Kitten Kaboodle (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 20) (8 page)

“I need to talk to one of Edna’s neighbors. I guess we’ll head out there next. If Jethro is home, you and Charlie can get out and walk around while I chat with him.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help with the interrogation? I’ve been known to scare the pants off a few men; I suppose the same tactics will work to scare the truth out of them.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at the imagery the feisty woman always seemed to conjure up. “But I think I can handle Jethro if you’ll keep an eye on Charlie.”

I probably should have called ahead before driving all the way out into the county but I wasn’t sure Jethro would want to talk to me, and if he didn’t, I didn’t want to give him the opportunity to refuse to see me. My plan at this point was to show up at his door and start asking questions.

While Tilly’s home was spotless and Edna’s was somewhat worn but basically kept up, Jethro’s property was a mess. Old cars and other items he must have collected over the years littered most of the open space between his house and the road. I parked in front of Edna’s place so Nona and Charlie could wander around without getting lost in Jethro’s junkyard, then carefully made my way through the junk to the front door of the run-down house.

I rang the bell and waited. I didn’t hear any noise coming from inside the house, but there did seem to be someone wandering around at the back of the lot. When no one answered the door I chose the clearest path I could find between the old vehicles and headed toward the sound I’d heard.

“Jethro,” I said to the man, who had his head under the hood of one of the cars.

“Who’s asking?” he asked after looking up.

“Zoe Donovan. We’ve met a couple of times.”

“Yeah.” The man wiped his grease-stained hand across his face, creating a black streak across his cheek. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Edna.”

“Hmph,” the man growled. “As far as I’m concerned, the woman got what she deserved. Dang-nabbed property line.”

“I heard you had a disagreement over your well.”

“My well is two feet on her side of the line. The woman had five acres and she was having a fit over two feet she wasn’t even using and didn’t care a lick about until she found out she owned it. I hate to speak ill of the dead, but all I can say is good riddance.”

“I understand moving the well would have been a huge undertaking.”

“Now that there is an understatement. There’s no way I have the kind of money it would take to redig the dang-gummed thing.”

“I heard Edna offered to lease you the property.”

Jethro wiped off the wrench in his hand with a rag he had draped over the fender of the car he’d been working on. “What is it you said you wanted?”

I didn’t feel as if I could simply ask the guy if he’d killed Edna, but I really didn’t have a way to ease into such a delicate question. “I was wondering if you were home the day Edna died.”

“Yeah, I was here. What of it?”

“Did you happen to see anyone on her property that day?”

“Yup, several folks. Guessin’, though, that what you’re really asking is whether I saw Edna’s killer.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “I guess that is what I’m asking.”

“Then the answer is no. I have no idea who killed the woman and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you or anyone else. Now, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” Jethro stuck his head back under the hood of the car.

When I told Nona he wasn’t talking she rolled her eyes and instructed
me
to wait for
her.
I tried to convince her we should simply be on her way, but she shook her head and took off toward Jethro’s house like a woman on a mission. When she returned ten minutes later with the answers I’d been unable to obtain, I realized she might make a better sleuthing partner than I’d been giving her credit for.

“So?” I asked when we were back in the car and heading back toward town.

“Seems after I left and before the woman who came to buy the cats and found Edna dead arrived, Jethro went into town for a burger and saw Fritz Moon’s truck parked down the road.”

“Fritz had as much reason as anyone to want Edna dead,” I said.

“Jethro indicated that Fritz was an okay guy, but he did have a temper, and he was understandably mad that Edna was trying to gyp him out of money she rightfully owed him. He also pointed out that if Fritz was here on legitimate business he would have just parked in the drive rather than down the street. Jethro shared that there’s a footpath that leads from the spot where he saw the car parked to the back side of Edna’s barn.”

“Why is it that Jethro told you all this but wouldn’t talk to me?” I complained.

“I’m guessing you don’t know how to ask a man what it is you want to know.”

