SUICIDAL SUSPICIONS: A Kate Huntington Mystery (The Kate Huntington Mystery Series Book 8) by Kassandra Lamb Page A
Authors: Kassandra Lamb
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trying to figure it out myself, ever since she died.” He paused, took a deep breath and then let it out. “You realize I can’t bury her in sacred ground as a suicide?”
“That was the first thing that made me wonder about her death,” Kate said. “She may not have gone to church regularly, but she was still Catholic enough to believe that suicide is a mortal sin.”
That and sheer stubbornness had kept Josie from going that far in the past. She’d often said that she wasn’t willing to let her bipolar disorder win. But maybe the fight had gotten to be too much.
Still there was the dog issue. But Father Sam had made a good point. Maybe she’d assumed she’d be found sooner. Did she have an appointment with someone to come to her place?
“Earth to Katie.”
“Sorry, I was just trying to put together the pieces.”
The priest smiled at her, his eyes twinkling again. “You always did love puzzles.”
Kate smiled back, realizing he was right. As a kid, she’d loved puzzles of any kind–jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles. Now she made her living sorting out the mysteries of what was going on in her clients’ psyches. And far too often in recent years, she’d dealt with the mystery of a murder.
Did she really want to get involved in another one?
“Can’t think of anything else helpful,” Father Sam said.
She pulled out her wallet and extracted one of her business cards. “Will you call me if you do think of anything?”
“Surely, and you keep me posted. I’d love to be able to tell her parents she can be buried in their plot at the New Cathedral Cemetery.”
Kate suppressed a chuckle. The New Cathedral Cemetery wasn’t all that new anymore, having been founded in the 1800s. But it was the most prestigious Catholic cemetery in the area, so she wasn’t surprised the Hartins had a family plot there.
The priest showed her to the door. “Where are you going to church these days, Katie?”
“St. Catherine’s in Towson.”
He looked puzzled for a moment, then his face cleared. “Ah, St. Catherine’s Episcopal . Catholic Light, same rituals…”
“Half the guilt,” they said in unison.
They both laughed, then Father Sam pulled her into a warm hug.
Kate’s stomach growled as she drove back to her office, reminding her that she’d never eaten lunch during her lunch break. She pulled into a fast food drive-thru and ordered a quarter-pound cheeseburger and fries, promising herself she’d do an extra aikido workout this weekend to make up for the calories.
Waiting in the line of cars that was barely inching forward, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She really needed to know more about that clonazepam prescription. Who had prescribed it, and was it even prescribed for Josie? But she couldn’t keep bothering Skip and Dolph every time she needed more information.
Maybe she had enough to get Dolph’s old partner at the Baltimore County police department to open the case as a homicide investigation. Judith Anderson was a lieutenant now, so she certainly had the clout, if Kate could convince her there was enough evidence to counter the assumption of suicide.
Maybe she could borrow Dolph one more time, to get her in to see Judith. But first she had to free up some time during a weekday. Police lieutenants worked nine to five, unless they had an important case going on, in which case Judith wouldn’t have time to see her anyway.
She mentally reviewed her schedule for the next two days. Carol was coming in again tomorrow at two. She had to see her for sure, but her three and four o’clock clients had been in a good place lately. Maybe she could postpone them to next week.
Anxiety and guilt blindsided her. What if one of them went into a downward spiral while they were waiting to see her again, like Josie had?
Don’t be ridiculous.
Neither of those two clients was prone to depression or suicidal ideation. And besides, wasn’t she ninety percent convinced now that Josie
“That was the first thing that made me wonder about her death,” Kate said. “She may not have gone to church regularly, but she was still Catholic enough to believe that suicide is a mortal sin.”
That and sheer stubbornness had kept Josie from going that far in the past. She’d often said that she wasn’t willing to let her bipolar disorder win. But maybe the fight had gotten to be too much.
Still there was the dog issue. But Father Sam had made a good point. Maybe she’d assumed she’d be found sooner. Did she have an appointment with someone to come to her place?
“Earth to Katie.”
“Sorry, I was just trying to put together the pieces.”
The priest smiled at her, his eyes twinkling again. “You always did love puzzles.”
Kate smiled back, realizing he was right. As a kid, she’d loved puzzles of any kind–jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles. Now she made her living sorting out the mysteries of what was going on in her clients’ psyches. And far too often in recent years, she’d dealt with the mystery of a murder.
Did she really want to get involved in another one?
“Can’t think of anything else helpful,” Father Sam said.
She pulled out her wallet and extracted one of her business cards. “Will you call me if you do think of anything?”
“Surely, and you keep me posted. I’d love to be able to tell her parents she can be buried in their plot at the New Cathedral Cemetery.”
Kate suppressed a chuckle. The New Cathedral Cemetery wasn’t all that new anymore, having been founded in the 1800s. But it was the most prestigious Catholic cemetery in the area, so she wasn’t surprised the Hartins had a family plot there.
The priest showed her to the door. “Where are you going to church these days, Katie?”
“St. Catherine’s in Towson.”
He looked puzzled for a moment, then his face cleared. “Ah, St. Catherine’s Episcopal . Catholic Light, same rituals…”
“Half the guilt,” they said in unison.
They both laughed, then Father Sam pulled her into a warm hug.
Kate’s stomach growled as she drove back to her office, reminding her that she’d never eaten lunch during her lunch break. She pulled into a fast food drive-thru and ordered a quarter-pound cheeseburger and fries, promising herself she’d do an extra aikido workout this weekend to make up for the calories.
Waiting in the line of cars that was barely inching forward, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She really needed to know more about that clonazepam prescription. Who had prescribed it, and was it even prescribed for Josie? But she couldn’t keep bothering Skip and Dolph every time she needed more information.
Maybe she had enough to get Dolph’s old partner at the Baltimore County police department to open the case as a homicide investigation. Judith Anderson was a lieutenant now, so she certainly had the clout, if Kate could convince her there was enough evidence to counter the assumption of suicide.
Maybe she could borrow Dolph one more time, to get her in to see Judith. But first she had to free up some time during a weekday. Police lieutenants worked nine to five, unless they had an important case going on, in which case Judith wouldn’t have time to see her anyway.
She mentally reviewed her schedule for the next two days. Carol was coming in again tomorrow at two. She had to see her for sure, but her three and four o’clock clients had been in a good place lately. Maybe she could postpone them to next week.
Anxiety and guilt blindsided her. What if one of them went into a downward spiral while they were waiting to see her again, like Josie had?
Don’t be ridiculous.
Neither of those two clients was prone to depression or suicidal ideation. And besides, wasn’t she ninety percent convinced now that Josie
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