by Kathi Daley
“So, after the doctor, then what?” Stanwell asked.
“I took Ellie and Eli home and then I headed over to Zoe’s Zoo. Zoe’s Zoo is the wild and domestic rescue and rehabilitation shelter I own and operate along with my manager Jeremy Fisher and employees, Tiffany Middleton Walden and Willow Wood. Since I’ve welcomed Catherine into my life, I haven’t been able to spend as much time at the shelter as I’d like, but I do try to check in when I can, and I knew that Jeremy had taken custody of an injured mountain lion the previous day and I wanted to check on things.”
“You had your purse with you when you visited the Zoo?”
I nodded. “I brought it in and set it on my desk. I then walked through the place with Jeremy so could catch me up with our new arrivals.”
“And who had access to your office?”
I narrowed my gaze. “My door wasn’t locked. It never is since the entire staff really does need to have access to the office at times, but there is no way any of them would do to Zarek what was done to him.” I made a face. “It really was a terrible way to die.”
Agent Stanwell shot me a look of sympathy. “Yes, I imagine it was a pretty horrific way to die. Which is why we need to catch the person who did this terrible thing.”
“I agree. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“Could anyone other than your staff have entered your office while you were at the zoo?”
I lifted one shoulder. “I suppose if there was a customer on site who asked to use the bathroom. It is down the same hallway as my office. I don’t remember anyone else being in the building when I was there but I suppose I can ask Willow who was at the front desk.”
“I’ll need contact information for all three of your employees,” Stanwell said, as he logged into my contacts list on my phone.
I nodded reluctantly. “Are you sure I can’t help you find something. If you just tell me what you are after I can probably steer you right to it.”
“It’s fine. I’m just looking for something to pop as being relevant. After you took the tour with your manager, what then?”
“Tiffany came to find us to let us know that she had received an animal cruelty call.”
“Animal cruelty?” The man’s lips tightened. That actually made me like him.
“I guess there were two dogs who had been tied up in the back of a house just outside of the town limit for the past two days. The neighbor who had called said she hadn’t seen the owner feed the dogs in all that time, and she definitely didn’t think the dogs had been let in, even at night. Jeremy and I have a policy, that either him or I, respond to animal cruelty calls. The reality is that you just never know what will happen when you confront a neglectful owner and we don’t want to put either Tiffany or Willow into a potentially dangerous and volatile situation. Jeremy had a daycare group coming for a tour in less than an hour so I volunteered to go. To tell you the truth I wanted to have the opportunity to give the owner of the dogs a piece of my mind anyway.”
Agent Stanwell paused. He set my phone on the table with the other items he had placed there. He seemed to be studying me which I had to admit was making me extremely uncomfortable. Again, I had to wonder what was really going on. I’ve been involved in a lot of murder investigations in my time and this by far had to be the most absurd interview I had ever been a part of.
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance.
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Santa Sleuth
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House
Holiday Hostage – December 2018
Lunacy Lake – Spring 2019
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise
Thanksgiving in Paradise – Fall 2019
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
The Cat of Christmas Present
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time
The Catsgiving Feast
Whale of a Tail – Spring 2019
Writers’ Retreat Southern Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter
Eighth Witness – January 2019
Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage
Finding Christmas
Finding Motive – Spring 2019
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House
The Thanksgiving Trip
The Saint Paddy’s Promise – March 2019
The Inn at Holiday Bay:
Boxes in the Basement
Letters in the Library – February 2019
Family Ties:
The Hathaway Sisters
Harper – Spring 2019
Harlow – Summer 2019
Haley – Fall 2019
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea
Missing by the Sea
Thanksgiving by the Sea – Spring 2019
Christmas by the Sea – Fall 2019
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than ninety-five books in ten series, including Zoe Donovan Coz
y Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Holiday Bay Cozy Mystery Series, Family Ties Mystery Romance, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com
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