Read Online The Traveling Corpse by Double Edge Press - Free Book Online

celebrate like somethin’ real
important jest happened!”
    Annie added, “Well, it’s all in good fun. And
you know that the New York State people are just as bad. Those two
states have the most people in BradLee.”
    DeeDee agreed it was friendly rivalry, then
added, “There’s nearly as many here from Maine—all those dear
Mainiacs! Like our dear Von and Verna.”
    â€œFor gosh sakes,” interrupted Art, “You women
can give a complete description of a person, but you can’t remember
her full name!”
    â€œWell, can you?” Annie challenged him,
playfully.
    He just shook his head and smiled, “No. But
then, I don’t know anything about her in the first place.”
    Doc, who loved to sing, started chanting his
own made-up words to a familiar tune: “I can’t remember who …
.”
    The four friends put their coffee cups in the
deep kitchen sink. Annie washed them and put them in the dish
drainer. As they were shrugging back into their jackets getting
ready to leave, she thanked them, “You don’t know how much I
appreciate your helping me this morning. We haven’t solved the
mystery, but maybe we’ve solved a little piece of it. It’s a
dilemma—a real dilemma!”
    Art was concerned, “You’re right, it is a
dilemma, and we aren’t going to get any help from the Sheriff’s
office until someone is reported missing. But, in the meantime,
Annie could be in real danger; especially if it gets out that we
found that shoe.”
    â€œBut, Honey, we don’t have any proof that the
shoe came from the dead body.”
    â€œThat’s true,” he admitted, “but I think we
should keep this just among our gang, at least until we get more
proof.”
    â€œThat makes sense to me,” Doc said. “It will
be safer for Annie. We’d better not tell anyone; not a word to
anyone. If we do, word will be around the park in no time. Mum’s
the word!”
    Annie held up the two packets wrapped in
aluminum foil, “We’ve got this shoe and the tissue with lipstick on
it as proof of … of something. Do you suppose it will do any
good to take these to the deputies?”
    DeeDee wrinkled her nose, “I don’t think it’d
do one bit a good, at least not jest yet. We jest don’t have enough
evidence. Do we?”
    Annie shrugged, “Probably not, but I suppose
I should call the sergeant. Anyhow, I’ll keep the stuff, just in
case.”
    â€œWhere will ya put ‘em?” DeeDee wanted to
know.
    â€œI haven’t thought about it,” Annie answered
her friend. “I suppose I’ll just put them in a drawer at home.”
    â€œMaybe it would be better if ya didn’t take
them ta your house,” DeeDee said.
    Doc seconded his wife, “Just to be safe, why
don’t you let me lock them in the freezer?”
    â€œAren’t we getting a little hyper?” Annie
queried.
    â€œMaybe so, but Annie, let’s not take any
chances,” Art said. “Here, Doc, put them in the freezer.” Art
pushed the two aluminum foil packets towards his friend.
    He put them in a zip-lock plastic bag, pasted
a label on the package and wrote on it, ‘Doc Davis’. After he put
it safely in the freezer, he asked, “What do we do next?”
    The others looked at each other and shook
their heads helplessly. Then Annie stopped and said, “Yes, I do
know what we should do. Bow your heads with me; I’ll send up a
sentence prayer: Dear Lord, it’s Annie down here with my husband
and friends. We are asking for your help. We have a serious problem
on our hands, and we need all the help we can get. Please guide us
and take care of us. Amen for now.”
    DeeDee thanked her for the prayer, then
asked, “Annie when you get home, are ya goin’ call that Sgt.
Menendez?”
    â€œI don’t know if it’s worth the bother