by M. A. Owens
"Patches was a colonel before he became the chief. They give that rank to officers who they want to make an example for the others. Patches is right. Black District needs a colonel like you."
"Oh, stop. You make me sound like some hero in a detective story," he said. "That's the thing. I like being a detective. I'll paper push here and there when I need to, but I prefer being in the field solving these cases. You know how it is."
"I could see it. Petey, the legendary chubby greyhound colonel of the Black District. Long may he reign."
Petey burst out laughing so hard he almost stumbled. He gave me a hard slap on the back and looked at me as if he was about to say something, but he just laughed more.
We were finally in sight of the station.
As we stepped inside a familiar, overly enthusiastic cat's voice greeted us.
"Oh, hey boss!" She spotted me walking in behind him. "Oh, look, and you brought Private T with you! Bet the two of you solved that case already. Lickety-split!"
She punctuated her final words by slapping her paws together.
Petey shook his head. "Not just yet, Lulu, but we are working on it. Hold my calls. Trigger and I have a couple things to go over, then we may head right back out."
We exchanged our smiles and nods as quickly as Lulu would allow us to get away with before making our way to Petey's office.
"Have a seat, Trigger. I need to go retrieve the letter." He returned in less than five minutes with the sealed yellow envelope in paw, followed by another officer I had not yet met. "Trigger, this is Marvin. He's our forensic dog here at the department."
I nodded. "Pleasure to meet you, Marvin." The two of us shook paws. Marvin was an older Corgi, but despite wearing spectacles his eyes were just as clear and as sharp as mine. My good eye, anyway. Both of his looked better than my bad one.
"Follow me," Marvin said, motioning to the door.
After a short trip through the hallway and down a short flight of stairs, we found ourselves in Marvin's little room. The main lights were low, except for over a couple of tables where lights hung down lower, dropping bright light onto the surfaces of those tables. The dimness gave the room a particular chill, even though it was the same temperature as the rest of the building. There weren't any personal effects on display, like how most dogs or cats would decorate a space where they worked. This room was all business top to bottom, and so tidy you'd swear no one was using it. The sad theme of the room itself would remind you of a morgue, only without the dead. Although Marvin didn't share my lack of enthusiasm.
He held up the Bad Kitty letter. "The other paper. Please give it here."
I took it from my pocket and handed it over to him. "Let's see if it's a match."
Marvin raised his brow as he took the paper from my paw. "Indeed."
He took it over to a large microscope sitting on one table, and secured the two papers side-by-side. The old corgi pushed his spectacles high on his nose and leaned forward, occasionally shifting the pages and he examined them. He chuckled to himself, but didn't offer a reason.
Petey tilted his head. "What's so funny?"
"Shh." Marvin held up his paw, but didn't take his eye off the lens of the microscope. He continued to peer through, making various grunts as he adjusted the dials. He stood up abruptly and turned toward me.
"Mr. Trigger, what did you expect we would find with these pieces of paper?"
"My suspicion is that they'll be a match," I answered.
"The handwriting on the newer paper is yours, correct?"
"Yeah, it's mine."
"So, I take it you borrowed a pen?"
"That's right."
"Well, Mr. Trigger, I must tell you that a paper match rarely means very much. However, here in the Black District, this is an unusually high-quality paper. That helps your case. What we have here is special. Not only does the paper match, and it is a perfect match, but the pen matches. They share the same blotting pattern along the edges of each stroke," Marvin explained, taking off his glasses.
I turned to Petey and put a paw on his shoulder. "Petey, I got this paper from Agatha's place. I also borrowed their pen to write it with. The black hair matches the hair of the Doberman named Lady, who is her maid. She never struck me as much of a maid though. Has the demeanor of a bodyguard if you ask me."
"Or an assassin," Petey said. "I'll gather up a few officers. By the time we get there, this should all be clear. If Lady was at Kerdy's place earlier, she could also be wounded. Good work, Trigger. This is enough evidence for a jury to convict. She's on her way to the slammer thanks to your fast thinking."
"Yeah, I'll not call it done until we're there and she has the cuffs on. With luck we'll catch her before she disappears."
"No time to lose, then. Let's go."
18
For all his jokes and lighthearted nature, Petey was calm and serious in these types of situations, but I couldn't help but worry. Would there be traps? Would she take one of us out and run?
Petey pulled a few strings and got a warrant approved in a hurry. When we arrived at the gates of the Rose Garden Estates, I don't think I've ever seen a security dog jump out of the way so quick. He followed us to offer backup, but Petey asked the dog to stay at his station in case someone tried to escape through the back. In front of Agatha's house, he instructed the four officers to wait outside, while he and I tried to resolve things peacefully inside. We had the perimeter surrounded. An officer at the side window, two officers in the front and one in the back.
Petey knocked on the door, but there was no answer. We waited nervously for a few more seconds and Petey pounded on the door even harder.
"ACPD! Open up!" Petey yelled.
Finally, Agatha, the smiling old Chihuahua, answered the door.
"I'm sorry, officer. I'm old, so it takes me a little more time to get to the door than it used to."
