The Traveling Corpse (26 page)

“Actually, we do,” Annie replied, “At least,
I do. It helps to know as much as we can to put this puzzle
together.”

Doc went on, “More than likely, the big ole
guy dragged the body into the water. If the victim is alive, the
‘gator will drown it first in a death roll. In this case, it had a
whole human body already dead, and that is way too much for it to
eat at one time. Alligators may snag their extra food on a
submerged tree trunk to keep it for another meal, for a snack
later. But usually they just kinda hide it in some brush near the
edge of the water, then stay nearby, watching their food
supply.”

“Leopards save food for later too,” Von said.
“I saw on a TV nature show how they'll take their kill and climb a
tree with it, and then latch what they can't eat up there in a fork
of a tree branch. Keeps it safe from jackals and hyenas.”

“Same idea,” Doc acknowledged. “It's a kind
of pantry for them.”

“I didn't know animals were so clever,” Barb
asserted.

“Survival,” Doc said.

Sgt. Menendez had been listening closely.
Finally, she spoke, “So you guys are telling me that you think the
alligator may have eaten your ‘Traveling Corpse'?”

Annie looked at the others, then she nodded.
“We think so, and we think it has traveled for the last time.”

Doc said, “Sergeant, I'm a retired
veterinarian, and I've always been interested in saving animals,
but I think this alligator needs to be caught and killed. I think
the term you use in law enforcement is ‘nuisance'. Well, nuisance
doesn't seem like a strong enough word to describe this one. We've
seen people feed it and that makes it unafraid of humans, which
makes it dangerous. And now we have reason to believe that it has
eaten human flesh, and that makes it even more dangerous. Also he's
getting too big to be in this area. If you try to re-locate him,
he'll tend to return to the same place. Another thought, if he did
eat Twila's body, you will most probably find more of her jewelry
inside him.”

“Oh, I remembah reading in the Reader's
Digest about their finding a dog's collah among othah things inside
a big old alligatah,” Verna informed them. “That it can stay inside
them for years and years.”

“Depends on what kind of dog collar it was,”
Doc explained. “A ‘gator's stomach acid is so strong—it's
unbelievable—it even begins to break down metal after only a few
weeks in his stomach.

“Wouldn't he …” Art looked for a polite
way of saying this, “Wouldn't he pass it out? Defecate it?”

“Not usually,” Doc said. “That rough stuff
stays in the stomach as gastrolith.”

“Gastro—what?” DeeDee asked.

“Gastrolith. It's a stony concretion formed
in the stomach,” Doc explained.

Gilly said, “I don't know tha' big word, but
we sometimes put little pebbles in tha birds' feed. Helps ‘em
digest their food. Must be similar.”

Doc nodded in agreement, then continued, “The
only thing that alligator might pass is hair, or toenails or finger
nails. We can look around the edge of the pond for his feces. It'll
be a very light tan in color and long, like a hot dog but fatter,
more like Polish sausage.”

“Oh, dear, I'll never want ta eat Polish
sausage again!” DeeDee shivered in disdain.

Annie said, “I couldda lived the rest of my
life quite happily without knowing that. But now, here I am, an old
woman, and I'm interested in alligator poop! For heaven's
sake!”

“You may not find any,” Gilly added. “What's
that word ya used? Defecate, was it? They defecate in the water as
well as on land. In water and on land.”

Annie noted that Juarez had also been
following the conversation closely. The thought of searching for
alligator droppings in the field with the big birds appeared to
make him nervous. Annie could imagine what he was thinking:
I
can only guess who is going to get this assignment!
As if to
prove her perception right, the tension in his face eased at his
Sergeant's next words.

“When I get back to my cruiser, I'll radio in
an order to get a trapper over here,” Sgt. Menendez told them.
“Also, we may have to bring in a diver and/or have this pond
drained. Meanwhile, you need to keep this as quiet as you have the
rest of the happenings. I'm very pleased at your co-operation. You
know, it's because of you and your persistence that we've been able
to stay on top of this case. And I do thank you all.” Then she
spoke to Gilly, “This restriction applies to you too. Until we can
tie up all the loose ends, I'd appreciate your not telling anyone
about finding the jewelry. Can you do that?”

