The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon

“I love this.” I stepped forward and realized the foyer was open to the second floor. Kara led me around, pointing out built-in bookshelves in the living room and built-in large drawers for china in the dining room. We reached the kitchen and she told me about the appliances she’d already ordered.

“Are you getting excited?” I asked. I looked out the window above where the sink would be. Not many trees, so she’d have to do some serious landscaping.

“I am excited beyond words,” Kara said. “This has been such fun seeing my vision come together. Let me show you the upstairs.”

But we’d only made it back to the living room when the front door flew open and Rory Gannon burst into the foyer.

I gasped and Kara put an arm around me.

“What are you doing here?” Kara said.

My heart thumped against my chest and I thought, How did you know where we were? The answer was simple. He’d followed us. Great.

“What have you done with my son?” he said. He wore a navy blue sweater today, the big leather buttons done up wrong. Underneath, he looked like he wore the same clothes he had on yesterday.

I said, “You followed us, so you know he isn’t with us.” I sounded confident, unwilling to allow this man to intimidate me again.

Gannon’s peculiar smile and the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes told me I was right. He knew Finn wasn’t here. During the other encounters, I’d believed his concern. Now, though, it seemed like he was merely enjoying the thrill of showing up and scaring us. This was one unbalanced man.

“You never saw me, did you?” he said. “That’s how smart you two are.” He looked past us and then up the staircase. “Nice place. Too bad if someone were to come in here and smash through some of your drywall or take apart your pretty banister.”

Kara had her phone in her hand. “I’m calling the police again. This time, they’ll put you in jail.”

“You go right ahead, pretty lady. But I travel like a ghost. They’ll never find me—and you won’t know when I’m right behind you. I proved as much today.” He whirled and left.

Kara started after him, but I grabbed her arm. “Let him go.”

“Why?”

“What would you do if you caught up to him?” I said.

She sighed. “You’re right. My martial arts skills are considerably lacking. I wouldn’t mind giving him a good kick in the butt, though.”

I smiled. “At least we know to watch out for him now. Though for the life of me, I cannot understand why he wants to scare us. Or why he’s shown up in Mercy out of the blue.”

Kara tapped her temple. “Number one, he’s not hooked up right. Number two, he’s a lurker. He could have been watching Finn’s comings and goings back in North Carolina.”

“You think he followed Finn to Mercy?” I said.

“I don’t know, but I get the sense he’s been keeping track of him. Takes a while for someone to work up to an obsession—and I’d say he’s obsessed.”

“Maybe—but showing up here?” I said. “It’s downright creepy. Like I said, he followed us, so he knew Finn wasn’t with us. This appearance was all about intimidation.”

“Do you think he’ll come back and vandalize the place like he implied?” she said.

“Since he’s said those things to our faces, he must know he’d be the prime suspect. I think he was just messing with our heads.”

“I don’t like it and I sure don’t like him. Maybe we should call Candace or Morris and—”

“No. Usually I’d agree, but the last thing we need right now is for the police to pick up this obviously unhinged person and take him to the same police station where Finn is being questioned.”

“Are you saying we shouldn’t tell them he showed up here and was following us—for who knows how long?” she said.

“I’ll tell Candace later,” I said. “After I know Finn is no longer being interviewed. What concerns me right now is why Gannon came to Mercy. Because, though obsession may be the explanation, he might have had help knowing where to find his son.”

Kara smiled slowly. “Ah. Yes.”

I nodded at her knowing smile and said, “Tom’s ex.”

Seventeen

Kara kept an eye on the rearview mirror the entire way back to my house. She had work to do for both Tom and the newspaper so when she dropped me at my house, she made me promise to tell Candace, Morris, Mike Baca and anyone else on the police force about Rory Gannon showing up all over town and in a menacing way.

After I let Yoshi out to relieve himself, he came back inside and I gave him one of the dog treats Kara had bought. I decided to head to the police station and talk to Candace. Gannon accomplished what I believed he’d set out to do—get under my skin.

I expected to see Tom in the waiting area when I arrived, but B.J. said he’d gone home.

That’s strange, I thought. “Did he take Finn with him?” I asked.

B.J. shook his head and then whispered, “He knows a lawyer but needed to get the contact information from home.”

“This attorney is for Finn?” I said. The news Finn needed a lawyer combined with the stuffy, hot air made me feel queasy. They must have turned the heat up in this place yesterday and forgot to turn it back down.

B.J. put a finger to his lips and continued speaking in a low voice. “The mother left to see if she could get her lawyer here first. Tom and Mrs. Roth were spittin’ nails at each other when they left.”

“Finn’s still here?” I said quietly.

“Yeah, but they haven’t arrested him. Don’t know why, though.” B.J. stood and leaned closer to me, speaking even softer. “Between you and me, I can tell Deputy Carson isn’t sure about this one, even though evidence is piling up.”

“She isn’t sure because anyone who spent more than five minutes with Finn would know he’d never intentionally harm anyone,” I said. “Candace hopes to find evidence to free Finn, not send him to jail. She can be tough, but she also listens to her gut. She’s smart and fair.”

B.J.’s eyes were wide when I finished speaking and I realized I’d put plenty of passion into my little speech.

Then I heard the sound of a door opening down the hall and B.J. quickly sat down. Candace appeared, and when she saw me she walked to the waiting area. Perspiration dotted her hairline and her cheeks were flushed.

“You look like you’ve been pulled through a knothole backward,” I said.

“Morris insisted on turning up the thermostat. Says it helps sweat out a confession.” She rolled her eyes. “It won’t work ’cause I’m more convinced than ever that this kid didn’t do it. All Morris has accomplished is to make me about ready to confess to this murder. As for Finn, he still can’t remember anything more than he did the last time I talked to him.”

The thought of Morris pressuring Finn didn’t sit well with me, even though I understood he was only doing his job. “You can’t convince Morris to let up on Finn?” I asked.

“You’re kidding, right?” she said. “I can only hope Morris will come to his senses and see how things just aren’t adding up.”

She glanced at B.J., who was doodling on the notebook in front of him but probably taking in every word. “Come with me and I’ll explain about what the evidence is telling me.”

“Only if you turn down the darn thermostat,” I said.

Minutes later, I sat at the table in the center of the officer’s break room with a chilled bottle of water in front of me. Candace had turned the heat off, but it still had to be eighty degrees in here.