Candidate for Murder

by Lauren Carr

  The screen then showed the news host, who continued her report.

  “The statement goes on to reveal that Gnarly’s dishonorable discharge was not in any way connected to his handler’s death. Sergeant Major Gnarly received his dishonorable discharge as a result of going AWOL. He was hit on the head by a falling beam after rushing into a burning house to save a mother cat and her litter of seven helpless kittens. Due to his injury, he got amnesia, forgot that he was in the military, and ended up being reported AWOL.”

  “Saving a mother cat and her seven kittens from a burning house?” Murphy doubted that the report was true.

  “Not only that,” the news host said, “the US Army went on to state that they are releasing Sergeant Major Gnarly’s birth certificate, which will prove that he was born in Inwood, West Virginia. This is in response to assertions by some in the anti-Gnarly crowd who claim that the candidate is not eligible to run for political office because he is of German descent. This birth certificate, the US Army says, will put this birther issue to rest. While Gnarly’s German bloodline is pure, he is a natural born citizen of the United States, which makes him eligible to run for office.”

  “But he’s still a dog,” one of her experts said off-camera.

  “The Gnarly campaign is not disputing that.” The host turned to her panel of experts. “I have to say, never in my career have I heard of the military releasing a statement so quickly to clear up misinformation about a veteran. Why do you think they released this statement, and how do you think this is going to affect the mayoral race in Spencer, Maryland?”

  The first expert, a political analyst from a major news association, chuckled. “Well, I think this is evidence that what goes around comes around. Salma Rameriz was very tight with Nancy Braxton, who was getting slaughtered in the polls by Gnarly Faraday. She was the journalist who broke that misinformation.”

  “And Nancy Braxton was found murdered yesterday,” the host said.

  “But my sources are telling me that Braxton’s party is looking to bring in another candidate to replace her on the ticket,” the expert said. “Even so”—he shrugged his shoulders—“it’s not going to do any good, since the army has sent out this press release about Gnarly not being a killer and never even being a suspect.”

  “Not to mention blowing the whole birther issue out of the water by releasing his birth certificate,” the host said.

  “Plus the army threw in the fact that his dishonorable discharge was due to a tragic accident while saving a family of cats.” The expert laughed. “With all that, Gnarly’s favorability ratings are going to go through the roof. His campaign managers might want to consider running him as a write-in candidate for president.”

  The other expert, a proper-looking man with a big blue bow tie, jumped in. “This statement from the army directly contradicts the information I learned from a source close to the Pentagon who told me that Gnarly Faraday was dishonorably discharged for stealing a steak dinner from a four-star general when he was visiting a platoon in the Middle East.”

  “According to this release from the army, your source was incorrect,” the first expert said.

  “Why do you think the army’s chief of staff had this statement released to exonerate Gnarly?” the host asked.

  “It must have been another canine who stole the general’s dinner,” the first expert said.

  “Gnarly Faraday does have a history of petty theft,” the bow-tied expert said, pounding the tabletop. “This candidate has a rebellious nature and a long history of problems dealing with authority figures, which disqualifies him from being Spencer’s mayor.”

  “But he saved a mother cat and her kittens,” the first expert said. “With the animal lovers on his side, unless he makes a huge mistake, Gnarly is a shoo-in to become Spencer’s first canine mayor.”

  The expert in the bow tie shook his head. “There are going to be dire consequences if Spencer elects this candidate for mayor. Gnarly is reckless and disrespectful. You know, his kleptomania could be a symptom of a much larger character issue. If you ask me, that whole press release is a lie.”

  The host jumped in. “In the next hour, we’ll be interviewing the mother cat and the kittens Gnarly saved.”

  With a wide grin, Jessica turned to Murphy. “Your CO got the chief of staff for the army to release that statement, didn’t she?”

  “What can I say?” Murphy said. “She’s a dog lover.”

  “Remind me to thank her…if I’m ever allowed to meet her.”

  “Murphy,” Nigel said. “Your commanding officer has just arrived at the front gate. She has requested that you meet her out front.”

  Realizing that he was still dressed only in his athletic pants and that he wasn’t wearing shoes or a shirt, Murphy groaned. He could not keep CO waiting.

  Seeming to read his thoughts, Jessica said, “Want my bathrobe?” She opened her soft, silky robe.

  Murphy opted to hope that CO would be impressed with his firm chest and six-pack abs. While Jessica watched through the living-room window, Murphy went out the front door and walked to where the white stretch limousine was parked at the bottom of the steps leading up to the porch. CO’s bodyguard-driver was already waiting at the rear of the car. Taking note of Murphy’s bare feet and lack of a shirt, the bodyguard-driver’s eyebrows rose up high on his tall forehead. Saying nothing, he opened the door and gestured for Murphy to climb inside.

  Trying to appear nonchalant, Murphy made himself comfortable in the seat across from his direct supervisor, a woman with long legs. She was the leader of the Phantoms. Murphy did not know her name. Since she always covered her hair with a stylish hat and her eyes with dark sunglasses, he was unable to give a good description of her. All he knew was that she had the best legs he had ever seen on a woman and a deep, throaty, sensual voice that was unmistakable.

