The murder brought my main focus back to events in Columbia Falls, rather then the lawsuit Leona was facing. While I had to admit that the unknown man had presented some good points, I still personally hoped Leona won there. Maybe not so much from the fear of them losing control or some other thing... but I really couldn't define why, even to myself. Maybe it was simply antagonism of some kind. I had decided to be against it, and wasn't about to become a cheerleader for the other side just because they might actually have a better argument at the moment.
But even if I could, there was nothing I could do. That case was being heard in Peoria or Springfield, Illinois. Since I had missed the report because of the murder investigation's beginnings I couldn't tell where the lawsuit was being heard... but either way, Molly and I were several states away. And we both had our own jobs to focus on. Molly with the school. And I presently had the murder of a former R.A.M. member to investigate. I couldn't let my concerns on Leona's lawsuit get in the way of my job.
The case was already a tough one. Josh Marksman wasn't killed by his sons, or at least I didn't think so. The scents that I picked up seemed to go along with their story that he was arguing with someone when they returned home. The great problem was neither son could really give an adequate description of what the guy looked like, which meant that Josh Marksman could have been killed by anyone and for any reason. We simply assumed it was buy another former R.A.M. member that was pissed about the loss of his money.
I pondered these thoughts as I went into work the next morning. I met Officer Jenkins on the way in, but she was rather quiet this morning. I guessed that meant she had been thinking a lot about the present case as well. As we made our way into the station, we found Officer Howard waiting outside his office as we came in.
"How are you two doing?" Officer Howard asked calmly as we clocked in.
"About as well as can be expected," I answered, "people are out there wanting to be animal-people, which I can do nothing about, and the former R.A.M. members are starting to shoot themselves out here... and we have no clear leads as to WHO did it."
Officer Howard nodded, "I know. It's the murder I want to talk with you two about. Come on in."
"I'm doing well, too sir," Officer Jenkins commented, "though... the murder's made me somewhat nervous... those too boys are orphaned... I don't want my daughter to be orphaned..."
"She won't," I tried to comfort her.
"And we'll get the guy who did this," Officer Howard nodded as we followed him into his office.
We followed him in and waited patiently for him to sit down before the official part of this meeting began.
"As you know our force here is fairly small," Officer Howard spoke, "we really do not have an actual "detective" that can do a lot of the work that will be involved in tracking down this guy, so as the first responding officers, that job falls to the two of you. And will stay with the two of you until he's caught, regardless of when Officer Barnes is fit to return to patrol duty."
"Of course, sir," Officer Jenkins nodded.
"And by your reports, neither son could give an adequate description of the man that their father was arguing with," Officer Howard continued.
"We were of the impression that they were trying to sneak back into the house from the residence they had been visiting earlier," I nodded, "I doubt they bothered to really look at the man."
"And our only real clue as to a motive was that the victim was a good friend of Beauregard's... I mean who was truly friends with the man," Officer Jenkins answered, "so it's entirely possible that the murderer is a former R.A.M. member who's finally blown his top at something..."
"Beauregard and R.A.M. being the topic of the argument, Marksman defends Beauregard, and the murderer snaps and shoots him," Officer Howard mused, "it's why things like what that lunatic started never end well..."
"It's the best guess we have at the moment," I told him, "if it wasn't R.A.M. related, it could be just about anything."
"Follow the R.A.M. angle first," Officer Howard answered, "it might actually lead us to something... which is partially why I called you two in for this meeting..."
"Sir?" Officer Jenkins asked.
"Looking over your reports last night, I sent a fax into the FBI offices in Helena," Officer Howard answered, "since they took the evidence we collected to convict Beauregard. We can't obviously get any of that back, but they did agree to fax us back the pages from the handbook that includes the membership list..."
He then lifted up a few sheets of paper and handed them to Officer Jenkins.
"Since we have no idea who the suspect actually is, it may help to simply go around and ask the various R.A.M. members a few questions," Officer Howard added, "though this part will be informal. Until we can get a possible suspect we're not going to get a warrant, so be warned, they do not have to cooperate with either of you... and they may not be inclined to with you, Officer Wayne, being one of the investigating officers."
"We'll do our best, sir," I answered, "and several have actually backed away from all of that when they realized how Beauregard swindled them. We might get someone who will cooperate."
++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So who do you want to start with first?" Officer Jenkins asked as we made our way out to the patrol car as she handed me papers with the list of R.A.M. members on it.
"I guess just to start with the first name on the list," I shrugged, "a Trevor Green."
I then gave her the address that was written on sheet of paper and climbed into the back seat.
"Alright then," Officer Jenkins answered and we went on our way.
The address proved to be a private residence on the southeast end of town, but still in the city limits. Molly and I probably passed it several times on our way into our respective jobs. There were lights on inside, so it wasn't likely that someone was up as we arrived. Officer Jenkins and I then slowly approached the door and hoped that Trevor Green would be cooperative. Officer Jenkins was the one to knock on the door.
A few minutes after knocking on the door, a lone man answered it, looking very much like he had been getting ready for work.
