The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret Read online

  Greeted by the scent of pumpkin spice and a smiling Lynn behind the glass counter, I relaxed the minute I walked through the door.

  She grinned at us. “They’re ready. I hope you like them.”

  Kara and I walked up to the counter and Kara said, “I can’t wait to see them.”

  Lynn’s eyes, magnified by thick lenses in horn-rimmed frames, sparkled with pride as she carefully lifted a box from behind the counter. “Check them out. See what you think.”

  The flat box was packed with stemless wineglasses, each one engraved in a scrolling white font with my name, Tom’s name and our wedding date. Lynn had filled each glass with Hershey’s foil-wrapped candy. She’d sealed the glasses with delicate ivory tulle and secured the tulle with a satin ribbon. Attached to the ribbon was a heart-shaped antique-looking tag that said “Hugs and Kisses from Tom and Jillian.”

  Kara said, “Wow. These will look so beautiful surrounding the giant vases of peonies. You nailed it, Lynn. We’ll have one gorgeous table at the reception.”

  She smiled, looking almost embarrassed. “Where is the reception?”

  “At Kara’s house,” I answered.

  “Ah. Good choice.” Lynn looked at Kara. “Maybe one day, I can do something special for you and Liam.”

  Liam, an assistant prosecutor for the county, was Kara’s steady boyfriend—if that was the appropriate name for a thirty-something good-looking man.

  “Maybe. Right now it’s Jillian’s time. She’s done pretty well for herself in the future-husband department.” Kara picked up the box and Lynn lifted another from beneath the counter.

  “By your expression, Jillian, you’re happy with these?” Lynn said.

  I touched the ribbon on one glass, staring at our names linked together. I felt tears sting behind my eyes. “You have no idea. These are so special.”

  Kara, Lynn and I each took a flat box of the filled glasses and carefully packed them in the back of my minivan. I’d brought along several old quilts to cover each box.The quilts would also keep them from knocking together.

  When we were done and Lynn assured me I’d paid the right amount up front when I placed the order, she said, “Would you mind showing me your cats on that phone of yours? You know I have two of my own, but I can’t get enough of seeing yours.”

  I pulled my cell from my jeans pocket. “I could never say no to that request.”

  Soon we were watching Syrah batting at a lounging, sleepy Chablis. He was trying to get her to play and she was having none of it. Then I swiped the phone to pan the camera, and Merlot and Magpie came into view. Merlot had his big paws around her neck and was cleaning her face.

  “Aw,” Lynn said. “Who’s the new addition?”

  I explained about Finn and his newfound fur friend.

  While we talked, Kara had sat in the passenger seat to check text messages. Suddenly she called out, “Jillian, we have to go. Now.”

  Lynn backed up onto the sidewalk. “Sounds important. You better get to it. Have a wonderful wedding, Jillian.”

  I wanted to give her a hug, but since something was up, I hurried to the driver’s side, climbed in and stabbed the key in the ignition. “What’s wrong?”

  “My police source texted me and says they’ve found a body. Let’s go.”

  Six

  Kara directed me to a construction site on the other side of town and before I headed that way, I asked if I should drop her at the newspaper office so she could drive herself there. But it was in the opposite direction and I already knew her answer. She didn’t want to waste a second backtracking to the office. Besides, she had everything she needed for a story—the camera she always had with her in her satchel, as well as her notebook computer.

  I said, “This is where they’re constructing that new high-rise office building. It’s rumored to be some big company relocating and bringing in plenty of white-collar jobs.”

  “Can you go faster? I want to be on the scene and talk to Candace before she leaves or gets too busy with interviews and canvassing and all that police stuff.”

  “Those wineglasses in the back are fragile and—”

  “Lynn packed them well and so did we. Please step on it, Jillian.”

  “Okay, but if I hear clinking glass, I’m slowing down.” I pressed on the gas pedal. The entire police force was probably at the site, so I surely wasn’t at risk of getting a speeding ticket. Besides, I was certain this happened to be new construction Rhett Marner managed. I was as curious as Kara about what had happened there.

