16
"The car bomb?" Mrs. Simmons seemed confused.
"
The car bomb
," Fred screeched.
"Car bomb," rippled through the crowd.
Evo ran a hand over his face. "Oh, my God! If that bomb was meant for them…if this incident was no mistake…" He fisted his hands in my shirt. "Buzz, when you picked them up at Great America, did you see any Hispanic men nearby?"
"Evo, there are Hispanic men living all over the Midwest. Of course there would be some at Great America, but if you remember correctly, I didn't drive down to get them." I thought hard. "The boys did mention, however that their friends drove them home. I brushed it off at the time, but maybe I should have questioned them."
Sam sucked in a breath. "What if the car bomb was planted on the Suzuki and the car-thief man was blown up by accident? What if those guys in the Cooper were the 'friends' Luis and Alfredo were talking about? What if, oh my God, what if they rode home with the killers? The car thief could have set off a bomb meant for Luis and Alfredo!"
Evo narrowed his eyes. "The fish. It has to be the fish."
"The fish?" I didn't make the connection.
"He nodded. The dead fish." He looked down at Sam and took her hand. "The ones from Venezuela. I've been so busy enjoying myself that I almost forgot the original reason for dragging Luis and Alfredo along." He turned to me. "I didn't want them badgered or questioned by the media about the site or the fish until I had Sam check them out. I'm an environmentalist, not a fish specialist. I thought the easiest way to avoid problems would be to remove the brothers from South America altogether–at least until we sorted everything out. What if whoever killed those fish and the people in the village found out we were here? But why Luis and Alfredo, why not me?"
Fred looked across the street at the bank. "Looks like someone might want to remove them permanently. Maybe they want to eliminate all witnesses, and began with the easy targets. Wait, here they come now."
We all watched as the Gallegos brothers exit the bank, exclaiming over their cash. They gamboled like puppies and I felt that old feeling of anger for innocent victims wash over me. The questions were already formulating in my mind.
Why would anyone try to kill someone over dead fish? What could be worth following and murdering someone in a foreign country? Who are they and why are they here?
The matter bore looking into.
Alfredo and Luis were stopped by Larry and Curly. Larry gestured to the blood smear on the street and to the Cooper. Alfredo stared with big eyes and Luis shook his head and talked animatedly to the deputy. They both looked at the Cooper and their shoulders slumped. Then Luis looked toward us and pointed.
Larry moseyed across the street to where we stood. He hitched his pants and leveled a look at me. "Hey, Buzz, Mr. Gallegos here tells me he and his brothers are guests of yours and your sister Fred."
I eyed him closely and felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck. "That's right."
"He also tells me those are his friends over in the Cooper talking to Moe."
"I believe they met when they went to Great America the other day. Is there something wrong?"
"I don't know as of yet, Buzz. I need to run a few things past J.J."
I began to speak, but Larry held up his hand. "Now, Buzz, I know you think J.J. will let you in on the investigation, but I have things well in hand. You're not a cop any more, but it seems pretty odd that you always seem to be one step away from the action. You elbow your way in and push me out. This time you may be a little
too
close to the situation. Besides, how am I ever going to get anywhere when I never get to investigate? J.J. is going to call us by the Three Stooges names forever if we don't get rid of you, so if you will excuse me…"
"Get rid of me? Just how are you going to rid the world of me, stooge number two?"
Larry (or whatever his real name was) suddenly began backpedaling, and with fervor. "Wait! Stop! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Buzz, call her off!"
Fred shoved me aside and stomped up to Larry. She poked him in the chest with two fingers hard enough that Larry took a stumbling step back. "Phillip Knight, you are such moron. The reason J.J. calls Buzz in to help is because you four idiots spend more time drooling over tight-assed little co-eds than you do practicing police work."
"Now, Fred," Mr. Stupid continued, "You know it's just because Buzz is the Sheriff's girlfriend that–
Ooof
." He bent in half when Fred punched him in the belly.
