Read Online Biggie and the Quincy Ghost by Nancy Bell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Bell
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up, when the carriage turned and started going down a rutty dirt road. Pretty soon, I could see a muddy shallow creek ahead of us. On the opposite side stood a few dilapidated wooden buildings and a dock that was sitting up on a rise of dry land.
“And this,” Lucas said, opening his arms wide, “used to teem with activity. This is the riverboat landing. See those buildings over there?” He pointed. “They were all thriving businesses!” His eyes shone as if he could actually see the huge boats swaying in the water and the workmen along the banks loading and unloading cargo.
All I saw was a lonesome tomcat sitting at water’s edge hoping to catch a fish. Then, suddenly, the roar of a
motor broke the silence, as a Suburban came barreling out from behind one of the old buildings. It was full of teenagers, and I know they were drinking beer, because one of them threw a can out right in front of us, causing poor Belle to rear up. They all laughed their heads off, and as they drove by, I saw a familiar face looking at me from the backseat.
“That was Emily Faye,” I said to Lucas.
“You better tell your granny to get you some glasses, boy,” Lucas said. “Why that little gal doesn’t go anywhere except where her mama tells her to.”
I didn’t argue, but I knew what I’d seen.
When we got back to the park, the sheriff’s car was parked near the shed. Deputy Elmore Wiggs strolled over to the carriage. The sheriff wasn’t with him.
“Hidy, sonny,” he said.
“Hidy,” I said.
“Got a few more questions to ask you about the killin’. Now then, what time was it you said …”
“Just a minute, Wiggs.” Lucas raised his hand. “This young man shouldn’t be questioned without his grandmother present. And anyway, where is the sheriff? You’re not in charge of this investigation.”
Deputy Wiggs kicked the dust with the toe of his boot. “Sheriff’s in the hospital,” he said. “Appendicitis attack.”
“Did he tell you to try to question this minor child?”
“No, sir. Not exactly.”
Lucas glared down at the deputy. “Then exactly what did he tell you?”
“Well, sir, what he said was, he said I was to ask Miss Biggie to stop by his hospital room and have a little talk
with him. Son, would you give your grandmother that message?”
I nodded and hopped down from the carriage.
When we got back to the hotel I ran upstairs to Biggie’s room and found her sitting in a chair reading some pamphlets. “I got these at the Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “This town certainly has a colorful past.” She put the pamphlets on the table beside her. “How was your afternoon?”
“Okay,” I said then told her we’d taken a carriage ride instead of working at the museum. “Biggie, I saw that Emily Faye riding around in a car with some boys that were drinking beer. Does that sound like her to you?”
“Nope,” Biggie said. “Are you sure it was her?”
“Yes’m.”
“Well, it’s none of our business,” Biggie said. “Anything else happen?”
“Just that we saw that Deputy Wiggs. He says the sheriff’s in the hospital with his appendix. He wants you to come visit him.”
“Fine.” Biggie got up and moved to the dressing table, and commenced combing her hair. “I’d like to have a word with him, too.” She looked at me through the mirror. “What do you think of him?”
“The sheriff?”
“Um-hmm.”
“He’s got hair growing out of his ears. Biggie, are you gonna help solve this murder?”
“Hard to say.” Biggie looked at her watch. “Oops, it’s almost five. We’ve just got time to drop by the hospital before supper.”
“Do you know where it is, Biggie?”
“Yep. We passed it coming in. It’s just a few blocks away. Feel like a walk?”
I nodded and before a cat could lick his fanny, we were out on the sidewalk walking toward the one-story, red-brick hospital.
Biggie pushed open the heavy glass door and walked to the information desk to ask which
“And this,” Lucas said, opening his arms wide, “used to teem with activity. This is the riverboat landing. See those buildings over there?” He pointed. “They were all thriving businesses!” His eyes shone as if he could actually see the huge boats swaying in the water and the workmen along the banks loading and unloading cargo.
All I saw was a lonesome tomcat sitting at water’s edge hoping to catch a fish. Then, suddenly, the roar of a
motor broke the silence, as a Suburban came barreling out from behind one of the old buildings. It was full of teenagers, and I know they were drinking beer, because one of them threw a can out right in front of us, causing poor Belle to rear up. They all laughed their heads off, and as they drove by, I saw a familiar face looking at me from the backseat.
“That was Emily Faye,” I said to Lucas.
“You better tell your granny to get you some glasses, boy,” Lucas said. “Why that little gal doesn’t go anywhere except where her mama tells her to.”
I didn’t argue, but I knew what I’d seen.
When we got back to the park, the sheriff’s car was parked near the shed. Deputy Elmore Wiggs strolled over to the carriage. The sheriff wasn’t with him.
“Hidy, sonny,” he said.
“Hidy,” I said.
“Got a few more questions to ask you about the killin’. Now then, what time was it you said …”
“Just a minute, Wiggs.” Lucas raised his hand. “This young man shouldn’t be questioned without his grandmother present. And anyway, where is the sheriff? You’re not in charge of this investigation.”
Deputy Wiggs kicked the dust with the toe of his boot. “Sheriff’s in the hospital,” he said. “Appendicitis attack.”
“Did he tell you to try to question this minor child?”
“No, sir. Not exactly.”
Lucas glared down at the deputy. “Then exactly what did he tell you?”
“Well, sir, what he said was, he said I was to ask Miss Biggie to stop by his hospital room and have a little talk
with him. Son, would you give your grandmother that message?”
I nodded and hopped down from the carriage.
When we got back to the hotel I ran upstairs to Biggie’s room and found her sitting in a chair reading some pamphlets. “I got these at the Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “This town certainly has a colorful past.” She put the pamphlets on the table beside her. “How was your afternoon?”
“Okay,” I said then told her we’d taken a carriage ride instead of working at the museum. “Biggie, I saw that Emily Faye riding around in a car with some boys that were drinking beer. Does that sound like her to you?”
“Nope,” Biggie said. “Are you sure it was her?”
“Yes’m.”
“Well, it’s none of our business,” Biggie said. “Anything else happen?”
“Just that we saw that Deputy Wiggs. He says the sheriff’s in the hospital with his appendix. He wants you to come visit him.”
“Fine.” Biggie got up and moved to the dressing table, and commenced combing her hair. “I’d like to have a word with him, too.” She looked at me through the mirror. “What do you think of him?”
“The sheriff?”
“Um-hmm.”
“He’s got hair growing out of his ears. Biggie, are you gonna help solve this murder?”
“Hard to say.” Biggie looked at her watch. “Oops, it’s almost five. We’ve just got time to drop by the hospital before supper.”
“Do you know where it is, Biggie?”
“Yep. We passed it coming in. It’s just a few blocks away. Feel like a walk?”
I nodded and before a cat could lick his fanny, we were out on the sidewalk walking toward the one-story, red-brick hospital.
Biggie pushed open the heavy glass door and walked to the information desk to ask which
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