Chapter 15 Jake’s a Suspect

The following Monday morning Sue brings the sheriff his first cup of coffee and says, “Sheriff, I’ve had three phone calls this morning asking me to tell you they saw Jake Black driving Carson’s BMW around town last Friday and over the weekend. Some didn’t know it was Jake, they saw a red-haired man with a freckled face, which can only be Jake. All the callers thought you should know Jake’s driving Carson’s car now.”

“I thought I saw Carson’s BMW on Main Street when I was coming out of the IGA on Saturday. It’s the only big BMW in the county I know of. I figured Jolene is driving it now. Hmm, you don’t suppose Jolene’s been seeing Jake on the side. Knowing how she is with men I wouldn’t put it past her. She could have put Jake up to killing Carson for all I know. Yes, I’ve got to consider him a suspect now.”

“Sheriff, don’t you think if Jake killed Carson for Jolene he’d lie low much longer?”

“He would if he was smart, but I don’t think Jake Black is any smarter than Jolene. I’m going to question him before I deal with David Wellborne.”

“Alright, Sheriff, I’ll tell the deputies to pick him up and bring him in when they see him. Likely I’ll get more calls this morning telling me Jake’s driving that BMW. It shouldn’t be hard to find him with half the town seeing him driving around.”

“Thanks, Sue. While I’m waiting for Jake to be brought in I’m going to see Paul Waters. The deputies’ report on the confrontation between Crenshaw and Wellborne at the end of the Saturday night meeting said they mentioned a contract. Waters may know about the contract. It could help me to know about it when I question Wellborne.”

“Sheriff, when you question Jake Black go easy. I hear he has PTSD from his time in Iraq. He might not be able to think straight if he’s pressured too hard.”

“You’re probably right as usual, Sue. I’ll take it easy on him. If he has an alibi for the time of Carson’s murder it’ll be a short and easy interrogation.”

“Oh, there goes my phone again; it’s probably another report of seeing Jake in the BMW.”

An hour later the sheriff returns. Sue asks, “Did you learn anything from Paul Waters that will help with David Wellborne?”

“No. He said there’s nothing special in the contract between Wellborne and Crenshaw for the sale of Wellborne’s beach property. The way he said it though makes me suspicious there’s more to it than he wants me to know. Waters is a shady lawyer as far as I’m concerned. He’s been involved in several land deals with tax issues. You know Glen Lund, the tax assessor is Waters’ cousin. I wouldn’t put it past those two to be in cahoots to try and get the Wellborne property. Maybe Waters put Lund up to raising the assessment on the property. The increased assessment surely was a factor in Crenshaw’s murder. If I can’t solve this murder and those two end up with the beach property I’m going to dig around. Maybe they hired someone to kill Crenshaw.”

“Everyone believes they are shady in their dealings, Sheriff. I can’t imagine though that they would have someone murdered. Are you ready for Jake Black? Deputy Wilson brought him in just before you got back from talking to Paul Waters.”

“Yes, bring him in.”

“Come in Jake. Have a seat. I have some questions for you.”

“The deputy said everyone’s wondering why I’m driving Crenshaw’s BMW instead of my old truck. Is that why you had me brought in?”

“Yes, that’s one reason.”

“I can explain it. My truck isn’t running well. Jolene Crenshaw saw me tinkering with my truck. When she learned I need to get it running so I can go south during the deer season she offered to let me drive her husband’s car. The reason I have to go south is to get away from the noise. I have PTSD.  I can’t take the noise of rifle shots so I can’t stay in my cabin during deer season. She doesn't like driving the BMW. It has a stick shift. Then she had another idea. She offered to let me stay at her place during the deer season. She said all of her neighbors have left for the winter. She’s alone in her big place near Perch Point lighthouse. She said she’s uncomfortable being alone with a bunch of strangers hunting deer in the woods behind her place. She claims her house is so well insulated I won’t hear any shooting if I stay inside. I’m thinking of taking her up on her offer. It’ll save me driving downstate and the cost of a motel for two weeks. She knows people will make a big deal out of me staying there but she doesn’t care. I’ve got to decide in a day or so. I know the hunters will be here a day or two before Friday’s opening day to sight in their rifles. Sorry for going on. Anyway, that’s why I’m driving the BMW.”

“That’s more explanation than I needed, Jake. You are right about people making a big deal out of it if you stay at Jolene’s. People in our village can’t resist gossiping about everything. I don’t care what you and Jolene do unless it’s connected with Carson’s murder. Didn’t you think when people see you driving Carson’s car they’ll think you may have murdered Carson for Jolene?”

“I learned a long time ago to ignore what local people think of me. I was looked down on by the people in Pineville when I was a poor kid from out in the country. Then, when I became the star of the high school football team they started treating me like I was important. As soon as I got injured I was back to being treated as the poor country hick. If these stuck ups want to believe I killed Crenshaw that’s their problem. I didn’t do it so I’m not going to pay attention to what people think.”

“Being a country hick myself I understand how you feel, Jake. I know I don’t get much respect as sheriff from the people in their big beach houses. It’s the country people that know me and vote for me. We’re getting off track. Do you have an alibi for the night Carson Crenshaw was murdered?”

“That was a month or so ago. What was the date?”

“It was Saturday, October 12. Where were you from 8:00 to midnight that night?”

“Saturday, October 12. Oh, I remember. I went to Bill’s Auto Repair in Oscoda that afternoon. My truck was running rough. Even my old truck is controlled by computer chips and you can’t figure out what's wrong without putting it on one of those fancy machines that do the diagnostics. Bill quickly figured out the problem, but it took two hours to get it running right. He had to take off a bunch of stuff to get at the adjustments. I watched him and I can fix it myself now. It takes several hours to take it apart, do the adjustments and put it back together. If I could afford it I’d turn that truck in for a newer one.”

