“Airtight?”
“I suppose. Unless the vet I talked to is lying. I wouldn’t put it past Jim to pay him off.”
“I have a feeling this person used gloves. That way he didn’t leave any prints, and he covered his tracks.”
“You’re probably right. The question is who?”
“That, my friend, is going to take some more investigating.”
Chapter Eighteen
At 4:30 a.m., I woke up and I knew with clarity who the killer was.
And I also knew how to handle the fate of Chalice.
Now I had to figure out how to take what I knew and prove it beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt.
It was too early to deal with Tag’s killer, so instead I spent the morning drafting emails to people who might be able to help me with the Chalice situation. As soon as I knew something for sure, I’d call the reporters who’d left me endless messages this weekend.
I sent those emails off, fed and dressed Reef, fed and dressed myself, and then called Gabby. I explained to her what was going on and talked my plan through.
What would I do without her?
She agreed to come over and keep Reef for a couple of hours. Just in case things went south, I didn’t want my baby to be there. But I really hoped that things wouldn’t go south.
I arrived at Bunch Systems before it opened. I stayed in my sedan and stared at the building, waiting for the first sign of life. It appeared empty, so, as I waited, I formulated exactly what I was going to say.
Finally, the light popped on and I saw people moving inside.
Before putting my plan into action, I put in a call to Detective DePalma and asked him to meet me here. That meant I had about twenty minutes to make this work and to stay alive.
I really hoped this worked. Otherwise, I was going to be in trouble.
Grandma sat behind the front desk again, watching something on the computer and polishing her cane when I walked in. Her eyes lit with recognition when she saw me.
“You again,” she muttered. “Why’d you come back?”
“I need to speak with Brian again.”
She stared hard at me. “Why?”
I had to remain calm. “That’s something I’d like to discuss with him.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to discuss it with you.” She stared me down with her best mafia glare.
“Why don’t you let me ask him about that?”
Her lips twitched in a sneer. “Fine.”
This time she didn’t bother to get up and get him. She hollered down the hallway. “Brian, you have company. She looks like a mean one.”
I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to sneer myself or look amused.
Brian appeared from the back hallway a moment later, a little Yorkie following at his feet. When he spotted me, he nearly stopped in his tracks. His shoulders drooped, and he sighed. Apparently, I’d exhausted him during our conversation last night.
“Haven’t we talked enough?” he said, slowing down considerably.
“Not quite yet.”
He stopped in front of me, as bristly as ever. “Why are you here? I have nothing else to say.”
I got right to the point, mentally calculating that I had thirteen minutes until the police arrived. “I know who sent that snake down the vent into Tag’s apartment.”
He blinked but otherwise remained motionless. “Who?”
I took a play from Gabby’s book and began to pace. “Someone who wanted revenge on Tag after he posted that video of you online.”
He had the nerve to actually roll his eyes. “I told you I considered that, but I didn’t do anything.”
Just then, Detective DePalma stepped inside. He didn’t look happy, but at least he was here. And early, at that.
This was my big moment, where I had to give it everything I had to sell my theory.
“Mrs. Davis. Here I am. Now, what’s the purpose of this?” he asked.
“You’ve arrested the wrong person in the death of Tag Wilson.”
“The evidence tells a different story. The evidence says Mandee Melkins is guilty of negligence.”
I continued to pace. “No, your interpretation of the evidence tells a different story. What really happened is this: Tag Wilson wasn’t a nice man. In fact, he was bitter and desperate for money after losing his job. He was mad at Brian for firing him. In retaliation, he followed Brian one day. I can’t tell you what his initial motivation was. Maybe to beg for his job back. Maybe to jump him.”
Brian grunt-laughed, as if the idea was ridiculous.
“Continue,” the detective said, narrowing his eyes. “And please speed this up.”
“To Tag’s surprise, he saw his former boss go to a comic convention dressed as a superhero. He caught it all on video. He threatened that if Brian didn’t give him back his job, he’d post it online.”
“Is that true?” the detective asked, his gaze flicking to Brian.
Brian nodded, his face red with embarrassment. “It is.”
“Of course, Brian knew he couldn’t allow himself to be blackmailed. He hoped that Tag was just talking trash. But he wasn’t. He posted the video. It got thousands of views. People on online forums started mocking Brian. Some even left comments in their reviews of his company. It was bad for business, to say the least. It was also humiliating.”
“This is all very interesting, but what’s this have to do with the snake?” Detective DePalma asked.
“I’m getting to the pearl. I promise. Brian openly talked in the office about using Chalice to scare Tag. Everyone knew Tag was afraid of snakes. It would be the perfect setup. Brian never wanted anyone to get hurt. He just wanted to embarrass Tag. However, he changed his mind before he could put his plan into action.”
“Then why am I here?” The detective narrowed his eyes even more.
