The Fashion Hound Murders (7 page)

“It will be okay. It will be okay.” Jane patted her daughter and held her like a child. “Sit down and I’ll bring you some hot tea.”

Josie didn’t even realize she was sitting on her new couch.

Chapter 6

Josie spent the night drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep. She remembered tiny, terrible details from Edna’s murder: The broken glass glittering in her dark hair like stardust. The sad, inhuman angle of her neck. The dark pool of blood under her back.

And the deep suspicion in homicide Detective Gray’s intelligent eyes.

After several restless hours, she staggered out to the kitchen for coffee. Then Josie sat on her new couch, reveling in its soft cushions and unstained upholstery.

Josie wrote her report and e-mailed it to Harry, along with a note explaining what happened last night. Maybe she should call and warn him. It was six thirty in the morning. She dialed the emergency number, but there was no answer. She didn’t leave a message.

She assumed that was his home number and wondered when he would come into the Suttin office, read her report, and erupt.

Her phone practically jumped off the kitchen wall ten minutes later. Josie took a quick gulp of coffee before she answered.

“Josie Marcus, why did you tell the cops about that purse cam video?” Harry thundered. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“Did I do something wrong?” Josie sounded overly innocent. “You told me the camera was legal. I tried to call you at the emergency number, but no one answered.”

“I was spending the night somewhere,” Harry said.

Josie wondered who the unlucky woman was.

“Mom fixed me dinner last night,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “If you’d left a message, I could have called you sooner. That’s how Pets 4 Luv found me. I’m at the office early trying to clean up your mess. And it is one hell of a mess.

“You shouldn’t have told the cops. You know our client reports are confidential. I’m looking at a goddamn subpoena. They just served me.” There were no cracking or crunching sounds. Harry was too upset to eat.

“But, Harry, if we didn’t do anything wrong, we have nothing to fear—and neither do our clients.” It was a sneaky echo of his own words. Eat those, Josie thought.

“The whole reason Pets 4 Luv hired us was to avoid publicity,” Harry shouted. Josie held the phone away from her ear and waited until the screaming stopped. Josie didn’t know a man’s voice could go that high.

“Harry, an innocent woman is dead,” Josie said. “I saw her get hit by a truck. It was horrible.”

“What’s that got to do with me?” he said.

“It was the Pets 4 Luv saleswoman, Edna. I talked with her. Our conversation is on the purse cam video. Her boss was suspicious about her activities. He thought she was helping the animal activists. If you ask me, Edna’s death is the store’s fault.”

“I didn’t ask you. And I don’t care if she’s dead.”

“Well, I do. If Pets 4 Luv suspected something was wrong, they should have brought in private investigators instead of trying to cover it up. If the chain gets unfavorable publicity, they deserve it.”

Josie heard Harry take a deep breath, as if he was trying to calm down. “They’ve already fired Dave, the Rock Road store manager,” he said. “They called him to Milwaukee yesterday. I e-mailed them the video at three o’clock. I did what I was supposed to.”

His word hung in the air like an accusation.

“Corporate saw the video, then met with Dave at four o’clock and told him they wanted the pedigreed-dog sales records. Dave said they were in his rental car. Four supposedly smart people—the CEO, the human resources woman, and two high-priced lawyers—were there for the firing, and they didn’t have the brains to send a security guard with Dave when he went to the parking lot. Dave took off.

“The idiots sat on their asses for thirty minutes before they realized he wasn’t coming back. The cops rousted the CEO early this morning and he called me. He was furious with me.”

“It’s not your fault,” Josie said. “The store let Dave get away.”

“The cops traced Dave as far as Chicago. He left the rental car at O’Hare about six thirty last night. From there, he could fly or drive anywhere, especially if he had fake ID.”

“I wonder if they’ll ever find him,” Josie said. “I’m betting Dave has at least a million dollars stashed away from that puppy mill scam. I think he had fake documents and was ready to run. Well, if he was at O’Hare at six thirty yesterday, at least we know he didn’t kill Edna.”

“No, but he could have called someone to do the job,” Harry said.

“Uh, Harry, about my money for this job—”

“You’ll get it,” he said. “But if you ask me, you don’t deserve it. This was supposed to be an easy job. Now Pets 4 Luv is all over me and the cops can’t find that crooked manager. But they sure as hell found me.”

