Ruffed Up Murder (Pet Shop Cozy Mysteries Book 10) Page 6

  I take a seat on the concrete steps of the office building, thoroughly bewildered. I put together a mental checklist in my head: one, discover who murdered Logan Morse; two, figure out just what is going on around town and why so many people seem to know something; and three, find out what the heck Strauss is up to.

  “Sure,” I say to myself. “Nothing to it.”

  At length I stand and stretch sigh heavily. Maybe I shouldn’t tell Patty what I know. Maybe I should keep investigating on my own. Do what Bill Mulligan would do; rattle some cages, threaten some folks.

  “Yeah, right.” Will Sullivan just isn’t a Bill.

  Hey.

  Wait a second.

  I’m not a Bill.

  I pull out my phone and make a call.

  “Sarah, do you remember the fire at Dalton Manor? You told me that since it was a historic site, anyone on the council could have accessed the building, right?”

  “That’s right,” she tells me. “But that ended up being Leo Estes.”

  “I know, that’s not my point. The Runside has been around for a hundred and fifty years… it’s a local historic site too, right?”

  “Well, yeah,” she says. “It has been for decades.”

  “So the town has keys?”

  “Yeah…”

  “And where do they keep these keys?”

  “At town hall. Why?”

  “Because I think I just figured this thing out.”

  CHAPTER 15

  * * *

  I burst into Patty Mayhew’s office, out of breath from running the rest of the way there. Behind me, Officer Tom shouts his cliché lines of, “Stop, you can’t just barge in there, blah, blah…”

  Patty looks up from her paperwork at me, her gaze pointed and unsurprised. “What can I do for you, Will?”

  I close the door behind me to drown out Officer Tom. “Patty, I know who killed Logan Morse.”

  She sets down her pen. “Have a seat.” I sit in one of the two guest chairs in front of her desk as she says, “I have the distinct feeling you’re about to tell me that you’ve been doing the very thing I asked you specifically not to do.”

  I scoff. “Patty, this is bigger than me. I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Fine. But I hope you understand that I’ll have to take some sort of action here.”

  “Fine.”

  “Then by all means, proceed.” She folds her hands on top of the desk, giving me her full attention. “Who killed Logan Morse?”

  “It was Mayor Sturgess.”

  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Patty truly astonished before. Her mouth falls open a little and she blinks at me several times. “Will,” she says slowly, “that is a very serious accusation.”

  “I know it is. But I’m sure of it.”

  “Okay. I’m listening.”

  “Just go with me on this, alright? Sturgess was friends with Logan. Logan told Sturgess that he planned on selling. Now, most people, like Mr. Casey, might assume that Sturgess would go along with a deal like that, because he could stand to gain something. But that’s not what he wants at all; he wants to stay mayor. Seaview Rock doesn’t have term limits. Sturgess wants to keep the status quo, keep people happy, so that they keep him in office. What was that campaign slogan that he used last time he ran? ‘Simple, safe…’”

  “And stable,” Patty finishes. I knew I’d heard it somewhere before Mrs. Blumberg quoted it to me; from Sturgess’s campaign posters a couple years earlier.

  “So far, the mayor has gone along with everything that the new council has wanted to do, because it’s getting the town out of the hole that the blackmail scandal created. But he’s afraid that it’s going to be too much change. He’s afraid of losing the people’s faith in him. Then along comes Logan Morse with his plan to sell his land—using a loophole created by the council.

  “So Sturgess uses Morse to send a message. They’ve been friends forever, right? No reason for Morse to suspect anything. Sturgess has access to the Runside because it’s a local historic site—they keep a copy of the key at town hall. He killed Logan, stashed the body, and got out of there before Holly opened for the day.”

  “And the jack handle?” Patty asks calmly.

  “The mayor comes by the Pet Shop Stop at least twice a week to talk with Sarah. I would assume he does the same to the other council members, right? He could have stopped by Sockets & Sprockets a dozen times in the last few weeks and grabbed the jack handle on any one occasion.”

