THE BLUE STALKER (45 page)

             
“Get over here you always act so tuff. Now’s the time
             
to show your stuff.”  Ella said.

“Like you said ‘act’ I’m just all mouth, you know that.”  Alicia admitted.

             
“Okay, Ella hold on a minute, let me get it together.”  Alicia said as she made her way to the chest.

             
“On the count of three.  One, two, threeeeeeeee.”  The ladies quickly lifted the lid. And just as quickly shut it.  They both ran in different directions screaming. Ella fell to her knees. They found what they were looking for. The sight was so horrible she threw up. Alicia sat on her knees rocking. 

             
“Dear God, why would anyone do this?” Alicia prayed.

For a moment the ladies didn’t say a word. They each tried to gain their composure.

             
“I didn’t think it was going to be so bad.”  Ella said.

             
“I know it’s awful.”  Alicia held her head in her hands.

             
“We’ve got to call Agent Peterson.” 

             
“It’s Sunday will he answer today.” 

             
“Someone will answer and get out here. Ella knew this was serious and FBI agents work twenty-four seven.

The ladies dried their tears and drove back to the shack. 

             
“Ella asked the man in the shack if she could use his phone.

             
“We don’t let people use the phone, that’s why there’s a pay phone out front.”  He as a matter of fact told her.

             
Ella made her way back to the car and asked Alicia for change. Alicia and Ella dumped their purses and found enough change to call Agent Peterson. Ella fetched his business card from her purse and dialed the number. 

             
“Deposit one dollar fifty cents.”  The operator said.

Ella one by one dropped six quarters through the big slot.

             
“Thank you.” The operator said as she finished connecting the number.

             
“Federal Bureau of Investigation, may I help you?” The operator said.

             
“Yes, I need to speak to Agent Peterson.” 

             
“Agent Peterson won’t be in the office until Monday.  Can I take a message?” She asked.

             
“No, it’s important I talk to him right now.”  Ella demanded.

             
“I can try to get a message to him. Is there a number to call you back?” She requested in her very professional manner she had rehearsed over and over.

             
“Yes,” Ella gave the pay phone number. “Tell him this is Ella Smith and I found the bodies. He will understand.  And I’ll wait for him to call me back.”  Ella said just as the operator came on the line. 

             
“Deposit one dollar for an additional minute.”  Ella heard.

             
“I don’t have more change just have him call me immediately.” Ella said as the phone made a click.

             
Ella and Alicia sat in the car waiting for the phone to ring. The man in charge told them they would be closing in the next thirty minutes and they would have to leave at that time.

             
Ella told the man they were waiting for a call and they would be out of there. After about fifteen minutes the pay phone rang.  Ella ran to the booth.

Breathless she grabbed the receiver. “Hello, this is Ella Smith.” 

             
“This is Agent Peterson.”  The low voice spoke with authority. “You have some information for me.” 

             
“Yes, I have the bodies. The bodies in the deep freeze.” Ella informed him.

             
“Where are you and where are the bodies.” 

             
“I’m in Hancock just above Coopersville at their dump.”

             
“I will call the Sheriff in that county and have the bodies picked up. Can you stay with the bodies until they get there?” 

             
“No, I mean I will stay with the bodies but I won’t turn them over to anyone but you. The last time the bodies disappeared and this time I want to turn them over to you.  I can’t take a chance on them disappearing again.”  Ella told him.

             
“Okay, but it will take me two hours to get there.”

             
“The dump will be closed in half hour and they said we have to be gone. What should we do?”

             
“Give the phone to the man in charge.”  Agent Peterson told her.

“Sir, someone wants to talk with you.” Ella said handing the phone to the man. With a puzzled look on his face he took the phone. His eyes bugged out and he shook his head up and down. 

             
“I’ll stay here with the ladies until you arrive. You can count on that.”  He said as he handed the phone back to Ella.

             
“Mr. Peterson is everything okay.” 

             
“Yes, the man will stay with you. My agents and I will be there soon.”

             
“Thanks, good-bye.” Ella said as she hung up the phone.  Smiled at the man in charge and thanked him for being understanding.

             
“That’s fine ma’am I’ve got paper work I can catch up on while we wait.” 

             
Ella parked near the freezer. She and Alicia waited for Agent Peterson. Two hours passed and no sign of the agent.

             
“You sure you talked with Agent Peterson?” Alicia asked. “My fannies getting tired and I can’t walk very well on this uneven ground.”

