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“Someone else was in his truck?” Bo
“Who, Bon? Appleton and his killer?”
Fred decided to go after the ducks before Bo
“The murders, silly. Do you think the same guy killed Shelia?”
Bo
“As sure as Fred will never catch those ducks,” I said.
Bo
“Looks like our sleuthing is on hold, Bon. I need to get my Jeep fixed. They want me to come back tomorrow and fix the mess made by the day laborers.”
***
Fred should have been exhausted after his marathon swim trying to catch di
I spent the rest of the afternoon replacing the fuel pump on my old Jeep while Fred kept himself busy trying to catch the squirrel. The phone call to my new boss could wait.
Working on a car is one chore most people would rather pass on to a mechanic, but working on my old beast was different. I actually enjoyed it at times like this. It was better than alcohol or nicotine and a lot less work than jogging to get the endorphins flowing.
Unlike newer vehicles, with electric fuel pumps buried in unreachable gas tanks, my Jeep had the old-style mechanical pump attached to the engine block. And it didn’t take a contortionist to get to it. There was enough room under the hood for a small army of back-yard mechanics, or in my case, a man and his dog.
Fred had tired of chasing the elusive Chatter, and parked himself under the Jeep so he could watch and supervise. He barked when my ratchet slipped and I let out a few cuss words to ease the pain of scraped knuckles. I realized he wasn’t there to check my work at all when I heard the distinctive sound of bells and ca
The symphony stopped by the time I extracted myself from under the Jeep and stumbled up my front porch stairs to answer my phone. There was a message from Bo
“Jake, you won’t believe who called me,” she said before I had a chance to speak. I was more surprised she knew it was me on the line than I was by the excitement in her voice; she didn’t have caller ID.
“Alex Trebek?”
“No, silly. Why would he call me? It was Paula Morgan.”
“The reporter?”
“Yes. I’m so excited, I could pee my pants. She wants to interview me on television.”
“Be careful what you say, Bon. The police can use it against you.”
“That’s just it, Jake. Appleton left a suicide note in his truck. He confessed to killing Shelia.”
Bo
Those thoughts no sooner crossed my mind when Fred came up to lie by my feet. “Make that three things, Freddie. How could I forget you?”
CHAPTER SIX
I missed Bo
It wasn’t until I got home, tired and dirty, that I was able to pick up my cell messages. Bo
“Can’t you record it, Bon,” I asked after making the obligatory call and begging off. “We’re so tired, well, at least I am. Fred slept most of the day when he wasn’t hunting varmints.”
She laughed. “You say the fu
***
By Friday afternoon, the job was finished, and once more I had some cash in my pocket. I thought I would stop off in Evergreen and get the pineapple pizza Bo
The temptation to drive past Appleton’s cabin had been with me all week, so after buying a soda and lotto ticket, I gave the clerk twenty dollars and decided I’d drive by the cabin after pumping my gas.
Sometimes a person has to break the law, I told myself as I turned around to take the road to Appleton’s. Sure, I could file a report with the Park County Sheriff, and hope I would get Julie’s ring and book returned. I could have also just bought a wi
Fred barked and woke me from my i
I was tempted to floor the Jeep and get away before we were spotted. Fortunately, I kept my cool, and neither sped up nor slowed down. Once I reached the bend in the road, I turned around and pulled over. My heart was beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings. I couldn’t approach the cabin now, but I needed to know who was inside, and what was he doing in there. Instinct said to wait until whoever it was left the cabin; then I could either go in or follow the Mercedes. My second option seemed the safest choice, for it didn’t involve breaking any laws. I’m not a superstitious man, but it was Friday the thirteenth after all. Besides, I could always come back, but would probably never get another chance to find out who owned the expensive SUV.
We didn’t have long to wait. I no sooner had my phone out to call Bo