Read Online Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery by Giacomo Giammatteo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Giacomo Giammatteo
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to a sprawling ranch that looked like a hacienda, all stucco with at least a dozen arches. “How about this one?”
“Sure, maybe one of our relatives lives there.”
The guy who answered the door looked old, with remnants of dark brown hair hiding within the gray. He was thin and walked with a cane. “May I help you?”
I had my badge ready. “I’m Detective Cataldi. This is Detective Delgado. We’re investigating a break-in across the street.”
“Break-in? I didn’t know there was one.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Margaret, did you know there was a break-in across the street?”
Margaret looked about the same age as her husband, but with a lot more zest. She set a quick pace into the foyer. “Break-in? Where?”
I leaned in a little, hoping to get invited. “The Marshalls’ house, ma’am.”
Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my,” she said, then, “Robert, invite the gentlemen in, for heaven’s sake.”
We followed Robert and Margaret to the kitchen then took seats at the table.
“How about some tea, Detectives?”
Before we could refuse, she started brewing it. There apparently wasn’t an option for coffee, or anything else, for that matter.
“When did this happen?” Margaret asked as she pulled teacups and saucers from the cabinet.
“A couple of nights ago,” Delgado said. “Right after dinner. Maybe seven o’clock.”
Robert said he was watching TV at that time. Margaret was on the phone with a friend. “I’m afraid we won’t be much help, Detectives.”
“Do you know the Marshalls well?” I asked.
“Only to say hello,” she said. “I don’t even know what church they belong to.” She turned to her husband. “Do you, dear?”
“The church of football.”
“Be nice, Robert.” Margaret served the tea and took a seat opposite me.
Delgado smiled and took a sip of his tea. Delgado hated tea. “Have you noticed anything unusual on the street in the past few weeks?”
“In what way?” she asked.
“Strangers walking or jogging.”
“Maybe couples,” I said, recalling that Marshall’s butler had insisted that one of them was a woman. A couple wouldn’t attract attention.
Robert shook his head, lip curled up. “Nothing I’ve seen.”
Margaret, though, seemed busy with thought.
“You remember something, ma’am?”
“It’s probably nothing, but there was a man walking a dog several nights last week.”
“Did you recognize him?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen him before. What made me remember him is the dog. I know most of the dogs in the neighborhood, but I’d never seen it before. I wanted to make sure this one didn’t mess on my lawn.”
“Can you describe the man?” I asked.
“I don’t recall, but the dog was a beagle. A big, fat beagle.”
“You’re sure it was a beagle?” Delgado asked.
She huffed up. “I know my dogs, Detective. It was a beagle.”
We asked more questions, but got nothing of value. At the next house, we got a vague memory of a van that might or might not have been seen in the neighborhood. We did get coffee, though. The rest of the block gave us even less information. When it was all said and done, we had an invisible stranger walking a big, fat beagle, and a vehicle, which possibly was a van and either blue, tan, or white.
“Got some observant people around here,” Ribs said. “If I take up burglary in my next life, I know where I’m going.”
“Yeah, just don’t shit on Margaret’s lawn. She’d ID you for sure.”
We drove to a small restaurant in a strip mall down the street and rehashed what we had. I’d written it out on a pad.
‘Came in while Marshall was in shower. Coincidence?
Knew they had a safe. Coincidence or educated guess?
Door wasn’t locked. How did they know? Did they know?
Wore latex gloves. Same as Memorial and the poker game.
Marshall and son were naked. Why? To embarrass them or keep them under control?
Took jewelry and bonds. At Memorial they took artwork
“Sure, maybe one of our relatives lives there.”
The guy who answered the door looked old, with remnants of dark brown hair hiding within the gray. He was thin and walked with a cane. “May I help you?”
I had my badge ready. “I’m Detective Cataldi. This is Detective Delgado. We’re investigating a break-in across the street.”
“Break-in? I didn’t know there was one.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Margaret, did you know there was a break-in across the street?”
Margaret looked about the same age as her husband, but with a lot more zest. She set a quick pace into the foyer. “Break-in? Where?”
I leaned in a little, hoping to get invited. “The Marshalls’ house, ma’am.”
Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my,” she said, then, “Robert, invite the gentlemen in, for heaven’s sake.”
We followed Robert and Margaret to the kitchen then took seats at the table.
“How about some tea, Detectives?”
Before we could refuse, she started brewing it. There apparently wasn’t an option for coffee, or anything else, for that matter.
“When did this happen?” Margaret asked as she pulled teacups and saucers from the cabinet.
“A couple of nights ago,” Delgado said. “Right after dinner. Maybe seven o’clock.”
Robert said he was watching TV at that time. Margaret was on the phone with a friend. “I’m afraid we won’t be much help, Detectives.”
“Do you know the Marshalls well?” I asked.
“Only to say hello,” she said. “I don’t even know what church they belong to.” She turned to her husband. “Do you, dear?”
“The church of football.”
“Be nice, Robert.” Margaret served the tea and took a seat opposite me.
Delgado smiled and took a sip of his tea. Delgado hated tea. “Have you noticed anything unusual on the street in the past few weeks?”
“In what way?” she asked.
“Strangers walking or jogging.”
“Maybe couples,” I said, recalling that Marshall’s butler had insisted that one of them was a woman. A couple wouldn’t attract attention.
Robert shook his head, lip curled up. “Nothing I’ve seen.”
Margaret, though, seemed busy with thought.
“You remember something, ma’am?”
“It’s probably nothing, but there was a man walking a dog several nights last week.”
“Did you recognize him?”
“I don’t think I’ve seen him before. What made me remember him is the dog. I know most of the dogs in the neighborhood, but I’d never seen it before. I wanted to make sure this one didn’t mess on my lawn.”
“Can you describe the man?” I asked.
“I don’t recall, but the dog was a beagle. A big, fat beagle.”
“You’re sure it was a beagle?” Delgado asked.
She huffed up. “I know my dogs, Detective. It was a beagle.”
We asked more questions, but got nothing of value. At the next house, we got a vague memory of a van that might or might not have been seen in the neighborhood. We did get coffee, though. The rest of the block gave us even less information. When it was all said and done, we had an invisible stranger walking a big, fat beagle, and a vehicle, which possibly was a van and either blue, tan, or white.
“Got some observant people around here,” Ribs said. “If I take up burglary in my next life, I know where I’m going.”
“Yeah, just don’t shit on Margaret’s lawn. She’d ID you for sure.”
We drove to a small restaurant in a strip mall down the street and rehashed what we had. I’d written it out on a pad.
‘Came in while Marshall was in shower. Coincidence?
Knew they had a safe. Coincidence or educated guess?
Door wasn’t locked. How did they know? Did they know?
Wore latex gloves. Same as Memorial and the poker game.
Marshall and son were naked. Why? To embarrass them or keep them under control?
Took jewelry and bonds. At Memorial they took artwork
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