A Paw-sible Theory

“Dogs come when they’re called. Cats take a message and get back to you.”

––Mary Bly

CHAPTER FOUR: If Truth Be Told

I returned to my listening post under the dining room table, and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Under normal circumstances, both Misty and I would be hiding somewhere in the house far from the strangers, but this was different––our world had been turned upside down and sideways. I had no idea when I was going to see Alyx again, if ever.

Smarts was interviewing Maggie, and being very solicitous as if he were following a page from a manual on police interrogation.

“Are you okay? Can I get you some water?”

“I’m fine, but I would like to sit down.” She gestured to one of the two upholstered chairs. She sat in one of the chairs, he in another. Her hands were shaking and she clasped them on her lap.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Alyx called me last night and asked me to come over before I went to the store. She said it was important that she talk to me but wanted to do it in person. I was surprised to see Ethan when I arrived because I know he’s not an early riser, especially on weekends. He dropped his keys on the bench in the foyer and called out a greeting to his mother.

He must have sensed something was wrong when Alyx didn’t answer, and he rushed to the kitchen. I was right behind him when we found Alyx pitched forward on the table, unconscious.

After what seemed like minutes but was probably only seconds, he checked for a heartbeat and yelled at me, standing right next to him, to call 911. His hands shook as bad as mine do now; he grabbed a clean kitchen towel and applied it to her head. I called from the kitchen phone, and we waited for help to arrive.”

“What’s your relationship to the victim?”

“Alyx is my best friend and business partner. We own Antiques & Designs on Ocean Street.”

“How long have you known each other?”

“We met about four years ago when we were both taking classes at Beachside Community College.”

“Did you see or hear anything unusual when you arrived?”

“Other than the cats at the door meowing loudly and generally acting strange when we walked in, I didn’t see anyone or hear anything different that would have caught my attention.”

“Do you know of anyone she was having problems with, anyone who would want to hurt her?”

She shook her head. “Alyx is a very likeable person; I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.”

“What about her son, what kind of relationship do they have?”

“They have a very close relationship––loving and respectful.”

“Did they have any disagreements?”

“Just the usual stuff parents and their children don’t see eye-to-eye on. Nothing serious.”

“Like what, for example?”

She hesitated. “Well, she was worried about his spending habits. At first, she thought that maybe he was spending money because he was depressed, but he kept spending even after he started taking medication.

Shortly after graduating from college, he found a good job as a graphic artist with a local publishing company and like many young people who finally find themselves with a lot of money to spend, he spent all he had and what he didn’t have.

I told her not to worry about it since he does make good money. He’s young; he’s not thinking about the future like someone our age would.”

“What was he depressed about?”

“His first and long-time girlfriend broke off with him and he had a hard time dealing with it. He’s off meds now. He just took them for a short time.”

Detective Smarts was going over his notes and in the lull, a uniformed police officer carrying a large, black, case, walked in and went straight to the kitchen. Maggie wanted to know who the officer was and what he was carrying.

“That’s our Crime Scene Investigation Unit of one––Mel and his basic crime scene equipment. The routine is always the same; walk one path through the crime scene to identify items that relate to the crime, taking care not to disturb evidence. He’ll photograph and videotape the crime scene and send the evidence to the Department of Law Enforcement Laboratories. As you can imagine, they’re very busy but they have a new computer system, so I’m confident we’ll get fast results.”

“Will that yellow tape come down when he’s finished?”

“Depends on what he finds. More than likely, it will be down tomorrow.”

She looked at her watch. “I’d really like to get to the hospital. Will it be much longer before I can go?”

“We still need to take your fingerprints, but if you prefer, you can come to the station to do it.”

“How much longer before you can do it here?”

“Maybe another half hour or so.”

“Since Alyx has Ethan with her and isn’t alone, I guess I’ll wait and get it over with.”

Detective Smarts put away his pen, indicating he was through with her, and started to head to the kitchen to confer with his partner who came towards him, the two stopping to confer in the dining room. I could hear them easily from my post under the big maple table.

“Boomer, I have a gut feeling about this one … cut-and-dry. Did you notice the expensive clothes the son wearing, the watch on his wrist, the car he drives? See what you can get from the neighbors.”

I couldn’t help expressing my feelings with a low growl as Smarts continued on through the dining room. He heard me, stopped, and glared. Intimidated, Misty looked away but I boldly glared back at the detective, my tail vigorously lashing the air. What could he do? Arrest me? How dare he call it a cut-and-dry case; the evidence wasn’t all in yet and he was ready to wrap it up! I didn’t like the man and the feeling was obviously mutual.