I rolled my eyes as Nona leaned forward, showing off just a bit of her cleavage. She certainly wasn’t one to act her age, which I supposed was one of the things I loved the most about her.

I called Salinger and filled him in on what we’d learned. He said he’d follow up with Jethro when he had a chance, and also mentioned that the coroner had found some irregularities, so he was taking a second look at both the timeline and the cause of death. He promised to let me know if there were any significant developments and, again, asked me politely to be careful and not take any unnecessary risks.

“I met a man at the bar last night who used to know Edna before she turned into the crazy cat woman,” Nona shared as I drove her back to the house.

“Oh, and did he have anything interesting to say about our victim?”

“Not really; only that she used to be a real party animal until she became obsessed with the cats and stopped showing up at the bar.”

“Edna’s ex-friend Silvia said something similar. I wonder if something happened to Edna that would account for the personality change.”

“You mean like how I used to be an old stick in the mud and then one day I woke up and was suddenly awesome?”

“Yeah, something like that.” I remembered Zak telling me that Nona used to be a curmudgeon who made everyone’s life miserable and then, one night about ten years ago, she went to bed an unhappy old woman and woke up the next morning a free-spirited hippie. The doctors attributed the change in personality to a stroke of some sort.

A stroke, or some other similar physical event, might explain how a woman could suddenly develop the tendency to fixate on objects such as cats and certain men to the point of compulsion. I supposed the why behind Edna’s strange behavior was something we might never know.

I dropped Nona off at the house and was about to head over to Ellie’s to check on my sick friend when I received a call from Jeremy, letting me know that we had a nuisance dog call from the new bakery on Main Street. He wondered if I would be able to respond because his sitter had dropped off Morgan at the Zoo while she went to a doctor’s appointment. I told him I’d be happy to respond and headed in that direction.

When I arrived at the bakery I was informed that the dog was guarding the Dumpster out back and would growl whenever anyone approached. The bakery owner told me he’d tried to shoo it off with a broom with no success. I had my car rather than my rescue truck, so I hoped I’d be able to deal with the animal without the use of my gear.

“Hey,” I greeted the dog softly. I immediately noticed that she’d recently delivered puppies, which led me to wonder if the pups were hidden nearby. The dog was skinny and mangy, so I assumed she’d been on the street for quite some time.

I put Charlie on his leash and slowly removed him from my car. The mama dog growled. I took some dog treats from the stash I kept in my glove box and gave one to Charlie while I spoke to him softly. I could see the mama dog watching me. I told Charlie to stay while I slowly made my way toward the Dumpster with a fistful of treats.

“I’m not going to hurt you, sweetie. I just want to help you, and if you have pups nearby I want to help them as well.”

When I got to within five feet of the dog she began to growl. I stopped walking and tossed her a treat. She looked at it suspiciously before sniffing and finally eating it. I took one step closer. She positioned herself between me and the Dumpster. I tossed her another treat. With each treat I threw, I took another step closer. Eventually, I was within reaching distance. It seemed odd to me that the dog was still guarding the Dumpster when I had readily available food and had made it clear I was willing to share.

“I’m going to look inside to see what it is you’re so intent on guarding,” I softly informed the dog. She growled deeply in the back of her throat, but I didn’t get the sense I was in any real danger as long as I trod carefully, so I took the final step and looked inside.

“Oh my God,” I whispered when I saw four puppies that couldn’t be more than a day or two old laying amid the trash. I slowly reached in and picked up the first pup. It still felt warm, and I could feel its little stomach move as it took a breath. I turned and slowly showed the mom that I had one of her babies. “We need to get your babies to the vet. I’m going to help you, but you need to trust me.”

The mama seemed to understand what I’d said, and she let me lead her over to my car. I opened the back door and set the puppy on the seat. She looked toward the Dumpster and then back toward the puppy. “I’ll get the others, I promise.” The dog hopped inside the car and began licking the puppy, which began to whimper. It only took me a minute to retrieve the other three pups, which were likewise alive. I did a quick search to make sure there weren’t any other pups, then put Charlie on the front seat and headed toward Scott’s.

