The Case of the Cupid Caper Read online

  I knew it wasn’t a good idea to jump to conclusions before having all the facts, but if I had to guess at this point, I would say that Dale Conover had been murdered.

  Chapter 2

  “The fire started in the office,” Cass said after he arrived and joined me in the large room where Naomi had selected ten dogs for us to play with. “I don’t have the specifics as to the source of the fire, but it seems as if there might have been a small explosion of some sort.”

  I tossed a ball for a group of labs who’d gathered in front of me. “Do you think foul play might be involved?”

  “I can’t know for certain at this point, but I do think it’s a possibility I can’t and won’t rule out until I have more information. The male victim, who has been tentatively identified as Dale Conover based on what is left of the remains, was found in the office where the fire originated. If there was an explosion, it’s possible he was somehow immobilized before being overcome by smoke.”

  I bent down to accept a ball one of the dogs had brought back. “It looked to me as if the house was a total loss. The fire seems to have spread quickly.”

  “The front of the house, where the office was located, is a complete loss, but the back of the house is intact. It did burn hot and fast. In fact, the place burnt so hot and fast that it seems as if an accelerant might have been used. But arson is not my area of expertise, so at this point, all I can do is wait for an official report from the fire marshal and take it from there.”

  “What did the medical examiner say about the cause of death?”

  “I don’t have the report yet, but I do know he was autopsying the body when I left to come over here. I told him to call my cell once he has the time and cause of death.”

  I walked over to the toybox and pulled out a couple of rope toys. “When Naomi told me that Dale was a psychologist, I found myself wondering if one of his patients was less than happy with the treatment he was receiving and retaliated in a violent manner. I suppose my theory might come from watching too many cop shows, but an emotionally unstable patient does make a good suspect.”

  Cass tossed one of the balls, which sent the whole pack running. “I agree. An emotionally unstable patient does make as good a suspect as any, and it’s definitely an angle I plan to pursue. Of course, any files which might have been stored in the home office are probably nothing more than ash at this point. I guess I’ll have to hope I can access his computer files.”

  “I guess he didn’t have an assistant or receptionist of any sort?”

  He shook his head. “Not as far as I know. I guess I’ll just wait until I hear from the coroner and the fire marshal, and if it’s determined that foul play was involved, I suppose it will be up to me to find the information I need to figure out who might have killed the man.”

  “Do you think it’s a possibility that the who was simply an accident?”

  “A possibility, yes,” Cass answered. “Likely, no. As we’ve discussed, based on the rate at which the fire spread, it really does appear that an accelerant was involved.”

  “I have a feeling your investigation is going to get complicated with all the confidential patient files to deal with.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Cass tossed the ball one more time. “I guess we should start tucking these guys in for the night. Do you want to grab some dinner when we’re done here?”

  “I do. I told Naomi we’d stop by her house and fill her in on what you’ve discovered before we leave. It doesn’t sound like you know a lot at this point, but I could tell she was curious as to what might be going on.”

  “Okay, if you want to start rounding up the toys, I’ll start returning the dogs to their individual pens.”

  By the time we’d returned all the dogs to their pens, Cass had heard back from the coroner, who informed him that it appeared possible that Dale had died of a gunshot wound to the chest and had been dead long before the smoke or flames had gotten to him. Although Dale’s remains had been burned to the point that cause of death couldn’t definitively be stated, the coroner had found evidence on one of the ribs found with the remains that indicated the man had more likely than not been shot at some point. Since his remains had been found behind his desk, it appeared that someone came into his office, shot him, set the fire, and then left. Cass wasn’t sure if the fire had been set to cover up any evidence left by the murder or if the flame had been set to destroy the records stored in Dale’s office, but given his profession, both seemed plausible.

  “So, will you be able to recover Dale’s patient files?” Naomi asked Cass.

  “I’m not sure. I hope so. The files he kept in his office are probably ash, although I suppose he might have used a high-quality fireproof cabinet that might have preserved at least some of the information stored within. I guess I’ll have to see what’s left once I’m able to get inside. As for his computer files, I’m sure the computer itself is trashed, but I imagine he must have kept everything in some sort of online storage. Again, I’ll need to do some digging to see if I can find the location of his online storage and his login information and password. Given the destruction caused by the fire, I think it’s going to be an uphill battle to get the information I need.”

  “Maybe Lissa knows the identity of some of his patients,” I suggested. “I suppose you can start there and then just build on what you have.”

  “That’s the plan at this point,” Cass confirmed. He glanced at his phone. “I guess I should call Lissa and arrange a meeting to speak to her about what she might know that can help pinpoint the killer, assuming there is one.” He glanced at me. “If she can meet with me this evening, I may have to cancel our dinner plans.”

  “Whatever you need to do is fine.”

