Moonshine Murder [Hawkman Bk 14] (15 page)

Jeb walked in the door just as Beth plunged one of the doves into the steamy pail. “You gonna fix those for supper?"

"Yes, I like fresh birds."

"Save one for me, I won't be here to eat."

Beth raised a brow. “Oh, where will you be?"

"Gotta go into town. Have a meeting."

"Are you riding one of the horses? Or taking the wagon?"

"Neither."

She glanced at him. “Then pray tell me how you're going to get there, walk?"

"Tami's picking me up in about an hour."

Beth jerked her head around and glared at her husband. “Tami? When did you make this arrangement?"

"The other day when she visited us. You got so mad I didn't tell you."

"You think this is making me happy?"

Randy stared at his mother and he knew that angry look. Her eyes narrowed and flickered with specks of red fire. The corners of her mouth had turned down, and she dunked those birds one at a time in the hot water, then ripped off the feathers with one swoop of her hand.

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Randy edged over to his cot and pretended to be reading the puzzle books, but shifted his body so he could watch his parents out of the corner of his eye. His mother's fury only blossomed as she worked. She banged a big skillet onto the top of the stove, slammed the cabinet door when she removed the can of lard from the shelf. Her mannerisms were swift and jerky as she took her anger out on cooking.

His dad leaned back in a straight chair, the two front legs lifted from the floor, smoking a corn cob pipe as he watched her. “Beth, I'll probably be back before you go to bed. This meeting can't take long."

"Why can't your dad take you?"

"Tami made the connection."

"I see,” she said, never looking at him.

He leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs. “If I can get some money coming in, I can buy an older pickup and we'd have our own wheels, so we don't have to depend on others."

She pointed a flour laden finger at him. “We do just fine with the horses and the buckboard. Emergencies, like Randy getting shot in the leg, were the only times we needed help."

He nodded. “I know, but I need a truck for the business."

Beth remained quiet as she coated the birds in flour. The carcass of each one sizzled as she carefully slid it into the big skillet full of hot grease.

When the sound of a horn honking came from outside, Jeb stood, put on his hat, and slipped on a jacket. “I'll see you in a few hours."

Randy observed his mother, and could see the set line of her jaw. She wasn't at all happy about this situation. He decided to say nothing, as he knew he'd be told not to question grown-ups’ business.

The Caseys had eaten an early dinner and Jennifer happened to be at the kitchen sink cleaning up when she spotted Tami's car drive by.

"Looks like that woman I told you about is heading for the Hutchinson's place,” she said, over her shoulder,

Hawkman walked to the window with the newspaper in his hand. “You mean the sexy Tami?” he said, glancing out the window.

"Yes."

"Let's keep a watch for when she drives back by."

"It could be hours."

"Maybe, maybe not. I'll watch the bridge. It was an older tan Corolla, right?"

"Right."

Hawkman meandered back to his chair and pivoted it so he faced the lake. Miss Marple sat at his feet begging for attention. “Okay, girl, get up here,” he said, patting his thigh. The cat hopped up, nestled in his lap, and immediately began purring.

Jennifer finished up in the kitchen and spread the dish towels out on the counter to dry. When she looked out the window, her mouth dropped open. “Get your binoculars and check the passenger in Tami's car. It sure looks like Jeb."

He dropped the paper and put the glasses to his face. “Yep. It's him."

She walked to the kitchen bar, and drummed her fingers on the counter. “What in the heck are those two doing together? I thought Tami was Beth's friend."

"You said she had eyes for Jeb."

"I wonder if Beth knows he's with her?"

Hawkman watched the car until it drove out of sight going toward town, then placed the binoculars back on the table. “How could she not know?"

"He could have met Tami in the field. There's quite a stretch between the road and the cabin."

"True. Don't you think he's taking a chance? Earl would have probably spotted him getting in the car."

"Maybe we're making something out of nothing. This could all be very innocent."

"I doubt it,” Hawkman said. “There's nothing blameless here, but how is it all tied together?"

"You think Tami has something to do with the moonshining mess?"

