Woof at the Door

by Laura Morrigan

  “The DNA belongs to a close female relative.”

  “You mean . . .” I felt my mouth drop open.

  “We’re getting a warrant for Gardenia Richardson’s DNA. Or trying to.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yep.”

  “You think she murdered Burke?”

  “I think it’s possible. If she knew about Burke and Mark. She would have suspected. Because of the condition of the body, time of death is less accurate. According to LaBryce, Burke sent him a text the morning after the murder to say he was going to be late. So he was alive then. Gardenia Richardson could have killed Burke anytime after that.”

  I tried playing the scenario in my head: Gardenia suspects Burke had killed her son. She drugs him in an attempt to make him confess and then helps him pull the trigger. Cold. Calculated. It fit her perfectly.

  But then, why had she asked me to find the identity of the killer?

  I told Kai about my meeting with Gardenia.

  “Why would she bully me into looking for Mark’s killer if she knew it was Burke?”

  “Maybe he didn’t confess. One thing seems off to me, though. I would think she would get someone else to do her bidding.”

  “Not if she wanted to keep it all a secret. Miz Gardenia would never want anyone to know her son was gay. Silencing Burke was her only option. Even if he denied killing Mark.”

  We stood sipping coffee in thoughtful silence for a moment. Dusty wandered into the kitchen to inspect his bowl and, finding no tuna, took a lengthy drink of water.

  Preparing for a hot day of lizard hunting.

  “Do you think a judge will give you a warrant?” I asked.

  “Eventually. There are some on the bench who are not fans of the governor, but they’re smart enough to tread cautiously when it comes to the Clarke family.”

  Unlike moi, I thought. “Jesus, I wanted to poke at the woman for threatening me. Talk about stupid.”

  “Well, you won’t have to worry about it now. Even if we get her on trial, and she gets off, the damage will be done.”

  The idea should have made me smile, but it didn’t. “Mark has already been a victim once. It sucks that he’ll have to be again.”

  “No way to keep him out of it. Unless Gardenia falls on her sword and claims that when she found out her son had been killed by a stalker, she confronted him and then killed him in a fit of temporary insanity.”

  Kai and I looked at each other, and I could tell we were thinking the same thing. That if it came down to it, that was exactly what she would do. With her team of lawyers, they could build a believable case.

  “She’ll get off,” I said.

  “Maybe. Probably,” he amended. “It’s way too early in the game to tell.”

  “At least she’ll be arrested. Which means she’ll have a mug shot.” I smiled at that cheerful thought, and then realized something. “I’m supposed to go out there today. To the Clarke estate. Actually, to Bo Bishop’s cabin in the back forty. Should I cancel?”

  “Hot date?” Something in Kai’s tone said he was only half joking.

  “Yeah, I love men who shoot animals for fun. They’re totally my type.”

  “Kind of a redneck, isn’t he?”

  “Kind of?” I rolled my eyes and went to rinse out my mug. “Did you see his artwork?”

  “You mean the poster of the blonde wearing nothing but chaps?”

  “I missed that one.”

  “It was in his bedroom.”

  “Eew! No. Why were you in his bedroom?”

  “He was a person of interest.” Kai took my mug and put it in the dishwasher.

  “Seriously?” Bo had made my list, too, based on his familiarity with Jax.

  “Yep. But we talked to the guard at the entrance to the estate, and he verified Bo’s account of coming home somewhere between eleven thirty and twelve.”

  “And you had LaBryce.” I gave him a pointed look.

  “A suspect who threatened to kill Mark and couldn’t tell us where his missing gun was.” There might have been a smidgeon of defensiveness in Kai’s voice. It was hard to tell; he had turned his back to me to rinse out the coffeepot.

  Wiping his hands on a dishtowel, he moved to face me and asked, “Anyway, why would you cancel your appointment with him?”

  “I might not be able to avoid stopping at the main house. If Gardenia knows I’m there, she’ll want to talk to me. The woman’s a predator—she might be able to smell my smugness.”

