As for her husband… Kate could only imagine what he was up to now…
If Matt wasn’t spending time with her here after work, Kate could easily guess what he was doing instead. Or who he was doing.
So, she spent her days watching the news, and the odd movie if she randomly found one she liked as she stumbled her way through the channels. Ursula, the nurse, even brought her a couple of used books Kate could read. Without her phone, though, she felt isolated. She couldn’t go online. She couldn’t read her email.
On the news, they mentioned a golden retriever that had been shot dead in a park at dusk while on a morning walk with his owner. The unnamed man hadn’t been hurt. Kate didn’t hear the name of the park, but somewhere in the short footage that made the news, she recognized a familiar woman: Ms. Edwards, the one who’d called 9-1-1 for a dead cat. Unless the woman spent her days strolling through various parks in and around Boston, the incident had probably occurred in Ronan Park. Again.
Hmm. Could Ms. Edwards have anything to do with it? Nah.
Then again, Kate hadn’t run a check on her. There was no reason for it before. Maybe she owned a gun. Could she have been revisiting the crime scene?
As the news moved on to sports and the weather, it made Kate realize how much she missed her daily roll calls at work. As boring as some of them could be, at least she’d always felt in the know about what was really going on in Boston.
She missed work so much right now.
She wanted to know what was happening. She wanted to know if that dead dog was related to the other animal killings, but it wasn’t as though she could pick up the phone and call. There wasn’t much she could do without her voice.
So, she flipped to a different channel. After a few minutes, she heard something that caught her attention:
“This morning, Boston zoo officials reported that one of their tigers has died. The cause of death wasn’t announced, and no additional information has been divulged to the press, but an investigation is underway.”
Coincidence? Or did the animal killer get ballsier? A tiger?
The news ended without mention of the dead dog, leaving Kate with nothing else interesting to watch for now, so she turned off the TV.
The zoo is nowhere near Ronan Park. And Ms. Edwards doesn’t strike me as a possible animal killer. But nosy? Sure.
Kate closed her eyes. In a very strange way, she was grateful for the lonesome side-effect of being hospitalized. Spending time alone had always been one of her favorite activities. Her forced exodus from home and work was overall a good thing. Her body was recovering. Swallowing had become less painful with each passing day, and so had her bruises.
Her broken ribs and broken heart would take much longer to heal, though.
The following day, the doctor examined Kate before removing her neck brace and proceeding with the decannulation, a procedure which freed Kate of her tube. The doctor confirmed her vocal chords hadn’t sustained any lasting damage, which relieved Kate since being a mute police officer would have made things difficult... if not impossible.
She had received his go-ahead to try and start speaking.
Kate was about to fall asleep when a familiar male voice echoed from the door, “Knock, knock!”
She opened her eyes and saw Johnston standing in her doorway, a blossoming plant in hand.
She smiled and motioned for him to come in.
“Wow. You got beat up pretty bad,” he said, frowning. “Since I hadn’t seen you in quite a few days, I asked about you in the morning brief, and the sarge told me you were in the hospital. So, I thought I’d stop by after my shift and bring you this.”
Kate put her hands together in a praying position and whispered, “Thank you.”
“I’ll just put it over here,” he said after scoping his options and placing the plant next to the phone on her bedside table.
“The nurse told me about the blinking code. Fun! She said to not ask you to speak too much because your vocal chords were still a little inflamed.”
Kate smiled and blinked once.
“I know we’re not friends or anything, but… I just thought I should stop by. Things have changed since you got hurt.”
Kate moved her hand to the controls of her bed and pressed the buttons until she reached a more upright sitting position.
“Can I help?” Johnston asked as the bed moved.
Kate blinked twice while whispering, “No need.”
From her new position, she noticed Johnston tracing invisible circles with his right foot.
What is he worried about?
“What’s wrong?” she whispered before exploding into a coughing spree.
“Are you okay?” Johnston asked, standing up and coming to her side.
Kate shook her head and motioned for the board and marker on her nightstand. Johnston handed them to her.
“What’s wrong?” she wrote.
“Oh, nothing really. My boy’s super worried about our dog Rory. He doesn’t want to take him out on walks.”
Kate wiped her board and wrote some more. “Sorry. Tough. Any progress on finding the animal killer?”
Johnston shook his head. “No, but the sarge and everyone in the district are taking animal deaths seriously this time. Even Bower!”
Kate rolled her eyes at the mention of his name.
“Yeah. Shithead Bower. Now that you’ve been away, guess who’s on the receiving end of his pranks and bullying?”
Kate furrowed her brow and whispered, “Sorry.”
Johnston grunted and shrugged. “Can’t change the guy. But something must have gone down between him and the sarge, ’cause he’s been real quiet during the morning briefs.”
Kate savored that small victory for a second before Johnston spoke up again.
“So, when are you coming back to work?”
Kate wiped her board again before scribbling her answer. “I don’t know. The doc said two more days here, then rest at home for a week. Then…”
She flipped the board so Johnston could read her partial answer before wiping it and continuing. “Then I hope they clear me medically at work.”
