The Cat, the Collector and the Killer

by Leann Sweeney

  “You know there isn’t much going on around here, Lois. I just help out where I can.” He eyed Minnie. “You feeling better, Mrs. Schultz?”

  Minnie squinted his way. “Better, yes. Don’t I know you?”

  “We talked some before your big operation. Good to see you back in a regular hospital bed.” He waved his hand and was gone.

  That was definitely the guy I’d seen escort the arguing families out of the hospital. “You know him?” I asked Lois.

  “Sort of. I met him doing this job. Seems like a nice guy. Former law enforcement. Lots of security guards are. He told me he wanted more time with his fiancée, so he quit the force. I sure can’t blame him for that.”

  “I do remember him,” Minnie said. “Nice young man.”

  Seconds later the nurse came in with a rolling medication cart. After much checking of orders, and Minnie’s ID bracelet, the woman in pink scrubs helped Minnie swallow down what looked like two horse pills. Then she looked at me and admonished me for visiting a patient with a no-visitors order before hurrying off.

  A lot of hurrying went on in hospitals. It was probably a stressful place to work, because it was certainly a stressful place to visit.

  “There, now,” Minnie said. “What were we talking about?”

  I’d been caught and worried Norm would soon be escorting me out of the room. But I pressed on gently. “The tall man? Not Chester but someone else?”

  “He knew my son Harris. I have twin boys—well, not really boys anymore. But I could tell the man made Harris nervous. Uniform one day, no uniform another day.”

  “What kind of uniform?” Lois asked. This sure piqued her interest.

  “Why, I don’t really know. I don’t remember.” Minnie squinted and again raised her hand to shield her eyes. “I think that man had something to do with the boxes. And there were so many of them and all those cats to contend with. I understood nothing about any of it. Chester told me I’d ordered the packages, but I didn’t remember doing that. Plus he kept telling me the county shelter was at capacity and how could I not take in these cats he kept finding? Then he’d take one away and pretty soon, he’d arrive with another baby that needed a temporary home. How could I refuse?”

  I saw a tear slip down Minnie’s cheek.

  I trapped Lois’s gaze and shook my head.

  Lois smiled at Minnie fondly. “No need to get worked up. It’s not good for you. You get some rest now.”

  The poor woman’s eyes were only half open now. I patted Minnie’s arm. “I’ll leave you now. But I will be back to see your progress. You are one tough lady.”

  She mumbled, “Promise you’ll come back?”

  I bent and kissed her forehead. “Promise.”

  As I left the hospital, I realized it was dark. I’d totally lost track of time. Plus, now Norm, the security guard, was in the lobby. And he was watching me. Something about his presence everywhere I turned was disconcerting. When Norm asked if he could walk me to my car, I declined with a smile and hurried to the van.

  It wasn’t until I was on the road headed for home that I began to wonder about this uniform business. The security guard wore a uniform. Could he be the man Minnie was talking about who’d been in her house, maybe without a uniform? Had this confused her?

  But then the bigger picture emerged like someone had punched me. Kara had been searching for a connection between Brenda’s crash and Chester’s murder. When Minnie, a potential witness to murder, showed up at the hospital, what happened? Dr. Ross became involved. No matter how confused Minnie was, there was always the potential she might say something to incriminate someone or even name the killer. Who had been around to hear conversations? That security guard, for one. Brenda had even confirmed this earlier this evening.

  Did Chester know this Norm guy? There was one way I might be able to find out. I asked the remote digital assistant who resided in my phone to get me Sara Jo’s phone number. Sara Jo, unlike Lucinda, was much more likely to answer my questions.

  When she answered the phone, I could tell she was surprised that I’d called. “What’s up, Jillian?”

  “I’m driving and using Bluetooth, so I hope I don’t break up. I have a question for you about Chester. Did he know a man named Norm? I don’t know his last name, but he’s a security guard at the hospital.”

  Silence followed and for a second I thought I’d lost the call, but finally Sara Jo spoke. “Oh, Chester knows—sorry—knew him. He introduced us. Norm Garrett is my fiancé.”

