No Kill Station: Murder at Rehoboth Beach

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No Kill Station: Murder at Rehoboth Beach Page 14

by Diane Meier


  “Oh my God, don’t do that,” she pleaded, but then her shoulders slumped and she walked over. It took her a minute to get down on the floor. “I can’t sit like this. I have a bad back.”

  “Get down there.” Matt cuffed her and leaned a few inches from her face. “I don’t care if that hurts. It’s not as bad as getting mauled by fighting dogs and dying in agony.”

  Matt left the lobby, slamming the door, and got into the van. He looked back at the cats. “We’ll be home soon, guys.” Matt called Clara.

  “Did you find them?” Clara asked hopefully.

  “I’ve got them with me in a van and I’m bringing them home. They are all fine. They’re upset by the experience and telling me that quite loudly, but they are not hurt.”

  “Oh thank God,” Clara breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Matt, I’m so grateful to you. What happened?”

  “They were at the New Castle kennel waiting to be picked up by some mobster. I commandeered the kennel owner’s van and made her help load all the cages. Then I arrested her for animal cruelty and handcuffed her to the radiator. She complained about her back pain which pissed me off. I asked her if she had ever wondered whether it might hurt dogs and cats to be ripped apart by fighting dogs.” `

  “Serves her right. What an evil woman”

  “I’ll get Aidan to have somebody get her and haul her ass to jail. After we let the cats out in your yard, I’ll pay a little visit to Sasso.”

  “He probably filed an assault charge against me.”

  “What do you mean? Why? Did he attack you? I’ll kill that bastard”

  “No, he didn’t touch me. I did actually assault him,” Clara said a bit sheepishly. “When I finished going through the trash bags full of dead dogs and cats, he came up to the dumpster and yelled at me. I just lost it completely. I jumped down on him and punched him in the face. My hand hurts like hell.”

  “That is wonderful,” laughed Matt. “You should ice it. You’re not injured other than your hand, right? You didn’t hurt yourself in the jump?”

  “I kind of twisted my ankle a little, but I’m hobbling around.”

  “Sasso is screwed now. I’m going to call Aidan and see if he can lock Sasso up and throw away the key.”

  “I was so scared that he had killed them, Matt.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry that all of this happened. I don’t know how Sasso found out about your cat colony, but I intend to find out.”

  “When I think of all the cats and dogs that Randolph sold, it makes me so glad somebody killed him.”

  “I’ll be back in about an hour. Just try to relax if you can. Ice that hand and your ankle.”

  “I will. I can’t wait to see them all back in the yard.”

  “I should call Aidan about that woman that I cuffed to the radiator. See you soon.”

  Matt was so happy to have saved the cats. Maybe Clara would forgive him for being such a jackass about the blog. What did it matter if she had lied? He didn’t give a damn anymore whether Randolph’s killer was ever caught and convicted. All he cared about was getting Clara to forgive him. He dialed Aidan’s number.

  “Aidan, I just cuffed the owner of the New Castle kennel to her radiator.”

  Aidan sighed in exasperation. “Because of dog selling? You are going to get yourself suspended again.”

  “Actually, it was cats this time.” Matt explained what had happened.

  “I’ll send somebody to pick her up her,” said Aidan grudgingly. “You want her booked on cruelty?”

  “You’re damned right.”

  “If you can come down from your high about saving the cats, let me tell you my news. I’m about to arrest the suspect for Randolph’s murder.”

  “Congratulations. How did you find her? Assuming it is a her.”

  “Animal control officers found the brick that was used to smash Randolph’s head. They recognized it from Randolph’s desk. Forensics said the brick matched the clay dust found in Randolph’s brain. So I was able to get the search warrant we needed to track down that blogger.”

  “That’s fantastic, Aidan. Great work!”

  “You were right. The brick was found right behind the blogger’s house. The whiteboard message Dog Killer showed the motive for the murder, just as you suspected. The killer must have hated Randolph because of the animals being put down. I’m going to arrest the woman now.”

