The Last Lies (Kate Murphy Mystery Book 1)

by C. C. Jameson

  So maybe Kenny’s a dog person, then.

  As they headed toward another area of the store, they passed the owner, Mr. Tumlinson. He did a double-take when his eyes met Kate’s.

  Her bandaged nose and the dark yellow bruises that still covered her face—even after her best efforts at covering them with foundation—probably contributed to his reaction.

  “You were here a few weeks ago, right? In uniform?”

  “Yeah. I’m Officer Murphy,” she said.

  He blinked a couple of times. “I’m sorry for staring, but are you okay?”

  Kate smiled as she brought her hand to her face. “I’m good, thanks. Just a little… incident.” Hating feeling self-conscious, she turned the tables around. “How have things been here? Any more trouble with mister…”

  “Scott,” Tumlinson said, shaking his head. “It’s all good now. Thank you. I filed a restraining order, and I haven’t seen him since.”

  “Great news! Happy to hear. Everything else’s good?”

  “Yes. In fact, I hired a new employee. Bianca’s wonderful.” And as though perfectly timed, Kenny appeared with a tiny white and caramel dog in hand, the new employee in tow.

  “Katie, look at this little thing!”

  Under his mustache, his wide grin said it all. His eyes sparkled with joy as he held up a tiny dog with long fur and humongous ears. Kate didn’t know what breed it was, but she could recognize true happiness on her uncle’s face.

  “I know we can’t afford a pet but look how cute and cuddly this one is.”

  “Meet Carina,” the female employee said. “She’s a papillon. Lovely breed. Full of energy, friendly, and, yes, you’re right. Super cute!”

  “Ah,” Kate said, still surprised by the intense joy shining in Kenny’s eyes. “Maybe one day we’ll get you a dog.”

  “One day,” he said before lifting the dog up to his face and rubbing his nose against the dog’s. It licked Kenny’s nose with its tiny tongue, which made Kenny laugh. “Okay, cutie. You go back with this young lady here.” He handed it over to Bianca.

  “Isn’t she great?” Tumlinson asked Kate.

  “Looks like it,” she replied before lowering her voice. “Out of curiosity, how much for the little dog?”

  “It’s a purebred. With papers and everything, so just over a grand.”

  Kenny coughed, probably as surprised as Kate at the price tag.

  “Well, I’m sure Carina will find a lovely home. She’s wonderful,” Kenny said, “but it’s time for us to head back, right?” he asked Kate.

  “Yep. We gotta go and stain that deck,” she said, lifting the gallon she held. “Nice chatting with you, Mr. Tumlinson. You have a great day.”

  But as they headed back to the car, Kate thought of another solution. Kenny obviously liked little dogs. Maybe they could find an unwanted mutt who would make Kenny smile.

  No point in enriching breeders when they couldn’t afford it.

  The animal shelter may have just the dog for him. And it would be a win-win for both Kenny and the dog.

  The next morning, Kate made the call she should have made many days earlier: she dialed 3-1-1 to report the handful of streetlights that no longer worked in her neighborhood. She didn’t want to consider whether having made that call earlier could have prevented her attack and ensuing injuries, but she did wish to make the area safer for her neighbors moving forward.

  Once her long-overdue task was taken care of, she joined Kenny at the kitchen table.

  “You enjoyed holding that dog yesterday, right?” she asked.

  He finished chewing his bite of peanut butter covered toast before answering. “Of course. Carina was so cute and cuddly.”

  “How about we drop by the MSPCA’s animal shelter when you’re done eating breakfast? We could ask about getting one of their dogs? They wouldn’t be as expensive as the pet store ones, right?”

  “Katie, I see what you’re trying to do. I appreciate it, but dogs cost a lot in food alone. Then there are vaccinations, health problems, responsibilities… I can’t afford one. You can’t afford one.”

  Kate exhaled loudly.

