“She was murdered, wasn’t she?” Kat said to Andrew Milhone.
“That’s going to be for the coroner to determine,” Andrew replied.
“But you’re here,” she pointed out. “Why would they call a police detective to the scene if Sadie had died accidentally?”
Andrew pushed his sandy blond hair away from his eyes. “Going back to when you found Sadie Cramer, what prompted you to notice her in the snowbank?”
Kat pursed her lips. She didn’t like how he had dismissed her question, but neither could she really fault him for wanting to take back control of this conversation. After all, Andrew was here on behalf of the Cherry Hills Police Department, not because he was her boyfriend. She couldn’t expect him to give her the inside scoop just because they were dating.
“Kat?” Andrew said. “I asked what caused you to notice Sadie outside.”
“I heard you.” She thought about his question. “There was a cat.” Her pulse accelerated at the memory. She had forgotten all about the runaway cat after the shock of finding Sadie.
“A cat?” Andrew said.
“A white cat. He was sitting next to Sadie, but he took off before I could catch him.” Kat crossed the building lobby and peered out the window. “I don’t see him now.” She looked at Andrew. “Did any of your fellow officers notice him?”
Andrew lifted one shoulder. “None of them mentioned seeing a cat.”
Kat wasn’t surprised. Not only did a white cat blend in seamlessly with the snow, but the authorities had been called here to handle a dead person. She doubted they would give a cat a second glance even if they did happen to spot him.
“I hope he’s okay,” Kat murmured.
“You can look for him as soon as we release the scene,” Andrew said.
“When will that be?”
“Sometime before the workday ends.” He smiled at her then, his dimples melting her heart. “You look good in your professional gear, by the way.”
Kat glanced down at her new outfit, unable to derive much joy from Andrew’s compliment. Standing in the downstairs lobby giving her boyfriend an official police statement was not how she had envisioned her first day at DataRightly unfolding.
Andrew tapped his pen against the notepad. “So, do you have anything else to add?”
Kat shook her head. “I’ll call you if I think of anything later.”
“Do that.” His eyes twinkled. “Or call me later regardless.”
She grinned. “I just might do that.”
Andrew surveyed the lobby. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a few more statements.”
“See you later.”
Andrew walked over to Maura, who was standing on the other side of the lobby. Even from this distance Kat could see Maura’s hands shaking. She wondered if her boss was still upset about seeing her friend’s body outside or if she were simply feeling the effects of having left half of her cigarette unsmoked.
Kat decided to wait for Maura before heading back upstairs. Not only was there nothing for her to do until Maura showed her what to work on, but she wasn’t in the mood to field any questions from her coworkers about what was going on outside. By now they had to have heard the sirens and seen the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles gathered in the parking lot.
She really just wanted to go home. But of course that wasn’t an option. What would Maura think about her leaving early on her first day, before she’d had a chance to do much more than fill out some personnel forms?
Besides, Kat couldn’t leave yet, not before she made more of an effort to hunt down the white cat.
She stepped closer to the glass and scanned the parking lot, unsurprised when she failed to spot the cat. With all the activity outside he had undoubtedly sauntered off in search of a more quiet place to brave the cold. Either that or he had blended in with the snow again.
Kat was still staring out the window when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Maura standing behind her.
“How was the interview?” Kat asked.
“Okay,” Maura replied, but her face was still too pale and her hands continued to tremble. “Detective Milhone is talking to Rachel now.”
Kat wondered if Rachel would share with Andrew what she’d told them about Sadie firing her recently. Probably, she guessed. Something that easy for the police to verify would be silly to hide.
“I came over to tell you you can take off if you want,” Maura said.
“Now?” Kat looked around for a clock but didn’t see one. “It’s not even noon yet, is it?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t have the energy to go back upstairs.” As if to prove her point, Maura slumped onto the bench they’d occupied earlier. “I don’t even think I have the strength to drive home.”
Kat felt a flicker of concern. “Would you like me to call somebody for you?”
Maura shook her head. “I should be okay. I just need to sit here for a while. But you can go.”
Kat didn’t move, reluctant to let Maura out of her sight. She looked as if she might pass out.
Maura glanced up, straightening when she saw Kat staring at her. “Well, go on then,” she said, her tone more firm. “I won’t think badly of you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Nobody would expect you to be able to concentrate on programming after this. Come in an hour early tomorrow if you want, and I’ll go over your first assignment then.”
Kat nodded, knowing there was no point in staying if Maura wasn’t going to show her what to work on. “I’ll just run up and grab my things then.”
Maura bobbed her head in acknowledgment before her shoulders drooped, her body seeming to cave in on itself.
Kat kept one eye on Maura as she inched toward the elevator. She took some comfort from the fact that Andrew wasn’t too far away. If Maura did end up fainting, he would help her.
Upstairs, Kat grabbed her purse and mittens without being stopped by any of her coworkers. They probably hadn’t even noticed her return. Most of them stood in clusters by the windows lining the front of the building as they watched the activity outside.
Clearly she wasn’t the only DataRightly employee whose productivity was approaching zero for the day.
She took the elevator back downstairs. As soon as she ducked outside the cold air blasted her in the face. She stopped to pull on her mittens, listening as the breeze carried over snippets of the conversation happening several yards away.
“. . . blunt force trauma . . .”
“. . . unlikely that gash was caused from a fall . . .”
“. . . bashed the side of her skull . . .”
“. . . homicide . . .”
Kat shivered. She didn’t need to hear any more. Although she had already suspected foul play thanks to Andrew’s presence on the scene, what she’d heard confirmed it.
Sadie Cramer had been murdered.
She was still dwelling on that when she became aware of a faint rustling behind her.
She spun around. No one was there, but the rustling continued. It seemed to be coming from the garbage can next to the building entrance.
Kat considered ignoring it, not wanting to confront a rat. But a familiar furry white head popped over the rim of the receptacle before she could walk away.
“White cat!” Kat was thrilled to see him, and not just because he wasn’t a rodent. “I’ve been worried about you.”
His tail swished, giving Kat hope that he remembered her from earlier too.
“Are you homeless?” she asked. “I can help you if you are.”
But her word clearly wasn’t enough to convince the cat. When she moved forward, he scooted backward. His hind feet slipped on the edge, and he tumbled into the can.
Kat peered over the side, watching as the cat scrambled around in a panic. Her heart went out to him, but she didn’t dare try to grab him. As frightened as he was, he would probably lash out.
After a frantic couple of seconds, the cat pulled himself back onto the rim of the can. This time he didn’t bother to stick around for more conversation. As soon as he found his footing, he vaulted onto the ground and bolted around the side of the building.
Kat sighed, helpless to do anything but watch him.
She was waiting to see if he would reappear when the sun reflected off of something inside the garbage can. She leaned closer. Something shiny was half nestled underneath a discarded fast food wrapper.
She moved the wrapper aside, exposing what looked to be a stapler. The stapler was tipped sideways, a brownish sauce marring its metal surface.
A cold dread settled in the marrow of Kat’s bones as the implications of what she was looking at penetrated her brain. If the substance on the stapler was what she feared it was, there was a good chance she was looking at the last thing Sadie Cramer had ever seen, right before it was hurled at her head.