The Glass Cat: A Detective Kevin Fowler Mystery Read Online Free

his pulse just in case there was some hope . . .”
    “Did you move the body in any way?” Fowler asked, writing rapidly.
    “Well, I picked up his hand, er, wrist, I guess. But I didn’t touch anything else or try to move him. I called Susan and she answered me from upstairs. I went immediately up there and found her with Miss Harper. She had already called nine-one-one.” He paused with a reflective expression on his face.   “Miss Harper was hurt. We weren’t sure how badly, but she was incoherent and bleeding. We stayed with her upstairs until the rescue squad showed up. You know the rest.”  
    “ You had never seen the deceased before, never met him or seen him at Miss Harper’s house?” Fowler knew the answer, but felt he had to ask the question just in case.  
    “Nope. I heard loud voices, one of them male, but I couldn’t have identified this man from that. Susan told me that Miss Harper’s nephew had been causing trouble, so I presume this is the man.” He raised his eyebrows in question.  
    “Yes, the deceased is Miss Harper’s nephew,” Fowler affirmed briefly.  
    “Try and remember, think carefully before you answer. When you ran up the stairs, did you see anything that might have caused this man to stumble and fall?”  
    Carl Wilson shook his head slowly. “I didn’t notice anything. But it might have been one of those cats. They were around because I could feel my nose starting to react even with the shot. You know how they wind around your legs when you’re trying to walk or go up and down stairs?”
    “I’m sure that was the problem,” he added. “He probably wasn’t used to walking around a bunch of cats.”
    Fowler stared at him, but decided not to comment.  
    “So your opinion as to the cause of Neal Harper’s death was that he accidentally tripped over a cat and fell down the stairs?”
    Wilson nodded.
    “Okay, Mr. Wilson. That’s all for now. You’re not leaving town any time soon, are you? I might need to chat with you again.”  
    “I’ll probably be here for another month. Is that enough time?” he questioned.
    “Sure. I have your address and phone number. It was good of you to come in to talk with us. Good-bye for now.”
    The two men shook hands then Carl left the room.
    Kevin sat musing for a moment, then leaned over and wrote rapidly in his book. Then he got up and stuck his head around the door.  
    “Eddie, will you get your partner and the two of you come in here for a moment?” He sat back down, opened his desk drawer, and withdrew a chocolate bar. Lunch was a long time ago and he hadn’t had time to eat.  
    “What’s up?” Eddie’s young, handsome face broke out in smiles when he saw Kevin’s candy bar. “Got any more of those?” he asked.
    Kevin glared and ignored the question.
    Jill, filling out her uniform amazingly, rounded the corner, her long blond hair hanging down her back in a French braid, her leather boots making a jangling noise as she approached.
    “Okay,” Kevin said. “Let’s go over the evidence one more time. Jill, you and Eddie came in before the rescue squad arrived and found Neal Harper stretched out in front of the door. When the medics got there, they checked, said he was dead, passed him by, and went upstairs. Am I right so far?”
    They both nodded, Jill eying his half-eaten candy bar.
    “When you got up the stairs, you found Miss Michelin and Mr. Wilson sitting on the floor in the hall with Miss Harper. The medics arrived shortly afterwards and began working on Miss Harper, who was bleeding from the head.”
    They both nodded again, knowing from experience not to speak until he requested them to.
    “Did you see any cats?” Kevin asked abruptly, his pen poised.  
    “Cats?” Eddie asked, the beginnings of a grin on his face.  
    “Cats? As in Kitties?” Jill asked. “Little furry creatures that say meow and chase mice?” She gave him that wide, Swedish-bikini-team grin.
    Kevin nodded.
    “Nope.” They