17. Sue Drops Hints

Sue is back at her desk after lunch with Pam when the sheriff returns from his lunch. She says, “Did you have a good lunch, Sheriff?”

“Not especially, the new cook at the Corner Bar can’t cook a decent hamburger. He overcooks the meat and puts on too much mustard. I wish they could keep a cook long enough to learn what their customers like. How was your lunch?”

Sue expects his casual question and decides, despite how much it pains her to lie, she's going to just this once. It’ll be worth the guilt to get the sheriff in a better mood. She’ll say she had lunch with someone the sheriff won’t likely talk to, yet will give her an excuse to relate gossip. She replies, “I had a delicious tuna fish sandwich. I had lunch with Violet Green so of course I had to listen to the latest gossip going around the Cut and Curl. You know the people on the City Council have been talking with everyone about the city’s financial problems. Violet’s hearing some people say the problems could be due to someone embezzling money from the city. They’re saying Glen Lund probably discovered the embezzling and got himself killed.”

That’s interesting; I’ve been thinking that could be the motive for killing Glen.”

At the end of the day when Sue is ready to go home she sticks her head in the sheriff’s office and says, “I’m done for the day. I’m going home. You could be right, Sheriff, if Glen discovered someone is embezzling money from the city like the gossips are saying it could be the reason he was killed.”

The sheriff says goodbye to Sue and she sees a puzzling look on his face. She thinks, ‘good, he’s thinking about a new line of investigation’.”

When Sue brings the sheriff his first coffee in his favorite red mug on Thursday morning she finds him in a better mood. As she puts the mug on his desk she says, “Can you imagine what Mary Jane Bloom will have to say if you catch someone embezzling city money?” She leaves his office before he can reply.

An hour later Sue takes the sheriff a second cup of coffee in his blue mug and removes the empty red one. She has trouble remembering if he wants the second coffee in the blue mug or the green one. He glares at her if she gets it wrong. He doesn’t glare so either she got it right or he’s thinking about catching the embezzler. She asks, “Sheriff, wouldn’t an embezzler have to have access to the treasurer’s computer files? “

He picks up his blue mug without noticing the color and says thoughtfully, “Yes, I suppose they would.”

“Do you think his files have evidence of embezzling or could the embezzler fix the files so no one would know? I guess you’d have to examine the files to know.” Again she leaves before he can answer.

At 10:30 Sue brings the green mug of coffee, picks up the empty blue mug, and says, “I can’t stop thinking about city money being embezzled like the gossips are saying. Wouldn’t that young man who’s the computer systems administrator be able to see the treasurer’s files without the treasurer knowing?”

“I believe he can access any of our files without our knowing, Sue,” the sheriff says more cheerfully than he’s been for days.

When the sheriff leaves for lunch Sue calls Pam on Pam’s cell phone. She says, “I’ve dropped almost enough hints. If I know the sheriff he’ll go see the computer systems administrator and have him access Hess’s files. I have to give him one more hint after lunch so he’ll know he has to see both bank statements and financial reports.”

“Good going, Sue. I suspect a new line of investigation is beginning, thanks to you. I have a way to make sure the systems administrator knows what to do.” says Pam.

The sheriff returns from lunch smiling. Sue asks, “Better lunch today, Sir?”

“Yes, I told the waitress to tell that new cook how I like my burgers. She did and he finally did it right,” the sheriff replies in a happy voice.

Sue adds, “That’s good news. I’ve been thinking. How would you detect embezzling? Would you have to compare bank statements to financial reports?”

“I suppose that’s one way,” the sheriff says as he goes into his office. A few minutes later he asks Sue to have the computer systems administrator come to his office.

Sue says, “Right away, Sir.” She thinks, ‘Finally, now I have to keep him on track until he’s got proof of Hess’s embezzling. Then I’ll have to lead him to ask Judge Laura Mae Hopper for a warrant to get Hess’s 9 mm Glock and see if it fired the bullet that killed Glen.’

Later Sue listens from her office to the sheriff’s conversation with the computer systems administrator. She hears the sheriff ask the young man to bring him copies of Hess’s financial reports and corresponding bank statements and not let Hess know he’s accessed Hess’s files. She’s surprised to hear the young man agree without asking why the sheriff wants the information.

That evening Sue calls Pam. She says, “Pam, the sheriff asked the systems administrator to get copies of Hess’s files. The young man agreed without asking why the sheriff wants them.”

Pam replies, “Good, now when the sheriff has the files he needs to compare the bank statement against the financial reports. He will find the expenses in the financial reports don’t match corresponding checks in the bank statement for many of the expenses. It’s the difference that’s being embezzled.”