Gilly said, “Yes, m'am. Your story's safe
with me.”

“How can we keep it quiet about the jewelry?”
Brad asked. “There were other golfers here; they saw it in Carol's
beak.”

“They'll most likely think it just a trinket,
costume jewelry. No one would expect to find gold out here in a
field. I'll trust you to use your best judgment,” Menendez said.
“Keep the details to yourselves, okay? It doesn't have to get out
that the jewelry may be tied to Jiggs's death.”

“We'll try,” Brad said. “Okay, gang?” They
all nodded their heads in agreement. Then he asked, “What do we do
now? It's way past lunch time. I'm hungry.”

“Did you hear my stomach growling an hour
ago?” Art joked.

“It's a wonder mine didn't,” Brad agreed.

Sgt. Menendez spoke quietly with Juarez; then
she told the others that she would have Joe stay and watch the
alligator. She'd call for a trapper as soon as she got to the radio
in her car and contacted the dispatcher. She asked the farmer to be
available, and then she told ‘her seniors' that they could go home.
This time she promised to call Annie if or when anything new
developed.

Before they left, Gilly offered, “I've got me
a can of spray paint in my truck. I'll try ta spray some on tha'
ole ‘gator's back. Since people's been feedin' him, he'll maybe let
me get close up. If I can mark him, then we'll know fer sure we got
tha right one.” When Menendez hesitated, he added, “Oh, I'm not
a-feered ta get up close ‘nough to spray it. A ‘gator won't attack
anything as big as a grown man; he'll slip back in the water
first.”

They all watched with admiration as Gilly
approached the beast. Annie thought to herself that the alligator
must be as long as the male ostrich was tall—two very big animals!
The leathery-looking beast opened one eye and looked at Gilly. Then
it opened the other one. It did not move a muscle. Gilly eased
closer, carrying a can of blue spray paint in one hand and a pistol
in the other. They all felt better about his actions when they saw
him holding the gun as protection. As Gilly slowly lifted his arm
and pressed down on the button of the spray can, the ‘gator moved
swiftly, turning toward the water with amazing speed. Most of the
stream of paint landed on the ground, but Gilly ran after the
‘gator and kept spraying. Deftly, the alligator slipped into the
water swishing a blue tail.

They cheered.

Menendez complimented Gilly, “Great job. That
will be a big help.”

Gilly smiled, “Don't know how much of that
paint will stay on. Didn't have much time ta dry.”

Menendez continued, “Anyway, I appreciate
your help. Now, may I ask you to stay a little longer? I'd like you
here while my deputy goes in there to search for the fecal
matter.”

Annie observed that Juarez's previous relief
upon hearing a trapper would be called in was now replaced with
consternation. She laughed inwardly to herself, although she
couldn't really blame him for not wanting to go inside the fence
with the birds, even if the alligator appeared to be shy for the
moment.

“No problem,” Gilly said.

“And, by the way, you do have a permit for
that gun, don't you?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, m'am.”

“Glad to hear it,” is all the officer
said.

Verna caught the sergeant's attention when
she said, “I'm willing to help look. How about you, Doc?”

“Well,” he said after a moment's hesitation,
“I'd rather go eat, but if Verna's going in that field, I will
too.”

“Ya can go in there if ya want ta.” DeeDee
said. “Hope ya don't mind if I jest stay on this side of tha
fence.”

Von thought his wife was foolhardy, but he
wasn't going to stay behind if she were going. He followed her.

Joe Juarez said, “I'm grateful for the help.
I have to admit that I've never looked for alligator poop
before.”

Annie suspected that he was also glad that
there would be people in the field with him that he could out-run.
He may not be faster than the emus or the alligator, but the old
joke was that with any predator, whether bear, mountain lion,
alligator or whatever, it was really only necessary to be faster
than the other potential meals.

They waited for Gilly to undo the bailing
wire that was twisted around the cut place in the fence. He pushed
the fencing aside enough for them to squeeze through. The big birds
ignored them. The farmer's pickup truck was an endless source of
supplies. Gilly picked up a shovel and a bucket and joined the
hunt.

