Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [553]
“I’m just wondering where you buy that stuff.”
“Well, not at the local Stop & Shop. We already checked.”
“Didn’t you say Earlman was a butcher?”
“That’s right.”
“Any sons?”
“No, I already thought of that. His shop closed when he died. Someone bought all the equipment but didn’t continue the business.” She almost drove through a red light, braking hard and drawing a honk from the driver behind her. Why hadn’t she thought about it before? Luc had said that someone bought all the equipment. “Why would you buy all the equipment if you weren’t going to have a butcher shop? Doesn’t that seem a bit odd?”
“I don’t know. You should see the crazy stuff people buy and sell on eBay all the time.”
“And how do you know what people buy and sell on eBay?” Another beep from her phone. “My battery really is running low, Tully. Before I go, two things—how’s Harvey? He’s not driving you crazy, is he?”
“Not at all. In fact, I think you may have to bribe Emma in order to get him back.”
“Don’t you dare let her get attached to my dog, Tully.”
“Might be too late.”
“Second, how’s Gwen doing?”
There was silence and she thought she had already lost him when he finally said, “I think she’s doing okay.”
“Will you do a favor for me and please check on her?”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Thanks, Tully, and tell Emma she does not get my dog.”
“O’Dell, one other thing.” This time she could hear his tone change. “Cunningham asked me about you.”
Maggie felt her muscles tighten.
“He wanted to know if you mentioned anything to me about your vacation,” he continued, sounding serious, almost apologetic.
She knew Tully was a straight-shooter. He’d never lie, especially to Cunningham, and now, she had probably gotten both of them in trouble.
“What did you tell him?” she asked, gripping the steering wheel in preparation for his answer.
“I told him the truth, that you said something about daffodils.” Then he hung up before she had a chance to respond.
She smiled and pulled the car into a parking lot, trying to get her mind back on track and off a possible reprimand. Somewhere she had a city map, besides the one Tully had drawn for her. It was just a hunch, but then what else did she have to go on? She needed to find the county courthouse. She needed to find out who had bought all that butcher shop equipment, including what might have been rolls and rolls of butcher-block paper.
CHAPTER 58
Henry started to head out to the rock quarry, had almost gotten there when he decided to go back to downtown Wallingford. He needed a strong cup of coffee, but mostly he just wanted to stop in at the bookstore and see his wife. After the media got hold of this latest development there was bound to be a frenzy, especially with the latest victim being one of their own. He was beginning to believe he and Rosie could kiss goodbye the idea of retiring in this community.
He took the back roads, winding around the edge of the city with the car window rolled down. He drove slowly, trying to suck in the fresh air, trying to relax enough so that the tight fist, that nagging ache in the middle of his chest, would let up. It’d serve him right for being so lax about taking—or rather not taking—his blood pressure medicine. Here he had escaped being with his buddies on 9/11 only to get a fucking heart attack while driving through the Connecticut countryside.
He drove by St. Francis Cemetery, curving around the hill, when he noticed a man hurry behind one of the tall headstones. At first he thought he had imagined it. Maybe he was having a heart attack. But that didn’t make you see things, did it?
Henry pulled into the cemetery’s entrance and stopped the car. From this angle he couldn’t see the headstone without getting out. He sat there, wondering again if he had imagined it. If someone was in the cemetery there wasn’t anything wrong with that. People were free to come in and often did to place wreaths and flowers on the graves. So there was no reason to hide.
He backed out and pulled onto the road. Rosie would laugh at him, not about forgetting his blood pressure