Free Final Catcall: A Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly Page A

my fingers into the knots of muscle in my neck. “I . . . uh. It looks like there’s a bullet hole just behind his ear.”
    “Let’s go.” His hand moved to my back and he pushed me toward the stairs.
    “The police will be here in a couple of minutes,” I said. “I don’t think we should just leave the body.”
    Andrew shook his head, his mouth pulled into a thin line. “Kathleen, if he was shot, whoever did it could still be around. I’m sorry, but we can’t help him. It’ll be safer down in the parking lot.”
    I knew he was right. Still, it felt wrong to leave Hugh’s body slumped against the lookout railing. I took one last look over my shoulder for any sign of another person or any clue to what had happened and then I went down the steps.
    We stood against the side of the bluff at the bottom of the stairs. The automatic streetlights had come on, washing the parking lot in a weird pinkish-orange light. I remembered Maggie saying the odd-colored bulbs saved energy.
    The paramedics arrived first, but Officer Derek Craig was right behind them in his squad car. “Stay here,” Andrew said.
    I ignored him and started toward the police car.
    He stepped in front of me. “Kathleen, I can take care of this. Just wait.”
    “I’m not going to have an attack of the vapors,” I said, shaking off his hand. “This isn’t the first dead body I’ve seen, and I know these people. You don’t.” I stopped, realizing how abrupt my voice sounded. I took a deep breath. “It’s okay, Andrew. I can do this.”
    After a moment he nodded.
    I recognized one of the paramedics coming toward us. He’d taken care of me when an embankment out at Wisteria Hill had collapsed after days and days of rain this past spring. Ric nodded at me and I pointed back over my shoulder. “The top of the stairs.” I knew Hugh Davis was past any help Ric and his partner could give him.
    Derek Craig walked around the front of his police car. “What happened?” he asked as I reached him.
    “We—my friend Andrew and I—brought a piece of staging over in my truck for the theater festival. Then we decided to walk up to the lookout. The body was at the top of the steps.” I stopped to clear my throat. “It’s . . . His name is Hugh Davis.”
    He nodded as he made notes in a small ring-bound notebook, then looked up at me. “Did either of you touch anything?”
    I nodded slowly. “I did. I almost fell over hi—the body. My hand touched the top of his head.”
    Derek tucked the notebook back in his shirt pocket. “I’ll be right back. I need you and your friend to wait here.” He gave me a half smile. “You know how this works.”
    I did.
    I walked back to Andrew, who stood with his hands in his pockets, looking out over the water.
    “We have to wait a little longer,” I said.
    “How can you stay here?” he asked, not looking at me.
    I knew he didn’t mean here in the parking lot.
    “I like it here,” I said. “I have a life here.”
    He gestured toward the bluff behind us and his green eyes met mine then. “Kathleen, there’s a dead person up there. Dead.” There were two deep frown lines between his eyes. “This is the last place I would have expected to find someone shot.” He swiped a hand over the side of his face. “This is stupid. You need to come home.”
    I pressed my lips together and took a couple of deep breaths before I answered. “People get shot in Boston.”
    “I know that,” he said, his voice tight. “But when was the last time you fell over a body in Boston?”
    “I’m not having this conversation right now,” I said. I couldn’t keep the edge of anger completely out of my voice. From the corner of my eye I saw a black car I didn’t recognize pull in next to Derek Craig’s police cruiser. Marcus got out of the driver’s side.
    “I’ll be right back,” I said to Andrew. I didn’t wait to see if he had anything to say.
    A feeling of déjà vu washed over me as I walked up to Marcus.