“I’ll make sure he checks the expenses against the bank statement checks, Pam,” says Sue. Then she adds, “When the sheriff has proof of Hess’s embezzling I’ll get him to investigate Hess for Glen’s murder. Do you want me to keep you in the loop, Pam?”

“No need unless the Sheriff hits another dead end, Sue. I think you can handle it from here.”

The next morning when Sue arrives at work Deputy Wilson is waiting for her. He asks her, “Is the sheriff’s mood improving? All the deputies want to know.”

Sue replies, “Yes, he’s on a new investigation. I think he’s trying to show the city’s financial problems are due to someone embezzling city money. If it’s true it could be the treasurer. You know the sheriff. If he thinks Hess is guilty of embezzling he'll want to confront him. I’m worried Hess might have a gun. Would you see if he’s registered any guns with the state? He might even have a concealed carry permit. He handles a lot of money so he may think he needs protection. Let’s not let the sheriff be surprised.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Sue. I’ll check to see if Hess registered any guns. If he has, I won’t let the sheriff confront him alone. If you think the sheriff is about to confront Hess, call me. I’ll give him backup. If I find out Hess has guns I’ll let you know. Maybe you can talk the sheriff into requesting a search warrant. Since Lund was working with Hess we should check any guns he has to see if the bullet that killed Lund matches one of them. Maybe the sheriff should have considered Hess a suspect earlier.”

About mid-morning when Sue is about to take Sheriff Ericsson his second coffee the computer systems administrator comes in, hands her a large envelope, and asks her to give it to the sheriff. She gives the sheriff his coffee and the envelope. When he sees it’s from the systems administrator he asks Sue to close the door and not let him be disturbed. She leaves and closes his door.

A few minutes later Deputy Wilson peeks in her office, sees the sheriff’s door closed, and comes in. He tells her in a quiet voice that Hess has registered a 9 mm Glock and has a concealed carry permit for it.  He says, “I mentioned to the sheriff when we found Lund’s body that Hess lives close by. I thought it made sense if Lund met a drug dealer before going to Hess’s. Now, I think if Hess is embezzling money and killed Lund to keep it quiet he dumped the body at the picnic site because it’s close enough to walk back to his house.”

Sue says, “You could be right. I’ll tell the sheriff your theory when he’s through checking the financial reports. Thanks for finding out about Hess’s gun.”

An hour later the sheriff opens his door and calls Sue in. She sees he’s excited. He says, “I’ve done it. I’ve found the embezzler. It’s Hess alright. I’m going to his office and tell him I’ve caught him. I’ll arrest him.”

“Please slow down, Sheriff. You must have asked Deputy Wilson to check to see if anyone close to Lund has registered guns. Wilson came in this morning while you were analyzing whatever the systems administrator brought you. Wilson said to tell you Hess has a 9 mm Glock and a concealed carry permit. You should be careful if you’re going to accuse Hess of embezzling. Can you wait until Wilson can back you up? Or maybe it’s worth getting a search warrant for Hess’s gun to see if it fired the bullet that killed Lund. If it is you’ll be a hero for solving both Lund’s murder and catching the embezzler. That would fix Mary Jane Bloom’s wagon. You could get Hess’s gun without letting him know you’ve got him for embezzling if you play your cards right. What if you send deputies to get Hess’s gun and they tell him you’ve had a request from the State Police to check all the registered 9 mm handguns to see if any match a gun used in a murder in Saginaw. Hess will know his gun isn’t going to match so he shouldn’t be spooked into doing something stupid. What do you think?”

“I think you’re onto a good plan. Let me think about it over lunch. You’re right as usual, there’s no hurry. If I play my cards right, as you say, I may be able to solve two crimes at once. If I do I can’t wait to read Mary Jane Bloom’s column on my success.”

Sheriff Ericsson returns from lunch whistling cheerfully. He says, “I’ve thought about it and I see if I’m patient I can get Hess for embezzling and if he killed Lund because Lund found out, I can get him for the murder. I remember now, Glen’s phone log showed he called Hess rather than Hess calling him as Hess claimed. I’ll bet Lund intended to tell Hess he found out about the embezzling. Could be Lund intended to tell Hess before turning him in, never expecting Hess would kill to cover up his embezzling. Wilson mentioned Hess’s house is close to where we found Lund’s body. Close enough to walk back home after leaving Lund and his car at the picnic site. I had it all along, just didn’t put it together until now.”

“I knew you’d figure it out, Sheriff.”

“Okay, let’s put my plan in motion. Get a warrant for Hess’s 9 mm from Judge Hopper. I’ll go see the prosecutor. When I tell him I have proof of Hess’s embezzling city funds he’ll give me an arrest warrant. This time I’ve got more than speculation.”

“Yes, Sir.” Sue thinks, ‘Now it’s his plan.  That’ll keep him happy for a while’.