Page 19 of The Woman Who Couldn't Scream
“If I see that worthless piece of shit, I’ll shoot first and ask questions afterward.”
Kateri should give her standard speech:Call law enforcement and do not try to apprehend.She decided against it. After all, Bertha wasn’t going to try and apprehend him. She intended to kill him.
Bertha continued, “As for Monique’s slasher, I’d recognize him from the back.”
“For the love of God, don’t shoothimuntil we prove—”
Bertha stood up. “I’m old and cranky, but I’m not stupid. Got any other questions about the slashing, Sheriff Kwinault?”
“That about does it. Thank you for coming in. If you remember any other details, please call and one of my officers will be by to take your statement.”
Bertha pointed her finger at Kateri. “Youcome. Come by for a drink.”
“I don’t—”
“I know.” Bertha waggled that finger. “You don’t drink alcohol. Come by for a Coke and some corn nuts. When you were a kid, you always liked corn nuts. It would do my barflies good to know the sheriff was interested in their welfare.”
When Bertha was right, she was right. Kateri painfully pushed herself to her feet. “I’ll do that. Thank you.”
Bertha winked and headed out the door.
Moen eased into Kateri’s office. “Bergen sent me in to take you home.”
“Great. I’ve got a pain pill calling my name.” Kateri got her walking stick.
Moen looked distressed. “You don’t suppose Mrs. Waldschmidt meant she likes men to be horizontal? As in…”
“As in sex?” Kateri grinned as she wound her way through the patrol room. “What do you think?”
“I don’t want to think. She’s got to be six hundred years old!”
Dumbass kid.“You know Bertha’s been married five times? To a couple husbands I never met, to the same guy twice, to one guy who was half her age… I heard she wore the poor guy out.”
Moen plugged his ears.
Kateri laughed uncontrollably. Maybe the pain shot Dr. Frownfelter had given her had taken effect at last. She laughed again when they stopped to pick up her dog, Lacey, from Mrs. Golobovitch the dog-sitter. Lacey danced with such joy her long, cocker spaniel ears flapped adorably and Kateri leaned down to pet her soft, blond head.
When Moen stopped at her apartment, Kateri opened the car door.
Lacey leaped out, put her nose to the ground and started sniffing.
Kateri followed much more slowly.
“Want some help, Sheriff?” Moen asked.
“I can make it.” Because in Virtue Falls, you could always figure someone was peeking out the window and Kateri needed to give the impression of health. She climbed the stairs and got out her key.
Lacey raced after, placed herself between Kateri and the apartment. Bared her teeth, faced the door and growled low in her throat.
Taken aback, Kateri gazed at her usually charming dog, then took a long slow step backward. “Moen!” she called. The door stood ajar the smallest bit. With one finger, she pushed it open… and saw all the lights on, pillows tossed and the sparkle of broken glass.
Someone had trashed her apartment.
Turned out getting her dog was a smart move.
CHAPTER NINE
Kateri sat on a folding chair on her tiny porch as her officers went through her apartment, assessing the damage, dusting for fingerprints, holding hushed conversations with her neighbors.
