thought that Robert was involved with shooting Curt, it might be another matter. I didn’t get a real feeling that Robert shot Curt, though. He never even told us if he saw the person who did.”
“What kind of wound are we talking here?”
“Shotgun.”
“We better get over there now, and soon. Shotgun wounds are bad news. If he’s as reluctant to seek medical attention as you said, he might be seriously ill by now,” Stuart said.
“I took Sophia over there, but she didn’t treat him. Instead, she sent someone else over there to help him with his wound.”
Stuart whisked a hand through his hair. “You got my niece involved in this mess, too?”
“I didn’t know what else to do. I had to try to help him somehow, but I think Sophia was too worried what her husband might do if she treated Curt.”
“I find it hard to believe that she’d not treat the man at least,” Stuart said. “But we’ll be heading over there after we check in with the sheriff to find out if he caught those men they were after last night.” Before he turned to leave, he said, “Please stay out of this investigation. One man has already been shot. I’d hate to see either of you added to the list.”
We watched as Stuart joined the guys from the ATF and left. I couldn’t help but notice that Millicent was chatting with one of them before they left. When I walked over to her, she had quite the blush forming on her face.
“What gives, Millicent?”
She fidgeted with the sign-in sheets. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Looks like you and that ATF agent were talking about more than the investigation.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The blush on your face,” Eleanor said. “And he was tall, dark, and handsome.”
“Yes, wasn’t he, though? He asked me if I knew anything about your recent activities. I had to laugh about that one, since neither of you share much with me.”
“I hope you weren’t expecting us to. Sometimes not knowing keeps you safer.”
“I suppose, but I hope Eleanor stays safe at least. My grandfather would be horribly upset if anything happened to her.”
Eleanor grinned. “Not to worry. I promise I’ll do my best to make it to my wedding day. I’m actually excited to get married to the old coot.”
“So how are your arrangements going?”
“Good so far, but we still need to get permission to get married at the lighthouse, find a suitable place for the reception, figure out who plans to make the food, and order flowers,” I said in a rush. “I’m really exhausted thinking about all the things we still need to do. The girls are going to be making us something to wear at the wedding.”
“I could help, you know. At least allow me to order the flowers. What color would you like?”
“Hmmm, something a little toned down, like cream or light pink. What do you think, Eleanor? This is your wedding, too.”
“You know me, something loud and flashy.”
“I know Christmas colors are red and green, but we hardly need to look like a Christmas tree. Perhaps red and white roses?”
Eleanor nudged me in the ribs. “You’re right, Agnes. We should get going to check on a few of those details.”
“You’re right. Go ahead and order the flowers, Millicent. We trust your judgment,” I said, leaving her to make at least one of our decisions for us.
Chapter Nine
Eleanor and I left in the Cadillac not long afterward, heading toward US 23. “I sure hope we can catch up with Curtis and Curt before the ATF and Stuart does. I’d hate to get into trouble.”
“How right you are. It’s one thing to get in the middle of a local investigation, but a federal one will lead us straight into the slammer for sure.”
It was starting to snow now, and I groaned. I sure hoped there wouldn’t be a full-blown snow storm, at least not until we had met up with Loretta Kirkpatrick to get permission to get married at the lighthouse on Christmas Day.
“It doesn’t look like a white Christmas this year so far,” Eleanor said.
“Nope, but don’t jinx us just yet. It’s snowing now, as you can see.”
“I just love snow on the ground at Christmas time, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “I suppose, but only if I don’t have to drive in it.”
Once I made my turn, I got stuck behind a car going way lower than the speed limit. I darted in and out to check and see if it was safe to pass, but it was so not a go today. I didn’t have any other choice than to stay behind the car. I had to keep braking, as the car was now going even slower. When I finally passed, I saw that it was Ella, the woman who worked at KFC. I gave her a wave, and she waved back, with her middle finger.
“Now why would Ella flip us off like that?” I asked, shocked.
“She wasn’t flipping
us
off. She was flipping you off, since you are driving. She hates tailgaters.”
“I wasn’t doing that. She kept braking.”
“Because you were following too closely.”
I turned into the Hills’ driveway, moving down farther onto a pathway that circled around so that someone could exit through another driveway without anyone seeing them, like if they needed to get away in a hurry.
“Why are we parking so far from the house?”
“Just in case the ATF shows up. I’d prefer an escape route, if you don’t mind.”
“We better get a move on, then. I’d hate to be caught here, period.”
When we got out of the car and walked toward the house, Sophia’s car was in the driveway. I moved up the steps as a surprised Sophia came out the door with medical bag in hand.
“What are you doing here, Sophia?” I asked suspiciously. “I thought you didn’t want to treat Curt’s injury?”
“I just wanted you to think that. I can’t count on Eleanor there to keep her lips zipped. If my husband finds out I’m concealing something from him, I’m in big trouble.”
