Tropical Punch Killer Read online

  Spencer took out the report and skimmed it until he found what he was looking for, then let out a low whistle. “There was a joint in the ashtray with Ralph’s DNA on it?”

  “It places him at the scene,” Chas nodded.

  “Maybe,” Spencer pursed his lips.

  “Maybe?”

  “Yeah. If Ralph was just a small-time dealer and rolled the joint himself, it would have his DNA on it, even if he sold it to Chet or Leslie earlier in the week. It may just be a case of dealer lick ‘em and stick ‘em,” Spencer shrugged.

  “Or, he may have made certain that Chet smoked it to relax him enough to fall asleep so that he could attack,” Chas proposed.

  “Could be,” Spencer agreed. “When do you go see him again?”

  “As soon as we’re done here. I also need to talk to Chooch Graham’s buddy, Greg McGinty.”

  “Want backup?” Spencer offered.

  “Yeah, I think we’re getting close to a break in this case and that’s when things tend to go haywire. I just have that feeling, you know?”

  “I hear ya,” Spencer sighed.

  The police department phone that Chas carried went off just then, signaling an incoming text.

  “Interesting,” Chas frowned, tapping out a reply.

  “What?”

  “Apparently Athena Holman has gone missing. Her brother Warren is at the police station,” the detective stood and reached for his jacket.

  “First stop Calgon PD,” Spencer remarked, following his boss out the door.

  “I’m afraid so,” Chas confirmed.

  Chapter Twelve

  * * *

  “Kumar, I swear to you, I am absolutely fine and totally able to take care of these girls,” Mattie insisted, arms crossed, foot tapping.

  “I am terribly sorry, but I was specifically told that I was to be the nanny again today,” Kumar was pleasant but firm.

  Mattie’s expression changed dramatically. “Oh geez, Kumar…you don’t think that they’re going to fire me because I was careless and had an accident, do you?” she worried, her eyes huge. “They probably think I’m irresponsible now.”

  “I think that is far from the truth, Matisse. They merely want you to be fully recovered before resuming your duties. I am certain of that.”

  “Should I ask? Maybe I should call them. I should probably apologize.”

  “While I don’t think an apology is at all necessary or expected, perhaps you should call, if it would ease your mind,” Kumar suggested.

  “But I don’t want to bother them,” Mattie bit the inside of her cheek, uncertain.

  “Hello?” they hear a voice call from the foyer.

  Matisse recognized it.

  “I’ll go see what that’s about,” she volunteered, hopping up and striding toward the stairs, her mood vastly improved.

  “Hey Janssen,” she smiled when she saw the rough-looking young man standing in the foyer with Spike leaning against his ankle.

  “Hey Matisse. I hate to bother you, but I have to go do something and I didn’t want to leave Spike alone in Spencer’s place. I don’t know if she’s housetrained or whatever yet. Do you think that you could maybe…?”

  He didn’t even finish his sentence before Mattie sprang forward and plucked up the tiny creature.

  “Of course I can watch Spike when you’re gone. Toffee and Bitsy will love having company,” she nuzzled her face into Spike’s fur. “Oh my,” she drew back sharply. “Spike, honey, you smell,” she made a face, then turned to Janssen. “Do you mind if she gets a bath?”

  “Uh…no, that’s fine. Whatever. I’ve never had a dog before, so I don’t really know what to do with her, you know?” he looked embarrassed.

  “Well, when you get back from wherever you’re going, I’ll give you a crash course in Dog 101. I’ve been around them my whole life,” Mattie smiled at Spike, scratching behind her ears.

  “Really?” Janssen seemed surprised.

  “Yeah, of course. There’s nothing to it,” she promised, turning toward the stairway.

  “Okay. Uh…thanks,” Janssen raised his hand in a hesitant wave.

  “My pleasure,” Mattie grinned and trotted up the stairs.

  “Kumar, you’re right,” she announced when she got back into the playroom. “If Missy and Echo don’t want me to go back to work today, I should honor their wishes.”