“I’m sorry,” Josie said.

Even Harry could hear the insincerity in her voice. He slammed down the phone.

Extra money and a harassed Harry, Josie thought. There is some justice. He’ll get even with me later, but right now he’s in hot water and he deserves to be. She hummed a little tune as she poured another cup of coffee.

Fortified with caffeine, she went to wake up Amelia. They’d have to leave for school soon. Amelia was awake, but still in bed.

“Are we still going to get my cat this afternoon?” Amelia asked.

“Of course.”

Amelia leapt out of bed without protest. She was ready for school in record time.

“Did you have nightmares and stuff last night after watching that poor lady die?” Amelia asked on the way to Barrington.

“How do you know about Edna?”

“I heard you talking to Grandma when you came home. You were crying. You never cry.”

“I was just tired,” Josie said.

“Yeah, right,” Amelia said.

“Is Harry going to chew you out?” Amelia asked.

“He already did this morning,” Josie said.

“I’m sorry,” Amelia said.

Josie shrugged. “He’s a jerk. He’s not even sorry that poor woman died.”

I’m having a real conversation with my daughter, Josie thought. Unlike her mother, she’s going to be a thoughtful, sensitive person. She pulled into the circular drive of the Barrington School for Boys and Girls. The Georgian-style redbrick buildings with their crisp white trim and dignified fan lights told the parents they were special. It wasn’t necessary. Most of them already believed that.

“There’s Emma!” Amelia reached for her backpack, slammed the door, and ran out of the car to greet her friend.

Josie waved to Emma’s mother, then inched down the Barrington drive. Students drifted in front of the moving cars with the confidence of the well protected. They had no fear of being hurt. The world always did what they wanted.

I wish my daughter had their self-assurance, she thought. I wish we had their charmed lives. But she knew there were no charmed lives. Even rich kids and their parents were short of money, and they worried in their way as much as Josie and Amelia.

Josie’s phone rang as she was leaving the Barrington driveway. It was Alyce. Josie pulled into the parking lot alongside the school to talk to her friend.

“How are you?” Alyce asked. “And what happened last night?”

Josie told her, while Alyce made sympathetic sounds. “Do you want to come here for coffee?”

“No, thanks. I want to get some supplies for Amelia. We’re going to pick out a cat at the Humane Society tonight.”

“That will be a good distraction for both of you. Tell me you aren’t going to Pets 4 Luv.”

“I’m going to their competitor, the Puppy-Kitty Superstore.”

“Good,” Alyce said. “Call me if you need to talk. You had a very upsetting evening.”

Josie stopped at the giant warehouse store and bought a cat box, litter, dry food, and cat toys, including toy mice and a bag of colorful yarn balls. She also bought a long-handled device with red feathers on the end. The saleswoman assured her cats went crazy over it.

Jane was waiting for Josie when she came home loaded with her packages. Her mother seemed tired and pricklier than usual this morning.

“How are you?” Jane asked.

“Fine, Mom. I bought some cat supplies. We’re going to pick out a cat tonight.”

“Are you really going through with that?” Jane didn’t bother to hide her disapproval.

“Yes, Mom. It will be good for Amelia.”

“A cat is not a vitamin pill, Josie. What if the animal has fleas?”

“The Humane Society checks the cats,” Josie said. “The cat will be flea free. They’ll clean out the ear mites and worm it, too.”

Jane wrinkled her nose. “Thank you for that lovely image.”

Chapter 7

“And Amelia Marcus.”

Five more students came running out of the Barrington School for Boys and Girls. Sleek SUVs, Mercedes, and BMWs awaited them, along with Josie’s humble gray Honda. Her car was the alley cat in this well-bred automotive herd. Barrington teachers drove cars like Josie’s—small, old, and anonymous.

Barrington students did not walk out of school. They had to wait for their rides to arrive and their names to be called. Most of their parents had six-figure incomes, trusts, and hedge funds. Their children were one more valuable asset.

At least my daughter’s safe, Josie thought. I couldn’t raise any ransom money. But Josie had turned worrying into a fine art. She went through the lists of what-ifs:

What if some lowlife thought Amelia was a rich kid?

What if the kidnapper hurt my daughter when he—or she—learned the truth?

What if—?