“Someone else overheard Brian’s plan and thought it was a good idea. They also knew how humiliated Brian was and thought Tag was evil as a result. This person snuck into Patrick’s apartment. It’s not hard to get into because there’s a key under the front doormat. When they got inside, this person realized that the vent was on the floor and not in the wall, like it is in some apartments. Due to some physical ailments, this person couldn’t reach the floor and needed a back-up plan. They grabbed the crowbar and used it to pull the vent from the floor. If you check it, you’ll find that the vent never fit tightly into the cutout in the floor.”
The detective nodded, curiosity creeping into his gaze. I had his attention now. “Continue. Why couldn’t this person reach the vent?”
“Bad back, to say the least.”
The detective glanced at Brian. “You have a bad back?”
Brian shook his head, his arms crossed over his chest. “No.”
“It wasn’t Brian,” I told him. “The truth eluded me for a while. But then I found these marks on the floor in Patrick’s apartment. They were about the size of a nickel, and I saw them every foot or so.”
“What was it?”
I glanced at Grandma. “It was a cane.”
“You’re blaming my grandma?” Brian asked. “Lady, you’re crazy.”
“Ask her,” I said.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“We can clear this up right here with one little question,” I continued.
“Go ahead, ma’am,” Detective DePalma said. “Answer the question. Were you in that apartment?”
Grandma was silent a moment before trying to stand. “I can’t have no one picking on my boy.”
“Grandma!” Brian nearly fell over. “I’m a grown man. What were you thinking? Tell me this isn’t true.”
“Tag needed to be taught a lesson. I never meant for him to die. Who would have thought that he’d been out working at a farm that day and smell like livestock? What lousy timing.”
Brian ran a hand through his hair. “Grandma . . . you shouldn’t have. I was ready to let this go.”
“Yeah? Well, I wasn’t. No one messes with
a Bunch. No one.” She waved her cane. “That video was posted all over the Internet, and he needed to learn his lesson.”
“So you’re admitting to tampering with the vent?” the detective said.
She scowled again and nodded. “I may have messed with the latches on top of the tank also. I figured it was just a matter of time until someone figured it out. I couldn’t reach that confounded vent cover for the life of me.”
“Don’t say another word without a lawyer, Grandma,” Brian said. “You’ve already said way too much.”
“How did you figure out how to get into Patrick’s apartment?” I asked.
“Easy. I became friends with the woman who lives across the hall from Tag and her good-for-nothing son. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I met her once when Tag had us over to eat. We became friends and she even invited me to be a part of her knitting group—Purls Gone Wild. She told me that Patrick hid his key under the doormat. It wasn’t a secret.”
“But if you couldn’t reach the vent, how could you reach the key?” I asked.
She raised her cane. “I have a magnet on the bottom of this. It snagged the keyring. I call this my all-in-one cane. Multi-purpose. It’s the latest craze.”
That also explained the marks on the floor.
The detective shook his head. “I’m going to have to take you down to the station, ma’am.”
She stood, even though it took her nearly five minutes to do so. “Fine. I’ve lived in the Bronx. I can handle your jail.”
“Detective?” I said.
He turned toward me. “Yes?”
“Mandee is supposed to go before the judge soon.”
He scowled. “I’ll put in a phone call.”
Chapter Nineteen
By the end of the following week, life had started feeling halfway normal again. I was home from work, I’d left a dinner of vegetable soup in the crockpot for myself, and Reef seemed content in his bouncy seat. He’d actually let me sleep six hours straight for the past two nights.
Gabby called me from Mythical Falls, where she and the rest of the gang were working, and I gave her the rundown of what had happened since Monday morning. I hadn’t been able to go as planned because Reef came down with an ear infection. It was probably just as well since I was busy helping Mandee sort through the fiasco, running damage control at Animal Protective Services, and trying to better organize my time so I didn’t feel so frantic.
Basically, this was what had happened since last week: Authorities were holding Grandma Bunch for the death of Tag Wilson. The tough, old broad seemed determined to do well for herself, and I was sure she’d keep the other ladies in jail straight until she got her fair and speedy trial.
The night after she was arrested, three members of the Vikings were also arrested. Apparently, they’d found Patrick and cornered him. To get out of the situation, Patrick had told them how much Chalice was worth. As a result, members of the Vikings had tried to break into Animal Control and steal the snake. Thankfully, they were all behind bars now.
And, finally, there was Chalice. I’d contacted an animal rescue group down in Florida that specialized in reptiles. They were closely affiliated with a well-known zoo, and they’d agreed to take the snake.
They were trained experts who knew how to handle animals like Chalice, so the snake would get a fair shot. I didn’t approve of what the snake had done—not by any means. But the animal hadn’t been aggressive. I felt that under the right circumstances, Chalice could thrive.
Animal Control had agreed, probably happy to have the public relations nightmare off their hands. Chalice would be taking a trip south by the end of the week.
Mandee was released, and now I was counting down the days until her internship with me ended. I’d actually relegated her to work under Chloe, which made my strong-willed employee feel special.
Patrick had returned to his apartment. He still had a huge debt to pay off, but, thanks to the sale of some of his photographs, he should be able to do just that. In fact, he’d even given me one, which I’d hung in my living room.
