Shake Down Dead (17 page)

“Someone will be there in a few
minutes; I promise. Would you stay with the young lady until I get
there?”

“Of course I will.” I said, thinking
that it was a good thing he asked because there was no way I was
going to miss out on Jacobs’ interview with Pam.

Maureen showed Pam and me to a small
study room where we could talk without disturbing the other patrons
of the library. She said that she would send the police to us when
he arrived.

“Pam, will you tell me what you did
today—starting when you arrived at the library?”

“Okay, I got about four o’clock. I hate
to be late so I came over straight from the Dixie Diner. After I
hung up my coat, I looked over the volunteer’s list. Mort fills it
out with things for us to do while we’re here, like shelving books
and shelf reading.”

She noticed the puzzled look on my face
and said, “We check the call numbers on the books to make sure that
they are in the right place.” I let her keep talking to keep her
mind off the attack. “People are always trying to help us out by
putting the books back when they’ve finished with them. They
usually get it wrong.”

Just then, there was a rap on the door.
We looked up and saw Lieutenant Jacobs and a police officer through
the large window. The cop was a tall handsome young man with an
awesome Tom Selleck-type moustache and a head of curly hair the
color of mahogany. I stood up and opened the door for them. Jacobs
introduced us to Sargent Timothy Hackenmuller, explaining to Pam
that her attack was a police matter but because it might be
connected to Whitney’s murder, the Hermann police were including
him in on the interview. Jacobs then thanked me for my help and
held the door for me.

“You don’t really think I’m leaving, do
you?”

“Jennifer, this is a police matter
now.”

“I had an appointment to meet with Pam.
I’m staying. I crossed my arms and stood up straight.

Pam said, “I’d like her to stay,
please. I’m still sort of shaky.”

Jacobs gave a huge sigh, sat down
across the table from Pam, and waved his arm toward the chair at
the end of the table. I quietly sat down.

Looking at me, he said, “I’ll do the
talking here, understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Okay, Pam, why don’t you tell me what
happened to you starting with when you came to work
today.”

“I don’t actually work here; I’m a
volunteer.”

“That’s fine. I just want to know what
happened here today.”

“
I was just telling Jennifer
that I arrived just before four o’clock. I’m scheduled from four to
six-thirty twice a week. Let me think.” Her brow furrowed as she
thought. “I put on my blue smock, said hello to Maureen and took a
cart filled with children’s books downstairs to reshelf them. Deb
was on the circulation desk and we talked while I put away the
books on my cart.”

“Is that when you went back to the
elevator?” Jacobs asked.

“No, I went to the book drop and picked
up those books. Then I went to the elevator to take them to the
upstairs circulation desk. I was trying to hurry, because I told
Jennifer I’d meet her at five o’clock. I got on the elevator and
turned the cart around. Wait, I remember! I took out my cell phone
because I had forgotten to put it on vibrate and the librarians get
a little testy with me if it rings. That’s the last thing I
remember.”

Jacobs reached across the table and put
his hand over hers. “Who did you see when you were down in the
children’s library? Tell me everyone you saw.”

Pam frowned while thinking of an
answer. “Let me see. I saw Deb, the children’s circulation clerk.
She was checking out books for a little blond girl.”

“Was the girl’s mother with
her?”

“Yes! A short pregnant woman about my
age. She seemed to be in a hurry, tapping her foot while Deb and
the little girl chatted about the books she was checking
out.”

“Good. Who else did you
see?”

“There were a couple of boys looking at
young adult science fiction books. One boy was looking through
Secret of the Sands. It’s a great book. Oh, I don’t suppose you’re
interested in that.”

Jacobs patted her hand. “I’m interested
in everything you saw, Pamela.”

“You can call me Pam; everybody
does.”

“Thank you, Pam. What else did you
see?”

“Hmm, let me think. Oh, I remember.
There was a guy talking to Phyllis. She’s the Maron County
Historian. She has an office downstairs where they keep all the old
papers from the courthouse. She’s so nice.”

I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer.
“Did you recognize the guy?”

Jacobs shot me a look that would have
shut up Sister Bernie. Not that he would ever do that to her. I
mumbled, “Sorry,” and slouched down in my seat trying to be
invisible.

“We’ll talk to Phyllis later. She can
fill us in. In the meantime,” Jacobs continued as if I hadn’t
interrupted, “Tell me what he looked like, what he was wearing.
Tell me every detail.”

“Okay.” Pam took a deep breath. “He was
tall. Phyllis is a short little lady and he just towered over her.
His back was to me so I didn’t see his face, but he was
tall.”

I almost jumped out of my seat.
Instead, I sat stone still. Could it be Charlie? Charlie was tall,
really tall.

Jacobs prompted her. “What was he
wearing?”

“Um, a grey hoodie and jeans. Not very
helpful, I’m afraid.”

“Did he have the hood up or could you
see his hair color?”

The hood wasn’t up. It was bunched up
at his neck, I think his hair was blond, but I’m not sure. I’m
sorry.”

“That’s okay. Did you notice anything
else?”

I almost screamed. She noticed the
title of the book that the boy was perusing but wasn’t sure of the
color of the man’s hair.

“Boots. He was wearing brown
boots.”

“Work boots or cowboy boots?” Jacobs
urged her.

“Cowboy boots, I think.”

“That’s good,” Jacobs said. “Was anyone
else down there?”

“I don’t think so. At least I didn’t
see anyone else.”

Jacobs patted her hand twice and sat
back in his chair. “That was very helpful, Pam. Are you sure you’re
okay? I can drive you over to the Emergency Room to get checked
out.”

“Oh, gosh, no. I’m fine. Just a little
headache. I think I just want to go home.”

