“Five a.m.,” Lara repeated. “Why did Mr. Waitt go there so early? Surely he didn’t have an appointment with Deanna at that hour.”
Whitley took in a long breath. “As I said—”
“I know, I know. You can’t reveal the details.”
“I’m sorry, Lara. You know the rules.”
“Can you at least tell us what the murder weapon was? It looked like a knife of some sort, but—”
“Sorry, Lara. No can do. And not to change the subject, but the media vultures have already begun to arrive. Two network trucks rolled through town early this afternoon, and I’m sure more are on their way. Ms. Daltry has assured me she’ll hire private security if need be. In the meantime, I urge you both not to talk to any reporters. If they figure out who you are they’ll probably hound you, so just be aware, okay?”
“I hear you, Chief.” Lara slumped in her chair.
Darn! Lara wished now that she’d paid more attention at the crime scene. She’d gotten so rattled at finding the poor man’s body that she hadn’t taken in as much detail as she should have.
Those flowers. What were they? They’d reminded her of something used in bouquets, but she still couldn’t grasp what they were called.
“Chief, I have one more question. Did anyone mention the flowers? They were scattered around the, you know, the body.”
Whitley shifted his long legs, crossing one over the other. “That’s one of the details, Lara, that we are not disclosing to the public. And no, I have no idea what they were. My horticultural skills are limited to deadheading the pansies in my flower boxes every summer.”
Lara decided not to press it. Something told her the flowers were symbolic of whatever the reason was for Waitt’s murder. If she could identify the variety, she could begin doing some research. She was sure good old Google would be glad to help.
“I understand,” Lara said. “My lips are sealed.”
Smiling at the chief, Aunt Fran reached over and squeezed his large hand. “Jerry, you’ve known me long enough to be assured that I would never reveal confidential police info.”
Whitley flushed to the roots of his thick white hair. “I know you wouldn’t, Fran.” He snapped his notebook closed. “Remember, you both need to come down to the station in the morning to give a written statement. I won’t be there. You’ll be talking to one of the state police detectives.”
“Understood,” Aunt Fran said, lowering her head.
Lara would’ve sworn her aunt had winked at him. She knew the two had been having occasional dinners together, but that seemed to be the extent of it. Or was it? The chief wasn’t overly enamored of cats, at least not in multiple numbers. But he cared deeply for Aunt Fran. Of that much, Lara was sure.
“Chief, I just thought of something. When we arrived this morning, I didn’t see any other cars there. Where did the…you know, victim, park his?”
“Not that it’s your business, but we found a vehicle parked about a half mile down the road. It’s registered to Waitt. That’s all I can say.”
“Has his family been notified?” Aunt Fran asked him.
“They have, and they’re in shock. I’m glad I didn’t have to break the news to them.”
A buzzer sounded at the back of the house, making Lara jump.
“Someone’s at the shelter door,” Lara said. “I wonder— Oh, good grief, Aunt Fran. We forgot about Kayla! We’re supposed to be interviewing her today.”
Kayla Ramirez was a student who’d called about a part-time job at the shelter. Lara had set up an appointment to chat with her at five that afternoon.
Aunt Fran looked suddenly flustered. “You’re right. In all the confusion, it slipped my mind. You’ll have to excuse us, Jerry. I’m afraid duty calls.”
The chief nodded. “If it’s something to do with cats, I’m outta here. I’ll call you tomorrow, Fran.” He rose and headed for the kitchen door, then turned and looked directly at Lara. “Not to pick on you, Lara, but remember that old saying about loose lips…” He let the thought dangle.
“I know. They sink ships.” Lara squelched a smile.
They also reveal secrets about people, Lara thought.
Secrets that might lead to a killer.
Chapter 5
Kayla Ramirez turned out to be a delight. A vet tech student, she was spending the summer with her grandmother in nearby Tuftonboro. She’d spotted the ad for a part-time shelter assistant in the online version of the Whisker Gazette, and had immediately called for an interview.
“If I can work with cats and earn a bit of money for textbooks,” she’d said in her soft voice, “my summer will be perfect.”
Only Lara was aware that Blue had sat in on the interview. While Lara, Aunt Fran, and Kayla sipped pink lemonade and munched on shortbread cookies, Blue had appraised the applicant from the vacant chair. When the Ragdoll cat blinked twice and rested her chin on the table, Lara knew Kayla was a keeper.
Aunt Fran had been equally impressed. Lara knew from the twinkle in her green eyes that she was thrilled to have Kayla join the team.
“I’m ready to start tomorrow, if that’s okay,” Kayla said with a shy smile. She pushed her oversized eyeglasses higher on her nose.
“Perfect,” Lara said. “Believe it or not, you’ll be our first real employee. We have a high school student, Brooke, who volunteers when she can. But since she babysits for her little brother while her mom works, she has to work around her mom’s schedule.”
“I’m honored,” Kayla said, flushing a bit.
“Tomorrow’s an adoption day. We never know if anyone will show up, but on Tuesdays we usually have one or two visitors. Fridays and Saturdays are busier. I’ll give you some employment forms. You can fill them out and return them tomorrow. Meanwhile, how about if I show you the ropes?”
Kayla’s smile broadened. “Excellent.”
They’d agreed that Kayla would work four days a week, on a flexible schedule, helping with litter box and cat grooming duties. She would also assist with driving felines to and from veterinary appointments. “And don’t worry,” she’d piped in. “I’m using my gram’s car, and it has awesome AC!”
After the young woman left, Lara joined her aunt in the large parlor and dropped into a chair. “She’s terrific, isn’t she?”
Aunt Fran sat on the tufted sofa, the soft breeze from a table fan wafting over her face. “I agree that she seems like a dream employee, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s see how it works out first.”
Lara wasn’t worried. Kayla was the best thing that’d happened all day.
She was more concerned about Noodle and Doodle. Lara felt in her bones that Deanna’s home was the ideal environment for them. But between the awful murder and Nancy Sherman’s odd behavior, how would they fare in the short term?
Her cell phone chirped. She pulled it from the pocket of her shorts and glanced at the readout. She felt her heartbeat spike. “Deanna? Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” the actress said. “The kittens seem to be making themselves at home in their special room. Instead of closing the door, we secured a gate across the doorway. So far they haven’t tried to escape. I check on them often, and they look very content.”