Once I’d showered and dressed, I tiptoed downstairs, so as not to wake my roomie, and made myself a quick cup of coffee. One of these days, I was going to write a thank-you note to the person responsible for inventing timers for coffeepots. I put my mug in the sink and dialed Maggie’s number. Voicemail. I didn’t leave a message—just got in my car and drove straight to the shelter.
“I didn’t expect to see you until later,” Kat said when I stuck my head in her office. “What’s up?”
“Lots.” I perched myself on the edge of her desk and brought her up to speed on the events of the evening before. “Maggie never called me, and when I tried her this morning, I got her voicemail.”
Kat’s eyes popped. “Oh no! You don’t think they arrested her, do you?”
“I doubt it. They have no grounds to do so, at least none I’m aware of. I’m assuming they just brought her in for questioning and nothing more, but I’ll find out soon enough. I’m going to take that necklace down to Will.”
“What necklace?”
We both turned to see Sissy standing in the doorway. She held a tiny calico kitten in her arms. The kitten’s claws were stuck in her T-shirt, and Sissy reached up to gently disengage them. She shifted the kitten in her arms. “What necklace?’ she repeated.
“Ulla’s necklace, the one with the silver bullet charm,” I responded. “Toby was playing with it in the cattery last night.”
“Huh.” The teen looked clearly puzzled. “I went through all of the totes we took to Crowden’s, and I swear it wasn’t in there.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Kat said. “It might have gotten stuck in one of the zippered compartments, and those totes are pretty old. It might even have gotten stuck in one of the holes in the material.”
“Uh-uh.” Sissy gave her head a quick shake. “When I said I looked, I mean I looked. I dumped everything out, and I felt inside each one of them. Believe me, it wasn’t there.”
Kat looked at me as if to say, Another mystery for you to solve, Sherlock. “Kat’s probably right,” I told the teen. “I lost a pin once in the lining of my purse. That sucker really got buried in there.”
“Yeah, but that bullet charm is big and heavy,” Sissy protested. “I think it would be hard to lose.”
I shrugged. “There’s probably a very simple explanation, but right now I can’t think of one.” As Sissy turned to go, I called out, “Wait a sec. You went out the back door when your shift was over yesterday, right? Did the lock stick?”
Sissy shook her head. “Nope. The key turned smooth as silk. We just sprayed all the locks with that WD-40 because of the humidity, remember?” She frowned. “Why? Did you have trouble with the lock last night?”
“Just a little. Maybe we didn’t give that door lock as good a spray. I’ll take care of it later.”
“Okay. Oh, I almost forgot.” Sissy reached into her pocket and pulled out a small envelope. “I found this lying by the side door. It’s addressed to you.”
I took the envelope, slit it. Inside was a single sheet of paper. I pulled it out and read the crudely printed message: U wood do well to mind UR own business.
“Someone thinks I’m getting close,” I said. I passed the note to Sissy and Kat to look at. “I wish I knew what it was I’m getting close to.”
Kat looked up from the note with a frown. “I don’t like this, Syd. Maybe you should stop looking into Ulla’s death.”
Both my brows went up. “And give up on proving Maggie’s innocence?” I shook my head. “Sorry, Sis. Not a chance. But I’ll be careful.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said last time,” Kat grumbled. “Please exercise caution. After all, you’re the only sister I’ve got.”
I’d planned on going down to see Will before lunch, but when I called the station, Diane Ryan answered and said that he and Charlie Callahan were out and wouldn’t be back until around four. I went to DuBarry’s and got takeout for all of us at the shelter, then spent the next several hours catching up on paperwork. Around three o’clock I got a call from Tom Spurlock, the president of Ulla’s publishing house. He’d spoken with Ken Colgate, and we weren’t to worry. In addition to the sale percentage, Axiom Publishing would be making a very generous donation in Ulla’s name to the shelter. The amount he named brought tears to my eyes. I called Ken but got his voicemail. I left a message thanking him and then broke the good news to the others. No doubt we would be getting that alarm system now! Of course, a small celebration ensued, so it was almost six o’clock before I retrieved the necklace and made my way to the police station. Diane was at the desk, and she greeted me with a wide smile. “Hey, Syd! You’re in luck! Will just got out of a meeting with Captain Connolly.” She grimaced. “And Callahan. Go right on back.”
