The Crossing (11 page)

“Because here comes Officer Carl Menard.
 
He is the policeman that said he saw Henry in the vicinity of where the girl’s body was found.
 
You’ll get to meet him, and maybe even talk to him.”

The uniformed policeman walked quickly from the cruiser, and entered Bea’s Place at a rapid pace.
 
Spotting Leroy, he bulled his way through the crowd and was already talking before he reached where we were sitting.

“Sheriff, sheriff,” he was shouting. “Your office is trying to reach you, they said it was urgent.”

Of course, his shouting and movements had attracted the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant.

“Officer Menard,” Leroy spoke softly. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t alarm the whole town.
 
 
Let’s keep our conversations to ourselves, okay?” Leroy admonished.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry,” he said bowing his head.

“Now,” Leroy started, “my office knew I was having lunch at Bea’s, so I’m surprised they didn’t use the phone to call me here.
 
How is it you are involved?”

“I was delivering some paperwork to your office and ran smack into a fight happening on the sidewalk out front.
 
Your deputy, Jeff Cole, was breaking up the scuffle and I volunteered to go find you.
 
Actually, I had seen your cruiser here earlier so I already knew where you were.” Officer Carl Menard was nodding and slightly out of breath as he spoke.

“Thank you, Carl, I appreciate your help,” Leroy said as he stood up. “I would like for you to meet Mr. Carson Reno and Mr. Joe Richardson, they are here working with the Sheriff’s Office and the Humboldt City Police on the Tammy Blurton case.”

Officer Carl Menard gave Joe and me a quick look and said, “Hi.”
 
Then he looked back at Leroy and asked, “Don’t we need to go and help Jeff take care of this?”

Leroy rubbed his chin before he spoke. “No, WE don’t need to do anything.
 
I’m sure that Jeff can handle the situation, and if he couldn’t handle it, he would have called me – not send the Calvary!
 
So, I assume since you are volunteering to assist the sheriff’s department that you are not on any particular assignment from your chief, Raymond Griggs, right?”

“Well, I was assigned to deliver those papers, but other than that, I’m just on routine patrol.”

“Are those papers still in your cruiser?” Leroy asked.

“
Yes sir, they are.” He seemed confused.

“Good, you can give them to me, and then I need you to do me a favor.
 
Okay?”

“Sure Sheriff, anything you need,” he said eagerly.

“Go get on your radio and sign yourself as 10-50 at Bea’s Place for the next half-hour.
 
Carson needs to ask you some questions regarding your statements about Henry Walker, and this is as good a time as any to get that done.
 
Now, let’s go get that paperwork and you can make that radio call.” Leroy said, as he started for the door and then stopped and turned back facing me.

“Carson, thanks for lunch, and we’ll try to catch up with each other later this evening,” he said giving me a wink.
 
Leroy had done a great job of setting Officer Carl Menard up and I would need to remember to thank him later!

I turned to Joe. “Listen, while I’m talking to Officer Menard, I want you to walk over to Front Street and send a telegram to Marcie; see Hubert Boyte, he runs the Western Union office.
 
Tell Marcie we will be in Humboldt for an ‘indefinite’ period, and to hold our messages until we get back to Memphis.”

“Anything else, boss?” Joe asked.

“Yes, while you are in the area, check out the place they found Tammy’s body.
 
And, if he’s available, see what you can get out of Jack Cooley, he works in ‘Blue’s Pool Room’ and is the guy that found the body.
 
Also, look for access to the scene, either from the stores or from the alley, you know the routine.
 
Meet me back here, and we’ll decide our next move.”

Joe quickly left, and looking out the window, I observed Leroy and Officer Menard having a conversation in the parking lot next to his cruiser.
 
It appeared that Officer Menard had some objections to speaking with me, and I didn’t blame him!

Officer Carl Menard was not a tall man and didn’t appear to be in great shape.
 
He was, obviously, overweight and wasn’t carrying that weight well, which explained his being out of breath when he had entered Bea’s earlier.
 
His uniform was neat, but he seemed to be outfitted with numerous ‘extras’ that were probably not necessary for his work.
 
A nightstick, Billy Club, 4 extra pistol loads and several pouches I could not identify, must have added an additional 30 pounds to his standard weapons belt.
 
I would bet a case of good beer that he had at least one, probably two, backup weapons hidden somewhere on his person - he was that type.
 
Officer Carl Menard was definitely ready for whatever trouble might come his way; I just hoped he was ready for me!

He and Leroy finished their conversation and Officer Carl Menard re-entered Bea’s place and walked over to where I was sitting.

“Where’d that other guy go?” he asked looking around.

“May I call you Carl?” I asked, ignoring his question.

