Chapter 16 #2
“It’s pretty hard to have anything when it was literally someone who was at home alone, until someone walked in through the door and stabbed her.
Plus, no forensic evidence was found to identify her killer.
No cameras. According to the Red River Precinct police file, everyone loved her, and she had no known enemies.
Her phone and emails offered no information either. ”
“By what you just mentioned, it’s also very likely to have been somebody she knew too.”
“That’s the thing,” she said, eyeing him.
“In a way, it’s some of the same suspects all over again.
We have Katie, the Alberta victim from ten years ago, and Katie’s daughter, Jillian, the fiancée in your current case of the death of Barry, and the niece to Zev and the niece to your second murder victim, Alice.
” Doreen shook her head. “It’s definitely not as clear-cut as it could be.
Uncle Zev says that Jillian was with him, and I believe him.
” She frowned, got up, and picked up the case files she had printed off.
“So, apparently Jillian’s uncle had taken Jillian to an event, while her mother, Katie, remained home and was murdered. ”
“Where was Jillian’s father back then?” Mack asked.
“I don’t know.” Doreen frowned. “And where’s Jillian’s father now?”
Mack frowned, shaking his head. “I think Uncle Zev took Jillian to the event ten years ago because I think Jillian’s father has been gone for longer than that.”
“Yes, but is he dead or is he just lying low and taking out family members?” she suggested. At that, he burst out laughing. She glared at him. “I’m not kidding.”
He stilled, caught the seriousness of her tone, and asked, “Seriously?”
“Missing people are missing people. But, if the missing people aren’t actually missing, they have one heck of an alibi to take out other people.”
“Ooh, ouch,” Mack replied. “You definitely need a holiday.”
She glanced over at him and muttered, “You too.”
He groaned. “I know, but we have to solve this case first.”
“I’m all for it,” she stated, rolling her eyes. “I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”
“Don’t tell me that you’re giving up?” he asked in astonishment.
“No, of course not,” she stated, “but the one that I’m supposed to be working on is a little bit harder.”
“No, it’s not,” he argued. “I will admit that there probably isn’t as much evidence, and maybe there isn’t as much actual forensic evidence, and you probably don’t have much in the way of eyewitness accounts either.”
She rolled her eyes again and sighed. “So I have nothing.”
He grinned. “And that’s how we often feel, but the truth of the matter is, there was a weapon—also a kitchen knife—and Katie was stabbed, and there was apparently no motive.”
“All of which,” she stated, “applies to your two current cases too.”
He slowly nodded. “You’re right,” he acknowledged, staring at her. “It really is likely that the killer in each of these three murders is from the same cast of suspicious characters, isn’t it?”
“I would think so, yes,” she agreed. “But the fact that we have two recent murders is what I don’t get.”
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“Why not take them both out at the same time? After all, they both work for the same restaurant.”
“Because they both weren’t in the kitchen that first night,” he replied.
“Right, and why weren’t they both in the kitchen?” she asked. “Maybe our killer expected them both to be there?”
Mack shrugged. “Or was it because our killer couldn’t take out two at a time. Think about it. It would take too much effort, and maybe they couldn’t think of a way to get it done without getting into trouble themselves or getting hurt themselves.”
Doreen nodded. “Which also would imply that they either thought they were inferior in strength and speed or were taking too big of a risk.”
“But to go in again and kill a second time is taking a much bigger risk,” Mack stated.
She sighed. “I know.” She gave him a smile. “The motivation is still all wrapped up around the restaurant somehow.”
“Which wasn’t doing well,” he pointed out.
“So, who wants it if it’s not doing well?” she asked.
“If the business is going under, it’s hardly something to kill over.”
“I agree, unless they own the building, in which case maybe the real estate value is enough. Or is it more of a revenge thing?”
“Yet why take revenge on Barry, the young cook?”
“Unless it really was a case of mistaken identity.”
He frowned as he thought about it and noted, “You keep coming back to that.”
“I do keep coming back to that.” She shrugged. “I really want to talk to Jillian again, but …”
“Mmm, … good luck with that,” he said, with a chuckle. “We’ve talked to her several times, but she’s not doing well.”
“Right, and I can certainly understand that,” she stated. “But questions need to be asked so answers can be revealed.”
