“Clem found this in the woods!” she proclaimed while opening up the bag holding the pullover.
“Clem?” the sheriff asked.
“My new cat. Now Sheriff Davis don’t be mad, but this looked so new that I had to bring it in. Does it look like something that could be Misty’s?”
Just then, Sergeant Woods came into the front room holding a mug.
“Good gracious,” he exclaimed. “If that isn't Misty Hall's pullover. Where did you find it Dee?”
The sheriff scowled at him in a way that said everything. “Thanks Woods. Now you've done it.”
Deirdre puffed up in triumph. “The Browns said she was wearing it?”
“Yes ma'am,” the sergeant said with a meek look at his supervisor.
“Have to get it analyzed first. Can't know for sure,” the sheriff said gruffly.
“I'll take it to the lab now, sir,” the sergeant returned, looking relieved for a chance to escape. “Mrs. Brown will be anxious for news.”
He scuttled off, leaving Dee and Davis alone. He glared at her from beneath bushy eyebrows. “Anything else you want to know?”
Dee plopped down in a sagging chair opposite his desk. “Now don't be a sourpuss. I've been minding my own business this time. My new kitten escaped out the window near Jones Park and he found the sweater lying in the woods.”
Davis looked like this was the most unlikely thing he'd ever heard. Which it probably was. He sat down, looking a bit less fierce.
“You might as well tell me how the investigation is going,” Deirdre prompted. “I'll find out anyway, you know.”
He folded his hands, as if trying to imitate a man of infinite patience. “Alright Dee. We're investigating a fellow who Misty was reputed to have spent quite a bit of time with. Name's Paisley Briggs, early 40's, lives out in Deer Road. Sketchy sort of fella, done a fair bit of probation for property damage, minor theft, disorderly conduct, that kind of thing. Never been to jail but he has an impressive record. Don’t know if he was with Misty the day she disappeared but we're working on it.”
Dee chewed this over. “Heard of the fella. I think he's even been into the library a few times to use the computers. But I don't know much more than that. Were they dating?”
“The Browns don’t think so but I expect they might not know that kind of thing. From what I heard Misty's never had a steady boyfriend, though.”
“She’s always seemed like a troubled woman.”
The sheriff shrugged. “I don't think Misty's parents were around much. Her father was a deadbeat and her mother was an alcoholic. She didn't grow up with a lot of support. I think the family tried to get custody but the mother managed to beat the system. Misty ran away as a girl and hasn't stopped running since, from what I can tell.”
Deirdre took a deep breath. “It’s a sad story. And I hope we can find a happy ending for it soon.”
Davis nodded slowly. “Listen Dee, I don’t mean to be so rough on you. You know that. You’re a good sort.”
She laughed. “I know it, sure. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I kicked your butt once when I was eight. You remember that? You called me a coward and I tackled you just to prove I wasn’t?”
The sheriff winced. “Now that’s a memory I’d rather forget.”
“Well, I like to think I still could, if I wanted to.”
“Over my dead body. Alright, enough lollygagging. Out of my office. Your detective duties are over for today.”
Deirdre took the cats back to the library and settled into the rest of her day. There was an influx of students looking for books about the American Revolution for an essay. An elderly woman wanted help looking up old classmates online. Two teenage boys got into a shouting match that needed to be resolved. And then of course there were the endless budget spreadsheets to attend to as well as the new e-newsletter to write. Deirdre put her all into it and was happily surprised that at the end of the day she had gotten a lot done.
This was in thanks mostly to Flipper who kept a sharp eye on young Clem. The little cat napped most of the afternoon but he sprang into action later on and began tearing around Dee’s office, getting into everything, batting around pieces of this and that and attempting to scale anything that he could sink his claws into. Flipper meowed whenever Clem got himself over his head and Dee would rescue him before going back to work.
She was just thinking of packing up for the day when a call came through on her cell. It was Davis.
“Howdy. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Dee, that sweater of yours has Misty’s DNA on it. We’re calling a town hall meeting tonight to update everyone.”