“Who would toss puppies in a Dumpster?” Ellie asked later that evening, when I’d stopped by to see how she was feeling.

“I don’t know, but if I catch whoever did it I’m going to be the one wanted for murder.”

“Are the puppies going to be okay?”

“Scott says yes. He’s keeping both mom and pups at the veterinary hospital for a few days so he can keep an eye on things. He didn’t think the pups had been in the Dumpster all that long; probably only a couple of hours. If the bakery owner hadn’t called to complain that the dog wouldn’t let him get near the Dumpster they would have died for sure.”

Ellie picked up one of the kittens she was fostering and held it to her chest. “Sometimes I wonder what’s wrong with people. I’m going to assume someone found the pups shortly after they were born and tossed them in the Dumpster, which is really the only explanation as to how they got there. What I don’t understand is how the mom let them get to the pups in the first place.”

“Maybe the mom left the pups to look for food or water and they were already moved when she got back. Or maybe, even more disturbingly, the pups were put in the Dumpster by someone the mom trusted. It’s impossible to know for sure, but I plan to ask around to find out if anyone saw anything.”

“What’s going to happen to them after Scott releases them?”

“I’ll take the mom and pups home until the pups are old enough to be adopted and then I’ll find homes for all of them. After what the mama dog has been through I’m going to make sure I find her an awesome home with someone who will love her and care for her.”

“Is she a small dog or a big one?”

“Small. About Charlie’s size. Why? Are you in the market for another dog?”

“No, but maybe you should talk to Willa. She doesn’t really seem like she’d be the type to want to have a pet, but we were talking a while back and she mentioned she’d been thinking about getting either a cat or a small dog.”

“I’ll talk to her. She can be a bit stricter than I’d prefer at times, but I know she has a kind heart and she’s definitely responsible. I’m sure our mama would be happy living with Willa after being out on the street.”

“Poor thing. When I hear about things like that it just breaks my heart.” Ellie wiped a tear from her cheek. “When I think what could have happened…”

“Is anything else wrong?” I asked. Not that finding puppies in a Dumpster wasn’t something to cry over, but it looked like the pups were going to be fine, so tears at this point weren’t really called for.

“Not really. I’ve just been feeling emotional lately. I called the doctor today and I have an appointment to see him tomorrow.”

“That’s good. Maybe your hormones are off or something. I was thinking of calling in an order for a pizza. Extra sausage?”

Ellie made a face that indicated that pizza didn’t sound all that appetizing.

“I suppose if your stomach is all funky I can make you something. Scrambled eggs? Pancakes?”

“Why don’t you go ahead and pick up whatever you want for dinner and I’ll figure something out for myself?” Ellie suggested.

“Are you sure? I can get you anything you want.”

“I’m sure.”

“I’m not all that hungry. Why don’t we relax out on the deck for a bit and figure out the whole dinner thing later?”

Ellie didn’t say anything, but she accepted the glass of water I offered her and then followed me out onto the deck.

“How did your sleuthing go this morning?” Ellie asked.

“It looks like Fritz Moon might be the killer I’ve been looking for.”

Ellie frowned. “Fritz? Really?”

“Do you know him?” I asked. Until Chris from the feed store had mentioned his name I’d never heard of him.

“I don’t know him well, but he used to come into the Beach Hut for lunch sometimes. He knew Tucker somehow, and the two of them would eat burgers and talk about television shows they’d both seen or the newest action flick out in the theater.”

“Didn’t you find it odd that a grown man would be friends with an eleven-year-old boy?”

“Not really. Tucker might be eleven, but he’s a very street-smart eleven. As you know, he doesn’t have a lot of parental supervision, so he’s in town on his own fairly often. I think Fritz is just a nice man who somehow met Tucker and decided to take him under his wing. If it turns out he’s your killer, I’m going to be very surprised.”