“Who’s watching the baby?”
“Bill is. I told him I had to go shopping.”
“And he never wondered why you took a medical bag with you?”
“I told him I might be called in to work.”
I just shook my head at her now. “I’ve never known you to be so deceptive before, Sophia. I hope you don’t plan to make a habit of it. You’re a lucky girl who has a devoted husband,” I reminded her.
“I know, Gramms, but I can’t not help out someone who is just fool enough to let himself get sick over not going to the hospital for fear of their prying questions or possibly calling the law.”
“I see. Well, get a move on now. Your Uncle Stuart might be heading here with the ATF. Seems the feds are investigating the stolen guns now.”
“Did your husband happen to mention if they caught the men who tried to rob us at gunpoint?” Eleanor asked.
“You were there, too, Gramms?”
“Yes. They were only after the guns, but I was able to call 9-1-1, and the cops showed up.”
“Bill was out most of the night, but they weren’t able to locate the men involved.”
“So they called off the search?”
“Yes, the dogs lost the trail. They received tips that led them elsewhere, but he never said where.”
“Thanks, Sophia. Hurry on home now,” I said.
Eleanor and I waited until she left before we knocked on the door. Curtis opened it and hurried us inside. “There’s been a new development.”
My eyes widened. “Like what, exactly?”
“Well, remember after we got our guns back?” When I pursed my lips, he continued, “Well, we had Harvey keep them for us at his place, just in case the law showed up, and someone robbed him late last night.”
“So whoever stole your guns, has now stolen them twice?” I asked, astonished. So what Stuart had admitted was true.
“Exactly,” Curtis said.
“We have more problems. The ATF is in on the case now and will be headed here soon to question you boys.”
“As in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives?” Curt asked from the couch.
“Yes, that’s what I wanted to tell you. Well, that and how we were robbed at gunpoint at Elsie Bradford’s card party. They were looking for guns, too, but the cops showed up, and they ran off. Sophia mentioned that they haven’t caught the men, but I now wonder if those robbers at Elsie’s were a front to keep the cops busy.”
“There were quite a few other robberies last night, too,” Eleanor said. “Something big is going down here in Tawas City, if not East Tawas, too.”
“Eleanor’s right. We need to put a stop to this before something else happens.”
“We don’t have anything to do with this,” Curtis said. “Or the disappearance of Robert Miller.”
“I think after you found your guns, the kid figured he had gotten in over his head.”
“Whoever he was in cahoots with might have tried to off the kid, even,” Eleanor said.
“We need to find that kid before it’s too late for him, or us, since we’ll be the ones considered suspects in his disappearance,” I said. “How are you, really, Curt?”
“On the mend, thanks to your granddaughter,” Curt said. “You better get out of here before the feds show up. I’d hate for you to get into trouble on our account.”
“I’d have to agree with you there. We’re already up to our eyeballs in trouble as it is, but we’ll try to locate Robert before someone else does.”
Eleanor and I moved out the back door as we heard cars whip into the driveway. I just hoped that the ATF gave the brothers a chance to tell their side of the story before they were hassled too badly. I also hoped that the brothers would cooperate with the ATF to solve this case, and they wouldn’t be able to do that from a jail cell.
We followed a pathway to the Cadillac, and I quickly started it after we hopped in and tore out of the drive just as quick as I could. I glanced back in the rearview mirror, and luckily enough, we hadn’t picked up a tail.
“How do you plan to find Robert, Agnes?”
“We’ll just have to find a place kids hang out is all. We could check out the teen dance place that sprang up on US 23 a tad.”
“Somehow, I don’t see Robert as much of a dancer,” Eleanor said.
“Perhaps not, but it’s a place he could blend into at least. Unless you have a better idea?”
“I’d say beach, but it’s too cold right now. Wherever he is, he needs to play it safe and keep a low profile.”
“Of course, since whoever stole the guns to begin with seems to have them again, perhaps his life isn’t all that much in jeopardy after all.”
“I sure hope that’s the case, Agnes. I’d hate to think that someone would kill a teenager.”
“And if he survives this one, I hope it puts him on the straight and narrow. I know it would me.”
“Look at his mother, though. She didn’t act like she gave a rat’s ass where her son was or with whom. It’s not like he has any positive role models from the looks of it,” Eleanor pointed out.
“True, but I’m not sure if we should be that quick to judge just yet. I’ll have to ask Martha about what she thinks of Vivian, since she knows her.”
“Good thinking. Where are we going now, Agnes? Check out the dance club for teens, or whatever you called it.”
“I thought we might pick the sheriff’s brain for now. I’d like to know who exactly was robbed, so we can talk to the victims.”
“I think we’ve picked that man’s brain clean. Plus, I highly doubt that he’ll give us any information.”
“Of course, there’s more ways to pick a man’s brain than questioning him, like finding a way to get him to leave us alone in his office.”