  “Where is she? I can be there soon. I just need to get the cats out of the cages. What’s the address?

  “It’s 612 Magnolia Avenue, just outside of Rehoboth.”

  “What? Clara Butler? She didn’t kill Randolph. She wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

  “Sasso just filed an assault charge against her, so apparently she is violent.”

  “Dammit, I know her. Don’t do this. Wait until I get there. There’s a reason why she assaulted Sasso…..”

  “I’m at the house now. Gotta go, Matt.”

  Matt dialed Clara’s number. No answer. He pushed the accelerator to the floor.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “A

  state trooper car just pulled up, Clara.” said Sharon. “Maybe they’re here to take a report on the cats.”

  Clara came over to the window.

  Aidan banged on the door. Standing with him was Andrew

  Watkins, the cop who had come with Aidan to the SPCA on the murder call.

  Clara opened the door. “Good afternoon. Is this about my cats?”

  “You’re under arrest for the murder of Gary Randolph,” said Aidan. “Put your hands behind your back.” He cuffed her while reciting her Miranda rights

  Snowflake and Smokey ran up to the door. Watkins pulled out his gun.

  “Snowflake, Smokey, stay,” Clara commanded and the dogs obeyed immediately.

  It didn’t stop Watkins from firing. Both dogs yelped in agony when the bullets struck them and toppled over. Smokey’s head exploded from the shot. Snowflake’s blood gushed out from her neck onto her white fur. Sharon shrieked and ran over to apply

  No Kill Station

  pressure to Snowflake’s wound but it was hopeless. Snowflake and Smokey were dead. “You killed them! Murderer!” roared Sharon as she jumped into Watkin’s, face but he heard nothing.

  Clara wailed and collapsed.

  “Idiot,” screamed Aidan at Watkins. “They weren’t attacking you. The dogs obeyed her and sat. They were completely under her control.”

  Watkins looked at Aidan in astonishment. “They’re Pit Bulls. They’re vicious,” he protested.

  Aidan pulled Clara gently up off the floor and walked her to the car. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  Sharon ran out and watched in horror as Aidan carefully held Clara’s head down so she could get in the back seat.

  “Matt will get you out,” called Sharon. “Don’t worry. You’ll be released. And then we’re going to sue that murderer.”

  Clara wept for Smokey and Snowflake as she sat in the back of the squad car. When they arrived at the state troopers substation, Aidan opened the car door and helped her out.

  “Get that dog killer out of my sight,” she demanded.

  Watkins got up in her face. “You’re in no position to be telling me what to do, Missie.”

  “Shut up, Watkins,” yelled Aidan. “If you have any sense, you’ll make yourself scarce right now.”

  “Dammit, those dogs were attacking me,” protested Watkins.

  “You’re a liar, you bastard,” Clara cried. “My dogs sat immediately when I gave the command.”

  “She’s right, Watkins. The dogs were completely under control. Now get the hell away for me before I do something that I’ll regret.”

  “I am sorry he shot your dogs, just so sorry,” said Aidan.

  “Do you think I give a damn about your apology?” cried Clara. “Your partner killed my dogs for no reason.”

  Diane Meier Aidan figured that it wasn’t going help to talk anymore about it. He took her into the station and removed the
handcuffs so that he could get her fingerprints. He had a terrible feeling that this arrest was a huge mistake, After Aidan booked Clara he walked to a cell. She stared coldly at him for a minute and then entered the cell.

  As he closed the door, Clara said, “You have arrested the wrong person. When Matt Thomas gets back from rescuing my cats, he is going to rip you a new one. “

  Aidan thought that she was right. He wished like hell that he had waited to hear the reason why Matt said that this was a bad arrest.

  Clara sat on the bench and cried. That cop shot her dogs because he assumed they were vicious Pit Bulls who would attack but that was so wrong. Smokey and Snowflake were sweet dogs who had been well trained.