I remembered that Tucker sometimes came to see the cats with Shawna, the girl I had met at Edna’s that first morning after the murder. I guess it made sense that if Fritz once worked for Edna, Tucker would have met him during one of his visits. So far I hadn’t had any luck tracking down Fritz, but maybe Tucker knew where I could find him. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to call him to ask. Normally, Tucker spent a lot of time at our house, but I hadn’t seen him once since Scooter had left to visit his grandparents. I knew his mother worked two jobs, so chances were I’d find Scooter’s best friend at the video arcade. Maybe after I got some food down my best friend I’d stop by to see if he was there.

“Do you know how long Fritz worked for Edna?”

Ellie squinted as she thought about it. “I’m not really sure, but it seems he started coming around the Beach Hut with Tucker about a year ago. Other than to take his order, I really never spoke to him. The only reason I know what they talked about is because Tucker tends to be loud, so I could overhear parts of their conversation.”

“It might be worth my time to track Tucker down to see what he knows. I haven’t seen him since Scooter left town, but he usually hangs out at the arcade.”

“When is Scooter coming back from his trip?” Ellie asked.

“I’m not sure. He’ll be home in time to start school, but I’m not sure how long before that he’ll be home. Alex is coming home tomorrow with Zak, though.” I smiled.

A wistful look came over Ellie’s face. “I’d love to have a little girl to do things with the way you do with Alex.”

“Did you ever in a million years think I would be the one excited about shopping for school clothes?”

Ellie smiled. “It is odd the way things worked out. I’ve wanted to be a mom since I was a young child and you used to say you were never having kids, and yet, for all intents and purposes, you have three children while I don’t have any.”

I reached out and squeezed Ellie’s hand in a gesture of support. “You’re more than welcome to go school clothes shopping with me and Alex. I know she’d love to have you.”

“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

“If you had a bigger place I’d suggest you take in some of the academy students the way Phyllis, Ethan, and a few of the others have, but you really don’t have the room.”

“No, I don’t, and I love living in the boathouse, so I’ll just borrow Alex when I feel the need to feed my maternal instincts. Do you know how her visit went? I know she wasn’t all that thrilled about going in the first place.”

“Zak didn’t say. I guess we can ask her about it when she gets back.” I looked toward the drive when I heard the sound of a car pulling up. “Oh, look. It’s Levi and he brought pizza.”

Ellie turned green.

“You don’t have to eat it, but I’m starving.”

“I thought you said you weren’t hungry.”

“I lied.” I stood up and greeted Levi. “You must have read my mind.”

“I heard the Zimmerman clan was in town and I figured you’d be hiding out here,” Levi said. “I took a chance on the fact that you hadn’t eaten yet.”

“I haven’t and I’m starved.” I took the pizza from Levi’s hand. “Grab some plates from inside. I’ll get some drinks.”

By the time we got everything set out Ellie’s shade of green had faded and she looked mostly normal. She still didn’t feel like eating pizza, so Levi made her one of his special grilled cheese sandwiches. Ellie always had craved his grilled cheese when she was sick, and I could tell it meant a lot to her that he remembered.

We talked about general subjects such as the new construction project in town, the upcoming wine tasting, and this year’s football team. I updated Levi on the opening of Zimmerman Academy and he told us all about the new staff they’d hired at the high school. All in all, it was a fun and relaxing evening. Levi insisted that Ellie go to bed early, which she promptly agreed to do, and I decided to head over to the arcade to see if I could track down Tucker. Levi offered to come along and I readily accepted.

“Ellie seemed distracted this evening,” he observed as we drove toward the arcade. We’d decided to drop my car at my house and ride into town together.

“I don’t think she was feeling all that well. It seems like this flu bug has been hanging on for a while. I’m sure she’ll be fine soon.”