"That's all right, ma'am. We have a few questions. Mind if we come in?" He held up his badge.
"Please, officer, make yourself at home," Agatha replied in an overly sweet tone.
He nodded at the two officers out front before heading in.
I couldn't remember if I'd ever seen Agatha walk before. She was slightly hunched over and very slow. I wondered how much of it was exaggerated, how much of it was a show for the cops. She wasn't that old. Was she stalling?
Petey seemed to have the same suspicion. "Ma'am, I will get right to the point. We're here to speak to your maid, Lady. Is she here?"
Agatha continued ambling into the living room without answering as Petey and I scanned every doorway and corner we passed with extreme caution. She sat down in her usual chair and motioned for Petey and I to sit across. We obliged.
"Gentlemen, I'm so very relieved that you showed up when you did. Lady went out earlier today and never returned. She said she would pay that cat, Kerdy, a visit. I suppose that didn't go as she planned."
Petey and I looked briefly at one another. It seemed he and I were still on the same page. I wasn't about to buy one word of the innocent victim routine for even a second, and I doubted Petey would either.
Petey nodded sympathetically. "Ma'am, why don't you tell us about your relationship with Lady?"
"Oh, it's been awful. I hired her to be my maid almost a year ago. I think she targeted me because of my wealth," she began.
"And you don't know where she is now?"
"No, sir."
Petey quickly changed the subject. "About the statue..."
"Oh, that thing? Well, that was all her doing," she said, as though it were a matter of pure fact.
It was difficult for me to hold my tongue, but I managed.
"Tell us about how you were forced into a successful twenty-thousand dollar fraud scheme."
"Well, you can believe me or not, officer, but it's true. She threatened me. She said if I told anyone about the scheme she'd kill me. You likely already know she's a murderer. She's capable of horrible violence."
"And the money, M
s. Agatha?" I asked. "I suppose she's already spent it."
"I don't recall what she did with the money. She took all but a hundred-dollar bill when she left. You're welcome to confiscate it. She even robbed my safe in the bedroom."
"Looks like you got a raw deal on that scam. What was her reason for paying you if she already had you intimidated into compliance?" I asked.
"I believe it was something... well to be perfectly truthful, I don't recall."
Petey breathed in deep, then let out a long sigh. It was always easy to tell the ones who had plenty of long chats with lawyers. It was someone else's fault and, wouldn't you know it, they never seemed to remember a thing. It could've happened ten minutes ago and they wouldn't remember. After the second or third time of hearing one of those excuses, it was time to switch gears. Petey knew his way around an interrogation.
I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out the envelope with half a grand inside. "What about this? You recall this? It's the five hundred dollars you just paid me. Surely that's recent enough that you can recall something about it."
Her reaction was all Petey needed to see. She opened her mouth to speak, but immediately thought better of it. She couldn't stop the intense anger showing in her eyes as easily as she could the words that almost came out of her mouth. I could have sworn I saw Petey grin, ever so faintly, out of he corner of my eye, but by the time I looked closer his face was back to dead serious.
"Okay ma'am, we may help you out a little here. Right now, Lady's the one we're after, not you, at least for the time being. Don't hold back, and give it to us straight and maybe we can find a way to help you. First, where is she?" he asked.
Agatha stared at him blankly for a moment. You could tell she was mulling her options over. "I don't know where she is."
"Ms. Agatha, we can't help you unless you help us. You realize by now I'll be bringing you in. For your own protection, if nothing else. I'm sure you haven't realized this yet, but this is a special case to headquarters. It's one of the highest dollar amounts we've ever had on a case here in the Black District. The paper will run a piece on it. The chief will be under pressure to make a big show. It'd be a big payday for the department. Lots of eyes are watching the case closely, lots of folks wanted to see this case closed. If we can't apprehend Lady, the chief'll put pressure on me to pin whatever I can on you. Departmental politics, I'm sure you understand." Petey's words flowed like wine. "But with your help, we can shift the focus onto the big mysterious killer who masterminded it all. I'd be willing to bet the papers would like that headline a lot more. Help me so I can help you. And you could start by telling us about Bad Kitty."
Agatha looked back and forth between us for a moment, tapping her paw on her leg.
"I've never heard that name before," she replied.
She didn't have to say it. I already knew Bad Kitty was Lady, and I felt lousy about all of it right about now. On the one paw, it confirmed my suspicion I had in the back of my mind for a while and neatly tied a lot of loose ends together. On the other, it meant I figured the whole thing out far too late and should've put it all together a long time ago. Too late to save Constance, and maybe even Kerdy. I'd also suspected Sugarplum, who'd done so much for me in Adria.
Petey snapped me out of the thought when he put a paw on my shoulder.
"Ms. Agatha, it's all right if you don't want to say. We've already got all the evidence we need. I wanted to give you the chance to do yourself a favor and show you intended to be cooperative."
Agatha tapped her leg again, but said nothing.
Petey signaled for her to stand up. "Agatha, we're taking you into protective custody. You've given me reason to believe your life may be in danger if I don't."
She stood up quietly and offered her paws for cuffing.
"I won't cuff you, ma'am. I'll show you that respect, but I expect my officers and I to be shown respect from you in return."