Jacobs stood and helped her to her
feet. He nodded to me and walked out with Pam. I heard him say,
“I’ll just help you with your coat, and then walk you to your car.
Are you sure you can drive? I can have an officer take you
home.”

Although I could no longer hear the two
of them, I saw Pam shake her head.

I watched until they were out of sight
then I hightailed down the back stairs through the children’s
library and looked for Phyllis’ office.

I should have taken my time. I found
the door with a gold plaque that told me this was the entrance to
the “Marion County Historical Room.” When I tried to open the heavy
wood door, it wouldn’t budge. Then I noticed the sign next to the
door with the hours the room was open. Phyllis had gone home at
five o’clock and wouldn’t be back until Friday at nine
a.m.

22

When I left the library, the wind
almost knocked me over. I zipped up my jacket and ran to my car.
Calling Decker, I asked him to meet me at the Cozy Corner for a
burger, instead of at my place. I wanted to stop and see Trudy for
a minute, so Decker and I decided to meet in about forty-five
minutes.

When I pulled up to the door at Trudy’s
Lace Haus, I saw the closed sign in the door. Darn! I looked at my
watch and saw it was after six o’clock. I could go up to the house,
but she was probably in the middle of dinner—or was that
supper—with Ray.

Instead, I walked over to the group
home. Maybe I could talk to Izzy or someone and see if she had any
new information.

I opened the storm door and before I
could knock, it opened. Pete stood there smiling. “Come in out of
the cold. It’s getting nasty out there.”

I hurried in so he could close the
door. We move fast during Minnesota winters. And it looked like
winter was well on its way.

The house smelled so good. Something
yummy was in the oven.

“Pete what are you doing here? I
asked.

“I work here, remember?”

“I thought you worked days.”

“I do, usually. I’m just finishing up
some paperwork.” He waved his hand at the countertop that had files
and papers strewn over it.

Just then, Harold walked into the
kitchen. “Hi, you eating with us? We have pizza.” He clapped his
hands.

Pete answered for me. “Jennifer just
stopped in for a minute, Harold. Why don’t you go help Izzy set the
table?”

“It’s not my turn.”

Izzy waltzed into the kitchen and said,
“Harold, go sit down, we are eating now. Pete, please move the
papers, the pizzas are done.”

She pulled out a round pan that held a
dip dish pizza that was obviously homemade. It had sausage,
mushrooms and pepperoni peeking out of the bubbling cheese. Setting
it on the table, she turned back and pulled out another one. This
one looked like it was a cheese pizza.

“Would you like to eat pizza with us?
We have enough.”

“Oh, no thanks, I was going to Trudy’s
but she’s closed. I just wanted to stop in and see what’s going on
with Harold.”

Izzy expertly rolled the large pizza
cutter through the cheese and crust, cutting the pizza into small
squares. She tucked two hot pads under her arm and with oven-gloved
hands, picked up the two pans and carried them out of the
room.

Pete set down the papers he had moved
when Izzy opened the oven. “You sure you didn’t stop by to see me?
Okay, okay,” he said when he saw me scowling at him. “Harold’s
fine, as you saw for yourself. I think they’re done questioning
him. We’re pretty sure they don’t suspect him anymore. But, they
are trying to find out if he saw anything that might help them
catch the guy who did this.”

Pete pulled out a chair and motioned
for me to sit down. I was about to protest that I wouldn’t be
staying, when I looked down at his feet. He was wearing shiny brown
cowboy boots. I slid onto the chair and blurted, “What were you
doing at the library today?” I could have bit off my tongue the
minute the words came across my lips. Way to go,
Blabbermouth.

“How did you know I was at the library?
Were you following me?” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but
his eyes looked cold as steel.

I frantically looked around for
something to say. I looked out the window and saw a flashy BMW
parked in the driveway. Pete was the only one working at the group
home who could afford such a car.

“Oh, I saw your Beemer in the parking
lot,” I said lightly, pretending it didn’t 1matter. I twirled a
lock of hair between my fingers. I guess Pete bought it.

“I was just checking out something with
the historian. Some family stuff.”

“Did you find what you were looking
for?” I asked.

Pete gave me a little smile and said,
“Oh, yeah. I sure did.”

A knock on the door ended the
conversation. None too soon for me. I expected one of the residents
to be at the door and was shocked to see Decker there.

“Is Jennifer here?”

Pete pushed open the door and made a
sweeping gesture with his arm. “Jennifer, your boyfriend’s here
checking up on you.”

“I’m not checking up on her,” Decker
protested as he stepped into the kitchen. “I was on my way to meet
her at the bar and saw her car at Trudy’s. When Trudy didn’t know
where she was, I got worried. And why do I need to explain myself
to you?”

Pete chuckled. “You don’t have to but
you just did.”

I stood up and pulled my jacket around
me. “Enough!” I said to both of them. “Let’s go, Jerry. See you
later, Pete.” With that I walked out the door and stomped over to
my car.

I unlocked and opened my car door.
Before I climbed up into it, I turned to Decker. “Don’t you ever
check up on me again!”

“Jennifer, I wasn’t checking on you,”
he replied putting one hand across the open door to my vehicle to
prevent me from entering. “I couldn’t find you. I thought something
was wrong. And why did you park at Trudy’s to go to the group home?
Were you afraid I’d catch you with Pete? Which I did, by the way.”
I couldn’t believe that he could go from defensive to offensive in
one fell swoop.

“You did not catch me at anything,” I
protested. “I stopped to talk to Trudy and when I saw the store was
closed I decided to go talk to Izzy. I didn’t even know Pete would
be there. I’m only telling you this because so much happened this
afternoon and it all relates.”

“I’m sorry you’re so upset. I just lost
it there for a minute.” He didn’t sound very apologetic to me but I
let it go.