Authors: Madison Johns
“Go on, ladies. I’ll be here to take care of things while you’re gone. I still can’t thank you enough for helping me get this job,” Millicent said.
I smiled. I really liked Millicent, enough to find her an interesting man. But whom should it be? “Thanks,” I said as I pulled Eleanor behind me.
I grabbed a doughnut and headed out the door. There was a light dusting of snow on Eleanor’s Cadillac, which put me on notice to take it easy over to Newman Street.
Once we were both settled in the car, I asked suspiciously, “So who really called you, Eleanor?”
“I told you. It was Mr. Wilson. I know you’re itching to investigate a crime, but it’s winter now and relatively quiet. That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yes, of course it is, but—”
“You’re antsy and would love to get out and about, but with winter now here, you know we’ll be stuck here until at least until Perchville USA, right?”
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind all that much if we ventured out of town for the winter, but since we have the commitment at the Butler Mansion, I don’t see that happening,” I said solemnly.
“Probably not, but there’s plenty to do right here in East Tawas in the winter.”
“Yes, like ice fishing when the lake freezes over, but I’m not hardy enough to venture onto the ice. Of course, if we get married now, we’d have the perfect excuse to leave town on our honeymoon,” I hinted.
“If Sara Knoxville gives us the time off, you mean.”
“Unless she lives under a rock, I’m sure that she’s heard how we don’t spend all that much time at the mansion anyway.”
“True, and that is most likely the reason she hired Millicent,” Eleanor said.
“Which brings me to my next topic of conversation. We need to find Millicent some male companionship,” I said.
Eleanor chuckled. “You know, she might just be happy the way she is.”
“Yes, but still. Who do we know that she might like is the question.”
“She might not like us getting mixed up in her life.”
“She doesn’t need to know. We’ll just find some young man who is decent and introduce them. Then let nature take its course.”
I slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder when I saw a red pickup truck on the side of the road with the hood up. “Looks like the Hill boys are having trouble with their truck,” I said, pointing out the NRA (National Rifle Association) bumper sticker.
I opened my door and carefully got out, making way for the truck. As I passed the bed of the truck, I couldn’t help but notice a tarp thrown over something bulky beneath it. I couldn’t imagine what might be in there, and I leaned over, taking a better look when Eleanor whispered, “Stop it, Agnes. Are you trying to get us—”
Curtis appeared from the driver’s side of the truck. The harsh look on his face was quickly replaced with a smile when he recognized me. “Hello there, Ms. Agnes. I’m sure glad you stopped. Can you give our Ma a ride home?”
Before I had a chance to say anything, Eleanor answered for me. “Sure,” Eleanor said slyly. “Do you also need a ride or—”
“We’re fine. I already called someone to help out.”
Bright lights nearly blinded me as Sheriff Peterson’s car pulled up behind mine with the flashers on, and he clambered out and approached the truck.
“What seems to be the problem?” Sheriff Peterson asked.
“Just a little trouble with the truck. I just called my friend Harvey. He’ll be here soon,” Curtis informed the sheriff.
“Would that be Harvey Smith?”
“Yes, why?” Curtis asked nicely.
“I heard he came back to town, but I’d hoped it was a rumor. I hope you boys aren’t planning to get too involved with him. I mean, you and your brother, Curt, have kept your records clean since you’ve been off probation.”
“Yup, and that’s how we plan to keep it.”
“Still involved in the militia, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and that should make you sleep better at night, knowing that we’re ready to defend this great country if anyone tries to harm our citizens.”
“I’d just caution you to be careful with dealing with Harvey. I’d hate for you boys to get yourselves into trouble for allowing the man to lead you down the wrong path.”
The passenger door opened, and Rose Lee Hill surfaced. “I hope you’re not here to harass my boys, Peterson. They’re good boys, and you know it. Sure, they got themselves into trouble when they were teenagers, but they’ve done their time and toed the line during their probation, too. They don’t drink or do drugs. Don’t you think it’s about time you cut them some slack?”
“I’m not saying they haven’t. I’m just making sure everything is okay, like I would do with anyone stranded on the side of the road. It gets dangerous sometimes, the way people roar up US 23.” He sighed. “I’ll go back to my car, but I’ll be parked right here until your truck is either towed or back on the road.”
