Cause for Murder (19 page)

"It scared me. Did he try to cut you?"

"No, but believe me, I'll be careful around him."

"He also told me to warn you that he didn't like being pushed into a corner."

"That's interesting."

"When did you see him?” Sam asked.

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'm heading into the hills and my cell will probably cut out. Is Maduk still around?"

"No, he left in that same Buick Richard and I saw the other night."

"Keep on alert while roaming around town. If you spot him again, call me. If I don't answer, leave a voice message."

"Okay."

After Sam hung up, he took a big swig from the water bottle he'd placed on the seat. Then glancing at the container, it dawned on him his truck had been unlocked. What if Maduk had doctored the water with poison. It tasted okay and didn't appear discolored. He wiped a hand across his face. Don't let your imagination get the best of you, he thought. Settle down. He locked up the vehicle and strode back into the house.

Maryann stood in the living room, her arms wrapped around her waist. “Did Maduk really talk to your dad?"

Sam nodded. “Yeah.” He brushed past her and headed for the bedroom.

She followed on his heels. “Where did they see each other and what did they talk about?"

"I don't know, Maryann. Hawkman didn't say. He doesn't talk to me about his business,” he lied.

She stopped at the door of her bedroom and stared at Sam as he climbed the ladder and picked up the paint roller.

After Hawkman hung up, he felt anger toward Maduk for scaring Sam. He didn't like it a bit. At least tonight, he planned on being in Yreka and if his son needed help, he could get there quickly.

Since Maduk had just left Yreka, he might have time to search the man's house, but he couldn't bet on it. He'd have to be extremely cautious to avoid getting caught by an Indian who could carve him up like a jack-o-lantern.

Hawkman's attention settled on the area he approached, figuring the cut off must be close. He soon spotted a dirt road that swerved up into the hills where he could barely see the outline of a building nestled among tall trees. This must be it, he thought.

A large padlocked gate barred his way. He studied the road ahead, and decided to drive past the house, find a place to hide his vehicle, then hike up to the property from the rear. It would give him a better opportunity to escape if necessary.

He accelerated over the small crest and found a clump of trees off to the side of the road where he parked his 4X4 deep in the cluster. Perfect, he thought as he climbed out of the truck. He reached behind the seat where he kept a small duffle bag of things he might need, and pocketed the lock pick, then stuck a buck knife into his boot. The house should almost be in a straight line from here, he thought, climbing up the embankment.

When he reached the top, he could see one of the walls of the small cottage. He liked the way it sat nestled in the middle of the trees. The forest bordering the property gave him good cover from anyone looking out. Staying within the shadows, he made his way toward the building. The area seemed well maintained. Scrub brush had been cleared for several yards around the structure, leaving a nice area for a yard and a good fire break if necessary. Fresh paint made the sides of the house gleam in the bright sunlight.

Nice place, Hawkman though, as he moved closer. He saw no signs of life except a blue jay chasing a squirrel across the roof top. Crouching, he flipped up the flap on his shoulder holster, then approached the side of the garage that had no windows. Cautiously, he made his way around to the rear where he spotted a door. Keeping his back against the wall, he reached over and tried the knob, it turned and opened. Slipping inside, he found it empty of any vehicles. Garden tools were neatly arranged on the shelves with several shovels, rakes and other implements hanging on the wall underneath. He noticed one of the spades had remnants of soil clinging to it as if it'd been used recently. Quickly checking a small enclosed cabinet, he found no poisonous herbicides or sprays of any kind.

Hawkman peered out the window where a covered walkway led to the house. He tried the side door, and found it unlocked. He assumed when one lived this far out in the country, you didn't worry much about people breaking in. He smiled to himself as he moved forward in the breezeway, his gaze on the long driveway in front.