  “What time are you going?”

  “This afternoon.”

  “By the time you get there, she’ll either already know from one of her spies or we’ll have served the warrant.” He hung the towel on the oven door and studied me. “Are you sure that’s why you want to cancel?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You must get attached to the animals you take care of. It can’t be easy to let Jax go.”

  I felt a lump clog my throat. Kai was right. It was hard. “It sucks. But thankfully, I don’t foster or quarantine animals very often. Especially now that I’m . . .” I’d almost said homeless, but I realized it wasn’t true. Even with her griping, Emma had gone out of her way to make me feel welcome.

  “You’re what?”

  “House hunting. I’ll find the right place sooner or later.”

  We made our way out of the kitchen back toward the living room. “The house across the street’s for sale. If you’ve got a half a mil.”

  “Jeez. You moonlight as a heart surgeon or something?”

  “Nope. I got this place for a steal. It was my parents’ house.” Kai pulled the slider open and Dusty slunk out. Ready for the hunt.

  “You grew up here?”

  “Yep. Couldn’t stand to move off the beach, so I bought it from my mom.” He looked around. “I’ve changed some stuff. You know, updated this and that.”

  “It looks great.” I meant it. I was envious. Having a place to fix up, with my sister’s help, of course, would be a dream come true. “One day.”

  “Well, if you get a place that needs work, you can call me. I’ve had to learn how to do more fixing up than I ever wanted.”

  He’d walked me to the door and we stood looking at each other for a heartbeat. Suddenly, I cared that I hadn’t combed my hair or bothered to make sure my socks matched. I looked down at my feet, on impulse, just to be sure. Both white. Safe.

  I looked back up into Kai’s face, and he smiled. “After all this is over, I really do hope you call me. Even if you don’t need my mad home improvement skills.”

  “Isn’t the guy supposed to call the girl?”

  “I guess.” Kai leaned in and kissed my forehead. Somehow, he made the platonic gesture passionate. I felt my body go very still, my heart stumbling in my chest like it was intoxicated.

  Maybe it was.

  Before he opened the door, he murmured, “I’ll call,” in my ear.

  I still had goose bumps when I climbed into Bluebell.

  So completely distracted by the sensation his promise had elicited from my body, I almost didn’t notice the car parked down the street.

  The frigging black sedan.

  Morning light gleamed off the windshield like a mirror. I put Bluebell in reverse and turned toward the sedan. A Mercedes.

  As I pulled up alongside and stopped, the car’s window slid down. Stein. The Richardsons’ lawyer smiled at me benignly. I cranked my window down.

  “Why are you following me?”

  “Mrs. Richardson would like an update. Your friend is being released. No one else has been arrested. Have you made any progress?”

  I wanted to laugh in his face but knew better. I counted to ten and forced myself to be polite. “Actually, I have.”
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br />   He waited expectantly.

  “I’m still ironing out a few wrinkles. Tell your boss I’ll call her tomorrow.”

  “Someone might come forward by then.” I had no idea what he meant. He knew it, because he continued, “To collect the reward. Buck and Gardenia have decided to offer one hundred thousand dollars to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of Mark’s killer.”

  A hundred grand? I blinked at him, mouth agape.

  “They are holding a press conference to announce it very soon. Gardenia asked that I be sure you were informed.” With a dip of his chin, Stein raised his window and drove away.

  I sat there for several seconds, trying to process this news. Why would they offer a reward if she knew the killer was Burke? To confuse things? Or possibly because the governor had wanted to, and Gardenia didn’t want to refuse. That would mean he didn’t know what his wife had done.

  Well, good ol’ Buck was in for a surprise.

  Unless . . .

  A horn blasted me out of my reverie. Waving an apology to the car behind me, I hit the gas and turned onto Ocean Boulevard. Not the fastest way home, but I could go slower and think.

