He came in looking for a job after Edna canned him. We didn’t need anyone, but I gave him a couple of leads.”
“How did he seem?”
“Seem?” Jeremy asked.
“Did he seem like a killer?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I’m not sure how a person who’s a killer would seem, but he wasn’t carrying a weapon or anything. He did seem pretty upset about getting canned. Apparently, part of his pay was supposed to come from a percentage of the money made off the sale of the kittens, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to see any money from the litters last housed at the facility.”
“Seems odd to pay a handyman with a percentage of sales,” I pointed out.
“I think he was more than a handyman. It sounded to me as if he was more of an assistant, or even a manager.”
A man who was not only fired but who felt he was being gypped out of a profit that was rightfully his would make a strong suspect, I decided. Maybe I’d take some time that afternoon to pay a call on the bitter ex-employee. If Fritz had applied for a job with us, we should have his contact information on file.
“By the way, how did your trip with Jessica go last weekend?” I asked.
Jessica was Jeremy’s girlfriend, the mother of a seven-year-old girl named Rosalie who absolutely adored Jeremy’s two-year-old daughter, Morgan. My mom and dad had watched both children the previous weekend so Jeremy and Jessica could have a special trip away.
“It went great. In fact,” Jeremy’s face broke into a grin, “Jessica and I are engaged.”
“Oh my God.” I got up from the floor and crossed the room. “I’m so happy for you.” I hugged Jeremy. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“Jessica wanted to wait for us to announce it until she had a chance to tell her family, but I figured I can trust you to keep our secret.”
“Absolutely. Have you set a date?”
“Not yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as we do. In fact, I was kind of hoping you and Zak would let us hold it at your house. You have such a nice setting for a wedding.”
“You can absolutely hold it at the house.” I hugged Jeremy again. “I’m so excited for you. I think you, Jess, Morgan, and Rosalie are going to make an awesome family.”
Jeremy really did look happy, which made me happy too. He’d had a tough time as a single dad, but things had gotten so much better for him once Jessica came into his life.
“I hear someone in the front.” Jeremy turned his head and looked toward the door. “I think Tiffany is up there, but she did say something about cleaning the bear cages, so I’d better check just in case.”
Tiffany Middleton was one of our most trusted employees at Zoe’s Zoo.
Jeremy left the room and I turned my attention to Charlie, who had not one but four kittens crawling on his back. He was such a patient dog. No matter how many times he was hissed at or swatted in the face, he continued to lay on the floor with what can only be described as a smile on his face.
I took my phone out of my pocket and pulled up a new note. There, I listed the suspects I wanted to try to speak to that day and the reason I believed they had motive to kill Edna. Fritz had been fired from his job and gypped out of the pay he probably felt he had coming to him, Wanda believed her husband had been stepping out on her with Edna, and Jethro had reason to want Edna out of the way to avoid digging a new well that was over his property line. I looked at the list and considered whether there were others who ought to be added. I remembered Aspen saying Donald Jacobs was convinced Edna was stalking him, so I added his name. Aspen had also told me Ben Wild had had words with Edna when they’d run into each other at the post office.
So far that gave me five new suspects, which was five more than I’d had when I started. Not bad, I decided, for a day and a half of sleuthing.
“Delivery for Zoe Donovan-Zimmerman.” Jeremy returned from the front with the largest bouquet of
“How did he seem?”
“Seem?” Jeremy asked.
“Did he seem like a killer?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I’m not sure how a person who’s a killer would seem, but he wasn’t carrying a weapon or anything. He did seem pretty upset about getting canned. Apparently, part of his pay was supposed to come from a percentage of the money made off the sale of the kittens, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to see any money from the litters last housed at the facility.”
“Seems odd to pay a handyman with a percentage of sales,” I pointed out.
“I think he was more than a handyman. It sounded to me as if he was more of an assistant, or even a manager.”
A man who was not only fired but who felt he was being gypped out of a profit that was rightfully his would make a strong suspect, I decided. Maybe I’d take some time that afternoon to pay a call on the bitter ex-employee. If Fritz had applied for a job with us, we should have his contact information on file.
“By the way, how did your trip with Jessica go last weekend?” I asked.
Jessica was Jeremy’s girlfriend, the mother of a seven-year-old girl named Rosalie who absolutely adored Jeremy’s two-year-old daughter, Morgan. My mom and dad had watched both children the previous weekend so Jeremy and Jessica could have a special trip away.
“It went great. In fact,” Jeremy’s face broke into a grin, “Jessica and I are engaged.”
“Oh my God.” I got up from the floor and crossed the room. “I’m so happy for you.” I hugged Jeremy. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“Jessica wanted to wait for us to announce it until she had a chance to tell her family, but I figured I can trust you to keep our secret.”
“Absolutely. Have you set a date?”
“Not yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as we do. In fact, I was kind of hoping you and Zak would let us hold it at your house. You have such a nice setting for a wedding.”
“You can absolutely hold it at the house.” I hugged Jeremy again. “I’m so excited for you. I think you, Jess, Morgan, and Rosalie are going to make an awesome family.”
Jeremy really did look happy, which made me happy too. He’d had a tough time as a single dad, but things had gotten so much better for him once Jessica came into his life.
“I hear someone in the front.” Jeremy turned his head and looked toward the door. “I think Tiffany is up there, but she did say something about cleaning the bear cages, so I’d better check just in case.”
Tiffany Middleton was one of our most trusted employees at Zoe’s Zoo.
Jeremy left the room and I turned my attention to Charlie, who had not one but four kittens crawling on his back. He was such a patient dog. No matter how many times he was hissed at or swatted in the face, he continued to lay on the floor with what can only be described as a smile on his face.
I took my phone out of my pocket and pulled up a new note. There, I listed the suspects I wanted to try to speak to that day and the reason I believed they had motive to kill Edna. Fritz had been fired from his job and gypped out of the pay he probably felt he had coming to him, Wanda believed her husband had been stepping out on her with Edna, and Jethro had reason to want Edna out of the way to avoid digging a new well that was over his property line. I looked at the list and considered whether there were others who ought to be added. I remembered Aspen saying Donald Jacobs was convinced Edna was stalking him, so I added his name. Aspen had also told me Ben Wild had had words with Edna when they’d run into each other at the post office.
So far that gave me five new suspects, which was five more than I’d had when I started. Not bad, I decided, for a day and a half of sleuthing.
“Delivery for Zoe Donovan-Zimmerman.” Jeremy returned from the front with the largest bouquet of
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