  “But that doesn’t explain how the murder mimics—”

  “Hang on, I’m getting there,” I interject. “Earlier today, he called me Bill.”

  “He called you Bill?”

  “He called me Bill. We’ve met plenty of times; he knows my name. I think he called me Bill because it was a slip of the tongue. I think he’s read Bill Mulligan, and that he set the murder up to imitate Dennis’s comic to hurt Sarah, much in the same way he hid the body at the Runside to warn Holly, and used a jack handle from Sockets & Sprockets to implicate Mr. Casey.”

  “Will…”

  “And there’s another thing. I spoke with Kyle Morse, and he said that Mayor Sturgess came to his house this morning—but not to try to dissuade Kyle from signing with Sprawl-Mart, like everyone else did. No, Sturgess came by to offer his condolences for Logan. The mayor already knew that Kyle wouldn’t sign. He knew the family. He knew that by killing Logan, he’d be in the clear.”

  “Will…”

  “One last thing—when I talked to the Blumbergs, who obviously know something, they used that same campaign slogan: simple, safe, and stable, and they—”

  “Will!” Patty almost shouts.

  “What?”

  She rubs her face with both hands before saying, “It’s a good story, Will. But where’s the proof?”

  “Say what?”

  “Where is your proof?” she repeats slower. “Real, physical evidence to tie Mayor Sturgess to the crime.”

  “I… I don’t have any.”

  She shrugs. “Then you have nothing but a theory.”

  “It’s not just a theory! It’s obvious!”

  “Will, I am a professional, and that means there is no ‘obvious.’ There’s hard evidence and there’s a confession. That’s it. And in case you need reminding, you’re supposed to be a professional now, too. We can’t throw around wild assertions.”

  “Weren’t you listening? It’s not wild—”

  “Plus,” she says loudly over me, “there’s a gaping hole in your story here. Mayor Sturgess was at his office from nine a.m. to eleven a.m. yesterday. His secretary vouched for him.”

  “Well, clearly she’s lying.”

  Patty rubs her temples. “First of all, his secretary is a ‘he.’ Second, if we’re going to discount alibis, I don’t think I have to remind you that by your own logic, the culprit could just as easily be Holly or Mr. Casey. Each of their stories was only substantiated by one other person.”

  “Patty,” I plead, “there’s gotta be something you can do.”

  “There is. I’m not going to ignore you, Will. Despite the fact that you’re taking quite a leap here, our history proves that somehow you have a tendency to be accurate. So here’s what I’ll do: I’m going to call the mayor in for questioning—very discreetly, of course. We cannot afford another scandal around here. I’m going to present him with everything you’ve given me, and, if he did it, hopefully we’ll get a confession.”

  “And if not?”

  “Evidence, Will. We need some sort of evidence.”

  I close my eyes and shake my head. “That’s not good enough for me.”

  “I’m sorry, but accusing a man without a shred of proof isn’t good enough for me.”

  I stand and head for the door. “Thanks for your time.”

  CHAPTER 16

  * * *

  The Runside is closed again tonight, for the third night in a row; one for our secret
council meeting two nights ago, one because of the discovery of Logan Morse’s body, and now for another clandestine gathering.

  Sarah and I left the pups at home tonight. When we arrive, Holly, Mr. Casey, and Sammy are already there. Holly locks the door behind us and takes a seat on a stool beside the other four as I address them.

  “Thanks for coming. And Holly—thanks for hosting. I know this can’t be great for business. I know I’m not a council member, and neither is Sam, but you all deserve to hear this.” I clear my throat and continue, “Yesterday I went to Patty Mayhew and accused Mayor Sturgess of killing Logan Morse.”

  Holly lets out a low whistle. Mr. Casey nods once, as if silently agreeing with me.

  I tell them everything. I tell them about my “theory,” as Patty put it, and how I came to realize that our dear mayor murdered his old friend. I tell them about the Blumbergs, and about Miller and Sylvia.

