cricket sweaters. Sold like hotcakes. Allied to his good taste was that he knew his market, plus he had received an excellent education at Howard University.
While trying to see ahead, he thought he saw a large animal lying in the middle of the road, not twenty yards away. He slowed. The speedometer held steady at 30 mph. To go faster in this kind of weather was a death wish. He blinked. Again. The large animal was a human being. He slammed on the brakes, and shot out of that gorgeous machine. As he bent over the supine figure of a young woman, he realized it was Terri Kincaid.
Oh, no, please, God, no. He checked for the pulse on her wrist.
None. He held his fingers to her carotid artery.
Nothing.
Then he noticed a trickle of blood on the road by her head. There wasnt a lot, as the increasing rain continued to wash it away.
All he could think to say was Dear God, into Thy hands I commend this spirit.
He put his face in his hands and cried, then snapped out of it. Now dripping wet but hardly aware of it, he returned to his car to dial 911.
It wasnt until after he spoke to the dispatcher that he realized this was the same spot where Ralston Peavey had been found.
Cooper, on the early-morning shift, hit the scene first. After ascertaining that Terri was dead, she put up flares and kept the lights flashing on her squad car.
She listened to everything Garvey told her. She put on thin latex gloves, turning Terris head just enough to see the entrance wound of a bullet. Slight powder burns circled the wound. Since Terri had lain with the wound side on the asphalt, the rain hadnt washed away the powder burn. Looked like a .38 caliber to Cooper. The exit woundsurprisingly not messywas above the right ear. Terris hair had fallen over the wound, and a small piece of skull had exited with the bullet. Using her flashlight, Cooper searched for the bullet but realized that
this would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Locating it would take a team in better weather than this.
She returned to Garvey, who rolled down his windowall electric, of course.
Garvey, go home. Get dry. Youre shaking like a leaf. She patted his back. Want me to call Walter and tell him youre taking the day off?
Walter was Walter Thompson, his business partner.
I dont know if I should. Ill think about this more at home than at the store.
Well, up to you, but do go change your clothes. Traffic will be one lane here for a good hour and a half. Youre sure you dont want me to call Walter?
Ill do it. Thanks, Coop. She was a good woman. A little out there but good. Why? He looked imploringly into Coopers strong face.
I dont know. All I know is, people have been killing one another since year one. But well do our best to find out who did it.
Right. He nodded, closed the window, turned the car around, and headed for home.
At 7:45 A.M., Inez heard the news on the small radio in the heated tack room. She was cleaning the everyday tack, for she liked to be useful and her fingers remained nimble.
Forgetting to put on her coat, she hurried into the center aisle, Erno at her heels. She heard Harry in the last stall by the back doors.
Harry, Harry, Terri Kincaids dead!
Harry stopped, pitchfork still in her hand. What?
Shot. Her body was found near the same place where Ralston Peaveys was. Those are the only details, except that the murderer is at large.
Damn. Harry slammed the tines of her fork into the deep wood shavings.
Im going to call Tally.
Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, who were up in the loft with Simon, heard Inez.
Tucker,
Mrs. Murphy called down to the dog, who rested outside the stall Harry was cleaning.
Hear that?
Of course I did.
The corgi walked to beneath where the two cats looked down at her.
It means the killer is here. Here!
Mrs. Murphy, cat intuition at the max, declared with certainty.
Pewter, unwilling to let Mrs. Murphy be the authority, said,
I always said that. I said the killer would show up here.
She had said no such thing.
In their excitement and worry, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker let it pass.
Its no coincidence that Terri is dead.
Mrs. Murphys whiskers swept forward and back.
She wasnt on the board.
Pewter didnt disagree but wanted to point this out, as if the other two would have forgotten.
And Harry graduated from Smith. She is safe.
Fat chance,
Tucker replied with a vengeance.
Inez is here. Harry is Harry. She needs to be watched.
Ernos pupils enlarged.
Ill kill anyone who tries to harm Mom.
Mrs. Murphy mused sadly,
If only humans would listen.
Pewter laughed derisively.
None of them does. They cant accept information from any species other than their own, and they dont even listen to one another.
Harrys good.
Tucker always defended her mother.
Shes the best of a bad bunch.
Pewter arched one silky eyebrow.
Youre being a hardboot,
Tucker grumbled but then shut up.
She knew, as did Mrs. Murphy, that Pewter covered up her fear for Harry in this fashion. There was no doubt that the three would need to shadow her, as well as get Erno to stick with Inez nonstop.
Tucker, if someone comes around with a hidden gun, do you think you can smell the oil in the barrel?
Mrs. Murphy asked.
Gun owners cleaned their rifles and handguns with special brushes dipped in light oil. They also wiped down the weapons with rags that often contained a hint of oil. Even a human could smell the distinctive odor if their nose was near the metal.
Sure.
Good.
Erno had gone to the office and now sat alertly by the chair as Inez spoke to Tally.
Where Ralston Peavey lay. Aunt Tally was incredulous.
Shot instead of run over. This is sick.
You think a copycat murderer? Aunt Tally thought it was sick, too.
I dont know, but its a distinct possibility. Look, Blossom, you have resources. Hire a twenty-four-hour guard until this is resolved.
Oh, come on. I have Doodles, and Little Mim and Blair are close by.
Thats not good enough. Just do it. If you dont, Im coming over there and Im going to bust your provoking head. This was said with humor.
Since you put it that way Aunt Tally needed an excuse. She didnt want to look chicken.
Im going to call Liz Filmore. Doubt this is in the news in Richmond. Henrico County endures far more murders than Albemarle.
Okay, call me back when youre done.
Actually, Erno and I will be visiting you. I want to make sure youve hired some kind of security.
Oh, all right. Aunt Tally made it sound as though she was being forced into this, but she did want to see Inez.
After signing off, Inez dialed Lizs cell and got her driving to the office.
Liz, I have terrible news. You might want to pull over.
Hold on. Im almost at the office. Liz pulled onto the road shoulder. All right.