Рита Браун - Pay Dirt

"Kerry—"

"Harry—" Kerry reached to touch her head as she rolled onto her side and realized a gun was in her right hand. She dropped it as if it were on fire and sat straight up. "Oh." She clasped her head with both hands.

"Honey, you'd better lie back down." Miranda sat beside her to ease her down.

"No, no—let me stay still." Kerry forced a weak smile.

A coughing motor announced Herb. He pulled alongside the bank and got out. He couldn't see them yet.

"Herbie, we're at the front door," Miranda called loudly to him.

His footsteps came closer. He appeared out of an envelope of thick gray fog. "What's going on?"

"We don't really know," Miranda answered.

Kerry replied, "I feel dizzy and a little sick to my stomach."

Herb noticed the bank door was wide open.

Harry said, "It was open. I used the phone inside, but I didn't look around. Something's wrong."

"Yes—" He felt it too. "I'm going in."

"Take the gun," Miranda advised.

"No. No need." He disappeared into the bank.

" Should we go with him?"Vevntt wondered.

" No, I'm not leaving Mother ." Murphy continued purring because she thought the soothing sound might calm the humans.

"What little friends you are." Kerry petted the cats, then stopped because even that made her stomach queasy.

"They found you and then they found us—well, it's a long story." Harry sat on die other side of Kerry.

"Herb, what's the matter?" Miranda was shocked when he reappeared. His face, drained of all color, gave him a frightful appearance. He looked as sick as Kerry.

"Hogan Freely's been murdered." He sat heavily on the pavement almost the way a tired child drops down. "I've known him all my life. What a good man—what a good man." Tears ran down his cheeks. "I've got to tell Laura."

"I'll go with you," Miranda offered. "We can go after the sheriff arrives."

"Kerry." Harry, shaking, pointed to the gun.

Kerry's voice wavered. "I didn't kill him. I don't even own a gun."

"Can you remember what happened?" Harry asked.

"Up to a point, I can." Kerry sucked in air, trying to drive out the pain. "I was over at Mother and Dads. Dad's sick again, so I stayed late to help Mom. I didn't leave until a litde past midnight, and I was crawling along because of the fog. I passed the corner and thought I saw a light in Hogan's office window. It was fuzzy but I was curious. I turned around and parked in the lot. I figured he was up there trying to find the money like he said he was going to do and I was going to surprise him, just kind of cheer him up. I walked up these steps and opened the door, and that's all I remember."

"What about sounds?" Harry asked.

" Or smells ?''Pewter added. " Murphy, let's go in and see if we can pick up a scent. Harry's all right. No one's around to hit her on the head and Kerry won't do anything crazy ."

"Okay."

The two cats left.

"I remember opening the door. I don't remember footsteps or anything like that, but somebody must have heard me. I didn't think I was making that much noise."

"Luck of the draw," Herb said. "You were going in as he was going out."

The sirens in the distance meant Cynthia was approaching.

The two cats lifted their noses and sniffed. " Let'sgo upstairs . "Mrs. Murphy led the way.

As they neared Hogan's office, Pewter said in a small voice, "/ don't think I want to see this . *

"Close your eyes and use your nose. And don't step in anything."

Murphy padded into the room. Hogan was sitting upright in his chair; his shoulder was torn away. Blood spattered the wall behind him. A small hole bore evidence to the bullet that killed him. Murphy could smell the blood seeping into the upholstery of the chair.

Pewter opened one eye and then shut it. "/ can't smell anything but blood and gunpowder ."

" Blood and gunpowder . "Mrs. Murphy leapt onto his desk with a single bound. She tried not to look into Hogans glassy stare. She liked him and didn't want to remember him like this.

His computer was turned off. His desk drawers were closed. There was no sign of struggle. She touched her nose to every article on his desk. Then she jumped back to the floor. She stopped by the front of his desk.

"Here."

Pewter placed her nose on the spot. " Rubber. Rubber and wet ."

"From the misty night, I would think. Rubber won't leave much of a print and not in this carpet. Dammit! Rubber, blood, and gun-smoke. Whoever did this was no dummy."

" Maybe so, Murphy, but whoever did this was in a hurry. The computer is off but still warm ." Pewter noticed Hogans feet under the desk. " Let's talk about this outside. This place gives me the creeps ."

" Okay ." It bothered Murphy, too, but she didn't want to admit it.

As they walked back down the stairs, Pewter continued. " If someone wanted to dispatch Hogan Freely, there are better ways to do it ."

"I agree. So, he was getting close to the missing money."

As the cats passed through the lobby, Rick Shaw entered. He saw them but didn't say anything.

The blue and red flashing lights of the squad car and the ambulance reflected off the fog.

Kerry, on a stretcher, was being carried to the back of the ambulance.

The cats stood next to Harry and Mrs. Hogendobber. Herb, with a slow tread, turned to enter the bank. Cynthia, pad out, was taking notes.

"Herb, I'll go with you."

"Good."

"We'll wait here." Harry pulled Miranda back as she was about to follow. "You'll have nightmares."

"You're right—but I feel so awful. I hate to think of him up there, alone and—"

"Don't think about it and don't let Laura think about it either when you go over there with Reverend Jones. It's too painful. She doesn't have to know all the details."

"You're right." Miranda lowered her eyes. "This is dreadful."

" Dreadful —"Mrs. Murphy whispered, " andjust beginning ."

25

The hospital smell bothered Harry, reminding her of her mothers last days on earth. She avoided visiting anyone in a hospital if she could, but invariably duty overcame aversion and she would venture down the impersonal corridors.

Kerry was being kept for twenty-four hours to make sure she suffered no further effects from her assault. The doctors treated any blow to the head as serious. Cynthia Cooper was sitting next to Kerry's bed when Harry entered the room.

"How you doing?"

"Okay—considering."

"Hi, Coop."

"Hi." Coop shifted in her seat. "Hell of a night."

Kerry fiddled with her hospital identification wristband. "Cynthia went with Rick and Herbie to Laura Freely's. Laura collapsed when they told her."

"Who's with her until Dudley andThea can fly home?" Dudley and Thea were the Freelys' adult children.

"Miranda spent the night there. Mim's with Laura right now. The ladies will take turns even once the children return. There's so much to do and Laura is sedated. She can't make any of the decisions that need to be made. I think Ellie Wood Baxter, Port, and even BoomBoom will work out a schedule." Cynthia stretched her legs.

"Kerry, I dropped by to see if you needed anything from home, what with your dad being sick. I'm happy to pick up stuff for you."

"Thanks, but I'm okay."

"Cynthia—?" Harry's eyebrows pointed upward quizzically.

"I'm here to see she doesn't make a run for it. The .357 in her hand was the gun that killed Hogan. And it's registered to Kerry McCray."

"I don't own a gun." Kerry teared up.

"According to the records, you bought one at Hassett's in Waynesboro, July tenth."

"Are you arresting my friend here?" Harry tried to keep her voice light.