  “What are you up to, Matisse?” he eyed her suspiciously.

  “Dog sitting. I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” she gave him a breezy wave and left.

  **

  “I want the works for this lovely lady. She needs a bath, and a super-cute haircut,” Matisse told the groomer, who thought that Spike was the most adorable, if a bit neglected, little sweetie that she’d ever seen.

  “Oh, she’ll get a spa day that she’ll never forget. You can pick her up in a couple of hours,” the groomer promised, whisking her away.

  Mattie headed straight for the nearest pet superstore, a woman on a mission.

  “Let’s see…” she wandered down the aisles, plucking items from the shelf and loading them into her cart.

  The stray that had adopted Janssen had no toys, leash, collar or treats, and she was going to change all of that. By the time she was done, Matisse was quite convinced that the little dog would want for nothing. When her shopping excursion was complete, Mattie had just enough time for a bite of lunch before picking up Spike. After paying the groomer a small fortune, she took a very sweet-smelling and sassy Spike home.

  **

  Janssen sat on the porch steps which led to Spencer’s cottage, lost in thought, when he saw Mattie crossing the lawn toward him.

  “Hey, what do you think?” she asked, beaming.

  “About what?” Janssen was confused.

  “About Spike.”

  “I don’t know. Where is she?” he asked.

  “This is Spike,” Mattie wiggled the pink rhinestone-studded leash in her hand.

  Janssen shook his head back and forth. “That ain’t Spike. That dog ain’t even the same color,” he frowned.

  “Of course she isn’t the same color after her bath, she was filthy,” Mattie giggled and picked up the dog, handing her to Janssen. “See, she smells good too. They even brushed her teeth.”

  “There’s a pink bow in her hair,” he stared at the dog, horrified. “And…is that nail polish?” he noticed the hot-pink tips on Spike’s nails.

  “Yep, they did that for free since she was such a sweetheart.”

  “She smells like cookies and flowers,” Janssen held Spike at arm’s length, staring at her in disbelief.

  “Isn’t it wonderful? There’s a bagful of dog things at the main house. If you want to walk back with me, I can show you what to do with everything,” Mattie offered.

  Janssen continued to stare at the dog, turning her this way and that.

  “Janssen?” she prompted.

  “Huh?”

  “Do you want to come back to the main house with me to get Spike’s things?” Mattie repeated, slowly.

  “Oh. Uh, yeah, I guess so.” He put Spike down and started across the lawn.

  “Hey, aren’t you gonna take the leash?” Mattie pointed at the bright pink tether trailing behind Spike.

  “Nope, I’m not touching that thing,” Janssen kept walking.

  Mattie planted her feet in front of him, hands on hips. “Wow, crazy. I would’ve thought that you, of all people, would be man enough to handle it,” she challenged, trying hard not to smile.

  Janssen stared at her, then reached down to pick up the leash.

  “Looks like you were right,” he muttered. “C’mon Spike,” he called the dog, who pranced proudly at his side, pink bow bouncing merrily.

  Matisse stifled a giggle at the sight.

  “Ain’t funny,” Janssen grumbled.

  “Nope, it isn’t. It’s adorable,” the nanny laughed aloud, drawing a bit of side-eye from the tough guy walking the yorkie.

  Chapte
r Thirteen

  * * *

  So far, Fiona had given three interviews, gone on two morning news shows and published a concise agenda for Tim’s candidacy, all without his knowledge. She fielded phone calls from her office in the mortuary, and handled correspondence with her trademark efficiency. The determined assistant seemed to have a knack for politics that she found a bit disturbing. On a more personal level, she was furious at her boss for even considering leaving Calgon. The thought that he could just turn his back and walk away had hurt, deeply, and she had channeled that pain into an all-consuming fervor to get him elected. Hoping that he wouldn’t make any definitive moves to relocate prior to the election, the enterprising young woman did everything in her power to make it possible for him to stay. All that said, she still wasn’t speaking to him. Their interactions were cool and professional, and she’d drawn more than her share of puzzled looks from her boss.