“It sounds like a job well done, Detective Davis,” Gabby said when we talked on the phone. “I’ve trained you well, my little Padawan.”
“Ha ha. I did, for a moment, feel like you.” I picked up Reef and stared at his handsome little face. I was so glad he was feeling better. His ear infection had meant hours and hours of fussing.
“Feels good to solve a case, doesn’t it?”
I raised my eyebrows. “It feels good to have that off my plate.”
“Maybe you should take some time off.”
I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me. “I don’t know yet. I just feel so rattled lately as I’ve been trying to balance everything. I want Reef to have a better childhood than I did. I know that means I can’t work eighty hours a week and relegate his care to babysitters. It’s just not what I want for his future.”
“I get that. Our pasts shape our futures.”
“I just don’t know if we can live without my income right now, though.”
“I was actually hoping that you might come to Mythical Falls . . . tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Aren’t you guys getting ready to leave?”
“We will be leaving soon, but I was hoping you could do me a favor.”
“Sure thing. Like what?”
“Like, go into my closet and find a certain dress that I left there.”
I nearly snorted. “I didn’t think you owned any dresses.”
“Well, I do own one. It’s white and long. It has a veil.”
I gasped. “What? Your wedding dress?”
She chuckled. “Yes, my wedding dress. It’s a long story, but I’d love to tell you about it in person.”
“I’d love to hear it in person.”
“So what do you say?”
I didn’t have to think about it anymore. “I’ll be there.”
“I told you from the start that it would be fun to hang out. And what better place to do that than a creepy, old theme park?”
“I couldn’t have said it better.”
We both chuckled.
As we hung up, I looked at Reef again. “Just one more adventure, okay? Then no more adventures for a while, okay?”
He cooed back at me.
Somehow, I knew there were going to be plenty of adventures in our future. Even after West Virginia.
And I was okay with that.
Also by Christy Barritt:
The Sierra Files:
Pounced (Book 1)
Animal-rights activist Sierra Nakamura never expected to stumble upon the dead body of a coworker while filming a project nor get involved in the investigation. But when someone threatens to kill her cats unless she hands over the “information,” she becomes more bristly than an angry feline. Making matters worse is the fact that her cats—and the investigation—are driving a wedge between her and her boyfriend, Chad. With every answer she uncovers, old hurts rise to the surface and test her beliefs. Saving her cats might mean ruining everything else in her life. In the fight for survival, one thing is certain: either pounce or be pounced.
Hunted (Book 2)
Who knew a stray dog could cause so much trouble? Newlywed animal-rights activist Sierra Nakamura Davis must face her worst nightmare: breaking the news she eloped with Chad to her ultra-opinionated tiger mom. Her perfectionist parents have planned a vow-renewal ceremony at Sierra’s lush childhood home, but a neighborhood dog ruins the rehearsal dinner when it shows up toting what appears to be a fresh human bone. While dealing with the dog, a nosy neighbor, and an old flame turning up at the wrong times, Sierra hunts for answers. Her journey of discovery leads to more than just who committed the crime.
Pranced (Book 2.5, a Christmas novella)
Sierra Nakamura Davis thinks spending Christmas with her husband’s relatives will be a real Yuletide treat. But when the animal-rights activist learns his family has a reindeer farm, she begins to feel more like the Grinch.
Even worse, when Sierra arrives, she discovers the reindeer are missing. Sierra fears the animals might be suffering a worse fate than being used for entertainment purposes. Can Sierra set aside her dogmatic opinions to help get the reindeer home in time for the holidays? Or will secrets tear the family apart and ruin Sierra’s dream of the perfect Christmas?
Rattled (Book 3)
“What do you mean a thirteen-foot lavender albino ball python is missing?” Tough-as-nails Sierra Nakamura Davis isn’t one to get flustered. But trying to balance being a wife and a new mom with her crusade to help animals is proving harder than she imagined. Add a missing python, a high maintenance intern, and a dead body to the mix, and Sierra becomes the definition of rattled. Can she balance it all—and solve a possible murder—without losing her mind?
Squeaky Clean Mysteries:
Hazardous Duty (Book 1)
On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime-scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet. With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby seeks to find the killer before another murder occurs.
Suspicious Minds (Book 2)
In this smart and suspenseful sequel to Hazardous Duty, crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire finds herself stuck doing mold remediation to pay the bills. Her first day on the job, she uncovers a surprise in the crawlspace of a dilapidated home: Elvis, dead as a doornail and still wearing his blue-suede shoes. How could she possibly keep her nose out of a case like this?
It Came Upon a Midnight Crime (Book 2.5, a Novella)
Someone is intent on destroying the true meaning of Christmas—at least, destroying anything that hints of it. All around crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire’s hometown, anything pointing to Jesus as “the reason for the season” is being sabotaged. The crimes become more twisted as dismembered body parts are found at the vandalisms. Someone is determined to destroy Christmas . . . but Gabby is just as determined to find the Grinch and let peace on earth and goodwill prevail.
The Sierra Files Box Set: Books 1-3: Plus a bonus Christmas novella! Page 47