Read Online Costume Catastrophe (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 21) by Kathi Daley - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathi Daley
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which meant Albert most likely was at that game when Joey was killed. I supposed I could verify that with the coach of the team his nephew played with. “What team is your nephew on?”
“The Raiders.”
“The boy who lives with me is on the Generals. I think the two teams will play each other next week, if you’re still in town.”
Albert shrugged. “Might be. Haven’t decided yet. Thought I might look up Tommy Payton. Heard he’s in town. I hated him quite a lot when we were in school, but he used the scholarship he was awarded. I might want to see how things turned out for him.”
“I spoke to Tommy today. He’ll be around all week. I’m sure he’d like to see you if it works out.”
Albert didn’t answer, but it seemed like he most likely wasn’t the killer.
“I should get going,” I added as Levi called an end to the practice. “It was good talking to you.”
“Yeah, you too. That cute little friend of yours still single?”
“Ellie?”
“Yeah, the brunette. Been thinking about finding someone to spend time with while I’m in town.”
“Ellie isn’t married, but she isn’t really dating right now, so I doubt she’d be interested. There’s a street dance on Saturday night. It might be a good place to meet single women.”
“Not much of a dancer, but I guess I could just hang out on the sidelines like I used to do in high school.”
“Could be fun. There are a lot of events going on in town. I’m sure you won’t be bored while you’re here. I’ll see you at the game on Saturday, if not before.”
I got up and headed for home.
Chapter 5
Later that evening, Zak and I settled into his office after we’d had dinner and the kids were settled down with their homework. I curled up on the sofa that was situated in front of the small fireplace that had been built into the corner of the large room. I pulled a comforter over my legs, which seemed to serve as an invitation for Charlie, Marlow, and Spade to all join me.
“So, what did you find out about Joey?” I asked Zak, who was seated in the leather chair across from me. He’d indicated earlier in the day that he had news to share and I was anxious to hear what it was. So far we hadn’t heard of any more deaths, which I took as a positive sign.
Zak slipped off his shoes before resting his feet on the ottoman in front of him. “Several things, actually.” Zak absently scratched Bella’s head while he spoke. “I started off by looking into Joey’s finances. It appeared he was broke, so I dug a little deeper and found out that he’d been fired from his job two months ago.”
“Fired? Why? He’s worked for the power company for a long time.”
“The human resources department was reluctant to talk to me, so I called Salinger to ask if he’d be willing to follow up. Of course he was thankful for the lead and did just that. It turns out Joey had been acting odd the last month he worked for the company, and while they tried talking to him, in the end they had to let him go.”
“Odd how?”
“Agitated and paranoid.”
That fit what people were telling me. Agitation could definitely lead to fighting, especially when alcohol was added to the mix.
“Seems he filed several reports with his superiors about people following him or watching him from a house across the street while he worked. He was certain he was being stalked, but the problem was that he reported being watched from a bunch of different houses on a bunch of different streets all over town. His superiors tried to explain that it was highly unlikely that he was being watched from all those houses, but he was convinced he was being watched, and the more certain he was that he was being spied on, the more agitated he became.”
“Do you think he was being stalked?” I asked. “I mean, he did end up dead. Maybe he wasn’t crazy. Maybe he was right.”
Zak adjusted his position before answering. “I’m not sure,” he eventually said. “The
“The Raiders.”
“The boy who lives with me is on the Generals. I think the two teams will play each other next week, if you’re still in town.”
Albert shrugged. “Might be. Haven’t decided yet. Thought I might look up Tommy Payton. Heard he’s in town. I hated him quite a lot when we were in school, but he used the scholarship he was awarded. I might want to see how things turned out for him.”
“I spoke to Tommy today. He’ll be around all week. I’m sure he’d like to see you if it works out.”
Albert didn’t answer, but it seemed like he most likely wasn’t the killer.
“I should get going,” I added as Levi called an end to the practice. “It was good talking to you.”
“Yeah, you too. That cute little friend of yours still single?”
“Ellie?”
“Yeah, the brunette. Been thinking about finding someone to spend time with while I’m in town.”
“Ellie isn’t married, but she isn’t really dating right now, so I doubt she’d be interested. There’s a street dance on Saturday night. It might be a good place to meet single women.”
“Not much of a dancer, but I guess I could just hang out on the sidelines like I used to do in high school.”
“Could be fun. There are a lot of events going on in town. I’m sure you won’t be bored while you’re here. I’ll see you at the game on Saturday, if not before.”
I got up and headed for home.
Chapter 5
Later that evening, Zak and I settled into his office after we’d had dinner and the kids were settled down with their homework. I curled up on the sofa that was situated in front of the small fireplace that had been built into the corner of the large room. I pulled a comforter over my legs, which seemed to serve as an invitation for Charlie, Marlow, and Spade to all join me.
“So, what did you find out about Joey?” I asked Zak, who was seated in the leather chair across from me. He’d indicated earlier in the day that he had news to share and I was anxious to hear what it was. So far we hadn’t heard of any more deaths, which I took as a positive sign.
Zak slipped off his shoes before resting his feet on the ottoman in front of him. “Several things, actually.” Zak absently scratched Bella’s head while he spoke. “I started off by looking into Joey’s finances. It appeared he was broke, so I dug a little deeper and found out that he’d been fired from his job two months ago.”
“Fired? Why? He’s worked for the power company for a long time.”
“The human resources department was reluctant to talk to me, so I called Salinger to ask if he’d be willing to follow up. Of course he was thankful for the lead and did just that. It turns out Joey had been acting odd the last month he worked for the company, and while they tried talking to him, in the end they had to let him go.”
“Odd how?”
“Agitated and paranoid.”
That fit what people were telling me. Agitation could definitely lead to fighting, especially when alcohol was added to the mix.
“Seems he filed several reports with his superiors about people following him or watching him from a house across the street while he worked. He was certain he was being stalked, but the problem was that he reported being watched from a bunch of different houses on a bunch of different streets all over town. His superiors tried to explain that it was highly unlikely that he was being watched from all those houses, but he was convinced he was being watched, and the more certain he was that he was being spied on, the more agitated he became.”
“Do you think he was being stalked?” I asked. “I mean, he did end up dead. Maybe he wasn’t crazy. Maybe he was right.”
Zak adjusted his position before answering. “I’m not sure,” he eventually said. “The
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