The door to the house didn't budge, so he used his pick and within a matter of seconds found himself in a nice sized kitchen. A large recessed window sat over the sink where one could view a breathtaking scene of the forest as far as the eye could see. He moved quickly, opening the doors of the cabinets and small pantry, scanning their contents. Finding nothing lethal, he moved to other parts of the house. The master bedroom, although rather small, seemed ample. Only men's clothing hung in the closet and most of the dresser drawers were empty except for one, which held a few pairs of boxer shorts and a couple of tee shirts. In the bathroom, male toiletries cluttered the counter. The cabinet underneath the sink contained only a couple of cleaning agents.

Hawkman quickly checked the rest of the house, but found nothing indicating any sort of toxins. He moved into the living room and glanced out the front window. A dirt cloud rising from the road indicated someone approaching. He scurried out the back door and ran toward a grove of trees. Jumping behind a large oak, he peeked around the trunk just in time to see the Buick pull up in front of the garage. He exhaled in relief and headed deeper into the woods toward the direction of his own vehicle.

He almost tripped when his his foot sunk into a soft mound of dirt. On closer observation, he came to the conclusion something had been recently buried. Possibly a dead animal. His curiosity aroused, he found a strong limb and dug into the ground. Within a few minutes, the shallow grave revealed his worst fears. Not touching anything, he tossed the dirt back into the hole. He took his buck knife from his boot and marked the tree trunks on each side of the spot so he'd be able to find the exact area. Once he estimated how far he'd come from the house, then calculated the distance back to the road, he figured he could find the spot again without much trouble.

Hightailing it back to the road, he jumped into his 4X4. By the time he reached Yreka, darkness veiled the area. While checking his cell phone to see if Sam had left any message, his stomach rumbled and he realized he hadn't eaten all day. It was still too early to drop in at the bar where Lilly worked and he certainly had no desire to eat there. Having plenty of time and wanting more than fast food, he stopped at one of the local restaurants. He waved at several familiar faces before the waitress led him to a booth. While eating, he thought about Sam and hoped he'd left the Parker place by now. The boys would work Saturday and Sunday on the outside of the house, and hopefully they'd get the job finished. He predicted his son had learned a lesson about volunteering his services.

Sam would definitely have a lot to tell Richard tonight. It pleased him that the boys got along so well. And Sam certainly had no problem communicating with his deaf friend.

After eating a big steak, baked potato and salad, Hawkman felt his energy returning. He left a hearty tip, then moseyed up to the cashier's counter.

"Great meal, Susan,

"Thanks, Hawkman,” she said, counting out his change. “Come back soon."

He took a toothpick from the container and gave her a wave. “Will do."

Hawkman drove down to the end of Main street, found a parking spot under a street light, then walked a half block to the place where Lilly worked. No wonder only low life patronized this place. The lighted sign above the door hung precariously on a few bolts and part of the lettering had burned out. It appeared no one had bothered to sweep the litter of wadded empty cigarette packs and used butts from the front sidewalk for days. A half bottle of beer perched precariously on the window rim next to the front door. When he stepped inside, the loud music ripped at his ear drums. His eye soon adjusted to the interior and he spotted the eating area on the left, the bar to the right. An old fashioned juke box rested in front of a tiny dance floor where several couples were juggling for positions.

He strolled up to the bar and straddled a stool. Glancing around, he spotted Lilly in a skimpy uniform revealing most of her breasts and buttocks. He had to admit, she still had the figure to wear such an outfit. She slapped a couple of hands when they reached out and patted her on the behind. The men then burst out laughing.

"Ah, come on Lilly, be a sport."

"Just keep your damned hands off me or I'll call the bouncer,” she retorted.

It appeared she only waited on the tables; the patrons at the counter were served by the bartender. This suited Hawkman as he could observe her without being noticed.

He studied the contents of the bar and spotted a group of less than half full bottles setting to one side of the working area. About that time, a guy wearing a trucking uniform came from the back pushing a dolly piled high with boxes. Once the cartons were stacked at the end of the counter, he left and the bartender began removing liquor bottles from the containers. Hawkman watched with interest as he stocked the booze. He'd put a new bottle under the counter, then remove a partly filled one and placed it to the side with the others. About that time, one of the young waitresses from the restaurant come around the corner.

