Black Cat Weekly #94

Chapter 6

by“You must be so proud of Ellen,” Detective Mandi Rhodes said to the tall figure in uniform as the color guard passed the stands and exited the gym.

“I’m proud of both the kids,” said a beaming Colonel Stanley Combs. “I confess I got a little choked up when Tom asked his height-challenged sister to take his place in the color guard this evening during the salute to our veterans.”

Elk Creek was a patriotic place, and the community had packed the gym to support their high school basketball team, but perhaps even more to say a special thanks to the men and women who had served in the military. Halftime had been an extravaganza of flags and music culminating in the presentation of the colors and the National Anthem.

“How long will Ellen be home?” said Mandi.

“Her leave is up early next week,” said the colonel. “Luckily, she had a dress uniform at home.”

As Mandi prepared for the second-half whistle, she received a call from her dispatcher informing her that there had been a robbery at the ECHS principal’s office next to the gym.

Principal Roy Huggins greeted Mandi with a shake of his head. “I just can’t believe it. The money was here when I slipped out to catch the halftime ceremony, and when I got back, it was gone.”

“How much are we talking about?”

“The receipts for the entire Winter Festival week,” said Huggins. “They were in my desk over there, and I assure you I locked the door when I left.”

“Besides you, who has a key to the office?” said Mandi.

“Karl Bingham, my assistant principal, and Shirley Latta, our administrative assistant.”

“Anyone else?”

Huggins thought for a second. “Gary Stokes, our custodian, of course.”

Mandi found Karl Bingham at the concession stand. “Mr. Bingham,” she called over the cacophony of voices as she flashed her badge, “could I have a minute?”

“Do I look like I have a minute to spare?” shouted the heavy-set young man. “I haven’t left this stand since before the game started, and the halftime crowd almost did me in.”

Satisfied with the evidence surrounding the assistant principal’s alibi, Mandi decided to leave him to his hotdogs and soda without even questioning him about the theft.

Mandi spotted Gary Stokes wheeling a mop and bucket toward a room marked MAINTENANCE. Hurrying down the hall, she called out, “Mr. Stokes, we need to talk.”

“Everybody calls me Gary,” the lanky figure in overalls said after Mandi identified herself.

“Well, Gary,” she said as he unlocked the closet and shoved in the wheeled bucket, “where were you during tonight’s halftime?”

“Me and my trusty bucket spent halftime mopping up the mess from a busted pipe at the far end of the gym.”

Looking at the soaking overalls and the puddling water at Stokes’ feet, Mandi doubted he had had time to commit the theft at the building next door.

Using the number Principal Huggins had given her, Mandi dialed Shirley Latta’s cell. The administrative assistant told her she was sitting in the top row of Section F.

Mandi caught her breath as she reached the top of the stairs. “Ms. Latta?” she said to the young woman decked out in a bright red ELKS sweatshirt.

The woman nodded with a smile.

“I’m Detective Mandi Rhodes, and I need to talk with you about a theft at your office.”

“Oh my!” said Shirley. “What was taken?”

“The Winter Festival receipts.”

“I told Mr. Huggins he should have taken the money to the bank this afternoon,” said Shirley.

“Where were you during halftime tonight?” said Mandi.

“Right here in my seat,” said Shirley. “Do you think I’d miss that halftime show? All the music, the flags, and my heart skipped a beat when those four hunks presented the colors. Don’t you just love a man in uniform?”

“I’m afraid you aren’t going to love the uniforms you’ll see at the lockup downtown,” said Mandi.

When Shirley mentioned the FOUR hunks in uniform, Mandi knew she hadn’t seen the ceremony with the diminutive Ellen Combs replacing her brother in the color guard. Confronted, Shirley confessed that after seeing Huggins enter the gym, she had slipped into the principal’s office and taken the money to bankroll a cruise to escape the Elk Creek winter.