Murder on the Mainline: another Mike Claymore Mystery Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE
1ST SUNDAY

Saturday they putter around the house since it’s raining and the kids keep getting under foot. Mike spends part of the day doing up paperwork for an insurance claim report he has been working on for a week. He drops it off over at the ABC Security Service office late in the afternoon. He checks with the secretary but she doesn’t have any more work for him right now so he heads home for supper.

Marlene is snarly this evening from having the kids home and in the house all day. She claims he cops out by going to his office or sneaking away to the security office. He tries not to argue and they go to bed in a sour mood.

Sunday morning the sun beams into their windows and it looks like it will be a beautiful day. Mike suggests a picnic lunch and a drive in the country. Marlene loves the idea so she packs a lunch while Mike gets the kids around and ready. They head out of Abbotsford to Mission then east along the Fraser River. It’s a bright sunny day in early May and the yellow broom is just starting to bloom. They dot the riverside and along the roads. The fresh green leaves and growth of grass has turned the landscape into a fairyland of newness, a reaffirmation that spring brings all things alive again. They stop at the lookout on Mount Woodside and peer out over the many meandering courses of the mighty Fraser River with Mount Cheam looming in the background over Agassiz.

Marlene suggests they stop here for lunch but Mike says he plans on stopping at Bridal Veil Falls, unless they are too hungry to go on. “Is anyone too weak to go any farther?” he asks. A chorus of ‘no’s is his response so they pile back into his wife’s station wagon and head on out through Agassiz, across the bridge and into Bridal Veil Falls Park. Of course the first thing the kids see is the Flintstone Park and water slide. Mike insists they find a table by the falls and have lunch before they go into the Flintstone area.

After lunch he flips a coin with Marlene to see who will take the girls and who will take Richard. He ends up with the girls so they head off to the Flintstone Playland hand in hand. They ride a few rides and then he turns them loose in a pen filled with brightly colored Styrofoam balls and tumbling equipment. There are a dozen other kids in there so Mike relaxes and wanders over to get himself a soft drink.

He comes back to see if they are tired but they seem to have teemed up with another little girl and are having a ball. He absently watches Shelly climb a ladder and call down, “Come on, Crystal, you can do it. Come on. Janet, you help her.” He starts and looks closely at the other little girl then turns his head to scan the crowd. She’s by the corner of the pen grinning at him and holds up two fingers then points at the girls and looks quizzically at him. He grins and nods in the affirmative. She looks around and seems to be looking for someone then looks at him again in a quizzical manner. He looks around and sees Marlene far over near the front fence so he sidles up to Trudy and whispers; “She’s over near the front fence in the red sweater. That’s our son, Richard, with her. What are you doing here? I thought you were working this weekend.”

“The kids look like they’re pretty busy and safe. Come on.” She nods at a trail behind the pen that leads up to the falls. Quickly they follow the trail to an area where a short side trail leads into an alcove. They slide in out of sight and he picks her up to kiss her. She wraps her legs around him and they kiss again. Her tongue darts into his mouth and she wriggles in his arms with hers clasped behind his head. Breathlessly she gasps, “I’m so glad to see you today. I’ve been thinking about you ever since I couldn’t make it to go with you this week. When do you have another trip?”

“If you don’t stop wriggling you won’t have to wait for another trip. My God, where are your panties?”

“Where’s your sense of adventure? Wouldn’t a quickie under the nearby watchful eye of your wife thrill you? I thought you had balls!” She teases him by working her body up and down against the front of him while she clings to his frame.

“We have to get back. It’s been five minutes since we left the kids. Behave now.”

She kisses him again and he can’t refuse her. He reaches under her bare bottom and releases his throbbing manhood. In another five minutes they’re done and he sets her on her feet. She laughs and says, “Race you back to the playground.” She takes off and he cleans himself up a bit before following her. She’s demurely standing by the pen when he comes out of the trail. He spots Marlene and Rick coming their way so he calls to Shelly and Janet to come out now. They come tumbling out with Crystal in tow. Mike steps back so Crystal won’t recognize him and she goes to Trudy. Trudy raises her hand and wiggles her fingers at him as she leaves. Mike picks up the girls hands, one on each side and turns to meet Marlene. “How we making out here? Has Rick had enough for one day? How about it, girls? Shall we go home now?”

“I think these two young ladies have had enough. Look how dirty they are. We better call it a day.”

“We were playing with Crystal. She’s really smart and lots of fun. Where did she go, Daddy?”

“You mean the little girl you were playing with. I think her mother came and took her home.” Mike hopes he’s right when he tells Shelly that. They return to the car and Mike makes sure everything is loaded up before they pull out for home. He is still a bit stunned by the sudden appearance of Trudy and the romp in the bush. He can’t believe it happened. He grins to himself as they drive out onto the freeway. Marlene is glad to see him so happy at their outing. She thinks she will make sure he has a pleasant evening tonight and she grins, too.

Monday morning Mike gets a call from the security firm to check out another insurance claim. He tells them he will pick up the form today. A few minutes later the phone rings again and it’s CPX with a run to Calgary. They want him to go today and say they’ll have the trailer loaded by three PM.

He uses his cell phone to call Trudy, who cheers so loud he thinks someone in the next room might hear her. She says she’s off and will be glad to join him. “It’s about time to finish what we started yesterday”, she says. He chuckles and agrees. He hangs up and uses the house phone to call Len.

“What’s the latest on that murder in POCO, Len?”

“They’ve arrested Ray Chauffe. I can’t believe it. Ray’s not that kind of a guy. He says he was here washing his truck last Thursday night and didn’t see or hear anything. They say they have evidence that he was the one who took her back there and killed her. It doesn’t make sense to me. Anyone could screw Flo who had the money. Why would he kill her? Of course the investigation is still underway but they’ve arrested Ray.”

“I don’t believe it either. Ray and I have gone drinking together and I think I’m a fair judge of character. I’ve always liked Ray and I’m sure they’ve made a mistake. Maybe I’ll come over there and see what I can find out. I may see you later. I have a run to Calgary tonight anyway. If I don’t see you today, I’ll catch you when I get back.”

“I doubt they will let you have any information here at the cop shop but see what you can come up with anyway. I’ll see ya, buddy.”

They hang up and Mike goes out into the kitchen. “Got to run, honey. Have a trip to Calgary and a case to pick up over at the security shack. See you tomorrow night, babe.”

Mike takes his briefcase and flight bag to his Mustang convertible and leaves Marlene up to her elbows in applesauce she’s canning. He goes around to ABC Security and picks up the paperwork. He glances over it and puts it into his briefcase. He checks his watch and dials on the cell phone.

“Nina? Was that ever lucky! I caught you on the first ring. I thought I’d have to ask them to get you to the phone and they’d all tease you about the strange man calling you. Are you free for lunch? No martinis, I promise.” He chuckles.

“I’m still hung over, I swear. But it was worth it. We had fun, didn’t we? You want to take me to lunch? Does Marlene know?”

“Of course not. This is our secret. How about it?”

“I shouldn’t, but what the hell. Okay”

“What time you off?”

“Twelve thirty to one thirty”

“I’ll be out front. See ya.”

Mike heads out the highway for Mission and swings west towards POCO.