Finding Christmas Read online

  “So, after the doctor, then what?” Stanwell asked.

  “I took Ellie and Eli home and then I headed over to Zoe’s Zoo. Zoe’s Zoo is the wild and domestic rescue and rehabilitation shelter I own and operate along with my manager Jeremy Fisher and employees, Tiffany Middleton Walden and Willow Wood. Since I’ve welcomed Catherine into my life, I haven’t been able to spend as much time at the shelter as I’d like, but I do try to check in when I can, and I knew that Jeremy had taken custody of an injured mountain lion the previous day and I wanted to check on things.”

  “You had your purse with you when you visited the Zoo?”

  I nodded. “I brought it in and set it on my desk. I then walked through the place with Jeremy so could catch me up with our new arrivals.”

  “And who had access to your office?”

  I narrowed my gaze. “My door wasn’t locked. It never is since the entire staff really does need to have access to the office at times, but there is no way any of them would do to Zarek what was done to him.” I made a face. “It really was a terrible way to die.”

  Agent Stanwell shot me a look of sympathy. “Yes, I imagine it was a pretty horrific way to die. Which is why we need to catch the person who did this terrible thing.”

  “I agree. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  “Could anyone other than your staff have entered your office while you were at the zoo?”

  I lifted one shoulder. “I suppose if there was a customer on site who asked to use the bathroom. It is down the same hallway as my office. I don’t remember anyone else being in the building when I was there but I suppose I can ask Willow who was at the front desk.”

  “I’ll need contact information for all three of your employees,” Stanwell said, as he logged into my contacts list on my phone.

  I nodded reluctantly. “Are you sure I can’t help you find something. If you just tell me what you are after I can probably steer you right to it.”

  “It’s fine. I’m just looking for something to pop as being relevant. After you took the tour with your manager, what then?”

  “Tiffany came to find us to let us know that she had received an animal cruelty call.”

  “Animal cruelty?” The man’s lips tightened. That actually made me like him.

  “I guess there were two dogs who had been tied up in the back of a house just outside of the town limit for the past two days. The neighbor who had called said she hadn’t seen the owner feed the dogs in all that time, and she definitely didn’t think the dogs had been let in, even at night. Jeremy and I have a policy, that either him or I, respond to animal cruelty calls. The reality is that you just never know what will happen when you confront a neglectful owner and we don’t want to put either Tiffany or Willow into a potentially dangerous and volatile situation. Jeremy had a daycare group coming for a tour in less than an hour so I volunteered to go. To tell you the truth I wanted to have the opportunity to give the owner of the dogs a piece of my mind anyway.”

  Agent Stanwell paused. He set my phone on the table with the other items he had placed there. He seemed to be studying me which I had to admit was making me extremely uncomfortable. Again, I had to wonder what was really going on. I’ve been involved in a lot of murder investigations in my time and this by far had to be the most absurd interview I had ever been a part of.

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

  Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:

  Halloween Hijinks

  The Trouble With Turkeys

  Christmas Crazy

  Cupid’s Curse

  Big Bunny Bump-off

  Beach Blanket Barbie

  Maui Madness

  Derby Divas

  Haunted Hamlet

  Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies

  Christmas Cozy

  Alaskan Alliance

  Matrimony Meltdown

  Soul Surrender

  Heavenly Honeymoon

  Hopscotch Homicide

  Ghostly Graveyard

  Santa Sleuth

  Shamrock Shenanigans

  Kitten Kaboodle

  Costume Catastrophe

  Candy Cane Caper

  Holiday Hangover

  Easter Escapade

  Camp Carter

  Trick or Treason

  Reindeer Roundup

  Hippity Hoppity Homicide

  Firework Fiasco

  Henderson House

  Holiday Hostage – December 2018

  Lunacy Lake – Spring 2019

  Zimmerman Academy The New Normal

  Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings

  Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook

  Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:

  Pumpkins in Paradise

  Snowmen in Paradise

  Bikinis in Paradise

  Christmas in Paradise

  Puppies in Paradise

  Halloween in Paradise

  Treasure in Paradise

  Fireworks in Paradise

  Beaches in Paradise

  Thanksgiving in Paradise – Fall 2019

  Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:

  Romeow and Juliet

  The Mad Catter

  Grimm’s Furry Tail

  Much Ado About Felines

  Legend of Tabby Hollow

  Cat of Christmas Past

  A Tale of Two Tabbies

  The Great Catsby

  Count Catula

  The Cat of Christmas Present

  A Winter’s Tail

  The Taming of the Tabby

  Frankencat

  The Cat of Christmas Future

  Farewell to Felines

  A Whisker in Time

  The Catsgiving Feast

  Whale of a Tail – Spring 2019

  Writers’ Retreat Southern Mystery:

  First Case

  Second Look

  Third Strike

  Fourth Victim

  Fifth Night

  Sixth Cabin

  Seventh Chapter

  Eighth Witness – January 2019

  Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:

  Finding Justice

  Finding Answers

  Finding Courage

  Finding Christmas

  Finding Motive – Spring 2019

  A Tess and Tilly Mystery:

  The Christmas Letter

  The Valentine Mystery

  The Mother’s Day Mishap

  The Halloween House

  The Thanksgiving Trip

  The Saint Paddy’s Promise – March 2019

  The Inn at Holiday Bay:

  Boxes in the Basement

  Letters in the Library – February 2019

  Family Ties:

  The Hathaway Sisters

  Harper – Spring 2019

  Harlow – Summer 2019

  Haley – Fall 2019

  Haunting by the Sea:

  Homecoming by the Sea

  Secrets by the Sea

  Missing by the Sea

  Thanksgiving by the Sea – Spring 2019

  Christmas by the Sea – Fall 2019

  Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:

  Murder at Dolphin Bay

  Murder at Sunrise Beach

  Murder at the Witching Hour

  Murder at Christmas

  Murder at Turtle Cove

  Murder at Water’s Edge

  Murder at Midnight

  Seacliff High Mystery:

  The Secret

  The Curse

  The Relic

  The Conspiracy

  The Grudge

  The Shadow

  The Haunting

  Road to Christmas Romance:

  Road to Christmas Past

  USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than ninety-five books in ten series, including Zoe Donovan Coz
y Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Holiday Bay Cozy Mystery Series, Family Ties Mystery Romance, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com

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