I took the phone and looked at the screen, and my blood ran cold. Granted, the hair color was different, and the makeup was a bit heavier, but there could be no mistaking those heavy-lidded eyes, that blank stare.
I’d definitely met Laura Griggs, and very recently. Only I’d been introduced to her under a different name. Lois Galveston.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jay Johnston made his way toward the checkout, and I tossed my things into an empty cart and beat feet toward the exit. I got in my car and sped home, certain that I’d probably set some sort of speed record and thankful that I wasn’t pulled over. I burst through the back door into the kitchen, startling Toby, who was lounging by his food bowl. Leila was cutting up lettuce for a salad at the island counter, and she raised both eyebrows when she saw me. She looked pointedly at my empty hands.
“Don’t tell me—the Redi-Mart was out of toilet paper?”
“No, actually it was on sale,” I said breathlessly. I shrugged out of my jacket and hung it on the peg by the door. “The line was way too long, and there have been some significant developments in Ulla’s case I need to check out.”
Leila paused in her chopping and twirled her knife in the air. “What sort of new development? This better be good. We only have one skinny roll of toilet paper left.”
“Oh, it’s good,” I said. “I’m pretty sure my theory about Laura was correct. I just have the wrong suspect.” I proceeded to tell Leila everything that had transpired last night and today, ending with my revelation courtesy of Jay Johnston. When I finished, she let out a low whistle.
“It’s kinda scary,” she said, “but it makes sense.” She tapped the knife handle against her chin. “There were a gazillion people milling around the back that day,” she said slowly. “It’s possible she could have slipped in and made a switch.”
I bobbed my head up and down. “She could even have been the woman in the red tweed coat and pink scarf that Savannah saw, and that I saw arguing with Ulla. She might have known about the rivalry between Ulla and Maggie and planned to incriminate her all along.”
“Unhinged sister kills for revenge,” Leila murmured. “Makes an interesting front-page headline.”
“One thing I don’t understand, though, is why she’d break into the shelter. It’s the only explanation I can think of for that necklace appearing there. She must have taken it out of Ulla’s bag and then dropped it when she was in the shelter—but why? And why was she there in the first place?” I dragged my hand through my hair. “If only I could find that other lip gloss. There’s got to be some DNA of hers on it somewhere.”
Leila tapped her finger on the counter. “You need to tell Will about this. He can investigate.”
“Will’s already on my case. I promised him I wouldn’t do any more investigating, but if I can put something concrete together, he might end up thanking me.”
Leila walked over to the table and picked up her laptop. “Maybe what you need is a distraction. Sometimes when you focus too hard on a problem, you need to just relax and think about something else. Then—voila! The solution comes to you.” She booted up the computer and pulled up YouTube. “I think you’ll get a kick out of this, you being the intrepid cat lover that you are. I found it today.” Leila typed in “Ulla Townsend” and “klepto cat” and hit Enter. A few seconds later, a video popped up on the screen. As Leila hit Play, I gave a little yelp and pointed to the screen. “Am I reading that right? One million hits?”
Leila laughed. “You are, and guess what? That’s tame compared to some of the other cat videos on this site. Jim showed me one of a cat stuck in a paper bag that got eleven million hits.”
“I guess cats are more popular than Ulla Townsend—or at least they are on YouTube anyway.”
I leaned over my friend’s shoulder as she started the video. Toby, curious as well, hopped up on the stool next to me and leaned his head over so he could see too. I figured one of the cameramen must have posted it, because it was taken backstage right before Ulla’s promo had been filmed. I watched Annie Reilly sit docilely on Ulla’s lap for all of five seconds before snaking out a paw and trying to grab the bullet-shaped object dangling from the chain Ulla held in her hand.
“I remember that,” I murmured. “Annie Reilly was really attracted to that necklace.”
Ulla went into her spiel and held up a purring Annie Reilly. The video ended and I said, “You’re right, that was cute.” I looked over at Toby, who had stretched up and put both paws on the counter. “What did you think, Tobes?”