  There goes my gift idea. But the joy on his face…

  “How about volunteering there?” Kate suggested with newly found enthusiasm. “I’m sure they wouldn’t be opposed to us petting a few dogs or cats while we’re around. Other than making our way to them, no extra costs there, right?”

  “Katie,” he started then stopped. He got off from his chair to come and hug her. “This has to be one of your best ideas ever.”

  After breakfast, they got into Kate’s Subaru and slowly made their way to the MSPCA through the thinning morning traffic.

  An hour later, they walked into the large, modern brick building. But Kate was taken aback when she saw Mr. Scott walk through the reception, taking along with him a couple as he stepped out of the room.

  Guess he took me up on my advice! Good for him.

  Kate waited her turn to talk to reception and then enquired about their volunteer opportunities and the possibility of hanging out with a dog or two today.

  Judy, the receptionist, handed Kate a brochure and instructed her to sit down and someone would come and escort them to the dog shelter shortly.

  Kate grabbed a business card from the desk then joined Kenny in the waiting area. She could sense her uncle’s excitement as they waited.

  When a man called her name, Kate turned around and recognized Mr. Scott.

  “Hi there,” she said.

  “Hi,” Mr. Scott said before tilting his head. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “And neither did I,” Kate said. “But I’m glad to see you took me up on my advice.”

  “Yes. It was a great idea. Endless opportunities to spend time with animals here.”

  “Indeed.”

  “So. Mindy says you want to help out with dogs?”

  “I’d love that,” Kenny chimed in.

  “Let’s do it then,” Scott said before pointing them toward a door on the side of the room.

  The next morning, after yet another quiet breakfast with Kenny, Kate decided to drop by the police station to talk to the sergeant and discuss her timeline for returning to work.

  “I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I’ve been thinking about those dead animals.”

  “You’re off duty, Murphy,” the sergeant said.

  “I know. I know. But give me a chance. Can you just answer a few questions that have been puzzling me? I’m sure it’s information the rest of the guys know. But it’s not like Bower is going to share anything with me.”

  “Fine. You got two minutes. Ask away.”

  “The dead golden retriever. What’s up with that? Any leads?”

  “We got a partial fingerprint on one of two casings that were found at the base of a tree. Shooter must have been perched up there. Long-range .22.”

  The bullet she’d picked up at the dead cat scene could have been a twenty-two caliber. “The bullet I kept—and got in trouble for—was it the same?”

  “Yep. I hate to admit it, but your stupid report came in handy. An officer found a matching cartridge at the base of one of the trees you sketched out. But we still can’t identify the shooter.”

  “How about Edwards? I asked Johnston to look into her.”

  “That came from you?” The sergeant frowned then shook his head. “No. She’s clean. No gun. No motive.”

  “What about the dead tiger. Do you think it’s the same killer?”

  “Murphy, you’re off duty. Stop it with the questions.”

  “Just a couple more. Please, Sergeant.”

  He exhaled loudly. “From what the detectives shared with us and the profiler they’ve been talking to. It could be, but they’re not certain. They think he could be experimenting with various methods, see which one he likes better. Which gives him a bigger high or something.”

  “So, it’s a man?”

  “No way to know for sure, bu
t that’s the profiler’s best guess.”

  “You think the other dead animals from weeks ago—pigeons, rats, and squirrels—were poisoned?”

  “Possibly. They’ve been disposed of, so couldn’t be tested. But the detectives think they were.”

  “Okay. Thanks for your time, Sergeant.”

  “Rest up, Murphy.”

  With yet another day off on her hands, Kate’s options were either stain the deck or answer some of the questions keeping her awake at night. She’d done a good job of avoiding thinking about her asshole of a husband, but she couldn’t push aside her worries about the animal killer still on the loose and killing pets and pests alike.

  So, she tracked down a number for Jerry Swanson from Animal Control and called him up.

  “Hi, Jerry,” she started. “It’s Kate Murphy, from the BPD.”

  “Yes, Officer Murphy. How you doing?”

  “Good. Listen, I’m not calling on official police business. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions if you have a few minutes?”

