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“Why did you need money?”
“I owe about $100k to the Bangate casino for a run of bad luck I had at the tables. Grant initially balked at loaning me the money but later changed his mind and agreed.”
“And when did Grant change his mind?”
“It happened shortly before rifle season after we talked it through. He said he just needed a few weeks to liquidate some bonds. Unfortunately, his death means I’m back at square one and must find another way to raise the cash.”
“Is there anyone else who knew what Grant had promised? Maybe your brother Jeff or Grant’s wife, Sarah?”
“I don’t think either of them knew about it, although I can’t be 100% sure.”
“So there’s nobody to back up your story?”
“No…wait, Cyrus Campbell can vouch for me. I talked to Cyrus about helping me out when Grant originally balked. Once Grant changed his mind, I called Cyrus to tell him I wouldn’t need his help anymore. Cyrus can vouch for me and tell you that’s what I did.”
“That’s great, Eddie, that you told Cyrus about the loan. However, if I were skeptical, you telling Cyrus that Grant planned to loan the money could be a smokescreen to throw us off your tracks.”
“No way, deputy! You’ve been watching too many of those Law and Order tv shows. Grant decided to loan me the money because that’s what brothers do.”
“I also heard you were in the Coyote Grill on November 14th while Grant shot pool with his friends.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I stop there every year for a couple of drinks before heading to camp.”
“So you would have had access to the flask Grant carried in his jacket pocket that contained the poison?”
“I suppose, but you’re crazy if you think I had anything to do with Grant’s murder. Don’t forget; I got poisoned too. Why would I poison myself? Think about that.”
“So what I’m hearing, Eddie, is you owe a lot of money, and you claim Grant promised to pay off your debt. You admit you had access to the flask at the Coyote Grill and your camp. You were overheard in the bar talking about what a problem Grant was. “Do I have that all right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Well, then you must realize how this looks pretty suspicious. Is there anything more you want to tell me about Grant or your situation?”
“No, other than to say again, I loved my brother and would never harm him under any circumstances.”
“Ok, then, Eddie. We’re done for now. I’ll be back in touch after I check out a few things and get further into my investigation. You weren’t planning on leaving town anytime soon, were you?”
“No, I’ll be around.”
“Good. We’ll talk again.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Sheriff Johnson of the Lakeview Sheriff’s Department had finally returned from his vacation and wanted to get up to speed on the Koehler murder. He ushered Deputy Stassin into his office and said, “Reed, gimmie an update on the status of the Koehler investigation. I’m getting bombarded with questions from the press and citizen groups. Where are you at on this thing, and when will it be solved?”
“I‘m making good progress, Sheriff. The more I get into the case, the more complicated it gets. Multiple suspects have emerged, and I’m trying to narrow down who had the motive and opportunity to commit the murder. This water hemlock poison is not something that’s easy to get. There are only limited places that we know of where it still grows in Michigan. Several persons of interest have already been identified. One is a hunting buddy of Grant’s named Chet Freemont. I think you know Chet because he teaches shop at Granite Cove High.”
“Yes, I know Chet a bit. My son had him for auto shop class as a senior.”
Stassin continued, “Chet disliked the Koehlers, especially Grant. He also lied about his activities on the day of the murder. He’s the last known person to see Grant alive. I’m looking hard at him right now.”
“Then there's this guy Tim Starks that Grant fired from the Iron Works. I heard he issued a threat the day it happened and may have been involved in a shooting incident back in October, where somebody took a potshot at Grant.”
“There is another shady guy, supposedly named Turk, who showed up to hunt at Trails End on November 14th. I contacted the casino in Bangate, where he supposedly worked, and they said they had never heard of him. Eddie Koehler, the youngest brother, at first called him a friend. Later I got him to admit he really didn’t know the guy. Claims he basically invited himself to the camp. Eddie doesn’t know if Turk, or Jim Turkovich is even his real name."
“Another guy has emerged that I’m sure you’re familiar with. You know Stanky, right?”
“Of course I know Stanky. Everyone knows Stanky.”