  She knew that her dogs had been murdered because of prejudice against Pit Bulls. Clara had seen an estimate that the 4 million animals killed in shelters every year included one million dogs identified as Pit Bulls. The media had created the image of Pit Bulls as vicious dogs owned mostly by drug dealers in the ghetto. The truth was that most Pit Bulls were family dogs. They had once been known as the “nanny dogs” because they are so good with children.

  In the past, other breeds had been labeled vicious, including Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Chows, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers. The truth was that any dog could be a problem if it had not be trained and loved.

  Smokey and Snowflake had been dearly loved and especially well trained so that they would always obey commands. They were murdered by Watkins because he had accepted the media’s false image of Pit Bulls. It broke Clara’s heart.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  M

  att pulled up to Clara’s house. The door was wide open. He hurled himself out of the van and raced up the sidewalk. “Oh, no,” he screamed when he saw Snowflake and Smokey lying in blood on the floor. “I can’t believe they shot the dogs. This is horrible.“ He realized that Clara must have watched this nightmare. She must be devastated. “Clara? Clara?”

  Sharon knew that this was going to be a shock but she had to talk to him. “Matt, they arrested her. You’ve got to do something.”

  Matt stared at Sharon in horror. He stepped back to the door. “I’m hallucinating.”

  “No, I’m real. I mean, I’m a ghost. Please don’t think about that right now. The important thing is Clara. They put her in handcuffs and took her away. She’s being accused her of Randolph’s murder.” Sharon started to cry.

  Matt froze. What was wrong with him? He was seeing and hearing Sharon. She was dead.

  Diane Meier No Kill Station Sharon grabbed his hand. “Matt, Matt, I’m really here. I know it’s crazy, but I’m really here. Please snap out of it. You need to help Clara.”

  “My God, Sharon, it’s really you.”

  “Yes, now listen to me. I have a video of someone peering into our window last night. I showed it to Clara. We thought it was just some crazy person. Since it was a woman we weren’t scared. Clara was going to put in a police report but then we found out that the cats were missing so she rushed to the SPCA. That woman must have framed Clara.”

  Sharon grabbed the cell phone, started the video, and handed it to Matt.

  He watched and recognized the face peering in through the window. “That’s Tina Patterson!” He heard Henry on the video calling to tell him that somebody was outside. He could hear his own response to Henry. Matt watched as Tina heard Henry’s voice. She looked up for a second. Then she pulled up her hoodie and ran away.

  “Tina Patterson.” He was astonished. Why was Tina Patterson looking in Clara’s window?

  “Patterson! I didn’t recognize her at first. Now I remember. She wanted to be on the SPCA Board but she was rejected unanimously. The other Board members thought she was unworthy because they found out that her home was a trailer. I was concerned about how adamant she was about the need to kill shelter animals. She had zero compassion for homeless dogs and cats.”

  Matt watched the video again. He was trying to figure out why Patterson was there. “She must have found out somehow that you had been the blogger. She probably thought that Clara is writing the blog now.”

  “But it’s not Clara,” said Sharon. “I’m still doing the blog.”

  Matt understood now. “So Clara was lying, like I thought. But I wouldn’t have believed the truth unless you had shown yourself to me.”

  “I could tell you were upset with her about the lie. I was about to show myself to you but Clara slammed the door too quickly.”

  “I feel terrible about acting like that,” said Matt quietly.

  He replayed the video. “Wait a minute. She’s wearing a hoodie.”

  “What?” asked Sharon.

  “The murderer was shown on the SPCA security camera, but it was just the view of her walking away with her hoodie up.”

  “Why the hell would Tina kill Randolph? She worshipped him,” said Sharon.

  “I don’t give a shit. But it’s got to be Tina. And we’ve got hairs that the ME plucked from Randolph’s brains that will have prove it’s her DNA. She had never been arrested so she wasn’t in any records.”

  “DNA. Thank God. That ought to get Clara released.”

  “Absolutely,” said Matt confidently.

  “Damn that woman’s soul to hell,” said Sharon with bitterness. “Patterson is pro-kill so I’m not surprised that she murdered Randolph.”

