Murder in Gatlinburg Page 13
"What was he like?"
"Fairly quiet. Usually kept to himself. He wasn't the kind of guy who caused trouble for anyone. But he wasn't the friendly sort either, if you know what I mean."
I had met Earl and I agreed that he wasn't the friendly sort.
"Do the police have any idea who did it, or how it happened?"
"If they do, they didn't confide in me. They asked me what I knew about why Earl was down here, and if anyone saw another person near him. I told them that he was a tour bus driver and he had driven a group down from Lexington on Friday. They nodded and looked at each other when I said that. Maybe they felt it gave them the time of death or a suspect list. Did either of you see anything out of the way in the short time you were with him?"
"No, he didn't talk much. Stayed in his seat and didn't mix with us. Actually, he didn't seem all that friendly. He didn't go into any of the places with us, but he was always there to drive us to the next place. Of course we were only with him on Friday. Do the drivers usually mix with the group they transport?"
"Most of the time not. Oh, some of us talk to the group sometimes when we are waiting to take off. Sometimes we get a really friendly group that insist that we join them. The company just tells us not to mix with the clients unless they bring it up, but if we are asked to do something and want to be included, it's okay. Did he seem to know any of the passengers?"
"Not as far as I know, but he did seem a little jumpy."
"Anything happen that you know of that might have caused that?"
"No, he was that way from the time we walked up to board the bus. We were the second and third passengers to board. The only one ahead of us was that woman who's also missing."
"Did anything out of the way happen before you left?"
"If so, we're not aware of it. But both he and that missing woman appeared to be nervous. There was this one guy who was darting in and out of the shadows in the parking lot, but he never approached any of us that I know of. However, the same guy is here."
"If you give me a description of him I'll be glad to share it with the police. Did you see anyone else around?"
"No, but as you know, it was dark when we got there. Everyone else I saw got on the bus. Most of them I never saw until they got on the bus, and I didn't hear any of them having a conversation with Earl."
"You say Earl was nervous. I've never known him to be nervous. Quiet, most certainly, but not nervous. Anyone else seem a little nervous?"
"A couple of other ladies, but not as nervous as Earl and that woman. Of course whatever it was might not have anything to do with the trip. But then, this morning I heard that one of those two ladies is missing."
"Do you remember if they were the next to board the bus after the two of you?"
"I don't think so, but I'm not sure. Had Earl made the Gatlinburg run before?"
"Oh, yeah. It was one of his favorite places to come to. Earl liked coming here, and he liked the trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, too. I'd say he made the Gatlinburg trip four times a year or so. Maybe even more than that."
"What do you usually do when you make one of these trips? And do you have any idea if Earl did the same things you do?"
"The company tells us not to stay at the same place as the people we drive, but find a place nearby to stay. What we do with our free time is up to us. We're not to go to any bars or to drink. But we are free to go to any attractions we want and eat wherever we want to eat, but not at the same place as our guests unless they have invited us."
"Do you usually go out and enjoy a town when you are there?"
"Sometimes. It depends on our schedule and how tired I am."
"What about Earl? Do you know what he did on his trips?"
"I think he was low profile. My guess is he went out, got something to eat, went back to his room, and watched TV while he ate."
"How long had he been with the company?"
"I'm not sure exactly. But I've been here going on eight years, and Earl was working for them before I was. It's a good company to work for. We're away from home a lot, but the company gives us a few days at home between trips, so it's not too bad. And we get to pick our runs based on seniority. Come to think of it, I think Earl was our number two driver based on seniority. Well, it looks like we have company."
He pointed at the passengers heading toward the bus.
"You being a retired cop and all, do you think I should mention this to the other passengers, see if anyone saw someone talking to Earl?"
"Let's wait a little while. Then maybe later, if nothing has been solved, you might check to see if anyone knows anything. Or it could be we will all be getting a visit from the local police."
"Okay. Well we'd better quit talking about this. You two go on back and take your seats. Let me know if you think of anything that might help us find out what all went on."
With that Lou and I shuffled off to pick our seats and Harlan opened the door and wished the next passenger a "good morning."
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While we waited for everyone to board I turned away from Lou and sent a text to George. I told him that our bus driver had been murdered, and that two ladies from our group were missing. Then, I sent a few other texts with the passengers' names, asking George to check and see if any of our group had been in trouble before. I made sure that George knew I was serious about the murders this time.
Lou saw I was shying away from him and asked me what I was up to. I lied and told him it was a love note to Jennifer. He smiled and turned away. Then he sent a love text to Thelma Lou.
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Before we got off the bus Harlan reminded us that today was pretty much a walking tour. He had reminded everyone the day before to wear walking shoes today. Everywhere we would be going was on River Road. We would begin by eating lunch at No Way Jose's, then walk next-door to Ripley's Gatlinburg Aquarium. Our next stop on River Road was called the Mysterious Mansion. Harlan told us it wasn't for the timid, and if anyone wanted to skip it, that was okay. He told us when we left there we were to walk up to Christ in the Smokies, a wax museum devoted to scenes from the New Testament. We were told that when we left there we were to walk up the street to The Peddler Steakhouse, known for its beef and a fine salad bar. Our reservations at The Peddler were for 5:30, so we could gauge our time at each attraction so that we would arrive a little before that time. He pointed to us where the bus would be parked, up behind the transit center, between the Mexican restaurant and the aquarium. And he let us know that he would remain on the bus in case of an emergency, and that he would move the bus to The Peddler parking lot around 5:00. Before he let us go he asked if anyone had any questions. No one did, so he opened the door.
