The Last Lies (Kate Murphy Mystery Book 1)

by C. C. Jameson

  Who freaking uses a thumbnail of their breasts as a profile pic?

  Curious—or maybe the pregnancy hormones were clouding her judgment—Kate clicked on the thumbnail to see Sam’s contact information. A larger version of the woman’s huge breasts appeared.

  What the heck?

  She felt the urge to read the previous messages they’d exchanged, but at the same time, she didn’t want to know.

  Kate marked the message as unread and dropped the phone where he’d left it before trading her work clothes for running gear and then heading out the door just as the shower shut off.

  As her feet hit the pavement and her breathing settled into a comfortable rhythm, her thoughts kept tumbling around in her head.

  There was no incriminating evidence.

  She didn’t have proof of anything. Sam could be a woman he’d had a business meeting with and that was all.

  But why the shower after a business dinner?

  Stop being suspicious, Kate. It’s your husband.

  She crossed the street and continued running on the sidewalk, once again noting the streetlights that weren’t working.

  I really need to report those.

  But she didn’t have her phone right now. She’d do it when she got home.

  Shit, did I save the image or not?

  Kate was pretty sure she had.

  Shit.

  Matt would have seen it by now, and he’d probably tried to call her. He might be worried sick. His pregnant wife had yet again gone out running in the dark by herself.

  I’ll head back home and see how he reacts.

  Will he act guilty? Will he blame me? Or will he be happy?

  His reaction would tell her all she needed to know.

  “Baby! You had me worried! Where did you go?” Matt asked when Kate walked through the door.

  He jumped up from the couch and ran toward her, hugging her sweaty body. “We’re going to have a baby! You’ve made me so happy! But why did you leave me that image on my phone and then leave the house? You don’t know what I’ve been through this past half-hour. I… I couldn’t figure out where you’d gone. Why you’d left the house. Are you alright?”

  “I just wanted to get my exercise in. You know me.”

  “Oh, is that all? I was worried.”

  “What were you worried about?” Kate asked.

  “Don’t get me started. You know I hate it when you go out running alone at night. And now you have a little us inside of you. You can’t be doing that anymore. And you’ll have to quit your job. It’s not good for the baby.”

  “Matt, hold your horses.” She held his hand and walked him back to the couch. She turned off the basketball game that played in the background. “I apologize, I shouldn’t have left you that photo then ran out the door. But I think we need to talk. If we’re going to have a baby, we need to be clear about our roles and how things will change… or not.”

  “Certainly, baby. We’ll make this work,” he said, gripping her hands then pulling away when his phone beeped. He got up and headed to the kitchen, taking out the phone as he did. “Want something to eat now? How about I re-heat some of that chili you made? Wouldn’t that be great?”

  “Sure. That sounds good,” Kate said, wishing she was a little bird so she could have a look at his phone right now. Was it another message from Sam?

  Matt was being really nice to her right now, suspiciously so. Like back when they’d started dating. That Matt hadn’t made an appearance in a very long time.

  A shiver ran up her spine.

  I have to get out of my sweaty clothes.

  “Actually, Matt, could you hold off on re-heating my chili? I want to take a shower first.” She peeked her head into the kitchen.

  Her husband’s face was glued to his phone. He barely acknowledged her request with an “Uh-huh.”

  Kate made her way to the bathroom and let the lukewarm water soothe her worries. Even though she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up. Matt had acted so… weird. He’d been nice and caring, of course, but strangely so. Like the Matt she’d met years ago when they both used to volunteer at the food bank, when she fell in love with him.

  The thoughtful gestures, the four-course meals, the flowers for no reason, the relaxing massages he used to give her. But even as the good memories from the beginning of their relationship filled her mind, Kate couldn’t help but think he was up to no-good with that Sam.

  Could Sam be the reason he was so happy? Or maybe he saw this pregnancy as a way to have a family again…

  Yeah. That made sense. The orphan in him would be getting a new family. It would be awesome for him.

  But unlike Kate, he hadn’t lost a sibling when he’d become orphaned. He had no negative associations with babies.

  While her thoughts bounced around, what was left of the warm water disappeared, so Kate stepped out of the shower, grabbed her towel from above the toilet, and then patted herself dry.

  She wiped the light layer of condensation off of the mirror and stared at her reflection. She moved her hand across her flat stomach, not feeling anything different, then opened the door. The smell of chili waltzed into the bathroom, and she wrapped herself in her towel before stepping into their bedroom to put on her pajamas.

  When she entered the kitchen, Matt was nowhere to be found but had left the pot of chili on the stovetop. She popped open the lid. It was empty, save for a tablespoon worth if she were to scrape it all off.

  “Did you save me some?”

  Matt didn’t answer. The sound of the basketball game was apparently more important than Kate’s words.

  She poked her head in the living room, where Matt sat on the couch. “Did you save me some chili?”

  “What? No. There wasn’t enough for two, sorry.”

  Her blood boiled in her veins.

  “Damn it, Matt. This shit has to stop! First, you offer me some, and then you tell me it’s all gone? This is a fucking dick move! Why is it that your needs always come first? What about my needs? What about caring about me, about what I want for a change?”

