The Traveling Corpse by Double Edge Press

appointed a woman who is a new
resident here to be Karl’s assistant. She has excellent business
credentials. We aren’t interested in prosecuting Karl; we just want
to put an end to his sticky fingers. We had hoped to quietly have a
book-keeping system with checks and balances put in place, so all
monies are accounted for. He has run them well for over five years
and does an outstanding job of promoting our Bingo games throughout
the community.”
    â€œAnd how did he adjust to having a woman
assistant thrust on him?” Menendez asked.
    â€œWe don’t know,” Barb put in, “and nobody has
seen her, and there has been no missing person report filed on her
behalf.”
    The two officers asked more questions. The
seniors filled in small details. Finally, satisfied, Sgt. Menendez
said, “That seems to wrap things up for now. I’d like to go over to
Old Main and have you show me where you found the scrap of
material, the tissue and the two shoes. Perhaps it’s best if only
two of you go with Joe and me.”
    Art suggested, “Annie, if you show them those
four places, I’ll get the evidence from Doc. It will arouse less
suspicion if I go in the kitchen alone and ask him to get the foil
packages from the freezer.”
    When the deputies drove out of the Vigeaux’s
driveway, they had four pieces of evidence, but no body.
Annie said to Art and their friends as they watched the officers
leave, “They were a lot more interested in listening to our
theories this morning than they were last night, but we still
haven’t convinced them that a crime really happened. Who knows?
They may be laughing about all this and saying something like,
‘That little-ole senior woman’s got a screw loose!’ But I don’t.
All the screws in my brain are just fine,” she said as she rubbed
her left temple. “I’ve got to show them I’m not crazy! I’ll be like
that cute saying that Nelly told us once at Coffee Hour: ‘A woman
is like a tea bag. You don’t know how strong she is until you put
her in hot water.’ Well, I’m in hot water now, and I will be
strong—with God’s help and all of you to support me. Now I’m going
home to take a nap.”
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    * * *
    Â 
Wednesday Afternoon, 3:00 P.M.
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    The year before, in 1993, the resident owners
of BradLee Retirement Park could finally boast that their park now
had two, much used 18-hole golf courses. They paid for the new land
for the second 18 holes by selling golf view lots. To help keep
their golf fees down, volunteers ran the Pro Shop and did other
tasks like laying the cement for the cart paths. Women golfers,
with a lot of help from the men, held a huge rummage sale each
winter that netted over $30,000.00. Golf courses are expensive to
maintain. The Gold course was the newest, longest, and most
popular. The Blue, the original course, was executive length.
    â€œWhich course do you want to play?” Verna
asked the Golfing Gals.
    â€œTha Gold is always so busy. We’ll probably
have ta wait if we want ta play on it,” DeeDee said, “an’ it’s
already the middle of tha afternoon, an’ it gets dark early in
January.”
    Annie added, “We don’t want to be out here
too long since we’ve got the park dinner tonight.”
    â€œWell, then, we’ll tee-off on the Blue front
nine,” Barb decided. “We won’t have to wait long; there’s only one
foursome in front of us. Besides, I like to watch the ostriches and
emus there alongside the fifth hole.” The farmer who owned the land
adjoining the south end of their golf course raised ostriches and
emus and sold their meat which is prized because it is lower in
cholesterol than beef.
    â€œI like ta watch ‘em, too, ‘specially this
time of year,” DeeDee said.
    â€œWhat’s so special about this time of
year?”
    â€œIt’s their matin’