  A hundred grand was a lot of money. Not to the Richardsons, but to a lot of people. Including me. I let myself daydream for a minute about how much of a bolster that kind of money would be for my house fund. I could get something on the beach, close to the water, and have a yard.

  I was sure I wasn’t the only person who would have a similar fantasy. The cops would be overrun with “tips.”

  Maybe that was the point. Keep the cops chasing false leads ’til the waters were so muddy there would be no hope of clearing things up.

  If that was the plan, it was too late.

  • • •

  The press of a cold, wet nose against my cheek nudged me awake. I opened my eyes and tried to focus on my assailant. Jax let out a salutatory snort, spraying me with fine droplets of slobber.

  “Eew.” Move. I pushed at his chest. He stepped back, and I blinked at the DVD clock. Past noon. I had slept for over four hours.

  Wiping moisture off my face, I sat up and swung my legs off the couch. It hadn’t been my intention to pass out. I had just closed my eyes to rest for a minute.

  I smiled at the Doberman. “Where’s Emma?”

  Emma gone. He glanced at the foyer and back.

  “Did anyone call?”

  That one was beyond him.

  “Never mind. I’ll check.” Sonja should have called by now.

  I walked into the kitchen and began fishing through my purse for my phone. A few seconds later, I spotted it on the counter. Evidently, Emma had plugged it in for me.

  I scooped it up and checked my voice mail. There was one message.

  Sonja’s warm voice filled my ear, and I knew she had good news. “Hey, just checking in. Moss’s kidneys look good. He’s sleeping right now. I’ll call when we know more. Don’t worry, girl. He’s doing much better.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. If his other tests came out as clean, he would be fine. Tears stung my eyes, and I had to laugh. Jax was looking at me with apprehension.

  Okay? He let out a short whine.

  I patted his head and sniffed. I’m fine. “I don’t think I’ve cried this much in years. Every other day, I’m boo-hooing like an idiot.”

  I unplugged my phone and went to drop it into my purse. It vibrated loudly in my hand. Emma must have put it in silent mode so I could sleep. I smiled and flipped it open. “Hello?”

  “Miss Wilde? This is Bo Bishop.”

  I grimaced. “Mr. Bishop. I’m so sorry I haven’t had a chance to settle on a time for today. I had an emergency to deal with.”

  “Everythin’ all right?”

  “Yes. Again, I’m sorry.”

  “No problem. You want to come on out now?” he drawled. “I’m finished with most of my chores.”

  “I can be there by one or one thirty.”

  “That’d be fine. You know where to find me.”

  I stuffed my phone back in my purse and stared blankly at the clock on the microwave. A ball of apprehension had settled in my gut as I’d spoken to Bo Bishop. Was it because I was soon going to have to give up Jax?

  No. That wouldn’t hit until I handed him over to Bo. Today was just a social event.

  I didn’t want to see Gardenia again.

  Not that I was afraid of her. It was more that I was afraid if she pushed me, I’d be tempted to push back. She would soon be stripped of some of her social clout. Gardenia would lose her sway over Emma’s career.

  And therefore, over me.

  I smiled, though it was probably more of a maniacal grin. I wouldn’t have to go to the main house if I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t ever have to see the woman again.

  “Free at last.”

  CHAPTER 22

  I sang out loud with Janis Joplin about freedom and feeling good with a boy named Bobby as I drove toward Mandarin. So cheery was my mood that even the thunderheads looming ahead didn’t dampen my spirits.

  Kai had called. He had lifted a good print off the antifreeze bottle and was running it for a match.

  “Cavanaugh is goin’ down, Jax.”

  I turned the radio to a respectable level and pulled Bluebell off the main road, rattling to a stop at the guard booth.

  Empty. I stared at the gate. Closed.

  “What the hell?” I retrieved my phone from my purse. One missed call. Stupid thing was still on vibrate. I wouldn’t have been able to hear it ring anyway.

  I tried to call Bo.

  The reception was sketchy, but at least I could hear when he answered.