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Not everyone takes the same amount of time to view an exhibit. I didn't know how separated we would become. I knew we were all together at lunch and would be again at dinner, but there was a good chance we would separate into very small groups at the aquarium, the wax museum, and the haunted house. On the average, murderers get braver when they are in smaller groups. I didn't think there was a crowd when Earl was conked on the head and stuffed inside his trunk. I wish I'd thought to check with George much sooner. That would have told me if any of our fellow travelers needed more watching than others. As we walked to the restaurant I received a text back from George asking me if it was for real. I sent him one back with two words, "most definitely." When I got the text, Lou turned to me and asked.
"Jennifer?"
"Yeah, she still loves me." But then my conscience got the best of me, and said, "No, it was from George. He wanted to know if anyone had been murdered so far."
This time Lou received a text. He turned to me and smiled.
"Thelma Lou. She wanted to know if I needed a foot massage."
"Too much information."
Lou laughed.
Although I like Mexican food, I'd never eaten a lot of it, and hoped that I didn't have a problem eating it, with our group running around all day.
> If I had been blindfolded before I entered No Way Jose's and had the blindfold removed after I was inside, there wouldn't have been any doubt that I was inside of a Mexican restaurant. The brightly colored decor gave it away.
When we arrived I stood and looked in Sylvia's direction. She shook her head "no" and threw up her hands in desperation. Then she hurried in our direction, maybe because she felt safer near me. I dropped my head and wondered where Inez was, and wondered if she was victim number two or three.
Lou and I shared a large table with Bill and Sharon Richardson, the couple from Frankfort that we met at Mel's Diner, and with Sylvia DuBois, and Tom Jenkins, whom I first met at the Titanic attraction. Tom and Bill had some interests in common, and I listened to their conversation, as well as everything I could hear taking place at an adjacent table. The word "body" never came up, but then I didn't think any two strangers were in on the murder together. Nor did I think that two people in cahoots would be dumb enough to share their secret with me. Well, I thought a lot of twosomes would be dumb enough. I just didn't think any of those in our group qualified for the stupidity award.
No Way Jose's offered two kinds of food, Mexican and Mexican desserts, all at a more reasonable price than most restaurants in the area. I stayed away from The Outrageous, found in the Burrito and Chimichanga category. They advertised it as "our biggest and best stuffed with beans, Mexican rice, shredded beef, shredded chicken, ground beef, shredded cheddar jack cheese, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, topped with a medley of ranchero sauce, avocado sauce, and sour cream sauce." Our traveling buddy, Jack Ripatoe, seated at an out-of-the-way table alone with Angel, ordered one of those. I think he devoured it in one bite. In the old days I would have ordered two of them. This time I settled for something more modest, until it came time for dessert. I ordered a chocolate burrito and Lou opted for a churro grande sundae, which was vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, and drizzled with chocolate and caramel, with fresh baked churro sticks stuck down in it. Mine consisted of a flour tortilla deep fried and stuffed with chocolate mousse and topped with whipped cream, raspberry sauce and powdered sugar and drizzled with hot fudge and caramel. In other words, it sounds like Lou and I had the same thing, only different. His came in something that looked like a brandy snifter and had ice cream and churro sticks. Mine came in a deep fried burrito. Both came with enough calories that it was good we were walking most of the rest of the day. I managed to eat my meal and dessert while keeping an eye on our dwindling traveling party. While there were knives at each table, everyone behaved. I wish I had asked Harlan how Earl had died. Maybe it was from a blow to the head. While a restaurant knife could strike a blow sufficient to murder someone, I doubted if No Way Jose's was missing any knives.
I decided to see how everyone at our table reacted to the mention of Earl's name.
"Do any of you wonder what happened to Earl, our first bus driver?"
"I haven't thought about it," Tom Jenkins offered. "The new guy seems to be doing well. That's good enough for me."
"I didn't even realize that we had a different driver," chimed in Sharon Richardson.
Lou was the only one who seemed unnerved by the mention of Earl's name, so maybe I should add him to my suspect list. Actually, Sylvia seemed a little bit on edge too, when I mentioned his name, but that could have been because Inez was missing and Sylvia was afraid that something had happened to her friend.
This caused me to ask if any of them had seen Sylvia's friend Inez that morning. Again, Sylvia looked nervous when I asked. Was she responsible for Inez not joining us? Sylvia had toned it down quite a bit since the second day, but I was wondering if she was still interested in hooking up with me. Maybe she realized that I had someone else at home.