  “Sure. What can I help you with?”

  “Those dead animals. The ones that weren’t shot. Any idea what they died of?”

  “We started sending the carcasses out for testing last week. I can’t speak to the ones before then.”

  “So, what did they find?”

  “Various things. Hard to find a common denominator.”

  “Top of the list?”

  “I’m no chemist, but the odd components, according to the ‘plain English’ version I requested, are an enzyme called hyaluronidase and a sharp increase in white blood cell count. We passed it along to your detectives.”

  “What about any other commonality with the dead carcasses?”

  “We’re talking about so many species, hard to find common grounds, but the vet got back to me just this morning and mentioned dilated pupils, respiratory failure, and wounds in the mouths.”

  “Wounds in the mouths?” Kate repeated.

  “Yep.”

  “Like kids putting small nails in French fries and killing birds that way?”

  “Kind of, but much smaller than that. Between you and me, I got a friend at the zoo, and knowing how curious I am about these animal deaths, he slipped me a copy of the tiger’s stomach biopsy report. You won’t guess what they found in there.”

  “Please share, I promise I won’t say where I heard it from,” Kate said, intrigued beyond belief.

  “Tiny shards of metal. How the heck did the tiger swallow tiny shards of metal?”

  Kate remembered Johnston’s story about the steak. Whoever had thrown that steak over the fence and into the enclosure must have spiked that raw steak with razor blades or something. But would that be enough to kill a freaking tiger? These beasts had to chew on sharp things like bones all the time in the wild, right?

  “Any idea of whether the tiger’s toxicity report matched your other carcasses?” Kate asked.

  “I’m still waiting to hear back from my contact, but I’d bet on it.”

  “Thanks so much, Jerry. I really hope we catch him soon. Are you going to analyze more things? Like whatever breadcrumbs were found next to the carcasses?”

  “You know it! In fact, I just finished writing up a memo requiring any food-like substances be bagged so we can send it out for analysis and narrow down the poison and whatever metal bits are used. Doubt they’d be large enough to pull a fingerprint from, but who knows. We’re working tightly with your detectives to make it happen.”

  “Well, thanks again, Jerry. You have a nice day.”

  “You, too!” he said before hanging up.

  And with those new nuggets for her mind to ponder, she decided to change into an old pair of jeans and get started staining Kenny’s front porch.

  Five days had already gone by since Matt and Kate had officially begun their break from each other. While she was ninety-nine percent convinced she wanted nothing to do with her husband anymore, a tiny part of her wanted to be absolutely certain she was making the right decision before moving forward.

  She knew from experience that most people didn’t change their core values, but what if?

  What if there was a chance Matt could return to his old self and focus on their marriage? What if he wasn’t lying and truly put an end to his affair? What if he became open-minded enough to let her continue working as a cop even if they had a child together one day. Not tomorrow. Not next year, but one day in the far, far-distant future. What if he began respecting her?

  It’s not as though she’d encountered many men she’d bonded with before. Salvaging their awful relationship could be easier than starting over and trying to meet someone new.

  She certainly hadn’t had much luck in the love department before Matt.

  So, what if…

  But what if Kate caught him lying between now and tomorrow? Then she’d know that their relationship was beyond saving.

  Still bored out of her mind in Kenny’s house, the front porch re-stained, she decided to conduct an off-duty investigation to see what her husband was up to this afternoon and evening.

  But how could she spy on him? He would recognize her Subaru from yards away. She needed a vehicle to follow him around town. The bus wouldn’t do it, and a cab was an expense she couldn’t afford.

  A little saddened by that realization, she walked back into the house, hopeful that some other options would come to mind. She saw Kenny sitting at the kitchen table, scissors in hand and flyers scattered all over the surface in front of him.

  “Would you be a sweetheart and return the empty tin?” he asked, his head nodding toward a metal container on the counter top near the fridge.

  Kate recognized the box that had previously held the delicious Rice Krispies Treats from Kenny’s neighbor.