"Fred," I snapped, "Why the hell did you do that?"
"One, because I couldn't take any more stupid stuff coming out of his mouth, and two, because I couldn't reach his testicles."
The crowd gasped.
"Ooo."
Out of nowhere, Mrs. Simmons jumped into the fray and blasted Larry in the nose with her fist. He gave a muffled yelp as he grabbed his nose.
She yelled right in his face. "Before you ask, that was for talking bad about Gerry Miller's girl! The idea, being jealous of Buzz. And this," she stomped on his foot and he howled like a scalded cat, "Is for being just plain dumb. Now you go on home to your momma, Phillip Joseph Knight, and tell her what happened here before she hears it down at Sal's."
Fred picked her jaw off the pavement and exclaimed, "Wow, Mrs. Simmons, you really gave him what for. You go, woman!"
Mrs. Simmons demure personality belied a backbone of steel. Interesting, and good to know. I patted her arm. "Thank you, Mrs. Simmons, but you didn't have to hit him for me." I steered her toward her home. "Are you going to be okay now?"
She shook off my hand. "Of course I'll be okay. I'm going down to Sal's. I think your momma is having coffee with Jane Knight and the girls, and I think I'll join them."
"And thank you for clearing up the boyfriend thing with him too."
Mrs. Simmons tossed her head back and shook her short grey curls. "I should say. Just because you and J.J. are affianced, Phillip should know you would never compromise an investigation."
Before I could speak, she hitched her purse to the crook of her elbow and tottered off in the direction of the diner, looking to all the world like a plump little penguin on her way to a fish feast.
Belatedly, I shouted after her, "Just for the record, J.J. is
not
my…" I sighed. "Aw, forget it."
I shook with exasperation. Then I turned back to Fred. "Yo Fred, why don't you grab Alfredo and Luis. Take my car and I'll meet you at Sal's."
"Sure, Buzz. Hey, are you going to let me help with the investigation like you let Mag help with Carole Graff?"
"What investigation?"
"Don't forget, big sister, I
know
you. Show me your right hand. I'd bet money you have your cell phone out and your finger on J.J.'s number."
I rolled my eyes while Sam picked up my right hand. "You win the prize, Fred, but why is she calling J.J.?"
I could see the light come on. "Wait! I remember. He is Sheriff Green from the party, right? Buzz's fiancé, I think your mother said."
Fred's and my mouths dropped open. "Fiancé!"
"Oh,
no
."
Fred giggled. "She said that?"
I fumed. "Where did she get that idea?"
Fred giggled again. "
Hoo-wee
. The Geriatric Gossip Central is probably having a field day with this one. The females in town will be out for your blood now, Buzz, not just your hair."
Sam added, "No wonder Mrs. Simmons said what she did."
I paled. "Oh, my God, does J.J. know?"
Fred giggled. "You'd better hope not."
"I'm
sooo
humiliated."
"You must be
sooo
humiliated."
I stopped, breathing hard. "Shut up, Fred, I gotta think." I leaned forward and put my hands on my knees. "Oh, man, this is bad."
Fred patted me on the back. "Don't make such a big deal out of it. We gotta go. Here come Luis and Alfredo." I guess I just sat there on the curb. Fred snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Come on, Miller, priorities. Coffee first, death and marriage second." She smacked the back of my head. "Snap out of it, Miller, we have bigger fish to fry here."
Wallowing in self pity I wailed, "I guess I really should call J.J. Oh hell, how can I do that now?"
"By remembering this isn't all about you, Buzz, that's how."
Startled, I looked up again. Fred grinned. "I knew that would bring you back. Call J.J., Sam, Evo, and I will get the Gallegos brothers over to Sal's. We'll meet you there."
I called J.J. The phone rang once. "Hey, Buzz, miss me already?"
"What are you talking about Green? I just saw you yesterday."
"Hey, don't be so touchy, pal. I was just teasing you. What's up?"
