Purrfect Obsession

Alec gestured to his troops. “Break down this door. And use extreme caution. There’s a killer inside.”

His officers wasted no time and had the door down within seconds, using a nifty device that looked like something the Assyrians would have used to attack an enemy city. It was called a battering ram, Alec said, which seemed appropriate. Tex wasn’t interested in the nomenclature or the technical details of the operation, though. All he wanted was to see justice done and this killer taken into custody so he could never flowerpotbomb anyone ever again.

Five minutes later, the police officers came walking out of the building. One after the other, they shook their heads.

“No one?” asked Tex, incredulous.

“Not a single person inside,” said the last officer to exit the house. “And we searched the place top to bottom. There was a window open on the second floor, though, so the culprit may have escaped through there. It’s only a six foot drop onto the roof of a shack of some kind, and we found several footprints right next to it.”

“Make sure you photograph those prints,” Alec ordered.

“Yes, sir,” said the cop, and returned into the house to carry out the boss’s orders.

Alec scratched his head. “One question, Tex.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you sure you saw someone chuck this pot at you?”

“Of course I’m sure! I saw the window close myself.”

“So can you describe this flowerpot chucker to me?”

“Eh?”

“What did he look like?” He’d taken out his little notebook and was hovering pencil over paper, ready to take down Tex’s detailed description.

“Well, I didn’t see his face, of course. By the time I looked up, he was gone.”

Alec frowned. “You didn’t see his face.”

“Of course not. I was too busy reeling from the shock. Have you ever had a flowerpot aimed at your head? No? Then you have no idea how terrible it feels. Your heart races, you see your whole life flash by in an instant, your blood pressure spikes…” Speaking of blood pressure, he now pressed his index finger against his jugular and checked his watch.

Alec used his pencil to scratch his scalp. “So how do know it was a he?”

“Eh?” Blood pressure seemed normal. Under the circumstances, of course.

“How do you know—”

“I heard you the first time. Well, why wouldn’t it be a he? I can’t imagine a woman throwing a flowerpot at an innocent passerby. Men are more prone to violence. Everybody knows that. And don’t you remember how Brutus almost got run over by that man in the yellow parka yesterday? Obviously someone is targeting this family, Alec, and obviously this person is a man. The same man who killed that poor girl that looked so much like Odelia.”

“I don’t—”

Tex did a double take. “Do you think he may have made a mistake? That he wanted to kill Odelia but he killed this Dany Cooper girl instead?”

“I don’t think—”

He tapped Alec’s chest sharply. “That means Odelia might still be in danger, Alec! You must send a unit round to her house at once. On the double!”

“I don’t think there’s any chance of that, Tex.”

“And why is that?”

“Because we caught Dany Cooper’s killer last night. He’s in custody and he won’t kill again.”

This had Tex stumped for a moment. He was, after all, a doctor, not a cop, and these glimpses into the inner workings of a police department sometimes confused him. Then something occurred to him. He tapped Alec’s chest again, making the other man wince. “Have you considered that you may have arrested the wrong man?”

“The wrong man?”

“Of course! If the killer is in custody, how do you explain him chucking flowerpots at me?!”

Chapter 30

Gran was on her way to work when she noticed that her son-in-law and a whole bunch of cops stood gabbing away across the street. She liked to leave a few minutes after Tex, because she didn’t want him to think of her as a mere employee doing his bidding. She might have accepted to work at his doctor’s office as a favor to Tex, but that didn’t mean she was his underling. She was her own person and not a flunky to be ordered around by Tex.

It had always been Vesta’s opinion that a son-in-law should be kept on a short leash, and a very short one at that. So when she saw Tex having a nice chat with Alec while they should be working, she didn’t even bother to join them. If Tex wanted to spend his time chatting instead of putting in the hours he owed his patients, that was his business. She would make sure she showed up first, and tell the patients the doctor had been delayed.