  Cass stepped into the other room to make his call while I continued to chat with Naomi. She shared with me that she’d been able to get a lot of her dogs and cats adopted into forever homes before the holidays and that she hoped to continue the trend by taking her most adoptable residents to a huge adoption clinic that was being held the following month in Lakewood. I knew that Naomi took the guardianship of the animals entrusted to her care seriously, and I really had to admire her dedication and commitment to their future happiness.

  “Well?” I asked when Cass returned to the main living area where Naomi and I’d been chatting.

  “Lissa is willing to speak with me, but she asked that you attend our interview as well. If you are willing to come along, I’m inclined to honor her request.”

  “I’m happy to help if I can.” I turned toward Naomi and gave her a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow about the scent training I promised I’d help out with.”

  “Okay. I’m hoping to get my advanced group finalized by next week.” She crossed the room and hugged Cass as well. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help with this terrible situation.”

  “I will. I’ll see you next week.”

  Cass always brought his dog, Milo, to the shelter when he came to volunteer, so we loaded Milo into his SUV and headed across town to the address Lissa had provided. I thought he might have asked her to come into the small station where he kept an office, but he informed me that Lissa was staying with her brother and had communicated that she’d be more comfortable speaking to us at her brother’s place of business. I supposed I didn’t blame her. If I’d just witnessed my boyfriend’s death in a fire, I’d probably be feeling pretty fragile and would naturally seek out familiar environments.

  The address Lissa had given to Cass was actually a hunting and fishing outfitter located between the pharmacy and the bank. Lissa greeted us when we arrived.

  “Thank you for agreeing to speak to us,” Cass said after she met us at the front door.

  “I’m so very sorry.” I stepped forward and hugged the woman, who hugged me back with what seemed to be all the force she could muster.

  “I appreciate you coming along,” she said to me. “I know we only just met and have spent a total of two hours in each o
ther’s company, but it was a really intense two hours, and I feel like I know you already.”

  “I’m happy to do anything I can to make this easier for you,” I assured the woman.

  “Let’s have a seat in the back room,” she suggested.

  I noticed Lissa’s brother watching us from behind the sales counter. I supposed he worked at the store. Once we were all settled, Cass informed Lissa that he planned to take notes as they discussed the situation. She responded that she was fine with that and wanted to do anything she could to help him find the monster that had done this to Dale.

  “Did Dale mention anyone to you that he was having problems with?” Cass asked.

  She slowly shook her head. I watched as her expression changed from helplessness to rage. “Dale never specifically said that he felt he was in any danger from any of his patients, but he did have some difficult patients. Sometimes he would share a few details of his sessions with me, but he never mentioned names or anything that might identify these patients. He took his privacy oath seriously.”

  “Okay, so what did he tell you?” Cass asked.

  She took a breath, it seemed to steady herself before she answered. “He told me about this one patient who had become aggressive. Not toward Dale specifically but toward life and people in general. Dale didn’t feel equipped to deal with this particular disorder and talked about the possibility of referring the guy to someone who might be better able to help him. Dale never mentioned the man’s name, but he did say that the guy seemed to be growing increasingly agitated with each session. As I said, I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that Dale recently consulted with a colleague about the situation.”

  “Do you know the name of this colleague?” Cass asked.

  She shook her head. “He didn’t say, but I know he went to Denver for an overnight stay recently, and I remember that he said that the man he spoke to about his patient was an expert in individuals who exhibited excessive aggressive behavior. I suppose you can check his phone records. I know he spoke to the man on the phone several times before he decided to make the trip to speak to him in person.”

  “I’ll do that,” Cass said. “Is there anything else you can tell me about this particular patient?”

  “No,” Lissa answered. “Not really, although I will say that Dale seemed to be intimidated by the guy, which was unusual for him.”

  “Would you say he was frightened of him?” Cass asked.

  “No. Not frightened exactly. Dale dealt with individuals with a variety of mental health issues, so he was used to dealing with unusual behavior patterns. But this guy did seem to stand out. I think Dale knew the guy was a potential danger to himself or someone else, and he felt unsure about how to help him.”

  Cass jotted down a few notes. “Other than the individual you just mentioned, do any other patients come to mind?”

  Lissa paused, I imagined to consider the question. “There was a woman Dale had been meeting with for a few months. She was in an abusive relationship but was afraid to leave. Dale managed to convince her that leaving was her only option, and I know he helped her locate a facility where she could stay while she got on her feet. The woman’s husband was certain that Dale was the reason his wife left him, and I know that Dale received several threatening emails and phone messages from him in the past couple of weeks. Again, Dale never mentioned the name of either the woman involved or her husband, but based on what he did say, it sounded liked the guy was a real piece of work.”

  The conversation paused while Cass jotted down a few more notes. “Do you know where Dale would have referred the woman to? Could it have been the county women’s shelter?”

  “I don’t know for sure. He didn’t say.”

  Cass pursed his lips, narrowed his gaze, and then continued. “Okay, so do any other patients come to mind?”