  “The one who gave you that giant diamond I saw sparkling away on your finger when we spoke at Belle’s Beans?”

  I could hear the smile in her voice. “One and the same. Why do you need to know about Norm and Chester?”

  “I just wondered. I saw him tonight when I was visiting Minnie and he seemed like a nice guy.” I so wanted to end this call and talk to Tom, but I didn’t want to make Sara Jo suspicious.

  “He is a nice guy. The best.” Her tone had changed. She sounded as if she’d grown as cautious as I felt.

  “Listen, tell him I said hi when you see him. Thanks, Sara Jo.”

  I disconnected before she even said good-bye. Please blame that on Bluetooth for my abrupt disconnect, Sara Jo, I thought as I gave my phone the command to call Tom.

  I explained all that had gone on at the hospital, told him that Harris had probably lied and been in his mother’s house recently. He was heading out of Dodge because no doubt he was part of the scheme to bleed the poor woman dry of every penny. Then I gave him my theory about the security guard—that he could be the link connecting the crimes. Maybe Sara Jo’s wonderful fiancé, who’d given her that flashy engagement ring, had been in cahoots with Chester and the credit card fraud, too. “Maybe the three of them argued and it got ugly?” I said.

  “What’s this security guard’s name again?” he asked.

  “Norm Garrett.”

  “Great information, Jilly. I’ll run a background check and maybe head over to the hospital for a little chat with the man. We sure need a break in this case before all my suspects flee in stolen cars.”

  “Harris was involved,” I said.

  “Oh, you know he was. If you’re innocent, you don’t run.”

  “I love you, Tom. I hope this helps you get to the truth.”

  “Love you, Jilly.”

  I rode home feeling better than I had in days. Tom would get to the bottom of everything that had happened in the last week. I was sure of it.

  Thirty

  Once again, I sat on the kitchen floor surrounded by my cat crew. I doled out affection first, then treats, then more affection. I needed a double dose as much as they did. Dashiell’s blood sugar checked out fine and he even got an extra piece of freeze-dried chicken.

  Since both Brenda and Minnie seemed to be on the road to recovery, I definitely felt a sense of relief. If they found Harris and brought him back to Mercy—and I had no doubt that would happen—I was certain he would name Norm Garrett as the third wheel in the trifecta of evil that had invaded a poor, sick woman’s life. What was wrong with these people?

  My lunch seemed as if it had happened yesterday, and with my stomach no longer rebelling, I opted for my favorite easy dinner—a peanut butter and jam sandwich. As I slathered the peanut butter on slices of whole wheat bread, I wondered about that beautiful engagement ring I’d seen on Sara Jo’s finger. Had it come from the box of jewelry we’d found in Minnie’s secret closet? Was that why the poor woman had hidden the box away? Because someone named Norm had taken a piece of jewelry for himself and Minnie knew it was gone? I wouldn’t doubt it.

  After I’d eaten, I took a long bath. The cats enjoyed being near the tub, but all of them were careful not to get too close. Though Chablis didn’t mind a bath every now and then, she shied away from the tub. Too much water, perhaps? Probably.

  I donn
ed my pajamas and decided to call Kara now that she’d had time for her dinner with Liam. I settled onto the sofa and soon found myself among all the cats. Chablis settled in my lap and even the scaredy-cat chose a spot close to me on the sofa. Poor Otto was exhausted and fell asleep almost at once. But the rest of them weren’t about to let me out of their sight. Syrah was by my head, Merlot was at my feet and Dashiell was right alongside Simon, the cat he’d pretended to dislike so much. In the days to come, I would carve out plenty of time to make up for my recent absences.

  After I called Kara and told her about my visit to Minnie, she said, “The security guard? Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “I mean, I could be wrong, but who else was all over that hospital? That’s why Brenda was run off the road. He feared she could make sense out of what Minnie’s words meant about ‘no uniform.’ Some days when he was at her house he might have worn his uniform and some days, maybe not.”