  That morning, she was dressed in a white suit with black trim and a matching wide-brimmed hat.

  Upon seeing Murphy’s casual style of dress—or, rather, undress—she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything, Lieutenant.”

  “You didn’t interrupt anything, ma’am. Jessica and I were just getting ready to go to the hospital to see if I could talk to Tawkeel Said about what happened in Brussels.”

  “Have you briefed Jessica about Tawkeel’s assignment in Brussels?”

  “I told her only that he had been on assignment deep undercover. I said that his cover had been blown and that he had almost been killed. I did not give her any specifics, ma’am. Did you receive my report about my interview with Bruce Hardy?”

  “Yes, I did,” she said. “I’m comparing the agents who were on Hardy’s team with those who were on Tawkeel’s team. It’s virtually impossible to get that information from the CIA, even with all of my connections, but I did find out something that is going to turn your investigation into Gnarly’s case on its head.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Belle Perkins was actively investigating a case for the army’s criminal investigation command.”

  Murphy shook his head. “I worked with her husband. He was well aware of my clearances and knew that I was investigating this case. If she had been working undercover, he would have known it and would have told me.”

  “He couldn’t,” she said, “because he wasn’t authorized to tell you. That’s why it was left up to me. Perkins was a first sergeant in the army, and the US Army Criminal Investigative Command handpicked her and Gnarly to go to Iraq with that unit to investigate a case for them. The army’s chief of staff has ordered that a copy of that case file be sent to me. I’ll forward it to you as soon as it arrives.”

  “You’re telling me that Gnarly was working undercover.” Chuckling at what must have been a joke, Murphy looked over to where Gnarly was sitting on the porch. With his eyes focused on them, the handsome German shepherd cocked his head.
>
  “Gnarly is an extremely valuable dog,” she said. “I was told that he was the chief reason that army’s CID picked Perkins to work this case, whatever it was. In the very short time he was in the army, he got a reputation for being the most highly intelligent dog in the canine corp.” CID stood for the US Army’s Criminal Investigation Command.

  “If he’s so highly trained, why doesn’t he do what he’s told?”

  “Because he’s smarter than most people,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Even people who are extremely smart can have problems taking orders from someone who they consider unintelligent.”

  Murphy laughed. “Wait until I tell my father-in-law that. ‘Gnarly won’t come when you call him because he thinks he’s smarter than you.’”

  “You can’t tell Mac,” she said. “Everything I’m telling you about Gnarly is classified. The reason I’m telling you is so that you know exactly what you’re dealing with.”

  She pointed out the window to where Gnarly was hopping around the bodyguard-driver, in an effort to catch one of his feet and untie his shoes. It was the first time Murphy had ever seen the bodyguard-driver smile.

  “Gnarly possesses the cognitive ability to examine a situation and to plan and execute a strategy to complete his objective—whether it’s stealing the army chief of staff’s steak dinner or taking out two snipers who have his unit pinned.”

  “So Gnarly did steal the general’s steak?” Murphy asked with a sly grin.

  “Plus the dessert. That dog is as intelligent as any highly trained human agent.”

  “If he could take out two snipers, then I guess a mountain lion would be a piece of cake?”

  “Like stealing a four-star general’s dinner.”

  Struck with a sudden thought, Murphy said, “Maybe Hardy’s cover wasn’t the one that got blown. Maybe the terrorist group chasing the unit wasn’t after Hardy but was after Perkins and Gnarly. The strikes stopped after Perkins was murdered. While everyone assumed Hardy was the target, in reality, it was Perkins.”

  “That is very possible,” she said. “Let’s look at that angle. I’ll be waiting for your report about your visit with Tawkeel. He’s anxious to see you.”

  Murphy stopped climbing out of the back of the limousine and turned back to her. “Thank you for releasing that statement clearing Gnarly of Perkins’ murder and especially for that made-up story about him saving the mother cat and her kittens.”

  “What makes you think it’s a made-up story?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  David was relieved to see that Mac had more color in his face when he picked him up at Spencer Manor. Not yet 100 percent, Mac was still insisting that he was going to clear Gnarly’s name and prove that he hadn’t murdered Nancy Braxton.

  Despite the official statement telling one and all that Gnarly was not a suspect in Nancy’s murder, those who supported the late candidate and some of those who supported Bill Clark believed that the police department was covering something up for their canine candidate, which made for a very intriguing conspiracy theory. Some media outlets had even suggested that the police department had been involved in Nancy’s murder so that they could improve the odds of Gnarly being elected.

  As far as the police force was concerned, the only way to completely clear Gnarly’s name was to find out who had in fact killed Nancy Braxton.

  David and Mac arrived at the sheriff’s department in time to see many of the deputies in the squad room watching an interview on a cable-news program. The journalist was conducting an interview with a woman and several tabby cats. Mac was about to turn away to go search for Sheriff Turow when he noticed the headline on the television screen: “Cat Family Saved by Gnarly Faraday, Independent Mayoral Candidate.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” Mac said loudly enough that David heard him.

  “Gnarly is one busy dog.”

