Mabel Goes to the Dogs (Mysteries of Medicine Spring Book 2) by Susan Kimmel Wright

Author:Susan Kimmel Wright [Wright, Susan Kimmel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Published: 2022-06-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

It was late afternoon before John called, and he still had a long return trip ahead of him. “Can you talk?” Mabel asked. “Or do you need to drive?”

“I’m at a place called Old Hippies. Figured I’d grab a quick bean burrito and an immune-booster smoothie before hitting the road. We can talk. I’m the only customer in here.”

Imagine that.

“Great. Start at the beginning and tell me everything.”

“First of all, I feel sorry for the guy, and I believe him. I don’t know whether Mike started that fire, but I sure believe Charlie Maier did not.”

That could be John, sitting in Cold River State Correctional Institution, day after day in a prison jumpsuit, knowing he was innocent.

“Does he know about Mike? That he’s suspected of setting the fire?”

“Hang on, my smoothie’s here. Thanks.” She heard a slurp. “Yeah. Mike’s name didn’t come up till Maier was convicted and awaiting sentencing. Word on the street was Mike had done it, and Perdue was behind it, but there wasn’t any evidence to tie either of them to it. Perdue never even bought the property after all. Guess after a victim turned up inside the building, Perdue couldn’t distance himself fast enough.”

“I’m guessing Maier’s bitter?”

“Oh, yeah—but to be honest, he struck me as more depressed than vengeful. His marriage broke up over this, his name’s ruined, and there he sits.”

“Well,” Mabel said, “it’s obvious he couldn’t have killed Mike himself. Still, he might have someone working for him on the outside.”

“I know.” John sighed. “I just didn’t meet that man—the guy who’d arrange a hit on someone. I realize you can’t always tell, but I didn’t see that kind of simmering rage. He has an appeal going.”

Mabel thought. “Maybe there’s a family member with their own ax to grind.” It was hard to offer an opinion when she hadn’t even met Maier, but John seemed convinced of his innocence. John, moreover, had every reason to try to find someone to blame for Mike’s murder. He wouldn’t be naïve and easily fooled by a good actor.

“Food’s here.”

Mabel waited till John said, “Okay.”

“Were you about to say something before your dinner came?”

“Oh, yeah, well, I agree that while Charlie might not be out for a pound of flesh, he might have a family member mad enough to go after Mike on their own. Good suggestion. We could look into that.”

Mabel sighed. “Guess the interview was a bust, though.”

“Au contraire. Maier told me the man who got caught in the fire was still alive, last he heard, and rightly pointed out if anyone had reason to avenge himself on Mike it would be him. Whether Mike committed the arson or not, a mind bent on revenge might find the evidence compelling enough.”

“Why now?”

John shrugged. “The same question pretty much applies to all our suspects. Something may have triggered him—or opportunity may have just presented itself.”

Mabel pulled out her little notebook. She wrote, Look up news coverage of arson, especially name of injured homeless man.

“I’ll try to do a little research tomorrow,” she promised, “and see if I can get any info on him.

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