CHAPTER 9
Back at the office, CJ was working with Baby to try to find out more about Michael Osterhouse. Matt was on the phone with Hoyt, telling him about their discussion with the pet cemetery director, minus the "Hoyt the cat" scenario.
"CJ's digging up more about him as we speak." Matt poured himself a cup of coffee and listened to Hoyt rail about the lack of progress on the case. "I know it needs to be solved. We're doing our best. Sometimes it just takes a little longer. You of all people should know that. What have you been able to find out?"
"Nothing. About the time I start working on a lead, here comes another case. I can't just drop everything and work on one case at a time." Hoyt sounded tired.
"When was the last time you took a vacation?" Matt was starting to worry about his friend. It wasn't like him to let something like this eat at him so bad.
"Hah! Vacation! Yeah, that's really going to happen. Just look at this past weekend: I go out of town for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose." He reached into his pocket for antacids.
"You really should try the yogurt, it'll help." Houston was trying to help.
"How in the…how did you know?" Hoyt was absolutely flabbergasted. "You've been around Roy for too long."
"Hold on, CJ's got something. I'm going to put it on speaker." He pressed the button on the phone and nodded at CJ to go ahead.
"Alright, I've been going back through the files on Michael Osterhouse. Seems that our favorite feline funeral director originally wanted to practice the profession on people. He was attending mortuary school and working part time at a funeral home. That is, until he was found, uh, shall we say, paying more physical attention to one of the bodies there than he should have been. He was kicked out of the school and banned from practicing in the state. Of course, that ban doesn't include working with animals, so…"
"I knew there was something creepy about that guy." Matt had a disgusted look on his face.
"He may be a pervert, but that doesn't mean he strangled three people and removed their eyes." Hoyt reached into his pocket once more for the antacids. "Have you two come up with any other leads?"
"Not yet, but I'm about to do some more digging. Horace Hawthorne is next on my list and CJ is going to try to find out more about Osterhouse. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything." Matt disconnected the call as CJ sat down on one of the bar stools and he swiveled around to face her.
"Okay, so on to Horace Hawthorne. You said he's an insurance agent. Somehow that doesn't sound like the type of person to go around killing folks." Matt got up from the barstool and walked across to the windows while CJ went back to the computer.
"So when are you going to see Hawthorne?" CJ looked over at her husband.
"Just as soon as I figure out what my cover story is going to be when I get there." He scratched his mustache with his thumb as he planned his next inquiry.