Will was just settling himself in his chair when I rapped on the door and walked in. As he started to rise, I waved him back down. “Don’t get up,” I said. “First off, I want to know how it went with Maggie last night.”
“I’m shocked you waited this long to inquire,” he responded. “I saw you sitting by the curb in your car.” He motioned for me to sit and then went on, “We just brought her in for questioning. We advised her that she could have her lawyer present if she wanted, but that if she answered our questions truthfully, that would not be necessary.”
“Uh-huh,” I grumbled, placing both hands on my hips. “So? What happened?”
“We asked a few questions, she answered them, and then I drove her back home.”
“Did Callahan traumatize her? She’s not answering her phone.”
“That’s because she left it here last night. I’ll have someone return it to her later. She might be still sleeping. She was pretty beat.”
“Well, of course she was,” I cried. “She’d just gotten back from a long trek to check on her aunt in the nursing home.”
“So she told me.”
I frowned. “You sound a bit skeptical.”
“I checked with the nursing home. Maggie was there, all right, but …”
“But what?” I asked as Will paused. “Something’s bothering you, I can tell.”
“It’s just that when we contacted the nursing home to verify her story, they said that no one there called her. She showed up all on her own.”
“No one called … you mean there was nothing wrong with her aunt?”
“No, her aunt did take a fall, but it was nothing serious. I checked with three different people there, and there’s no record of anyone calling Maggie to notify her of anything.”
“Well, maybe no one wrote it down. Maybe you just didn’t speak to the right person. Maggie wouldn’t lie about that.”
“She also said that a woman called her and told her how important it was to Ulla that she speak with her.”
“Yes, that would have been Savannah.”
Will shook his head. “I questioned Savannah. She was most emphatic in her denial. She’s never heard of Maggie Shayne.” There was a long pause and then Will added softly, “I’ll be honest with you, Syd. Right now, it doesn’t look too good for Maggie. She’s been caught in two lies; she had definite issues with the deceased; and then there’s that YouTube video.”
I bit down hard on my lower lip. “What? That video is—is grainy. I’ll agree it does look like Maggie, but it’s not all that clear.”
“You forget, we at the police department have enhanced technology. It’s Maggie, all right.”
“Fine, but she didn’t lie to you about being there, did she?”
Will picked up a pencil and tapped it on the desk blotter. “Kind of hard to do that when we’ve got visual proof.”
I stamped my foot. “Sometimes you can act just like—just like a cop!” I burst out. “So what—now that you’ve got Maggie in your crosshairs, that’s it? You don’t follow up on any more leads? What about Miggs?”
“Who?”
“It’s a nickname for one of the people Ulla was desperate to contact. A Madelyn Griggs. But, as it turns out, she’s
dead. Her sister’s not, though.” I brought Will up to speed on that issue. “MaeAnn said that Madelyn’s sister, Laura, was quite vocal about blaming Ulla for her sister’s condition. So, maybe now that she’s dead—”
“You think what? That this Laura might have been stalking Ulla, waiting for her chance at revenge?”
“Is that theory so farfetched? Grief can make people do very strange things,” I said. “I don’t think you can discount the possibility that Laura might have changed her name, her appearance, and maybe gotten a job at CNC to be near Ulla, just waiting for the right moment.”
Will looked at me. “It sounds as if you’ve given that theory a lot of thought.”
“I have. Do you know, both Savannah and Candy are about the right age to be Laura? I showed Maggie their photos, and she thought Candy Carmichael resembled her a bit.”
Will shook his head. “That’s guesswork, Syd. Maggie would have no way of knowing how much Laura might have changed over the years.” He caught both my hands in his. “There’s also the possibility Laura Griggs has nothing to do with Ulla’s murder at all.”
“Maybe,” I grumbled. “Revenge is always a powerful motivator, though, and that’s certainly the case with Laura. You could at least consider the possibility.”