  “You said Tom planned to talk to this person? When do you think that will happen? Or maybe it already has.”

  “He said tonight. What if I’m wrong, Kara? I don’t suppose Sara Jo will ever speak to me again if I cast suspicion on an innocent man. It could all be about Harris. He needed drug money and Chester was no doubt partnered with him. He certainly lied about not seeing his mother in ages. She clearly said that she saw him recently inside her house—with the tall man.” I paused. “But the security guard isn’t tall. In fact, he’s below average in height.”

  “I’m hearing doubt creep in, Jillian. Minnie was confused. Who knows what a brain tumor can do to a person? Maybe her vision was distorted.”

  “Maybe. But something isn’t right . . . Something seems off.”

  I heard the crackle of Kara’s police scanner in the background. She went silent as she listened and then she came back on the line and offered an emphatic “Yes.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I told you they’d catch Harris. He’s in custody in Virginia. Listen, I have to open the newspaper office and pull all my information together for a story. I think Tom and Candace will be able to mark this case solved tonight. Talk to you later.”

  She sounded thrilled and of course she’d have a great front-page story. But though Harris’s capture was a good development and would certainly provide answers, doubt still niggled at my insides. Why? It was all about the tall man. That was the piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit.

  I doubted Tom would be home any time soon, especially now that Harris had been located. I thought about Minnie then. The truth would come out and I sure didn’t want to be there when she learned that one of her kids had betrayed her so horribly.

  To take my mind off all of this, I reached for the remote and decided to catch up on a few shows I enjoyed that had been set to record. But I made the mistake of leaning my head back against the cushions.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the sound of Tom’s voice that woke me minutes or hours later. The house was pitch-black, the TV wasn’t on and Chablis’s claws were digging into me.

  I realized that the power had gone out. It wasn’t raining—there hadn’t been a true thunderstorm in more than a week. What the heck had happened?

  But the silence helped me understand. There was a metallic scratching sound at the back door. Chablis’s claws dug deeper into my thigh and then she took off. My eyes were still adjusting, so I couldn’t see where the other cats were, but when I felt around on the sofa, I knew they weren’t nearby.

  What the heck was that noise?

  But before I could think another thought, I heard my back door squeak open.

  What was happening?

  I heard his not-quiet-enough footsteps as he walked through my kitchen. The dark figure came around the sofa and stood above me. I recognized him even in the dark. The tall man had come here.

  Captain Brad Osborne.

  I drew my legs up and shrank back against the sofa cushions. He flipped on a bright flashlight and shined it in my face. I had to turn my head.

  “It’s all over, thanks to you.” His voice was soft, almost gentle.

  I felt a throbbing pulse in my throat as adrenaline and fear coursed through me.

  I blinked and stared away from the light, but I could still see him. He wore no uniform. He was dressed in black so he would blend with the night.

  “If it’s over,” I said, “why are you here?

  “I’m giving it my best shot. The brand-new police chief is arrogant. If he’s taking me down, I’ll make sure he pays the ultimate price. If I take your life, he’ll have learned a valuable lesson.”

  I lifted my chin and though I was terrified, I kept my voice steady when I said, “So where’s your gun?”

  “Gangs like knives. You’ve been threatened by a gang, I hear. They commit random acts of violence and you’re about to learn that firsthand. Then your husband will learn it, too.”

  My eyes were adjusting and I could see him pretty well now. I could also see two of my cats, Merlot and Syrah, sitting behind this terrible man. Syrah’s ears were laid back. He was as angry as I was at this intrusion and these threats. “You did that spray-painting? Really?”

  “Oh, I rarely do much for myself anymore, Jillian. It’s much easier to hire one of the many thugs I’ve met in my days working as a sheriff. I’m owed plenty of favors by a lot of bad people.”

  I saw he had a hunting knife sheath attached to his belt. It was hard not to focus on it, but I had to make him believe I wasn’t afraid. People like Osborne took pleasure in the fear of others. I wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction.