When I looked down at the plate that once held my enormous chocolate burrito I was sure that between the Pancake Pantry and No Way Jose's, I would have to exercise a little more after I returned to Hilldale. And I still had a few days to go, and there were a few restaurants we hadn't tried yet that were a part of our itinerary.
I noticed that Jack and Angel left before the rest of us, and Max Huffington followed them. Max looked slightly more cordial than Jack and Angel, which meant he would still make my list of suspects if we were looking for an axe murderer. As they walked out, I looked across the table at Sylvia, who continued to look a little on the nervous side.
After the rest of us appeared to let our food settle for a sufficient amount of time, and our server seemed to wonder when we were going to give up our table to a few of the hordes of people who were waiting to be seated, we felt it was time to go fishing.
I tried to stay astride with Sylvia. I had some questions for her.
"Have you heard anything from Inez?"
"You were sitting across from me the whole time in the restaurant, so you already know I didn't."
"Did you know any of the other people in our group before we came, or have you gotten to know any of them since we got here?"
"No."
"Well, have you seen anyone you know when we've been out and about, maybe someone that Inez might have gotten with today?"
"No."
Since Sylvia was turning into an interviewer's dream, I cut off the conversation and fell back in step with Lou.
"She said she was free tonight, Cy?"
"She did, but she only has eyes for you."
"I can certainly understand that, but I'm still a one girl man."
I looked at the aquarium. In some ways, the wood and glass reminded me of Westgate. As we walked to the aquarium a thought came back to me. I wondered if Sylvia was responsible for Inez's disappearance. And I remembered that Inez disappeared about the same time that Earl was found. I wondered if Inez was the murderer and had disappeared as soon as she heard that the bus driver's body had been found. I thought of catching up with Sylvia again and asking her how long she has known Inez. I couldn't see how she could answer that question with a "no" answer.
As we drew close to the aquarium I looked up and saw Jack standing off to one side, talking on his phone. I wondered if his conversation had anything to do with Earl or Inez. As in his or her mission was accomplished. Then I saw Angel standing over toward the railing, talking on her phone. I doubted if she was talking to Jack. I continued to look around until I saw another familiar face. Max. He too was talking on the phone, while looking back and forth between Jack and Angel. Somehow I couldn't believe that any of them were talking to a friend in Gatlinburg and telling them about how fabulous No Way Jose's is. I wondered if the Hilldale Police Department had booked us on a tour bus trip with a band of assassins. Maybe the rollercoasters at Dollywood weren't the most dangerous things we would tackle on our trip
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As soon as we entered the aquarium, there was a new smell in the air, and not one I'd try to capture in an after shave lotion, provided I started slapping the stuff on my face again. Either someone had forgotten and left the fish out when they got in from the grocery or had forgotten to change the bathwater. It didn't smell like an autopsy, but there was a distinctive odor in the air. It was something in the water. Was it the chlorine or whatever swam in it? I eliminated a dead body from my thoughts. With so many people inside the aquarium, someone would have noticed a body before it smelled.
An advertisement said there were more fish inside the aquarium than people living in Gatlinburg. I didn't have any trouble believing that. I suspected there were more people in the aquarium than lived in Touristburg. I'd seen only two houses since we arrived, and both of them were high up on the side of a mountain. I wondered if they were even considered to be part of Gatlinburg. I made a mental note that the next time we went to the Pancake Pantry I would ask our server how far above sea level constituted Gatlinburg.
As we toured the aquarium I saw many different species of fish. Many of them didn't look like they would make much of a meal unless we had a whole passel of them. And the ones in the Coral Reef section were too p
retty to eat. Now the sharks were different. Some of them swam in a tank. Others were part of our group. Well, more than likely at least one of them was one of us. So far my years of experience hadn't eliminated all but one suspect. I eliminated all of the swimming variety. Harlan didn't say anything about Earl being eaten. Or partially eaten. He did mention that Earl had been hit once, so maybe it was a little hasty of me to rule out the hammerhead sharks.
For somewhere around an hour we traveled the labyrinthine path and tunnels and checked out the aquatic animals. I lingered longer watching the penguins than any other of God's creatures. They were so cute and fun to watch. While only two of our group fit the cute and fun to watch description, I tried to watch the ones who were suspicious, too. I didn't consider the boy and girl who were with their mother suspicious, but they were cute and fun to watch. And they were fascinated by all the water creatures. And I don't think either of them complained about the smell, but then boys don't complain about smells unless they are girly smells.
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Lou and I walked out a little before the others. I leaned over and looked up to where our bus driver had parked, but he didn't flash his lights for me. I assumed that meant that no one else had been killed or separated from our group, and that no one had confessed to murdering Earl. Or it could have been that we were missing another bus driver. I couldn't tell if anyone was in the bus. It was several hundred feet from where I stood.
As I stood up straight again, for some reason my thoughts turned to Miss Friendly. I wondered if the person I talked to at Westgate had checked on her. And if so if they found her safe, happy and murder free. I wondered if I would know anything before Friday, when we were to leave to go home. For all I knew Miss Friendly could be in Texas, or in the ground. Or in the ground in Texas, where there would be a lot of ground to cover, both figuratively and literally.