  “I’ll get the cats out of the van so we can release them. Then I’m going over and get Clara out of there. Don’t worry, Sharon. She’ll be home soon.“

  “I know you’ll get her out. Poor kitties. They must have been so afraid. I am so grateful to you for saving them. Matt, you are a wonderful man.” Sharon hugged him.

  Matt was surprised that Sharon felt like flesh and blood. She had been cremated. It was all just completely bewildering. Matt didn’t believe in ghosts. He’d process that later. He needed to get going.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  M

  att called Aidan as he drove to the trooper substation. “Matt, where the hell have you been?” “Aidan, you’ve arrested the wrong person. It’s not Clara Butler. Tina Patterson is the murderer. I’ve got a video that shows it. The DNA from those hairs will prove it was Tina. I’m coming over right now. Please hold off on booking Clara.”

  “She’s already been booked and in a holding cell, Matt” “Just stay there until I show you the video.”

  When Matt got to the detention center, he found Aidan waiting

  impatiently.

  “Are you just trying to get Clara Butler released because you

  like her?”

  “Yes, I do like her, Aidan. That’s true. But listen to what I have

  to tell you.” He showed Aidan the video of Tina at the window. He

  left out the fact that a ghost had made the video.

  Aidan listened while Matt explained how Tina had framed

  Clara for doing the blog after her mother died. Rounding up the

  No Kill Station

  cats was her way of getting the animal control guys to find the brick back there. Aidan sat and thought for a few minutes. “I admit that’s all plausible. But it also could be that Clara killed Randolph. I got a swab from Clara for the DNA test. If it’s not a match with those hairs that the ME found, we’ll know it’s not her. It will take a few more hours.”

  “Can I go back and talk to Clara? She must be crying her heart out over the dogs.”

  “Yeah, that was Watkins, damn him. I told Clara that I was sorry but of course that didn’t help.”

  “Watkins ought to be fired,” said Matt angrily.

  “They’re just dogs,” said Aidan.

  “Are you defending him?” demanded Matt. “They weren’t just dogs. They were Clara’s family.”

  “I’m sorry. I really am,” said Aidan. “Shooting them was outrageous. I’ll make sure he’s investigated and held accountable. You can see Clara. I’ll have her taken out of the cell to an interview room.”

  Matt reached out to shake his hand.
“Thank you.”

  A few moments later, Clara looked up and saw Matt. She was so relieved. Her eyes were red from crying. “That cop killed Snowflake and Smokey.”

  He rushed over, lifted her from the chair and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

  “Snowflake and Smokey came to the door because the troopers seemed to be threatening me. But they immediately obeyed my command to sit. There was absolutely no reason to shoot them.”

  “I know, I know. Aidan said that. Look, I’m getting you out of here. Your mother showed me the video. It was Tina Patterson looking in the window. She set you up for the murder. She had Sasso get the cats rounded up. Patterson is the one who murdered Randolph. The DNA will prove it was her not you.”

  Diane Meier

  Clara was astonished. “You saw my mother?” “Yes, it was a hell of a shock, but she showed herself to me. I’m still trying to believe it.”

  Clara smiled a little. “It’s hard to accept, I know. She’s been here since the funeral. She decided not to leave because she has work to do.”

  Matt nodded. “So she’s been doing the blog. I’m so damned sorry that I thought you were lying to me. I’m an idiot. I was awful to you.”

  “You brought the cats back? They’re not hurt?”

  “Yes, they’re fine physically. I’m sure they took off running the second that your mother released them from the traps.”

  “I hope they’ll come back,” said Clara. “It’s just one more reason not to trust humans.”

  They sat down and Matt put his arm around her. He would get her home as soon as she was released and then would convince Aidan that Tina was the murderer.

  The next problem was how to catch those dog fighters at a fight. He had an idea about how to use Sasso for that.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  A

  s Sharon opened each trap, the cats raced away to the woods. She wished she could tell them how sorry she was about what had happened. She sat on the garden bench and thought about Clara being led away in handcuffs. It was all beyond belief. The idea that Clara could have murdered Randolph was totally absurd even though he was a monster who murdered animals.

 

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