Or she could put in a quick stop at the deli and pick up some of that strawberry cream chocolate she liked so much. Or maybe she’d get the caramel cream one. And as she pondered this all-important decision, she suddenly stepped on a roller skate, which, true to form, slipped from under her and she fell, hard, on the pavement. And just as she did, she caught a glimpse of something yellow streak past in the front yard of the adjacent house.

Immediately, she started screaming bloody murder. Moments later, Tex, Alec and the entirety of the Hampton Cove Police Department came hopping to.

“Ma!” Alec cried, taking her left arm. “Are you all right?”

“What happened?” asked Tex, grabbing her right arm. Together, they hoisted her up.

“Someone put that skate there on purpose!” she exclaimed, pointing at the offending skate.

“Are you sure?” asked Alec.

“Of course I’m sure. What kind of question is that! I saw him! He was dressed in yellow and he ran that way.” When no one moved, she yelled, “Don’t just stand there! Go after him!”

And after him they went, all cops except for Alec and Tex, who wasn’t a cop but a doctor, and was now examining her for possible fractures.

She yanked her arm from his grasp. “Oh, I’m all right. It takes more than a nasty killer to get the better of me.”

“So you saw him too, huh?” said Tex, who looked shaken.

It was too much to say that her son-in-law’s sudden concern touched Gran’s heart, such as it was, but it did give her a twinge of satisfaction. She’d obviously trained Tex well, for him to suddenly display these signs of affection towards his sweet old mother-in-law.

“Yeah, I saw him. Dressed in yellow. A real fiend, to leave a skate like that. He must have known I’d trip over it and hoped I’d break my neck, being the old lady that I am. Old ladies easily break their necks, you see, on account of the fact that their bones are brittle and stuff. Not my bones, though. He hadn’t counted on that, the piece of skunk that he is.”

Alec was studying the skate. “Are you sure it wasn’t just kids that left this thing?”

“Of course I’m sure! Odelia told me about the killer dressed in yellow who killed her lookalike. Then Tex saves poor Brutus from the same killer. And now the killer tried to kill me! It’s an outrage he’s still running around free! What the heck do I pay taxes for?”

“You don’t pay taxes, Ma,” said Alec, the wise-ass. “You’re retired.”

“I’m a working woman. Of course I pay taxes!”

“You’re a volunteer. I don’t pay you,” said Tex.

“What?! I work for free?! That’s an outrage! I’m going to the union, you cheapskate!”

“I pay you a little something under the table.” He made a weird move with his hand, as if scooping up a pancake. “Get it? Under the table? Besides, I give you room and board.”

“I get that you’re exploiting a poor old lady, you robber baron. Wait till the union is through with you. You’ll be happy if they leave you so much as a cardboard box to sleep in.”

“Tex thinks he was attacked, too,” said Alec, returning to the point.

“I don’t think I was attacked. I was attacked. By the same killer who attacked Vesta.”

“See?” said Gran. “Even Tex was attacked, and he’s probably Odelia’s least favorite family member.”

Tex stared at her. “Come again?”

“Isn’t it obvious? This killer is targeting the people Odelia cares about the most. He attacked the girl, the actress, to make sure he got Odelia’s attention, then he attacked Brutus—probably because Max wasn’t available—and now he attacked me, the favorite. Next he’ll attack Marge, and he was going to keep you for last, Tex. My best guess is that he probably saw you passing by and figured why the hell not strike while the flowerpot is hot?”

Alec and Tex exchanged a glance. “Marge!” they both exclaimed simultaneously.

Alec searched around for his officers and cursed under his breath. They were all gone, of course, having followed his orders to track down Vesta’s roller skate killer.

“You should really discipline your people, Alec,” said Gran. “You can’t just let them wander off like that when you need them the most.”

But Alec was already running away, along with Tex, in the direction of the library, Marge’s place of employment.