We watched as Peterson made his way back to his squad car. “We’d be happy to give you a ride home,” I said.
“Sounds good, girl.” Rosa Lee made her way to the Cadillac and waved to her boys.
I never saw Curt while we were sitting there, but once we were all settled in the car and passed the truck, Curt waved from the front seat, which I thought odd. “Why didn’t Curt get out of the truck?”
“Oh, that? He had a little accident.”
I eyed Rosa Lee and the blood dotting her white slacks. “Is that blood on your pants?”
“Yes. I told you, Curt had an accident.”
“Is he heading to the hospital?”
“Uh, I think Curtis will fix him up at home. You know how those folks can get at the hospital with all their snoopy questions.”
I didn’t like this one tiny bit. “Give it to me straight.”
“He has a gunshot wound. You know they’ll have to call the law in. It just happened during one of those militia training exercises. He’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t about to let this one go. “Well, I better fetch Sophia then. She’s at least a nurse.”
“You mean your granddaughter who’s married to Trooper Sales? That won’t do.”
“I have to do something. I’ll ask her if she’ll go out there to take a look. I’d prefer that he go to the hospital, but at least this way, someone in the medical field could take a look to assess his injury.”
“But what if Trooper Sales shows up? He’ll cause problems and demand to know how it happened.”
“There’s no law against not telling him, but he’s usually working around this time.”
“Go ahead, if you’re that determined, but I’d rather not be involved. Can you drop me off at my potpourri shop?”
I nodded, and after a few miles, I dropped Rosa Lee off, waiting until she made her way inside. Only then did I head for Sophia’s house in the countryside.
“Do you think she’ll do it, actually go out to the Hills’ place?” Eleanor asked.
“Not sure, but I’m sure as heck gonna try to get her to.”
I made the turn onto 55 and drove the few miles until Trooper Sales’s house came into view. It was a ranch-style home, and I pulled into his driveway. We got out and marched toward the door, the chilly temperatures causing all of my nose hairs to stand at attention. The fragrance of wood burning in the fireplace caught my attention as I knocked on the door.
Within minutes, Sophia answered. “Gramms, this is a surprise,” she said as she held out the door for us to enter.
I glanced around the room that had baby toys scattered about, and asked, “Where’s baby Andrea? Sleeping?”
“Nope, she’s with my mom. You know, Martha, your daughter.” She chuckled.
Martha was my flamboyant daughter, who loved to wear catsuits and date younger men. “I’m surprised you let her take the baby.”
“Andrea loves her, and Uncle Stuart was with them, so she’s in safe hands.”
Yes, my son, Stuart, works for the FBI and had recently showed up in town on a case. He decided to stick around until I married Andrew, or so he said. He was very overprotective and really didn’t quite trust that Andrew and I would ever get married. The marriage part, I suppose, would make Stuart feel better, but I didn’t need a piece of paper to make clear to the world that I was Andrew’s and he was mine.
“Good. That means you have free time on you hands, then?”
Sophia tucked her dark curls behind her ears. “What’s up?”
“I don’t know all the specifics, but Curt Hill needs medical attention, and he’s not willing to go to the hospital.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “I see. What kind of injury are we talking here? Gunshot wound?”
“How did you guess?”
“It’s the only reason I can think of with those boys, but I’m not sure if I should get involved. If Bill found out, it wouldn’t go over good.”
“You don’t have to tell him.”
Sophia frowned now. “I hope you’re not suggesting that I lie to my husband?”
“No. You don’t have to lie exactly, just don’t supply him with any information.”
“That’s no better than a lie, but I suppose I ought to go out there and take a look-see. Perhaps I can talk Curt into going to the hospital.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Sophia pulled out a large bag and said, “Let’s go, before Bill shows up for lunch.”
We went out to the car, and soon were back on our way. The roads were a little slick, but not too bad. I made my way toward US 23, making the turn into the Hill place that was already overrun with camouflage-wearing men, both big and small.
When I stopped, a man with a burly beard approached, and I rolled down the window. “What’s your business here?” he asked, glancing in the backseat.
