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Kat intended to go straight inside and upstairs after Imogene dropped her off at her apartment building, but her subconscious had a different plan. Almost on their own, Kat’s feet started moving in the opposite direction, toward where her car was parked. Although she hadn’t previously acknowledged her destination, even to herself, she already knew she would be heading to D Place.
Declan wasn’t behind the counter when Kat walked inside the bar. Neither was anyone else. She slid onto a barstool, hoping he was in the back and would return shortly.
Unlike the night before, D Place only had a smattering of patrons scattered about today. Apparently this was more of a Saturday night type of establishment. Or maybe all of the regulars showed up later. Although it felt as if she had been stuffing envelopes forever, it was barely four o’clock.
The front door opened, and Colleen O’Connor strode inside. She had her head down, her eyes on the cell phone in her hands.
“Colleen,” Kat called out.
Colleen stopped walking and lifted her head up. “Oh. Hello.”
Judging by the befuddled look on Colleen’s face, she either didn’t recall meeting Kat or was drawing a blank on her name.
“It’s Kat, Imogene’s friend from the park.” Inspiration struck, prompting Kat to add, “I’m here on behalf of Furry Friends Foster Families.”
Colleen slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. “Imogene’s organization. Right. I remember you.”
“You may also recall that Junie Tennant applied to adopt one of our cats. Since our reference check was cut short yesterday, I thought I’d stop by and continue that conversation.”
Kat mentally crossed her fingers that Colleen wouldn’t call her out on the lie. She also hoped word wouldn’t get back to Imogene that she had used her association with 4F to further her amateur murder investigation.
“Oh, sure.” Colleen planted herself on the barstool adjacent to Kat. “What would you like to know?”
“I’d like for you to describe Junie’s work ethic. That will give me a good indication of how responsible she’ll be when it comes to pet ownership.”
“Well, like I told Imogene yesterday, Declan deals with her more than I do. But as far as I know, she shows up on time, doesn’t call in sick very often, and is pleasant to the customers. Declan would have told me otherwise.”
“I heard your husband likes to give his waitresses monetary bonuses.”
“Sometimes.” Colleen shrugged. “He’s a generous guy. And he believes in rewarding hard work.”
Kat found it interesting that Colleen knew about Declan’s bonuses. Did that mean Junie was wrong about him using the handouts to butter up the female staff? Kat wouldn’t think Declan would tell his wife about them otherwise. Unless he’d had to tell her, since she handled the business’s books.
“Declan’s gifts are just that though,” Colleen said. “Gifts. Our waitresses make good tips, if you’re worried about Junie’s income.”
Kat nodded, pretending that Colleen had just answered one of the questions on her imaginary checklist. “What about Junie’s relationships with the other staff? Did she get along with her coworkers?”
“Well, sure.”
“Declan told me she and Savannah Newton didn’t like each other.”
Colleen visibly started at the mention of Savannah’s name.
“Do you know anything about the argument they had the evening of Savannah’s death?” Kat asked.
Colleen’s brow furrowed. “I thought you were here about a cat adoption.”
“Uh, yes.” Kat thought fast. “It’s important for me to get a sense of how Junie handles conflict. Animals don’t often do what we want them to do, and I need to make sure Junie can address any obedience issues in a calm and healthy manner.”
Kat could tell Colleen wasn’t falling for her explanation. But all she said was, “I don’t know anything about a conflict between the two girls.”
“Junie said she caught Savannah stealing envelopes from your office,” Kat told her.
“Envelopes?”
“Shipping mailers might be a more accurate term.”
Colleen thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Well, I don’t see what the big deal is. If Savannah had wanted an envelope, all she’d have to do is ask.”
For the first time, it occurred to Kat that perhaps Savannah hadn’t truly been interested in envelopes. Perhaps she’d really wanted what was inside those envelopes. Given the business the O’Connors were in, a lot of cash must flow through D Place. And it would be considerably less damaging to be caught sneaking out of your boss’s office with a handful of mailers than a stack of bills filched from the bank deposit bag.
The door banged open, and Liam Hagen stumbled inside. “Heysh!” he shouted before sagging against the doorframe.
Kat had to blink a few times to process the transition between the Liam from Faith’s house and the Liam in front of her now. Four hours had passed since she’d last seen him. Had he been drinking that entire time? Evidently smoking wasn’t the only vice he had succumbed to this weekend. He looked positively sloshed.
He thrust one index finger out and made a wobbly rotation around the room. “Whosh in here killed my girlfriend?”
The other patrons paused their individual conversations long enough to spare a glance at the newcomer, but their chatter started back up again within no time. Given their blasé attitudes toward the interruption, Kat had to assume bellowing drunks were a regular evening occurrence here at D Place.
Colleen stared at Liam. “Who are you?”
“Li—i—i—am,” he slurred, stretching the word into four syllables.
“Savannah Newton’s boyfriend,” Kat filled in.
“That’sh right,” Liam confirmed.
Colleen stood up and hurried behind the bar counter. “Well, you need to leave. Right now. You can’t come in here acting like this.”
Liam took an unsteady step closer. “I’sh not leaving.”
Colleen’s eyes darted around. Kat figured she was searching for Declan. Although Chief Kenny might be able to take Liam down with one hand, Kat doubted she or Colleen could say the same. Scrawniness aside, right now Liam was a menacing presence, and who was to say what kind of violence he was capable of in this state.
Junie emerged from the back of the restaurant with a plate of food in each hand. She screeched to a halt when she spied Liam, the corners of her mouth twitching up.
“Sir.” Colleen’s voice rang out from behind the counter. She shook the telephone receiver she must have picked up when Kat’s back was turned. “Liam. You need to leave now, or I’ll be forced to call the police.”
Junie bit her lip, her gaze flitting toward one of the occupied tables before drifting back to Liam. She looked torn between intervening in the bar’s latest drama and going about her waitressing duties.
Liam lurched toward Colleen. “Yoush do that, lady. The police should be here. They should be arreshting everybody in this joint!”
His angry outburst seemed to solve Junie’s dilemma. She firmed her grip on the plates and hurried toward the other side of the room.
Kat inched her cell phone out of her jeans pocket. “Why don’t I ask your mother to come get you?” Although Kat didn’t have Faith Hagen’s phone number, Imogene would know how to reach her. And Liam wasn’t in any condition to drive.
Liam flicked his wrist. “I don’t need my mother.”
“I could call a cab,” Kat suggested instead.
“Yes.” Colleen bobbed her head. “A cab is a wonderful idea.” She began pressing telephone buttons. “I have the one we use regularly on speed dial here.”
Kat expected Liam to protest, but he seemed to have expended most of his energy already. He slumped into a chair, dropped his elbows onto his knees, and cradled his head in his hands. He looked so broken in that particular moment that Kat felt a pang in her chest.
“Archie, is that you?” Colleen pressed the telephone receiver to her ear. “I have a patron here at D Place who needs a ride. Can you come pick him up? You can put it on our tab.”
Kat slid off of the barstool and approached Liam. She stopped a few feet away and cleared her throat, careful not to get too close.
When he looked up, she said, “A ride’s on the way. Can I help you outside?”
Liam leaped up with such startling speed that Kat pulled back, knocking into the table behind her.
“I don’t need help!” he shouted. “Not yoursh, and not anyone elshe’s!”
Before Kat could even recover her ability to speak, he stumbled out of the bar, letting the door slam shut behind him for the second time that day.