Petey lead her gently by the arm until we were outside, where he instructed an officer out front to escort Agatha down to booking. I handed the envelope, now evidence, to him for safe keeping. For a moment, a longer moment than I care to admit, I thought about keeping it. We went back in and tore the place apart looking for any sign that Lady had been back, but the old dog was telling the truth about her not returning. My initial impression was that it was Agatha who was the brains and Lady the muscle. But it's clear now that Lady is both. I was one step behind again, and now Lady would know I was onto her. Along with every cop in Arc City.
19
Now that Lady was free roaming the city with one of the most valuable items in existence, or at least a good enough fake to pass for it, I was more worried than ever. That giant sack of money she might be carrying wouldn't hold her back either. A lot of things were still uncertain, but one thing wasn't; we were all in danger. She would be out to get us like we were out to get her, and she has already proven that she wouldn't hesitate to kill.
Even after being taken down to the station, Petey couldn't get anything else out of Agatha. She requested that her lawyer be present during questioning going forward, and that was that. We filed for a citywide top priority warrant for Lady's arrest. Police in every district would be after her twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Revenge seemed like a more probable outcome than trying to get away with everything hanging over her head, taking into consideration her actions so far. She didn't just wait for Constance to deliver her letter then come up with a plan. She took the more direct, violent approach. An approach I expected she would return to because cunning though she may be, she was impulsive and had a nasty temper.
For the time being, Benjamin had made himself a less appealing target. For how long, I couldn't be sure. I had a feeling he wouldn't give up on the statue completely. Just to be safe, Petey increased the surveillance around Benjamin's home and had enlisted two officers to tail him. They had offered him protective custody, but he refused. Hopefully, he won't regret not taking that offer.
Fernando was another story. I hadn't been able to get back in touch with him over the phone, and I considered involving Buddy personally. But I'd lost faith in Buddy handling the matter in any way other than the most heavy-handed one. It was a big disappointment, but Buddy was a hammer and everything he went up against was a nail. If I told him about Fernando, he'd immediately have him arrested. I couldn't have that. At least not yet. Fernando was one of the last links to that statue still in play and getting close to it meant getting close to Lady. It would be best if I went to see Fernando myself.
I headed by the office first thing the next morning to see if anyone had left any messages for me. They hadn't, so I sat down to give the paper a quick scan. It turned out that the newspaper was becoming more honest these days since Mr. B had been locked up. Lady had made the headlines and it was bound to make folks nervous. It reminded everyone that a brutal murderer was still at large. As I was taking the last sip of my coffee, the telephone rang. I waited patiently for Zelda to answer it.
"There's a Fernando on the line, detective," she said.
I snatched the phone up so quick I almost slapped it off my desk. "Fernando? You all right?"
"Better than that. I need you to come see me immediately."
"You read the paper?"
"We can discuss that, along with other matters, when you arrive."
"Listen, you need-"
He hung up. Of course he did. I made my way to Adria a little more slowly than usual. I didn't trust a single corner or alley off the street anymore. I'd have to ditch my apartment for the time being, and I probably shouldn't stay in the same hotel two nights in a row. Best not to make any reservations in advance either. Great.
I made my way down to the Swindler's Den and sat on an open stool at the bar. The reception was different this time around. Maybe Fernando had given his lackeys a stern talking to. I waved over the bartender and ordered a drink.
"Say, mind if I ask you a question?" I asked.
"I already kn
ow why you're here. Fernando will be here to see you shortly," the bartender said as he put my drink down in front of me.
"You happen to know a cat named Kerdy?"
He turned back toward me long enough to answer. "Never heard the name."
Exactly the answer I was expecting. Finding Kerdy, dead or alive, would probably be harder than finding that stupid statue. I raised the drink to my face and took a sip, suddenly feeling something touch my shoulder. I jumped so hard that I spilled half the drink down my shirt. A roar of laughter erupted around me.
"He has a good reason to be jumpy. Believe me." It was Fernando. Must've put his paw on my shoulder to get my attention.
"You do too, Fernando. Just as much reason as me, I fear. We need to talk," I said, finishing my drink.
He motioned for me to follow him outside. As we stepped outside, he was quick to get to the point.
"Whatever you think we need to talk about, detective, it can wait."
"Fernando, I-"
"I know where it is, Mr. Trigger. The statue."
"Fernando, will you listen? You're in a whole heap of-"
"Danger? Trouble? Whatever you're about to say, it makes no difference. Whatever risk I have to take for the statue is worth it. Don't bother trying to talk me out of it or explain why it's a bad idea. If you want out, you're welcome to do so. Just understand that now I've been able to locate the statue, and given the substantial hazards surrounding it, I'd be willing to increase your fee by five hundred. Call it hazard pay." Fernando offered a venomous smile.
"Fine, it's all the same to me. Remember that Doberman at Agatha's house when you talked to her?"
"Sure. The maid?"
"Yeah... the 'maid'. If you see her, run. She's the one who killed Constance and possibly the cat who authenticated the statue for the insurance policy. The latter I can't confirm just yet."
