Moonshine Murder [Hawkman Bk 14] (25 page)

"Did the Hutchinsons say when they'd last seen Tami?"

"That's what threw me. They said they hadn't seen her for a couple of days. If they're telling the truth, it's hard to believe she'd be found on their property."

Hawkman furrowed his brow. “That's puzzling, as my wife and I saw her drive by as if she were headed for the their place the night before Randy found her. We spotted her shortly after seeing Moss Atkins go by. We never did see her return."

"Who's Moss Atkins?” Chandler asked.

"The owner of The Big Mug restaurant and tavern."

"Is he one of the moonshine customers?"

"Yep."

"Know anyone else buying the stuff?"

"Claude and Luke, owners of The Hut."

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Detective Chandler wrote down the names of the tavern owners, then glanced up at Hawkman.

"Want to work with me on this case? Can't pay you, but would sure like your viewpoint."

Hawkman laughed. “Sounds like you've been talking to Detective Williams."

Chandler put his hand in front of him and wiggled it. “Yeah, we talked a little about you."

"Sure,” Hawkman said, “I'll work with you, since I've got a bit of a head start."

Chandler put his forefinger in the air. “Before I forget. We did a search on trying to find the next of kin of Tamara (Tami) Spencer. Came up with nothing. Do you think you could find out from Mrs. Hutchinson? Apparently, she's known the woman for several years."

"My wife has become friends with Beth. I'll put her on it."

"Great, get back to me when she finds out anything.” The detective glanced down at his notes. “This Moss Atkins looks like not only a suspect in buying illegal booze, but also murder."

Hawkman nodded. “Definitely."

"The problem is I have nothing on the man to bring him in for questioning at this time. Just because he drove by your house, doesn't mean he went to the Hutchinsons. I don't want to get

ahead of myself, so I think my first plan is to question Jeb Hutchinson."

Hawkman rose. “About as good a start as any. I think I've covered everything about the family. If you think of any questions I didn't answer, give me a ring.” He handed Chandler one of his business cards. “Keep me informed and I'll do the same for you. If I spot a whiskey run is in the making, we can probably catch them red-handed."

"Sounds good. Thanks for your help."

Hawkman left the station and headed for Copco Lake. When he reached home, he didn't pull into the garage. He hopped out and went inside. Jennifer sat at the computer and raised her head when he entered. “How'd it go? Sure didn't take you long."

"Real well. I think we're going to get along fine.” He put his briefcase on the counter. “Are you busy right now?"

"No."

"Let's go to the Hutchinsons."

She frowned. “Why?"

"The detective would like us to find out if Beth knows where he could find any of Tami's kinfolk. I told him I'd put you right on it. Since you've experienced some tension with Beth, thought we'd go together."

"I like the idea too. Give me a second."

She left the computer, and ran back to the bedroom, soon to return with hair combed, and fresh lipstick. They jumped into Hawkman's SUV and headed up the hill. Within thirty minutes they pulled up in front of the cabin.

Jennifer shot a look at Hawkman. “There's something wrong."

"Yeah, it's mighty quiet."

Hawkman looked toward the corral. “I don't see any of the horses."

They hopped out and went to the door. When Jennifer knocked, the portal opened a crack on its own accord.

"Beth,” she called, then poked her head inside. “Oh my."

He reached over her shoulder, pushed it wide open, and they stepped inside.

Jennifer's gaze searched the room. “They're gone,” she said. “She pointed toward the cabinets, where all the doors stood ajar. “All the essentials for cooking and what little foodstuffs Beth had are missing. It appears they took Marcy's crib and the cot.” She hurried to the master bedroom, Hawkman at her heels. A bare mattress sat on the frame and the open closet had been stripped of clothes. Some items were strewn across the floor. “Looks like they left in a hurry."

They checked Earl's room and found it empty, except for the bed. Hawkman went outside, where he checked the still and fermenting room. He found them both padlocked. Putting his ear to the wall, he could hear the bubbling of fermentation.

Jennifer stepped up beside him. “What are you doing?"

"Put your ear to the wall."

She grimaced. “Sounds like something bubbling."