"Hey, Gus, I'm off duty now.” She pointed to the partially filled bottles. “Are these for us?"

"Yeah, take whatever you want."

She gathered about three of the fullest, then headed for the door.

Hawkman slid off the stool and followed her. Once outside, he cleared his throat. “Man, that's mighty nice of Gus giving you that booze."

She glanced up and smiled. “Oh, yeah, on Friday night when he gets the new stock, he lets the help have the leftovers.” She held up one that contained about a cupful of whiskey. “It's understood we can take up to three, since they only have a little left in them. But if I save the bottles for a couple or three weeks, I can have a nice little get together.” She giggled and batted her eyelashes. “Wanta come to one of my parties, big man? They're the talk of the town."

"Thanks, but don't think my wife would approve."

She turned her mouth down in a comical grimace. “Ah, darn, you're married."

"Yeah, afraid so."

"Well, if you ever get tired of being tied down, just ask for Charlene."

He smiled. “I'll try to remember. Oh, does Lilly ever take her share of the bottles?"

The girl furrowed her brow. “I don't know. I'm usually gone before she leaves on Friday night. And there's the rule we can't take any before we're off work or we'll get in trouble. Why not ask Lilly, she's working tonight."

"I didn't want to ask her right out because my wife and I wanted to get her a little gift. You know since her husband died. But we don't know what kind of liquor she likes."

"Oh, that's nice. Ask Gus. He might know."

"Okay, thanks, Charlene, I'll do that."

He walked back inside and slid onto the stool.

"What can I get ya, partner?” the bartender asked, swishing a wet towel across the surface.

"I'll have a beer."

Since Hawkman was the only patron at the bar, Gus hung around him making small talk.

"How's business?” Hawkman asked.

"Could be better."

"Yeah, I hear that all over."

"People aren't spending as much on a good time nowadays. They have to save their money for food and rent."

"It's bound to get better. Say, isn't that Lilly Parker over there?"

"Yeah, she's one that's had a hard time."

"I heard her husband died."

Gus snorted. “Some husband. He'd beat her to within inch of her life. Barely gave her enough money to live on. That's why she had to take this job. He was a real loser. When he found out that she could get free booze, he'd make her nab as many of those partial bottles she could manage. Then if he didn't think it was enough, he'd slap her around. I felt so sorry for her, a few times I gave her a couple of full bottles, just so he wouldn't hurt her. But since the old man died, she seldom takes any of them. Maybe a bottle of scotch when her daughter's around."

"Well, Gus, it's getting late, I better get myself home. Thanks for the chat."

"Yeah, come on back anytime. Glad to have your business."

"Sure thing,” Hawkman dropped some bills on the counter and left.

Driving toward Copco Lake, his mind drifted to the bartender. He didn't even have to ask any questions. The man told him all he needed to know.

Maryann paced the floor until midnight when she spotted the headlight beams of her mother's vehicle pull into the carport. She quickly went into the kitchen and made a scotch and water. When Lilly entered the door, she practically staggered as she dropped onto the couch. Letting out a sigh, she removed her shoes and rubbed her feet.

"I'm beat."

"Mom, I know you're working as a bar maid over at that horrible place. You're going to work yourself to death trying to hold down two jobs. And you're only making yourself vulnerable to trouble in a liquor joint."

"The tips are excellent, and the extra money comes in handy. Don't worry, I know how to handle vulgar men. I've been around a long time."

Maryann threw up her hands in frustration. “I hope you're not doing this for me."

Lilly smiled. “I'm doing it for both of us. One of these days I'm going to have to purchase a newer car. Mine's about shot.” Then she noticed the drink on the end table. “Oh, honey, thank you.” She took a sip and smacked her lips. “This will help me sleep."

Maryann sat down on the overstuffed chair next to her mother. “I don't think you better go to bed just yet. I have a feeling Maduk will be here shortly."

Lilly glanced at her daughter. “Really? When did you talk to him?"

"He stopped by today and told Sam to tell his dad he didn't like being backed into a corner."