MYSTERY MOON ~ EPISODE #3
Sheriff Biscaluz, Santa Barbara County, wrinkled his nose and squinted his eyes. “Okay, Mr. Kemp could you slow it down a bit? I have a secretary on the line that is going to take down your call.” He hated to get a call like this from one of the counties prominent citizens. “So Mrs. Kemp has been missing two weeks? Why the delay in reporting it? I see. I think I better come out to your place. Do you mind if I bring a couple of deputies to kind of scout out the layout of your property? Good, see you in about an hour.”\
Hub hung up the phone and turned back to Lloyd Val.
“Well?”
“Biscaluz is coming out with a couple of deputies,” Hub said.
“Why?”
“He didn’t say.”
“I thought he might refer you to some missing persons department,” Lloyd Val said.
“I don’t know if they have one. Do you think he’s going to arrest me?”
“No. You’re a prominent citizen. I think he’s just trying to cover his butt.”
“Good grief I hope so. Why do I feel so damn guilty?”
“I don’t know but I wish you’d practice looking innocent before the sheriff gets here,” Lloyd Val said.
Hub grinned. “Maybe we should have a little lunch while I’m practicing.”
“Good idea,” Lloyd Val said.

The Sheriff was a tall, swarthy man, easily identified as of Hispanic decent. “Thank you, Mr. Kemp, for your precise description of what lead up to Mrs. Kemp’s disappearance. Now, with your permission, I would like for my men to give the place a preliminary check.”
“Does this mean I’m under some kind of suspicion?” Hub asked.
“It’s just routine, Mr. Kemp. We have no evidence of a crime and not even a suspicion of one. As yet, all we know is that Mrs. Kemp is missing. There could be a hundred reasons for that, none of which may point to a crime. What’s your acreage here?” the Sheriff asked.
“Let me see. We have forty acres of Valences and ten of Navels. If you continue up the driveway past the house, you come to the crest of the hill where we maintain a park for public use. We have a baseball field, camping, boating on a small lake, hiking and riding trails. Back of that is about a 20 acre grove of oaks. We post a policy of no firearms and no hunting,” Hub said.
“Out buildings?”
“Sure. We have a large barn across the home vegetable garden in back, a small stable and chorale, and a building that contains a shop, a water pump, tool shed, and a three car garage. There is a general storage building next to that,” Hub said.
“How many employees do you have and which ones live on the premises?” the Sheriff asked.
“Jose and his wife, Rosa, is here about everyday but they live in town. My friend Lloyd Val Halo itch is visiting. I am thinking of asking my brother Jess, and his wife to move here from Tennessee.”
“Where do you live Mr. Halo itch?”
“Hollywood. I’m Hub’s friend but I’m also his agent,” Lloyd Val said.
“Agent?”
“I used to perform in films,” Hub said.
Sheriff Biscaluz stood up. “I think we have enough basic information. If it’s okay, my men and I will conduct the preliminary examinations of the grounds.”
“Certainly. I will have Jose accompany you. He can answer any specific questions you may have,” Hub said. “I forgot to mention I do have a small airplane and an air strip just past the barn.”
“Where do you keep the plane?” The Sheriff asked.
“In the barn with my cars. As I said the Model T coup is missing,” Hub said.

After the Sheriff left the house, Hub turned to Lloyd Val. “What did you think?”
“His questions didn’t seem to indicate anything he was especially interested in, not you for example,” Lloyd Val said.
“I would hope he doesn’t think I murdered my wife. I feel we will find she just took off because she was upset with me. She’s done it before.” Hub said.
“But not this long,” Lloyd Val said.
“No. That’s the puzzling part,” Hub said. “I’m just wondering if I shouldn’t have looked around the place before the Sheriff decided to.”
“To what purpose? Hide incriminating things?” Lloyd Val asked.
“For Pete’s sake you think I need to hide evidence?”
“Of course not but if detectives discovered you did that, how do you suppose they would feel about it?”
“Um. I see what you mean. I t might have aroused the very suspcttion I was trying to avoid.”
“Exactly.”