“Nice,” Gran grumbled. “Talk about victim assistance. Leaving a poor old lady to deal with the trauma of her near-death experience all by herself.” But then the significance of her own words came home to her, and she muttered, “Marge. Oh, dammit.” And as fast as her sticks for legs could carry her, she was off in the direction of the library, too.

Chapter 31

Marge was stocking Danielle Steel books, enjoying these rare moments of quiet before the library opened. She loved her job, and had been a big library fan even as a child, finding herself here almost daily. Her folks used to drop her and Alec off at the library when they went into town to shop, and little Marge found plenty of books to keep her busy until their return. Alec had a tougher time finding something to occupy his time. He’d never been a big reader, and even now preferred watching ESPN to picking up something to read.

To work in the place that had offered Marge so many fun memories was a dream come true. And even though the library was small—basically a one-woman operation—she didn’t mind. She had plenty of opportunities to socialize as she knew pretty much every single person who came into the library. As a long-time resident of Hampton Cove she knew everyone in town, and never stinted for conversation with her steady set of regulars.

The first people through the door every morning were what she called her old-timers, who were already waiting before she opened the doors, and who headed straight for the reading room, where all the important national and local newspapers and magazines were stocked. The second most favorite station was the bank of internet computers, where those who didn’t have internet at home came to check their email or surf the web.

Marge had taken a crash course in computers and the Internet just to handle all the requests from people not habituated to working with these machines. She sometimes joked she was part IT person, part psychologist, and part literary critic, as people relied on her to advise them on what to take home as reading material.

And since she knew her customers, she unfailingly picked the right book for them.

She checked her watch. Ten to nine. Time to open her up.

She liked to open early, and didn’t mind if she closed late. It wasn’t as if she was running an army barracks. This was Hampton Cove, and she ran a pretty relaxed ship.

Speaking of ships, she decided to quickly check the pirate ship that was the hallmark of the kids’ section. The boat, which was a reading space made up to look like an actual pirate ship, was very popular with the younger readers. Marge had placed cushions on the seats, and there were plenty of nooks and crannies where kids could curl up with a book, just the way she herself had done when she was their age.

And she was just fluffing up one of the pillows when suddenly there was a creaking sound just over her head. When she looked up, she detected movement where no movement should have been. She jumped clear of the ship just in time before she was crushed by whatever had come loose. And as she lay there, a little dazed, she saw that it was the ship’s mast, which had come crashing down. If she hadn’t had the reflexes to jump when she had, she would have been seriously injured or worse. That mast was pretty heavy.

From inside the library, there was a loud commotion. She pushed herself to her feet and staggered to the main part of the library. When she saw that her brother Alec was pounding on the door, along with Tex, her husband, fear suddenly gripped her heart. She hurried over, her cheeks flushed, and turned the key in the lock as fast as she could. She yanked open the door and cried, “Odelia! Did something happen to Odelia?!”

“Odelia is fine,” said Alec, instantly understanding her fear. He put his hand on her arm. “How about you? Are you all right?”

“Well, something did just almost fall on top of me, but apart from that I’m fine. Why? What’s going on?”

Tex fixed her with an intent look. “Did you see a man with a yellow parka?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s just me in here. Why? Did something happen?” She remembered the man with the yellow parka being mentioned in that horrible murder of that girl Odelia worked with, as well as in connection to the man who almost ran over Brutus.

Just then, Vesta came running up, panting like a horse after the Preakness Stakes.

“Marge! Thank God! It’s the man in the yellow parka! He’s coming for us! He tried to kill me!”

“And me,” said Tex.

“You said something fell on top of you,” said Alec, looking grim. “Can you show me?”

She led them to the back, and when Mom and Tex saw the wreckage, they both gasped. Alec’s frown deepened, as he crouched down with some effort to study the wreckage. Finally he looked up. “I’m not an expert but it looks like this has been tampered with.”

“What do you mean?” asked Marge, horrified.

He pointed to the mast. “This has been sawn clear through.”

“Oh, my God,” said Marge. “The children. Someone could have gotten killed!”