“Hi, Mom,” Amelia said, opening the car door. She threw her backpack on the rear seat and flopped down on the front one.

Josie’s worries were smothered by parental pride. My daughter has grown up in the last year, she thought. Amelia looks so much like her late father, it hurts my heart.

Josie smoothed her daughter’s dark bangs and kissed her hello. In another year or so, Amelia wouldn’t permit that liberty in public.

“How are you feeling?” Amelia asked, with one of those spooky flash-forwards to adulthood.

“I’m fine. Ready to pick out a new cat,” Josie said. “Do you want to check the computer at home again for pictures of adoptable cats?”

“I printed them out last night.” Amelia reached around and rummaged in her backpack for some folded papers. “Let’s go to the shelter before someone gets my cat. I have my list down to two. I read their biographies on the Web site and looked at their videos. I want the playful one.”

“Tell me about your picks,” Josie asked.

Amelia read from the paper in her school essay voice. “ ‘Teddy is two years old,’ ” she said. “ ‘He’s a brown tabby with a white vest. He has a great personality and is very playful. He’s been declawed and has a loving nature.’ ”

“Declawed?” Josie asked. “He’s got my vote.”

“Don’t I get one?” Amelia asked.

“Of course you do, honey. Let’s hear about the other cat.”

“ ‘ Harry is eight months old,’ ” Amelia read. “ ‘Harry is a domestic shorthair with green eyes and a white vest. His family had to relocate and they brought him back. He’s been neutered. He is very clean and likes people.’ ”

“Doesn’t sound like the Harry I know,” Josie said.

“It’s not the cat’s fault he has the same name as your boss,” Amelia said.

“I’m sure Harry the cat has better manners,” Josie said. “If you get the cat Harry, are you going to change his name?”

“Maybe. I don’t think I’d like to have my name changed once I got used to it. What if you decided to call me Sarah? Besides, if I pick Harry, he’ll be getting a new home. That’s a lot of change for a little animal.”

“Very thoughtful.” Josie swallowed a lump in her throat. Her daughter was learning to consider others’ feelings, even cats’.

“We’re here!” Amelia said. The Macklind Avenue shelter was a restored warehouse. Josie thought the inside was surprisingly clean and bright. She could hear a few meows and barks. The adoptable adult cats lounged in a glass-fronted cattery.

“Look at that big orange cat,” Amelia said.

“Your great-grandmother called those marmalade cats,” Josie said, “because they look like orange marmalade.”

“I like that big fluffy brown one,” Amelia said.

“I think that’s a Maine coon,” Josie said. “They’re supposed to be gentle.”

Some cats slept, some curled into balls, and some paced like tiny tigers in a zoo. Others wrestled and chased one another. Josie was relieved to see at least one brown striped tabby rolling around with a toy mouse. She hoped the cat stayed in a playful mood.

“You can still get a Persian or a Himalayan like Zoe’s,” Josie said.

“I want a cat like Daddy’s,” Amelia said.

An adoption counselor asked them questions about cat food, litter boxes, health care, and other pet issues. She looked like the kind of woman you could go to if you were in trouble.

“Will your cat be indoor, outdoor, or both?” the counselor asked.

“He’s staying indoors,” Josie said.

“Good,” the counselor said. “Indoor cats live longer.”

They filled out a one-page application. Amelia asked for either Harry or Teddy. Teddy had been adopted earlier that day, the adoption counselor said, but Harry was still available. Amelia could meet him in the “get acquainted” room.

Josie and Amelia sat with a nervous Harry in the cell-like room. Harry was an optical illusion. He looked skinny, but he was a solid fellow with long legs and a whiplike tail. His short brown fur had thick, squiggly black stripes. The colors were muted brown and black, but the effect was oddly loud.

Shining out of these winter forest colors were enormous green eyes. Harry’s huge ears moved like satellite dishes, following the conversation.

“He looks scared, Mom,” Amelia said.

“He should be. What happens today will determine the rest of his life.” Josie wished she hadn’t sounded so solemn. “Don’t worry, honey, he’s not the only cat in the world. If he doesn’t work out, we’ll keep coming back until we find the perfect one for you.”

Amelia unfolded the photo her grandfather had e-mailed to her. Young Nate had Cookie the striped cat hoisted on his shoulder. Both had carefree grins.