  “Apparently, we won’t have to piece the faces of Chet and Leslie Holman back together after all,” Tim mentioned in passing, while Fiona sat at her desk, editing a speech that she was going to give on Tim’s behalf at a town council meeting.

  He lingered beside her desk for a moment, expecting her usual degree of curiosity, and was surprised when it didn’t surface. Fiona didn’t ask why, and barely acknowledged that she’d heard him.

  “The family decided not to have an open casket for Chet, and Leslie wanted to be cremated, so reconstruction won’t be necessary,” he explained, staring down at his assistant.

  “Cool,” Fiona replied absently, marking on her speech with a red pen.

  “I thought it might be a good opportunity for you to practice reconstruction,” he offered casually.

  Her pen stopped in mid-stroke. Fiona was currently attending mortuary school classes online, and jumped on every chance that her boss afforded her to indulge in some practical application. The degree of reconstruction that would be needed on the Holmans would be a fantastic training opportunity.

  “When is the funeral?” she asked, staring down at her speech.

  “Next Tuesday. There’s plenty of time to attempt a reconstruction.”

  “When could I start on it?” Fiona finally looked up at Tim, placing her emotions firmly behind a professional mask.

  “Any time, really. The autopsies are complete, the paperwork has been submitted, and Mrs. Holman isn’t scheduled for cremation until the end of the week.”

  “Yes, I’d like that,” Fiona nodded. “Thank you,” she tacked on, as Tim turned to go.

  “You’re welcome.”

  **

  “Ms. McCamish,” Councilman Baldwin Cooper began, his nasal voice grating on Fiona’s soul. “Can you explain why, precisely, that your boss, Timothy Eckels, has been actively campaigning for quite some time now, yet we’ve never seen him personally?”

  “Of course, Councilman,” Fiona favored the florid man with a brilliant smile. “Mr. Eckels is very dedicated and refuses to leave his workroom until every last detail has been found and processed. He’s committed to providing Calgon County with the best possible support of law enforcement, and has been instrumental in supplying vital information, gleaned from his work, to the homicide investigation team.”

  “Perhaps he considers his work to be more important than communicating with our council?” Cooper peered at her over the tops of his wire-framed reading glasses.

  “I don’t think it’s a matter of priority, sir. He very much wanted to be here with you all, and sends his heartfelt regrets that I had to take his place, but he’s currently working on a double homicide right now, and his primary interest is in assisting the detectives in solving this case and keeping our community safe for our citizens.”

  “Sounds rather like you’re more of a politician than your boss,” Cooper commented dryly, drawing chuckles from some of the council members.

  “I won’t deny that I enjoy the political process far more than does my boss, but, you won’t find a more talented man, who is so devoted to his work, anywhere in his field. He is an incredible asset to the Calgon Police Department, and, by extension, to this community,” Fiona asserted sweetly.

  “Ms. McCamish,” Berniece Bellingham took over the questioning. “There has been some talk that Mr. Eckels’ ownership of the only mortuary in town may represent a conflict of interest with him holding the position of County Coroner. What do you have to say about that?” she challenged, lips pursed.

  “Well, I’d say that it would be a definite conflict of interest if Mr. Eckels was out and about encouraging death and murder in order to draw in more customers,” the corner of Fiona’s mouth quirked in amusement. “But, I’d like to point out that he was operating the mortuary when he was asked to fill the Interim Coroner position. There are other mortuaries outside of Calgon, and family members are free to choose those mortuaries if they wish. The fact that Mr. Eckels performs the autopsies has no direct bearing on which mortuary family members choose to utilize.”

  “I find your injection of humor into this conversation to be most inappropriate,” Berniece glared at the attractive young woman, who’d just bested her. “Please reserve your commentary to addressing the issues at hand.”

  “With all due respect, Madame Councilwoman, while there was a measure of humor inherent in my comment, my point is still valid. There is no conflict of interest, and Mr. Eckels never shirks his duties as coroner in order to run his mortuary. The needs of the County always get first priority.”