Will stroked his chin for what seemed like an eternity. At last he said, “I’m not saying I agree with your theory, but since you’ve brought it to my attention, I promise to check it out.”
“I guess that’s good enough, for now anyway. Now for my other reason for coming here.” I opened my bag and pulled out the plastic bag containing the necklace and set it on Will’s desk. “I found Toby playing with that in the shelter last night.”
Will picked up the bag, turned it over in his hand. “So it was mixed in with your things?”
“That’s the odd part. Sissy swears it wasn’t, that she went through everything with a fine-tooth comb.”
“So what’s the other option? That Ulla’s killer broke into the shelter and left it as what? A calling card?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. No one’s broken into the shelter—or have they?” I recounted the incident with the lock, then pulled the second note out of my pocket. “Sissy found this by the side door. Maybe someone did manage to get in. But nothing was taken—at least, nothing anyone noticed.” I looked at the necklace, still in Will’s hand. “Of course, maybe this was a different kind of thief.”
Will saw me looking at the necklace and frowned. “The kind who leaves valuable necklaces, you mean?”
“No, the kind who comes searching for them. Something must have scared him off before he could find it, thank God.”
Will sighed. “I’ll send someone over to check out the lock, Syd. The shelter doesn’t have any sort of alarm system or security cameras?”
I shook my head. “Not in the current budget. We were thinking of installing one, though, with the money from Ulla’s event. Provided Ken Colgate keeps his promise.” I gestured toward the necklace. “He’ll be glad to hear the necklace has been found.”
“I’ll have it checked for prints before I return it,” said Will. “The note too. I’m not too optimistic, though. I’ve got the idea everybody and his brother has touched this necklace, including your cat.” He set the necklace down, got up, and walked around the desk to stand in front of me. “I know you’re upset, Syd. Hey, I like Maggie too. And to be honest, I can’t see her as a murderer.”
“You and I both,” I said. “But I bet Charlie Callahan can.”
“Charlie doesn’t know Maggie like you and I do, so he’s going strictly by evidence. There’s not enough to arrest Maggie yet.”
His tone got softer and he put his arm around my shoulders. “I told you, Syd, I don’t think Maggie is a killer, but Connolly will accuse me of not doing my job properly if I don’t treat her the same as any other suspect. And like it or not, Maggie is a suspect.”
“I don’t like it,” I burst out. “It’s like she’s being set up. If it’s not by Candy Carmichael, then it’s by Savannah or Ken Colgate. One of them is the killer—I just know it.”
Will laid his hand on my arm. “It never fails to amaze me how passionate you can get about stuff like this. I promise, I’ll check into everything. Now it’s time for you to step back and let us do our job.”
I gave my head an emphatic shake. “How can I do nothing, Will, when I just know Charlie Callahan is circling, waiting for the opportunity to slap cuffs on Maggie and claim Bennington’s job?”
He put his thumb under my chin and tilted my face up to his. “Then how about doing it for me? After all, there’s a murderer out there, and if he or she suspects that you might be getting too close to uncovering their identity, you could be next.” He pulled me to him and pressed me close against his chest. “I can’t do my job effectively if I have to worry about you putting yourself in danger.”
“Okay, you win.” I mumbled against his jacket. “I won’t do any more investigating.” As his eyes narrowed, I held up both hands. “See! No fingers crossed.”
Will smiled and kissed my forehead. “That’s my girl.”
I glanced toward his desk. “How about if I save you a trip and return Maggie’s phone? There’s no law against that, is there?”
“No.” He opened his bottom drawer, scooped out the phone, and handed it to me. He started to say something else, but his desk phone rang just then. I leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek, then motioned that I was leaving. He seemed torn between stopping me and answering his phone, but in the end duty won, and he scooped up the receiver. “Worthington,” he barked.
I left quickly, uncrossing my toes as I hurried out of the station and over to my car. I was just about to head over to Maggie’s with her phone, when my own phone buzzed. It was a text from Leila:
Can U stop for toilet paper and paper towels? We’re out of both here.