After they searched all around the edge of
the pond on the farm side and found no feces, Verna commented,
“Alligatahs must not go on land verah often, but I'm game to look
on the golf course side now.”

Juarez , Gilly, Doc, and Von walked back to
the fence with her and wiggled through to the golf course, then
crossed to the pond. Art and Brad decided to join them, but Barb
told them she'd skip the fun of looking for alligator poop. Annie
agreed, and DeeDee declared, “Ya have got Verna with ya; ya don't
need us; she's tha one with tha sharp eyes.”

A few minutes later, Verna motioned the men
to her, pointed, and announced, “There's some Polish sausage.”
Gilly scooped it up and handed the bucket to Juarez.

“Thanks, I'll return it after we check it
out,” Juarez told the farmer.

“Jest tha bucket. Jest tha bucket. That'll be
all I'll be wantin' back,” he laughed.

When they returned to the golf carts, Annie
asked them, “Did you find anything?”

“Just some Polish sausage,” Verna laughed as
she fiddled with her glasses.

“I mean; did you find anything—any red hair
or pieces of nails?”

“Not so far as we could see without poking
around in it,” Doc said.

“Be our guest,” Juarez joked, holding the
pail out towards Annie.

“No, thanks. I'll pass and let your guys do
all that fun stuff at your lab,” she quipped.

“Well, if we're done here, I'm ready to go,”
Barb stated. “I'm famished.”

With tongue in cheek, Brad teased, “Aren't we
going to finish our round?”

Barb groaned, “I'm too hungry to play golf.
Let's go out for a sandwich. We can go to that little restaurant
just outside of BradLee in our carts. I'm too hungry to even go
home first. Okay with everybody?” She looked at Gilly and the
officers, “Care to join us?” The three of them declined, citing
other duties.

Doc turned the key and began backing up.
Gilly motioned to him to stop, saying, “Sounds like ya need some
work on your cart. It needs a tune-up.” He pulled a tattered
business card out of a pocket in his jeans, and handed it to Doc.
“Ya weren't here when I give tha others one of my cards. Let me
know when you're ready; I make house calls.”

Doc read the business card, “‘Gilly's Wheels.
We keep your little wheels rolling.' Thanks, Gilly. I'll be calling
you.”

With that, the A, B, D, and V's waved
good-bye and headed for the sandwich shop—the men driving the golf
carts and their wives riding as passengers. Annie bowed her head
and prayed, “It's Annie down here. Thank you, Lord, for helping us
find another piece of the puzzle. Amen for now.”

 

 

 

 

On Sunday mornings, the four couples each
went to their own house of worship. The Andersens attended the
early service at First Presbyterian. Barb Bradkowski taught the
high school Sunday School class at 9:30 a.m. at First Methodist and
then went to church at eleven. Sometimes Brad went with her, but he
usually took his parents to the nine o'clock Mass at St. Joseph's
along with the Vigeauxs. The Davises worshiped at the second
service at First Baptist, which began at 10:45 a.m. Doc and DeeDee
sang in the church choir. At noon on Sundays, the four couples
usually met for Chinese buffet at Fung Gardens.

The owner of the Chinese restaurant owner,
who was from Vietnam, seated them. After they exchanged a few words
of greeting, she left and Annie bowed her head, “Good morning,
Lord. We're here in our favorite Chinese restaurant after having
the privilege of worshiping you in our various churches. Thank you
for watching over us and thank you for the food we are about to
receive. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

Agnes, their favorite waitress, brought them
their soup. This smiling, tiny Vietnamese woman had waited on these
customers often enough for them to be special to her. She knew they
ordered the same soups each Sunday. Annie and Art each took Won
Ton, but Annie liked only the clear broth, so Agnes put the extra
dumplings in Art's bowl. She pulled a set of chopsticks from her
apron pocket for Brad. He had traveled to Taiwan during his working
career and had mastered using chopsticks. Barb admired the fact
that her husband could skillfully eat with two sticks, but she
wondered why anyone would bother when a fork was so much easier to
use.