The Cats that Stole a Million (The Cats that . . . Cozy Mystery Book 7) by Karen Anne Golden

scene.  I want the area taped off.  Get Officer Mallory here to photograph the area.”
    An officer in his twenties, who had recently graduated from the police academy, asked, “Chief, what about the snow?  It’s covering the crime scene.”
    The chief glared at him.  “I know that, Officer Daniels.  I want you to canvas the area, talk to everyone on this block, and find out if anyone saw anything.”
    “Yes, Sir,” Officer Daniels said, tramping in the direction of the yellow Foursquare.
    “Not that house.  No one lives there.  I meant the house next to it, on the corner.  Start there.”
    The officer nodded, and was clearly embarrassed by his fellow officers looking at him like he’d just said something stupid.
    “Geez,” the chief said in a low voice. “Dang rookie.”  Turning back to Katherine, he said, irritably. “Go on.”
    “A childhood friend showed up an hour ago.  Her name is Madison Orson.  She came inside, we talked for a bit, then Stevie Sanders showed up.”
    “What did Stevie want?”
    “To ask me something.”
    “Ask you what?”
    “I don’t know.  He didn’t want to ask me in front of Madison, so we went into the living room.  We were in there for a few seconds, when this man barged in.”
    “The deceased guy?”
    “I guess.  I didn’t see him.  We were behind the closed pocket door, but I heard him.  He was angry.  He began yelling at Madison and wanted to know if she’d asked me something.”
    “Seems to be the M.O. with you.  What does everyone want to ask you?”
    Katherine shrugged.  “I don’t have a clue.”
    Officer Troy joined the chief on the porch.  “When the investigators are finished, the coroner wants the body taken to the hospital across the river.”
    “Excellent plan.  Tell the coroner to call me when he gets there.  I’ll want to be in on this.”
    Officer Troy nodded, and walked back to the EMTs. 
    The chief noticed Katherine was standing in the doorway, shivering.  “Go inside.  We’ll talk in there.” 
    Standing in the atrium, Katherine resumed.  “My friend drove a rental car from Indianapolis; a blue Toyota Corolla.”
    “Yep, a Corolla.  The car was reserved by a man named Vinny Bellini.  Do you know him?”
    “No.”
    The chief pulled a small note book he kept in his back pocket, and flipped several pages. “He’s from New York.” He read an address in Brooklyn. 
    Katherine flinched.  “That’s close to where Madison lived when we were growing up.”
    “Finish the part about the shooting.”
    “The deceased, I mean Vinny Bellini — I assume it was Vinny Bellini because he rented the car,” she digressed.
    “Yes, yes. We’ve established that point. Then what happened?”
    “Madison left after he did, but when she saw the sedan pull up, she stayed on the porch and hid behind a wicker chair.  The shooter first fired on the rental car, then opened fire on the man.  When the car sped off, Madison ran to Stevie’s truck.  I think she meant to steal it.  I can’t be sure.”
    “She probably figured the rental car wouldn’t operate with all the bullet holes.”
    “Stevie’s truck door was locked, so she got in the rental and left.”
    “Back up.  Where was Stevie during this?”
    “He chased after Madison and was livid that she was trying to get into his truck because his daughter was in there.”
    “Daughter?  What was she doing there?  Where is she now?  She could be a viable witness.”
    “In my kitchen.”
    “Okay, enough for now.  I want to talk to Stevie.  I didn’t see his truck.  Where is he?”
    “He left.”
    The chief threw his hands up, frustrated.  “What the hell?  Why?”
    Katherine thought, but didn’t say out loud, He said he had something to take care of .
    Salina, who had been eavesdropping on the other side of the pocket door, slid it open and poked her head out.  “My dad was looking for a place for us to sleep.”
    The chief recognized Salina from the many times