  A vast area that looked like the planned parking lot for the office building was partially cordoned off with crime scene tape. We couldn’t get very close to the spot where officers stood looking down at what I assumed was the body Kara mentioned.

  A cement truck rattled by my van, apparently leaving without dumping its load. It kicked up the gravel from the temporary roads and parking area where my van now sat. At least I assumed it hadn’t poured any concrete, because I couldn’t spot any. Someone had placed plywood over the rebar crosshatch that was prepared in the area that would be poured. Before I even killed the engine, a shiver ran up both arms. Something awful had happened here. I could tell by the look on Candace’s face as she talked to Morris Ebeling, her partner, and the chief of Mercy PD, Mike Baca.

  Then I spied an additional sight that only added to my discomfort. Lydia Monk was standing behind Mike, hands on hips. One high-heeled, booted toe tapped impatiently. How could she walk around this precarious place with those silly boots on? The last thing Candace and Mike needed was a coroner’s investigator with an ego the size of that office building, but that was what Lydia was and they were stuck with her. Why couldn’t Lydia just do her job—which was basically to take down the facts and report to the elected county coroner—and leave Candace and the rest of the force alone?

  After Kara took in the scene as I had done, she slid out of the passenger seat, camera ready. Was this more trouble for Rhett Marner? An industrial accident? Or something more sinister? Or had someone thought they found the perfect spot to hide a body forever?

  I stayed put, not wanting to interfere, but Kara carefully maneuvered on the plywood paths in place. She stopped when she reached the crime scene tape. Deputy Lois Jewel, notebook in hand, was making sure no one breached the barrier. She nodded at Kara and smiled briefly, but I could tell she was trying to block Kara’s view of what was happening beyond that tape. Trouble was, I couldn’t spot much of anything myself. I expected to at least catch sight of a covered body, but didn’t. What was everyone standing around for? Usually there was plenty going on when a body was found.

  While Kara took photos of the office building, the unfinished parking lot and the area where the police had gathered, a pickup truck arrived and two men, maybe mid-forties, got out and hurried around to the back of the truck. They each hefted a large handheld saw out of the truck bed. The saws had scary-looking circular blades and I worried they might hurt themselves as they ran to where Lois and Kara stood. Oh, wait, I thought. There must be guards on the saws. The men wouldn’t run with giant, jagged blades next to their legs.

  Lois wrote in her notebook before she lifted the crime scene tape and pointed to the plywood path leading to where everyone was gathered. She was probably making sure they stayed right on those planks so as not to destroy any potential evidence.

  As Kara took pictures of them talking to the chief, my curiosity could no longer be contained. I had to find out what the heck was going on.

  Lois greeted me with a warm smile, thank goodness. She was an “all business” kind of cop, but we’d become friends during my frequent visits to Candace at the station. That friendship must have counted for something, because she didn’t object to me hanging around where I probably shouldn’t be.

  Kara seemed not to notice that I now stood beside her. She’d lifted her camera again and was watc
hing as Candace and Morris unfolded what looked like a brand-new tarp. From what I could tell as they knelt, the two of them were carefully fitting the tarp beneath the rebar, folding and unfolding as they painstakingly completed their task.

  Kara mumbled, “Protecting the body.”

  “So there is a body?” I didn’t know why I said that. Maybe I was hoping against hope everyone was wrong.

  Neither Lois nor Kara replied. They didn’t have to.

  Once the tarp was in place, the men with saws got to work cutting away the rebar. The noise was jarring in the late-morning quiet. Then I had a puzzling thought. Why wasn’t the fire department here to do this job? Surely they had saws and tarps and equipment to handle this? They always showed up at times like this.

  I asked Lois and she said, “Because for now, the chief wants this kept quiet and you know how those young firemen love to talk. Puts teenage girls to shame the way they gossip. That’s why this didn’t go out on the scanner.” Lois eyed me, her stare serious. “That means you and your daughter better keep this quiet until the chief gives the okay.”