He promptly hung up, leaving Deirdre worried and frowning. Where was Misty and what had happened to her?
Chapter 6
Wading through the crowds of people in the community hall, Deirdre searched for Sam. A heavy hand on her shoulder a moment later told her that he had found her first. He was wearing a red sweater she had given to him a couple of Christmases ago and his usual jeans.
“There are so many people here,” she exclaimed.
“People are worried. Now that Misty’s sweater has been found in the woods people think there’s a killer on the loose. She had no reason to be in the forest. People think something bad happened.”
Dee sighed heavily. “I really hope not.”
“And everyone’s talking about some Paisley fellow.”
“Well, let’s try to figure out exactly what they’re saying. Could all be hearsay but we might find a grain of truth in all of it.”
They immediately agreed to zero in on one Mrs. Maple Clark. Maple was famous for being a talker. She had lost her husband some years back and survived on his pension. She never got tired of telling people how much she missed him or how small his pension was. She was a chronic complainer, in short, though she just as often protested that she wasn’t to be pitied and that everyone else was worse off. So she made it impossible to disagree with her even when you were really and truly exasperated.
“I hear Paisley used to dare Misty to steal liquor from Dave’s Mini Mart on Highway 2,” Maple was telling a group of entranced women. “Beer, schnapps, that sort of thing. And I heard that they used to speed all the time. Mostly him. I was once crossing the road with a load of groceries. You see, I can’t call a taxi because I have to economize. Since my husband died money has been very tight, you know. Anyway, Paisley drove up as I was crossing. He slowed and I thought he might get out and help me as I was struggling. I’m not as strong as I was and I have to do everything for myself at home now. Instead, he just leaned on the horn and yelled out the window for me to get a move on! When I had crossed he just jammed down on the gas and sped off like a demon. Can you imagine! No wonder Misty may have met her end hanging out with that sort.”
Deirdre had told herself she was just going to shut up and listen but this speech exasperated her too much to keep quiet.
“Forgive me Maple, but I don’t follow,” she blurted out. “Just because Paisley was a thief and a speeder doesn’t mean he killed Misty. There’s just no motive there I can see.”
Six pairs of accusatory female eyes whipped around and landed on Deirdre. “Dee, what more do you need to know?” Maple said icily. “He’s clearly a bad seed. You have no idea what people like that are capable of.”
“I used to smoke behind the gym in high school, does that make me a potential murderer? From all accounts, Paisley was Misty’s friend. We can’t suspect him until we know more.”
“Bad people don’t need motives,” put in Ruth White, Maple’s sniffly second in command who was always suffering from this and that health complaint. “They just do bad things because that’s how they are.”
“That’s ridiculous…” Deirdre exploded.
At that point, Sam put his arm around her. “Uh look like things are starting up,” he said awkwardly. “Better go take our seats.” He then gently guided her away and sat her far from the other women.
“Don’t sco
ld me Sam,” she hissed when they were settled in. “I’ve never heard such a pack of nonsense before. It’s really unconscionable. Paisley may be far from perfect but they have no right to slander him.”
Sam looked at her steadily with his calm blue eyes. “I agree with you but it’s rumored he was into heavy stuff like as selling drugs. Even if he didn’t kill her he could have got her mixed up with types who could have. A drug deal gone bad, who knows?”
“A lot of speculation and no evidence, Sam.”
Sam put a hand on her arm. “You seem awfully cross today. What’s wrong?”
“I got a new kitten,” she blurted out.
His face froze. “Oh no Dee.”
“I told Tay I couldn’t because I promised you. But someone put him in the library drop box and he just looked so fragile and adorable. And Flipper loves him already. And we don’t even live together so why should I listen to you, well at least that’s what Tay said…” Dee promptly shut her mouth as she realized she was rambling.
“Since when do you listen to Taylor? If you want the kitten you should keep him. I was just worried, with people saying what they do about the cats following you…”
“I don’t give a fiddle for what other people think!” she snapped.