  As I’m finishing up, I say, “I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that none of you supported him in the last election.”

  “Heck no,” Mr. Casey spits.

  “Nope,” Sammy agrees.

  “Uh-uh,” says Holly. “He just seems so…”

  “Smarmy?” I offer.

  “Bingo.”

  “Right. So that’s the connection I was missing before—his constituency,” I tell them. “Sturgess did what he thought he had to in order to please the people that keep him in office; not just ones that vote for him, but prominent citizens and business owners that influence other people in town.” More to Sarah than anyone, I add, “For once, it wasn’t about money at all. It was about change. All of you, you represent change, and they’re afraid of it.

  “There’s more,” I tell them. “I believe that a handful of people in town might know, or at least suspect, what he’s done. People like Sylvia and Mr. Miller wouldn’t have made sure to have alibis for an entire forty-eight hours, both before and after the murder, unless they thought something was going to happen.”

  “Then they’re the ones drawing a line in the sand,” Mr. Casey says. “Not us.”

  “I’m not sure they know that’s what they’re doing. I think they’re just trying to be above suspicion. But still… yeah, there’s a line. And outside of this bar, we don’t know who else is involved. I think it’s best for now if none of you accept any gifts, food, anything like that from people you don’t know and trust.”

  “Food…?” Sammy asks. “What are you talking about?”

  “Sarah received cupcakes last month, anonymously. I had Patty test them. They came back positive for poison.” To Sarah I say, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

  Both her hands cover her mouth. “But I ate one. I was fine.”

  “Yeah. Long story. Suffice it to say that the old woman who made them didn’t understand how her rat poison works.” I can’t say for sure, but I’d be willing to bet that Mrs. Blumberg was the one who made those cupcakes. Rat poison used to be made with cyanide, and even though the practice has long been banned, Mr. Blumberg’s ancient container of pesticide fits the bill—and their grandson, who seems to be so helpful, could have been the young man that brought them to the courier service.

  Of course, after my failure with trying to convince Patty about the mayor, I’m not going to bring her another potential answer without evidence that she can write off as a “theory.”

  I don’t say this aloud, but I really, really hope that Chief Mayhew isn’t involved at all.

  “We’re all business owners, and three of you are the town council,” I tell them. “Together, I think we can—”

  I’m interrupted by a knock at the entrance of the Runside. Every one of us stands, glancing questioningly at each other. Holly answers the door, and I don’t think any of us are terribly surprised to find David Sturgess on the other side.

  “Good evening,” he says, smiling brightly. “Are you, uh, not open?”

  “No,” Holly tells him flatly. “We’re not.”

  “Ah. Well, I saw your cars in the lot, and I figured I would—” He takes two steps in, and Holly cuts him off by putting one hand in the air, palm out, to stop him.

  Still smiling, he glances from one of us to the next. “I get it,” he says. “I’m sure by now you’ve all heard that I was questioned by the police today about Logan’s murder. I can assure you, there is no evidence against me, and all of my statements are consistent with my whereabouts.”

  “Funny,” Mr. Casey grumbles, “I don’t hear you saying you didn’t do it.”

  “Fine,” Sturgess says through gritted teeth. “I didn’t do it. Happy?”

  “No,” Sarah tells him, folding her arms. “Not until you’re in jail.”

  Sturgess scoffs. “Look, I just want to put all this nastiness behind us. It’s a real tragedy what happened to Logan, and no one is more upset by it than me, but at least Sprawl-Mart stays out of town, right? And I approved your proposal despite that little loophole, so really it’s a win-win, isn’t it?”

  The five of us stay silent, all of us staring at him.

  He sighs. “Do you really want it to be this way?”

  “You forced this,” Sarah says. “So we’ve chosen our side.”

  “And you’re not welcome here anymore,” Holly adds.

  The smile finally vanishes from his face. “Okay, then. You all have a nice night.” David Sturgess turns and disappears into the night. Holly closes the door after him and locks it again.

