Free Costume Catastrophe (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 21) by Kathi Daley Page B

Salinger had said he’d have a chat with the guy.
    I really did think that we’d find out that the killer had a motive having to do with the victims’ participation on that long-ago football team, but I also supposed it would behoove me to look for other connections between Tommy and Joey. The two had known each other for a long time, which made it entirely possible they’d had something or someone else in common. I remembered Tommy had told me that he and Joey had had a falling out a ways back. Suddenly I was very interested in the reason for that falling out.
    By the time Zak and I arrived at the shelter Tiffany was halfway through the morning chores. She informed me that the dog that had been reported missing earlier in the week had been found safe and sound, and that the new bear cub we’d brought to the shelter after his mother was hit by a car was settling in nicely. We chatted about what needed to be done before Jeremy returned and then Zak and I headed to the hospital before visiting hours were suspended while lunch was being served.
    Tommy was awake and coherent when Zak and I arrived, but all he remembered was that one minute he was taking a walk along the lakeshore path and the next he was in the hospital hooked up to more machines than he deemed necessary.
    “Given the fact that you were shot in much the same way as Joey, we’re assuming there’s a link.”
    “Yeah, that occurred to me.” Tommy adjusted his position in the bed. I could see he was in pain, so I didn’t want to stay too long.
    “Do you know of anyone who would want both you and Joey dead?”
    Something flashed across Tommy’s face before he quickly masked it. “No. I can’t think of a single person who would want either of us dead, let alone both of us. Who would do something like this?”
    “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
    “From what I’ve heard about Joey’s death, we were both alone in isolated areas when we were shot. Do you think the shootings could be random based on opportunity or geography?”
    I supposed it was possible the shootings were random based on location at the time of the shooting, not history, but it seemed unlikely. Still, in a small town you were likely to find a common variable between any two people if you looked hard enough, so I supposed it didn’t necessarily mean anything that the two men shared a history.
    “I spoke to Albert Adams yesterday. He told me that he planned to look you up.”
    “Why would he want to do that? He hated me when we were both in high school. In fact, he went to great lengths to let everyone know how much he hated Levi, Joey, and me. He blamed us for losing his starting position on the varsity team.”
    “He made a vague reference to wanting to see how your scholarship turned out. I guess that’s sort of a lame reason to look you up after all these years.”
    Tommy frowned. “You think he’s the shooter?”
    “I think it’s possible. Sheriff Salinger is looking into it.”
    “Albert always was a little unhinged. The fact that he blamed Joey, Levi, and me for intentionally ruining his life is crazy. We were just better football players who did what we were asked to do by our coach. I can guarantee you that we didn’t set out to ruin anyone’s life.”
    It occurred to me that there were probably other football players who were displaced when the younger boys were promoted to the team. If Albert wasn’t the killer it might be worth my time to dig out my old yearbook to try to figure out who else might have a similar motive for wanting both Joey and Tommy dead.
    “You mentioned when we spoke at the Zoo that you and Joey had had a falling out a while back. Do you mind telling me what your disagreement was about?”
    “It was nothing, really. Just guy stuff. You know how it is. Broads and booze are never a good combination.”
    “You didn’t speak to each other for five years,” I reminded him.
    Tommy shrugged. “It was nothing. Really. I’m getting