Reindeer Roundup (A Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery Book 27)

by Kathi Daley

  Docker squinted and chewed his lip, and I suspected he was trying to decide whether to confide in me. He must have judged me harmless because he shifted slightly and turned to face me. “Stella went through a bad breakup a while back. She took it hard and ended up drinking a lot more than she should. She lost her job, which sent her even further over the edge. I work at Lucky’s two nights a week and she was there every night I was for a while, so we’d talk. She had a lot of baggage to deal with, but Cory helped her get a new job and she finally realized she was over the loser who’d dumped her. It seemed her life was getting better.”

  “And then…?” I asked. So far Docker had told me the same things I’d heard from everyone else.

  “And then Stella decided she wanted a new guy in her life, so she joined a dating site. I thought internet dating was a bad idea, but she assured me that she wasn’t looking for a husband, just some companionship, and she didn’t see how meeting men to have dinner with could hurt.”

  “And then…?” I repeated.

  “And then someone started sending her weird emails. At first she thought the emails could be coming from one of the men she’d dated, but eventually, she decided they had to be from one of the men she’d rejected.”

  “You mean men she’d chatted with but decided not to meet?”

  “Right.”

  “So Stella thought one of the men who belonged to the site she’d chosen not to date had become obsessed with her.”

  “That was her theory. I asked her why she was sure the emails weren’t from one of the guys she’d gone out with, and she felt confident all the men she’d met were fine with one-night stands. She didn’t think any of them would hassle her.”

  “Okay, that gives me something else to look at. I know Stella received a text or email while she was at Lucky’s on Friday. She left shortly after and was dead by the next morning. Did you see her on Friday night?”

  “No. I had a date with another lift operator. We were together from the time we got off work on Friday until we came here on Sunday morning. I can give you her phone number if you want to check it out.”

  “Thanks. I believe you, although Sherriff Salinger will probably want the information. Maybe you should give it to me and I’ll pass it on to him. It’ll save you both some time.”

  Docker jotted down the name and phone number and left to return to work. Ellie and I spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the colorfully decorated shops. As we were preparing to leave, I received two texts. One was from Jeremy, letting me know the reindeer we’d seen was safely tucked into the pen at home, leaving only one on the loose, and the other was from Salinger, saying he had a new lead he wanted to discuss with me. Ellie wanted to get home so she could pick up Eli; Levi was picking Alex and Scooter up from school. I asked her to drop me at Salinger’s office. He could drive me home after we’d talked.

  ******

  Salinger was waiting for me in his office when I arrived. The first thing I did was share my conversation with Docker, which made him frown. I assured him that Ellie had been with me the whole time and we’d been in a public place and so in absolutely no danger. I wasn’t sure he bought that, but he took the information for Docker’s alibi before he began to tell me why he’d called me.

  He’d finally been able to speak with one of Stella’s neighbors, who’d spoken to her about her experiences on the dating site. She’d told her Tom S was a ski instructor at the resort and Eric M worked for the refuse company. She didn’t know anything about the other men, but once Salinger’d had jobs to match the first name and last initial he was able to track down both men.

  “So, did you find out anything that might help us narrow things down?” I asked.

  “Both men, as well as Ron P, who I spoke to yesterday, told me the same story. They’d contacted Stella through the dating service. She’d told them she was looking for a good time but nothing serious. All three men were fine with the arrangement. They all said they went out with Stella once, had a wonderful time, and never saw her again.”

  “That fits with what Phyllis told me. Stella told her she was looking for a single night of fun and nothing more. Did the men have alibis for Friday night?”

  “Yes, they did. Tom S, whose last name is Silverman, told me that he happened to run into Stella a few days before she was murdered. She told him that she was going to quit the dating site because of some correspondence she’d been receiving.”

  “So we’re back to the emails.”

  “It would seem so, although I still plan to find Steve D and Derek R.”

  “What about Richard G?”

  “I tracked him down through his cell phone. Although Stella’s cell hasn’t been located, I was able to pull her phone records. She received a text at 10:42 on the night she died from a phone registered to Richard Greenly, who confirmed he was Richard G from the dating site. I asked him about the text and he said he’d been returning a message he had received from Stella earlier in the day regarding a book he’d recommended to her but she’d forgotten the name of.”

  “Do we believe his story?”

  “I don’t know,” Salinger said. “It didn’t appear he was lying, but the bartender said Stella got a text or email while she was at the bar and left. It’s possible the ding the bartender heard was from an email, not a text. Greenly was a lot more guarded about his date with Stella than the others were. I’m not saying he killed her, but he remains on the suspect list for now.”

  “I’m not saying he’s innocent, but a ding on a phone can be a lot of things. A text, an email, an instant message on Facebook, even a tweet or Instagram alert. I don’t suppose a ding on a phone in isolation tells us much. Do we know what time Stella left the bar?”

  Salinger sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “No, but I’ll find out. Your explanation of the various reasons a phone might ding gives me an idea. Maybe it’s time to look at Stella’s social media accounts. It seems nowadays a lot of folks post the everyday details of their lives to one account or another. Maybe Stella did as well. It could be her accounts will tell us the identity of Steve D and Derek R. We might even get a handle on what she was doing during the last week of her life.”