The Redi-Mart was only a few blocks away. I drove there, parked, and went in. The jumbo pack of toilet paper was on sale for $4.99, and so was a large eight-pack of paper towels. I remembered I needed toothpaste, so I picked that up too. As I headed for the checkout, I passed the pet aisle. Jay Johnston was standing in front of the kitty toys, Melvin the Mouse in one hand, a package of three plush balls in the other. On impulse I walked over to him and said, “Looking for a toy for your new kitty? I’d pick Melvin the Mouse if I were you. All the shelter cats love him.”
He looked up at me quizzically; then recognition kicked in and he smiled. “Oh, Ms. McCall. Nice to see you again.” He tapped Melvin’s tail. “So your cats recommend this toy, eh?”
I thought of all the Melvin heads I’d thrown away and couldn’t suppress a grin. “Oh yes. Melvin provides hours and hours of fun.”
“Well, I think I’ll splurge and get both. Susan is just so in love with that cat.” With a grin, he tossed both articles into his cart.
“That’s good to hear. Who knows? Maybe you’ll want to get her a little brother or sister.”
He threw up both hands. “Ah, that’s all my wife needs to hear. You should see the special meals she makes for that cat. Eats better than both of us.”
“I can identify with that.” A sudden thought struck me, and as he started to turn away, I laid my hand on his arm. “Mr. Johnston, you said you freelanced at CNC?”
“Yes. It was quite an experience. They offered me a full-time job, but I turned them down. I make good money freelancing, and quite frankly, I’ve never liked the corporate environment.”
“Would you know if a Laura Griggs ever worked there?”
“Laura Griggs, Laura Griggs … that name does sound familiar.” He took iPhone out of his jacket pocket and started to tap at the screen. “I always keep a ledger of the people I interact with on my different jobs. You never know when you might need a reference. I have a spreadsheet on CNC—ah, here it is!” He scanned it quickly, then said, “Yes, Laura Griggs. She worked in Digital Security.”
My heart was pounding so hard in my chest
I could barely hear myself speak. “Digital Security? What’s that?”
“It’s sometimes referred to as physical security. They focus on ways to keep unauthorized personnel from getting into places they shouldn’t. Laura was excellent with a computer, and her specialty was, to put it simply, preventing B and E’s. She knew how to bypass alarms, secure locks, many times making them computer controlled—that sort of thing.”
Something buzzed at the back of my brain, some niggling thought that this all sounded vaguely familiar somehow. “I don’t suppose you could tell me what she looked like?”
He gave his head a shake. “I’m terrible at descriptions. Just ask my wife,” he chuckled, and then said in a more sober tone, “Why do you want to know about her?”
I shrugged. “No particular reason. Her name was mentioned in connection with Ulla’s, that’s all.”
“Ah, yes. I’d almost forgotten about that. I do remember that Laura was on the security team for Ulla’s show, and they transferred her from that to my project, and she was not happy about it. Put up a stink so that they transferred her back, which, to be honest with you, I didn’t mind in the least.”
“No? Why was that?”
He made a whirring motion on the side of his temple. “I always had the feeling that she was cray-zee. It seemed to me like she was stalking Ulla. She was always skulking around, watching her.” He shrugged. “Or maybe it was all part of her job. Who am I to say?”
The words from Ulla’s book came crashing back to me. “It’s like she’s stalking me, waiting for her opportunity to move in.” I whipped out my iPhone and called up a picture of Candy Carmichael. I handed my phone to Jay. “Is this Laura?” I asked.
Jay took the phone, squinted at the screen, then gave his head an emphatic shake. “Oh, heck no. I recognize this woman. It’s Candy Carmichael. Laura doesn’t look anything like her. She has very short hair, and her features are more angular. She’s very thin too. What some call a boyish build.” He started to fumble in his pocket. “Wait a second. I might have a picture of her here.” He started tapping at his screen again. “There was some sort of party we were all at, and I was taking candid shots. I got a good one of her, which was a rarity, because she never wanted her photo taken—ah, here it is.” He held his phone out to me. “She’s the one all the way over to the left. That scowl is because she realized I’d snapped her photo, and there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it.”
Death by a Whisker Page 21