Middle River Murders (23 page)

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“You might have something there,” Chief Sam said. “Maybe
she’s the one who has been killing off the members of that club.” The chief
immediately looked over at me and said, “Don’t let my outspokenness scare you,
Jesse. I speak only what I think. That’s the only way to get to the truth.
Hopefully, something will come out of our powwow.”

I made light of his statement by saying, “I think it’s called
brainstorming, Chief.”

“You might be right, my child.”

Billy got up from the table and walked around the room. His
thoughts had left us.

“What is it, Billy?” I asked. “I can tell when you get a wild
hair.”

“A thought just came to me,” he said. “No, it was more like
an image… a vision.”

“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked.

“Would you recognize her if you saw her again?” Billy asked.

“I think so,” Sarah replied. “She was only here for a few
minutes, but it was long enough for her face to be burned in my memory. I was
pretty angry at her, even though I knew she was only doing her job, or so I
thought.”

“I have a photo I want you to look at,” Billy said. “Let me
go find it.”

Billy walked out of the room and headed down the hall. I got
up to follow him. My curiosity couldn’t wait to be satisfied.

“Do you know this woman your mother is talking about?” I
asked as I walked into the bedroom behind him.

He walked over to the closet and pulled out the lightweight
jacket he had worn the night he had slipped out of the house while everyone was
asleep. He stuck his hand in one of the pockets and pulled out the photo he had
taken from Kansas Moon’s house.

I recognized the photo immediately when I saw the folded
newspaper clipping. He held it up for me to see.

I looked closely at the snapshot and was stunned at what I
saw. The woman who was sitting in the boat next to
Kansas
was a dead ringer for the woman
Sarah had described.

“She can’t be the one,” I said. “This woman is dead. The
newspaper clipping said that she drowned.”

“What’s the story behind this woman?” Billy asked.

I took the newspaper clipping from his hand and said, “It
seems to me that I remember the paper said the body was identified by a
parent.” I read the article again. “Look here, Billy. It says the body was
discovered a mile downstream from where she fell from the boat, and was barely recognizable.
Does that mean the fish chewed up the body?”

“I guess so.”

“The police from the town of
Walloon
Lake
,
Michigan
believe the drowning to be of a suspicious nature.” I kept reading from the
article. “No arrests have been made and anyone with information is asked to
contact the … blah… blah… and so on.” I looked up at Billy. “Is it possible
that the parent who identified the body could have been wrong? It says right
here that the body was in bad shape. You don’t think…”

“At this point, I don’t know what to think,” he replied.

“What are the chances… no, this can’t be true.” I scanned the
clipping and couldn’t find a date on it. “When was this article written?”

“I don’t know, but the date on the photo is 2004. When did
Daisy and Gabe move to
Greene
County
?”

“I don’t know. I never asked. Mom said they moved here to be
close to their daughter. Daisy never talked about having a son.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“The body they found was almost unrecognizable.”

“
Kansas
tried to kill himself because he
lost Sophie.”

“We’re missing a few details of this story.”

“Let’s show the picture to your mother and see what she has
to say. This probably isn’t even the same woman.”

“You’re probably right. What was I thinking?”

“Hey, at least you’re trying. Don’t beat yourself up, Billy.
You have a good head on your shoulders and it was trying to tell you something.
I just don’t think this was it. Let’s go find out.”

My mouth dropped when Sarah exclaimed, “That’s her! She’s the
deputy who came here and took your mother away. Ah, I think she’s the one. She
looks older in person.”

I had to sit down before I fell out. I grabbed a kitchen
chair to steady myself and then sat down. “I don’t believe this. My mother’s
been abducted by a dead woman! This can’t be for real!”

They passed the photo around and when Jonathan took it, he
let out a puff of breathe.

“I don’t believe this!” he said. “I recognize this woman.
I’ve seen her somewhere before. I just can’t remember where it was that I saw
her.”

“Maybe she was the one who shot you in the parking lot at the
hospital. You said it happened really quick and that it was dark.”

“That’s true.”

“The eyewitnesses said she was of medium height, thin and
old. This isn’t the same woman who shot you. She isn’t old. She looks to be
about my age when this picture was taken. She doesn’t even have wrinkles.”