  “Get over it, it was just chili,” he said, tossing his hand at Kate’s remarks.

  She marched over to the TV and pressed the power button.

  “Hey! Turn it back on!” he ordered.

  “No. Not until you acknowledge that you have to treat me better. I’m your wife, Matt. Not just some tramp you met in a bar. I think we need to go see someone. A professional. Get help with our relationship.”

  “Whatever. Turn the TV back on, woman.”

  “That’s another thing. We need to cancel the cable plan. We can’t afford it, Matt. I’m tired of having to scrape every penny to find enough money for us to eat. We can’t afford cable.”

  “Life without TV is no life at all. Not going to happen.”

  Kate inhaled deeply. “You’re such a selfish ass!” She wanted to expand her list of insults but stopped herself before saying something she knew she would regret later. Matt had never turned to physical violence, but deep down she sensed he was capable of it. She spun her wedding ring on her finger, and exhaled loudly, diffusing some of her anger.

  She returned to the kitchen, opened the fridge to see what she could put together to eat, but some smell wafting from inside turned her stomach.

  She rushed to the bathroom to empty her gut, yet again.

  Would raising a baby with Matt make sense? If their relationship didn’t change, the eighteen years to come were going to be very, very long.

  Chapter Six

  Before she’d left for work, Matt had crawled out of bed to kiss her goodbye. His abnormally warm behavior left her puzzled during her morning commute to the precinct.

  But her focus shifted when she spotted a Post-It Note on her locker. It read: “Murphy, Sergeant’s office ASAP.”

  Fuck. Again? What now?

  The second she was dressed in her uniform, she headed to meet him. As though he’d been waiting for her, he�
��d left his office door opened.

  Kate knocked on the doorframe. “Sergeant? You wanted to see me?”

  “Murphy, yes. Come in. Take a seat,” he said, standing and pointing to the chair in front of his desk before closing his door and returning to his seat.

  The air was heavy with something Kate couldn’t identify, and a deep wrinkle bisected Sergeant Bailey’s dark eyebrows.

  He finally broke the silence and waved a piece of paper over his desk, in the air between them.

  “I just heard. Is it true?”

  “I’m not sure. What are you talking about, Sergeant?” asked Kate.

  “Some Jerry Swanson guy emailed me this morning.”

  Kate frowned, trying to remember who that was.

  “Let me give you another hint. He works with Animal Control.”

  Oh no. That Jerry. Shit. Kate couldn’t look at the sergeant.

  “Based on your reaction, I take it it’s true. Was it Bower?”

  Kate swallowed hard, her eyes still on the concrete floor.

  How do I act now?

  “Murphy, look at me.”

  Kate did, even though she could feel her eyes tearing up, which was the last thing she wanted her supervisor to see. Through her moist eyes, she saw the sergeant’s traits soften and the corner of his lips rise.

  Wait, is he siding with me on this?

  “Why didn’t you report it to me?” he asked.

  Kate brought a finger to her nose, scratching it, although it didn’t itch. But it was something to distract her, to help her contain her tears.

  “Why?” she repeated before inhaling deeply.

  “Murphy…”

  Her distraction tactic hadn’t worked. Stupid pregnancy hormones. Are they making me more emotional than usual? She wiped a tear from her eye before it flowed down her cheek. “Contrary to what it looks like right now, I’m not a crybaby, Sergeant.”

  “I’ve never called you one. I may have asked about—”

  “I’m a team player. I know I make mistakes sometimes. But I love being a police officer. There’s nothing I want more in the world than to become a detective. I know the job comes with its fair share of bullsh—” Kate interrupted herself. “Sorry, Sergeant. I don’t mean—”

  “Murphy. I don’t care whether you’re a woman or a man. I realize the guys probably make your life a little hard at times. Boys will be boys and all. But that…” He waved the printed email in the air again. “It’s too much. You should have reported it to me the minute it happened. This shouldn’t be the way I hear about it.”

  A blast of hope blew past Kate’s heart, causing tears to spill from her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Sergeant. I… I just didn’t want to make things worse for myself.”

  “You know who did it?” the sergeant asked.

  “I have an idea, but no proof. So, I won’t say.”

  “I’m not blind. I know who you suspect. I’ll deal with him. But I want one thing to be crystal clear. This type of behavior, this…” He tapped his finger on the printed email again. “This is not acceptable. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior. And this goes for all my officers. I’m not treating you any differently. It may not have been your fault, but it’s your responsibility to report it to me if it happens again. This kind of shit won’t fly here.”

  “Yes, Sergeant.”

  “I’m heading out for coffee.” He stood up and reached behind him to grab a box of tissues, which he offered to Kate. “Pull yourself together, and then close my office door after you leave.”

  After a couple of minutes of deep inhaling and exhaling, Kate managed to dry her eyes and prep herself for the day.

  Backlash was coming for certain.

  Bower would never be the kind to receive criticism from the sergeant without trashing Kate in return. And the district included too many of Bower’s friends and allies.

