Spooky Hijinks (17 page)

“That sure sounds harsh, but I’m sure she was just throwing an idle threat your way. There’s no way your son could be arrested just for speaking to Megan. He can’t be that old.”

“No, he’s fourteen, and he’s not interested in girls in that way, that I know of. He doesn’t even have girlie magazines or posters in his room. I’m positive since I routinely go through his room. A mother can never be too careful.”

“Thanks. You’ve given us at least one lead, but it’s hard telling if it will pan out. I had planned to check out a few teen hangout spots, too. If Robert is hiding out, he’s doing it somewhere nobody will find him so easily.”

“Thanks. Please find my boy before something dreadful happens to him. I know he’s no angel, but he’s all I have.”

Eleanor and I left after that, and luckily, nobody seemed to be watching the place.

“Do you believe her about the television?” Eleanor asked when we were back in the car.

“I’m really not sure. I suppose if Robert is mixed up in something, he is good at concealing things from his mother.”

“Well, she did let the ATF search at least Robert’s room, and they tore the place up pretty good.”

“The thing is, Vivian led us to the guns right away.”

“Yes, so she had to have known the guns were there at least.”

“She might have discovered them by accident, like saw Robert going out there.”

“That many guns would have made quite the racket. She must have known they were there and when, but why give them up to us is the question.”

“She might have been nervous about them being there and figured if they were gone that nobody would blame her.”

“With a crook of the caliber to have perpetrated a crime this big, they would have been angry either way. We should question the neighbors.”

We started knocking on doors, but nobody was answering, which made me all the more curious about the goings on over at Vivian’s place. Finally, we caught an old man coming out of his house. His eyes widened when he saw that we were still walking up his drive.

“Hello, there. We’re investigating recent break-ins around the Tawas area. Do you know anything about that?”

“No, why would I?”

“So you haven’t been broken into?”

“Nope, I don’t own guns.”

“I didn’t mention anything about guns. Are you sure you don’t know anything about break-ins, or possibly about your neighbors?”

The man now clenched his hands into fists and shouted, “I told you no!”

“What about your neighbor, Vivian, over there?” I pointed over to where she lived.

“I don’t know anything. I mind my own business, and you should too if you know what’s good for you. Whoever is terrorizing the Tawas area doesn’t care if you’re young or old, they’ll take you out if they consider you a threat.” The man ran back into his house, and that was the last and only time we were able to speak with any of Vivian’s neighbors.

I drove toward Tawas Beach Road that, incidentally, was near the lighthouse at the point, and we could stop by and visit Martha afterward. The snow on the road was melting since the sun was up, and I was happy about that.

“So what do you make of Vivian’s neighbor?”

“I think that he’s aware of illegal activities over at Vivian’s place, or at least suspects it. He seems to know about the stolen guns, too.”

“He hinted that someone else might be involved, and whoever it is, it’s someone to be feared. Perhaps Vivian had a reason to be afraid, but if she was, it doesn’t seem like she’d hand the guns over like that.”

“Of course, it might just be a rash of break-ins in the area that has the old man on edge. His neighbors might have had guns stolen, too. I think there might be illegal activities going on around there,” Eleanor suggested. “But it’s not a very viable lead. Hopefully we’ll get more out of this Megan girl.”

“I sure hope so,” I said. “Check your phone for the address, Eleanor.”

“I don’t have to. I know right where it is. It’s next door to where Jack Winston’s son lives.”

“That’s convenient. Here I thought I’d be looking all day for the house.”

I followed the curves in the road, admiring the scenery that was all white and sparkly now since the snowfall. We passed many large, beautiful homes that were along what was once called the Golden Coast because of the beachfront property. Before you could even buy a home in the Tawas Beach Club, you had to be approved, even if you had the means to buy one. Some of the homes were rented during the summer months at $2500 a week. Yup, I still believed that this was the Golden Coast.