“She could’ve been wearing a disguise, maybe a wig. I don’t
know if it was her in the parking lot, but I’m sure I’ve seen her somewhere.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“I’m positive, Jesse. I make a living out of recognizing
faces. How do you think I find all those criminals?”

“The woman in this photo is dead, Jonathan,” I said. “She
drowned in 2004.”

“Foul play was suspected, but nothing was ever proven,” Billy
added. “A parent identified the body. The paper says the body was in bad
condition. The fish probably got to it.”

“Maybe the body they found wasn’t the woman in this photo.
Maybe they made a mistake,” Sarah surmised.

Billy and I stared at each other.

“Is it possible, Billy?” I asked, looking at him.

“Anything is possible,” Billy said.

“Bad people have a way of coming back from the dead,” the
chief added.

“Now that’s about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I meant in spirit,” he said, clarifying his statement. “It
is well-known throughout the Cherokee tribes that when bad ones die, their
spirit remains on this earth in the same place where they lived. Their souls
never rest.”

“So they are destined to remain in a state of purgatory,” I
added. “How interesting.”

“I don’t think that’s the case here,” Billy said. “If this
woman is still alive and is the one who’s behind the killings, we’d better
hurry up and find your mom. Anyone who can stay hidden for almost two years and
then return to get revenge is a mighty dangerous person.”

“She’d better not tangle with me,” I said. “That’s for sure!”

Ethan let out a tiny cry. His small sounds echoed down the
hall and into the dining room where we had gathered. He was awake and ready to
be fed.

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back,” I said and
then got up to leave the room. “Don’t anybody leave.”

Sarah walked over to me and asked, “May I come with you?”

“Sure,” I replied, suspicious of her intent. I knew she had
wanted to talk to me about
Geneva
and Eli, but hadn’t found the right
time. I guess now was her chance.

We walked to the nursery and went to Ethan’s crib. He lay
there with his eyes wide open, looking around.

“He’s a sweet child,” Sarah said. “I’m blessed to have
grandchildren. Now that Beth is pregnant, I’ll be blessed again. I just wish my
sister could’ve been so lucky. The only grandchild she has is Maisy.”

I changed Ethan’s diaper while she talked.

“
Geneva
is a good woman, but she had issues
with her daughter-in-law. Vicki never did like her. Right from the beginning,
Geneva
was treated badly by her.”

I picked up Ethan and took him to the rocking chair to begin
his feeding. I held him close and prayed to God that he would grow up with both
his grandmothers around.

As he fed, his little hand rubbed my chest. It was another
one of those tender moments. My eyes welled up with tears.

“It’s a sad thing to grow old knowing you have a grandchild
you can never see or be close to.
Geneva
and Eli weren’t welcomed in Vicki’s home. She made that perfectly clear. It was
very sad when Vicki died, but it was worse when they lost their son.”

“Where are you going with this, Sarah?”

“I don’t usually butt into people’s business, but she’s my
sister, Jesse. She’s lost a lot in a short time. It’s been terrible. Maisy is
her only grandchild and she said she just can’t lose her. She asked me to talk
to you.”

“What does she want? Does she want Maisy to live with her?”

“Oh, no, Jesse. She just wants to be a part of her life, just
like I want to be close to my grandson.” Sarah reached over and rubbed Ethan’s
tiny head. “She’s not asking for much, Jesse. I hope you’ll grant her wishes.
It’s up to you.”

“
Geneva
and Eli are more than welcome to be
a part of this family, but the first time they take Maisy without my permission
will be the last time I allow them in our home.”

I didn’t want to sound mean, but my worst fear was that one
day I’d come home and find out that
Geneva
and Eli had run off with Maisy. She was their grandchild and up until now, they
had very little to do with her—a choice that wasn’t their own obviously.

“Thank you so much,” Sarah said as she leaned over and kissed
my forehead. “You’re a loving person and you’re so compassionate. I’m glad my
son has you for a wife. You and your whole family have been an added blessing
to our family. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Sarah. I’m the one who feels
blessed. And as far as having
Geneva
and Eli as part of our family, I’m
the one who is thankful. Maisy deserves all the love she can get. She deserves
to have her family near.”

