“His name was Jeffrey Parr,” Andrew Milhone said.
Kat watched as the breeze tousled Andrew’s sandy blond hair. It was hard for her to believe she had been out on a date with the handsome police detective less than twenty-four hours earlier, given the more dire circumstances that had prompted her to phone him ten minutes ago.
“Did you know him?” Kat asked.
Andrew lifted one shoulder. “Jeff and I didn’t socialize, but I knew him from around town. He was a preteen when his parents moved to Cherry Hills, about five years after you left.”
Kat looked at the tree where she had found Jeff’s body. Although she couldn’t see him with the response team crowded around, a shiver still shimmied down her spine.
Andrew pushed a hank of hair off of his forehead. “He was a dog walker. I doubt the doxie was his.”
“I’ll take him into custody on behalf of 4F.” She had yet to deal with a found pet since volunteering to serve as treasurer of the Furry Friends Foster Families nonprofit organization, but she figured the other board members would know what to do.
Andrew pulled a notepad out of his breast pocket and flipped it open. “I’m going to have to get your statement.”
“Do you mind if I take Matty home first?” The cat was sunning herself several feet away. She had her hind feet stretched out with her chin resting on top. Her green eyes were trained in Kat’s direction, but she looked more concerned about her outdoor venture ending than she did about her human’s harrowing discovery.
Andrew darted a glance at Matty before fishing his pen out. “This will only take a moment.”
Kat didn’t argue. After all, a man had just been murdered. It was her civic responsibility to do what she could to see the killer brought to justice.
“Did you see anybody else outside before you found Jeff?” Andrew asked.
Kat shook her head.
“What about other dogs? Did you see any other animals?”
“Other dogs?” Kat hadn’t considered that Jeff might have been walking more than one dog at the time of his death.
Andrew used his pen to gesture around them. “You do realize this is an off-leash dog park, don’t you?”
Kat surveyed the area, empty except for the personnel huddled around Jeff. She spotted a sign instructing owners not to let their dogs out of sight. Farther away, she saw a garbage can with a contraption above that dispensed bags to pick up waste. How had she not noticed that before?
She made a mental note to do more exploring around the neighborhood. She had only moved back to Cherry Hills a few months ago, but she found it disconcerting that she hadn’t known about this park. After all, it was only a few blocks from her apartment.
“If you saw other dogs, I thought you might be able to lead me to their owners in case they saw something,” Andrew continued.
“I didn’t see any other dogs,” Kat told him. “Just the dachshund.”
“Did you hear anything unusual?”
“No.”
“What were you doing before you came outside?”
She snorted. “Chasing Matty through my building.”
Andrew looked at her, a slight smile pulling on his lips. “Anybody see you?”
“Lucy. She was stepping off the elevator. And William Peterson. He was in the lobby when Matty jumped out of the window.”
Andrew jotted something on his pad. “I’ll want to talk to them.”
Her pulse quickened. “You think they might have seen what happened to Jeff?”
“Possibly. They can at least back up your alibi.”
“My . . .” Kat jammed her hands on her hips, a flash of anger zipping through her. “Are you saying I’m a suspect?”
“Of course not.”
She blew out a breath. “Well, that’s good news.”
“But since you were the one who found him, I do have to back up your story.”
“Andrew!” A spark of indignation flickered in Kat’s chest. “You know I didn’t kill Jeff. I didn’t even know him.”
“I’m just following protocol.”
She crossed her arms. “In that case, maybe I shouldn’t talk to you until I find a lawyer.”
“That’s your right.”
She glared at him. She would have continued to stare him down until he offered her an apology, but they were interrupted when one of the officials called him over.
Andrew took a step away. “I’ve gotta go see what they want. Can I question you more later?”
“I don’t figure I have a choice,” Kat grumbled.
He winked at her. “I’ll bring you dinner tonight as consolation.”
She was about to throw back a sarcastic rejoinder, but Andrew dashed off before she had a chance to reply.