“We’re friends of Curt and Curtis’s mother, Rosa Lee. She called us and asked us to come over.” I stretched the truth since I didn’t want to tell him we were here to see Curt and have my granddaughter nurse his injury.
“You’re too old to be the law, and that one back there is too pretty, so you can proceed to the house.”
I didn’t care for his reference about Sophia, but I held my tongue.
When we got out and made for the door, it was answered by Curtis. When he glanced at Sophia, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Move aside, I’m here to take a look at Curt’s injury.”
He opened the door farther and waited until we were all through the door. Inside, Curt was lying on the couch, his leg on a pillow, with a blanket covering his lower body. An older man was poised over him with tweezers, until Sophia said calmly, “Move aside. I want to take a look.”
Curt’s head turned, his face reddening when he spotted Sophia. “Don’t you dare. I’m not decent.”
“No, but believe me, I’ve seen it all. I’m only here to look at your leg, Curt.”
“Quit being a baby, Curt, and let the lady look at your leg,” Curtis implored his brother.
Curt gripped the blanket covering him like he was worried that Sophia would see what he was hiding beneath it. “Baby? You should get shot sometime and see how it feels.”
Sophia sat down on a chair, opening her bag. She removed rubber gloves and asked as she snapped them on, “How did this happen?” When he didn’t answer, Sophia gave him quite the stare. “Look, I’m not here to call the cops. I’m here to assess your wound.”
“No, but you’re married to a cop. You’ll call him for sure.”
“Curt, how did this happen?”
“Training practice. I went left when I should have went right.”
She checked his wound. “You have a lot of buckshot in here. Since when do you use shotguns for training with the militia?”
“She’s too smart for all of us,” Curtis said.
“Calm down, boys. There’s no reason to share anything with these ladies,” the man with a gray, scraggly beard said.
“Let me guess. You must be Harvey Smith,” I said. “The sheriff mentioned you. What brings you to town?”
Harvey narrowed his eyes. “You don’t look familiar to me.”
“And I’ve never seen you before, but for some reason, the sheriff seems to think that you’re trouble. Well, are you?”
“Not any more than most, but I’d rather not elaborate since I don’t know you. You boys need to get rid of these ladies so we can finish discussing our little problem.”
“Curtis, how did your brother really get injured?” I asked.
Curt winced as Sophia cleaned his wound. “Might as well tell them. We won’t be able to keep it under wraps for long.”
“Don’t either of you tell them anything,” Harvey said.
“I’m not going to lie to Ms. Agnes and Ms. Eleanor, or Sophia. The truth is, we were robbed. Curt chased after them, and they returned fire, striking him,” Curtis informed us.
“Returned, as in he shot at them, too?”
“Yes, but they got away so they weren’t hit, just Curt.”
“Then why not call the police?”
“Well, seeing as how all our guns were stolen and we’re felons, that won’t go over that well. We’d be arrested for sure.”
“Yes, but what about all of those guns? How many are we talking here?”
“Quite the amount. The thing is, I’m shocked anyone would come here. They know what we’re capable of.”
I had to admit he was right.
“Not sure what will happen, but you have to tell someone that those weapons were stolen,” Sophia said. “What if they wound up in the wrong hands? It might even be a case for Homeland Security.”
“How were you able to get those guns in the first place, if you’re both felons?”
“The militia supplies us with anything we need. Even felons have a right to protect themselves.”
I sighed, and Sophia said, “I can remove the shot, but he really should be at the hospital, like one in Saginaw, possibly.”
“I can’t do that, Sophia. Please help me,” Curt pleaded with her.
“I just don’t know. This is too big of a problem. I have to call my husband. There’s no way that we can’t report the theft.”
“But they’ll be locked up,” I said.
“We don’t have a choice, unless you get those guns back.”
“Oh, we’ll get them back all right,” Harvey said. “That’s one thing I know for sure.”
“And what would you do to whoever stole the guns?”
“I see your point, but if you call the law, the feds will show up.” He moved to the door. “I should get going. I just got out of prison and have no intention of going back.”
When he disappeared out the door, Sophia asked, “Do you have a game camera set up at least?”
“I sure do. I’ll go check that out.”