Toby lifted his paw and batted the side of the screen. “Hey,” I said. “Be careful, Toby. Don’t scratch Leila’s screen. I can’t afford to buy her a new laptop right now.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Leila laughed. “It’s the newspaper’s anyway. I’ll just requisition a new one.” She peered at the screen. “What was he pointing at anyway?”
“I think it was this one.” I pointed to the next video, entitled “Klepto Cat Antics” and said, “Maybe we should play it.”
Leila clicked on that video, and a big Himalayan cat appeared on the screen. There was a large leather bag on a nearby chair. Quick as a flash, the cat hopped up on the chair and swiped its paw inside the bag. A moment later, it had a shiny necklace clasped between its paws. The cat ran across the room, dragging the necklace and, with its nose, edged up the cushion on its little bed. Then she shoved the necklace underneath the cushion, patted it with her paw, and turned to face the camera.
“Good job, Klepto Kris,” said a disembodied voice, presumably the owner’s. “Maybe we’ll make America’s Got Talent yet.” The cat looked supremely pleased with herself as the video cut off.
“Wow,” said Leila. “Was that for real? Someone was training their cat to be a pickpocket so they could get on America’s Got Talent?”
I shook my head. “It takes all kinds.”
Toby swiveled his head to look at me. “Merow,” he said. His paw shot out and tapped at that video again.
Leila chuckled. “Maybe Toby wants to get on AGT too, Syd,” she suggested.
I reached out and gave the cat a pat on the head. “Is that what you want, Toby? Or did you have another reason for wanting me to watch that?”
Toby blinked twice. “Merow.”
I paused, remembering. “Vi said that Annie got into everything,” I said slowly. “And she got loose that day in the storage room because the lock is broken on her carrier.” I slid off the stool and started to pace. “Ulla threw that necklace into the tote bag. She tossed it in the corner so that it was open. You could see inside.”
Leila watched me, her eyes slitted. “I know you’re going somewhere with all this. I just can’t figure out where yet.”
I closed my eyes. “The top of the Glow tube is bullet-shaped, just like that charm. The Walnut Meadows lip gloss matches Glow in shape and color, and even the base is the same. All the killer had to do was switch out the covers. The killer had to be somewhere close, because he or she retrieved the lip gloss after Ulla used it. It wasn’t in the crime scene photos or anywhere back there. What if the killer got the gloss, but before they could switch it back they got greedy and wanted that necklace? What if while they were retrieving the necklace, they accidentally dropped the lip gloss into the tote, and then heard someone coming, so they took off before they could get the gloss back. And what if Annie Reilly, who was loose, saw all this and decided that a bullet-shaped cover was just as good as a bullet-shaped necklace! After all, the cover was very glossy—I saw it.”
Leila was staring at me, her mouth open. “You think the cat took the murder weapon?”
“Annie really liked that necklace. With it gone, what’s the next best thing? The tube itself. According to Vi, she’s just as good a klepto as that cat in the video!” I started to pace faster. “The killer figures that the lip gloss must be mixed in with our stuff, so they broke in here to look for it. Maybe a police car came by—they do patrol the area quite frequently—and the intr
uder panics and somehow loses the necklace. The clasp was loose after all. In any event, I think the tainted lip gloss is still at the shelter.”
“Because the killer didn’t have time to get it?”
“No—because the killer was looking in the wrong place for it.” I hurried over to the door and snatched my jacket off the peg. “I have to go to the shelter right now.”
“Wait.” Leila shot out her hand and closed her fingers around my wrist. “Shouldn’t you call Will?”
I shook my head emphatically. “No. I could be wrong. My theory could be all wet. I wouldn’t want to send him out on a wild goose chase. But if I can produce the murder weapon, it’s a whole other ball game. Just say a prayer that the killer doesn’t decide to pay the shelter another visit right now.”