  “Just one. There was a woman who Dale had been meeting with for over a year. I guess she fell in love with him at some point along the way, although he didn’t realize it until after the two of us got together. After we started dating, she became very needy and clingy. She doubled the number of sessions each week, claiming that she felt suicidal and really needed the extra encouragement. Once Dale realized she simply wanted to spend more time with him, and had, in fact, become obsessed with him, he told her he was going to refer her to a colleague. She got angry at that point and started stalking him. When we spoke, he didn’t think she was a threat, but it did seem that her shows of affection were becoming more frequent and more disturbing.”

  “Shows of affection?” Cass asked.

  “She started off by baking him cookies, sending him love letters, and leaving small tokens such as flowers and stuffed animals on his porch. I don’t have all the details, but I do know that he spoke to her on more than one occasion about her inappropriate behavior, and even threatened to take out a restraining order if she didn’t back off a bit. I don’t think he ever pursued the restraining order. He felt somewhat responsible for her obsession with him and wanted to help her through it. He said he should have seen it earlier. If he had, he would have referred her to a colleague before it got to the point it had.”

  “And you don’t know the name of this woman?” Cass asked.

  She shook her head. “No. He never said. As I said before, Dale was always careful not to say anything to give away the identity of the person we discussed. He may even have changed some of the details to add further anonymity. The only reason he discussed his patients at all was because he would show up for our dates stressed and distracted, and I’d ask him what was on his mind, and sometimes he would share a really vague overview.”

  Cass leaned back in his chair. “Is there anyone else that you can think of that stands out?”

  She paused and then shook her head. “No. Just those three. I wish I knew more, but I don’t. Perhaps if you look at his phone records, certain numbers will be prominent. I know he kept his calendar on his phone and his tablet. I’m not sure if you’ve recovered either, but it might be worth it to see if you can track them down.”

  “Do you happen to know the password to unlock his phone and tablet should we find them?” Cass asked.

  “Bingo.”

  Cass raised a brow.

  “Dale had a dog named Bingo when he was a kid. He used Bingo as a password quite often. If the password needed to be longer or include a number, he would often use Bingo95. I’m not sure where the 95 came from.”

  He closed his notebook. “Okay. I think this provides me with a place to start. I appreciate you taking the time to speak to us.” He handed her a card. “If you think of anything else, please call me.”

  She took the card. “Okay. And if you come up with any news that might explain what happened, will you call me?”

  “I will.”

  Cass stood up. I stood up as well. I hugged Lissa one more time as she showed us out the door. Man, did I feel bad for the poor woman. She seemed to be holding it together, but there was no way she wasn’t in shock after everything that had happened. I suspected it would hit her at some point, and she’d lose it completely. I just hoped she had someone around to help her through it when that moment occurred.

  “So, what do you think?” I asked Cass after we returned to his vehicle.

  He opened the car door for me. “I’m not sure. The three leads she gave me seem like solid leads, and I do intend to check out all three, but I was picking up on something more. Something she wasn’t saying. I’m just not sure what that something was.”

  “I’m sure the poor woman must be in shock. Maybe once she has a chance to think things through, she will remember the small details that didn’t come to mind this evening.”

  “Maybe.” Cass closed my door and then walked around the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat. “Are you still up for pizza?”

  “Actually, I’m starving.”

  “I could eat, and there isn’t much I can do to follow up on the three patients Lissa mentioned until tomorrow. I
do want to call the fire marshal and see if he has any news, but I can do that from the pizza parlor. As I said before, although it looked as if the entire house was in flames, the back of the house was actually undamaged. I’m hoping to get in to take a look around. If there was someone in the house with Dale when he died, maybe that person left a clue. Additionally, if I’m lucky, maybe he left his phone or his tablet in a room other than the office. If Lissa was correct about the password and I can access his calendar, I should be able to figure out who he met with just before you and Lissa arrived.”

  “Do you think whoever he met with last is the one who killed him?” I asked.

  “Perhaps. I suppose it’s possible that someone not on the schedule came in after the last patient left, but the man’s calendar will be a good place to start. If I’m lucky, he will have his contact list on his phone or tablet as well. Maybe this case will be solvable after all.”

  Chapter 3

  Monday

  I hadn’t seen Cass at all over the weekend. I knew he’d been busy tracking down clues he hoped would lead to Dale Conover’s killer, and I’d been busy setting up interviews for my Ms. Cupid article. I needed to turn in my next column by Friday, but I felt with the interviews I’d already completed, and the handful I’d set up for early this week, I should have no problem coming up with a riveting read by the deadline.

  I’d spoken to Cass briefly on the phone last night. He’d shared that he’d been able to get inside the house and take a look around, but he hadn’t found any obvious clues that would help explain what happened. He also said that the fire marshal would have his report ready today and that he hoped once he fully understood the specifics relating to the fire, he’d be able to better understand who might have done what they had. He hadn’t found Dale’s tablet yet, but his phone had been near his remains. It was destroyed, but he had specialists working on trying to recover the information contained within the chip.