  “Good idea. Alex still has Stella’s computer. I’ll have her look at it after dinner, which I should get home to. Can you give me a ride? Ellie just dropped me off here.”

  Salinger opened a drawer and took out his keys. “Okay, but no more sleuthing without my being in the loop. Even if you’re with someone like Ellie or Levi. I know you think you’re just talking to people, but remember, talking to people in the past has landed you in some pretty precarious situations.”

  “I know. And I don’t want to put Catherine in danger. If I have a thought or idea I promise to call you before doing anything.”

  “Good. And call me after Alex has a look at the social media accounts. There could be something there, but if we come up cold I think I’m going to have another chat with the woman who runs the dating site. If Stella’s stalker was one of the men on the site he might have stalked other women in the past.”

  Chapter 7

  Thursday, December 21

  I woke to snow falling outside my bedroom window. The kids were off school for winter break beginning today, so I didn’t have a reason to rush out of bed. Charlie was lying near my legs, while Marlow and Spade were curled up on Zak’s pillow. I pulled the heavy comforter up to my chin and settled in for another hour of sleep. I wasn’t sure if it was the pregnancy or the stress that Zak’s absence had caused, but I hadn’t slept well all week and as each day had passed I’d found myself getting progressively more tired.

  I was just nodding off when my phone rang. I considered ignoring it, but it could be important, so I rolled over and reached for the annoying device. I smiled after looking at the caller ID.

  “Good morning,” I greeted Zak.

  “It’s actually afternoon here. I should have considered the time difference. Did I wake you?”
>
  “No, I was awake. It’s snowing and the kids are on break, so Charlie and I decided to be lazy and lounge around under the covers for a while longer. I’m glad you called. Marlow and Spade have been filling the void of not having you in bed with me, but I think I’m ready for a return of the real thing.”

  Zak sighed. “Yeah. Me too. It’s been a rough week.”

  I sat up and shifted the pillows behind me so I had a soft place to rest my back. “How’s your mom?”

  “Considering the extent of her injuries, pretty well. She was discharged this morning and we arrived at Clara’s a little while ago. I’ve hired a nurse to live in until Mom’s up and around. I didn’t want Clara to have to feel like she needed to take care of her or be available twenty-four-seven. The nurse is a very nice woman close to Mom’s age. I think they’ll get along fine.”

  “I hope so. I really do feel bad about things.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Zak assured me. “Mom never should have been walking in that alley after dark.”

  “Did she happen to tell you why she was in the alley in the first place?”

  “She can’t remember. She remembers going to dinner with the friend who came on the trip with her and then nothing until she woke up in the hospital. I spoke to her friend and she said they’d had a spat during dinner, so she called a cab and left, while Mom elected to stay and finish her meal. She doesn’t know what happened after that. The whole thing is very odd.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “It really is. Maybe your mom will remember what happened after she has a chance to heal a bit.”

  Zak let out a breath. “Yeah, maybe. So, how’s everyone doing?”

  “Everyone’s great. The kids are really looking forward to Christmas and we’re all excited about Pi coming home. I know his last test was yesterday. Did he say when he’d be arriving?”

  “He’s flying in tomorrow. I arranged for him to rent a car, so no one will need to go pick him up. He’s going to be home for three weeks; I figured he’d want his own wheels anyway.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Do you know what time he’ll be here?”

  “I think his flight gets in at four. I told him to text you when he landed. How are things at home?”

  “Things are good. Scooter told me that he got an A on the project he’s been working on for school and Alex seems to be on top of everything regarding Santa’s sleigh ride. Levi and Ellie finished decorating, so all you’ll need to do when you get home is relax.”

  “And you haven’t been overdoing?”

  “I’ve been doing my best to let everyone wait on me.” I decided not to mention Stella’s death or the missing reindeer. Zak couldn’t do anything to help, and if I told him what was going on he’d just worry.

  “I’m happy to hear that. It’s important that you take it easy and conserve your energy while you can. Listen, the nurse I hired just walked in and I want to go over a few things with her. I’ll try to call you later.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I was glad Zak had called, but he’d sounded so tired. I wished I’d been able to go to Paris with him, but with only weeks before my due date, there’d been no way. Hopefully, Zak’s mom would enjoy spending time with Clara at the villa and Zak could relax and enjoy what was left of the holiday season. He’d assured me over and over again that nothing was my fault, but I couldn’t quiet the little voice in my head that kept saying it really was, at least partially.

  I was awake and the urge to stay in bed had passed, so I put my feet over the side of the bed, slipped on my robe and slippers, and headed to the bathroom. Before he’d left, Zak had decorated our suite. Not only was there an artificial tree in the corner near the fireplace, but he’d placed bright-red and green bows around the room. The brown rugs that usually covered the bathroom floor had been replaced with red ones, as had the towels that were hung near the sink and the tub. There was no way you could spend time in the room and not end up feeling very Christmassy.

