over there? Tire tracks. Like on a golf cart.”
Robby shook his head at the officer, “Golf carts on a golf course aren’t unusual.”
“Yes, sir, but these go all the way through the woods, off the course.”
Robby faced Eddie but asked the officer, “To the Inn?”
“No sir, the other direction, to the Fairgrounds.” Robby looked disappointed.
Eddie asked, “Is that where the Kelly carnival’s located?”
The officer looked at Eddie and then at Robby as if to see if he should answer.
Robby said, “Yes, it is. Come with me,” and started along the path.
The patrol officer, Eddie and I followed.
After a few minutes, we came out the other side of the woods and followed the trail to the carnival. When we got to the entrance area, foot traffic obliterated the tire tracks. Pops left the ticket booth and came our way. His eyes widened and he hurried over to the patrol officer.
“What’s up? Are you here about that farmer? I can’t take this publicity. Attendance is down.”
Robby showed Pops his badge and asked, “You have any golf carts?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Where are they?”
Pops pointed to two carts by the ticket booth. “Both here. What’s going on?”
“Did anyone use either one today?
“Leonardo did. He needed to chase a goat. He escaped from the petting zoo. The goat did.”
Eddie walked over to one of the carts, sniffed it, looked at me and shook his head.
Robby asked Pops, “When was this?”
Eddie sniffed the other cart, made a face, nodded and came back to us.
“Dunno. Maybe an hour and half ago? Look, He’s over at the popcorn joint. Go ask him.”
We found the popcorn stand next to the public parking lot in the shade of a yellow and red camper van like the one I saw the other day. I tried to look in the van’s window but couldn’t see anyone. When we arrived at the stand, Leonardo gave us that grin and asked, “So how many will it be? Buttered or plain?”
Robby showed him his badge.
Leonardo said, “The Law, huh? OK. You got me. I’m guilty. It’s not real butter.”
Robby asked him, “You take out one of the golf carts today?”
“No popcorn, huh? Sure, a goat escaped. Too bad they didn’t teach goat herding in business school. What’s up?”
“Have you been to the golf course today?”
“No, don’t play. Why?”
“Where’d you find the goat?”
Leonardo pointed in the direction opposite from the golf course. “About two miles that way. Took about an hour or so to find the little guy.”
“When’d you get back?”
“Around noon, had to cover a shift at the stand.”
Robby wrote something in his pad and said, “You see any other carts?”
“No. Why? What’s going on?”
“Just looking for someone. Thanks for your help.” He nodded at Leonardo and left with the patrol officer. Eddie and I followed them back to the golf course.
When we got back to the murder scene, Robby conferred in private with a few of the officers. Then he walked over to Eddie and me and asked, “Coffee?”
We nodded, got into our cart and followed Robby up to the Pro shop.
Eddie returned our cart while Robby and I bought coffee at the snack bar. After Eddie joined us at a picnic table overlooking the course, Robby asked, “Raquel. Can I trust you not to release what you hear until I give you the go ahead?”
“Sure.”
“Detective Franklin, I’m telling what we know out of professional courtesy. Can I expect you’ll act in kind?”
“Sure.”
“OK. We examined the scene and we’re calling it a homicide. Looks like the victim suffered a fatal blow to his head from a Kewpie Doll we found near the body. The doll’s head’s broken off and the bloody bottom seems to match the victim’s wound. M.E. thinks we missed the killer by minutes… ” Robby looked side to side and then at Eddie, “Could even still be nearby.”
“Did you also find any carnival tickets on the victim?” I asked.
“No, why?”
“You told me that the dead farmer had a stub
Robby shook his head at the officer, “Golf carts on a golf course aren’t unusual.”
“Yes, sir, but these go all the way through the woods, off the course.”
Robby faced Eddie but asked the officer, “To the Inn?”
“No sir, the other direction, to the Fairgrounds.” Robby looked disappointed.
Eddie asked, “Is that where the Kelly carnival’s located?”
The officer looked at Eddie and then at Robby as if to see if he should answer.
Robby said, “Yes, it is. Come with me,” and started along the path.
The patrol officer, Eddie and I followed.
After a few minutes, we came out the other side of the woods and followed the trail to the carnival. When we got to the entrance area, foot traffic obliterated the tire tracks. Pops left the ticket booth and came our way. His eyes widened and he hurried over to the patrol officer.
“What’s up? Are you here about that farmer? I can’t take this publicity. Attendance is down.”
Robby showed Pops his badge and asked, “You have any golf carts?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Where are they?”
Pops pointed to two carts by the ticket booth. “Both here. What’s going on?”
“Did anyone use either one today?
“Leonardo did. He needed to chase a goat. He escaped from the petting zoo. The goat did.”
Eddie walked over to one of the carts, sniffed it, looked at me and shook his head.
Robby asked Pops, “When was this?”
Eddie sniffed the other cart, made a face, nodded and came back to us.
“Dunno. Maybe an hour and half ago? Look, He’s over at the popcorn joint. Go ask him.”
We found the popcorn stand next to the public parking lot in the shade of a yellow and red camper van like the one I saw the other day. I tried to look in the van’s window but couldn’t see anyone. When we arrived at the stand, Leonardo gave us that grin and asked, “So how many will it be? Buttered or plain?”
Robby showed him his badge.
Leonardo said, “The Law, huh? OK. You got me. I’m guilty. It’s not real butter.”
Robby asked him, “You take out one of the golf carts today?”
“No popcorn, huh? Sure, a goat escaped. Too bad they didn’t teach goat herding in business school. What’s up?”
“Have you been to the golf course today?”
“No, don’t play. Why?”
“Where’d you find the goat?”
Leonardo pointed in the direction opposite from the golf course. “About two miles that way. Took about an hour or so to find the little guy.”
“When’d you get back?”
“Around noon, had to cover a shift at the stand.”
Robby wrote something in his pad and said, “You see any other carts?”
“No. Why? What’s going on?”
“Just looking for someone. Thanks for your help.” He nodded at Leonardo and left with the patrol officer. Eddie and I followed them back to the golf course.
When we got back to the murder scene, Robby conferred in private with a few of the officers. Then he walked over to Eddie and me and asked, “Coffee?”
We nodded, got into our cart and followed Robby up to the Pro shop.
Eddie returned our cart while Robby and I bought coffee at the snack bar. After Eddie joined us at a picnic table overlooking the course, Robby asked, “Raquel. Can I trust you not to release what you hear until I give you the go ahead?”
“Sure.”
“Detective Franklin, I’m telling what we know out of professional courtesy. Can I expect you’ll act in kind?”
“Sure.”
“OK. We examined the scene and we’re calling it a homicide. Looks like the victim suffered a fatal blow to his head from a Kewpie Doll we found near the body. The doll’s head’s broken off and the bloody bottom seems to match the victim’s wound. M.E. thinks we missed the killer by minutes… ” Robby looked side to side and then at Eddie, “Could even still be nearby.”
“Did you also find any carnival tickets on the victim?” I asked.
“No, why?”
“You told me that the dead farmer had a stub
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