I drove into the main area of the beach club and made sure I was only coasting, since I didn’t want to anger anyone here. When I made the turn into the drive, the house came into view. It didn’t look too impressive, although I bet the beach sure did. Who wouldn’t love a private beach and a club dining room to enjoy a meal if you didn’t feel like cooking? Of course, if you felt like dining there, it had a dress code, but I’d heard the food was quite tasty.

When I finally stopped, a young girl turned to watch our approach. I rolled down the window and asked, “Are you Megan?”

She bounced forward, her blonde ponytail swishing side to side. “Yes, who are you?”

“I’m Agnes Barton, and this is Eleanor Mason. We’d like to ask you a few questions about Robert Miller.”

Her eyes widened. “You had better leave. If my mother finds out you’re here, there will be hell to pay.”

“Is she here? Perhaps we could speak to her, too.”

“Oh, no. Please don’t.”

“Is there somewhere we could talk privately, then?”

“Yes, come out to the garage. We’ll have plenty of privacy there.”

Eleanor and I got out of the car and followed Megan into the garage, where two classic cars were parked, a 1970s Corvette and Challenger. We followed her all the way to the back and into a small office, where we sat, observing her closely. She licked her full lips and rubbed her palms on her pant legs.

“Are you nervous, dear?”

“No. Well, kinda. If my mother comes back while you’re here, she won’t be happy.”

“And why is that? How can chatting with a couple of old ladies be a bad thing?”

“You can’t ask her about Robert. She doesn’t approve of me hanging around him.”

“And is that all it was, just friends?”

“Yes, of course. I mean he’s nice and all, but he’s younger than me.”

“So why were you friends? It seems that you’re from two totally different backgrounds. Robert’s even known as a troublemaker around town.”

“I met him at the beach, and he stood up for me when one of his friends got too fresh with me.”

“So the old damsel in distress ploy, eh?”

“I’m not sure about that, but after that, we met up in town on occasion, or after school. I even tutored him a few times. He’s not very good at math.”

“So you thought you’d help him out with his schoolwork, for what end? I’m still not understanding why a girl like you’d help out a boy like Robert.”

“I’ve seen his mother around town, and I could tell right off that she couldn’t care less about Robert from the way she spoke to him. I don’t think a mother should tell their children that they’re worthless and will never amount to anything. Do you? And that’s one of the nicest things she’s told him.”

“So Vivian was a bad mother. Is that it?”

“I tried to tell Robert that he shouldn’t hang around those older men, too. I think they were friends of his mother’s.” She shivered. “They gave me the creeps. I figured the more time he spent with me, the less time he’d be around their influence.”

“Do you know who they were?”

“No, but one had a tattoo of a dragon on his face.”

“His face?” I asked, astonished. “That sure seems like it would stand out in a small community like this.”

“Do you know where Robert is now?” Eleanor asked.

“Why, no. My mother was real angry about me speaking to Robert. She told me he was no good and a criminal. I didn’t know what she meant, since I don’t have any firsthand information that he’s ever committed a crime.”

“I’m sure that she just wanted to protect you, Megan. With a girl as pretty as you, a mother can never be too careful,” I said. “So you haven’t seen Robert or don’t know where he is right now?”

“No, I told you how my mother felt about me talking to him.”

“Yes, but I also know that many teenagers don’t listen to everything that their mothers tell them.”

Megan stood with a start at a loud thumping noise farther in the garage.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I-I didn’t hear anything.”

“I might have old ears, but I’m sure I hear a thumping noise. Are you hiding Robert in here somewhere?”

“I told you no!” she shouted.

I made way into the garage and looked around the parked cars, and that’s when I noticed a door open. As I made my way there, a very angry woman’s frame filled the doorway.

“What are you doing in
my
garage?” she demanded.

“We came here to speak to your daughter, Megan, about Robert Miller. He’s missing, and it’s important that we find him.”

“Well, he better not be here. Megan!” she shouted. “Where are you, girl?”

Megan raced forward. “I’m right here. I was just answering their questions about Robert. I told them how you told me not to speak to him anymore, and I haven’t, I swear.”

“That better be the truth, too. We don’t need his kind of trouble around here.”

“And what kind of trouble is Robert?”