"Fermentation. They haven't gone far. Jeb is making moonshine and has to get down here to tend to it. Both of these buildings are locked up."

"Is there another cabin on the property? Even a shack would give them some protection from the elements."

Hawkman stood with his thumbs hooked in his jeans back pockets and stared out over the forest covered land. “I don't think so, but I can't be sure. They aren't afraid of the weather, and with summer coming on, I suspect they'd pitch some sort of lean-to or tent, and it would suffice for several months."

Jennifer gazed at the ground as she made circles in the dirt with the toe of her tennis shoe. “It makes me sick at my stomach to think one of them is guilty of killing Tami."

"Even though picking up and running looks bad, we don't know who murdered the woman. The Hutchinsons are scared, because they know everything points to them. Especially, with Jeb being an ex-con; and the ribbon around Tami's neck appears mighty suspicious."

"Do you think we'll ever see them again?"

"Hard to say. Depends on how well they're hidden, and how bad the police will want to find them. This is rough country and would take many hours of personnel to search these hills."

"What about spotting smoke from a cooking fire?” Jennifer asked.

"I'd imagine they'd wait until nightfall before lighting one, as you wouldn't be able to see the plume.” He took Jennifer by the arm. “Let's go home. I need to call Detective Chandler and tell him not to bother about an interview with the family. He may still want to come out and look the place over."

"Does he know about the still?"

"Yes."

"Will they destroy it?"

"Not unless they have proof that it's being used for illegal purposes."

Jennifer remained silent as she stared out the passenger side window on the way home. Hawkman immediately went to the phone and dialed Detective Chandler. When he received no answer, he left a message for the detective to call as soon as possible.

Within the hour, the phone rang, Hawkman picked it up and punched on the speaker phone. “Tom Casey, here."

"Casey, Detective Chandler, returning your call."

"Thought I'd let you know. My wife and I went up to the Hutchinsons this afternoon to see if we could find out about Spencer's next of kin. We were surprised to find the place deserted. The entire family has left with their belongings."

"That's interesting. You have any idea where they've gone?"

"More than likely into the hills, as the only transportation they have is the buckboard. However, I don't think Jeb is giving up on his moonshine business, because I could hear the bubbling of fermentation going on in one of the locked buildings. Which sort of indicates they probably aren't camping too far away."

"You think he's going to keep the same customers?"

"Don't know. I'll just have to keep an eye on the place and get back to you."

"I had a chat with Moss Atkins and he admits nothing. Says he doesn't know a Jeb Hutchinson or Tami Spencer. However, I think he's lying through his teeth."

"What makes you think he's not telling the truth?"

"His hands were scratched up and he had a big red abrasion across his cheek. I asked him where he got the wounds. He told me he'd had a rowdy customer he had to throw out and the guy didn't want to go. I asked him if he knew the man's name. He said he'd never seen him before. All very convenient answers."

"Unfortunately, you can't prove him wrong, as his employees will stand behind him."

Chandler harrumphed. “You got that right; I already questioned them, and each one verified his story."

"Right now, things are at a standstill, but I'll get back to you if anything develops. If I see Atkins pass my house, you'll have to hightail it up here, because it might be your only chance to catch them red-handed."

"We can do that."

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Earlier the same day, Jeb walked into the cabin with sagging shoulders. “Beth, how fast can you clear this place out?

She glanced at him in shock as she fed Marcy. “What's happened?"

"Nothing, yet. I just figure we better go. One of us could be blamed for Tami's death."

Beth removed the baby from her breast. “With everyone's help, we could load everything into the buckboard in less than two hours. Where are we heading?"

"There's a place in the hills we can get to in the wagon, and it's well hidden. I think we'd be safe there for a long time."

Beth put Marcy into the crib. “Get the buckboard rigged to the horses and bring it up to the cabin. We can start loading immediately."

She turned to Randy, who'd been listening with his mouth open. “Take the case off your pillow and load it with your books and clothes. Then place it on the middle of the cot. I'll make satchels out of the sheet and covers to pack other things."