  “Doing your best to avoid her still?” Kate joked, grabbing the tin from the counter.

  “Any way I can.”

  “No problem. I’ll be right back.”

  “No, you won’t. She’ll keep you hostage for hours. Brace yourself.”

  But Kate knew she could worm her way out of meaningless small talk, so she headed to the neighbor’s house using the side entrance since the front deck was out of bounds for a few more hours while her hard work dried.

  Maude received Kate with open arms, inviting her in for a cup of cocoa. Secretly hoping the hot drink offer would be accompanied by more of her delicious Rice Krispies Treats, Kate accepted.

  The moment she stepped into her house, the smell of freshly baked cookies greeted her nostrils.

  “How’s your uncle doing?” Maude asked as she led the way to her kitchen, grabbing Kate’s empty tin.

  “You know. Same old, same old,” Kate replied as she took a seat with her uncle’s neighbor at her kitchen table.

  “I can make you coffee, tea, or you can have some of my hot cocoa, whatever you like. I’ve got another batch of cookies that should be coming out in”—she turned to the clock on her oven—“two more minutes!”

  “Coffee would be wonderful.”

  “No problem at all, darling. One coffee, coming right up!”

  Kate watched her open cupboard doors and pull out a jar of instant coffee, then fill and turn on the electric kettle.

  By the time the oven dinged, Maude had finished her coffee prep, and she put on oven mitts and pulled out a large sheet of golden chocolate chip cookies.

  “They smell so good,” exclaimed Kate.

  “And we’ll have some in just a bit! Don’t you worry, Kate.”

  As soon as the kettle whistled, Maude poured a cupful and then mixed in a heaping tablespoon of dehydrated coffee crystals.

  “Milk, sugar?” Maude asked.

  “No, black’s fine.”

  A second later, Maude placed her steamy mug in front of her on a flowery plastic placemat that matched the rest of her seventies-inspired decor.

  “And now, let me bring over some of those cookies.”

  Maude slid a half-dozen onto a
plate that she placed in between her guest and herself on the kitchen table.

  “They’re really hot. Be careful,” she said.

  “I’ll let them cool off for a bit then. Thanks!”

  “Hey, Kate. You must have a driver’s license, right? Being a cop and all. Guess that’s a silly question for me to ask.”

  “Not silly. But yes, I do have a driver’s license.”

  “Hmm…” Maude reached for a cookie, but her hand stopped an inch from it. She looked at Kate, then back down at the cookie before finally grabbing it and bringing it to her mouth.

  Kate sensed the neighbor had something in mind, so she pulled it out of her.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to impose…”

  “Go ahead and ask, please.”

  “It’s just that I have an old car, but I’ve long lost my driver’s license. It was my husband’s, see? Now, there’s this man who’s contacted me, and he may be interested in buying it. I’ve been maintaining it regularly. It’s in good shape. I have a mechanic who comes by every few weeks and drives it around, checks up on it, then puts it back in the garage.”

  “So, you’d like me to drive your car to meet up with the man and see if he’s still interested?”

  “If you wouldn’t mind.”

  “Of course not. It’s not like I have much to do these days. I’d be glad to help. Tell me when and where.”

  “Sometime this week, if possible.”

  Maude got up to fetch the exact address from a pad of paper, which triggered an idea in Kate’s mind.

  “Maude, could I ask for a small favor in return?”

  Chapter Ten

  Sitting in Maude’s large, old, avocado-colored Cadillac, her aunt Lucy’s brown pixie wig and a pair of binoculars on the passenger seat next to her, Kate headed toward Matt’s office. She never thought her uncle’s bird-watching hobby would come in handy for her one day.

  But there she was, with decent props, ready to spy on her husband.

  Maude had given her permission to use her car this afternoon in exchange for showing it to the potential buyer later in the week, so the universe was on her side. Maybe the doctor had been right. Maybe she was a lucky person after all. Just not in many spheres of her life right now.