Рита Браун: Nine Lives To Die

“I see. Was Tyler shaken?”

“No. He was euphoric, actually.”

“And his father?”

“Tyler knew what I didn’t. That Lou was taking Coumadin, and he kept it in the glove compartment. Tyler stole some. Then he asked Lou to pick him up at St. Anne’s and drive him to the gym on campus. He gave Lou a cup of hot coffee, which he’d brought from the cafeteria, loaded with milk, sugar, and Coumadin. When he got out of the car, he told his father that Mark’s mother would bring him home and thanked him for the ride. He said Lou was furious because Tyler had kept taunting him about getting old. I asked Tyler what would he have done if Lou didn’t drink the coffee. He said he’d keep trying until he did.”

“And was he upset?”

She fell silent, then said, “Not at first. He said he was relieved. He said if anyone ever laid a hand on him again in his life he’d take them out. Can you understand? My son has been hurt, I couldn’t help him. I didn’t know until the damage was done.”

“Did Charlene Vavilov know anything?”

“No.”

“Did her sons smack around Tyler?” Rick continued.

“No. They used to come to some Silver Linings functions, but they’re both in college now.” The tears started again. She caught herself. “Don’t tell Charlene about Pete. What’s the point?”

“Unfortunately, Arden, it will eventually come out in Tyler’s hearing. He won’t be tried as an adult. That should be somewhat helpful to you, but he has killed two men. Premeditated murder,” Cooper informed her.

It wasn’t clear if Arden had heard her. She said, “Finding out your husband is beating up your son to toughen him up is a shock that I can’t begin to describe. I can’t think of any woman who would knock around a daughter she considered unfeminine. Lou was obsessed that Tyler be some kind of alpha male. Tyler made his plans to end his misery.”

“And the fingers?” Cooper quietly asked.

Arden grimaced for a moment, inhaled. “Hypocrisy. Tyler had a sense of symbolism. He thought they were both hypocrites, pretending to be good Catholics while being constantly on his back. At this point, my son hates the Church. He hates everybody.”

“Even you?” Cooper looked into her eyes.

“Depends on the day.” Arden’s tears spilled down her cheeks.

Harry, Fair, Cooper, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker gathered in the kitchen at noon on Saturday. Everyone had had a good night’s sleep, and Harry made lunch.

“I’ve spent a lot of time just lately at your kitchen table,” Cooper said. “I owe you a lot of dinners.”

“You don’t owe me a thing.”

“I am sorry I didn’t see it coming with Arden. Out of the blue, she tells all. Now that I know her story, I suppose yesterday was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“Poor camel,” Tucker commiserated.

“It’s just a saying!” Pewter sniffed.

Cooper told them why Pete and Lou were killed. She also knew the tiny mark on the headrest of the Explorer had to have been residue of the KCl. The lab work, slow again, wasn’t back on that, but she knew it. Adolescence is such a volatile time. Not that Cooper thought every pressured, angry kid is a potential murderer, but one has less mastery of one’s emotions then, and killing turns a boy into the alpha dog, at least for a time.

“It’s a dreadful story,” said Fair. “Does Father O’Connor know?”

“Not yet. We will meet with him, Social Services, a psychologist in the area who specializes in this stuff early tomorrow. Arden will be released, but she can’t say anything without jeopardizing her case because she really is an accessory to murder.”

“Which brings up Flo.” Harry’s tone brightened.

“She’s got a good lawyer. I think she’ll be okay. I hope so.” Cooper smiled.

“Me, too,” both Harry and Fair said simultaneously, then hooked index fingers, done when two people say the same thing at the same time.

“Cletus was waiting there when she was released. I had the magistrate call him.” Cooper smiled even bigger. “And he had The Terminator and Buster in his truck, as well as an old Navy duffel bag with some clothes. He took Flo home. I think he intends to stay there with her.”

Harry smiled, too. “At last, some good news.”

That night, the animals waited for Odin. The stars were bright, the night clear and therefore cold. They’d dragged out all the remains of the lunch, as well as some dog biscuits that Tucker was willing to give up.

Odin arrived and dug in. Mrs. Murphy told him from the loft above, “Thanks to you, Odin, two old people have made a home together, warmer than what they have apart. And two little dogs have a home, too. You’ve done a good deed.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Full, the coyote sat down.

“The bracelet that fell off the arm bone, that was what started it.” Pewter then told the whole story.

“Come on down, we can celebrate.” Odin grinned up at them. “And don’t worry. I won’t eat you. Anyway, isn’t it true that cats have nine lives?”

“Why lose the first one to find out?” Mrs. Murphy laughed and didn’t budge.

Dear Reader,

A dog. Sneaky Pie has dedicated this book to a dog. Too much catnip.

First off, the novel should be dedicated to me. I am the driving force. More to the point, I’m a cat.

And what’s this about a human being beautifully trained. Is this human housebroken?

For future reference, just know all the great ideas come from me, me, me. Plus I would never dedicate anything to a dog.

Yours,

Dear Reader,

Pewter is insufferable.

The driving force of these mysteries? Ha. She’s been sitting on her fat butt for years.

Yours in truth,

Dear Reader,

Finally a dog gets her due. Sneaky’s right to dedicate this book to a dog. Where would humans be without dogs? Lost, miserable, and so lonely. For that matter, a lot of cats would be lonely, too. Many dogs are best friends to cats, not that any creature could be a best friend to the Queen of Ego, Pewter.

As to Gracie, she has a fetching wardrobe and is very stylish. Naturally, good clothes hang better on a Yorkie than a corgi but still she wears a pretty blue coat. You’d have to put a tent on Pewter. That’s the real reason she’s fussing.

I remain, as always, yours and the only reasonable creature in this bunch,

Dedicated with admiration

to

Gracie, a Yorkshire Terrier

living in Cape Town, South Africa.

She has her human beautifully trained.

Books by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

WISH YOU WERE HERE • REST IN PIECES • MURDER AT MONTICELLO • PAY DIRT • MURDER, SHE MEOWED • MURDER ON THE PROWL • CAT ON THE SCENT • SNEAKY PIE’S • COOKBOOK FOR MYSTERY • LOVERS PAWING THROUGH THE PAST • CLAWS AND EFFECT • CATCH AS CAT • CAN THE TAIL OF THE TIP-OFF • WHISKER OF EVIL • CAT’S EYEWITNESS • SOUR PUSS • PUSS ’N CAHOOTS • THE PURRFECT MURDER • SANTA CLAWED • CAT OF THE CENTURY • HISS OF DEATH • THE BIG CAT NAP • SNEAKY PIE FOR PRESIDENT • THE LITTER OF THE LAW • NINE LIVES TO DIE