They all got into high gear as Jeb left for the barn. Beth tossed cooking items out of the cabinets onto Randy's bed, along with her hair ribbons. Then she nestled the iron skillets into the big iron pot, along with other utensils she'd need on a campfire, and placed them near the front door. Once she cleaned out her small kitchen, she headed for the bedrooms. Grabbing her's and Jeb's small amount of clothes from the closet and small boxes on the floor, she piled them in the middle of their bed, pulled the corners of the sheet together and tied them so they could be easily carried. Going into Earl's room, she did the same. Then she set the lanterns together on the small table in the front room.

Jeb soon entered with Earl, and they began to carry out the guns, along with other items and loaded them into the buckboard. Beth lifted Marcy out of her crib.

"Earl, I'll need her bed, break it down so it won't take up too much room. Randy, when your dad takes the stuff off the cot, fold it up. I'm sure we can squeeze it into a corner."

Jeb took an empty box out to the smokehouse and loaded it with foodstuffs, placed a clean rag over the contents, and put it into the wagon. “I'm leaving one of the lanterns here, because I'll need it when I check the cabin. Don't want any wild animals making it their home."

Soon, they were packed. Jeb closed the door, then climbed onto the seat of the buckboard. Earl mounted one of the horses; two were pulling the wagon, Jeb's steed was saddled and tied to the back. Beth had Randy hold Marcy while she climbed onto the seat next to Jeb. Once situated, she took the baby, then grabbed Randy's hand and pulled him up, where he got a foot hold and could climb into the corner of the wagon left for him.

Jeb picked up the reins, “Hee Yah,” he called, as he slapped the back of the steeds with the straps. The horses neighed and strained against the weight of the load. Once started, the family settled in for the bumpy ride to their temporary home.

"I do hope you know where we're going, and we don't fall off in a canyon somewhere,” Beth said.

"Don't worry, I made sure we could get the wagon through."

The cart of people and belongings silently traveled seemingly uphill for hours as night fell. Beth finally broke the stillness.

"How much farther?"

"We're almost there,” Jeb said.

Her sight had grown accustomed to the darkness and she could make out a clearing up ahead, surrounded by a grove of trees. Jeb headed the horses right to the area and soon came to a halt.

"We'll bed down in the wagon for now and tomorrow we can make the area more livable."

"Beth handed Marcy to Randy as she rummaged through the items in the wagon, dropping some over the side to make room for her brood. She soon came up with blankets for each of the family. Earl had removed the horses from the front of the wagon and tied the reins to a large oak. He tethered his and Jeb's mounts to another tree, then made himself a sleeping area on the soft grass. Randy rolled his cover around him and used the buckboard seat as his bed. Beth, Jeb and Marcy lay on the floor of the buckboard. Soon, they were all crooned to sleep by the sounds of birds, crickets and the distant hoot of an owl, along with an occasional howl of a coyote.

The sun rose early, shining its beams on the sleeping family, disturbing their peaceful sleep. Beth's eyes flickered open, and for a moment, she glanced around with a questionable expression. Then she remembered. A smile settled on her lips as she surveyed the area. It brought back memories of her childhood living in the Indian village. Many times she'd gone into the forest with her father as they hunted game and collected wild berries. They'd spent nights in the forest foraging for food. She took a deep breath, loving the smell of fresh air, mixed with the aroma of pine. After feeding Marcy, she climbed from the wagon, and made plans to build the fire pit in the safest spot so as not to start a forest fire. After a careful surveillance of the area, she decided the best place to set up the tent for sleeping, so that smoke wouldn't permeate the inside. Since the nights were pleasant, the boys could sleep in the buckboard, as the crib would take up quite a bit of space in the tent.

Her plans forming, she set up Marcy's bed, so she could watch all the activity, then sent the boys to find large rocks as she dug out the fire pit with the small pick they'd brought from the cabin. Jeb took care of the horses; then he, Earl and Randy unloaded the wagon, stacking the items in a pile, then manually pulled the wagon to a location where Beth directed.

Jeb, carrying a bucket, called to Beth. “Come with me.” He took her for a walk and pointed out a small stream not far from their camping site. “This is clean fresh water coming from an underground source higher up.” He knelt down and filled the container.