“You almost got killed,” said Tex, and drew her in for a bracing hug.

“We’re under attack,” said Gran seriously. “We have to warn Odelia. She needs police protection.” She looked at Alec. “We all do.”

Chapter 32

Odelia had gotten up late. By the time she opened her eyes, Chase had already left for work. She groaned. She must have forgotten to set her alarm last night. Then again, it had been pretty late, so the extra sleep had been welcome.

At her feet, her cats were dozing, or at least Max and Dooley were. Of Brutus, there was no trace, and neither of Harriet.

She stretched and yawned. Time to get up and start a new day.

She smiled to herself as she recalled her dream. Chase had finally taken her out on a date. It was a running joke between them that every time they arranged to go out for dinner and a movie, something happened to make sure they didn’t get to the end of their date.

That was the problem when a cop and a reporter dated: some crisis always cropped up.

She didn’t mind. At least in her dream they’d gone to see the movie and had actually managed to watch it until the end. It was a Nancy Meyers movie, not exactly the kind of movie Chase would like, which also showed her it had been a dream, and not a memory.

Then another memory stirred: Max telling her about their meeting with the owl, and the owl telling them about the killer’s birthmark. But since she vividly remembered Wolf Langdon having a birthmark on his right hand, that had sealed the deal for her.

Ringo had been mistaken: his master hadn’t been right next to him. His master had been murdering Dany Cooper, and either Ringo hadn’t recognized Wolf from behind, or he’d purposely lied to protect him.

Which wasn’t a big surprise. Pets would often do whatever they could to protect their humans. She knew Max would do anything for her, and so would Dooley.

So the case was closed, and all that remained was to write a front-page article detailing the nocturnal bust, and interview the people involved. She hoped her uncle would help her get access to Wolf so she could interview him in prison. Maybe to her he’d finally admit what he’d done, and they could put this whole terrible episode behind them.

Max opened his eyes and yawned, which triggered another bout of yawns from her and Dooley, who’d also woken up.

“Where is Chase?” asked Max.

She smiled. It was adorable how quickly her cats had warmed to her boyfriend.

“Gone to work. Where are Brutus and Harriet?”

“No idea. Brutus was with us when we came home last night, but of Harriet no trace.”

“She said she needed to get some perspective,” said Dooley. “I don’t know what perspective is, but it sure seems to take her a long time to find it.”

“Perspective is a state of mind,” Odelia explained, throwing off the covers and slipping her feet into her Hello Kitty slippers.

“A state of mind?”

“Harriet probably meant she wants to sort out some stuff in her life.” Perhaps the Brutus thing, Odelia thought. She hoped they would be able to settle in a new amicable relationship. Otherwise it would be very unpleasant for the others if two cats kept on fighting and bickering. If worse came to worst, she’d have to have a talk with Harriet and Brutus herself. Clear the air. Play cat therapist.

She walked over to the window and yanked the curtains wide to let the sun stream in. From her window she had a great view of the backyards of all the neighboring houses. Nearby was a middle school, and she could hear the kids playing the moment she cracked open the window. A church spire gleamed in the distance, and she took a deep breath. A new day, and a fresh beginning. And she was just running a few scenarios through her mind on how to arrange her day, when suddenly her phone started buzzing, and buzzing, and buzzing some more. She frowned as she picked it up. Messages from her uncle, her mother, her dad, and her grandmother rolled across the screen, one after the other.

‘Where are you?’

‘Are you all right?’

‘Answer me!’

What was going on?

She picked up the phone and called up her mom’s number and was just about to hit Connect when she slipped over the bedside rug and went down hard, hitting her head against the bed as she did. The last thing she remembered was Max, yelling, “Odeliaiaaaah!”

And then the world went dark.

It was by far the scariest thing I’d ever encountered. One minute I was chatting happily with my human, the next she went down and was gone. The phone slipped from her hand, bounced three times on the hardwood floor, and then kept sliding across the floor, buzzing all the while with incoming messages.