He couldn't have been more reassuring. I instantly relaxed. "Oh, J.J., I'm sorry. I'm a little frazzled. I'm over at Main and Elm. Do you have time to stop at Sal's?"
"Just so happens I'm at Elm and Ash. I'm coming to the burglary scene, so I'll swing by."
"Wait–eh…uh…uh." But J.J. had already hung up.
I snapped the phone closed and stuffed it in my pocket. I looked at the blood smear as the fire department hosed down the street. "Oh crap." I'd forgotten about the burglary. I handed Fred the keys. "J.J. is coming by about the burglary."
"Okay?"
"He's only two blocks away, so he's going to grab me too."
She flashed me an evil grin. "Boy, I wish someone who looked like James Green would grab me."
"Shut up, Fred. He's just around the corner–there he is now. I'll fill him in on the way over. You just get the brothers over to Sal's. They can follow in the Jeep."
I gave Fred's shoulder a pat, and she stepped backward. She teetered on the curb, lost her balance, and screeched. Her arms swung in giant arcs, but her center of balance was somewhere south of where we were standing. She slipped off the curb and stumbled into the street in front of J.J.'s squad. Brakes locked and tires squealed as J.J. slid to a stop inches from Fred. She collapsed on the hood of the squad.
A smiling J.J. stuck his head out the window. "Uh, nice to see you too, Fred. Decide to just drop in today?"
"Oh. Um, well, I have to go now. Uh, we'll see you later. Sam, Evo? Let's go." She grabbed an arm apiece and yanked them toward the car.
"What was that all about?" J.J. glanced at me as we pulled away from the curb.
"You know Fred, she trips."
"Yeah, like the time she tripped over the dog and landed in the Jell-O surprise my mom made last year for the Fourth of July picnic."
"Yeah, sort of. Listen, J.J., this may be nothing, but let me run it by you."
I explained what had happened and J.J. listened intently. He told me that the guy with the duffel bag had just robbed the bank and the Cooper kept him from getting away. Unfortunately, J.J. had just heard from the hospital and it didn't look like the bad guy was going to make it.
"Those two guys in the Cooper are heroes, Buzz."
"I think they might be murderers, James. They were aiming for Luis and Alfredo, J.J. The burglar just got in the way; kind-of like the cat."
"You know this as fact?"
I sat back in the seat. "No, I don't. Between the flying cat and the flying Gallegos brothers, and the flying burglar, I'm not sure what I think. I do know that your deputy Phil–no wait! Darryl, I think, is in a world of trouble though."
"Who is Daryl?"
"Uh, Stooge Number One, Moe."
"Oh, Moe. Moe isn't so bad. He can handle the initial."
I hesitated. "I uh, also had a little altercation of sorts with Stooge Number Two."
"Which one is Two?"
"Larry, or Phil maybe."
"Oh right, Larry the Moron. Tell me what happened."
I began the story and worked my way up to the boyfriend line as we pulled up to a stop sign behind my SUV. I had a horrible thought. "I can't be here!" I grabbed for the door handle.
"Geez, Buzz, what are you squawking about now?"
"We can't arrive together in your car! What will Gossip Central do with that little tidbit? I gotta go–just, uh, follow us."
"Us who? Buzz?"
"J.J., you don't understand. We'll never explain our way out of the boyfriend thing if we arrive together–especially now! Do you want to get married next week? That's what those conniving little old ladies are up to! Let me out."
"Wha-a-a?"
He slowed to a crawl and I jumped out of the squad and J.J. stared after me in mute surprise. I barely caught Fred as she pulled away from the stop sign. I banged on the door and she slammed on the brakes. I heard a
thunk
as Wesley hit the back of the driver's seat. I yanked the driver's door open and shoved Fred over.
She drew a breath to let me have it and I snapped, "
Don't
say a word," and she wisely stayed quiet. We drove the rest of the way to Sal's in silence, and Luis and Alfredo, and J.J. followed behind.