I Shall Not Want (13 page)

Within an hour he had returned the car to the parking lot and made it back home. He took a dose of flu medication and crawled into bed. A mystery still remained about the radio dedication, and it troubled him, but there was nothing he could do about it that night, and certainly nothing he could do about it while so sick. He had gotten lucky that he had managed to accomplish all he had. There was no way he was willing to risk more without pressing need.

“I’ve had it with this case,” Paul said as they arrived back at the station.

“You and me both,” Mark said with a sigh.

He pulled the CD out of his jacket and tossed it to one of the other officers. “I need to see if we can identify all the people in these pictures, particularly the protestors. And keep your eyes out for one of them who might be homeless as well.”

“When do you need it?”

“First thing in the morning,” Mark said with a sigh. “We need to question all of them as soon as possible.”

The officer nodded and headed off with the disc.

“I don’t like working Thanksgiving,” Paul said.

“Who does? But criminals need catching, even if it is a holiday for the rest of the world.”

“I should have listened to my mother and become a banker.”

Mark snorted. “I have a hard time picturing that.”

“Me too. That’s why I became a cop. Catching killers instead of cashing checks.”

“Well, I need to head home to Traci, or you’ll be catching my killer.”

“If Traci ever kills you, it will be justifiable homicide, of that I’m certain.”

“You really think Derek was involved in some sort of plot?” Joseph asked Cindy once the police had left.

“Did you ever check with that dog breeder’s family to see if Derek actually worked for him?”

Joseph blinked several times. “I made a phone call, to a number he gave me. The man on the other end of the line verified it.”

“But did you know who the man on the other end of the line was for sure?”

“No,” Joseph admitted. “I’d only met the old man. I didn’t know any of his family.”

“I think Derek was involved in something. Why else would Larry, the vet tech, be dead in Derek’s locked room? Why would Derek have had a new lock installed without informing you? I don’t think he ever worked for that man on the East Coast. I think he sought you out on purpose.”

“Why? What was his motive?”

“I don’t know. Whatever it was, I bet Larry was his partner in some way.”

“You think he double-crossed him?”

“Maybe.”

Joseph shook his head. “I don’t know if the thought that he was somehow part of a plot and that’s what got him killed makes me feel any better about him being killed here in my house. I haven’t slept well since all this started. My home has been broken into, and now I learn two people have been killed in it. How am I supposed to get any rest ever again? I’ve contacted a different security company to redo the entire
system next week, but I’m not sure I’ll feel better even after that happens.”

“It will take time, but eventually it will get better,” Cindy said, reaching out to grip his hand. “Believe me. Even though you’re surrounded by death, even though your home has been broken into, you will get through this, and at some point you’ll even be able to relax again, if you let yourself.”

“I knew a lot of terrible things happened to you earlier this year. I don’t think I ever really understood or appreciated what you went through until now. I’m so sorry. I should have been more sympathetic, tried to help out in some way.”

“There was nothing you could have done,” Cindy said. “And besides, we barely knew each other back then. Don’t worry; I made it through. And because I do understand, I’ll help you make it through this.”

“Thank you. Again.”

“No problem. If you could help me figure out what Derek might have been after, though, it will help us put this all behind us much faster.”

“Well, we ruled out the diamond collar,” he said ruefully.

“Yes. I would think if it was simple robbery, he would have been able to snatch whatever he was after months ago, without the help of accomplices.”

“Tina always told me I was too trusting,” Joseph said grimly. “Yes, it would have been easy for him to steal anything in this house at any time in the last several months.”

“So let’s rule out robbery.”

“Okay, what does that leave us with?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said, racking her brain to think of something that Mark wouldn’t call a Scooby Doo plot. “Blackmail?”

Joseph shrugged. “How, what? There’s nothing in my life that I would pay to keep quiet.”

“Good to know,” she said with a wry smile. “Ransom?”

“No one demanded anything in return for the puppies. I would have gladly paid a ransom for their return.” “Revenge?”

“Again, for what? I have no enemies that I know of. Rivals, yes, enemies, no. And, even if I did, Derek had multiple opportunities to kill me, maim me, or harm me in any number of ways.”

Cindy sat quietly. What else could there be? She had to be missing something. What other motive could drive a man to spend six months in the employ of someone, waiting and planning, and drive one or more people to kill? Why was Derek killed? Why was Larry killed?

“It’s getting late,” Joseph said softly. “And clearly you’re not going to be able to find those letters. You should go home.”

The letters. “If it was some activist that did this, why kill Derek and not you? Why allow the adoptions to happen at all?”

“Even if an activist did kill Derek or the vet tech, that doesn’t explain what Derek was doing.”

“Or where he put all your papers,” Cindy said softly. “Are you sure he didn’t have some other place, an apartment, a storage unit?”