“I’m so glad you feel that way,”
Geneva
said as she stood by the door. “I
didn’t mean to snoop, and I don’t want to interrupt you, but I knew Sarah was
going to speak to you on our behalf and I just couldn’t stand not knowing any
longer. May I come in?”

“Sure,” I responded.

“You’ve very lucky, Jesse,”
Geneva
said. “You have it all.”

“Yes, I do,” I said, looking down at my son. “The best way to
enjoy what I have is to share it with the people I love. I want you to be
around for Maisy. Welcome to our family.”

Geneva
cried.

Sarah hugged her and said, “I told you Jesse is a wonderful
person. She has much love in her heart.”

Geneva
looked at me through tears and said, “I promise you that you won’t have to
worry about me and Eli running off with Maisy. We know Brian wanted you and
Billy to raise his daughter. We would never go against our son’s wishes.”

Ethan was ready to be burped. I put him up to my shoulder and
patted his tiny back. As soon as he let out a little belch, he closed his eyes
and was soon asleep.

“All he does is eat and sleep,” I said. “He never stays awake
for long.”

“Enjoy it now,” Sarah chuckled. “That won’t last long.”

I placed him back in his crib and then the three of us walked
out of his room. I closed the door slightly.

As we walked back to the dining room I heard Billy say, “I
need to talk to Gabe and Daisy. I’m sure they’re going to be as surprised as we
are to find out about Sophie Kent.”

“You can’t be sure that Sophie is still alive,” I said as we
walked back into the room.

“Where’s Ethan?” Billy asked. “I was hoping to get to hold
him.”

“He went right back to sleep,” I said as I walked over to
Billy and put my arm around his waist.

“What did I do to deserve this?” he asked.

“Can’t a wife hug her husband?”

“Yeah, sure,” Daniel said. “Women are affectionate when they
want something.”

“Don’t be a cynic. You sound bitter,” I said, smiling. “You
need to find yourself a good woman and get married again. What’s one more
time?”

Everyone in the room laughed.

“I don’t think so,” Daniel replied. “After three times, I’ve
had enough.”

I looked at Eli and watched as he fussed over Maisy. I looked
back at Billy and said, “
Geneva
and Eli are going to be around more.
They want to watch their granddaughter grow up and I’m so happy to have them be
a part of this family. How about you?”

Billy kissed me on the cheek and then grabbed me up in a bear
hug. “`Ge ya, you’re so wonderful!”

“I am, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are,” Chief Sam said. “You are a fine addition to
our tribe. Now if we could only get you to obey your husband.”

“I obey no one,” I smarted.

“Oh, Sam, stop being so old-fashioned,” Sarah chided him.
“How many times do I have to tell you that women don’t obey their husbands
anymore?”

“It’s the other way around,” Daniel said. “We obey them and
no longer wear the pants in the family.”

“That’s right,” I joked. “Once you guys gave us the right to
vote, that was all she wrote. There was no stopping us. Now see what you’ve
gone and done? You should’ve let sleeping dogs lie. You give a dog a bone and
next thing you know, he wants the whole bag.”

“You have many strange sayings,” Chief Sam said.

“You must be joking. You’re the one who talks out of the side
of your mouth.”

Billy regained control of the conversation. “We must come to
a decision. How are we going to handle the situation?”

“I heard you say that you need to talk to Gabe and Daisy,” I
said. “I think that should be our first plan of action. Maybe they’ll have some
insight into our suspicions. In the meantime, I think we should be looking at
some of the women in the club. I don’t think it would hurt to talk to Cole. He
might be able to fill us in on what the sheriff’s doing to find my mother.”

“Let’s wait on that for a while,” Billy said. “I don’t want
to ask for a favor until I have to. We’ll put that one in our pocket for the
time being.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” I relented. I didn’t want to ask
Cole for his help either, unless I had to.

“Right now it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,”
Jonathan added. “We need to know the whole story about Sophie Kent.”

“If she really is dead, we need to look somewhere else,” I
said. “What about that woman, Irene Moss, who Daisy said stuck to her like
glue? Women have a way of forming a bond, and when that bond is in jeopardy of
being broken, they can get real vicious like a mother hen is over her chicks.
You don’t dare come between them.”