  “Since they’ve caught up with Harris, I’m sure you realized your gig was up. What is your game, anyway, Mr. Osborne? Conning sick people?” I refused to use his title as a police officer. He didn’t deserve that much respect.

  “You don’t know the first thing about my game, as you call it. Was it a mistake to get involved with Chester Winston? Biggest mistake of my life. What an idiot he was. But he was connected to county officials. If he decided to talk—which he threatened to do—I was done. I’ve spent years building my business and his little two-bit operation nearly ruined it. Then you picked up where he left off by thinking you could take me down.”

  I was thinking about what Tom had once told me, how sociopaths like this guy had egos the size of the moon. They loved to talk about how smart they were. Osborne had admitted to a mistake, though. I needed him to feel smart again. Only then would he make another mistake—or so I hoped. “But you said nearly. A smart man like you surely has a backup plan, and money stashed in offshore accounts.”

  “You’re pretty bright yourself, Jillian. If I didn’t dislike your husband so darn much, I might spare you. He had a bead on me. I could see it in his eyes every time we talked. If this hadn’t happened with Chester, we would have crossed paths in the future.”

  “Did you kill Chester?”

  “Now, don’t try anything so silly as trying to get me to spill my guts to you, Jillian. You’re smarter than that. I shouldn’t have said as much as I have—but then, you won’t be telling anyone about it once I get finished here. Gang slayings are brutal, you know. But I’ll make sure to make this as easy as possible on you. See, I kind of like you, even if you did finger my guy Norm. The girlfriend called him and he called me. Your death was always in the works, but I had to step up the timeline. We deal a lot in timelines in the police business, but I’m sure you know that.”

  Despite his words about not spilling his guts, he sure was talking a lot. He was probably enjoying this terrible conversation. I tried to keep my breathing steady and my voice even. “I do know about timelines. So, you’re saying this is about Tom? Getting revenge for arrests he hasn’t even made yet? I don’t get that.”

  “He refused my help. His predecessor never refused my help. Who does he think he is?”

  Uh-oh. I’d taken
a wrong turn. I’d heard the hostility in his voice. “He’s new at the job,” I said. “I guess he’s simply green.”

  “But, you see, that’s what you should have told him. I’m betting you could have convinced him to bring me on board if you’d wanted to.”

  My mind began to race. I was running out of things to say. Stroking his ego would only go so far. He possessed a highly intelligent criminal mind. He’d probably already seen right through me and was simply toying with me right now.

  How could I . . .

  Simon, who must have been curled up and heavily asleep under the coffee table that sat between me and the man who was about to kill me, suddenly raised his head. I thought this scared boy would run out of the room, but then I realized he was familiar with Osborne. The man had been in Minnie’s house, who knew how many times?

  And Simon didn’t like him. This became obvious when I watched him slink out from under the table, stand up like a prairie dog on his hind legs and hiss as loud as he could at Osborne.

  It was the small distraction I needed. I grabbed the back of the sofa and hiked over, racing for the basement. I would rather have run to my craft room because some very sharp scissors and seam rippers resided there, but he would have caught me had I run in that direction. We had tools in the basement. Sharp things. Like what? And where are these sharp things?

  The adrenaline was pumping harder now, but it was working against me, making me tremble all over. Garden shears. Where were the garden shears? Screwdrivers. Surely I could find the screwdrivers in this whole new level of blackness in my basement.

  He had the benefit of a flashlight. I had the benefit of knowledge of my house.

  Since I was barefoot, I managed to get down the stairs on little cat feet. I heard a thud above me. He’d probably run into side of the counter separating the kitchen from living area. I’d done it a dozen times myself in broad daylight.

  His steps, the ones that had been so quiet after he’d broken in, now seemed heavy and full of rage. I heard the patter of kitty feet coming down the stairs to join me. I wanted to shoo them away, keep them safe from this knife-wielding madman. Since they’d come down, Osborne wouldn’t waste time checking the pantry or mudroom or to even see if I’d run outside. Sure enough, I heard his slow steps on the stairs.