“Who are you? You look too old to be cops.”

“I’m Agnes Barton, and this is my friend, Eleanor Mason. We’re investigators, and we’re very interested about Robert’s disappearance.”

“I didn’t hear anything about his disappearance on the news. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just ran away after his involvement in the recent burglaries.”

“You think Robert is involved in the robberies in the Tawas area, where guns were stolen?”

“He’s been arrested for theft before. Any cop in town would tell you that.”

“I don’t think they’re allowed to release that kind of information.”

“It’s a matter of public record. I’m sure you’re resourceful enough to find out, if you’re investigators.”

“I can be, yes, but he’s just a kid. Whoever is stealing guns in town is part of a much bigger operation, and anyone with half a brain would know that.”

Megan’s mother now looked about ready to blow a gasket, which I really would have liked to see happen. Rattled people supplied more information, in my opinion. “What did you say your name was?” I asked like I didn’t know, but I wanted to make sure that this was indeed Megan’s mother.

“I-I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“Hmmm, I wonder what they’d think over at the beach club if I told them I suspected you of withholding vital information that might just lead to finding the persons responsible for the break-ins around town.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I’d quite dare.” I lifted a foot like I planned to go over there right now.

“Okay, fine. I’m Tonya Schultz, but I’m sure my daughter already gave you my name.”

“Actually, no. And are you married, Tonya?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

“I just wondered how you could afford a house on the Golden Coast is all. What do you do for a living?”

“This conversation is over. Megan, get in the house and call the sheriff. I’m pressing charges for trespassing.”

I raised my hands. “Fine, you win. We’re leaving, but are you sure that you don’t know where Robert is? I’d hate for the kid to get into trouble.”

Tonya pulled out her cellphone, and we hightailed it back to the car before she had the chance to make her call. I turned around and drove away, praying that she wouldn’t go through with her threat.

“That Tonya is a piece of work. Snob, you think?”

“You think?”

We laughed over that for a moment, and then I said, “I wonder if Robert really has been arrested for burglary in the past?”

“How do you expect we’ll be able to find out if he had?”

“I could ask Trooper Sales.”

“He might tell you, I suppose, but I thought it was already common knowledge in town that Robert was trouble. I’d hardly put anything past him. Where are we heading now?”

“Perhaps we really should check in with how our wedding dresses are going, you think?”

“Good idea. I wonder where the girls are making them.”

“Call Elsie and find out.”

I drove through town and noticed the Christmas lights were hung and ready to go now. I couldn’t wait until tonight to check them out. I was stopped at the light on Newman Street when I noticed Trooper Sales’s squad car was headed down Newman. When the light changed, I followed him and parallel parked behind his car.

I hopped out and came around to the driver’s side, and his head about hit the window when he spotted me. Next, the window rolled down, and he said, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that it’s not very smart sneaking up on a cop? We carry guns, you know.”

“Sorry. I was just hoping for a little information.”

“If it has anything to do with the federal investigation, forget it. That’s the last case you should be concerned about.”

“I have a personal interest here, you know. We were held up at gunpoint.”

“I know, but you weren’t actually robbed, and the men who did that got away without any goods.”

“Still. Could you at least tell me if Robert Miller was ever arrested for burglary? It’s a simple question.”

“Anything to get you out of my car window.”

I leaned back. I never even noticed that I was doing that.

He smiled when I suddenly moved back, and when I almost fell, he grabbed ahold of my jacket to steady me. “Thanks, Sales. I’d hate to take a nasty fall this close to my wedding.”

“He was arrested a few months back, but he didn’t steal guns. He stole five hundred dollars worth of Xbox systems.”

“I see. That’s disappointing. What do you make of Tonya Schultz? She has a house in the Tawas Beach Club.”

“I can’t say I know her. The only people I recall the most are people I’ve arrested or had calls to their houses. Sorry. Who is she, anyway?”

“Her daughter, Megan, used to hang around Robert, but she told us she was just helping him with homework. She didn’t paint a very good picture of Vivian as a mother.”