  The house was quiet when I arrived downstairs. I wasn’t sure if everyone was still in bed or if they were up and gone. Deciding to enjoy the quiet, I made myself some breakfast, then settled at the kitchen table to eat it. I’d barely taken two bites when my phone rang again. This time it was the sheriff.

  “Hey, Salinger. What’s up?”

  “I thought you were going to call me after Alex had a chance to look at Ms. Green’s social media accounts.”

  “I was, but then it got late. I can talk now, though, if you have a minute.”

  “I’m all ears. What’d you find?”

  “Stella had accounts in all the normal places, but it didn’t look as if she’d written any new posts for more than a year. She’d been tagged by others a few times and several friends posted birthday greetings on her Facebook page back in August, but as far as updates or even shared pictures, we didn’t see a thing. What we did find were a lot of check-ins. While Stella may not have shared news or photos, she tended to check in several times throughout the day. And not just when she was doing something fun or unique. There were check-in posts from regular places like the gas station and the post office.”

  “Did she check in the last day of her life?” Salinger asked.

  “Four times. It looks like she must have had the day off. She checked in from Rosie’s at one-thirteen p.m., Lucky’s at six twenty-two, the truck stop out on the highway at ten-fifteen, and the liquor store on Fourth Street at eleven twenty-two.”

  “It sounds like it might be worth our while to talk to the clerks at the liquor store. You said you had texts and phone messages from Stella on the day she died. What time did those come through?”

  “The first text, which just said, Call me, arrived at twelve-nineteen. The second text, which said, Call me, it’s important, came through at one o’clock on the dot. The first phone message, in which she said she’d been getting strange emails and wanted Zak to help her, came through at two-ten, and the last phone message, which sounded tenser, arrived at four fifty-seven. She must have gone to the bar after that.”

  “Okay, that could help. Now that we know her movements for the day, maybe we can put together a time map. It sounds like something may have happened between the two phone calls. Perhaps she received another email, or even a phone call or text. I have the emails Alex printed out and the phone records. I’ll see if I can pinpoint the reason behind the second, tenser voice message.”

  “Alex and I already mapped the emails. Stella received two emails from DMG on Friday, one at noon and the other at four-forty. Both were threatening, and the second one informed Stella that he was going to come by to pick her up at seven. She went to Lucky’s at six twenty-two, probably to avoid DMG.”

  “Sounds like we really need to track down this DMG.”

  “Agreed. Do you have anything else to tell me?”

  “The woman from the dating site had second thoughts and provided contact info for Derek R and Steve D. I’m on my way to talk to them now. How about I pick you up at one? I’ll take you to lunch and we can brainstorm.”

  Okay, pause everything right there. Had Salinger just asked me to lunch? I frowned. We got along fine, but not once in all the years I’d known him had he asked me to lunch or any other meal for that matter. “Are you feeling sorry for me?” I asked.

  Salinger chuckled. “I can’t pull anything over on you. And yes, I guess I am feeling a bit sorry for you. You’re not only very pregnant but your husband’s halfway across the world, and I can sense your frustration at not being able to dig into this mystery the way you normally would. Besides, we both have to eat, so how about it?”

  “Okay,” I decided. “I’ll be ready.”

  The fact that Salinger wasn’t simply tolerating my presence in his life but was actually seeking it out was too weird for me to digest, but I was frustrated at not being able to do more and he’d opened a door, so who was I to refuse to enter?

  I finished my breakfast, then went
upstairs to shower and dress. When I came back down the house was still quiet. I didn’t think it likely that everyone was sleeping in, which could only mean they were all out. I wondered where they’d gone and why they hadn’t left a note. I texted Alex to see if she knew what was going on. Shortly after, she texted me back and said she was shopping with Ellie and Eli, and Levi had taken Scooter with him to the Christmas tree lot so they could bring the larger trees to the front to try to pull in more customers.

  Which meant I was alone in the house until Salinger picked me up. It was still snowing, so taking a walk didn’t make sense. And I realized I shouldn’t be out driving around. Which left… what did that leave? I was used to being over-the-top busy and had no idea what to do with time on my hands.

  After wiping down the already spotless kitchen counters and attempting to read a book, I logged on to the dating website to see if I’d had any new hits. I had no intention of ever sharing my real name with any of the men who contacted me, but I hoped if I chatted with a few of them as Marilyn, I’d pick up a clue as to how Stella’s death and the dating site were related, if they were.

  I gasped when I connected to the site: 142 emails? I narrowed my gaze, then went to my dashboard. Unless something was very wrong with the site’s system, 142 men had indicated they’d like to chat with me since I’d last logged on. Perhaps I’d done too good a job of setting up my fake profile.

  I didn’t want to take the time to go through every email, so I hit Decline next to the profile photo of each man. The thing was, even if I accepted a few all I’d end up with was an eyeful of stuff I didn’t want to see.

  Logging off the computer, I decided to call my mother. I hadn’t spoken with her for a while and we still needed to firm up our plans for Christmas. “Hey, Mom,” I greeted her when she answered.

  “Zoe? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine. I just thought I’d call to say hi.”

  There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line. “Are you sure you’re okay?”