“Wow!” Johnston said.
“I know. It sucks,” Kate wrote.
“You miss it, eh?”
“Can you do me a favor?” Kate wrote.
“Of course.”
“Run a check on the Edwards woman who reported the dead cat. Maria or Mariana?”
Johnston frowned. “Sure. Why?”
Kate erased her board and wrote more. “I saw her on the news footage for the dead dog. Unlikely but may own a gun.”
“Will do.”
“I feel useless here. I’d rather be making the city safer. Helping find that animal killer.”
“You and I both. The job runs in our blood, I think.”
Kate wiped her board again. “What do you know about the tiger? Related?”
“Based on our latest brief, the autopsy indicated poisoning as C.O.D., but they haven’t identified the poison yet. They showed us footage of a steak being tossed above the gate that surrounds the tiger’s habitat. Then there was a video of the people in the area at the time, but the camera angle didn’t show which person did it. Makes it a little hard to narrow down. They showed us the tape so we can keep an eye on them, but, as far as I know, the mayor doesn’t want to release the footage to the media and ask for people to step forward with information.”
He exhaled loudly, and then stood up.
“Anyway. Messed-up shit,” Johnston looked at his watch. “Listen, I’ve gotta go pick up my kid. But take care and get better, okay?”
Kate raised a finger and Johnston stopped.
“What is it?” he asked.
Kate wrote again. “Can you check to see if Edwards appears on the zoo footage?”
“Sure thing.”
Kate smiled at her colleague and watched him walk out of her room.
Chapter Nine
When Kate finally got the all clear
to be discharged from the hospital, her husband was all smiles.
But she knew it was just a show.
While signing the discharge paperwork, Kate had asked for the date. It was the nurse who’d told her July 14th.
It was Kate and Matt’s wedding anniversary. And though Matt had been right next to her, he hadn’t said a thing, leaving Kate to assume he’d either forgotten or didn’t care.
After all the required forms were signed, Kate was put into a wheelchair as per hospital protocol, even though she could walk just fine. They both stayed silent as Matt rolled her out of the bleach-scented halls, toward the parking lot where he’d left his car.
So much had happened between the two of them. There were so many things to discuss, but Kate wasn’t feeling up to it. So, she kept quiet. And thankfully, he did, too, for the entire drive home.
When they arrived at their apartment, Kate broke the silence.
“You know what day today is?” she asked flatly.
“The first day of you staying home and becoming a proper housewife for me.”
And this is where he goes. Predictable piece of shit.
“Fuck you, Matt. I’m going to give you one more guess.”
He shrugged then shook his head. “I don’t have time for your games, woman.”
“It’s our wedding anniversary.”
“Oh!” He frowned at her, obviously surprised by that little tidbit.
Kate shook her head as she stormed into their bedroom, intent on putting an end to this very uncomfortable situation. After all that she’d gone through, there was no need to stretch this out.
She reached under the bed and pulled out her large duffle bag, which she rarely used, except to hide presents. Matt’s expensive anniversary gift was going to get returned ASAP. But that wasn’t the only item in her bag ten minutes later, as she stepped back into the kitchen. She’d tossed in everything she needed, intent on not coming back for a few days.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Matt asked, pulling his eyes away from the TV as she walked by him to reach the door.
Kate grabbed her keys along with a stack of mail addressed to her. “This marriage is no longer working for me. I’m going back to live with Kenny for a few days.”
“Kate, baby,” Matt said before standing up. “I’m sorry I forgot about our anniversary. I’ll get you a gift tomorrow. Okay? But you can’t walk out on me because of that. For better or worse, remember?”
“And the part about being faithful to each other? Does that ring a bell? You can’t fucking pick and choose which parts of the marriage vows work for you.”
“I’ll end it then. You stay home, raise my children, and I’ll put an end to my affair.”
Her eyes went round as anger boiled in her veins. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’m serious. I’ll end it. Today. Just be the wife I want you to be. Let’s go back to how we were before. You’ll get pregnant again, and we’ll be happy.”
Kate shook her head, tears filling her eyes as negative emotions competed in her heart.
“Kate, baby. Just stay home. I promise I’ll be a better husband for you if you stay.”
That was too much for Kate.
How can he even consider this an option after all that’s happened?
“I’m going to Kenny’s. I need a break. From us. From all of this,” Kate said, making a wide circular motion with her hand.
He walked up to her, and Kate’s self-defense instincts kicked in. She brought her hands in and elbows out to protect herself.
“No! I’m not gonna hit you, Kate. If anything, having you in the hospital for so long has forced me to reflect on things. I’m sorry for what happened. I made a mistake. Many mistakes.”
Kate shook her head again. She wanted to pinch herself, to test if this conversation was really happening, but she stayed quiet and motionless instead.
“Okay. Go to your uncle’s for a few days. I’ll end it with Sam. I promise. Then, we’ll talk again next week, okay?”
And then Matt leaned in and kissed her, but the brush of his lips on hers, while soft and tender, didn’t stir any loving feelings in Kate.