"Give me a good reason why you think she doesn't."

"How would a woman fit into the picture?"

Hawkman held up a finger. “Number one, she has a vehicle."

"So does Jeb's father."

"True, but Jacob doesn't like Beth. Supposedly, Tami is her friend."

"Why would Jeb care? I get the feeling the man does as he pleases, regardless of what Beth thinks."

Hawkman made a face. “You got me on that one. Maybe I should have followed them.” Then he snapped his fingers. “I bet she's a contact for potential customers."

"Oh, Hawkman, you've lost it. A woman running an in-between for buyers?"

"Sure, a perfect setup. No one would suspect her."

Jennifer twisted the ring on her finger. “I don't know; it really seems far-fetched. I'd think hooch buyers would be tough old men, who'd want to deal with males only."

"Face it, none of them want to get caught, so they're protecting their butts by doing business with a woman.” He put the feline on the floor and joined Jennifer at the kitchen bar. “I think I've hit on something."

"Do you think she'll haul the white lightning in her Toyota?"

"No. When Jeb is financially able, he'll buy a truck. Right now he's broke, so he'll use the buckboard and go out the back way. I have a feeling he's only been selling a little bit at a time, to ranchers and farmers, just enough for his supplies. I think Tami is the key to bigger hauls. I wish I knew the woman's last name, and where she lives, so I could find out more about her."

Jennifer picked up a pencil and wrote Tami's name on a sheet of paper. “I'll go up to see Beth next week, and I'll ask her about Tami."

"She might get suspicious."

"I'll be careful how I approach the topic.” Jennifer tapped her pencil on the palm of her other hand. “I had a question right on the tip of my tongue. Oh, yes, now I remember. Beth told me they had a smoke house. Did you see it?"

He nodded. “It sits directly behind the cabin, surrounded by trees. I could smell smoked meat when I approached the corral. Didn't have time to enjoy the aroma since other things occupied my mind."

"The family seems to have plenty of meat to supply their needs, but what about vegetables?"

"There's plenty of land for them to plant a garden. It wouldn't have to be a big plot for a family of five. Their biggest problem would be getting water to the plants."

Jennifer shook her head. “Another thing bothers me about Jeb. I'm sure he shoots game out of season. Couldn't he get in trouble?"

"If he got caught. However, if he slaughters and butchers it immediately, then hangs it in the smoke house, it would be hard to prove he took a deer out of season."

"Changing the subject,” Jennifer said. “Are you going to try to follow Jeb when he makes his next run?"

"I'd like to, but not sure how I'll handle it. I can almost bet he's using the cover of night to hide what he's doing. It'd be easier if he'd just take the buckboard into town during daylight hours, but I doubt he'd take the risk. So to follow at night using the four-wheeler means I'll have to get there early and hide on the back road. Unfortunately, if I tag along behind, the noise of the machine will give me away. I could hoof it, but have no idea how far I'd have to go, and that could be mighty tiring."

"Could you stake out where the back road dumps onto the highway?"

"If his client meets him before then, I'd lose out. My other alternative is to wait until Jeb gets a better means of transportation. However, who knows how long it could take."

"Sounds like a predicament to me."

"First, I have to go back to the cabin and snoop around those outbuildings. If he's started making a batch of moonshine, I'll have to calculate when he'll be taking out a load."

"How will you know?"

"As I explained to you earlier about the fermenting of the mash."

"Yes."

"It takes several days; when it quits working, it'll be transferred to the still. Then I'll figure a couple of days for him to get it bottled and loaded into the buckboard, which he'll probably do at night."

"So you plan to spy on him? What if he catches you?"

"Fortunately, there are no dogs, just the stupid horse who makes noise. I spotted a couple of good hiding places where I can see the building containing the still. If he loads the rotgut earlier than I calculate, don't expect me home until the next morning."

"When are you going to start this surveillance?"

"Tonight. When it gets dark."

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"Once you park the four-wheeler, you'll be hoofing it into unknown territory. How do you plan to maneuver in the dark?” Jennifer asked.

