Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“Yeah,” Hurst replied.

The doctor knelt by the body and looked it over carefully. Finally he stood up. “I don’t think I can tell you anything you don’t already know,” he said. “Not until I get a postmortem done, anyway.”

“The ambulance is here,” Hurst said. “You ready to move him?”

The doctor looked inquiringly at Holly.

“Go ahead, if you’re ready,” she said.

Two paramedics came into the building, loaded the corpse onto a stretcher and removed it to the ambulance.

“Let me know when you’re done,” Holly said to the doctor. “I’d like you to be thorough.”

“I always am,” the doctor said. “I’ll try to get it done by the close of business, but I can’t promise.” He picked up his bag and left.

“I’m about done,” Hurst said.

“When do you think it happened?” Holly asked.

“Last night, I reckon.”

“That’s what I figured, but there’s the remains of breakfast on the kitchen table. Some scrambled eggs.”

“Hank didn’t eat a lot,” Hurst replied. “That could have been last night’s supper.”

“We’ll know for sure when the doctor is done.” She indicated a chair across the desk from her. “Take a seat for a minute.”

Hurst sat down, shucking off his rubber gloves.

“Give me your take on what happened here,” she said.

Hurst sighed. “Somebody came in through the front door with a shotgun, used it on Hank and walked out. Simple as that.”

Holly nodded. “Why was the dog in the kitchen with the door closed?”

Hurst furrowed his brow. “Good point. I can’t think of any reason why Hank would shut the dog up in there.”

“Maybe Hank didn’t do it. Maybe his visitor did.”

“Why would the dog mind a visitor, a stranger?”

“Maybe it wasn’t a stranger.”

“Granted. I’ve been around Hank and the dog, though; the dog didn’t listen to anybody, unless Hank…”

“Gave his permission?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe the visitor asked Hank to shut the dog in the kitchen. Maybe the dog made the visitor nervous.”

“Maybe,” Hurst said, “but why would Hank do that? If he told Daisy to lie down and be quiet, then that’s what she did. No reason for anybody to be nervous. On the other hand, anybody who was planning to shoot Hank wouldn’t want Daisy in the room; she’d tear his throat out.”

“She’s trained that way?”

“She’s trained every which way,” Hurst said. “That’s some dog.”

“I think our perp came in through the kitchen door,” Holly said. “I think Daisy went to investigate, recognized him as somebody she knew and trusted, and as he walked in here, he shut the kitchen door behind him, trapping her in there.”