"Yes...?" he spoke slowly, "is there something you want officers?"
"We're presently investigating the murder of Joshua Marksman, committed yesterday," Officer Jenkins answered, "we believe the suspect was a R.A.M. member and would like to ask you a few questions to see if you could help us gain some idea as to who might have murdered him."
"R.A.M.?" Trevor Green grumbled, "thought I'd never hear that again after what Beauregard did..."
"Will you answer our questions?" I asked.
"Like what?" Trevor Green asked back, "like someone came over and bragged about it? No. No one did that."
"We're not asking if anyone bragged," Officer Jenkins responded, "we don't think that that was a likely possibility. From what we were told, he had been in an argument with the murderer and the murderer likely shot him when the argument got to a point where he/she lost his temper and fired."
"And you think I did it?" Trevor Green growled, "do you think I'm stupid?"
"We want to ask you about what you knew about R.A.M.'s other members," I told him, "if he/she might have somewhat of a short temper... carries a handgun on him... possibly involved in the ranching industry... felt betrayed by what Beauregard did to the various R.A.M. members. That sort of thing."
"I see," Trevor Green said slowly, "I'm afraid I don't really know. I run the local laundromat and only attended the first meeting that was called because Beauregard called just about everyone he either visited or given some support to. After that, I really couldn't be all that bothered with it. So I don't really know many of the other members... and considering that Beauregard robbed all of us, I'd tend to think that EVERY R.A.M. member feels betrayed by him."
"So you can not help us narrow down who it might be?" Officer Jenkins asked.
"Afraid not, now if that is all you have, I need to finish getting ready for work," Trevor Green answered and shut the door in our faces.
We both sighed heavily and made our way back to the car.
"Why would he join the organization and not be involved in it?" Officer Jenkins asked.
"Probably a political decision," I commented, "R.A.M. looked popular because a powerful man in the area was forming it. And if he agreed with the tenants of the argument presented, he hitched his banner to the cause as a show of solidarity and to make the claim that he stood with them if they had won."
"So what do you think?" Officer Jenkins wondered.
"We can probably cross him off the list," I answered, "the murderer was likely another rancher, as he would be the only one to have any business at Marksman's home that late at night... though I wouldn't cross out all the in town addresses either as we simply don't know everything yet."
Officer Jenkins then nodded, "I think we can cross off the women's names on the list too. Both sons... err... well, the son that the most talkative, was certain that the suspect is male... though the female members might still know something."
"Best to stay gender neutral when asking the questions though," I commented, "since we have no explicit confirmation that it was a man that committed the murder."
Officer Jenkins nodded, "So the next name on the list?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Most of the morning went much the same. There were a great many people on the list, many more then just a handful of people that felt indebted to Beauregard. Many of the responses to me differed. Some had actually changed their tone when Beauregard's case had revealed that Molly and I weren't mere mundane animals, but there were still a few that seemed to cling to Beauregard's ideas. But in most cases, they either felt they didn't have time to answer questions before getting ready for work and we had to arrange a date when we could interview them. In these cases, it generally played out to their schedule.
Among the few that did allow us to try and see if they knew anyone who might have been that potentially violent, but found that most of them were picked up as "cogs". They carried the signs and chanted the slogans, but Beauregard didn't involve them in much more then that, and thus they didn't interact with everyone that had been in the organization. And they repeated Trevor Green's line that they had all been betrayed by Beauregard.
"This is getting us nowhere," Officer Jenkins groaned as we stopped in a parking lot to a local park after our last visit, "either they won't talk to us at all... or they don't have any ideas... or we got to come back later when it's convenient for them!"
"We have no definite suspect and no warrant," I reminded her, "we can't make them do anything they don't want to do."
"And it's getting us nowhere," Officer Jenkins commented, "I think or two of the last group weren't home."
"Likely gone to work," I nodded.
She paced the parking lot for a few moments while I looked over the list. If we were to get any clue, we'd need to either find someone who likely had a position of authority in R.A.M. or to talk with the ranchers that had joined the hate-group. So far, all the people that we had met with appeared to be both minor members and people who lived in town.
"Can you find the school superintendent on this list?" I asked Officer Jenkins after a moment.
Officer Jenkins came over, "the superintendent?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he and the elementary/kindergarten/pre-K principal are members as they are still trying to get Molly fired... or in a position where they could fire her," I answered, "I would bet that they were involved in leading the organization in some way... he might have some idea about who could have murdered Joshua Marksman."
Officer Jenkins took the list and went through it stopping at a Wayne Hireman.
"This is him," Officer Jenkins spoke, "you intend to bother him at work?"
"Marksman was a friend of Beauregard's," I answered, "the guy would have to think that Marksman agreed with Beauregard on principle, not on personal friendship.... so, logically, Mr. Hireman has lost a potential ally in keeping Beauregard's campaign of racism going. He would WANT justice to be served... so answering a few questions that in no way implicate him wouldn't be too troublesome."
"Hopefully you're right, George," Officer Jenkins commented, "to the school's central office!"