  “I’m locked out.”

  “Sorry about that. You’ll have to punch in the code.”

  After he said it, I noticed the keypad. I cranked down my window, and hanging most of my upper body out of the Suburban, I managed to enter the numbers he gave me.

  There was a buzz, and I was allowed entrance.

  Following the road as it meandered under the canopy of huge live oaks, I slowed as I rounded the final turn to the grand estate. In the storm-tinted light, the mansion took on a gothic, foreboding air.

  I glanced back at Jax. He sat at attention in the backseat. I could sense his interest and curiosity, but I didn’t feel any familiarity. Jax apparently had never been here with Mark to visit his family.

  I swept my gaze back over the majestic estate. Spanish moss swayed in the quickening wind. There was no sign of movement around the grounds or in any of the windows.

  Jax shifted anxiously in his seat.

  “Creepy, huh?” I eased my foot off the brake and continued past the house, out of the grove of enormous oaks, and finally bounced along toward Bo’s lakeside home.

  Unlike the antebellum mansion, the shotgun cabin perched at the water’s edge seemed to brighten in the odd light.

  Coasting slowly to a stop near the large magnolia tree that sat in front of the cabin, I turned in my seat to face Jax. “Well, whatcha think? This is going to be your new home.”

  Jax answered with an apprehensive whine. He wasn’t sure he wanted a new home.

  I smiled at him. “Don’t worry. If he doesn’t measure up, you’re staying with me.” I reached around and patted Jax on the head. “I’ll be right back.”

  I left the window cracked and hopped out of Bluebell. Once again, I heard the hounds yapping from the kennel. Hopefully, Jax would get used to his noisy neighbors. I assessed the cabin as I shuffled through the blanket of magnolia leaves. Though the place lacked charm, and the area around it was a little cluttered, the air was clean, and there was plenty of room for Jax to stretch his legs.

  It would be an ideal place for a dog with Jax’s energy.

&n
bsp; Lots of space to throw a tennis ball.

  I walked up the steps to the cabin door and knocked.

  No answer.

  As I waited, the breeze shifted—became cooler. Thunder grumbled in the distance. Rain was not far off. I searched for a doorbell and, finding none, knocked again.

  Strange. I’d just talked to him.

  “Bo?”

  Moving to one of the dusty windows that flanked the door, I peered inside. I could see into the small kitchen and past it into the living area. Empty, aside from the stuffed deer heads on the wall and the arsenal of firearms in the display case. I remembered Kai’s comment about the redneck décor and smiled.

  “Hello?” I rapped on the glass. Nothing.

  I turned and looked past the magnolia toward the barn. Maybe Bo had gone up to the kennel. Trudging around the tree, through the leathery leaves, and up the hill, I called out again.

  The hounds had quieted some. But the hush held a restlessness. The approaching storm was making them uneasy. Before I moved into the barn and, with it, the minds of a dozen nervous hounds, I pulled up my mental shield.

  Brain buffer in place, I walked through the large open doorway. The blueticks welcomed me with happy barks and lolling tongues.

  “Hi, guys.” I looked around the cavernous interior. There were no separate rooms that I could see. So where was Bo? I was getting tired of looking all over hell and half of Georgia for someone who was supposed to be meeting me.

  My irritation was building as fast as the thunderheads. Reminded of the storm, I tried to be more charitable toward my absent host. Who knew what kind of battening down needed to be done?

  With one last glance around, I started to turn and leave when something caught my eye. A box with a bright red-and-blue label. A case of antifreeze.

  I was struck with a feeling of dread so acute I was surprised I hadn’t cried out.

  Taking a small sip of air, then another, I tried to think. Lots of people use this brand of antifreeze, I told myself rationally.

  Instinct roared to life, drowning out weak, wavering reason.

  Before my mind had given the order, my feet were moving. Propelling me out of the barn and down the hill. Something stopped me only a few feet away from the barn. I scanned the cabin and tree line, listening.