The Mysteries of Max: Books 31-33 by Nic Saint (chrome ebook reader txt) 📗

yank his visitation rights so fast…” She shook her head in utter dismay.

“Is there anyone else who had access to that gun?” asked Odelia. “Your daughter, maybe?”

“No. Karl always keeps that safe locked up tight.”

“Did you know that your daughter was the girlfriend of Darryl Farmer?”

“Who?”

“Darryl Farmer, the DJ who was found dead in an elevator shaft two nights ago.”

Kathleen frowned as she digested this piece of information, which clearly was news to her. “My daughter is seventeen, Miss Poole. She doesn’t date.”

“Well, I have it on good authority that she does—or did.”

“Darryl Farmer,” Kathleen repeated slowly. “Is this a boy in her class? Cause I think I once caught her texting some kid in her class—using very inappropriate language.”

“Darryl Farmer was thirty-five, Mrs. Bunyon. He was a DJ who played a lot of rave parties.”

“Oh, God,” said Kathleen, her hand flying to her face in a gesture of utter consternation. “Thirty-five!”

“Yeah, and as it happens he was also in those same woods the night our Mr. John Doe died. So now we’re thinking that maybe there’s some kind of a connection.”

“What connection?”

“I’m not sure,” Odelia confessed.

“Look, my husband wouldn’t hurt a fly,” said Kathleen. “He’s the most peace-loving individual on the planet. Which is one of the reasons I married him in the first place. My first husband, Suzy’s dad, was a real brute, and I swore that I’d never date a man who treated me badly ever again. And Karl has been a dream—well, except maybe for the fact that apparently he lied to me about being allergic to cats.”

“Look, there’s a lot of things we don’t know yet,” said Odelia. “We don’t know who this John Doe is, and we don’t know why he was killed, but what we do know is that your husband’s gun was used to kill him. The bullet that was found in John Doe matches Karl’s gun. There’s no doubt about it.”

“Then Grace must have done it,” said Kathleen promptly.

“Grace Kramer?”

Kathleen nodded primly. “She must have taken Karl’s gun and killed that man. Just so she could take away Karl’s kids. It’s the kind of thing she would do.” She leaned in and spat, “The woman is vicious. And she would stop at nothing to get back at Karl. She hates him for some reason, and she hates the fact that he’s the father of her kids.” She pointed a finger at Odelia. “You look into Grace, and you’ll see that I’m onto something here.”

“But… how would Grace have had access to your husband’s gun safe?”

Kathleen thought for a moment, then said, “Grace drops off the kids every other weekend. She could have taken the gun then.”

Odelia shook her head. “Mrs. Bunyon…”

“Kathleen, please. And can’t you look into this, Miss Poole? Can’t you please try to get Karl out of this mess? I’ve heard so many good things about you. How you’re an ace sleuth. There must be something you can do. I swear to God, Karl didn’t do it, whatever the evidence says. He simply didn’t.” She then took her wallet from her purse.

“No, Mrs. Bunyon,” said Odelia, anticipating what the woman was about to say.

“Kathleen, please. I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you whatever you want, if you can just get my Karl released from prison.”

“I can’t accept your money, Kathleen. I just can’t.”

“But you don’t understand,” said the woman as she placed a hundred-dollar bill on the desk, then another hundred-dollar bill. “If Karl is convicted the judge will definitely take away his kids. Please.” A third hundred-dollar bill fluttered from her fingers.

But Odelia picked up all three bills, took Kathleen’s wallet and put them back.

“Now that’s just silly,” Harriet muttered. She was probably thinking how much Cat Snax Odelia could buy from that money.

“Look, I’ll look into your husband’s case, all right?”

“Oh, thank you!”

“I’m not making any promises, mind you, but I will take a closer look.”

“Thank you so much, Odelia,” said Kathleen, getting up. “And I’m sure that if you do look into this, you’ll find that it’s that woman who stole Karl’s gun. Grace is the killer.”

After Kathleen had left, Harriet said, “You should have accepted that money, Odelia. Do you realize how much cat food three hundred dollars will buy you?”

“Or you could have used the money to buy your parents a new house,” said Dooley, taking a more practical, or should I say altruistic view.

“I can’t take Kathleen’s money, you guys,” said Odelia, “cause I’m not so sure her husband isn’t guilty of murder.”

“Well, like you said, you’re going to find out, right?” said Dooley.

Odelia shook her head. “I’m afraid there’s not much I can do. This is as clear-cut a case as I’ve ever seen.”

“Poor Kathleen,” said Dooley. “She really believes her husband is innocent, doesn’t she?”

“She does,” I confirmed. “But Odelia is right: the case is pretty clear-cut.” Unless… “What if the daughter took the gun?” I suggested.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Odelia intimated. “But why? Why would a teenager kill a homeless man?”

“For kicks?” I suggested.

“Max!” Dooley cried, horrified.

“No, but it happens,” I said. “Some teenagers simply like to kill people for kicks. And maybe this Suzy Bunyon is just such a person. Or maybe her friends are—like Todd Park. Or the late Darryl Farmer.”

“You might be onto something, Max,” Odelia said. “I’ll definitely look into that.”

Chapter 25

Once again Odelia was sitting across from her husband at the precinct.

“So you’re actually suggesting the ex-wife did it,” he said musingly.

“It’s just a thought,” she said.

“A thought Kathleen Bunyon came up with, and for good reason, too, for she’ll soon find her husband in jail for a very long time, convicted of first-degree murder.”

“Look, I’m not saying she’s right. I’m just asking you to take the broad view, and consider all the possibilities. Not just focus on Karl now that you’ve got him and the gun tied to the murder.”

“Okay, so let’s assume for a moment that Kathleen is right. And that Grace Kramer stole her ex-husband’s gun from his safe