“If he did, I don’t know about it.”

“I wish I knew what was on his laptop and where it is right now,” she sighed.

“I wish I knew where six months of paperwork was. If I can’t find it, then he’s done more damage to me than stealing everything in this house.”

13

C
INDY WAS UP AT SIX A
.
M
.
ON
T
HANKSGIVING MORNING STUFFING THE TUR
key. When she finally slid it into the oven, she had a new found respect for her father, who had always been up before anyone else, prepping Thanksgiving dinner.

On a whim she called his cell phone as soon as she closed the oven door. “Hi, Dad,” she said when he answered.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing up so early on Thanksgiving?”

“I just put the turkey in the oven.”

“Ah. Me too. Bread’s rising nicely.”

She kicked herself. She had forgotten to prep the bread the night before. Oh, well, the sourdough loaf she had would have to do for sandwiches later. “I’m glad to hear it. I love your bread.”

“You could come home and have some, you know. We’d love to have you for the holiday.”

“Someday.”

“Or maybe we could come sample your turkey, someday.”

She smiled. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.”

She hung up with her father and headed off to the shower. Holidays at her home had always been somewhat strange, at least when she compared them to those of her friends. Half the time her dad was out of the country and missed the entire event. When he was home, her mother regaled him with tales of Kyle’s adventures and praised him until Cindy felt like her presence was completely optional. She was still fairly certain that no one had even missed her the first holiday she hadn’t gone.

Then again, her current holidays were starting to become even stranger than those of her childhood. It was destined to be one of the oddest, most memorable Thanksgivings in her history. She could feel it.

When she exited the shower, the phone was ringing and she hurried to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Geanie. Sorry to call so early, but you said you’d be up stuffing the turkey.”

“What can I do for you?”

“Actually, it’s more what I can do for you. I was wondering if you needed any help?”

“Actually, that would be fantastic.”

“Cool. I’ll be there in about half an hour.”

“Works for me.”

No sooner had she hung up than the phone rang again. She assumed it was Geanie and was surprised when she heard a male voice instead.

“It’s Detective Paul,” he said.

“Oh, hi. What can I do for you?” she asked.

“I need a better description of the homeless protestor who jumped in front of your car Friday night.”

“I told you all I could remember,” Cindy said. “He had dreadlocks. Haven’t you found him yet?”

“No, we’ve circulated the description you gave us, but no one seems to know who he is. There must be something else, even if it’s minor, that you overlooked.”

“I just don’t think so,” Cindy said, her frustration mounting.

“Well, if you think of something, call Mark or me on our cells.”

“I will,” she promised.

Why can’t they find him? Could he also be dead?

Geanie arrived a few minutes later with pies and enthusiasm and completely managed to distract Cindy from the grimmer questions of the week. She was in shorts and a tank top and had brought her dinner clothes with her. She dumped her stuff in Cindy’s room and then returned to the kitchen.

“Okay, what can I do?”

Cindy nodded toward the refrigerator. “The list is up there of the dishes we’re making, with approximate cook and prep times listed. Dinner is in six hours, so we need to plan accordingly. The turkey with the stuffing is already in the oven.”

“Maybe we should set the table first, since a lot of this has to be done closer to eating.”

“Good idea.”

Together they moved Cindy’s kitchen table into the living room.

“How many are we expecting?” Geanie asked.

“Seven, no, six,” she corrected herself, remembering that Harry would still be in the hospital.

Geanie eyed the tiny table. “I’m not sure we’re going to be able to fit six people around this table.”

“I’ve got a card table in the office closet,” Cindy said, moving to get it.

A minute later they had it set up next to the dining table. It turned out that Cindy’s one and only tablecloth just fit over
both of them. Together they set the table before returning to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Traci asked Mark.

He shrugged. They were watching the Thanksgiving Day parade on television while eating oatmeal. She was curled up on the couch, with Buster asleep on her legs.

“I wish I didn’t have to work today,” he admitted.

“Then don’t.”

“You know I can’t do that. Another body turned up last night.”

“This is getting as bad as that serial killer,” she said.

“I know.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, I mean, I’ve just had an uneasy feeling all morning. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I promise,” he said. He knew how hollow that promise could be. Cops were never safe, and she knew that as well as he did. He knew she lived in fear that one day he wouldn’t come home, and that she’d answer the door and Paul or one of the other officers would tell her that he was dead. It was a terrible burden she carried being married to him, and he knew it.

“Dinner at my sister’s house is at six, and I want to drive over together.”

“I’ll be home by five so I can clean up,” he said.

She smiled at him, and it warmed his heart as it always did. “I love you,” he said.

“Of course you do,” she teased. “You’d be crazy not to.”

He got up and kissed her.

“I love you too,” she said.