“I can’t talk you out of this, can I? Well, then, fine.” Leila snatched her jacket from the peg. “I’m going with you. If Ulla’s killer is lurking around, at least you won’t be alone.”
* * *
I parked my convertible around the block from the shelter, and Leila and I cut through the parking lot over to the rear entrance. As I swung open the door, I said, “Maybe you should stay out here—you know, as a lookout.”
“Fine. I’ll wait behind those bushes. If I see anything or anyone suspicious, I’ll whistle once. If I see Will or Callahan coming, I’ll whistle twice.”
“Okay. I shouldn’t be too long.”
I left my bestie and went inside. I didn’t want to switch on any lights and call undue attention to the fact that someone was in the shelter after hours, so I pulled out my phone and turned on my flashlight app. The pencil-thin beam afforded me enough light to see my way around, so I headed straight for the cattery. Annie’s cage was the last one, tucked in the far corner. I walked over and shone my light inside. Annie was awake, and her bright blue eyes regarded me curiously as I approached.
“Hello, Annie Reilly,” I said. “I’m curious, girl. Where did Vi put your carrier? I’d like to know just what you might have hidden there.” I remembered Vi saying that she was going to put the carrier off to the side. I swung my light around the cattery but didn’t see anything against any of the walls. I moved the light around the room again, and off in the far corner saw two stacked carriers. I walked over to them while Annie Reilly let out a plaintive “merow” behind me. The top carrier was blue; the bottom one, pink. I was sure the pink one was the one with the broken lock, and a swift glance told me I was right. I moved the blue one off to the side, picked up the pink one, and carried it over to the long table that was in front of Annie’ s cage. I set it down, opened the door wide, and let my fingers roam over the thin carpet that we used to cover the bottom of the carriers. As Annie meowed again, I walked over to her cage and stuck my fingers through the bars. Annie’s pink tongue darted out to lick my fingertips.
“Good girl,” I crooned at the cat. “What treasures have you got hidden in your carrier, Annie? Did you see something shiny and bullet-shaped you thought you simply must have?”
The cat cocked her head at me, almost as if she understood what I was saying. I went back to the carrier and felt along the edge of the carpet. I paused as my fingers touched a slightly raised portion of rug. I pulled it back. There lay a catnip Melvin the Mouse, a small ball … and a cylindrical object that looked amazingly like the Glow sample I’d seen Ulla with.
“Bingo,” I whispered. I started to slide my hand through the bars of the cage and then stopped. Had I heard a bird call? I listened a moment, but nothing was repeated, so I thrust my hand into my pocket, pulled out a Kleenex, and then very gently removed the lip gloss tube from the carrier. My hand shook as I held it up.
“This is it,” I said. “This is what killed Ulla, I know it! The killer got spooked and dropped it in the tote bag, and you got it out.”
“Very good, Sydney,” said a raspy voice behind me. “That’s exactly what happened.”
I whirled and saw Lois Galveston née Laura Griggs standing in the doorway of the cat room. The gun she held in her hand was pointed directly at my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Laura Griggs moved toward me, her lips curved downward in a sneer. “Thanks for finding it for me,” she said. “I saw you talking to that Johnston guy at the Redi-Mart. I was in the next aisle over, and I listened to your conversation. Since you’re such a master sleuth, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you put two and two together.” She held out her other hand and wiggled her fingers at the lip gloss. “I’ll take that off your hands now.”
Although my heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to fall out of my chest, I managed to make my tone remain calm as I said, “You don’t want to do this, Laura. You don’t want to kill me.”
Laura shrugged. “You’re right, I don’t. I like you, Sydney. You’re bold and fearless, and you’ve got a quick mind. I had an idea you might figure everything out, but I didn’t count on you putting all the pieces of the puzzle together before I got out of town.”
“You left me those notes, didn’t you? In my jacket at Antonio’s, and at the shelter?”