She made two stops on her way to her uncle’s: one at the jewelry store to return the expensive cufflinks, the other at a big-box store to grab herself a new cellphone.
With her limited budget, she couldn’t be picky when it came to brands, so she asked for the cheapest one available, and the salesman provided it. It even cost less than the gift she’d just returned, which was going to make her credit card statement a little less painful to settle this month.
As Kate parked her Subaru near Kenny’s house, she realized she hadn’t called ahead; she still had to charge and activate her new device in order to do that. However, she knew Kenny would invite her in with open arms. That was what real family did.
And that was exactly what happened. He accepted his impromptu guest—duffle bag and all—with a large smile and a big hug.
At first, he was surprised to see her on his front porch, which Kate realized was in serious need of a fresh coat of paint. She made a mental note to schedule time to stain the wooden boards before the end of summer, and then she followed him into his house after they’d hugged.
Kate’s ribs still hurt like hell.
Driving had been particularly painful—she didn’t know turning her head to check her blind spot would involve her ribs—but she was home now. She wouldn’t leave Kenny’s house for a few days. And she’d load up on painkillers. Fuck. She needed a drink.
No more worrying about a growing fetus. Kenny’s cheap whiskey would do just fine.
“You can stay here as long as you need,” Kenny said.
“I really appreciate it. I’ll get back on my feet soon and find a place of my own, I swear.”
“No rush. It’ll be like the good ole days, right?”
Kate smiled at her uncle, feeling a burst of familiar love toward him. She’d owe him big time for this.
Once her current situation improved, she’d find a way to express her gratitude toward him. While the exact form her gift would take was still unknown, her intention was as clear as the sound of the mini-grandfather clock reaching her ear as it chimed the hour.
Being on medical leave annoyed Kate more than a little. While she loved hanging out with Kenny and helping him with household chores, she missed her busy days at work.
“How about we go window shopping today?” Kate asked Kenny while they sipped their morning coffee.
“Sounds like that would fall within my budget,” he said with a smile before lifting the ceramic mug to his lips.
“Anything you need?”
“Not that I can think of.”
Then Kate remembered the faded boards out front. “Do you have any stain left for the front porch?”
“I don’t,” he said, shaking his head. “Used it all up last time.”
“Then let’s splurge on home maintenance and pick up some stain after breakfast. I know it’s unexpected and probably not budgeted for, but it’s much less than what replacing your boards will cost you if we put it off until next year.”
Kenny exhaled loudly. “You’re right on that. Let me get the flyers to see if there are deals anywhere.”
After finishing breakfast and doing the dishes, Kenny got into Kate’s car, and they headed up to a strip mall up on Neponset Avenue. According to their flyer, Bob’s and Sons’ Painting Supplies currently had a sale on paints and stains, and they offered a seniors’ discount.
An hour later, a gallon of stain in hand, they exited the store and were returning to her car when Kate spotted the Exotic Pet Frenzy.
That’s when an idea came to her.
The best gift for Kenny could be the company of an animal…
But she had no idea if her uncle even liked pets. They’d never had one. Their lives were complicated. Adding a pet and the responsibilities that came with it would have been too much back then. Kate had never once asked either. She�
��d been too preoccupied with stopping her nightmares.
“Why don’t we stop in here for a second?” Kate suggested.
Kenny raised his shoulders, and they walked in, the doorbell chiming as they entered the store.
“Maybe we can ask to pet a few animals if you spot one you like.”
“Trying to procrastinate, are you? Already finding ways to avoid staining the deck… I know you, Katie,” he said, winking.
Kate giggled. “Maybe. Let’s just relax for a few minutes and have a look, okay?”
Kenny nodded, smiling from ear to ear.
She followed him without a word, just keeping an eye on her uncle’s expression as they walked by the various enclosures. He ignored the aquariums, walking right past the rows of colorful fish, then slowed down when the terrarium section began.
“Weird creatures,” he said. “All of them. Why would anyone want a pet spider?” he asked.
Kate smiled before replying, “No idea. I’m with you on that.”
“What do we have in this one?” he asked before turning to Kate. “My old eyes can’t see anything in here.”
Kate looked at the terrarium labeled Blue Krait. Whatever that animal was supposed to be, it was either really tiny or it was gone. “I don’t think it’s your eyes. It looks empty to—”
“Oooh!” Kenny said in the same tone he used when particularly gory scenes came up on TV.
“What now?” she asked, catching up to him a couple feet ahead in the aisle.
He was staring at a snake deformed by something large and round in its body.
“Don’t mind it. I fed it a dead mouse earlier,” said the petite, apron-wearing woman who stood behind Kenny.
“I don’t see the appeal in a snake as a pet. Do you have anything more… cuddly?” Kenny asked her.
“Of course. Come with me. I’ve got the cuddliest little dog ever. Everybody loves her.”
Kate followed silently behind Kenny, who seemed to have a spring in his step as he listened to the store attendant talk about a dog named Carina.
The Last Lies (Kate Murphy Mystery Book 1) Page 12