“You’re getting off track again, Jake. You were at Bill’s Auto Repair until what time and where did you go after you left there?”

“I left there about 5:30 or 6:00 I think. Bill was ready to close up when I left. I took the River Road heading home. When I got out by the dam I stopped at that Mexican restaurant to eat. I remember now, it was well after 6:00 when I went in. There’s a big clock behind the bar. I guess they want people to know when it’s closing time. Anyway, one of my old Army buddies is sitting at the bar. He came up for the weekend to trout fish in the river. I recognized his laugh as soon as I heard it. We hadn’t seen each other since we both got out. It’s been over a year. We had dinner, a few beers and talked for a long time. I’m not sure what time I left the restaurant. I went to my cabin and spent for the rest of the weekend there.”

“What time did you get home, Jake?”

“I don’t know for sure. It must have been between 9:00 and 10:00. I was tired and went to bed early if I remember correctly.”

“Can anyone back up your story?”

“Let’s see.  Yes, the waitress at the Mexican restaurant. My Army Buddy, Sam was teasing her. She’ll remember him even if she doesn’t remember me.”

“What about Sam? Do you know how to get in touch with him?”

“Unfortunately, no. I didn’t think of it until the next afternoon. I wish I had gotten his phone number.”

“Do you know the waitress’ name?”

“Let me think. Mary, Martha, Marilynn or something like that. It was weeks ago, Sheriff, I can’t remember for sure.”

“It’s important, Jake. If you don’t have an alibi for the time of Carson Crenshaw’s murder you are my prime suspect.”

“Sorry, I can’t remember her name. But I would recognize her if I saw her again. She had beautiful hair like Jolene’s. Tell you what. Let’s go to the restaurant and find her. I’ll remember her and she’ll remember Sam. What do you say, Sheriff?”

“Hmm. How about we take the BMW and I get to drive. I’ve always wanted to drive one.”

“It’s a deal, Sheriff.”

When they get to the Mexican restaurant Jake looks at all the waitresses and doesn’t recognize any of them. He goes to the bartender and asks, “Is the waitress with the long blond hair here today?”

“You must mean Marge. She’s the only one with long blond hair. She’s not working here anymore. I caught her swiping tips that belonged to other waitresses and fired her two weeks ago.”

The sheriff asks, “Do you know how to contact Marge?”

The bartender says, “No, I believe she went back downstate. I think she only came up here for the summer.”

The sheriff and Jake return to Pineville. When the sheriff gets to his office he says, “Jake, without an alibi you’re my prime suspect. Don’t leave town. You had better take Jolene up on her offer to stay at her place during the hunting season if you can’t stay at your cabin. I need to know where to find you.”

“I told you I didn’t kill Crenshaw, Sheriff.”

“I don’t care what you say, you don’t have an alibi, just a long story about being in Oscoda and the Mexican restaurant.”

“But you heard the bartender. He knew the waitress. If I wasn’t at the restaurant how would I know the waitress?”

“You could have been there at any time. Knowing one of the waitresses doesn’t prove you were there on Saturday night, October 12.”

“What about Bill in Oscoda? He’ll remember working on my truck.”

 “Doesn’t help if he does. You had plenty of time to get back to Pineville to kill Crenshaw after you left Bill’s. You don’t have an alibi, Jake. Stay in town as I told you. Oh, and thanks for letting me drive the BMW. It was a blast.”

When Jolene gets home from work Jake is waiting for her. He tells her what happened with the sheriff. Jolene listens to his story and says, “That was quick thinking to say I invited you to stay with me during deer season. I forgot you go downstate then. I would have invited you to stay if I had remembered.”

“The problem is, Jolene, I don’t know if I can take it being here during hunting season. I made up the story of the house being so well insulated I won’t hear gunshots.”

“You won’t hear any shooting here, Jake. All the land close by is posted for no hunting. Even so, I’ll say to Erin and Violet that I’m glad you’re staying with me because I don’t want to be alone with strangers hunting deer nearby. If need be that will back up the story you gave the sheriff.”

“I don’t have any choice but to stay here. I can’t leave town and there’s surely less gunfire here than in the forest around the cabin. I’ll wear earplugs all day.”

“Good idea. You’ll be fine here, Jake. Now, I am going to fix dinner. We’ll have a beer and try to forget you’re a suspect. I go to the Art Society drawing session tonight. Pam Lafave will be there.  I’m going to tell her what you told the sheriff. She may have an idea of how to prove you’re telling the truth. I have to hurry if I’m not going to be late for tonight’s meeting.”

At the Art Society session that night Jolene tells Pam Jake’s story of his alibi not checking out. She says, “Pam, do you have any idea how we can prove Jake’s telling the truth?”

“Well, if we can’t prove Jake was at the restaurant maybe we can prove his truck was there. Do you know if Jake has one of the auto insurance policies that offer a discount if you put a gadget in your car tracking how safely you drive?”

“I believe he does. He said something about always driving slowly to save money on his insurance. How would that help?”

“Those gadgets report where the car is, the time and how safely it’s being driven. That way the insurance company can tell if you’re driving during rush hour, if you’re on a high traffic road and other information that lets them estimate the likelihood of the car being in an accident. If the sheriff checks with Jake’s insurance company and tells them it’s for a murder investigation I’m sure they’ll be able to tell if Jake’s truck was at the restaurant when he says he was there.”

“Pam, that’s wonderful. I’ll tell the sheriff first thing in the morning. You were able to prove me innocent and now you know how to prove Jake’s innocent.”

“Don’t tell the sheriff it’s my idea, Jolene. Tell him it’s Jake’s idea. The sheriff doesn't like it if I get involved in any of his investigations. He’ll never forgive me for solving George Citron’s murder. It made him look bad.”