“Yes. They were meant as friendly warnings. Like I said before, I like you.” She let out a slow breath. “You fooled me, Sydney. You were far smarter than I gave you credit for, and now you have to pay the price.” She paused. “You and your friend, the reporter.”
The birdcall I thought I’d heard earlier came to my mind, and I gasped. “What did you do to Leila?”
“She’s just taking a little nap, for now. But unfortunately, I’ll have to dispose of her too, right after I take care of you. Can’t leave too much of a trail, you know?” She waved the gun at me. “Take your cell phone out of your pocket. I know you’ve got one; you wouldn’t have come here without it. Take it out and put it down on the floor where I can see it, then step away from it.”
I hesitated, then pulled my phone out of my pocket and set it down on the floor. I took a step back and raised my chin defiantly. “What? Are you going to try and frame our murders on Maggie too?”
Laura barked out a laugh. “I hadn’t thought about that, but it’s not a bad idea. I can have you make a call, get her down here, then make it look as if she killed you two, thinking you were intruders. When she realized what she’d done, she took her own life. It’s worth considering.”
Laura’s eyes glittered, and I truly feared she’d lost her mind. Talking to her might be my only hope—maybe one of those patrol cars would come by and decide to investigate. I jammed my hands into my pockets. “You sound like you’ve thought that out pretty good. Not as good as you thought out killing Ulla, though.” I paused. “You did kill her, right?”
“Of course I killed Ulla!” Laura’s lips thinned and she made a derisive snort. “I’m not sorry for it either. Madelyn would never have approved of my plan for revenge, but once she died, I knew it was time Ulla paid the piper for all her sins, not just what she did to my sister. Once I heard she planned to stop here at Deer Park on her book tour, I knew it would be the perfect place to end her life.”
“Rather an ingenious method—death by lip gloss. You knew about her allergy.”
Laura’s lips curved into a semblance of a smile. “My sister told me all about what happened that day in the lab. She swore me to secrecy; she was so afraid of that witch! Switching out the lip glosses was the easy part. They always put samples together so carelessly. Finding just the right one was more challenging. There aren’t too many lip glosses that have bee venom in them. I was fortunate to find one that looked almost exactly like the Glow sample. Walnut Meadow Gloss.” She barked out a laugh. “A fitting end, if you ask me. She was such a vain creature. Fitting payback for all the lives she ruined.”
I spoke slowly and softly as I started to back up, little by little, toward the desk in the corner of the room. “I can understand how you feel. It was a horrible thing, what she did to your sister.”
“ ‘Horrible’ isn’t a strong enough word,” Laura spit out. “Ul
la was so insecure; she was always pulling these pranks on those girls. Only trouble was, some of her pranks were downright evil, like putting alcohol in the punch at Maggie Shayne’s party. My sister told me about that too. That’s why I figured Maggie would be the perfect person to set up.”
I felt anger well up inside me, so much so that I forgot to lower my voice. “Why would you want to do that? Maggie never did a thing to you!”
Laura stared at me, wide-eyed. “She never did anything nice for my sister either. Never even visited her in the hospital, and she professed to be her friend. Maggie didn’t fight back with Ulla either. She just ignored everything she did. She deserves to take the rap for her death. I’d seen her around in that coat and scarf. It wasn’t hard to find duplicates. I got the ratty coat at the thrift shop, and there were a ton of those scarves at King’s. When I went around the back of the store, I stashed my coat in the bushes and slipped those on.”
“It must have been pretty easy for you to slip back there unnoticed and switch out the lip gloss,” I said.
Laura nodded. “Darn easy. That security was horrible. I walked right in behind some of those lighting guys and hid. When everyone went to see the cats, I switched the lip gloss. Then after Ulla collapsed, in the confusion I saw a chance to slip in, grab the lip gloss, and get out. I forgot to switch it back with the Glow one, though. My mistake.”
Keep her talking, my brain screamed. That patrol car should pass by soon. “You made another mistake too. You wanted Ulla’s necklace.”
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