  The police were keeping a secret from the firemen? That was a first. Something about whatever had happened here was different.

  Kara, her gaze still on the unfolding drama, addressed Lois in a curt tone. “If there’s a serious crime involved, I never print a story that hasn’t been approved through police channels. We don’t shout out about anything that might jeopardize an investigation.”

  “I know. I’m just doing my job, Kara,” Lois replied.

  “Is this a murder?” I glanced between Lois and Kara.

  Lois’s lips tightened into a line. She looked toward the work being done and remained silent.

  “Kara?” I touched her arm.

  “Well, you don’t get buried under dirt, gravel and rebar, and perhaps even concrete—which I’m guessing was about to happen if not for an observant someone—by accident.”

  “Oh. The body’s buried.” I felt silly then. That meant this interment was premeditated, planned to make someone disappear forever—a thought that made my skin crawl.

  Seven

  We watched along with the folks inside the crime scene tape as the men carefully cut away rebar. The debris from their work was caught by the tarp. The noisy job seemed to take forever, but finally the guys with the saws stepped away.

  Candace knelt and seemed to be deciding whether they had enough room to lift out the body. But if I thought the waiting was over and we’d know what happened, I was wrong. As the men with saws walked back to their truck, heads down, Candace made a call on her cell. She then crossed her arms. A silent vigil began that seemed to fill the fall air with a bitter chill.

  In the meantime, despite no news about this on the scanner, word got out that something was happening at this construction site. Onlookers began to gather, mostly hesitant at first to come close enough to ask questions.

  Deputy Morris Ebeling noticed them, hitched his heavy police belt higher and made his way outside the crime scene tape.

  The old grouch, about ready for retirement, nodded at Kara and me as he passed. He might have been grumpy, but he was a good man—and he did have the town’s respect. About a dozen people were edging closer by the second. He raised his arms and shouted, “Y’all, this is police business. No one’s in danger. Miss Kara is right here, so you know you’ll get the straight story from her in the Messenger. Now go on about your business.” He cleared his throat and added, “Please.”

  The “please” seemed to do it because they all complied. Some walked away; others got in their cars and left.

  Morris ambled back to where we stood. “That’s gonna keep happening. Wish that doc would get here. She said she wasn’t too far away.”

  Kara appeared puzzled. “A doctor?”

  “You know. That forensic woman—archaeologist or something. The one we had out at the mill that time a while back.”

  “Dr. Worthy?” I asked.

  Morris stabbed a gnarled finger my way. “That’s the one.”

  “You’ve found a skeleton?” Kara said.

  “Nope. Fresh corpse, from what we can tell. We all saw the skin on an ankle. But we gotta preserve the evidence, you know.” Morris nodded in Candace’s direction. “She’d never let me forget it if we just dug the thing up and got it over with. Gotta do it by the book.” He grinned at me. “I’m getting too old for this, Miss Jillian.”

  I caught Lois nod in silent agreement and withheld a smile.

  “Morris, you know Candace is right,” I said.

  “Ain’t she always?” He smiled again and patted my arm. “I see more rubberneckers pulling up. I’d rather deal with them than the crazy lady who wears high heels to a crime scene. Don’t get that Lydia Monk. Not for one minute.”

  Morris and I surely agreed on that.

  But the latest rubbernecker, as Morris mentioned, wasn’t a curious onlooker. I recognized Dr. Worthy the minute she stepped out of her vehicle. She wore a white paper suit over her clothes, as did the three other people who climbed out of the SUV she’d arrived in—two young men and a young woman. They all carried what looked to be large toolboxes.

  Once the crew reached us, Dr. Worthy broke into a smile. “Are you a crime scene junkie like me, Jillian?”

  “Actually I’m the chauffeur for the reporter here.” I introduced her to Kara and asked if she knew Deputy Jewel. They shook hands and Lois wrote something in her notebook.