  “Perhaps we should look into his business practices then. Seems to me that one or the other would suffer due to lack of focus. If he’s focusing on County work, perhaps he’s cutting corners at the mortuary,” Berniece cocked an arrogant eyebrow.

  “Perhaps you should look into his business practices,” Fiona nodded. “In fact, I’d encourage it, because you’ll never see a more meticulous, by-the-book, orderly business. Mr. Eckels cuts no corners, rushes no orders and would never, ever neglect the deceased or their family. His books and procedures are open for review,” Fiona smiled pleasantly, but her eyes flashed fire.

  Councilman Jarviss spoke up then. “Well, Ms. McCamish, your boss certainly seems to have inspired your loyalty, and there’s something to be said for that,” he transitioned smoothly. “We thank you for your excellent and informative speech, and for taking quite a bit of time to meet with us and answer our questions. We have your contact information, as well as that of your boss, and will be in touch if we feel the need for further clarification on any of the issues that were discussed. Some of us are getting together for lunch at the country club if you’d like to join us,” he bestowed a benevolent smile on her.

  Fiona’s mind raced for a moment. While it would almost certainly be unbearably boring to have lunch with this group, it might give Tim an advantage if she could charm them into seeing the merits of endorsing him.

  “I’d love to, Councilman Jarviss, thank you,” she smiled at him, not missing the daggers that Councilwoman Bellingham shot her way.

  **

  “You were gone for quite some time,” Tim observed, not looking up from the medical journal that he held in his hands.

  “Was I?” Fiona asked coolly, breezing past his office door.

  “Yes, you were,” he called out, using a stronger tone than she’d heard from him in a great while. “I find it difficult to believe that you can get your work done when you’re out of the office for hours at a time,” she heard, striding toward her office.

  Stopping in her tracks, Fiona gritted her teeth at the unfairness of the situation. She’d been out busting her tail on his behalf, and he was accusing her of slacking. Marching back to his office, she stood glowering at him from the doorway.

  “You can say whatever you’d like about me personally, but I defy you to find a deficiency in my performance,” she challenged. “I do everything that I need to do around here, and then some, plus I assist you at the morgue and do a darn good job there too. If this is your awkward way of saying you missed me�
��good. I missed you too. I miss you every time you’re not around. But, if you’re actually commenting on my work performance, you can just take your comments and shove them. I do my job better than you do yours, Timothy Eckels. You’re great with the dead, but when it comes to the living, you need a little work,” Fiona spat, eyes narrowed.

  Astonished, Tim stared at his assistant, open-mouthed. She whirled away and was back in her office before he could even begin to formulate a reply.

  Chapter Fourteen

  * * *

  “When did you notice that your sister was missing?” Chas asked Warren Holman, who looked utterly dejected.

  “We’re staying with my Great-Aunt Julie, and when breakfast was ready this morning, I went to the room where Athena was staying and she wasn’t there.”

  “Had the bed been slept in?” the detective asked.

  “It’s hard to say. She never made the bed, so it was messy, but that could’ve just been because she left it that way since we’ve been there,” Warren shrugged and looked embarrassed.

  “Did she leave any belongings behind?”

  “No sir,” the bewildered brother shook his head. “It’s like she ran away or something, but Trevor is gone too, so I don’t know if maybe he did something…”

  “How do you know that Trevor is gone?”

  “I went over to his house to see if he knew where Athena was, and his brother said that he hadn’t been there all night,” Warren explained.

  “When was the last time you saw Athena?”

  “She had dinner with all of us, but didn’t like the food, so she went to her room at dinner time and that’s the last I saw of her.”

  “How easy is it to get in and out of your aunt’s house?”

  “I guess I never really thought about it,” Warren frowned. “The bedrooms are all in the back of the house, and there’s no door back there. The only doors are in the living room and the kitchen, so I guess once you get down the hall, away from the bedrooms, it’d be pretty easy to leave without anybody hearing,” Warren speculated.