“I’ll go by and talk to her tomorrow,” he offered.
“I wish I could come with you.”
“No, not allowed.”
“I know. I know. I know.” She raised her hands in frustration. “I get it.”
He smiled. “I’m not sure you do get it,” he replied, staring at her.
“But as somebody who just spent an awful lot of time in court, making sure this last case was locked up tight so we didn’t have people running amok all over it, I have to make sure that we end up with convictions that work in court at the end of the day. ”
“Got it,” she muttered. “I still think Mugs had a point though.”
“Mugs always has a point, but it’s usually at the end of his teeth.”
She looked at him and then started to laugh. He grinned, and she shook her head. “You really do know how to lighten the mood, don’t you?”
“As long as Mugs is not biting me. I’m much better with the idea of his biting somebody else because he knows that I won’t hurt you.” Mack covered his mouth as a yawn escaped.
“But he doesn’t know that about this Biscott guy,” she pointed out, “and it’s rare for Mugs to have that kind of attitude from the first second of seeing someone.”
“What about the other animals?”
She stared up at where Thaddeus was snoozing on his roost nearby in the living room. “Thaddeus has been keeping himself very hidden lately. It’s almost as if he’s got this thing about being the element of surprise.”
“He certainly is an element of surprise,” Mack noted pointedly. “Just think about how many times he stayed hidden in your hair, then peeks out to surprise people.”
“I know, and I was thinking about that because he’s always got this really odd way of popping out just at the last minute, crying out that he’s here.”
At that, Mack chuckled. “The animals are definitely full-on all the time,” he said, “and the fact that you can handle them as well as you do always amazes me.”
“I don’t know that I handled Mugs at all today. He really did not like that Randol Biscott man at all,” she noted.
“Then you better stay away from him. The last thing we need is him complaining to the city about it.”
“Right, I know, but hopefully they would understand that something off is going on.”
“It wouldn’t matter whether they understood or not. If a dog is perceived as dangerous, you know as well as I do that he will get labeled as aggressive, and it could get really bad after that.”
“Mugs can be aggressive,” she stated pointedly, “but in a good way. He’s saved my butt several times.”
“But the very fact that he saved you is exactly what saved him. You can’t just have dogs going off half-cocked.”
“It’s never just him though,” she clarified.
“I know. Your animals are a comedy act that never gets old.”
“Unless you’re a criminal,” she pointed out, beaming. “And then, of course, none of my animals are very happy to have any of them around.”
“The bottom line is,” Mack stated, staring her down, “keep the animals calm around Randol. He’s threatened to shoot Mugs, and next time Randol may have a gun on him.
Meanwhile, we’ll go through all the case stuff tomorrow, or I will,” he clarified, looking at her pointedly, “and hopefully we’ll come up with some new answers. ”
“Right,” she muttered, but something had caught her attention, and she couldn’t let go of it. She gave him a bright smile that only narrowed his gaze as he stared at her.
“Okay, I don’t like the look of that smile.”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Just an idea I might have to try out.”
“A good idea or a bad idea?”
“Oh, it could be a totally good idea,” she declared. “It depends on whether or not the niece will talk to me.”
“Jillian won’t. I can tell you that right now.”
“Okay. In that case, it’s no idea at all.”
“Good.”
When he yawned again, she leaned over, gave him a kiss, and said, “Go home and get some sleep.”
“I would love to,” he muttered, then stopped to study her.
She replied too quickly, “I promise I won’t get into trouble overnight.”
He gave her a droll look and pointed out, “I like how you clarified overnight.”
“I’m trying not to lie to you, remember?” she replied pointedly. “And overnight means overnight. I could very easily get into trouble tomorrow.”
“I know,” he muttered, as he stood up, then bent down to say goodbye to Mugs and Goliath, both still on the floor beside him. “It’s almost as if the two of them are joined at the hip lately.”
“I know, and I wasn’t sure what that meant either,” she admitted, watching them both closely. “Usually Goliath stalks him. But now it’s almost like …” She winced and looked at them again. “It’s almost like he’s being protective.”
Mack’s expression turned somber. “You stay safe, and keep the animals safe,” he said. “I can’t imagine how you would handle losing them.”
“I wouldn’t handle it well at all,” she stated. “Anybody who comes for Mugs, comes for me too.”