  Dr. Worthy gestured at the three people she’d brought with her and said, “Students of mine.” She gave Lois their names, which I didn’t catch. The doctor then looked at Kara and me. “Nice seeing you folks and wish it were under better circumstances.” Her expression grew serious. “Let’s get to work, young people. The police have waited on us long enough.”

  I thought I understood why she was here. If gravel and dirt covered the corpse—and how I hated the word corpse—then everything would have to be painstakingly removed. I’d seen work like that done on the Discovery Channel. It would take a while, for sure.

  “Kara, why don’t I take the wedding favors home and pick us up some lunch?”

  Kara nodded absently, her attention on the new arrivals.

  I looked at Lois. “Would you like a sandwich or a burger?”

  “No, thanks. Gotta stay focused here.” She stared back at those white-suited forensic experts kneeling by the space where the rebar had been cut away.

  Kara lifted her camera. “Black bean burger. Not messy, though. Just ketchup and mustard. Large coffee would be nice.”

  That got Lois’s attention. “Guess a coffee would help.”

  I made a mental note of what she and Kara wanted and left. As soon as I drove away I felt the tension leave my shoulders. A body had nearly been buried in concrete. It dawned on me that I’d seen no construction crews hanging around. Maybe Mike sent them all home? Even so, I would think Rhett Marner might be lurking. This was his project, after all, but so far, I hadn’t caught sight of him.

  As I pulled out onto the nearby side street, I nearly collided with Rebecca Marner’s SUV. Maybe that was Rhett now, but I couldn’t be sure, since the windows were tinted and I couldn’t see the driver.

  I drove home first, still filled with questions. But I had work to do and I pushed all that I’d just witnessed to the back of my mind.

  I stored the favors in my office closet and locked the door, much to the chagrin of four kitties. Cats plus ribbon and tulle spelled disaster. I wasn’t about to let them ruin all of Lynn’s work. None of them seemed too happy with me once I’d thwarted their future mischief. They considered a locked door an affront at the very least, and perhaps more of a personal insult. Merlot chattered up at me as if to ask, how could I do this to them?

  I looked down at the four of them, sitting in a row by that closed door. I took the time to snap a picture with m
y phone before I said the magic word hoping to distract them. “Treats?”

  But though my three amigos followed me eagerly to the kitchen, Magpie stayed back. Maybe she thought she could get inside the closet if she tried hard enough.

  I doled out tuna munchies, making sure Chablis didn’t steal from the others—because she was, after all, addicted to these things. Merlot liked to savor his and often lost out to her because of this. I sat cross-legged on the floor and petted each of them. My world had been busy the last few months as I prepared for the wedding, but I never neglected my dear friends.

  I was talking and petting and they were purring and bunting—bunting is what cats do when they want to show affection by rubbing their head against you—when I burst into laughter. Merlot jumped at the noise, but I couldn’t help myself.

  Magpie was dragging a large spool of ribbon that she’d pilfered from my sewing room. If a human had locked away the fun of satin ribbon and tulle, she decided to fix the problem. She held it in her mouth like a prize mouse, and a stream of ribbon flowed between her legs and trailed behind her.

  Oh, this girl was trouble all right.

  Thirty minutes later I headed back to town after watching four cats destroy the ribbon I didn’t even know I had—which for me meant it was more important for them to have a good time than for me to save it. But where had that little sneak found it? And what else did Magpie have up her paw?

  Rather than bring sandwiches and coffee for only the three of us at the crime scene, I called up a Mennonite friend who owned a donut truck. He parked in spots all over the area, but he and I became friends after his wife taught a quilting class I attended. They made the best donuts in the world and he often had homemade bread and jam on the truck as well as candy and sometimes cinnamon rolls. And yes, nice fresh coffee. Not as good as Belle’s, and he didn’t drink it himself, but he had no problem selling it. He told me he’d been about to close up the truck where he was parked—no problem with him having a cell phone either—but he’d call his wife, restock the truck and head out to the site. After all, the area would be populated by police and other workers for hours, if not the rest of the day.