"In case it's pitch black, I'm taking my Surefire LED flashlight. If I keep it pointed toward the ground, the beam should be hidden by the heavy foliage. Once I'm close to the corral, I'll turn it off."

"Why are you even going tonight? We just saw Jeb leaving the area with Tami."

"It'll be a perfect time for me to see if he's started a new batch."

"How, if the door's padlocked?"

"I'm taking my lock-picking kit."

"Sounds like you've thought of everything, except an escape route."

Hawkman grinned. “I'll find one when I need it."

"Earl would shoot you first and ask questions later,” Jennifer said.

"I know. I'll watch for him. If we had better cell phone connections, I'd have you call me if you spotted Jeb and Tami coming back."

"Afraid you'll just have to watch for the headlight beams. It should give you time to get out of sight."

"Better get my stuff together and get going."

Jennifer glanced out the window. “It's not completely dark yet."

"It won't matter until I get there, which will take about thirty minutes. Should be perfect."

He slipped on a heavy jacket, then shoved the small lock pick set into one of the zippered pockets, the flashlight into another, and his small camera into the inside pocket. Pulling on a pair of gloves, he went out the front door.

Tooling up the road, Hawkman felt the same surge of excitement go through him when he started on a dangerous mission in the Agency. He loved the thrill of uncertainty, not knowing if he'd be able to accomplish the job, or get shot at. If things moved along right, he'd eventually talk to Detective Williams, even though he didn't have jurisdiction in this area, he could maybe recommend someone.

Hawkman soon came to the spot he'd marked earlier to park the four-wheeler. Darkness had fallen, but with no clouds in sight, a big moon lit up the countryside. It helped him find his way, but he'd have to be careful so his shadow didn't give him away.

The corral came into sight, and he detoured in a wide circle so as not to disturb the horses. He hoped Earl was inside, but with Jeb gone, he could well be policing the area. Cautiously making his way toward the back of the cabin, he cut across the ground. A big bird squawked and flew from a tree branch over his head. He ducked and remained still for several minutes, then continued. Inside the cozy home, the soft glow of the lanterns filtered through the glass, weaving a weird, flickering shadow on the ground outside. The windows at the back of the house were dark. Hawkman had not seen this side of the cabin and took a mental picture of it.

He eased out of the protection of the forest surrounding the cabin and hurried into the shadows of the outbuildings. Since he knew what the first building contained, he scurried to the side of the second structure. As he leaned against the boards, he could hear a gurgling noise coming from inside. He moved around to the front, keeping a lookout toward the cabin and the path leading toward it from the road. Working quickly with the lock pick, he opened the padlock and leaving it hooked onto the chain, guided it with his hand so it rested on the door without banging against the wood. The hinges creaked loudly, so he only opened it enough to slip through. Warmth engulfed him, and the putrid smell of fermentation hit his nostrils.

Pulling the door closed, he removed the camera from his pocket and shot some pictures of the barrels. He then pulled out the flashlight, shined the beam into the bubbling yeast and wished he knew more about the stages of making the moonshine. From what he'd read, it took a few days for the fermenting, and it had to stop fizzing before being poured into the still; then one more day before it would be ready to bootleg.

He turned off the flashlight when he heard the distinct sound of a car engine. Reaching up to his shoulder holster, he loosened the flap covering his gun. Peeking through the slit in the door, he could see the glow of headlights coming up the road. He should have time to get out before the vehicle made the turn and cast the headlight beams onto the structures.

Just as he stepped out of the building, Earl came out the front of the cabin, carrying a shotgun. Hawkman stood frozen to the spot, in hopes the boy wouldn't look his way. Fortunately, the young man's attention went to the oncoming car, and he pulled the rifle up to his jaw and took aim. Hawkman took the moment to slip around the side of the shack before the shafts of light hit the wood siding. He heard Jeb's booming voice. “Earl, lower the damn gun, it's your dad."

Hawkman ran past the corral, only to have the horse whinny several times as the animal trotted along the enclosed fence. He hoped with the confusion in front of the cabin, no one would take notice of the horses.