  “What now?” Sammy asks.

  “I don’t know,” I tell him. “I think we’ll all have to be pretty careful, though.”

  CHAPTER 17

  * * *

  The next morning is Saturday, so I expect Georgia Strauss to be home as I knock on her door. From inside, Muffy the terrier lets out a fusillade of yips, and a few moments later Strauss answers.

  “I’m not your lackey, and I don’t appreciate being lied to,” I tell her.

  She blinks at me. “Good morning, Will. Nice to see you. Won’t you come in?”

  I wait until she closes the door behind me before I slap the business card down on her coffee table. “You hired Ponytail Guy to steal your dog?”

  “Who?”

  “Sorry. The dog-napper. Fred Hicks, the florist?” Muffy sniffs at my shoes vigorously, making it very difficult to appear somber.

  Georgia sighs. “Yes, I hired a florist to steal my dog. There was no dog-napper. Look, I already told you before that it was a challenge to see what you could do. I just wasn’t a hundred percent truthful about the nature of the test.”

  “A test?” I laugh bitterly. “You’ve been using my compassion as a tool?”

  “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Do you want some lemonade?”

  “No, I don’t want lemonade!” Muffy barks at my outburst. “I want to know what you’re doing, and why you’re using me to do it!”

  “Will, let’s be civil here, okay? No need to shout. You and I want the same things. The difference is that I’m a judge; I’m bound by a system. I have a face to put on to the public. I can’t be involved in anything; I have to be neutral.”

  I furrow my brow, thinking. “You… you led me to Sylvia Garner on purpose. And… to the Blumbergs?”

  She stares at me evenly. “I’ve been in this town a long time, Will. I know things.”

  “I’ve been around a while too, you know…”

  “True, but you’ve always mostly kept to yourself and your business, haven’t you? To you, it might seem like all this craziness is new, but Seaview Rock has a long and storied history with bizarre events that just happen to occur at opportune moments.”

  “And you’re saying that you can’t do anything about them?”

  She shrugs one shoulder. “I’m saying that you can do things that I can’t.”

  “I’m not going to break any laws for you,” I tell her.

  “Wouldn’t dream of asking you to.”

  “And I’m curr
ently suspended.”

  “Come again?”

  I sigh. “I got the call earlier today. Patty Mayhew has friends in the state police; she told them I meddled in an investigation and they suspended my PI license for sixty days, as a warning.”

  Georgia frowns. “That is problematic. I’ll have to make some calls.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Sure. Consider me an ally. Or rather, a silent partner. This is strictly between you and I; no one else can know.”

  “So… you know that I accused Sturgess of the murder.”

  She nods. “That was very stupid of you.”

  I scoff. “At least it got Dennis out of hot water. No further evidence came forward, so they released him. I guess putting the squeeze on Sturgess made him nervous.”

  “Oh, I fully agree with you that Sturgess did it,” she says casually. “But you should have kept quiet, built up a case. Waited for him to slip up again. Now that you put some heat on him, you can be sure he’s going to play things very straight for a while.”

  “Georgia… are you suggesting he’s done this before?”

  Again she shrugs. “Or something like it.”

  “You and I are going to have to work on our communication.” I head toward the door, signaling the end of our meeting. “Wait, one more thing. If there was never a dog-napper, why did you have me follow all those missing pet leads?”

  “Well, I had to do something to bide my time until something like this happened again.” She smiles. “Besides, I just like to help people.”

  “You’re a strange woman, Georgia.”

  “Goodbye, Will. I’ll be in touch.”

  ***

  On my way back through town toward the Pet Shop Stop, I pass town hall and notice Sammy tugging weeds from the cracks in the concrete steps. I pull over and get out of the car.

  “Hey, Sammy. How’s it going?”

  “Hey, Will. It’s going.”

  I kneel beside him and tug a few weeds. “No, I mean really. How are things? I want to know what’s going on with you.”