             
“Yes, I know his voice and it was him.”  Ella said.

             
A big black car pulled into the dump.  It was Agent Peterson and a few other agents. Following him there was a big van truck, the sheriff and the coroner’s van. 

Ella showed them to the freezer chest. Agent Peterson open the box took one look and turned away gagging and shaking his head.

             
The coroner took the decomposing bodies from their would be coffin and put them piece by piece in the body bags. 

             
Agent Peterson walked over to Ella and Alicia.

             
“Agent Peterson, this is Alicia the lady that found the bodies with me.” 

             
“Hello, ma’am.” Agent Peterson nodded. 

             
“Thank you ladies, I think the bodies are probably the secondhand store owners but we will need to identify them.  I will let you know.” Agent Peterson said.

             
“Agent Peterson, I know some one has Frank Smith, he isn’t in on any of this body smuggling.” Ella assured him.

             
“I hope you are right. We need to find him hopefully in better condition than the poor bodies in the bags.”  Agent Peterson said as he slapped the top of Ella’s car and turned to walk over to the coroner. 

THIRTY-FIVE

             
Ella and Alicia went about their work at the flower shop. Neither breathing a word about finding the bodies.

Monday’s are usually busy. It seems people die on the weekend.  I suppose that’s not to inconvenience the family. This Monday was like most.  Susan was talking with a family making an order for their father’s funeral service. When an elderly gentleman walked through the door.

             
“I’ll take care of this gentleman.” Alicia announced.

             
“Sure go ahead.” Ella said as she continued to clean the flowers from the morning delivery. Alicia wasn’t crazy about cleaning flowers and only joined in when there wasn’t anything else to do. Her forte was designing flowers. Well, that was until this morning.

             
“Morning Sir, can I help you?” Alicia politely asked.

             
“Yes, my wife passed away yesterday and I need to order some flowers.”  The man said with his bloodshot eyes filled with tears. The wrinkles in his face grew deeper as he squinched his face trying to gain his composure.

             
“I thought I would be okay this morning but the tears just keep coming.”  He said with the big white handkerchief covering most of his face.

             
“Sir, what’s your name?” Alicia asked.

             
“Ralph, Ralph Larson, my wife is Emily Larson.” He said as he let out a big sob. 

             
“Come over here and have a seat.” Alicia pulled a high back chair over to the floral book table making Mr. Larson comfortable. 

             
“Thanks, ma’am.” He said. 

             
“Call me Alicia, I’m here to help you through this difficult time.” Alicia said patting Mr. Larson’s hand as she opened the floral book to the funeral arrangements.

             
Ella was in the work room listening to every word with her mouth hanging open.

             
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Ann spoke up. “You haven’t seen Alicia in action?” 

             
“Can’t say I have.”  Ella said as she continued to listen to every soothing word flowing from Alicia’s mouth.

             
“Give her a minute and she will be crying right along with him.”

             
Alicia’s pen was scratching away. She would write up an arrangement, blow her nose and go right to the next page in the book to write another, blow her nose and go to the next.  Finally the casket spray was ordered.

             
“Does that take care of everything?”

             
“Mr. Larson you haven’t ordered Emily a corsage.”  Alicia said as she flipped the order book to a new page.

             
“Do you remember the first corsage you gave Emily?” 
             
Alicia looked in his eyes as if to say, “You must remember.”

             
“It was our Senior Prom, Emily wore a pink dress and I gave her a pink carnation corsage.” His mind was going way back probably over fifty years.

             
“You were a young man then and I’m sure carnations were all you could afford.”  Alicia said with sympathy dripping off her order writing pen.

             
“You want to give her orchids, Mr. Larson?”  Alicia said as she wiped her tears.

             
“You are right my Emily should have the best.” He said as he stuffed his white handkerchief in his front pocket and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. Alicia rang up the order and took down Mr. Larson’s address and phone number.

“We will call the mortuary and find out the time of the viewing and the service.  Your flowers will be there and they will be beautiful.”  Alicia assured him.

             
Mr. Larson walked out the door with his head held high.  Thinking only about the orchid his Emily would be wearing.

Alicia made her way to the work room. Putting the arrangement orders in the work basket.

             
“Alicia, you blow me away. You emptied the man’s pocket book and he left happy.” 

             
“That’s where you are wrong. I didn’t empty his pocket book. I talked to him first and found out how much he could afford and I took every penny.” Alicia said as she patted herself on the back. “It’s just good business.”