“What?” He seemed surprised.

“Please have a seat,” I offered. “I asked if I might be able to call you Carl.
 
And please call me Carson; we have no need to be formal.”

“Sure. Okay, Carl is fine,” he said as he sat down. “Listen, why do you want to talk to me?
 
You’re not a lawyer, are you?”

“No, but I work with one.
 
Would you prefer to talk with him?
 
I hope that you can talk to me and avoid talking to the lawyer.
 
I don’t like lawyers, do you?” I asked with a smile.

“Hell no, I don’t like lawyers!” Carl said with emphasis. “What do you want to know?
 
I’m checked out at Bea’s Place for a half-hour, so you better make it quick.
 
I might get a call and have to leave at anytime.”

“I understand,” I said softly. “Can you tell me where and under what circumstances you believe you observed Henry on Monday evening or Monday night?”

“I don’t BELIEVE I observed Henry, I DID observe him!
 
In fact, I saw him twice.
 
I saw him early, around 8 PM, walking down the sidewalk near the drugstore.
 
Then I saw him later in ‘Blue’s Pool Room’; he was drinking beer at the bar.
 
That would have been around midnight; the pool room closes at 1 AM, so it had to be before that.”

“What were you doing?” I asked.

“Routine patrol.
 
I was working the 8 PM to 4 AM shift on Monday, and my check of the pool room was just something I normally do.”

“Was his brother, Yarnell with him?
 
You do know Yarnell, don’t you?”

He thought for a minute and then said, “Yes, I believe he was.
 
Not the first time, but I believe he was with Henry when I saw him later in the poolroom.”

“What was Henry wearing, do you remember?” I asked, as Bea delivered me another beer.

“I damn sure do.
 
He was wearing that short sleeve, blue, work shirt with his name on the pocket.
 
The same shirt they found that dead girl wearing!”
 
Carl said with assurance.

“How do you know it was the same shirt?”

“Well…I don’t,” he stuttered. “But it was one just like it, I do know that.”

“You seem to be a very observant officer, my congratulations,” I offered. “When you would see Henry out during your patrols, what was he normally wearing?”

Carl thought for a minute. “I don’t remember, one of those work shirts, I guess.”

“But you do remember what he was wearing on Monday night, right?”
 
I was agitating him and I knew it.

“Look, I remember because I saw the same shirt…or a similar shirt wrapped around that dead girl, that’s why!”

“Okay, let’s talk about the dead girl, Tammy Blurton.
 
You identified the body, correct?” I asked.

“Yes, well, I mean no.
 
I didn’t identify the body, her father did.
 
I knew what Tammy Burton looked like, and I was able to tell Leroy and his investigators that I thought it was her, that’s all,” he answered nervously.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“How well did you know Tammy?
 
I mean did you know her socially or just as a citizen of the town where you work as a police officer?”
 
He didn’t like that question.

“Look, Carson or Reno or whatever your name is, she was a married woman.
 
I wouldn’t have been socializing with her!” Carl snapped, as he wiggled on his barstool.

“Married people socialize, don’t they?
 
Are you married, Carl?”

“Divorced,” he answered quickly, “and I’m finished with your questions.
 
I need to go back to work.”

“Okay, sure.
 
I just have one other question, is that alright?”

“One more, that’s all,” he blurted.

“How do you feel about colored people?
 
I mean do you have any friends who are colored?”

Carl gave me a stare that had daggers in it.
 
He stood up, turned toward the door and then turned back to me. “No, do you?” He said with an evil grin on his face, and then walked toward the door.

“YES!” I yelled, making sure he did hear me.

Officer Carl Menard was definitely an interesting character.
 
Unfortunately, the town was full of them!

~

J
oe walked back in Bea’s just as Carl was leaving.
 
He looked back at Carl and was shaking his head when he got to where I was sitting.

“Jeez, boss.
 
You must’ve pissed that guy off!
 
He looked mad, and usually making cops mad isn’t a good idea!” Joe said with a laugh.

“I did make him mad, but he got mad for all the wrong reasons.
 
I’ll tell you about it later; tell me what you found over on Front Street?”

“Not much,” Joe started. “I sent the telegram to Marcie and then went looking around; there must be a dozen different ways to get to where they found that body.
 
Cars drive through the alley unrestricted and there is nothing to prevent them from entering and leaving in three different directions.
 
Almost anyone could have driven up to the trash area and dumped a body without attracting attention. I could ask questions but I doubt we would learn anything.
 
The poolroom, the drugstore and the Western Union office each have rear access to the alley near where the body was found. With exception of the poolroom, the public wouldn’t be able to use that access, so I don’t think that’s going anywhere.”