  But at least she knew she hadn’t been the one to report him. He couldn’t accuse her of that, and that was a small comfort. So, with her newly talked-into confidence, she got up from her chair, left the sergeant’s office, and closed the door on her way out.

  “Operations to Harry-145,” the dispatcher said on the radio.

  Kate replied right away. “Harry-145.”

  “80 Neponset Avenue, disturbance.”

  “Harry-145 acknowledged.”

  She ran lights and sirens to the address provided for the call. As she arrived, she saw a sign that said Exotic Pet Frenzy.

  “Harry-145. Adam Robert,” Kate said on the radio to announce her arrival at the scene.

  The dispatcher acknowledged her statement, and Kate exited her vehicle.

  She noticed a Help Wanted sign as she opened the door. A bell rang just above it as she entered, but it barely registered above the sound of the feuding men behind the counter at the back of the store.

  A mother stood with her hands over her young daughter’s ears. The daughter’s eyes were round, and the mother was shaking her head.

  Kate jabbed a thumb toward the door, instructing the mother and child to go wait outside.

  They obeyed, leaving their basket in the aisle.

  Why is it that some people don’t just walk away? Wouldn’t it have been easier to leave the premises instead of just covering your child’s ears?

  Then Kate reflected on her judgment of that woman.

  Who knew? Kate herself could end up being the worst mom ever. She shouldn’t judge any mother.

  But she tossed that negative thought aside for now and continued to the back of the store, keeping an eye out for other civilians. But from what she could tell, she and the two arguing men in matching green aprons were the only ones left.

  As she approached the counter, she paid close attention to the two Caucasian males behind it. The man on the left, closest to the cash register, was around five feet seven, his hair gray, with a thick, matching mustache decorating his upper lip. Probably in his early fifties. The one on the right was six-feet tall, blond, scrawny, and most likely in his early- or mid-twenties. Something about him seemed familiar. Kate wondered if she’d seen him in the grocery store or issued him a speeding ticket recently.

  “Okay, okay! Stop it now!” Kate yelled as she reached the counter, her authoritative voice booming as loud as theirs. The older man shut up and turned to face her while the young one continued hollering.

  Kate slapped her hand on the counter next to the young man. “Sir, please stop yelling.”

  As though snapping out of a trance, the man stopped and slowly turned to look at Kate.

  “I’m Officer Murphy. Someone reported a disturbance. That’s why I’m—”

  The young man resumed yelling at the older man, who returned the shouting. The only words Kate made out were “thief,” “overtime,” “fired,” and “missing inventory.”

  Kate slammed her hand on the counter again. “Enough!”

  The two men shut up. This time for real.

  Kate lowered her voice to a near whisper. “Listen, and don’t you dare start yelling again. This is how it’s going to work. Either you behave and listen to me, or I’m taking you both in right now.”

  The older man nodded while the young man remained silent and motionless, which Kate took as a sign of comprehension.

  She retrieved her official notepad. Turning to the obedient, older man, she asked, “Sir, what’s your name?”

  “Thomas Tumlinson,” he said.

  “And do you work here?”

  “I own this pet shop. So, yes, I work here.”

  “Can I see some ID, please?”

  The man pulled his wallet out of his pants, then retrieved his driver’s license and handed it to Kate who copied down his information.

  “Thank you,” Kate said.

  She turned to the other man. “And you, sir? What’s your name?”

  “Frank Scott,” he said, his voice flat.

  “ID?”

  The man provided it.

  As she returned the
driver’s license to the young man, she knew her next question could trigger another yelling spree based on what she’d already overheard between them, so she prefaced it with, “Now, don’t start arguing over this next bit. You’ll both get a chance to answer questions. One at a time, all right?”

  She once again glared at both men, who now both nodded in agreement.

  “Mr. Scott, do you work here?” Kate asked.

  “Yes, I—”

  “Officer,” the owner interrupted.

  Kate turned to the owner. “As I said, I’ll give you a chance to speak in a second. Let me hear his story. Then I’ll ask you the same questions.”

  The owner’s cheeks reddened, but he nodded.

  “Mr. Scott. How long have you worked here and what’s your position?”

  “About two years. I do everything around here—”

  Tumlinson coughed. Kate glared at him before addressing Scott. “Give me some examples of tasks you routinely do.”

  “I clean the cages and fish tanks, I take the dogs out for walks, I bathe them, I feed all the animals. I show them to clients—”

  “So, animal care and maintenance of their living environments. Correct?”

  Mr. Scott nodded.

  “Mr. Tumlinson. Is it correct to say that Mr. Scott has been working here for two years, taking care of animals and maintenance?”

  His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply before answering. “It was correct. I fired him last week, but he keeps coming back.”

  “Can you give me the exact date you fired him?”

  “Last Monday, whatever date that was.”

  “Why did you fire him?”

  The man’s hands flew in the air as he rolled his eyes. “So many reasons!”

  “Give me one,” Kate prompted.

  “We kept losing inventory.”

  “Like what?”

  “Animals.”

  Kate frowned at the owner. “Animals went missing?”

  “No. Yes.” The man tilted his head then continued. “A few went missing: a snake, a rabbit, a couple of tarantulas, and a guinea pig.”