“Maybe. I’ve known Ellie a long time, though, and I’m pretty good at distinguishing sick Ellie from worried Ellie.”

“She got on the Internet and started looking up all the horrible diseases she might have. She has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll find out she just has the flu and that she worried for nothing.”

“Maybe.”

Oh, great. Now Levi looked worried.

“Zak is coming home tomorrow,” I said, changing the subject to something safer. “He mentioned that he wanted to get together with you to discuss the best way to integrate sports into the Academy’s curriculum.”

“I’m available,” Levi informed me. “Maybe we can grab dinner or something.”

“I’d like that,” I responded as he pulled up in front of the arcade. “I hate to leave Charlie in the car alone. Why don’t you wait here with him? I’ll go inside and if Tucker’s there I’ll see if he wants to go for ice cream or something.”

“Okay. But hurry. I’m not sure this parking spot is entirely legal.”

Luckily, Tucker was inside and was more than happy to come with Levi and me for ice cream.

“When’s Scooter coming home?” Tucker asked as he dove into the triple scoop sundae he’d insisted he must have.

“I’m not sure. Within the next couple of weeks for sure,” I replied.

“It’s boring without him, especially now that Fritz is gone.”

“Ellie mentioned to me that Fritz sometimes buys you lunch. Have you been friends long?”

Scooter shrugged. “A while. He used to work down at the kitten place, and me and Shawna used to go visit, but he doesn’t work there no more. Can I get something to drink?”

“How about some water?” I suggested.

“A Coke?”

“I think that sundae will cover your sugar requirement for the day.”

“Okay, water’s fine.”

Levi motioned to the waitress to bring it.

“A friend of mine told me he saw Fritz at the kitten mill on Monday. I wanted to talk to him about that. Do you know how to contact him?”

“Nope.”

“You said he was gone. Do you know where he went?”

“Nope.”

“Did he tell you when he’d be back?”

Tucker looked up from his dessert. “Is Fritz in trouble?”

I didn’t answer.

“Does that mean he is in trouble?”

“Maybe,” I admitted. “I can’t be sure until I talk to him.”

“Fritz said he might be in trouble on account of the dead lady, but he didn’t do it.”

“He told you he didn’t kill Edna Leech?” I clarified.

“He didn’t have to. I was with him when we found the lady.”

I frowned. Was Tucker with Fritz on Monday? “Maybe you’d better tell me exactly what happened.”

“Am I going to be in trouble too?”

“Did you do anything wrong?” I asked.

Tucker put his spoon down and looked directly at me with a tear in his eye. “I don’t want to go to jail.”

I put my hand over his. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened? You can trust me.” I looked at Levi. “You can trust Levi too.”

“Yeah, buddy,” Levi added. “What’s going on? Did something happen when you were with Fritz?”

Tucker looked at Levi and then back at me. “We didn’t mean to do nothing wrong; we just wanted to help the kittens.”

“The kittens?” I asked.

“The ones me and Fritz brought to your house.”

“You stole the kittens?”

Poor Tucker looked terrified. “Am I going to jail?”

“No, you aren’t going to jail. Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me everything that happened? Don’t leave anything out.”

Tucker told us that when he and his friend Shawna went to visit the kittens the previous week they’d noticed that some of them were sick. They’d asked Edna about them, and she’d said the mother had died and the kittens would probably have to be put down. Tucker wanted to save the kittens, so he went to Fritz and asked him to help him steal the kittens and bring them to me. He knew I would help them. Fritz agreed to go with him, so they drove out to the county and parked on the road. Then they snuck around the back through the forest.

When they went into the barn they found Edna dead on the floor. Tucker swore Fritz was as surprised as anyone, and that he had no idea what had happened to the lady. I asked him why they didn’t call the sheriff and Tucker said Fritz was concerned that he’d be a prime suspect, given his quarrel with Edna over the money she owed him. As far as Tucker knew, Fritz had left the area and had no immediate plans to return.