“Like a mama bear and her cubs,” Billy joked.

“Exactly,” I agreed. “A woman who has low self-esteem feels
threatened when she makes a friend and someone tries to get between them.”

“So we’re looking for someone with low self-esteem? That
could be half the women in the world,” Daniel said.

“And half the men,” I joked. “No, I think we’d better just
start looking. We can spread out and search the places we know might be related
to Daisy.”

“Yeah, we can search the houses and surrounding areas of the
dead women and the one who’s still missing. We’ll look for the cop car,
although I think whoever took your mother has probably already ditched it.”

A thought came to me.

“What about that green Mustang we encountered in the hospital
parking lot?” I asked. “I knew there was something funny about that woman in
that car. Maybe she’s the one. Maybe she ditched the cop car for the Mustang,
and she was following us.”

“If that’s true, she must’ve stashed your mother someplace
right after she abducted her and then switched the cop car for the other one.”

“So we’re looking for a brown Greene County Sheriff’s car and
a green mustang.”

“We’ll be looking for those two cars as we start searching
for my mother. What about Kansas Moon’s house?” I asked.

For some reason, to me, that house seemed like a likely place
for Sophie to hide out. “If Sophie Kent is the one behind the murders and the
abduction of my mother, where would she go hide? I say she’d probably go to his
place. She might even be the one who talked him into breaking into my mother’s
house.”

“We’re going out on a limb here,” Jonathan said. “You’re
speculating about something that might be a false lead.”

“What else can we do?” I asked. “I don’t know where to start,
but I can tell you one thing, I’m not going to just sit around and wait for the
cops to do their job. We all know how that can turn out. They just don’t have
enough men to spare for a search as intense as this one needs to be.”

“I agree,” Billy said. “We can’t count on the police alone to
find Minnie. We have to do what we can to help.”

“Okay,” Jonathan said. “Let’s divide up and choose a place to
search. I’ll start with the widow on the hill’s place. She’s still missing, I
presume.”

“We need that list,” Billy said. “If we’re going to do a full
and complete search, we need the addresses of all the women in the club.”

“Gabe said he’d fax us a copy of the list later this
evening,” I said. “That was before we found out about Mom. We can’t wait until
then. We’ll lose precious time. Call the hospital and tell him the situation,
Billy. Maybe he’ll get right on it when he finds out how important it is to
us.”

“I’ll call the hospital and have the operator connect me to
Daisy’s room.”

As soon as Billy walked over to the portable phone on the
desk in the living room, it rang. He looked down at the Caller ID and then back
to me.

“It’s your sister,” he said.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you she called earlier,” Sarah said. “I
told her I was babysitting and everyone was gone. I didn’t know what else to
tell her.”

“I don’t want to tell her about Mom,” I said. “She’ll flip
out.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Robert said,
speaking for the first time. He had been silent up until now. “In the event
that this doesn’t turn out well, she needs to know.”

The thought of my mother not coming back hit me hard. My
heart ached. It sickened me to think that someone would harm her. The anger in
me built until it was coming to the surface in full force and the reality of it
all awakened my ire. As they say, I could feel my blood boil, but I had to get
over it for the time being.

“You’re absolutely right, Robert,” I agreed. “I don’t want to
upset my sister, but if I keep her in the dark, she’ll never forgive me if…” I
let my words hang. I didn’t want to face the possibility that my mother was
gone for good. I couldn’t.

Billy picked up the receiver and then handed it to me. “You
need to be the one to tell her,” he said.

“Tell me what?” Claire said as I placed the phone to my ear.
“Jesse, what’s going on?”

“Claire, I have something to tell you. Now I don’t want you
to go off, but Mom’s missing.”

For five minutes I stood there listening to her cry, yell and
curse at me. She blamed me for everything. Whatever happened to Mom was my
fault. Mom should’ve gone to live with her when she asked her to that day, then
she would’ve been safe. Being around me was dangerous. I should stay home and
let my husband go out and do all the dangerous stuff we do. I should be a
mother and run the house, not chase after criminals. I let her get it all out,
until I’d finally had enough.