Thankfully Sheriff Davis took the stage then and prevented her from saying more. Boy she was ticked. Sam was behaving like a controlling boyfriend, the kind she never wanted.
She was also mad that people continued to gossip about her. How was it anyone’s concern how many cats she had and where they went? Some people had grandchildren but she hadn’t been blessed with any so she had cats. And they made her very happy. Anyone who had a problem with that was just plain cruel, in her opinion.
The sheriff cut through her thoughts and began making a presentation about Paisley Briggs. Paisley was wanted for questioning but he had disappeared. A photo plus description of his appearance were presented as well as the locations of his usual hang-outs. People were encouraged to keep a look-out for him and call the cops immediately if they spotted him. Davis also said that Misty’s sweater had been found in the woods near Jones Park and the cops were now very anxious to discover her whereabouts. People were encouraged not to be afraid about Paisley but to simply be aware.
The meeting concluded with more donated coffee and donuts. Deirdre murmured to Sam that she’d get them some coffee and then took off. She needed a moment to cool down.
As she poured out a cup, a youngish nervous-looking man approached her. He had light blonde hair in a kind of brush cut, ruddy skin and pale eyes. “You’re the detective, right?” he asked.
She chuckled. “Not an official one but I have a passion for solving mysteries. And who are you?”
“Jacob Miller,” he said. His eyes kept darting around like he was looking for someone.
“Hi Jacob. You seem a little jumpy. Are you alright?”
He nodded vigorously. “Fine. I’m just worried about Misty is all. Making me a little nutty.”
Deirdre froze. “Did you know her well?”
He shrugged. “We had been spending time together lately. Like the sheriff said, she’d been hanging around with Paisley and she was sick of him. Said he was just a drunk and a loser. Misty likes swimming so I used to drive her out to the nice beaches around here. She said people didn’t get her in Green Harbor. Judged her. But I like her. She’s funny and she has some great stories.”
Deirdre smiled. “I never heard of that side of Misty. But it’s nice to hear it. You think Paisley could have any reason to hurt her?”
Jacob paused and then looked around a moment more. “I dunno. I mean people say he could.”
“But what do you think?”
He paused again and then shook his head quickly. “Naw, they were just friends. I don’t think he’d have any reason to hurt her.”
“Have you told the cops this?” Deirdre said urgently “They’re after poor Paisley. If he didn’t do it…”
Another head shake. “Pardon me, ma’am but I don’t want to be making myself a suspect too. You see, I saw Misty the day she went missing. And if the cops got wind of that, well, I don’t want to end up in Paisley’s position.”
“But if you know something that could help find Misty…”
Just then Michael Stevens, the Brown’s business manager, walked up and began to pour himself a coffee. “Hey folks, how are you today?” he asked.
Deirdre turned reluctantly towards him. “Hi Mike. Well enough. How are you and the Browns holding up?”
“As well as can be expected, thanks for asking. We’re trying to do everything we can to bring Misty home.”
Dee turned around to introduce Jacob but he was gone. Curses! He was just the person she needed to be talking to. She turned back around and Michael was gone too. She sighed heavily and brought the coffees back to Sam.
“I apologize if I’ve been too hard on you,” Sam started in.
Dee was too preoccupied to fight so she forgave him and they chatted lightly before he drove her home. She went in, looking forward to having a soak in the tub with a good book.
Not so lucky. What should greet her eyes when she entered the living room but one arm of her favorite armchair completely shredded to bits! And next to it, cute as a button, was little fuzzy Clem.
“Bad kitty!” Dee exclaimed. She wagged her finger at the little cat but he did nothing but mew pathetically. The other two cats were conspicuously out of sight. Shaking her head, she put food and water out for the three of them and shut the door of the living room. She had forgotten what hard work having a kitten could be.
Dee tried to get back into a relaxed frame of mind but she was still mad about the armchair. She realized that she didn’t want to be at home stewing about her kitten’s bad behavior, her fight with Sam and Jacob’s odd confession. It was better to find a distraction. Dee found herself getting back in her car.
