Анна Керн - A Paw-sible Theory

“He made it very clear that he didn’t know anything about what had happened to Alyx, and didn’t understand why I was there asking questions.

“I asked him who was interested in the Antiques & Designs building, and he said that James Dunne, the developer who’s putting up the condominiums down the street, was interested in buying it and the one next door. Dunne already owns the building next to the Ocean Street Café, and the one on the other side of Antiques & Designs. His plan is to add a third floor and convert the top two floors into condominiums, keeping the bottom floor as retail space. Paying six hundred thousand dollars for one building is a good deal for him when you consider that he’ll be able to sell each unit for at least three to four hundred thousand dollars.”

Tim agreed. “There’s no question he would stand to make a sizeable profit. Was he aware that Alyx didn’t want to sell?”

“Yes, Maggie had told him, and he admitted that he was upset at first.”

“What about Dunne Development? What do you know about them?” prodded Tim.

“Dunne Development is a well-known and respected firm. I know James Dunne, the owner, and we’ve played golf for various charities. I called him right after I spoke with Moresby and chatted about the charity golf tournament coming up next month and business in general.

“I asked him about his involvement with Rupert Moresby. He said Moresby presented it as a straightforward business deal. He told Jim he could deliver the two buildings between the two that he already owned. At first, Jim thought it would only be feasible if he had both buildings but after thinking about it, he realized he could do it by just purchasing one of the buildings. It would cut into his profit, but still come out ahead and so would Moresby.”

“When did he tell Rupert he could still proceed with just one of the buildings?” asked Tim.

“He didn’t.”

“Well… what can I do to help you my friend?”

“I was hoping you could help me out with the purse-snatchers,” said Hunter. “It’s a real long shot, I know, but you never know where it might lead. It’s possible they tried to rob Alyx. If they’re professionals, they probably wore gloves, and there wouldn’t be any other fingerprints around the house or on the pot. And then again, if they’re professionals, they wouldn’t have tried to rob her in daylight.”

“Right. And if they were watching her, they would have known her work schedule. She said Saturday is always her day off.”

”And since they ignored all that, why didn’t they take anything?”

“That’s a good question, and I don’t have an answer. Maybe Ethan and Maggie’s arrival scared them away.”

“That means that whoever attacked her meant to do just that.”

Hunter lightly hit the corner of the desk with his fist. “I have successfully defended some who were no doubt guilty and here’s an innocent young man who will probably have to serve time if I can’t defend him against the evidence gathered by the State Attorney’s Office.”

Hunter rose from his chair and paced the length of the room. “A review of the scene revealed no sign of a break-in or struggle, nothing taken or disturbed. The only prints on the pot belong to Ethan and Alyx. The witness reports confirm that Ethan’s car and Maggie’s were the only cars seen in the driveway. The police learned that Alyx’s half of the business was in both their names. The interview with Maggie also revealed Ethan’s bout of depression over the break-up with his long-time girlfriend just four months earlier. The police also know that Alyx had expressed her concern over Ethan’s spending habits, had quarreled with him on several occasions, most recently, about his twenty-five thousand dollar purchase of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“The next-door neighbor, Mrs. Leary, told the police about the day Ethan showed up on his Harley. She was out on the porch, heard the motorcycle drive up, and the ensuing argument when Alyx came out, adding at the end, that it really sounded more like a disagreement than an argument. Unfortunately, that last part didn’t make it into the report.”

Tim leaned forward. “I see why you’re concerned. It doesn’t look good for the kid.”

“Notwithstanding all that, Ethan refuses to plead guilty or make any deals; says he abhors even the thought of being associated with such a heinous crime, let alone plead guilty. He insists he’s innocent––that he would rather take his chances. That hope is dashed now that she’s regained consciousness and doesn’t know who tried to kill her.”

“She can testify in his defense, though, can’t she?”

“She wants to. I haven’t made a decision on that.”

Both men were silent long enough for me to think they’d left the room, when Hunter came to stand in front of the window. I quickly moved out of his line of vision, pulling out some fur as I backed deeper in the thorny bushes.

Tim said, “I think we should talk to Mr. Moresby again. If it turns out that he was involved in the attack, it might prompt him to make a move. And what about this guy…George Lucas? You want me to talk to him?”

Hunter said, “I already have. I recorded the interview. I don’t have any notes because he didn’t have anything to add, but if you want to take it on, see if you can dig up anything on his business dealings, past and present.”

“Okay; so I’m to look into both the purse-snatching and Mr. Moresby…and check George Lucas’ business dealings. Right?”

“Right.”

“How quickly do you want me to get on it?”

“Quick.”

Their voices sounded farther away now and I took one quick look into the room.

Tim was looking at his phone. “I just happen to have some time in the next couple of days, is that quick enough?” Hunter sat behind his desk. Tim finished off the last of his coffee and got up to leave.

“Got to go. I have a lunch date in ten minutes and this lady doesn’t cut me any slack,” he said, grinning. How are things with you and Joann?”

“Still unsettled. Still a mess.”

“I guess dinner with me and my lady is out of the question?”

“I’m afraid so,” Hunter sighed audibly. “She filed the divorce papers; we’ve agreed to a settlement––she can’t decide to let me go or hang on, but that’s another story.”

So there was a Mrs. Hunter, after all. I made my way home, dodging bikes, kids and dogs, devastated to hear Hunter admit that Ethan didn’t have a chance. When I arrived home, I was exhausted, but I wasn’t finished yet. I asked Pooky if she still wanted to help and she said she did. I asked her to arrange for one of her outdoor cat friends to stake out Hunter’s office, on the lookout for Tim and report what he uncovered in his investigation.

“We have a theory that cats are planning to take over the world, just try to look them straight in the eye...yup, they’re hiding something!”

––Dog Fancy Magazine

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Dead-End Leads

As promised, Hunter’s friend Tim delivered the information two days later, and Pooky’s friend was there to observe and report back to Pooky. Tim told Hunter that Moresby didn’t want to talk at first. He told Tim that Hunter knew everything he knew and he had nothing else to say. Then, when Tim told Moresby that somebody had seen his car in front of Alyx’s home, he became more talkative. He admitted to going to see her. He said that since he hadn’t yet heard back from Maggie, he couldn’t be sure that she had mentioned the deal to Alyx, so he decided to go speak to Alyx himself, but changed his mind when he got to Alyx’s house and drove off without stopping. Hunter didn’t think that was much to go on, but Tim thought it could motivate Moresby to make another move if he was involved.