Cat Got Your Tongue (The 9 Lives Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) by Louise Clark

Author:Louise Clark [Clark, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2017-10-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The call to Quinn had made Roy's worries real. Stating his fears aloud gave them weight and importance. By the time he went to make his witness statement, his heart was heavy and he was grieving for more than the man whose body he'd so recently found.

He took Stormy with him into the music room, carrying the cat in his arms. He told himself that Frank had not passed on, along with Vince, that he was simply traumatized by the experience of seeing the SledgeHammer manager murdered. He hoped that being part of the interview would get Frank involved in the deduction side of the murder and help him deal. He also thought that having Stormy with him would annoy Szostalo and perhaps cause him to let some information slip, like how his suspicions were coalescing and who he had set his sights on.

He was right about Szostalo. The detective focused on Stormy, limp and huddled in Roy's arms, and frowned. "What the devil is going on here, Constable?"

The uniform cop who had escorted him into the interview room shot Roy a look of loathing. "I tried to get him to leave the cat behind, sir, but he refused. He said if the cat didn't come, he wouldn't either."

Szostalo's frown turned into narrowed eyes and a glare. "The choice isn't yours, Mr., ah, Armstrong."

Roy didn't bother answering that. He sat down on one of Sledge's kitchen chairs and settled Stormy on the table so that he crouched between the detective and Roy. "The cat saw the murder, Detective. I think he deserves to be part of what's going on."

"It's a cat," Szostalo said impatiently. "It can't talk so it isn't any use to me."

"He was traumatized," Roy said. "I want to give him closure." He thought perhaps he was still a little stoned, despite several cups of the coffee someone had produced, and the adrenaline rush caused by finding a dead body. He didn't want to admit to anything he'd later regret, so if the detective thought him both stoned and off his rocker, that was all to the good.

Szostalo stared at Stormy and the cat stared back, green eyes wide and very cat-like. He looked over at Roy, who smiled and did his best to appear vacant. "Fine," he said. "The cat stays. Now, Mr. Armstrong, tell me exactly what you saw when you found the body." He paused then raised his eyebrows and added, "Just the facts, please. Not the kind of embellishments you use normally."

The constable had already collected personal data—address, email, phone, occupation, driver's license and all the rest—so Szostalo clearly knew who Roy was. He grinned. "Read some of my books, Detective?"

Szostalo stiffened. "I've read the articles you published lambasting our police forces for upholding laws you disapprove of. And yes, I read the novel you wrote after your incarceration for civil disobedience. I am well aware of your views on the value of the laws that govern this land and of the justice system I serve.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.