Davo cracked up at his own high-pitched impersonation.
I winced once as the painful call hit my hungover brain, and then again at the demise of the Demented Cat theory.
While Davo tucked into his indigestion inducer, I made a mental calculation. Since I’d eliminated the Youth Crime angle after meeting Laurie and Pedro, I was only left with the Hitchcock, which was entirely dependent on Gerald being able to walk, and Simon’s theory of it being Someone Else, someone not from Los Alamos Court.
“Davo, I don’t suppose you saw it happen?”
“Sorry, I was asleep. But I woke up when I heard it, ’cause I left my window open in case.” He paused to push more potatoes in his mouth. “But I didn’t see anyone or nothing.”
I took another sip of the worst coffee ever made, sure it was finishing the rats’ work on my brain but desperate for the caffeine. “So, you woke up straight away? Right then?”
“Yeah. Why?” He displayed a mouthful of partially chewed chunky potatoes as he spoke.
“And you didn’t see anyone? What about a car leaving?”
“Nup. Not even someone on the sidewalk.”
“And you’re sure you didn’t dream it? Or wake up later?”
“Nup. I heard the shatterin’ and I went straight to the window. An’ this morning, it was there shattered just where I heard it happen.”
Allowing myself a moment of elation, I pushed the untouched pastry away and wrapped my fingers around my mug. “Davo, that’s a great piece of investigation. Good work.”
“It is?” He looked as baffled as someone with a whole English muffin in his mouth can.
Feeling generous, I gave him a smile. “If you saw it straight away and there was no car, then chances are it was one of the residents of Los Alamos Court. At an absolute stretch, it’s someone else within walking distance, but I don’t think so.”
“How come?” He slurped his milkshake.
“Journalist’s instinct. You’ve earned that breakfast just with that piece of information.”
He grinned then rolled up a chile-coated tortilla and bit into it like a banana. “But I got more.”
“Excellent.” Who knew putting Davo on the job would be one of my better ideas? “What have you got?”
“Mrs. Brown was over—”
“Wait, who’s Mrs. Brown?”
“Lives next door to me at number four. Cosmo’s mom.”
I took out my pocket notebook and checked the map. “Between you and the boys on the corner.”
“Yep, her. She went over to Ethel and George’s last night after you went home and totally abused them. It was great!”
I was getting the distinct impression Davo didn’t have a lot of excitement in his life. But he had aroused my curiosity. “What was she mad about?”
“Turns out, her dog, Deefer, is knocked up by Gerald’s dog.”
“Really?” I made a note on the map. “Do you think this was the first time they’d talked about it?”
“Nah, she was pissed because Remington was in her yard again, even after she’d told them she’d caught him doin’ the business with Deefer last week.”
Before the first gnomicide. Hmm. “So, she was angry?”
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded, trying to look serious—an effect spoiled by the big grin he was unable to stifle. “She was goin’ off!”
Definite motive. Maybe the other residents with smashed gnomes had backed Remington. Or maybe she’d done their gnomes afterward to cover her tracks. This was probably the best angle I’d had so far—the Doggie Payback angle. “Thanks, Davo.”
“You want me to keep going?” he asked as he sucked his fingers clean.
“No, I think I’ll be finished today, but you’ve been a great help.” I knocked back the dregs of the brain-melting coffee.
“Hey, if you ever need help on an undercover operation again, you just call me.” He winked. “I’ve got experience now.”
I’m pretty sure I managed to keep a straight face. “Thanks, Davo, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Chapter 5
I dropped Davo home and decided to call in at Simon’s
I winced once as the painful call hit my hungover brain, and then again at the demise of the Demented Cat theory.
While Davo tucked into his indigestion inducer, I made a mental calculation. Since I’d eliminated the Youth Crime angle after meeting Laurie and Pedro, I was only left with the Hitchcock, which was entirely dependent on Gerald being able to walk, and Simon’s theory of it being Someone Else, someone not from Los Alamos Court.
“Davo, I don’t suppose you saw it happen?”
“Sorry, I was asleep. But I woke up when I heard it, ’cause I left my window open in case.” He paused to push more potatoes in his mouth. “But I didn’t see anyone or nothing.”
I took another sip of the worst coffee ever made, sure it was finishing the rats’ work on my brain but desperate for the caffeine. “So, you woke up straight away? Right then?”
“Yeah. Why?” He displayed a mouthful of partially chewed chunky potatoes as he spoke.
“And you didn’t see anyone? What about a car leaving?”
“Nup. Not even someone on the sidewalk.”
“And you’re sure you didn’t dream it? Or wake up later?”
“Nup. I heard the shatterin’ and I went straight to the window. An’ this morning, it was there shattered just where I heard it happen.”
Allowing myself a moment of elation, I pushed the untouched pastry away and wrapped my fingers around my mug. “Davo, that’s a great piece of investigation. Good work.”
“It is?” He looked as baffled as someone with a whole English muffin in his mouth can.
Feeling generous, I gave him a smile. “If you saw it straight away and there was no car, then chances are it was one of the residents of Los Alamos Court. At an absolute stretch, it’s someone else within walking distance, but I don’t think so.”
“How come?” He slurped his milkshake.
“Journalist’s instinct. You’ve earned that breakfast just with that piece of information.”
He grinned then rolled up a chile-coated tortilla and bit into it like a banana. “But I got more.”
“Excellent.” Who knew putting Davo on the job would be one of my better ideas? “What have you got?”
“Mrs. Brown was over—”
“Wait, who’s Mrs. Brown?”
“Lives next door to me at number four. Cosmo’s mom.”
I took out my pocket notebook and checked the map. “Between you and the boys on the corner.”
“Yep, her. She went over to Ethel and George’s last night after you went home and totally abused them. It was great!”
I was getting the distinct impression Davo didn’t have a lot of excitement in his life. But he had aroused my curiosity. “What was she mad about?”
“Turns out, her dog, Deefer, is knocked up by Gerald’s dog.”
“Really?” I made a note on the map. “Do you think this was the first time they’d talked about it?”
“Nah, she was pissed because Remington was in her yard again, even after she’d told them she’d caught him doin’ the business with Deefer last week.”
Before the first gnomicide. Hmm. “So, she was angry?”
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded, trying to look serious—an effect spoiled by the big grin he was unable to stifle. “She was goin’ off!”
Definite motive. Maybe the other residents with smashed gnomes had backed Remington. Or maybe she’d done their gnomes afterward to cover her tracks. This was probably the best angle I’d had so far—the Doggie Payback angle. “Thanks, Davo.”
“You want me to keep going?” he asked as he sucked his fingers clean.
“No, I think I’ll be finished today, but you’ve been a great help.” I knocked back the dregs of the brain-melting coffee.
“Hey, if you ever need help on an undercover operation again, you just call me.” He winked. “I’ve got experience now.”
I’m pretty sure I managed to keep a straight face. “Thanks, Davo, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Chapter 5
I dropped Davo home and decided to call in at Simon’s
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