Page 44 of Dead & Breakfast
Arthur sighed but acquiesced. Every bone in his body itched to go back in that office and find a way to make Nora tell him the truth. Perhaps she was innocent in all this, but shewashidingsomething. Oh, how he hated an unsolved mystery. But it could wait. At brunch tomorrow, he’d get his answers.
The security office was nearly deserted but for a single middle-aged woman with light brown skin and black hair slicked into a ponytail, wearing a navy-blue uniform, utility belt, and thick-framed glasses. She introduced herself as Mariana in a voice aching with boredom, as though they were the only people to visit her all day. Maybe all week.
“Acting mayor said you were coming.” Mariana rolled her chair over to a computer. “Let’s take a look at the park on Thursday night. Already got the files pulled because of the break-in.”
“The break-in?” Arthur leaned in to peer over her shoulder, though he couldn’t discern much from the video thumbnails on the screen. “What break-in?”
“Here at city hall. Someone broke into Ms.Clark’s office. She was actually just here a few minutes ago to look at the footage. Too bad we didn’t get a clear shot of the culprits.”
“When did this break-in occur?”
“Late Thursday night. Poor Ms.Clark. You can tell she hasn’t been sleeping well lately with those circles under her eyes, and then to get called back in to clean up the mess they left at that hour…She’s practically been glued to her office ever since. Think she’s been camping out in the hope they return to the scene of the crime, if I’m being honest.”
“Did they take anything?”
Mariana shrugged. “Ms.Clark didn’t report anything missing.”
Arthur glanced at Sal over the top of his aviators.Thatdidn’t match what Quinn had said about the night of the mayor’s murder. Why hadn’t she told him about the break-in? And if nothing was stolen, why check the recording?
“Well, we’re not interested in city hall. Just the park.”
Mariana nodded and opened a video feed that, thankfully, wasn’t blank. “You got it!”
She set the playback to a fast speed, and they watched the parking lot clear out around sunset as the park closed. There was a bit of action around seven thirty when a cute bunny hopped across the field of view, but it otherwise remained unremarkable until a little after nine, when a silver truck pulled into the lot. It parked on the edge of the field of view, so they couldn’t see who got out of the truck, but something about it looked familiar. He could’ve sworn he’d seen it parked downtown before. Maybe it was Quinn’s. She would have had plenty of time to leave the Iris Inn before coming to the park.
At long last Arthur had reason to dramatically take off his sunglasses. He did so, saying, “Zoom in and enhance.” He pointed at the license plate on the truck.
Mariana and Salvatore stared at him. She spoke first. “That’s not a thing.”
“But on all the shows—”
“Movie magic, I’m afraid, darling,” Salvatore said mournfully. “The resolution of the camera is what it is.”
Arthur sighed and motioned for Mariana to press play once more. They watched as time seemed to stand still. Arthur felt his eyes beginning to lose focus when a flicker caught his attention. In the lower right corner of the screen, something moved.
“What’s that?” Arthur pointed. “Is it the killer? Her shoe or her shadow?” Any second now, he was certain Quinn would step into frame.
“I certainly hope not!” Salvatore exclaimed as the figure came into view.
The silhouette of a cat stood out against the silver truck as it leaped up onto the bumper and into the bed.
“Was that—”
“Rumble! What a clever girl!” Salvatore reached into the backpack to congratulate the feline, who was disgruntled to be woken from her nap. “Did you see the murderer? Come on, you can tell us. We’re your parents, after all.”
“Unless you’ve learned to speak cat overnight, I don’t think that’s going to be much help.”
Salvatore raised the backpack to eye level and closed his eyes slowly then opened them again.
“What are you doing?” Arthur asked.
“I’m trying to communicate with her.” Salvatore blinked again. “I read somewhere that if you blink slowly at a cat it means you love them.”
“And how is you expressing your love to Rumble going to get us any closer to solving this case?”
“Now, now, Arthur. There’s no need to be jealous. There’s plenty of me to go around.” Sal turned his gaze on Arthur and shuttered his eyes at him as well.
Arthur spluttered. “I’m not a cat, you know!”
