Page 39 of Last Date
She grimaced. “Oh, I’m sorry. This might be very shocking for you, then.”
I braced myself. “What did the article say?”
Looking uneasy, she said softly, “Well, the ME announced that Allister’s death wasn’t accidental.”
Shock rippled through me. “What?”
“That’s what he said. Allister’s death was ruled a homicide.” She studied me. “You don’t look so good, Kip.”
I swallowed and said, “I’m coming inside now, if that’s okay?”
“Of course.” She moved aside.
I entered the house with Bruno, feeling a little nauseated. “I… I thought Allister hit his head and that was what killed him.”
“Everyone did.” She gestured to a nearby couch. “I think you should sit. You’re very pale.”
I didn’t argue. I let go of the leash and sat down, still confounded by the news. “So it wasn’t an accident.”
“No.”
I squinted at the carpet. “But… who would want him dead?”
“According to Chief Dawson, Allister had a lot of enemies. He doesn’t buy the Elon’s kidnappers theory though. He thinks the murderer is someone local.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I just can’t get my head around the idea that Allister was murdered.”
“I know. It’s too horrible. That poor family. One son miraculously returns home, but now the other one is murdered. It’s like something out of an Agatha Christie novel.” She shivered.
“Do you still have the article?”
She stood. “Yes. I’ll go get it.” She left the room quickly, and Bruno trotted after her. She returned a few minutes later and held out the local paper. “I’m sorry to be the one to break the news to you. I really assumed you’d read it.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” I opened the paper and scanned the article. “How would the ME conclude it was homicide from an injury to the head? Were there other factors?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think the newspaper gave details about that. But the police have the CCTV from the marina. They’re bringing in everyone they can get their hands on who was in the vicinity around the time of the crime.”
“Good,” I murmured. The guy in the gray hoodie came to mind. Detective Bergen hadn’t seemed interested in my mention of him, but maybe now that the cause of death had been determined to be homicide, perhaps he’d put some effort into identifying that person.
She glanced furtively at her watch, and it occurred to me she probably needed to get to work.
I stood and tried to shake off my daze. “I think Bruno is going to do much better with regular walks. Let’s see how he behaves after a week of morning runs. I also have some trainers I can recommend if you’re interested in working with anyone.”
“Let’s see how the walks do first.” She smiled tentatively.
“Sure.” I moved to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”
She followed. “Sounds perfect. Thank you for today, Kip, and sorry for dropping that awful news on you.”
“My pleasure, and no problem.” I patted Bruno’s head and forced a smile. “See you tomorrow.” I moved down the walkway to my truck. As I climbed into the cab, my mind spun with all the things I’d read in the article. The newspaper had mentioned that the police had several suspects in mind. I prayed I wasn’t one of them. I hadn’t heard from Detective Bergen since the night on the boat. I wasn’t complaining.
When I arrived at the shop, Charlene, Helen, and Andrew were huddled around Helen’s desk.
Andrew glanced up first. “Hey, boss.” His blue eyes were curious. “Did you hear the news about Allister Green?”
Charlene immediately moved to greet me, her face tense. “Isn’t it horrible?”
“It is.” While it had been a shock, I was glad that Patsy had told me about Allister’s murder first. My reaction could be more controlled around my employees since I was forewarned.
