Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘B. Stover’

Even More Background

“Oops,” says Bernie. “We forgot to look this over yesterday. It’s from B. Stover. And speaking of B. Stover, I wonder what she’d think of the misuse of ‘begging the question’, just everywhere these days. Came across it last night in The Voice, the new Sinatra bio I was otherwise enjoying.”

Begging? Begging for treats is bad. I know that very very well and would never ever do it intentionally.

From B. Stover:

1. Col. Bob met his son, Ray Jason, after Ray followed him in his car. This was in Bakersfield. Col. Bob gave Ray $300 from his ATM. We don’t know what either said to the other except that Ray hates Col. Bob.

2. Astrid is missing and according to Bernie, Ray is also missing.

3. For some reason (a “hunch”?) Bernie thought that he could get info on Astrid from Albie Rose in Vegas and he goes there and questions Albie. Albie wants to hire Bernie, who will have none of that. Albie was married to Tiffany who changed her name from Ethel which was an alias for Astrid. Foster first saw her at a show as Ethel the Ready. Albie is very jealous, asks why Foster knew Tiffany 3 was really Ethel. Albie was married eight times.

4. Foster, dressed in all black, comes to Bernie’s house. He wants to sell Bernie information about Astrid; he knows nothing about Ray. He does not want to work for Albie any longer and has a new gig in LA. He says that Astrid/Tiffany 3 liked Albie and that Albie was wrong about the other dude.

5. Bernie and Chet are meeting with Foster in an unfinished housing development somewhere, I think, in the desert near Vegas. The housing development for some reason has windowless houses. Foster trusts Bernie and I think Bernie feels sorry for Foster.

6. Bernie has not told Foster or Albie who his client is. He has given Foster $1.000 and we will apparently learn next what Foster knows, probably a very tenuous assumption.

No Excuse Now

The printer keeps spitting out paper. Bernie picks up the pages and studies them. I think this is about the Astrid case. Have I ever seen him this tired? “This is gold, Chet. I should be able to figure out the whole case right now on the spot.” Oh, good. Then maybe we’d get paid. I wait. Bernie gazes out the window. “Wish we could afford to hire Melanie and B. Stover.”

Background: 1:  In addition to the flow chart: I believe the last post containing the Astrid case was Nov. 9, “Homing In” when Bernie, Chet and Ray are turning off the freeway onto Mesquite Road. Ray is wired and wants to take Bernie to Col. Bob; Bernie has silently pointed to the turn off so knows beforehand where they are going; earlier Bernie wrote something on a napkin for Ray to read. Chet is glad because he feels that Bernie is in control and having fun; he’s wondering if they are going home.

Here are the questions that I think need answers in order to solve the case:

Primary Questions:

Where is Astrid?

What was the motive for killing Albie and why put his body in the freezer?

Why set up Ray for the murder of Albie (if he was set up)?

What is the motive for killing Ratko, wrapping up his body and hiding it in a closet at Cactus Heights where he was caretaker for Albie?

Secondary Questions:

What is Foster’s part in this?

Who is the “other dude” mentioned by Foster? (Albie divorced Astrid because he thought she was interested in him; Foster laughed off Bernie’s comment about Foster being the other dude).

Why did Astrid ask Tulip to watch her suitcases; what was in the suitcases; where are they now?

Why does Ray hate Col. Bob–is it something Astrid has told him? What did the two say to one another in Bakersfield?

What did Bernie learn when he went to LA (Sept. 15 post)?

Where is Col. Bob?

How did Ray know that Bernie was at Dry Gulch?

(From B. Stover)

Background: 2:  Scents in order:

Albie Rose smelled like old cheese left in the sun.

Colonel Bob’s boots smelled of deserts, but not Chet’s desert.

At the empty housing development Chet smelled something important but was called away by Bernie.

The money Bernie paid Foster smelled of the perfume that Tulip wears.

Chet does not like the smell of pink insulation. (This is Patsy breaking in here, I tried eating that stuff once. Not good and Melanie made me drink a lot of milk afterward and eat bread. That was okay though.)

At Albie’s house just before they find Albie in the freezer: “First, I smelled me, of course: old leather, salt and pepper, mink coats, and just a soupçon of tomato; and to be honest, a healthy dash of something male and funky. And then Bernie, the best-smelling human male I’d ever smelled: apples, bourbon, and also salt and pepper. There were similarities in our smells, just another great thing about Bernie. . . there were lots of chemical smells coming from the walls, and cleaning fluid smells, and wax smells, and flower smells, and air-conditioning smells, and copper smells, and -” Also “Lots of cooking had gone on here, plus there was a mouse on the loose.”

Chet did not smell Albie until the freezer was opened.

When they find a confused Ray at the pool, Chet can smell the blood on the towels and the booze on Ray.

At Tulip’s hotel room, Chet smells deer musk and mint, a scent worn by Foster. Chet is amazed that Tulip says she can smell it. Tulip says it’s the scent worn by Ratko Savic.

A Dead Ratko was the smell that Chet smelled at the housing development.

Lt. Stein smells like potatoes.

Then there’s this whole weird thing about Chet smelling a quilt???

Ray smells of human fear at the Dry Gulch. Chet can also smell steak tips but there is no time to eat.

(From Melanie)