Gray, leaning against the break room doorway. As usual, he was wearing a gray suit and dark tie. Josie had met him when Nate was murdered. He didn’t like her then, and she could see the same distaste in his shrewd eyes.
Officer Richards looked up in surprise.
“Miss Marcus and I are old friends, officer,” Detective Gray said. “And wouldn’t you know it? She’s connected with another murder.”
“Murder?” Josie asked. “Edna’s dead?” The news wasn’t a surprise, but the reality was a punch in the gut. Josie clung to her coffee cup as if it could save her from slipping off the earth.
Detective Gray regarded Josie without warmth. “It’s interesting,” he said. “I haven’t seen you for almost a year, when your ex was murdered. But I stop in here and the first words out of your mouth are lies.”
“What lies?” Josie said.
“Don’t bullshit me, Miss Marcus. I just saw the parking lot security video. If you met the victim today, why did you greet Edna Prilosen outside the store at six thirty-two tonight like she was your oldest friend? There’s no sound on that video, but I saw you hug that woman. Do you always embrace strangers?”
“That’s what we agreed to do when I met her this morning. It’s all on my tape.”
“Your tape?” Detective Gray raised one eyebrow.
“I had a purse camera for my mystery-shopping assignment. It recorded our conversation.”
“You’ve got audio?”
“Not with me. Harry, my boss at Suttin Services, has the tape now. He said it was legal to record myself in Missouri. I hope there’s not a problem.”
“Officer Richards, call the PD Geek Squad and have them make a mirror copy of the store’s security video system’s hard drive,” Detective Gray said.
“The Geek Squad, sir?”
“The police tech services unit. I need a copy of that store security video to see if it tallies with her account. When did you have this conversation with the victim, Miss Marcus?”
“A few minutes after the store opened at noon,” Josie said.
Detective Gray turned to Officer Richards. “Tell them the hour between noon and one is most important. Secure the room where the machine is. These tapes have a habit of erasing themselves.”
“Yes, sir. Do we need a warrant?”
“Let’s seize the tape first and then get a judge’s permission to view it. Where’s the manager, Dave?”
“He was called to the store headquarters in Milwaukee this afternoon,” Officer Richards said.
“Have someone get hold of them and track him down. Now.”
“Yes, sir.” Officer Richards dashed out of the room.
Detective Gray turned back to Josie. “What’s your boss’s last name?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always called him Harry.” She left out “the Horrible.” Josie was pretty sure he wasn’t listed that way in the phone book.
“Where’s he live?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“You must have an emergency number.”
“I do, but it’s at home.”
“When we finish here, I’ll have an officer accompany you to your home for that phone number. Did you have a tape running when you talked with Miss Prilosen in the parking lot?”
“No,” Josie said. “She’d spotted the recording device in the store and asked me not to bring it. So I just had this. She checked it.” She held up her black purse.
“What did she tell you before she was run over? And remember, Miss Marcus, if you hide anything, there will be serious consequences. A woman was murdered because of your meddling.”
“Edna said she tried to get into Dave’s office to check his records, but she didn’t have a key. She did hear him talking to the puppy mill owner on the phone. Edna said the mill was somewhere in St. Louis County.”
“That’s real helpful,” Detective Gray said. “We’re only talking about some five hundred square miles. What else?”
“The puppies are delivered in a dark, beat-up pickup,” Josie said. “The miller smears mud on the plates. He has a funny first
Officer Richards looked up in surprise.
“Miss Marcus and I are old friends, officer,” Detective Gray said. “And wouldn’t you know it? She’s connected with another murder.”
“Murder?” Josie asked. “Edna’s dead?” The news wasn’t a surprise, but the reality was a punch in the gut. Josie clung to her coffee cup as if it could save her from slipping off the earth.
Detective Gray regarded Josie without warmth. “It’s interesting,” he said. “I haven’t seen you for almost a year, when your ex was murdered. But I stop in here and the first words out of your mouth are lies.”
“What lies?” Josie said.
“Don’t bullshit me, Miss Marcus. I just saw the parking lot security video. If you met the victim today, why did you greet Edna Prilosen outside the store at six thirty-two tonight like she was your oldest friend? There’s no sound on that video, but I saw you hug that woman. Do you always embrace strangers?”
“That’s what we agreed to do when I met her this morning. It’s all on my tape.”
“Your tape?” Detective Gray raised one eyebrow.
“I had a purse camera for my mystery-shopping assignment. It recorded our conversation.”
“You’ve got audio?”
“Not with me. Harry, my boss at Suttin Services, has the tape now. He said it was legal to record myself in Missouri. I hope there’s not a problem.”
“Officer Richards, call the PD Geek Squad and have them make a mirror copy of the store’s security video system’s hard drive,” Detective Gray said.
“The Geek Squad, sir?”
“The police tech services unit. I need a copy of that store security video to see if it tallies with her account. When did you have this conversation with the victim, Miss Marcus?”
“A few minutes after the store opened at noon,” Josie said.
Detective Gray turned to Officer Richards. “Tell them the hour between noon and one is most important. Secure the room where the machine is. These tapes have a habit of erasing themselves.”
“Yes, sir. Do we need a warrant?”
“Let’s seize the tape first and then get a judge’s permission to view it. Where’s the manager, Dave?”
“He was called to the store headquarters in Milwaukee this afternoon,” Officer Richards said.
“Have someone get hold of them and track him down. Now.”
“Yes, sir.” Officer Richards dashed out of the room.
Detective Gray turned back to Josie. “What’s your boss’s last name?”
“I don’t know. I’ve always called him Harry.” She left out “the Horrible.” Josie was pretty sure he wasn’t listed that way in the phone book.
“Where’s he live?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“You must have an emergency number.”
“I do, but it’s at home.”
“When we finish here, I’ll have an officer accompany you to your home for that phone number. Did you have a tape running when you talked with Miss Prilosen in the parking lot?”
“No,” Josie said. “She’d spotted the recording device in the store and asked me not to bring it. So I just had this. She checked it.” She held up her black purse.
“What did she tell you before she was run over? And remember, Miss Marcus, if you hide anything, there will be serious consequences. A woman was murdered because of your meddling.”
“Edna said she tried to get into Dave’s office to check his records, but she didn’t have a key. She did hear him talking to the puppy mill owner on the phone. Edna said the mill was somewhere in St. Louis County.”
“That’s real helpful,” Detective Gray said. “We’re only talking about some five hundred square miles. What else?”
“The puppies are delivered in a dark, beat-up pickup,” Josie said. “The miller smears mud on the plates. He has a funny first
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