Paul was at his desk when Mark got in. “Have you been here all night?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

“What gave me away? The bags under my eyes, or that I’m wearing the same suit?”

“Actually, it’s the Styrofoam cups and dozens of packets of sugar in your trash can.”

Paul shrugged. “Coffee is my friend.”

“Okay, so what do you have? Other than a caffeine rush, I mean.”

“We’ve managed to identify all the people in the photographs.”

Mark blinked. “All of them?”

“All of them,” Paul said emphatically. “The reporters, the volunteers, the donors, the recipients, the hired help all check out as people we interviewed after being called to the scene.”

“Did you see any pictures of the homeless protestor Cindy said jumped in front of her car?”

“Not one.”

“What about the other protestors? Did officers on the scene interview them as well?”

“None of them were present when we arrived; they had all left beforehand, and not by much either.”

“Strange.”

“That’s not the half of it. All of them were petty criminals; that’s how we identified them.”

“They took off before the police could show. That doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me. Did someone tip them off?”

“Possibly. It’s also possible that they were only supposed to be there at a certain time, to cause confusion.”

“But how would you organize this many?” Mark asked as Paul handed him a stack of mug shots.

“Simple. We’ve already run down half a dozen of them this morning, and their stories all match up.”

“Yes?”

“They were paid to stage the protest.”

“By whom?”

“You’re going to hate this,” Paul said.

“I bet I am.”

“Joseph Coulter.”

The doorbell rang, and Cindy went to answer it. Joseph stood there with a case of sparkling cider and Clarice and Buff. “I hope you don’t mind; I brought Buff too. I didn’t want to leave him alone.”

“He’s more than welcome,” Cindy said, opening wide the door.

The dogs bounded inside and immediately made their way to her couch. She smiled at the sight. Joseph carried the sparkling cider into the kitchen, where Geanie squealed in delight. Cindy had her suspicions that the squeal was actually for Joseph and not the cider.

“We told you that was too much!” she heard Geanie giggle.

“And I told you these things have a way of spinning out of control,” Joseph said.

As Cindy walked into the kitchen, she saw Geanie flicking Joseph with a dish towel. He grabbed another one and flicked her back until they were both laughing.

Cindy couldn’t help but laugh as well at the two of them. The doorbell rang again, and she went to find Geanie’s friend waiting there, a loaf of fresh-baked bread in her hands.

“How did you know we needed bread?” Cindy asked with a smile.

“I must be psychic,” the woman said.

“More like psychotic,” Geanie teased as she walked in and hugged her friend, then took the bread and ran back to the kitchen.

The oven timer went off, and Cindy hurried to the kitchen and removed the turkey from the oven. The aroma was overwhelming, and everyone around her made excited sounds. She put the turkey on the counter and loosely covered it with a clean dish towel. It had to cool a while before she could cut it.

She listened to the others chattering around her, and she realized that this was what Thanksgiving was all about. It was gathering together. Friends, family, strangers, all sharing the simple joys of talking and laughing and eating together.

She heard the front door open and turned. “Hello in the house?” a familiar voice called.

She went into the family room and was glad to see Jeremiah standing there. Next to him was Bernadette. Ginger jumped out of her arms and raced over to join the other dogs on the couch.

“Welcome, all,” Cindy said.

“I brought flowers for the table,” Bernadette said. “It isn’t polite to show up empty-handed.”

She handed Cindy a bunch of wildflowers that had been freshly picked. “Thank you,” Cindy said, touched by the thoughtfulness.

“I guess that makes me the rude one,” Jeremiah said sheepishly. “I didn’t bring anything.”

“Sure you did,” Bernadette said. “You brought me!”

They both laughed at that while Cindy stared at them.

“He saw Ginger and me walking this way about two blocks back, and he gave us a ride,” Bernadette said.

“Well, I’m certainly glad he did. Now we’re all here,” Cindy said.

She took the flowers and found her only vase under the sink. Soon the flowers graced the table, and to her they were more beautiful than all the expensive decorations her mom always had.

Together she and Geanie shooed everyone else out of the kitchen. The others went into the living room and played with the dogs. Cindy had Jeremiah lie down on the couch previously vacated by the dogs.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been a lot better,” he admitted. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“Nonsense. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving. We’ve got about half an hour until dinner; rest until then and rest afterward.”

Cindy returned to the kitchen and found Geanie making gravy.

“I thought you couldn’t cook?”

“It’s the one and only thing I can do. I watched my grandmother do this for years.”

“Frankly, I’m relieved. I was not looking forward to tackling that.”

“I’d far rather try this than carve the turkey.”

“Yeah, this should be interesting,” Cindy said as she uncovered the bird.

Geanie walked out into the living room. “Anyone here know how to carve a turkey?”