Chief Baca said, “We don’t use them. They break.”

“Coulda fooled me,” I said.

Kara wandered into the living room, and I introduced her to Baca and Candace.

“Where were you when all this happened?” Candace asked her.

“I had a meeting with Tom, and then I went to the supermarket,” she said. “I felt so awful finding Jillian all tied up like that.”

Baca said, “Your stepmother is a strong woman.”

“Yeah, strong,” Candace said. “But still upset. Can you get her some sweet tea, um… what’s your name again? Kara?”

“Sure.” Kara started back the way she came.

Candace added, “I could use some myself. How about you, Chief?”

“Nothing for me, thanks.” Baca’s gaze followed Kara’s backside.

Oh brother. He’s my age. Too old for her; that’s for sure. And I could tell Candace didn’t seem too thrilled to meet Kara. I needed to keep us all on track.

I said, “You two have more important things to do right now than listen to me. The guy came to warn me, and he did a good job.” I sat on the couch and tucked my feet beneath me. Despite my protest to the contrary, I was still grateful for their presence.

“Warn you about what?” Baca said.

“Jillian’s apparently messing in someone’s business, or that’s what the guy told her,” Kara said. She gave Candace and me our glasses and then sat in her father’s chair.

“She also looked scared to death when she answered the door,” Candace said.

“Oh, she’s better now. You should have seen her earlier,” Kara said.

The heat of a blush warmed my cheeks. “It’s in the past and I’m fine.”

“Let me just say, the information you provided earlier concerning Rufus Bowen might help connect the two murders,” Baca said. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome, but of course I had to tell you about my talk with him. Should have done it the night before.” Maybe Candace was right about the chief changing his tune concerning me. He did seem friendly and was perhaps trying to set things right between us after last fall’s murder investigation.

“Did you say two murders?” Kara asked Baca.

“We can’t discuss an ongoing investigation, right, Chief?” Candace said quickly. She’d cocked her head, and she was glaring at Baca. I expected her to add another “Right?” but the look she gave him was enough.

His turn to go red in the face. “That would be correct. I thought Candace would be the best officer to come and take your statement about this intruder. If we need to call the paramedics or take you to an emergency room, then-”

“No. I don’t need medical attention. I’m just kind of angry about this guy getting in here, terrorizing my cats and just… I don’t know.”

“That’s a normal reaction.” Candace pulled out her notebook so I could give my second statement of the day. “Tell us everything you can remember.”

With one cat in my lap and one beside me, I related how I came out of the bedroom and saw the man sitting in my living room. I told them everything I’d told Kara: about the leather boots, his pale eyes, the citrus smell and how he slipped into robot speech every once in a while. As I finished my story, I said, “Whoever he is, he’s had practice with those zip ties. I hardly had a chance to blink, and they were on.”

Candace looked at Baca, eyebrows raised. “Law enforcement, maybe?”

“Could be.” He looked at me. “He threatened you by mentioning your cats. He indicated they’d disappear if you didn’t ‘stay out of this business’?”

I nodded. “He’s got to be the man in the white van, the one I saw the day of the professor’s murder. That’s the only explanation I can think of for him to use that phrase. Who else besides people we trust knew I was at the professor’s place that day?”

“This town talks. You know that, so we can’t make any assumptions yet. The guy was vague, and probably on purpose,” Candace said.

“I know you like corroboration, but I haven’t been involved in any other business that might lead to a man walking into my house, tying me up and tossing me around like a stuffed animal.”

“She’s right, Candy,” Baca said.

Candace took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s say he’s been following you since the professor’s murder and sees you show up at the second murder scene. But why would he think you’re a threat? You didn’t see anything except a white van.”

“He doesn’t know I couldn’t see the driver.” But then a chill raced up my back. “Wait a minute. There could be another explanation. Maybe it’s not about the murders. Maybe it’s about the cats. Whoever took those cats was interrupted and probably didn’t like it one bit. When he drove off, he saw me by the side of the road.” Half to myself I said, “He said Syrah would do fine in the wild.” I must have gripped Merlot because he meowed. “Sorry, baby.” I returned to more gentle petting.

“What are you saying?” Baca said.

“He’s probably one of those militant animal activists, the kind that thinks people shouldn’t own pets. And he believes that’s where I might focus my energy-on the cats that disappeared from the professor’s backyard.”

Candace’s eyes were wide. “And he’d be right.”

“Hmm. I see what you mean,” Baca said. “Those kinds of activists are considered domestic terrorists. Many are violent offenders. But he’d only suspect you would focus on the cats if he knew about you. This person is aware of what you do for a living, and he may know more about you than you think. Like how you rescued those other cats last fall.”

“Could be he knows Shawn and he heard that I made sure all those cats found loving homes,” I said.

“But unless he followed you, how does he know you were at both murder scenes?” Candace said.

Baca nodded. “You didn’t turn back any white vans at the scene, Candy?”

“No. But there were several other vehicles that came down the road before and after Jillian’s arrival. That’s why I put up the traffic cones.”

I’d noticed Kara taking this all in, and she finally piped up. “Let me get this straight,” Kara said. “The two murders and this attack on Jillian are unrelated? Loosely related? What? And who’s Shawn?”

“Never mind,” Candace said, her tone none too friendly. “Guess we should have asked you to leave the room.”

Baca said, “But she freed Jillian, so she’s one of our witnesses. And this will be all over town tomorrow anyway. Not that anything we’re saying is such a big secret. This is just a lot of conjecture.” He turned then and looked at Kara. “You don’t know anyone in town to talk to besides Jillian anyway, right?”

Kara said, “I know Tom Stewart. And to be honest, I do plan to write about this.”

“For what publication?” Baca said. But he didn’t sound alarmed. He sounded interested… No, that wasn’t it. He sounded captivated.

Kara said, “I’m not connected to any newspapers, if that’s your concern, though I am a journalist. This sounds like a big story. Bigger than Mercy.”

I could read Candace’s expression, and her tight jaw and narrowed blue eyes told me she was steaming. “Bigger than Mercy? Really?” she said.

Kara laughed. “You are intense, aren’t you? Let me put it this way: If I write this story, Mercy will be bigger for it. How’s that?”

“Really?” Candace pointed at Kara. “Let me tell you something. You won’t be writing anything if you’re any good. Not right now. If you’re a decent journalist, you’ll wait for the facts. We don’t have enough, and that means you sure as hell don’t.”

Baca said, “Candy, please. You’re overreacting. And publicity might be just what we need.”

“My name is Candace. And if you think we need publicity, then good luck. Now, if y’all will excuse me, I haven’t used the ladies room all day.” She got up and stomped out of the living room and down the hall.

“She needs to regroup, Kara,” I said. “She’s a very dedicated cop and can get fired up easily.”

“She doesn’t bother me,” Kara said. “She should be that way in her profession.”