  “Right before the interview, they announced that PETA has officially endorsed Gnarly for mayor,” Sheriff Turow said as he came up behind the two men.

  “Sweet,” David said.

  “Gnarly never saved a family of cats,” Mac said in a low voice. “It’s all a lie.”

  “Well,” David said, “the media lied about Gnarly killing his handler, and now they’re lying about him saving a family of cats. That makes it even.”

  “I’m with him,” the sheriff said to Mac. “I’ve contacted Nancy Braxton’s doctor to ask for a copy of her medical records and a list of what medications she was on so that we can identify what should’ve been in the capsules she took. He immediately told me to get a warrant. Evidently, Nancy’s team and party are circling the wagons to keep us from finding out and making public any unpleasantries about their candidate.”

  “Even if that information could solve her murder?” David asked.

  “They’re more interested in their party winning this election,” Mac said. “Any word about who Ward is looking at to replace Nancy?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “He’s in Annapolis for meetings today. He’s already arranged for a lawyer to represent Hugh Vance and Erin Devereux. Vance and the lawyer should be here any minute.” He checked the time on the television.

  “Well, with that in mind, whoever Ward selects for the ballot will also become our candidate for the murder suspect,” Mac said.

  The desk sergeant entered the squad room with Hugh Vance and a smaller man in an expensive suit. Seeing the sheriff, who had a gold badge pinned to his chest, the lawyer led Nancy Braxton’s brother across the room.

  “Elliott Curtis,” the lawyer said while pumping Sheriff Turow’s hand. “I’ll be representing Hugh Vance and Erin Devereux in your investigation.”

  “All we want is to get whatever information we can and to solve your sister’s murder,” the sheriff said to Hugh.

  With a cocky chuckle, Elliott shoved his eyeglasses up onto his nose. “That’s what they all say.”

  Based on the lawyer’s body language and tone, the sheriff, the police chief, and Mac saw that he had already determined that they were the enemy.

  Since Nancy Braxton’s murder had been committed within the town limits of Spencer, David O’Callaghan had an official hand in the case, even though he had relinquished the lead to Sheriff Turow. Appearances didn’t usually mean that much to the police chief, but murder convictions meant a whole lot to him. Since Erin and Hugh were claiming that David had a conflict of interest in the case, he knew that a defense attorney could do the same thing when the police nabbed Nancy’s killer. David hadn’t personally liked Nancy Braxton, but he was not about to let her killer go free.

  As a courtesy, Sheriff Turow had invited David to sit in on his interview with Hugh while Mac watched from the observation room. With the case file resting between them, Sheriff Turow and David O’Callaghan were sitting at the table across from Hugh and his lawyer. Both David and the sheriff had notepads resting in front of them. In silence, David allowed Sheriff Turow to take his time checking his notes.

  Before long, Hugh Vance began to fidget. From the observation room, Mac watched him bite his fingernails and stare at the two law-enforcement officers on the other side of the table. One leg was twitching. The big-boned, oversized brute of a man was scared out of his wits.

  In stark contrast to Vance, Elliott was eyeing both Sheriff Turow and David with disdain—simply because of the uniforms they were wearing and the police shields on their chests.

  “Mr. Vance,” Sheriff Turow finally said.

  Hugh jumped in his seat. “Yes?”

  “According to your statement, the one you gave to Police Chief O’Callaghan”—he gestured to David, who was sitting next to him—“and me, you did not realize that your sister was missing until Chief O’Callaghan arrived at your home that morning to inform you that her body had been found down at the lake. Is that not correct?”

  A finger in his
mouth, Hugh glanced from the sheriff to David and then to his lawyer, who said, “My client stated that the last time he’d seen his sister was when she’d gone up to bed, which was at around eleven thirty the night before.”

  “That was when he saw her,” the sheriff said. “But he failed to tell us that he’d actually realized she was missing less than an hour later, when she ran out of the house and into the darkness—a good six hours before she was found dead.”

  “Your clients seemed to forget about the security cameras installed around the house,” David said. “They recorded Nancy Braxton running out of the house like the devil was chasing her and your client driving off minutes later. He returned close to one o’clock, after the estimated time of death.”

  “Why didn’t your client call the police to report her missing?” Sheriff Turow asked.

  “Why did you pretend not to know that she was missing when I showed up to tell you she was dead?” David asked Hugh directly. “When I told you that your sister was found down by the lake, you broke down before I informed you that she was dead.”

  “That’s not true.” Hugh told Sheriff Turow, “He’s lying.”

  In the observation room, Mac shook his head in anticipation of the lawyer’s next statement.

  “Chief O’Callaghan, you asked my client when he had last seen his sister, and he answered that question truthfully,” the lawyer said.

  “What was she running from when she left that night?” Sheriff Turow asked.

  “I have no idea.” Hugh Vance shook his head as his lawyer told him not to tell them anything.

  Sheriff Turow tried a less direct approach. “We can see that you loved your sister, Hugh. All we want is to find out what happened to her, and I believe you loved her enough to want that, too. She deserves justice. But that’s not going to happen if you don’t tell us everything you know.”

  “Was Erin with Nancy before she ran away?” David asked.