She parked outside Cove Café, went in and was shocked to see, sitting by herself in the corner, Sarah Brown. She had a distracted look on her face and was nursing a cup of something. Dee quickly ordered and walked over.
“I expect you want to be left alone, but I just wanted to say how sorry I am that Misty’s gone missing and I hope we find her really soon.”
Sarah smiled briefly. “Thanks for that. It’s okay, I wouldn’t mind some company actually. Keep me from my own thoughts. Would you like to join me?”
Deirdre was floored. Sarah had never made any friendly overtures to her before. She sat down immediately. Sarah looked composed in stretch twill pants, a polo shirt and a pullover and her blonde bob was perfect, as usual, but her face was etched with worry.
“I heard it was you who found Misty’s sweater,” Sarah said. “I can’t thank you enough for helping with the case. Everyone knows that you’re good at solving mysteries.”
Deirdre was about to mention Clem’s part in the discovery but she thought perhaps that wasn’t something Sarah needed to hear at the moment. “I’m happy to help. But really, it was an accident. I don’t want to get in the way of the police’s investigation. They know how to do their job.”
The server brought over Deirdre’s decaf cappuccino and she sipped it appreciatively. Sarah leaned forward. “We need all the help we can get, Dee. Can we count on you to keep trying to find clues?”
Dee was floored. “If you want me to, I’m happy to help.”
“Sheriff Davis is bent on finding and questioning Paisley. I think that’s a good lead. But I’m not sure he’s the one. I don’t know why. I just have this strange feeling about it all.”
“What did Misty tell you about Paisley?” Deirdre urged.
“Just that he was nice to her. We knew about his reputation but she said that they were only drinking buddies at the bar. Nothing worse. I believed her at the time. But now he’s disappeared. Seems suspicious.”
Deirdre couldn’t help herself. “Do you know anyone by the name of Jacob Miller?”
Sarah frowned. “I don
’t.”
“He told me that he was with Misty the day she disappeared. He hasn’t told me anything else. I don’t think he’s been questioned by the police yet. He says he’s afraid of being accused of killing her like Paisley.”
“We can’t scare him off!” Sarah said, leaning forward suddenly and grabbing Deirdre’s arm. “Please, can you try to talk to him again and see what he knows? I don’t want him to disappear like Paisley. He might actually know where she went.”
Deirdre found herself nodding. She talked with Sarah a while longer, mostly listening to her worries and then assuring her she would do whatever she could to help. After about an hour Sarah noticed how tired she was and ordered her to go home.
Deirdre hopped in the car again and went home. It was dark and quiet in the house. Dee peered into the living room at her poor, ruined chair. That’s when she saw a nail dug into the fabric. She pulled it out. It looked suspiciously non-kitten size.
She went in the kitchen and found Clem in the cat bed curled up tight with Flipper. The big cat’s fat paw was wrapped around his new friend’s body. Her heart melted at the sight of it. Flipper had long tried to make friends with Joe but the latter accepted him only as a hot water bottle on cold nights, not as a best friend. Finally, Flipper had made a pal.
Joe was sitting on the counter. He looked over at the closet where the cat treats were kept and meowed. Suspicion entered Dee’s mind. She went over, scooped him up and inspected his claws. Indeed, a front one looked brand new. The old claw also matched his own in size.
“Joe!” she said, putting him on the floor. “You framed Clem didn’t you, you sneaky little kittie? You knew I wouldn’t suspect you because you’ve never been a scratcher. And a kitten’s easy to blame for mischief.”
Joe looked up at her, round eyed and innocent like he had no idea what she was talking about.
“You have to learn to like Clem. This is his home now,” Dee scoded.
Sighing she scooped him back up. “I know you were the first cat, Joey. But just because I have two more doesn’t mean I love you any less.” She rubbed his ears and head. He purred softly. “So no more mischief, okay? Anyway, it’s time to redirect our energy. We have a mystery to solve.”
Murder in Green Harbor (Deirdre The Cat Lady Sleuth Cozy Mystery Book 2) Page 3