Six Cats A Slayin'

Azalea arrived soon after, while I was still engrossed in the newspaper—the comics, actually. I was one of the dinosaurs who still enjoyed reading the newspaper in print every morning. I discovered that Azalea already knew about Alex’s progress in the hospital. Sean had told Cherelle, Cherelle had told her mother, and Lurene had told Azalea. The small-town grapevine at work.

Azalea, knowing that I wasn’t working today, made biscuits for breakfast. By the time they were ready, Stewart and Haskell, fresh from the gym, joined me at the breakfast table. I asked Haskell how the investigation was progressing. I knew any information he shared would be only whatever Kanesha approved. I was intrigued when he mentioned that they had a new lead.

“Someone called yesterday to give information that might be pertinent to the case,” Haskell said. “Kanesha will be following up on it today.” He regarded me blandly, and I wondered whether he was referring to Milton Harville, who might have told Kanesha he had talked to me before calling.

“That’s good,” I said. “I hope it will lead to an arrest, if it’s really pertinent.”

“You know my boss,” Haskell said. “She doesn’t get excited over anything. This new lead could be a blind alley. Until she has the autopsy and toxicology reports, she can only do so much.”

“Once she knows how Gerry was killed,” I said, “that should narrow down the suspects, I should think. It would be a matter of who had access to the particular poison used, right?”

Haskell nodded. “We can make an educated guess. A couple of witnesses saw her take the last drink from the glass and her reaction. Whatever it was, it hit her fast.”

Haskell probably knew more than he was telling, but I wouldn’t press for details. If Kanesha hadn’t wanted me to know even as much as he had shared a moment ago, he wouldn’t have told me. My heart sank, however, because it sounded to me like cyanide poisoning, and I remembered Milton’s confession that Tammy knew how to make it herself. Looked to me like the evidence was piling up strongly against her.

Haskell drained his coffee and pushed back his chair from the table. “Thanks for breakfast, Azalea,” he said. “I’m ready to face the day at work now.” Azalea acknowledged his thanks with a brief smile, and Haskell headed upstairs to dress.

“What’s on your agenda today, Charlie?” Stewart asked.

“I have a few errands to run, last-minute stuff for Christmas,” I said. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“No, I’m good,” Stewart said. “I’m not planning to get out of the house today, except maybe a quick run to campus to pick up something in my office. I’ll be happy to keep an eye on Diesel, if you’re not planning to take him. The kittens, too, of course.”

“Diesel will be staying here. Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said. “I’m sure Azalea will be pleased, too. One less thing I have to burden her with.”

“The Lord knows I surely don’t mind checking on those babies from time to time,” Azalea said on her way out of the kitchen to head upstairs.

Stewart grinned at me. “Lo, how the mighty have fallen. I’d be willing to bet she’ll adopt one of those kittens.”

“That’s a sucker bet.” I smiled back at him. “I won’t be gone more than about an hour and a half, I think, so you won’t be on duty all that long.”

“No problem,” Stewart said. “Take as long as you want. When are you going?”

“Not for a while,” I said. “The stores won’t be open until nine. I want to get in and out as quickly as I can. I’m sure things will be chaotic because of other last-minute shoppers like me.”

“Tomorrow will be much worse,” Stewart said. “Be thankful you don’t have to enter a mall to do your shopping. It will be hard enough to find parking spaces on and around the square today and tomorrow.”

“Yes, it will.” I grimaced. “I don’t know why I put myself through this every year. You’d think I’d have learned by now to get things done sooner so that I didn’t have to deal with the crowds and parking issues.”

“There’s always next year.” Stewart laughed and pushed back his chair. “Shoot me a text when you get ready to leave. I’ll be upstairs until then.”

“Will do,” I said. By force of habit I got up and started to clear the table. Then I realized I should stop. When Azalea was in the house, the kitchen especially was her domain. Any cleaning to be done, she insisted on doing. Though it pained me not to pick up after myself, I knew better than to cross Azalea. I couldn’t bear that one expression she had that made me feel like a no-good ten-year-old who’s just been caught stealing from the cookie jar.

By five after nine I was ready to sally forth. I texted Stewart to let him know I was leaving, told Azalea I should be back in plenty of time for lunch, gave Diesel a few scratches on the chin, and then made for the car.