Mystery on the Bayou

                                                                                        Chapter 11

                                                                              Life is Ups and Downs                                                                                           

     While Deputy Cruise was confirming Grant Bass's alibis, preparing to go shopping for a new wardrobe for Grant and a variety of other things that the sheriff left him to do,  Jessie, Esther and Ron were waiting to hear what information, if any, the sheriff was able to get from Grant Bass.  Essie was standing at the door of the houseboat and watching the cars go by on the main road.

     Jessie and Ron were sitting in the living room, only half watching the TV.  Suddenly a car pulled off the main street and turned into the driveway.  It was Sheriff Frank Matthews.  "He's here!" she hollered.  "You don't have to holler child.  We're sitting ten feet away from where you're standing," Jessie told her on a chuckle.

     "Hello Essie," Frank said as she opened the door for him.  Cocoa squawked hello from at top of Jessie's shoulder, (at least that's how Jessie saw it) as Frank took a seat in the easy chair where he usually sat when he visited.  "Well, how are you all?" the sheriff asked as he took a paper from a folder on his lap.

     "Anxious," Ron said.  "Okay then," Frank said, "let me get right to it." He took a moment to scan the paper in front of him and then said, "Well, first of all Grant Bass has confirmed alibis for the day of your brother's death Ron, and also the day that you and Clark were almost run down.  Deputy Cruise called me on my way here and told me." The sheriff's audience didn't say anything, just waited for the rest.

     "The gun that Floyd or Doogie, I forget which one, saw on the table at the shack this morning is registered to Grant Bass.  Deputy Cruise ran the gun and it is clean.  It's never been used to commit a crime.  The red car is registered to Carl Masters...." "No surprise there," Ron said with a sneer.  The sheriff nodded at him in agreement and then went on.

     "Grant did give me some good leads on two men that may have killed your brother and tried to run you down.  Grant heard from one of Carl's goons, as Grant calls them, that the hits were ordered by Carl Masters."  "I knew the guy was crooked," Ron said, and I thought that someone related in some way to the gambling house was responsible for my brother's death.  But I was thinking it was probably somebody who had a beef with him."

     "From what Grant told me, Carl was the one who had a beef with your brother," Frank told him.  "Grant Bass told you that?"  Ron asked.  "Yes.  He also said that Grant would gamble at night at the house.  But three days a week he hung around in Carl's office for a couple of hours and every time on those days he came out of the office around noon, waving a wad of money in his hands."

     Ron's mouth dropped open and he stared blankly at Frank for a few moments, then he asked,  "What does that mean?"  "I have a theory," Frank said.  "Let's hear it," Ron said in a softer tone.  Frank cleared his throat before he spoke, "I think your brother Randal had something on Carl Masters."  "Like what?" Ron asked, irritated again.

     "Grant said that a couple of dealers working the tables would talk about how they were cheating the customers with slight of hand tricks, and then at the close of the day, they would run the money they'd cheated out of the customers back to Carl.  Grant said that maybe Randal heard the same talk and threatened Carl that he would spread it around unless he gave him money," the sheriff told him.  "My brother wouldn't...." Ron started to say, but then he hung his head and said, "The fact is I don't know what my brother would have done.  I hardly knew who he was anymore."